auto express - december 24, 2014 uk

8/10/2019 Auto Express - December 24, 2014 UK

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E R NEWSWEEKLY

DRIVEN Great new Mazda 2● New DS 3● Lexus’ M4 rival

1st UKTEST

NEWSKOD SUPER

542

HP

24-30 December 2014No. 1,350 | £2.80 BRITAIN’SBIGGEST-SELLINGWEEKLYCARMAGAZINE

On track and trail in supercar SUV

www.autoexpress.co.uk

LL-NEW UDI Q7

SUV gets as much techas you can fit in a car!

PLUS 174mph Audi RS3

Brilliant new wagon facesMazda and Skoda rivals

NEWMONDEO ESTATE

EX LUSIVE IM GES

R NGE

ROVER

SPORT

Full preview, plus we drive it


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Contents

ews | New ars | Features |Tests |Products | uying cars |Sport

24December2014 5

542bhp Range Rover Sport first ride10

Mondeo Estate vs Mazda 6 and Skoda Superb40

Storming new 288bhp MINI John Cooper Works14

First official pictures of all-new Q716

Online

this week

Formore visit

ehin thewheel of

fresh-faced B-Class

SINCE itwentonsale in2011,

Mercedes’ second-generation

B-Class hasbeen a huge global

salessuccess.Over350,000

have foundhomes worldwide,

andwhile only 25,000have

beensold herein the UK, a

facelift promises to breathe

newlife into thecompact V

.

We’vedriventhemid-range

B200Sport tofind out ifit can

takethe fight toBMW’s new2 SeriesActiveTourer. Log

on forourdefinitive verdict.

autoexpress.co.uk

Contents

News | New Cars | Features |Tests |Products |Buying cars |Sport

NewsweekCOVER New Skoda Superb revealed 8Exclusive images, plus we get early drive of prototype

COVER Range Rover Sport SVR 10First ride on track and trail in new 542bhp super-SUV

Hyundai i20 Coupé 13Stylish three-door unveiled. Plus Turbo

i30

, revised i40

MINI John Cooper Works 14Blistering new 288bhp hot hatch revealed

COVER New Audi Q7 16

Official pictures of smaller

, lighter V

. Plus new Audi RS3

Drink-driving campaign 18Shocking test of self-breathalysers you can buy online

FeaturesBecoming a lifesaver 24We attend course that teaches drivers essential first aid

New carsMazda 2 hits Britain 28

First UK drive of all-new supermini with Polo in its sights

Fords at the double 30New EcoBoost Mondeo and Focus models rated

Lexus RC F 33High-performance coupé is an interesting M4 alternative

DS double 34

Facelifted DS 3 cabrio and three-cyl DS 4 driven and rated

Mercedes S500 plug-in 37 Verdict as petrol-electric hybrid S-Class hits UK roads

2 Series Active Tourer xDrive 384WD capability gives BMW mini-MPV new lease of life

Road testsCOVER New Mondeo vs rivals 40Ford estate takes on Mazda 6 and Skoda Superb

S-Class Coupé vs Panamera Turbo S 50Merc and Porsche do battle in 1,100bhp head-to-head

Our cars 58Updates on the Nissan Qashqai and Kia Soul EV

ProductsNew on the shelves 64Latest car gadgets including a clever dash cam kit

Best driving games 68Console for Christmas? Time to buy some games...

Buying carsHonda CR-V buyer’s guide 72Why solid SUV is a great second-hand choice

Best superminis for £13k 74 Yaris, Corsa or Polo? Our expert s have their say

1 Series vs Golf vs Focus 76We take our pick from three second-hand hatches

New car prices 78 All the info you need before you head to the showroom

RegularsConsumer news 22

Watchdog solves your problems, plus you have your saySport 88Dakar Rally line-up, plus latest news

Get Auto Express every week 89How to net a great deal on your favourite magazine

Back chat 90Mike Rutherford predicts a rental car revolution

EST

DRIVING

G MES

RATEDPage68

8 New Superb revealed, plus prototype driven


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Tell us about your carDriverPower isthe UK’sbiggestmotoringsatisfactionsurvey.

Everyyear weneedyouto tellusaboutyourcar.Goodor bad,your feedbackhelpsustellEVERYmotormanufacturer whatYOUwant...andbelieveus, they’re listening!

IT’Sfair tosay thatmostmainstreamcarmakershave delusionsofgrandeur, trying

toconvinceusthatthey’rethenextonestoknock onthe doorof the elite ‘premiumcarmaker’club. Yes,I reckon a coupleof themmightwellbeable todo itgiventimeand investment, butformost it’s a storywe’ve beenhearing (androllingour eyesat) formanya yearnow. Therewasa timewhenSkodaseemed to be

headingdownthat route, too–worryingly sofora group that includesVWandAudi.Certainly

interms ofquality and dynamics, ifnot badgeappeal, thethreebrandswere gettingmightyclose.Therewasvery littledaylightbetween them.Soitwasrefreshingtohear SkodabossWinfried

Vahlandwhenhe toldus thatthenewSuperb–previewedbyourexclusiveimagesanddrivenasaprototype thisweek–would not bechasing thenew VWPassat. He’shappytotryandtakeon(andbeat) thelikesof theVauxhall Insignia andFordMondeowith a combinationofwhat have becomekey Skodavalues:space, styleandkeenpricing.Such aretheaspirationsofmany of theSuperb’s

rivals that I bet theydon’t list the Skoda asone of thecars they’reaimingat.More fool them.

WeknowfromSkoda’s success in ourannualDriver Powercustomer satisfaction surveyshowhighlyownersrate their cars – especially thecurrent uperb. Withthe newmodelofferingall that is expectedof a Skoda,plusa smatteringofnew and temptingtech,mymoneywould beonit beinganother favouriteamongbuyers. Andwithmorehonest newSkodas heading

ourw y, includinga largeSUV(above), I’venodoubtthe brandwillbeable toachieve itsbold 50percent growthtargetby2018.

ST V OWL R

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Classy new S

To st ryFirst for news every week

SKODA isaiming for the big timewith

its third-generation Superb. Arriving

next year, theflagshipcar will be themost

upmarket the brandhas ever built– and

ourexclusive images, backed up byan

official sketch, show exactly howit looks.

Wealso travelled toPortugal foran

exclusive revealof thenext modelmonths

before itsofficial unveiling (althoughno

photographywas allowed)– andgot

behind the wheelof a prototype in the

early stages of testing (see panel, right).

The new car has a big job onitshands.

Since the arrival of the Superb in2001, Skodahas soldmore than 700,000 worldwide

over twomodel generations.Butchairman

Prof DrWinfriedVahlandwants thenewcomer

to exceed700,000 in its lifetime.

“We wantto bethebestin the class –

at the very top,” he toldus, while sitting

in thepassenger seat duringour drive.

“We’re not talking about beating the

Passathere– that’smoved upa class – but

wewant the new Superb tosit above cars like

theVauxhall Insignia.We want tobe themost

technological model youcanbuy in this class.”

From the front, the daring lookdebuted on

this year’sVisionC concept hasbeen revisited.

The family grillestandsproud,andtrapezoidaldetailingsitsbelowjewel-like headlamps. A

strongcharacter line runs the lengthof thecar,

while amore sporty roofline with a chrome-

edgedwindowsurround isparticularly smart.

Inside, thecabin is conventionalandsober

butwell made,whileSkodaclaimsrear

■ Stylish look for all-new Skoda

■ Hatch/saloon rear has been axed

C h r i s t i a n

S c h ul t e

EXCLUSIVE IMAGES

mesBatchelor [email protected]

@JRRBatchelor

Ja Ja


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perb revealedlegroom isdoublethat available in the

Insignia.There’s a biggerboot, too, at 625

litres (with theseats up)and1,760 (seats

down),andthecurrent Superb’s nifty

hatch/saloon tailgatehasbeenditched for a more traditional hatchback format. Gone

isthe one big umbrella slotted into the

rear door, too, replacedby twosmaller

umbrellas, one in each of the front doors.

The techis improvedaswell. Front and

rearpassengerscancontrol theinfotainment

systemvia iPad, it’s compatible with

AppleCarPlay, and, from 2016, there’ll

be wirelesssmartphonecharging.

There’ll be five petrolengines – from

a 123bhp1.4-litrewith activecylinder

management toa 276bhp2.0 – and

three diesels, from an118bhp1.6

GreenLine toa 187bhp2.0.The UKwill

definitely getthe diesel range,whilediscussionsaboutpetrols are ongoing.

Prices andspecshaveyetto be revealed,

butexpectS, SE,Elegance,GreenLineand

top-drawer Laurin& Klement trim to be

offered, starting from £25,000. An estate

istipped to follow inearly 2016, too.

“Forthcoming flagship car will be the most upmarket the brand has ever built”

OFFICIAL Skoda design sketch shows

how the newcomer heavily references daring

look seen on this year’s Vision C concept

rototyp shows it ’s

a big step forward AUTOExpress got behindthewheelof a heavily disguisedprototype– andSkoda boss, Prof. Dr.Winfried Vahland(pictured below),hitched a lifttoo.The newSuperb usesVW’s

MQBplatform–which underpinseverything froma Golf to anAudiTTand, importantly, thePassat.On the road, itcomes asno surprise

to learn that the big Skodadrivesandhandles much like thePassat.What is surprising, though, is

that customerswillbe able tospec

their Superbswith theoptionalDynamic Chassis Control.Thiscanturn theSuperb from a beautifully comfortable carinto a hard-riding one inSportmode– whichgoesagainst arguably itsfinestattribute, its fantastic ride quality.Overall, theSuperbhandles with

confidenceand offersgreatrefinement– it’sa notablestepup from theoutgoing car. We tried 1.8and2.0-litrepetrols, plus the187bhp2.0-litreTDIwith four-wheel-drive, and it delivereda good blend ofperformanceandrefinement.Wewere impressed– and

can’twait todrive theproductioncar.

FIRSTDRIVE


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ASwecome aroundthe final corner,

a pushof the throttleis all ittakesfor

us to startto slide. It’s all under control,

yet westraighten uponly justbeforewe

hit the drypartof the track.Thenwe’re

offagain, with an exhaust bellowand

enough power topin you toyourseat.

You might thinkwe’re in a racecar, or

even a supercar. But we’re not.We’re in

a two-tonne-plus luxuryoff-roader. This

isn’t any old high-end4x4, though– it’s

theRangeRoverSportSVR.This isour first

properencounter, albeitasa passenger,

as JLR’s handling anddevelopmentexpert MikeCross gives usa ridearound

the Rockingham circuit in Northants.

TheSVR uses thesame 5.0-litre

superchargedV8 as the top-specRange

RoverSportAutobiography,but power

has been increased from 503bhpto

track and trail in 5

■ We get first ride in scorchingnewhigh-performance RangeRoverSport SVR FIRSTRIDE

SVR is marked out by bigger rear bumper and diff us r, plus extended rear spo l r . And tweaks

continue inside, with sumptuous leather sports seats uprated over regular Range Rover Sport’s

542bhp. It’s noticeable, too: “You have

to watch out for theweightchanging directionso quickly,” Crosssays,as

weheadthrough the tight S bend.

TheBrembobrakes have the taskof

bringing theheavy 4x4 to a standstill,

andduringour time on-track they’re

never found wanting.Meanwhile, the

eight-speed autoboxremains incredibly

smooth,withCross usingeverygearto its

full extent.“This isoneof the toughest

corners of the track,” he tells usaswe

go through a long right-hander. “But

itdoesn’t feel like you’rein anSUV.”

Theopen-valveexhaust system

– there partly for showing off with its

boisterous noise andpartly foraddedcooling – is thunderous from outside

whilebeingpleasantly encouraging from

inside thecar. Despite theadded pace

andbrasher styling, theSVR retains the

Sport’s composure.That’s largelydown

to some of theupgrades Land Rover’s

ws

risEbbs

hris_ [email protected]@AE_Consumer

RangeRoverSportSVRPrice: £93,450

Engine: 5.0-litresuperchargedV8

Power: 542bhp

Transmission: Eight-speedautomatic,

four-wheel drive0-60mph: 4.5 seconds

Top speed: 162mph

Economy: 22.1mpg

CO2: 298g/km

ON SALE Now

Essentials


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“Despite the added pace, theSVR retains the composure of

standard Range Rover Sport”

2bhp Rangie

Special Vehicle Operations (SVO)division

hasgiven the car, including stiffersprings

and specifically tuned active roll control.

These help ensure there’s littlebodypitch

through even the tightest of corners.

Dave Warner,SVO project engineer,explains some of the other tweaks: “Such

power requires extra cooling, which has

seen the foglights moved from the lower-

most grilles,” he says. “An extended

rear spoiler improves downforce, too.”

Inside, there are upgraded sports

JAGUARLandRover isworking

onnew technology that would

eliminateblindspots in carsby

embedding screens inA,B and

C-pillars, so they’retransparent.

TheVirtualUrbanWindscreen

conceptpoints to tech that’s

likelyto appear in thecurrent

line-up by2020. Itusesvideo

projection to turn a normally st tipillar into a virtual moving image display,

creating a wraparound360-degreewindscreen.

The set-up ispart of a new suite ofconcept features

thatalso includesa sat-nav with a FollowMeghost car

display,effectively leading drivers to their destination.

seats, while the rear is set out with two

separate chairs for a more premium feel.

The Range Rover Sport SVR is not only

about speed, though; we’re also given a

preview of how it remains one of the best

off-roaders around when tackling steepascents and extreme undulations. We

evenwade throughdeep water,which

the 4x4 handles with absolute ease.

In fact – as you can see in our video at

www.autoexpress.co.uk – the newcomer

could be the complete all-rounder.

Nose is modified, with foglights moved to make way for extra cooling intakes,

but we found the SVR is just as capable as any other Range Rover in the rough

AS BLINDSPOTS KO’D

Range Rover Sport SVR News

atic



Hyundai i updates News

24 ecem er2014

ELSEWHERE at Hyundai, the i40 range

hasalso received a light refresh.To remain in touch with the likes of the

newFord Mondeo andVW Passat, there are

visual updates such as the addition of the

tr ademarkhexagonalgrille andnewalloy

wheel designs. Thesat-nav systemhas

been revised, too. The only engine on offer

in is still the 1.7-litre CRDi diesel in twostates of tune.The higher-powerversion

now has 139bhp – a 3bhp increase – while

theentry-level unit sticks with 113bhp.

othengines seeefficiencytweaks,

boostingmpgand lowering O

2

emissions.

“Coupé boasts a best-

in-class boot capacity”

i40 revised to take on ondeoand Passat

Turbo leads new i30 range

Coupé gives i20 sporty new twist

lagship

Turbo has

183bhp

MAKINGita trioofnew arrivalsat

Hyundai is the facelifted i30hatchback.

Biggest changes to therangeinclude

headditionof a newTurbomodel,powered bya 183bhp1.6-litreengine.

Itplugs the gap in the Hyundai

ine-up left by theVeloster,which

has been axedduetodisappointing

sales.Updates to the restofthe

30rangeinclude theadditionof the

JUSTmonthsafter revealing its

FordFiesta-rivalling i20 hatchback,

Hyundai has unveiled a sleeker and

more stylish three-door i20Coupé,

with a targetaudienceof younger,

ifestyle-oriented’ buyers.

Despite sharing itsplatformwith

hestandard i20, theCoupé features

uniquebody, with the A and

C-pillarsmoresteeply raked,

plus a lower,sloping roofline.

Thefront and rear bumpers have

both een lightly resh ped,while oot-

mounted

familiar hexagonal grille,while new

alloy wheels andexterior colours

havealso beenmadeavailable.

Theold1.4-litre petrolengine hasbeen replacedwith a new, four - ylin er

unit of thesamecapacity, whichwill

returnmore than 50mpgandemit

129g/km ofCO2. The 1.6 petroland

dieselmotorsremain,butarenow on

offerwith a newseven-speedauto box.

spoiler andsculpted archesand doors

complete the sportyoverhaul.

However,don’t be fooledby the

sleeker image.The i20Coupéboasts

a best-in-class boot capacityof 336

itres, which is10 litresbigger than

he standard five-doorhatchback’s.

While this model isavailablewith

a range of1.25and 1.4-litre petrol

engines, or 1.1and1.4-litredieselunits,

thebig news is theintroduction ofa new,

turbocharged 1.0-litre, due later in 2015.

Itwillbe onoffer with either 99bhp

or123bhp, and is the first of a range

of newdownsized turbo engines from

Hyundai. The i20 Coupé isalsothe

third of22 new orupdatedmodels

due fromthe brand by2017.

■ Three-door model revealed

oung r

buyers targeted OFFICIAL

i20 Coupé features moresteeply raked pillars anda lower

, sloping roofline

ich rd

Ingram ich

[email protected]@cutt_ings

R cRich

ar exagona grille and new alloy

e es gns. e sat-nav system as

.

Both engines see efficiency tweaks,

oost ngmpg an ower ng 2 em ss ons.

Flagship Tur o as18 p

”



ars come in olante

or oupé bodystyles

ckRix ack_ [email protected]

@jack_rix

Ja ac

JCW-specific rear bumper and twin

tailpipes mark out storming new MINI

News MINI JCW

Aston celebrates 60 years

228bhp MINI JCW unleashed

eugeot’s 308 Ti to

pack 270bhp punch

Sporty touches include

larger triple intakes

and bucket seats

PEUGEOT’S308 GTi will be packing some real punch

whenit arrives late next year,developing 270bhp,

AutoExpress can reveal. Usingthe same1.6-litre

four-cylinder turbochargedengineas theRCZR, the

308 GTi willbecome themostpowerful road car

ever produced from theFrenchbrand.A new turbo,crankcase, intakes andexhaust systemhave all

been fitted to the308toboostengineperformance.

Suspension tweaks, uprated brakesand a Torsen

limited-slip differential arealso expected to help

manage thehikein power over the308 GTmodel.

The model will beoffered strictlywith a six-

speedmanual gearboxand front-wheel drive.

ASTONMartinWorks has introduced

six-limitededition versionsof the Vanquishto markthe 60thanniversary

of thebrand’s original historic home–

Newport Pagnell, MiltonKeynes.

Thesixbespokemodelsup forgrabs

areavailable in either CoupéorVolante

bodystylesand powered by thesame

MINI is re-entering theperformance arenawith

a John Cooper Worksversion of its latestthree-

doorhatch, revealedhereahead of its debut at the

Detroit MotorShow in January. Poweredbya 228bhp

2.0-litre turbocharged engine, it’s themostpowerfulproduction MINI ever, andcomeswith upgraded

suspension, steering, styling andbrakes.

Compared to itspredecessor, thenew JCWhatch

produces10per centmorepower and 23per cent

more torque, at 320Nm.Asa result0-62mph takes

6.3seconds with thesix-speedmanualgearboxor

6.0-litreV12 from thestandardmodel.

Witha helpinghand fromthe brand’spersonalisationservice ‘Q byAston

Martin’, eachwillbebuiltto a buyer’s

specific needs. Inside, allmodels

feature bespoke interior dialswith

rotaries crafted from oldpistons from

iconicAstonswhichspan the60 years.

■ JCW revealed before Detroit debut

■ Most powerful production MINI ever

6.1seconds with thesix-speedSteptronic auto.MINI

claims the extra torquemakes in-gear acceleration

faster, too, with 50-75mph taking5.6seconds.

We already had a good ideaofhow the JCWwould

look, thanks to theconceptdisplayedat the2014Detroit show,andtheproduction car has stayed

faithfulto that pumped-updesignwith largerand

protruding triple intakesdistinguishing the front end.

Inside,newbucket seats aremore sculpted, and

finished in a quilted ‘Dinamica’ fabric, while the

stainless steelpedals, instrumentdisplaysandkey

fob re redesigned for the range-toppingmodel.

lthough

theMINI JCWdoesn’t have four-wheel

drive like its

key rival, the AudiS1, it costs £2,035

less andchassis tweaks will make it the

sharpeststeeringmodel in the range.The

firmersuspension andBrembobrakes,

meanwhile, use lessons learned from

thebrand’s Challenge race car.

TheJCW’s claimed fuel economyis42.2mpg,while emissions are

155g/kmwhenfittedwith thesix-speed

manualgearbox.Prices start at

£22,865,with deliveries in April 2015.

OFFICIAL


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News Audi Q7 and RS3

16 24December 2014

ckRix ack_ [email protected]

@jack_rix

Ja ac

HOTTING UP RS3’s sporty

styling details inside and out

include leather trim with RS

logos, a lower and wider

stance, sleek bodykit, twin oval

exhausts and 19-inch alloy wheels

OFFI I L

362bhp RS3 storms in, too

udi’s lighter, sm ller

SHARPER,smaller and325kg

lighter,this is theall-newAudi Q7,

revealedahead of its debut at the

Detroit MotorShow in early January.

Theseven-seat Q7marks the

beginningof a fresh styling direction for

all AudiSUVs, and sitsonanall-new

platform that will also underpin thenext

PorscheCayenne andnewBentley V

.

Visually, themoststriking changes

are a three-dimensional single-frame

grille, lower, slimmer LEDheadlightsand largerair intakesunderneath.

Sharper,moresquared-offcreasesover

thewheelarches, shoulder line and

along the sills give it a more chiselled

profile, while amore tapered roofline

meansa lower,sportier stance.

The newQ7 issmaller than its

predecessor,measuring37mmshorter,

15mm narrower andthesameheight

overall. Despite this, Audi claims there

ismore head and legroom than before,

plus295 litresofbootspace withseven

Screen pops

up from dash,controlled

by touchpad.

Legroom is

improved

SUV debuts at Detroit show,

with order books opening

in the UK next spring

seats in place.On five-seatversions,

there’s 890 litresof spaceor 2,075 litres

with thesecond-row seats foldeddown.

Inside, a largetouchpadcontrols the

newMMIinfotainment system, while a

central display screensprouts from the

dash. Theinstrument cluster isnow fully

digital, and theQ7 is fully compatible

with AppleCarPlay andAndroid Auto.

Up to41per centaluminium

isused in its new platform, which

means the Q7weighsup to325kg

lessthan its predecessor, improving

fuel economy andhandling.With the

3.0TDI engineitweighs 1,995kg, cutting fuel consumption byup to23per cent.

Enginechoices for theUKare limited

toa 268bhp3.0 TDI,witha 215bhp

version to followlater.Fuel consumption

and CO2 emissions for the268bhp

model stand at 47.8mpg and153g/km,

while 0-62mph takes6.3seconds.

A hybriddiesele-tronmodel

will arrive towards theendof 2015,

combininga 3.0TDI dieselengine

withanelectricmotor for a total power

outputof 368bhpand700Nmof torque.

■ SUV to downsize slightly ■ Diesels and hybrid set for UK

AUDIhasalso revealed its 2015RS3

– and the super-hatch willboost the

previouscar’s2.5-litre five-cylinder

outputby26bhp to a total of362bhp.

That’ll make thedistinctive model

capableof0-62mph inonly 4.3seconds,

witha limited155mph top speed, or

174mphon derestricted models.

Sitting25mm lower than the

standardA3Sportbackon which it’s

based, the RS3 is55kg lighter than

before. Itsquattro set-upfeatures

a clever torque-vectoringsystem,giving theAudi extragrip for faster

cornering in slippery conditions.

TheRS3alsogets specific sports

suspension andcanbe ordered

with the company’sadjustable

magnetic ride suspension and

ceramicbrakes. It’s lower andwider

than thestandardA3, and wears

aggressive bumpers and 19-inch

alloys.Therearesleekside skirts,

and attheback you’llfind a pairof

oval exhausts anda sharp diffuser.

The cabinfeaturesnumerous

RS-specificdetails, including badging

on thesteeringwheel, gearleverand

door sills.Allcars comewith leather-

upholsteredsports seatsas standard,

while buyerslooking for theultimate

RStreatmentcanspecifya pair of lightweight carbon shellbuckets.

Prices areexpected to start

at over £40,000– which ismore

thanfor theRS3’s biggest rival, the

MercedesA45 AMG. It’ll goonsale

after March’s GenevaMotorShow.



FordFocusRS News

24December2014 17

ws

inbriefEXCLUSIVEIMAGESP o b l e t

e

New Focus RS confirmed

w 7 unveiled

Lexus GS teasedahead of DetroitLEXUShas teaseditsnewGSF supersaloonaheadof itsofficialdebutat theDetroit

MotorShow in January. As thisofficialpicture (above)shows, it standsoutfrom theregularGSsaloon with sharper two-pieceheadlights, reminiscentofthe hot RCF coupé’s. There’salso a larger chrome grille. Theseare expected tobeapplied to therestofthe GSrange later in2015. Alsoset to feature is a new, full

LEDfrontheadlampdesign withseparatedaytime running lights,andlarger front side airintakes.The BMWM5rival istipped to

usetheRCF’s5.0-litrenaturally

aspirated V8 (andmuch of itsrunning gear), albeit with tweakstoproduce over500bhp. The GSF isset to cost around£80,000.

... nd Honda NSX

is also go for show HONDAhas confirmedthat thefinalproduction version of thelong-awaitedNSXsupercarwillalsodebut atDetroit in January.Partiallyrevealed in thisteaser

shot (above), it’snear-identical tothe concept wesaw inDetroit in2012,with thesamewraparoundLEDheadlights,muscular haunches andbonnetvents.Under the skin, the AudiR8

rival getsamid-mounted direct-injectionV6 petrolengine linked

toa trio ofelectricmotors, whichwilldeliver well over 400bhp.Aprice tagof around £100,000ispredicted,althoughnewcustomersfacea wait to gettheir hands onanNSX asall 100 earlyUKcarshavebeen snapped up.

ONEcar that’ll have the new Audi RS3(below)

quaking in its boots isthe forthcomingFocus RS.Ford hasfinally confirmedthat theRSbadgewillreturnon the Focus, and it’ll be part of a 12-strong roll-out of performance modelsby 2020. TheRSformspart of the brand’splan toprovidemorecars,parts andaccessories tomore people,more quickly,througha newglobal Ford Performance team.The RSwill be the flagship Focus, and it could

pack asmuch as350bhp from the 2.3-litreturboit’sexpected touse. However,unlike the RS3or MercedesA45 AMG, theFordwill remain front-wheeldrive– partly tokeepcosts down and also becausetheprevious-generationRS showedthat a Focuschassis canhandle large power outputsthanksto aclever limited-slip differential and trick RevoKnuckle

front suspension. It’s expected to arrive in 2016.

OFFICIAL



News Self-test breathalyser shock

18 24December2014

HOW I OURFOUR

KITS ME SUREUP?DRAGER 6510 TESTER Gave a reading of just under the limit.

All three tests we ran were within

0.003% of each other. Approved by

the Home Office and police-certified.

DIGITAL DISPLAY TESTER Provided a higher reading on one test,

then gave a different result without a

sufficient amount of air in it. It did the

same without us blowing into it, too.

DRIVE SAFELY TESTER Read 0.05% for one test – its highest

result – although it sometimes went

green to say we were fine. Unreliable

when tested without alcohol, too.

MAPLIN GADGET TESTER Available in Tesco and electrical

stores for just £4.99. The traffic light

system said we were over, but did

the same for a test without alcohol.

Reporter Ebbs tried DIY breath test kitsusing calibrated mix, with shock results

risEbbs hris_ [email protected]

@AE_Consumer Chri

OFFICIAL

DRIVERS could risklosing

their licencesplus further

penaltiesby relying on personal

breathalysers to ensure they

aresafe to drive after drinking.

A test byAuto Express,aspart of our No Drink, No Doubt

campaign, found that DIYkits

canbe inconsistent. Wetested

four, including a police-certified

kit, using a gold standard

calibration thatmixes water

andethanol to createa sample

on the cuspof the legal limit.

The police-certifiedDrager

device gavea blood-alcohol

reading of 0.076 per cent.The

legal limit is0.08per cent, and

if this had been at the roadside,

it’s likelywe’d have been asked

to give an evidential sample.Thecheaper devices were

tested in the same way,but all

recorded us asoverthe limit.

This mayseem like they’re just

being safe – which is great

– but in reality they returned

such variedandconfusing

results (right) that they left

us unsureof their accuracy.

Hunter Abbott, managing

director forNowGroup UK,

whichmanufactures AlcoSense

breathalysers, said: “You get

what you pay for with these

devices. It’s hard to have anyconfidence in them when you

get suchinconsistent results.”

A spokesman for the

Association of ChiefPolice

Officers told us:“While

personal breathalysers may

offer an indication of a person’s

alcohol level, they shouldn’t

be relied upon and would not

provide anydefence in court if

the reading was not accurate.”

■ We find self-test kitsprone to inaccuracy

■ Our campaign calls on

drivers not to drink

“They returned such

varied and confusing results that they left us unsure of their accuracy”

OFFICIAL

OFFICIAL

nfiniti coupé teased

Teaser hints at sleek lines of G37 coupé replacement

RENAULT hasannounced that theZOE(below) andKangooEV will be fitted with an all-new electricmotor from thespring. By combiningthe motor,junction box, power electronics andcharger into asingle module, its size has been reduced by10 per cent – but,more importantly, this should improve

the ZOE’s 130-mile range byaround10per cent, too.Power and torque remain at 87bhpand 220Nm,while low-power chargingtimes arereduced to 20minutes with a standard UKthree-pinsocket.

Meanwhile,Renault is also developingasuper and turbocharged 0.73-litre two-cylinder two-stroke dieselwith 67bhp and145Nm of torque.Designed foremerging markets, it’s set to improveeconomy byup to15 per centover the 1.5 dCi.

INFINITI hasreleaseda teaserphotograph of the

forthcomingQ60concept ahead ofa world debut

at theDetroit MotorShow in January.

The Q60 will serve asa replacementfor the

slow-selling G37coupé, and is likely to appear

in theUK at the beginningof 2016. It’s intended

asa rival for the BMW4SeriesandAudi A5,and thesilhouette of theconcept carshows

a sloping roofline, pronounced archesand

a distinctive kink aheadof the rear wheels.

It’s expected that the Q60willbe based onthe

sameplatformas the Q50, andis likelyto adopt the

same rangeofpetrol, dieseland hybridpowertrains.

NK

U T

DRINK

DOUBT est kiiitsssss

resultssss

NKD KK

NO UB T

NOO

RINKRINK

NO

DOUBT

ewmotor gives

ZOE range boost

on’t rely on Y breathalyser kit to

check you’re under drink-drive limit


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/auto-express-december-24-2014-uk 20/92www.autoexpress.co.uk20 24 December2014

News BMW 6 Series

UPDATESLatest 6 Series –including drop-top(above) and GranCoupé (below)– boasts stylingtweaks insideand out plusdyn mi upgr des

“Councils generateda combined ‘profit’ of

£667million from on

and off-street parking”

You can watch

any of our videos

onyour phone

Simply scan

this QR code.

IT’S allaboutMercedes at

autoexpress.co.uk/v i os this

week. In our first clip, we take

a close lookat the GLE Coupé.

Then, the E63 AMG S Estatemeets

BMW’sM5 in a drag-racespecial.

t

[email protected]

@mat_watson

Mercedes’ GL

Coupé in detail

BOSSES atMercedesarehoping

they’re fashionably late to theSUV

coupéparty with their all-newGLECoupé.It shares itsplatformwith

the nextM-Class – tobe rebadged

GLE– anditsbolddesignstands

out.Weheaded toGermany for an

exclusive look at thecar aiming

to steal salesfromBMW’sX6.

M5 saloonmeets

E63 AMG S Estate

ONE isa supersaloon and the

other a performance load carrier,

but the BMWM5andMercedes

E63 AMGSEstatebothdeliver

over 550bhp from their twin-turbo

V8s.So which gets its power down

better? All is revealed in our latest

Race theRunway drag-race video.

■ Styling tweaks revealed ■ Official unveil in January

Record £667m profit from parking

aster, smarter 6 Series

ready

for Detroit debut

Parking fines are generating a huge profit for local authorities across England

COUNCILS inEnglandhave raked inanother record parkingsurplus,withthewidescale useof ‘spy cars’blamedforthe 12percent increase.In 2013/14, Englishcouncils

generateda combined ‘profit’ of £667millionfrom both onandoff-streetparkingoperations.That’s up from the£594mmadein2012/13.Only55of the353authorities lostmoneyonparking operations, while theRACFoundation,which released the findings,says nearlyhalfof the total profit (44 per cent)came fromLondon boroughs.

CommunitiessecretaryEricPicklessaid thebumperyear can beattributedto the growing riseof spy cars. Headded: “Town halls arecommitting daylight robbery by rippingoffdriverswithexorbitant parking chargesandunfair parking fines.” Profit is calculated

BMWhas unveileda range of

updates for the 6 Seriesand M6,

aheadof thecars’ official appearances

at January’s Detroit MotorShow.

The6Series range,comprising the

coupé,Gran Coupé four-doorcoupé

andconvertible, gets some subtle

styling tweaksconsistingof a

reprofiledfrontbumper, new ‘kidney’

grilleand fresh headlights with LED

main beams.A revised rear bumperand

newalloywheel designs arealso added.Theinterior changesarea littlemore

extensive,withhigher-quality surface

materials, new two-tone leather options

andamore advancedhead-up display.

The 444bhp4.4-litre turbocharged

V8650i sprints from0-62mph in4.6

seconds – regardless ofwhich6 Series

model you go for – and returns 32.9mpg

in the coupéand 31.7mpg in the

convertible. Allpetrol modelsget a

sports exhaust,while small tweaks

to thesuspension andsteering boost

the range-toppingM6’sagility.

Meanwhile, the best-selling diesel –

the 309bhp640d, can now do0-62mphtimesof between 5.3and5.5seconds.

In addition, fuel economy is improved

to54.3mpg in the coupé, and CO2emissions aredown to 146g/km.

All 6 Seriescarsnow also get anEco

Prosetting, whichoffersstop-start and

an engine-coastingmode to improve

efficiency.Thenewrangewill goon sale

in the UKshortlyafter its Detroit debut.

OFFICIAL

byaddingincomefrom chargesandfines, anddeducting running costs. Andwhile incomesareup, it’snottheonlyway figures areincreased.Operatingcosts foron-streetparking forcouncils asawhole acrossEnglandhave fallenby10 per cent, too.

wrence Allan [email protected]



tchdog

We get behind the stories that affect you

22 24 December2014

■ ADVICE What should you do if it happens to you?

■ CASESTUDY Faulty Range Rover Sport has spent more than 50 days in garage in past 10 months

‘IT’Sall aboutthe details’appears to be a line that

theGovernmentisn’t keenon whenintroducing newpol y, and thatseemstobe evident again inthe

caseof the new £1coin. The newcoinis clearlyneededdue to thehigh numberof fake coins nowin circulation,butthere’s obviouslybeenlittlethoughtoverhow thenewcoinwould work withour existing infrastructure.

For motorists, themainconcern is parking machines(below left). It’sfrustratingenoughthat many of thesemachinesstilldon’t accept£2 coins,some17 yearsafter theywere firstintroduced.

Sowhat will happenwhenboth£1 and £2coins don’twork? Are wegoingto havetowaitanother 17 yearsbeforetheybecomeoperational?

Youhaveto wonderwhether anyof this is everthought through by someonein Government, because youcanguarantee it won’t only beparking thatcauses problems.

Why wasthereno detailedtesting to ensurea newcoincould bedesigned andused withexisting techand systems?

Once againit looks like a‘greatidea’ pushed throughat speed will endup causingproblems tothosewhodidn’twant or call forchangein thefirst place.

Butthenthat seems toalwaysbe theway – presentan idea as a solutionwithoutaddressingthepotentialproblemsit’ll causein future.

ntroduction of new £1

coin could h ve been

handled much better

Land Rover coughs up

for host of failed fixes True cost of £1 coinupgrade revealed

“It’s frustrating that some parking machines don’teven take £2 coins”

risEbbs

Senna was upset that

dealer couldn’t find

fault on SUV

SHOULDyou justbe happy a dealer

has fixed your car – or can you justify

claiming for compensation and losses

for the time it’sbeenoff the road?

InSenna Atwal’scase,Auto Express

felt he deserved some recompense after

hisRangeRover Sport wasleft stricken

ina dealerformore than50days over

the last 10months. Senna, from Dudley,

WMids, was upset with Land Rover’sinability to diagnose the fault andfix it

after first reporting the issue in February.

Itwas inandoutofdealers withSenna

complainingof poor communication

throughout theprocess. He told us: “It’s

a £60,000 car that noone could fix.

Diagnostic machineswould notshow

the fault, either. I’ve lost thousands

through workand the way I’vebeen

treated isa disgrace.”

Wecontacted Land Rover to ask for

Senna’s case tobe reviewedwith regard

to a payoutbased on the inconvenience.

While the repairshad beencovered by

warranty,we felt that hewas still out of

pocket. LandRover told us the issue

wasbeinghandled by itsexecutive

office, anda few weeks later Senna

waspresented with a satisfactorydeal.

TheRange RoverSport wasserviced

freeof chargeandthe front discs and

padswere changed, too.On top of that,

Land Rover offered Senna a choiceof

threegoodwill gestures –money towards

a new Land Rover, a contribution toanapproved used vehicle or an extended

one-year warranty on hiscurrent car.

A LandRover spokesman said: “We

alwaysstrive to give customersan

exemplary service, and in this particular

case, where there was a longer than

expected delaywith Mr Atwal’s

vehicle, thedecisionwasmade

to offer reasonablecompensation.”

Sennaconcluded:“I appreciate

thegesture of goodwill andwhile

it nowhere near compensatesme

for all mycosts,I can lookat the

options andsee what suits mebest.”

SETTING anagreeddeadlinewitha garage forwhenwork istobecompletedwillgive

youa goodpoint toworkfrom. If it fails tomeet it,you’ll bewithinyourrights to take

thecarelsewhere, or negotiaterecompense for losses. If youneed a car, negotiate

with thegarageover getting a courtesy vehicle – although it’s nota legal right.

THE new £1coin due tobe mintedin2017will force theparking industry tospend millions improvingmachines – acost that couldbe passed on to drivers.

A report by the BritishParking Association (BPA)said even thesimplest

upgrade will cost around£100, withsomeimprovements topping £350.

It could be 20years before allmachinescan makeuseof theadditionalsecurity techin the new coin, too.TheBPA said that current tech isn’teventakingadvantageof thesecurity featuresof the£2 coin introduced in 1998.

The reportstated: “Thecomplexityofthe designs so asto preventcounterfeitingmayincrease the burdenon the parking industry,ultimatelyincreasing costs for the customer.” [email protected]

@AE_Consumer

Joe Finnerty



nsi estory A dif ferent take on the world of motoring

JoeFinnerty [email protected]

h t would

you do next?every second counts when dealing with a road accident casual , and anew course aims to educate drivers to help before paramedics arrive.

we went along to pick up some advice that could help save a life

MOST motoristswill have driven past an accident

whereother drivers have stopped to help and

alert theemergencyservices. But if youarrived

on the scene first,would you stop?

Human naturedictatesmost of us probablywould

pulloverto see if wecould help, but would wereally

know what to do?Researchwould suggest no.While

79per centof uswouldstop and helpif wearrivedata road traffic collision (RTC) before theemergency

services,nearlyone in five said they wouldn’t get

involved in first aid for fear of doing somethingwrong.

That lack of action in the first fewminutes following

an accident couldbe thedifference between life

anddeath.Unsurprisingly then, nearlyallthosewho

were surveyed aspartof the studysaid they thought

drivers shouldbe trained in life-saving skills.

That’sexactly where Driver FirstAssist(DFA),

which carried out the research, comes in.This

not-for-profitorganisation launched18 months

agoand has full backing from the fire, police

and ambulanceservices.

As well ascreating more “GoodSamaritans”on

the road, there’s a financialbenefit to DFA’s projectto train drivers to be life-savers.Closing a motorway

cancost theeconomy £62,000perhour,while

RTC deathsset thecountryback £3billiona year.

DFAbelieves having a trained forceon the roads

can cut the numberof fatalitiescausedbyRTCsby up

to46 per cent– therefore reducing the annual impact

on theeconomy by£1.5billion.Auto Express headed

to DFA’s latestcourse in London to find out more.

Ex-police traffic officer Phil Constable is our trainer

for theday, andhisexperience isgreat in providing

first-handexampleswhich sitalongside thetheory.The

firstpartof the course focusesonarrivingat thescene,

telling uswhere weshouldstop the car and how we

shouldassess thedangers. Thekeymessage is that

while our aim is toassistand,where possible, savealife, themost important thing is oursafety at alltimes.

We learn how toparkto block anaccidentoff

ona motorwayand divert traffic aroundus, as

wellas whatweshouldassessso wecan relay

the information back to theemergencyservices,

and how to identify exactly where weare. The

“one in five people surveyed said they

wouldn’t get involved in first aid for

fear of doing something wrong”

“I’m looking at whether my

company can takeup DFA. Theselling point to lorry drivers is that

it’s useful to them. Buteverybody

shouldhave it asa basic skill.”

RichardWhittingham, operations

manager at P&Hcontract services

“Iwanted todo itto helppeople if

there’s an accident. I’ve done firstaid before so it’sa good refresh.

I’m not surewhy this isn’t part of

getting your licence; it shouldbe.”

KristelLong, fraud

investigatoratSainsbury’s

“DFAseemeda good ideaasI’d

been thinking about getting first aid.It’s a usefulskill; everyone should

knowthe basics. It’s good tohave

what youthink is right validated,too.”

AlexO’Brien,works

atTransport ForLondon

why do drivers sign up to life-saving course?

course is constantlydeveloping andDFA trainer

Phil saidhewould like toseethetrainingmade

compulsory aspartof thestandarddriving test. “If

everybodyhadthebasic skills, imagine theamountof

casualtieswecouldsave,” headded. “Atthe moment,

peoplehave a fear of doing somethingwrong.”

Being anasset at the scene ofanaccident ahead of

the emergencyservices isn’t restricted to information

gathering andtraffic management.There’s a morecritical role that qualifiedDFAmembers will be able

to play – administering first aid. That’swhat the



Inside story

DFA founder David Higginbottom explains benefits

“DFA is about

getting people todo the right thing

in the right way.

it gives a chance

of survival”

secondpart of the training focuses on,whether it’s

checking if someone isaliveor,more seriously,

learning howto carryout life-saving first aid like CPR.

Oneof themost commonmisconceptions is that

youshouldn’tmove a casualtyor, if it’s a motorcyclist,

remove their helmet.Phil tells us that if someone isnot

breathing thenyou need toget tohis or her airwayand

clear it. If that involves removing a helmetor dragging

someone out ofa car,then sobe it. A personwill die

from a blocked airwaywithin four minutes, but the

targetambulance response time is twice that, making

the roleofa DFA membervital in saving lives.

We try our handat CPR and Philtellsus it’snot

necessary to do rescuebreaths – or the ‘kiss of life’ –if you’renotcomfortable with it. Compressions on the

chest to keep the heartbeating will do. Wealsoget

the rundown of a portabledefibrillator. These handy

gadgets give youan audible walk-through of what you

needtodo torestart the heart – a far cry fromthe manic

scenes we’re familiarwith onTVdramas like Casualty.

Once you’vecompleted thecourse there’s a test

which recapseverything you’ve learned. When you’ve

passed, you’reawarded a hi-visjacket with a DFAlogo

that’ll be recognisable to emergencyservices. Right

now, DFAis focusing on professionaldrivers, but

courses areopen to anybody.

DFA founder DavidHigginbottom

explained to us the reasoningbehind

the focus on commercial drivers. “Theroadnetworkis a place ofworkfor

many people,” he said. “And these

peoplehave no first aidtraining, like

youwould in an officeenvironment.”

David estimates there arearound3.5

million drivers on the road forwork

LIFE-SAVING SKILLSPhil watches over Joe as he

practices chest compressions.

Portable defibrillators provide

step-by-step audio instructions

on how to use them correctly

UTO XPR SS

PROMOTIONWE’VE teamedup with Driver FirstAssistto

offer an exclusive 10 per cent discount to

Auto Express readers wishing to take part

in oneof four selected courses (below).

21 January:Glasgow

4 February: Birmingham

11 February: Manchester

18 February:London

isit

www.driverfirstassist.org and register for one of the dates using the

promotional code:AutoExpress2015 to

get£14.40off the total£144 price.

FIVE first aid myths You can move peopleDon’t beafraid to movea casualty if they’re not

breathing to give them CPR. Many peopleare

often scared to touchsomeone in case of spinal

injuries, but if you leave themwhen they’re not

breathing, they’ll be dead within minutes.

You don’t haveto parkout of the way You canuseyour car to block the accidentand

divert traffic aroundyou if it’s to prevent loss

of life. It’ll act asa safetybarrier for you, too.

Beware, though: don’tparkacross multiple

lanes asyoucould blockemergency access.

Don’t sit someone in your vehicleInjured parties shouldbe taken to a safe place,

on the verge ofa motorwayfor example,not put

in your own car.The fire service has been known

tochopoff the roof if theysee an injuredperson

sitting ina car atthe scene ofanaccident!

Emergency services can’ttrace a mobile using GPSDon’t expect theemergencyservices to be able

to pinpoint your location by triangulating the

call on your mobile. You’ll need a general idea

ofwhere you are, but ifyou’reona motorwayor

busyA-road, you’ll likelybepicked uponCC

.

You won’t face legal chargesLitigation and‘nowin, no fee’ lawsuitsaremore

popular than ever, butDFAmembers shouldn’t

beafraid tohelp. If training isfollowed you

shouldbecovered and DFA willback you up

in the event of legal action. Any action is

defensible if it’s to savea life, too.

eachday and would like tosee 70,000

of these becomeDFA trained – a similar

percentage to first aiders in an office.But the futureofDFA could expand

furtherwith the Instituteof Advanced

Motorists (IAM) also backingit.

David concluded: “DFA is about trying

toget people todo the right thing in the

right way. It gives a chance of survival.”



S TTIN TH

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ewc rs

Visit autoexpress.co.uk for the latest new cars and drives

FORDSAT DOUBLE

FirstUKdrive ofnew

Mondeo. Plus facelifted

EcoBoostFocusrated.

30

Punchy 1.5-litre engine is

eager and nippy drive gives2 a genuine fun factor

“Mazda says ther s alittle bit of MX-5 in allits cars and that feelsthe case in the 2”

MAZDA isset for a busy12months

with three all-newmodelsanda

couple of facelifts coming in2015.Most

important is thenew2, launching into

the competitive supermini sector

dominatedby theFord Fiesta, VWPolo

andnewchallengerslike Hyundai’s i20.

Sothe2 has a tough roadahead, but

it’salwaysoffered a sense of style and

driving dynamics that have set it apart

from all butthe Fiesta (withwhichMazda

superminiswereonceclosely related).

This car continues thattheme – it still

has thesharp looks it’s famousfor, butwithmore class anddynamism. It uses

thelatestinterpretation of Kodo design

with a bold, chrome-ringed grille, swept

back lights, bold creases down theside

anda coupé-like roofline.The2 is bigger

thanbefore, too – 14cmlonger and 2cm

taller, meaning more interior spaceand

a 280-litre boot justshyofa FordFiesta’s.It’snot themostspacious in the class

– thenewHyundai i20 impressesmore

on that score. Nor is it the mostusable–

there’s anawkward stepat the backof

therear seatswhen youfold themdown.

Formost, though, there’ll be enough

space in the backand the boot.

And it’swhatelse the 2 offersthat

makes it so appealing. Itsspirited drive

borders onhot hatch levelsof appeal–

even in themost popular 1.5-litre

89bhpmid-specSE-L versionwedrove.

Actually, to be honest, ourearly car

t v Fowler t

[email protected]@stevefowler

St

te

Performance0-62mph/top speed

9.4 seconds/114mph

Running costs62.8mpg (official)

£52 fill-upMazda2FIRST UKDRIVE Stylish new 2 will present a serious challenge to supermini rivals

PracticalityBoot (seats up/down)

280/950 litres


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O

t i s C l a y

LEXUS RCF

Distinctive looking

coupé isan interesting

alternative toBMWM4.

NEW DS STARS

Posh Citroen brand

goes it alone – wedrive

DS3 CabrioandDS 4.

HYBRID S-CLASS

Behind thewheel

of hi-tech new

MercS500Plug-in.

4WDACTIVE TOURER

Why xDriveversion of

BMW2SeriesMPV

isthe pickof the range.

33 34 37 38

wasn’t true to thisspec– it’s got bigger 16-inch alloys andLED lightsnormally

reserved forSport models.That probably

explained theover-firm ride andtyre

noise – let’s just call that sporty for now.

The rev-hungry 1.5-litreengine isa

gem– it’sa little rorty, butwith plentyof

punch thatgetsit from0-62mph in just

9.4seconds. Yetwith Mazda throwing

itsfull gamut ofSkyActiv technologies

at thenew2, that performance doesn’t

comeat the expense ofefficiency–

there’s a claimed average of 62.8mpg

with a tax-friendly105g/km ofCO2.

Thecompany says there’s a little

bit ofMX-5 inall its carsand thatfeels the casein the 2.As wellas the

performance onoffer, a short-throw,

stubby gearlever thatclicks beautifully

between the ratiosandresponsive

steering addto theexcitement.The

cockpit is similar to that found in

the newMX-5, too,with a speedodominating thecentreof the instrument

panel, flagged bya digital revcounter on

oneside andan informationdisplayon

theother.There’s also a seven-inch

touchscreenonSE-LandSportmodels

thatconnectswellwithsmartphones.

For anextra £400you can add sat-nav,

viatouchora controller between thefront

seats,while air-con is standard.There’s

also decentsafety kitthat includes

autonomousemergencybraking.

That’s impressive ina car with a list

price of £13,995.What’s lessimpressive

is thequality inside. Thecabin designis

ascool as theoutside, but there’s barelya soft-touch plastic tobe felt. However,

the Mazda 2 offersa sense of fun that

even the Ford Fiestamissesout on,

making it easy tooverlookminor

shortcomings. It’s guaranteed toputa

smile on the faceof superminibuyers.

THERE’Sa charm to theMazda 2

thatfew rivalscan offer. It offers

a brilliantblendof performance

andefficiency, ismore stylish

thanmost andcomes loaded

with technology. Quality inside

is a bitdisappointing, the

ride ison the sporty sideof firm and that enginemight

be too noisy for some, but

this is oneseriouslytempting

small car thatis sureto bea hit.

★★★★

Verdict

Mazda21.590PSSE-LPrice: £13,995

Engine: 1.5-litre 4cyl

Power/torque: 89bhp

Transmission: Five-speedmanual,front-wheeldrive

0-60mph: 9.4 seconds

Top speed: 114mph

Economy: 62.8mpg

CO2: 105g/km

ON SALE March

Essentials

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Seven-inch touchscreen offers Twitter and Facebook connectivity via phone

SPACE Latest Mazda 2 gets more

space in the rear thanks to an 80mm

increase in the wheelbase. It’s not

class-leading, but it’ll be more

than adequate for most buyers

PRACTICALITY Boot space is just

shy of the Ford Fiesta’s at 280 litres.

Unfortunat y , because the seats don’t

fold flat , space is compromised by an

awkward step when they’re down



Newcars FordMondeo Estate

24 ecem er201430 24 Decem er2

Ford

MondeoEstateFIRST UKDRIVE Long-awaited Ford is in Britain at last, and we try turbo petrol estate


500/1,605 litres

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FAMILY estates need a diesel

engineunder thebonnet, right?

Not necessarily,because unlike the

diesel-onlyVW Passat Estate, Ford is

offering itsnew Mondeo Estatewith a

range of cleverEcoBoostpetrolengines

to appeal to a wider spreadof buyers.

TheMondeo will be availablewith

the impressively small 1.0-litre EcoBoostthree-cylinder (which arrives in early

2015) anda racy 240bhp2.0-litre, but

there’s another petroloption– a 1.5-

litre turbocharged four-cylinder. And

that’s the unit we’ve tried for the first

time in the UK.The good news isthat

it isa decent little engine, which

provesthat smallcubiccapacity can

deliver decent performance when

there’s a turbocharger attached.

There’s 158bhpon offer,which

allowsthe Ford to reach a top speed

of 135mph, get fromzero to 62mph in

9.2seconds andreturn 47.9mpg –

although we struggledto better

32mpg on a mixture of roads.

On the move, the 1.5 turbo iseager to rev, with power kicking in

from 1,500rpm.There’s a slightly rorty

soundtrack as youpress on andthesix-

speedmanual gearbox proves pretty

slick, although a six-speedauto is also

Hi-tech, solidly built cabin has fewer

buttons than seen on recent Fords

P e t e G i b s on

onoffer.It’sa goodcruiser,too – the

1.5 settles down to a distant hum

on themotorway andovertaking

is easy in top gear thanks

to 240Nm of torque.

While some rivalscan’tpull

off the same trick, Fordhas

managed to make itsEstate

as good looking as thehatchandsaloon models. And it’s

practical, too– there’s 500

litresof capacitywith the

seats up and 1,605 with them

down, and once they are folded

the load space iswideand flat. If

space is theabsolute priority, though,

look to thePassat,because it offers

650and1,780 litresrespectively.

Despite ourcar’s17-inch alloys– just

one of the goodies on offer in the top-

spec Titanium – theMondeo rides well

on harsh UKroads. It’s an example of

thedirectionFord has taken with the

new Mondeo, asit trades some of theold model’s fun for comfort, and thisis

particularlyevidentwith thesteering –

it’s a tad limpwhile the suspension is

soft.But it’s hardly a major gripe, as

theMondeo Estatehas becomea

highly desirable,comfortable wagon.

mesBatchelor [email protected]

@JRRBatchelor

Ja Ja



Ford Focus New cars

24December2014 31

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Focus handles better than ever;

cabin feels cleaner and smarter

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FordFocusFIRSTDRIVE 1.5-litre EcoBoost version of hatch is both punchy and efficient

NOT only has theFocusbeen theUK’s

most popular family hatchbacksince

1998, it’snow the best-selling nameplate

globally – so Ford isdoing all it can to

maintain the model’s place at the top.

Until the updated ST arrives, this 1.5-litre EcoBoost is thesportiest facelifted

Focus on sale. It replaces the old 1.6-litre

and boasts 179bhp in the Zetec S,

although we test the 148bhp version

here. It is the same engine, albeit in a

lower tune, asin the Mondeo (left).

The EcoBoost delivers improved

performanceover the1.6 andis more

efficient, too, claiming 51.4mpg and

127g/km. Mated to a standardsix-

speed box, it makes the car a delight to

drive.The power arrives effortlessly, and

perfectly complements the sharp

steering and great chassis. Few family

hatches feel as agile through bends.Enhanced refinement improves both the

ride comfort and cabin quietness. New

dampers and suspension bushesgive

a softer feel, while improved stability

control intervenes more smoothly.

Subtle exterior improvements reflect

the One Ford global design asseen on

the Fiesta and latest Mondeo. A newbonnet, nose and grille provide a bolder

frontal appearance, with a fresh tailgate

giving a cleaner and more refined rear.

The biggest changes come inside,

with a smarter feel,fewer buttons and

simplified instruments. A new centre

stack houses an eight-inch touchscreen

with Ford’sSYNC 2 for enhanced voice

control and connectivity to nav, climate

control, entertainment and Bluetooth.

A host of tech includes advanced Active

City Stop and various parking aids

including Perpendicular Parking, Park

Out Assist, Side Parking Aid and Cross

Traffic Alert, which help to warn driversof surrounding traffic while reversing.

sleyHarris [email protected]

FordFocus1.5EcoBoostTitanium

Price: £21,885

Engine: 1.5-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 148bhp

Transmission: 6spd manual, fwd


Top speed: 132mph

Economy: 51.4mpg

CO2: 127g/km

ON SALE Now

THEFocus isasenjoyable todriveasever.whilebeingmore cost-effective thanbefore. Tominimiserunning costswe’d go forthe

83mpg1.5TDCiover theEcoBoost,butneither will disappoint.Itsnewcabinis logically laidoutandlookssmart. Thisfamily favourite justgotbetter.

★★★★

PRACTICALITY The 363-litreboot size isn’t the best in class, butit’s a usable space and seats fold flat,increasing capacity to 1,148 litres

ENGINE The 1.5-litre EcoBoostengine is currently the sportiestFocus available, and delivers a fineblend of power and efficiency

BACK SEATS There’s plenty of head and legroom for passengersin the re , and three adults cansit together in relative comfort

Essentials

Verdict


8.9 seconds/132mph


£64 fill-up

THISis our first taste ofthe newMondeo in the UK, and it’s clearlyan important car asit’sbeenawellestablished favourite for amiliesandfleetssince1993.Thelatestmodelcomesasa saloonas a hybrid only),hatchbackandhis attractiveestate– andthis

sthemodel thatwe would beempted togofor. It’s goodooking,betterbuilt than ever and has a great petrolengine inheshapeof this 1.5-litreturbo.

★★★★

Verdict

PRACTICALITY While it may rail the Volkswagen Passat Estate,he Mondeo is hardly small. There’slenty of rear space plus 500 litresseats up) and 1,605 (seats down)

EQUIPMENT Interior quality as received a welcome boost and

here’s some particularly stylishouches such as digital dialsn the instrument binnacle

FordMondeoEstate1.5EcoBoostTitanium

Price: £23,480


Power: 158bhpTransmission: Six-speed manual,

front-wheel drive


Top speed: 135mph

Economy: 47.9mpg

CO2: 137g/km

ON SALE Now

Essentials

“Power arrives smoothly and effortless ,and perfectly complements the great chassis”



hankooktyres.co.uk

Luxury that never compromises safetyWithan advanced VAI system thatallows driversto track vehiclealignment and

aerodynamic sidewalls that minimise noise andvibration levels, theventus S1 evo2

delivers the promiseof performanceand enhanced fuel efciency.

Be one with your tyres, and the road will be one with you.

Hankook Tyre UK Ltd, Fawsley Drive, Heartlands Business Park, Davent , Northamptonshire NN11 8UG

Tel: +44 1327 304 100 Fax: +44 1327 304 110


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/auto-express-december-24-2014-uk 33/92www. utoexpress. o.uk

New cars

24December2014 33

FIRST DRIVE Striking coupé is an interesting alternative to the M4

THINK ofa Lexus,and nodoubta

luxurious hybrid model springs to

mind. However, the brand has also builtome exciting, high-performance cars,

ncluding the wild LFA supercar and

muscular IS F saloon. And the latest

ddition isthe racy RC F coupé.

We’ve already driven a pre-production

ersion in the US(Issue 1,336), but this

sthe first time we’ve been able to hit

he road in a European-spec model.

Touchthe start button and the RC F’s

.0-litre V8 rumbles menacingly into life.

he naturally aspirated unit is carried

over from the old ISF, but with reworked

nternals to push power andtorque up to

471bhp and 530Nm respectively. Yet the

exus never feels as fast as the claimed0-62mph time of 4.5 seconds suggests.

Unlike turbocharged rivals, such as

he BMW M4, the RCF needs tobe

worked hard to produce itsbest. Peak

orque arrives at 4,800rpm, which

means the engine feels a little flat at low

peeds.Get pastthisand the R Fstarts

o accelerate with real urgency,while the

V8 emits a spine-tingling bellow as it

aces towards the7,000rpm red line.

he eight-speed boxdeliverscrisp

upshifts in auto modeorvia the steering

el-mounted paddles, yet it canbe

erky whengoingdown thegears.

Incorners, theLexus impresseswith itspoiseandbalance.

Despite tipping thescales

t a hefty 1,765kg, the

RC F turns inwell, grips

ard andhasgoodbody

ontrol. Thesteering has

LexusRCFPrice: £59,995

Engine: 5.0-litre V8

Power/torque: 471bhp/530Nm

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic,rear-wheel drive


Top speed: 168mph

Economy: 26.2mpg

CO2: 252g/km

ON SALE Now

PRACTICALITY Rear seats

certainly look stylish, but they’re not

for long journeys – it’s more cramped

than in the back of a BMW M4 Coupé

PERFORMANCE A ccelerator

pedal needs to be worked hard

to make the most of the 5.0-litre

V8 engine, but it sounds glorious

EQUIPMENT Sat- v, seven-inch

display screen and 10-speaker stereo

are standard, but upgrade to a Mark

Levinson audio system costs extra

THE RCF isn’t the lastword in

straight-line performance and

razor-sharphandling, but it’s a

very likeable andwell built high-

performance coupé. Itsengine is

full ofcharacter and makes for a

fundrive,while theclassycabincomespackedwith standard kit.

And with Lexusexpecting to sell

only 200examplesnext year,

exclusivity willbe guaranteed.

★★★★

a natural response and decent feedback,

making the car easy to drive.Our model was also fitted with the

optional torque vectoring rear diff,

which allowsyou to alter the handling

characteristics to suit road conditions.

Normal is for everyday driving, Slalom

sharpens turn-in on twisty roads and

Trackboosts stabilityon race circuits.

Thetraction control also offers four

modes, includingan xpert setting that

lets the rear wheelsslide a little before

cutting in to prevent spin. Despite the

hi-tech features, theR F doesn’t get

adaptive dampers,meaning it suffers

froma firm low-speed ride,

but it’s still far fromuncomfortable. Still,

there’s virtually no

wind noise, and

tyre roar is only

an issue on

coarse surfaces.

entral rev counter in driver’s binnacle

advertises R ’s intent, while Lexus

build quality is predictably impeccable


£79 fill-up

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mes Disdale [email protected] J J


4.5 seconds/168mphLexusRC F

oexpress.co.uk

t pastthis and the RCF starts

e with real urgency, while the

spine-tingling bellow as it

rds the 7,000rpm red line.

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http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/auto-express-december-24-2014-uk 34/9234 24December2014

Newcars DS3 Cabriolet DSport

P i c t ur e s : x x x x x x x

ption to go in sp ce here

ple se ption to go in sp ce

here ple se c ption here

3

abrio165T P

FIRST DRIVE Drop-top is revised as DS goes it alone

DS,Citroen’s luxurysub-brand,

has decided togo it alone, and

the facelifted DS3 Cabrio– formerly

the Citroen DS3 Cabrio– is the first solo

effortsince the Frenchmanufacturer

madeDSa brand in its own right.

Althoughthisupdatedcarstill wears

Citroen’schevron badgeon the front

grille, all DSmodelswill bemarked outwith their owndistinctive emblemnext

year. Until then, thenewsoft-top’s

visualupdates arerestricted to a set

of LEDandxenonheadlamps, while

scrolling indicatorsand3D-effect

LEDs give it a concept-car look.

Thefocushere is on increasing

performanceandreducing running costs.

Under the bonnetsitsa new 165bhp

1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo, replacing

theold155bhpversion. Engineershave

upped thepowerwith boosted injection

pressure and reduced internal friction,

butalso improved efficiency by18 per

cent, with a claimed50.4mpg. CO2emissions alsofall from137g/km to

129g/km, dropping it down a taxband.

DSmodelshavealwaysbeenmarketed

asmore luxuriousandpremium

offerings comparedto standardCitroens,

and the new DS3 Cabriohas a sprightly

andplayful character thatdeserves

farmore recognition than it gets.

The four-cylinder turbo enginehas

a real willingnessto revandprovides

respectable shove,with 240Nmof

torque available fromonly1,400rpm.

Theaddedpunchhas also shaved

seven-tenthsoff the0-62mph time

– itnow completes the sprint in

a respectable7.5seconds.

A six-speedmanual gearboxcomesas

standard,but the throws betweengearsare long anddeliveredwith anunrefined

clunk. It’s nowhere near thesharpand

snappychanges you get ina Ford Fiesta

ST. Directsteering allows youtomake

themost of thecar’splayful character,

andeven inwetconditions there’s

plenty ofgrip fromthe pointy front end.

The trade-off is a slightly compromised

ride, but it strikes a nice balance

between comfort and responsiveness.

Althoughbadgedasa cabriolet,

the roofon the DS3 ismorelike a

panoramic rag-top. It can beopenedand

closedatspeedsofup to75mph and

allowsDS to keep thestructural integrityof thecar largely intact, addingonly25kg.

Theshark-fin B-pillar remains, asdoes

the functionalboot.The letterbox-style

opening isnarrow, so loading bulkier

items istricky, but 245 litres isa

decentsize allthingsconsidered.


7.5 seconds/135mph


£57 fill-up

on th nBurn [email protected]

@Jonathan_burn

Jon Jonat

Soft-top roof can be operated at speeds up to 75mph from within the stylish cabin



DS 4 PureTech 130 New cars

24December2014 35

DS4PureTech130FIRSTDRIVE Refreshed hatch boosted by addition of three-cylinder engine

New three-cylinder engine gives the updated DS 4 much more punch on the road

DS3CabrioDSportPrice: £21,225


Power: 165bhp

Transmission: Six-speedmanual,front-wheeldrive

0-62mph: 7.5seconds

Top speed: 135mph

Economy: 50.4mpg

CO2: 129g/km

ON SALE Now

DS4PureTech130Price: £20,000 (est)


Power: 130bhp

Transmission: Six-speedmanual,front-wheeldrive

0-62mph: 10.8secondsTop speed: 123mph

Economy: 54.3mpg

CO2: 120g/km

ON SALE February

DESPITE therefresh, theDS 4 is

largely unchangedin termsof

looks andpracticality.The real plus

point is thenewthree-cylinder

engine,which addsmuch neededurgency to a stylish package. But

whenrivalsoffermore space,

refinement and performance for

less, it’sdifficult to recommend.

★★★

THEDS3 Cabrio’s design remains

ye-catching and striking,with

heengineupdatesmakingit

more engaging than ever. It’s

marketedasanalternative to

raditional premiumofferings,

which in turn attracts a premium

price tag. Ifyou don’tneeda soft-op, there’sa £2,345 saving to

behad byopting for thehard-top,

but the added style of the cabrio

means it’sthe modelwe’dchoose.

★★★★

PRACTICALITY Narrow

rear doors make access to the

back seats difficult, but a 385-

litre boot capacity is generous

EQUIPMENT Mid-spec DStyle models come as standard

with a leather steering wheel, 18-inch alloys and dual-zone

air-con. Meanwhile, the gearbox is only offered in six-speed

manual guise, but an auto version will be available soon

DShasfinally got its hands on the

1.2-litre three-cylinder turboengine

from the PSA partsbin,which hasmade

its way inside the DS4 for the first time.

Light cosmetic tweaks have also arrived,

anddespite theCitroen badging thisrefreshedmodelwill form part of the

new DSline-up– just like the DS3 (left).

Theengine replaces theolder and

less efficient119bhp1.6-litreVTi in the

DS4, and boosts fuel economy toan

impressive 54.3mpg. Theeffects of

fitting amore eager and lighter

unit are immediatelynoticeable.

There’s a whopping44per centmore

torque in the three-cylinder over the

outgoing engine, while that power is

also more accessible lower down the

revrange.This healthy advantagemakes

theDS4more urgentandresponsive,

butwhile thesix-speedmanual box’sratiosare close together, it suffers

from the samenotchyshift astheDS3.

At idle, vibrations through thepedals

andsteeringwheel areapparent,but

it’s a competentandcomfortablecruiser

at higherspeeds. Thebigger, 18-inch

alloy wheels onour testcar did sniff out

larger imperfections, buton thewhole it

delivers a smoothandcompliant ride.

It’s a shame, then, thevague steering

relayslittle info back to thedriver. The

steering isalso veryquickto self-centre.

Another drawbackis passenger

space.A coupé-like profile with hiddenrear doors looksgreat,but thenarrow

opening makes accessawkward.When

inside, headand legroom are alsoata

premium,but the fit and finishof the

cabin isclassy,even if the dashand

steering wheel area littlebutton-heavy.

Essentials Essentials

Verdict

Verdict

JonathanBurn [email protected]

@Jonathan_burn

EQUIPMENT New kit on the

DS 3 also includes Active City Brake,

le the full-L

headlampslast 20 times longer than

standard halogen bulbs

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MercedesS500 Plug-in New cars

24 ecem er2014

MercedesS500Plug-inFIRST UKDRIVE Hybrid promises huge performance and 100mpg

MERCEDES’ S500 plug-in combines

a twin-turbo V6 petrol engine with

114bhp electric motor and a large

battery pack, with claimed economy of

00.9mpg as well as 436bhp. Such

stonishing figures appear contradictory,

owe tried itforthefirsttime inthe UK

o see if it works in the real world.

ecause it’s only available in MG

ne trim, there’s little to tellit apart on

outside from theV8-powered S500.

nside, yougetthe same luxurious

nterior, with plush leather seats and

s beautiful12.3-inchTFT colour

display. There’s a littlebuttonon theentre console to flickthrough the

ariousdriving modes,but there are few

ails that hint at itsecocredentials.

Push thestarter buttonandyou’re

gr eetedby thesweet soundof silence.

Put it intodrive, and providing the

batteries arefully charged,youcanwaft

n all-electricE-Mode forup to 20miles.

However,assoon as thebatteries

un dry, or you require a suddensurge

of power, thepetrolenginekicks in

eamlessly. It goes from 0-62mph

n 5.2 seconds, just four-tenthsslower

han the thirsty,V8-powered S500,

despiteweighing240kgmore.We had a chance totry

ll four of theS500’sdriving

: electric-only E-Mode,

Hybridmode, E-Savemode –

chholds thebattery’s

harge forusein stop-start

Mercedes S500Plug-in

Price: £82,965(after Govgrant)

Engine: 3.0-litreV6, elec motor

Power: 436bhp, 650NmTransmission: Seven-speed auto,

rear-wheel drive


Top speed: 155mph

Economy: 100.9mpg

CO2: 65g/km

ON SALE Now

HYBRID TECH S500 Plug-in can

travel in all-electric E-mode for up to

20 miles, but once engine kicks in it’s

almost as fast as conventional V8 car

H RGING f you h ve short

commute nd you c n ch rge both at

home nd t work, you could run this

luxury limo without ever needing fuel

HANDLING Weighing 240kg more

than a S350 diesel, the plug-in isn’t

the sharpest-handling model in the

range, but refinement is excellent

IF you can affordone, you can now

buy theS- lasswithbothyour

heart andyour head. It’s eerily

quietin E-Mode, and everybit as

luxurious insideandoutas its

petrol and diesel-powered

siblings.Nothingthis side ofa

entley or Rolls-Royce canmatch

it for comfort and class, and

neitherof those comes close

toa Toyota Priusat thepumps.

traffic – andCharge mode,whichuses

thepetrolengineto generate electricity

and top up the batteryas you progress.

Mercedesclaimsthe S500 Plug-in will

do100.9mpgand emit just65g/kmof

CO

2

, while adaptive cruisecontrol also

ensuresmaximum fuel economy. If the

S-Classsensesa slower-moving car in

front, it’ll kill theengineandcoast,

beforespringingback into life when the

path ahead clears. lso, there’s no

feeling of grabby regenerative brakes,

so the S500 feels like

a normalMerc

todrive.

l ssy touches include huge digit l

displ ys nd plush le ther se ts


£82 fill-up

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w.autoexpress.co.uk 24Decem er2014

e trim, there’s little to tellit apart on

outside from the V8-powered S500.

ide, you getthe same luxurious

er or, w t p us eat erseatsan

rc’s beautiful 12.3-inchTFT colour

play. There’s a little button on thetre console to flickthrough the

ious driving modes, but there are few

ails that hint at its eco credentials.

Push the starter button and you’re

ete y t e sweet soun o s ence.

it into drive, and providing the

teries are fully charged, you can waft

ll-electric E-Mode for up to 20 miles.

However, as soon as the batteries

dry, or you require a sudden surge

ower, t e petro eng ne c s n

mlessly. It goes from 0-62mph

.2 seconds, just four-tenths slower

n the thirsty, V8-powered S500,

spite weighing 240kg more.e had a chanceto try

four of theS500’sdriving

des: electric-only E-Mode,

brid mode, E-Save mode –

ich holds the battery’s

rge for use in stop-start

HAR IN If you have a short

commute and you can charge both

home and at work, you could run t

luxury limo without ever needing f

IF you can affordone,you can n

buytheS-Class withboth your

heart andyour head. It’seerily

quietin E-Mode, andevery bit a

luxuriousinsideandoutas its

petrol and diesel-powered

siblings.Nothing this side of aBentley or Rolls-Royce canmatc

it for comfort andclass, and

neitherof those comes close

toa Toyota Prius at the pumps.

★★★★★

traffic – and Charge mode, which uses

the petrolengine to generate electricityand top up the batteryas you progress.

Mercedes claims the S500 Plug-in will

do 100.9mpg and emit just 65g/km of

2, while adaptive cruise control also

ensures max mum ue economy. t e

S-Class sensesa slower-moving car in

front, it’ll kill the engine and coast,

before springing back into life when the

path ahead clears. Also, there’s no

feeling of grabby regenerative brakes,

so t e 500 ee s e

a normalMerc

o drive.

lassy touches include huge digital

isp ays and p us eat er seats

rdict


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/auto-express-december-24-2014-uk 38/92www.autoexpress.co.uk38 24Dec m r2014

ewc rs

xxxxxxxxxx

Buying a new car? ell us bout your experience

www.autoexpress.co.uk/driverpower

Coming soonSS N YON

TIVOLI 2015Korean company

is gunning for the

Nissan Juke with its

Tivoli crossov r. A

petrol and a diesel –

both 1.6s – will be

available from launch

W2 ri sActiveTourerFIRST DRIVE Four-wheel drive improvesmini-MPV

BMW2SeriesActive

TourerxDrivePrice: £29,995

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbodiesel

Power: 187bhp

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic,four-wheel drive


Top speed: 139mph

Econ/CO2: 58.9mpg/122g/km

ON SALE Now

PRACTICALITY

The Active Tourer

lacks the interior

flexibility of other

PVs in terms of

fold-forward seats,

but a 486-litre boot

is still a good size.

n auto tailgate also

comes as standard

THE BMW 2 Series Active Tourer

caused a bit of a stir when it arrived

earlier this year, as BMW’sfirst-ever

front-wheel-drive car. But now the

German company has made the mini-

MPV available with four-wheel drive,

adding £3,050 to the price tag.

The added all-weather grip advantage

ofxDrive is nothing new to BMW – but

thisis the first time it’s been fitted to

a model designed with a front-drivelayout. When the car detects a lossin

traction, power is shuffled from the

front wheels to the rearand, inextreme

situations, suchas the front wheels

driving over ice,up to100per centof

the drive can besent to the rearwheels.

Body roll iswellcontainedand, unlike

the standard ctive Tourer, thepower

transmitted to the rear wheelsdials out

any unwantedundersteer.The MW

feels more planted asa result, allowing

you to carrymore speed through corners

without the car beingwrong-footed.

The effects of the 61kgadded

by the xDrive system areminor,

with the187bhp220d diesel

model testedreturning61.4mpg

and emitting 122g/km – a

decrease of 2.8mpg and

increase of 7g/kmover the

equivalent front-driveversion.

Interior is

spacious

and well

equipped,

coming with

air-con, rear

parking

sensors and

multimedia

screen

AT £3,050 more than the

standard Active Tourer,the xDrive isn’t cheap, but

it’sgood value, with its extra

c p bility nd kit. he drop-

off in economy isminor,

nd, withourunpredict ble

we ther, we’drecommendit.

Verdict

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r2014

MPVs in terms of

fold-forward seats,

ut a 486-litre boot

is still a good size.

An auto tailgate also

comes as standard

as the front wheels

upto 100 per cent o

sent to the rear wheels.

ellcontained and, unlike

tive Tourer, the power

e rear wheels dials out

ndersteer.The BMW

e as a resu t, a ow ng

e speed through corners

eing wrong-footed.

the 61kg added

tem are minor,220d diesel

turn ng 1.4mpg

g/km – a

pg and

m overthe

t-drive version.

.

ffin economy is minor,

n , w t our unpre cta e

eather, we’drecommendit.

★★★★

SUPERMINISFiat 500 2016Ford Ka mid 2015Honda Jazz early 2015Hyundaii20Coupé March2015Mazda 2 spring 2015RenaultsportTwingo late2015RenaultZoeupdate spring2015SEAT Ibiza 2016Skoda Fabia early 2015Smart ForTwo early 2015Smart ForFour early 2015SuzukiCelerio February2015Vauxhall Adam S April 2015

VauxhallCorsaVXR spring2015Vauxhall Viva spring 2 015

FAMILYCARSAlfa Romeo G iulia late 2 015AlfaRomeoGiuliaEstate late2015AudiA3three-cylinder late2015Audi A4 mid 2015BMW 1 Series f acelift 2015BMW3SeriesPlug-in mid2016BMW i5 2016FordMondeoVignale early2015Honda FCEV mid 2015Infiniti Q30 spring 2015

Jaguar XE spring 2015MercedesCLAShoot.Brake early2015MG5 early 2015MINI Clubman early 2015Nissan Leaf mid 2016PorschePanameraestate 2016Renault Espace late 2015SkodaSuperb summer2015SkodaFabiaestate early2015Tesla Model III 2016Toyota Prius late 2015Toyota FCV mid 2015Vauxhall Astra late 2015VW Beetle Dune late 2015VW Golf Alltrack mid 2015VW Golf CC 2015VW Golf R e state spring 2 015VWPassatAlltrack summer2015VW Passat GTE June 2015

SPORTSCARS

Alfa 4C Stradale 2015Alfa 6C 2016Aston M ar tin D B9 late 2 016AstonMartinV8Vantage early2016Audi RS3 spring 2015Audi A5 spring 2016Audi R4 2016Audi R8 mid 2015Audi TT Sportback 2016Audi TT Sp or t Quattro 2016

BMW M1 2016BMW M2 mid 2015Caterham sports car 2016ChevroletCorvetteZ06 spring2015Ferrari 458M spring 2015Fiat Spider late 2015Ford Focus RS 2016Ford Mustang early 2015HondaCivicTypeR March2015Honda NSX mid 2015Infiniti Q60 2016

Jaguar XESVR early2016Kia GT4 Stinger 2016LamborghiniAsterionLP910-4 2017Lexus GS-F late 2015Lexus RC late 2015Lexus LF-LC 2016Maserati Alfieri 2016MaseratiGranTurismo late2017McLaren P13 2015Mercedes-AMGGT early2015MercedesC450 AMGSport spring2015

MG TF replacement 2015MINI JCW early 2015NissanPulsarNismo mid2015Peugeot 308 R mid 2015

Porsch e Cayman GT4 2015Porsche GT3 RS mid 2015Porsche911facelift late2015Porsche 961 2017Porsche Pajun 2017Renault Alpine late 2015ToyotaFT-1(Supra) late2015Vauxhall Monza 2015

SUVsAlfa Romeo SUV early 2016Aston Martin SUV 2017Audi Q1 2016Audi Q5 2016Audi Q6 2016

Audi Q7 mid 2015Audi Q8 2017Audi RS Q1 late 2016Bentley SUV 2016BMW X3 2016BMW X7 2018D acia D uster f acelift 2016Ford Edge 2015Honda CR-V 2015Honda Vezel 2015Infiniti QX30 late 2015

Jaguar C-X17 2016Kia Sorento early 2015Lamborghini Urus 2017Land Rove r Defender 2016Maserati Levante 2016Mazda CX-3 mid 2015Mercedes GLC 2015Mercedes GLE Coupé 2015Mercedes baby SUV 2017Peugeot Quartz 2016PorscheCayenneCoupé 2017

PorscheMacanTurboS early2015Porsche Macan GTS 2015RangeRoverSportSVR spring2015Renault Kwid 2016RenaultMéganeSUV mid2015Renaultseven-seatSUV 2016SEAT IBX 2016Skoda Yeti+2 2016SsangYong Tivoli 2015Suzuki Vitara 2015Tesla Model X 2015Toyota C-HR 2017Volkswagen Taigun 2015Volkswagen Tiguan 2016Volkswagen T-ROC 2016Volvo XC40 2018Volvo XC60 late 2015Volvo XC90 early 2015

PEOPLEMOVERSBMWCAT7-seater early2015FordC-MAXfacelift spring2015FordGrandC-MAX facelift spring2015Ford S-MAX early 2015Mercedes R-Class 2016VW Touran March 2015

CABRIOLETSAudi TT Roadster 2015AlfaRomeo4CSpider early2015FordMustangConvertible 2015LamborghiniHuracánSpyder late2015Mazda MX-5 early 2015MercedesC-ClassCabriolet 2015MercedesS-ClassCabriolet 2015M INI Conve rtible late 2015RangeRoverEvoqueCabriolet 2015Rolls-RoyceWraithDrophead 2016VWBeetleDunecabriolet late2015

LUXURYCARSBMW 7Series mid 2015Cadillac ELR late 2015Infiniti Q80 2020

Jaguar XF late2015Mercedes-Maybach S600 spring2015

MercedesS-ClassPullman 2015Rolls-RoycePhantom 2017VW Phaeton late 2016Volvo S90 2016

on th nBurn [email protected]

@Jonathan_burn

Jon Jonat



ringautomotive.co.uk

first aid

for tyres.Top-up your tyres quickly and conveniently whereveryou are with a Ring portableair ompr ssor.

Available at all leading retailers.Check our website for your nearest stockist.



o dtests

Visit autoexpress.co.uk for the latest new cars and drives

ictures: Xxxxxxxxxx ocation: Xxxxxxxxxctures: xxxxxxxxx ocaton: xxxxxxxx

r koning

DayofHas Ford’s newMondeobeenworth thewait?We find out as the Estatemeets key rivals

from Skoda andMazda in its first test

S 63 MG OUPEVS

PANAMERATURBO S

Mercedes’ scorching577bhp supercoupémeets 562bhp Porsche.

50

Pictures: PeteGibson Location: Rutland WaterThanks to:Rutland Sailing Club (www.rutlandsc.c .u )



Ford Mondeo Estate TitaniumPrice: £24,745

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbodiesel,148bhp

0-60mph:9.8seconds (indamp)

Test economy:44.1mpg/9.7mpl

CO2: 117g/km Annualroad tax:£30

Skoda Superb Estate SEPrice:£23,410



Testeconomy:42.1mpg/9.3mpl

CO2: 119g/km Annualroad tax:£30

Mazda 6 Tourer SE-L NavPrice:£24,395


0-60mph: 9.2seconds (indamp)

Testeconomy:43.4mpg/9.5mpl

CO2: 110g/km Annualroadtax: £20

TOsaywe’ve beenwaiting a while for the arrival of the new

FordMondeo isa bit of an understatement.It was launched in

USshowrooms as the Fusionbackin 2012, but it’s only just landing

onUKshoresnow. Ford delayed thecarover factorycapacity issues

after closing itsGenk plant in Belgium andshifting production to

Valencia, Spain,andhastaken thechance tomove theMondeoupmarket andbattle compact executivecars in thesales charts.

The big question is, has itbeen worththe wait? To find

out, we’ve lined up a newdiesel-enginedMondeoEstate

against tworivals that will challenge its family friendly credentials

to the limit. The Mazda6 isa currentAuto Express favourite – it

was crowned BestFamilyCar at our New Car Awards2014– and

in Tourer estate guise itmixes sharp handlingwith even greater

versatility. Meanwhile, theSkoda SuperbEstate delivers huge

carrying capacity for luggage andpassengers at a brilliantprice.Can the newMondeo serveupamix ofperformance

andpracticality thatwillhave the edge over rivals? Or is

it a caseof Forddelivering too little, too late?

LIVIN WITH ...

NISSANQASHQAI

Farewell to family carwith trip to Sunderlandplant where it’s built.

LIVIN WITH A...KIA SOULEV

Electric supermini joinsour fleet. So what areour first impressions?

58 60



Road test

24December2014 43

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CO2/tax117g/km

£30 or 19%


525/1,630 litres

Performance0-60/30-70mph

9.8*/9.2 seconds

!Braking

70-0/60-0/30-0mph

52.0/36.9/9.8m*

Running costs44.1mpg (on test)

£78 fill-up

Practicality 4.3/5 WITHtheseatsin place, theFordoffers a 525-litreboot, butthat’ssmaller thanthe Superb’s– andtheoutgoingMondeo’s,

too

.Foldtheseats,andyouget 1,630litres, butagainthat’s less than intheSkoda,althoughyoudon’t haveto flipuptheseatbases togeta flat floor.Fordoffers loadrails anda cargo net kit aspartof a £250

kit, whilea dogguardis £225,self-levellingsuspensionis£375 anda manuallyretractable towbar is£750.Cabin space isprettygood, and the backseats get a pairof air

ventson thecentreconsole. Legroom isn’t asgenerousas inthe uper , andtall rear passengersmightfindtheirkneesrub theseat infront.Still,the Fordoffersplentyofdriver’s seat adjustment,plus deepdoor bins,a decentcentrecubbyanda bigglovebox.

DesignFORD has concentrated on tightening up the nose,with slimm , more angular headlights as part of abolder front end. It’s not a dramatic new design forhe Mondeo, but it looks more modern, with the help

of LEDs – and the car’s still much larger than its rivals

Big screenLARGE infotainmenttouchscreen is easyto use. It’s just a pitydials are cluttered

SteeringWE’RE surprised bythe limited amount offeel available throughthe Ford’s wheel

*Indampconditions



Road test Ford Mondeo vs rivals

44 24December2014

Mazda 6 TInterior

Exterior

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THEMazda6 arrived inearly2013,andnearlytwoyearson,it’sstillour favourite

family c r. Thingsareset togetbetterstill,witha facelifted

c r

, featuringimproved

qu lity, arriving inthecomingmonths. Thereare four-doorSaloonorTourerestate bodystyles, and therangecomprisesSE,SE-Land Sporttrimsplustheoptionof adding s t-n v. It’s themid-specTourerSE-LNavwe test here,with thelower-poweredversionofMazda’s2.2-litrediesel. It boasts 148bhp,whichmatches theMondeo, althoughthe6 emits less CO2.

Styling 4.2/5EVEN inestateguise, theMazda 6manages tolook stylish anddynamic.Thesharpnose andsculptedfrontwingsprovide a sportylook,

andtheextendedrooflinehasbeenintegratedwellwith therestof thec r. SE-Lmodelsandaboveaddsilver roof rails,while allcarsgetdistinctive LEDdaytimerunning lights. Youhaveto moveup toSport trimif

youwantxenons,whilemetallic paintisaworthwhile £540optionas itgivesthe6 Tourer awelcomevisualboost.Overall,theMazda’sdesign isn’tas heavy-handedas theFord’s,and theflowing linesareintunewith theway itfeelson the road.Climbinside, andthere’sa bigdifference

inapproachbetween these twocars.WhilethenewMondeohas clearly gone fora slick,minimalist approach,the6 Tourer looksabit

fussyanddated. It’s notthatthere’sanythingwrongwith thelayout – thewaythecentreconsole designemulates thegrille isa neattouch– it’s just that themassof rotarydialsandswitchesgivesthedash a clutteredlook.Elsewhere, theTomTomsat-nav looks

small andclunkywhen comparedtotheMondeo’ssystem, althoughthiswillbe rectifiedwiththe imminent facelift.Still, there’s notmuchto separatethe Ford

andMazdaforqu lity, asboth feature enoughhigh-gradematerialsto give theircabinsareasonablyupmarketfeel. The seatsarecomfortable, too, althoughif youwantleathertrim,youneedto upgrade toSportspec.

Driving 4.5/5MAZDA’S latestmodels havegaineda reputation forbeing entertainingtodrive,and the6 Toureris noexception.It’s helped onitswaybythe2.2-litrediesel,as itscapacityadvantage over its2.0-litrerivalsmeansa strongertorquefigure of 380Nm,making thecar ideal fortowing. ThisalsoexplainswhytheMazda

beat itsrivals inouraccelerationtests,while thepositive shiftof thesix-speed

manualgearboxmeant itwas easy touse theengine’s fullperformance.OneaspectofMazda’s currentphilosophy

is tostripaway anyunnecessaryweight to

improve fueleconomy, buta happyside effectof that isnimbler handling.It wasFordthathada reputation forbuildinggreat-handlingfamilycars,butMazdanowseems tohavetakenthat up. The6Tourer feelsalertandresponsivecomparedto thesoftand slightlyvagueMondeo,with sharpsteeringthatgivesmore feedbackthan theFord’s,plusdecentbodycontrol andplenty of grip.Higher-speccars deliver a relatively firmrideon largerwheels, butif youstickwiththe 17-inch alloys yougetwithSE-Lmodels, it’scomfortable. The diesel engine is refined, somotorway

cruising iseffortless,whilecruisecontrolcomesasstandard.And therelativesizeof

the6 Tourer shouldn’tbemuchofan issuewhenparking,as frontandrear sensorscome asstandardonSE-Lmodels.

Reliability 4.4/5 WHILEMazda, likeall Japanesemakers,hasa strong reputation forbuildingreliablecars, the6 didn’thavea solidstartwhen itwaslaunchedat thestart of2013.Wehaveheardreports of electrical niggles,as well abraking issueonsome cars. owever , theseareearlyproduction teethingtroubleswhichshould beresolvedonlater examples.If you doneed togeta problemsorted, you

canbe sure ofdecentservice fromMazda’s170UKdealers.They came a respectable 12thoutof 32inourDriver Power2014 satisfactionsurvey, althoughSkoda’s finished infifth. Yougetsixairbags in the6Tourer, while

hill hold, tyre pressuremonitorsanda smartcity braking systemareall standard.EuroNCAP awarded the6 amaximumscoreof fivestarsfor safetywhen itwas tested in2013,and ithas a higherpercentagescoreforadultprotectionthanthenewMondeo.

Running costs 4.2/5 A PRICEtag of £24,395means theMazda

undercutsthe Ford by£350, andcompanycaruserswillalso face lowerbills. owever

,Mazdadoesn’toffermanyoptionsbeyondmetallicpaintand largeralloys,so if youwantupmarketkit suchasxenons andheatedleatherseats, youhavetomove uptoSport trim.Incontrast,LED lightsand leatherareoptional ontheMondeo, althoughthecombinedpriceof these isthesameastheswitchfromSE-L toSportspec ontheMazda. The6’slightframemeansthat the2.2-litre

dieseldoesn’t have towork ashard asits2.0-litre rivalshere,so claimed economyof 67.3mpg isbetter than theMondeo’s figureof62.8mpg. Even so,wecouldonlymanage

43.4mpgon test. Emissionsof 110g/kmareimpressive forsucha largec r, too,andmeanprivate buyerswillpay £20a year forroadtax,comparedto£30for itscompetitorshere.Mazdaoffersmaintenance plansforthe

6,but eventhreestandardcheck-upscomeinat less than Ford’sthree-year service plan.

“Even in estateguise, the Mazdamanages to lookstylish and dynamic”

MODEL TESTED: Mazda 6 Tourer 2.2D 150 SE-LNavPRICE: £24,395 ENGINE: 2.2-litre 4cyl, 148bhp



Ford Mondeo vs rivalsRoad test

24December2014 45

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CO2/tax110g/km

£20 or 18%


506/1,648 litres


9.2*/8.7 seconds

Braking70-0/60-0/30-0mph

55.3/39.8/10.2m*


£77 fill-up

Practicality 4.3/5 WHILEtheMazdatrails theSkodaformaximumbootspace, its1,648-litrecapacitywith thebackseatsfolded isbiggerthanintheMondeo. Theloadcover liftswhen youopenthetailgate andtherearelevers in thebootto fold thebackseats, butwhile theloadlipandfoldedseatbacks areflat, thebootfloor ishigherthantheFord’s.

If you’replanningon towing, the6 Tourer canpullamaximumof1,600kg,while thecompanyoffers a genuine towbarfor £254,excludingfitting.Passengerspacein thecar ispretty generous,too, andrearheadroomisbetterthanin the6 saloonthanks tothelonger roofline.Cabinstorage isdecent, with door binsdesignedtotakeupright bottles anda deep glovebox,plusthecentrearmrest opens torevealextra room.

On the roadMAZDA’S SkyActiv tech focuses on saving weight to minimiserunning costs, and a benefit is agile handling. The 6 Tourer issharper to drive than the new Mondeo, yet this doesn’t come atexpense of ride comfort if you stick with our car’s 17-inch alloys

DashboardWE like the way thedash design emulatesthe grille, but raft ofdials looks a bit messy

ComfortYOU have to upgradeto Sport spec to getleath , but we foundseats comfortable

*Indampconditions



Road test Ford Mondeo vs rivals

46 24December2014

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Skoda Sup

Exterior

Interior

THE SkodaSuperb Estate is one of thebiggest estatecars on themarket, with

a cavernous633-litre boot on offer when theseats arein place.Clever packagingmeans

there’s plentyof legroom in theback,too. The Superb was revised earlier thisyearwith a newnose andupgradedinterior,andwhile wetest themid-spec SEmodelhere,thecarin ourpictures is a top-spec utdoor.

Styling 3.1/5SKODAand conservative styling go hand-in-hand, andthe SuperbEstate sticksto thisformula. The faceliftearlier thisyearaddeda corporatenosethat mirrors thesmallerOctavia, butwhile thestraightedgesandLEDrunning lightslook smart,there’s noreal designflair. Overall, theSuperb fits

the generic estate car templateperfectly. The Outdoor model in ourpicturesadds dark grey 18-inch alloys, plus black plastic cladding tothe bumpers andwheelarches. Butthe SE model we testedgets smaller, 17-inch wheels and colour-codedbumpers,whilesilver roof rails andwindowtrimgive ita bit ofa boost. Yet the slabsidesandupright rear arefairly uninspiring whencompared tothe Ford andMazda’s designs.

Inside, thedashboard looks neat andiswell laid out, with a logical touchscreen andsimple climate controls.The black and whitetrip computer doesn’t look as modernas theMondeo’s display, but it’sclearand easyto

read.SE models get part-Alcantaraseat fabric,which feels a great deal classier than thecloth trim youget as standard in eitherrival,whileleatheris a £1,355option.

As in the Mazdaand Ford,you’ll findplenty of high-gradeplastics, plusthebuild quality can’t befaulted andtheswitchgearfeels robust to use.There’splentyof space foryou to getcomfortable,too, with a wide range of seat andwheel adjustmentfor thedriver.

Driving 3.9/5FIRE up theSkoda’s 2.0 TDIdiesel engine,

andthere’smore clatter from under thebonnetthan youget in eitherthe Ford orMazda.The 2.0-litre unit comes in a choiceof 138bhpor 168bhpoutputs, andwe trytheformer. As youwould expect, theSuperbwasslower than itsmore powerful rivals,although it wasn’tfar behind, anditfeels rapidenough in isolation.

It’s helpedby thepositive shift of the six-speedmanual gearbox, whilethemajorcontrolsare allwellweightedwhen in use. If you’retowing,an 1,800kgbrakedmaximum gives theSuperb an

edge over theMazda 6,plusSkodaoffers tow ballpreparation for£160.

The diesel engine is noisyat idleandon themove, while thedroning note

takes theedgeoff cruising comfort a little. owever, this is offsetby theSkoda’s supplesuspension, which does a good jobof ironingoutlumps andbumpsin theroad, andtheSuperb is relaxing on themotorway.

In corners,the cartrails itsrivals fordriving dynamics.T here’s morebody rollthan in either theFordor Mazda,andalthough grip is plentiful,the suspensionisunsettledby mid-cornerbumps thatcancause theSkoda to pitch back andforth.

While the 6 has parking sensorsfrontandrear

, theSuperb makes do witha set ofrearsensorsonly, although Skodadoes offerfrontsensors for£340,oryoucan

addpark assist for£540. We’d recommendanyof these add-ons,because this is a large carandcare needs tobe taken when parking it.

Reliability 4.3/5 THE Superb has beena consistentfront-runner in our Driver Power satisfactionsurveys.It finished third in the2014poll,butthatcame after a first andtwo secondsin thepreceding years.Owners arehugelysatisfied withtheir cars, rating the Superb’sreliability, buildquality, seat comfort andease of drivinghighly. Theonly real issuesarewithits handling,but even then the

Skoda gets a decentenough score. And if problemsdo arise, the level of

service youget from thebrand’sdealerswillleave you completely satisfied.Skoda’sfranchises finished fifth in ourdealerround-up – well ahead of Ford’sand Mazda’s.

Interms of safety, the Superbhas a five-star Euro NCAP rating. owever, itwastestedin2009 – backwhen the testwasn’tquiteasdemanding– so youcan’t compare scoreswiththe Mondeo. owever, theSuperb isstill a safe car, with seven airbags,cruiseand stabilitycontrol all standard, althoughtyre pressure monitors area £115 option.

Running costs 3.7/5OURSuperb Estate2.0 TDISE costs£23,410, which undercutsthe Mondeoby £1,335– butit’snot as well equippedasstandard.Sat-nav costs £535,whilea USBconnection andDAB radio areextra, plusadaptive cruise control isn’teven an option.

Emissions of 119g/km are reasonable,although theMazda 6 is a cheaper companycar choice– ifonlyby a few pounds– and if you wantto slashyourtaxbills, the 1.6 TDIGreenLineIII SE undercutsthe 6 Tourer.

The Skoda’s fueleconomy is slightlybehind bothrivals’ here, but the stop-start

systemworkswelland wemanaged afairlydecent returnof 42.1mpgon test.

Considering theSuperb is theoldestcarhere, residualsof 46.2 percentare prettygood,while Skoda’s fixed-priceservicingdeal of three years’maintenancefor £479 ischeaper than theservicing costs of both rivals.

MODEL TESTED: Skoda Superb Estate 2.0 TDI (140) SEPRICE: £23,410 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl, 138bhp

“Skoda and conservativestyling go hand-in-hand,and the SuperbEstatesticks to this formula”



LIFTING THE LID

ONMOTORSPORT

CALL 0845 2 10 50 50 | EMAIL [email protected] | WEB ginetta.com/contact

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Swap busy track days for an all-inclusive route into

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Travelling to some of the UK’s finest circuits behind the wheel of

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the as-yet uninitiated.

Once a Ginetta Racing Drivers Club member, you will enjoy one-

on-one circuit tuition and be guided through your ARDS test

before you embark on your maiden racing year, with a four roundchampionship and full factory support, numerous Ginetta lifestyle

events and a roadtrip to the famous Le Mans 24Hours. Best of all,at

the end of it, the car is yours to keep!

Book onto a Ginetta track day to experience the Ginetta G40 Club

car for yourself, you don’t need any prior racing experience or a car,just a valid UK driving licence.

Don’t miss out, reserve your place on a test day.

Ginetta will be at Autosport International

from January 8 – 11 with the Ginetta G40Club Car.

There will be static display of the car onstand 2720 with staff on hand to explain

the Ginetta Racing Drivers Club in more

detail, whilst you can experience the car inmotion with a high-octane passenger ride

around a custom-built course within the

‘Adrenaline Zone’ – located between the

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GINETTA AT AUTOSPORTINTERNATIONAL



Ford ondeo vs riv ls oad t st

24December2014 49

1st

Figures

Results 2nd 3rd

ondeoMondeo rrange secretsange secrets orth considering...Worth considering...

On theroadprice/total as testedResidual value (after3yrs/36,000)

Depreciation Annualtaxliability std/higher rate

Annual fuel cost (12k/20kmiles)Ins. group/quote/road taxband/cost

Cost of 1st/2nd/3rd service

Length/wheelbaseHeight/width

EnginePeakpower/revsPeaktorque/revs

TransmissionFuel tankcapacity/sparewheelBootcapacity (seatsup/down)

Kerbweight/payload/towing weightTurning circle/drag coefficient

Basicwarranty (miles)/recovery

Serviceintervals/UKdealersDriverPowermanufacturer/dealerpos.EuroNCAP:Adult/child/ped./stars

0-60/30-70mph30-50mph in 3rd/4th50-70mph in 5th/6th

Top speed/rpm at70mphBraking 70-0/60-0/30-0mph

Noiseoutside/idle/30/70mph Auto Expressecon (mpg/mpl)/range

Govturban/extra-urban/combinedGovturban/extra-urban/combined

Actual/claimedCO2/taxbracket

Airbags/Isofix/parkingsens./selfpark Auto box/stability/adaptive cruisectrlClimatecontrol/leather/heated seats

Metpaint/xenon lights/keylessgoSat-nav/USB/DAB radio/Bluetooth

Mazda 6 Tourer2.2 150

SE-L Nav

£24,395/£24,395

£10,929/44.8%

£ 13,466

£876/£1,753

£1,567/£,2612

19/£349/B/£20

£172/£233/£236

4,805/2,750mm

1,480/1,840mm

4cyl in-line/2,191cc

148/4,500 bhp/rpm

380/1,800 Nm/rpm

6-spdman/fwd

62 litres/repair kit

506/1,648 litres

1,503/573/1,600kg

11.8metres/0.26Cd

3yrs (60,000)/3yrs

12,500miles(1yr)/1708th/12th

92/77/66/5 (2013)

9.2 (damp)/8.7 secs3.6/5.4secs

6.8/9.1secs

130mph/1,900rpm

55.3/39.8/10.2m(damp)

60/41/56/64dB

43.4/9.5/592miles

55.4/76.3/67.3mpg

12.2/16.8/14.8mpl

174/110g/km/18%

Six/yes/yes/no£1,200/yes/no

Yes/no/no

£540/no/no

Yes/yes/no/yes

Ford Mondeo Estate2.0 T i 150Titanium

£24,745/£29,220

£10,022/40.5%

£14,723

£938/£1,876£1,543/£2,571

23/£356/C/£30

£690 (3yrs)

4,867/2,850mm

1,501/1,852mm


148/3,500 bhp/rpm

350/2,000 Nm/rpm

6-spdman/fwd

62.5 litres/sp saver

525/1,630 litres1,597/663/1,800kg

11.6metres/N/A

3yrs (60,000)/1yr

18kmiles (1yr)/78125th/27th

86/82/66/5 (2014)

9.8 (damp)/9.2 secs

4.3/6.9secs

9.5/13.5 secs

130mph/1,800rpm

52.0/36.9/9.8m(damp)

67/45/55/64dB

44.1/9.7/606miles

55.4/68.9/62.8mpg

12.2/15.2/13.8mpl

172/117g/km/19%

Seven/yes/£450/£450£1,370/yes/£900

Yes/£2,000^/£300£545/£1,050*/£250 Yes/yes/yes/yes

Skoda

Superb Estate

2.0 TDI 140 SE

£23,410/£23,410

£10,815/46.2%

£12,595

£887/£1,775

£1,616/£2,693

23/£357/C/£30

£479 (3yrs/30k)

4,833/2,761mm

1,511/1,817mm


138/4,200 bhp/rpm

320/1,750 Nm/rpm

6-spdman/fwd

60 litres/£100

633/1,865 litres

1,479/638/1,800kg

10.8metres/0.30Cd

3yrs (60,000)/3yrs

Variable/1351st/5th90/81/50/5 (2009)

9.3/8.7 secs

4.2/6.6 secs

8.2/11.6 secs

131mph/1,850rpm

54.8/37.4/10.6m

N/A

42.1/9.3/556miles

50.4/70.6/61.4mpg

11.1/15.5/13.5mpl

180/119g/km/19%

Seven/yes/rear/£540£1,440/yes/no

Yes/£1,355/£200

£535/£1,000/£375

£535/£185/£535/yes

Inred = equipmentfitted toour test car. InsurancequotesfromAA (Tel0800107 0680 orwww.theAA.com)for a 42-year-oldliving inBanbury,Oxon,withthreepenaltypoints. *LED headlamps. ^Aspartof pack.Residualvalues providedby CDLVIPData.

Sup

MAZDA WE’VE alwaysthought

theMazda 6 isa strong

contenderin the familycarclass,

and that belief hasn’t changedwith

thearrival of thenewMondeo. The6 Tourer ispractical andspacious,

while the 2.2-litre diesel isa punchy

performerthatdoesn’tcompromise

efficiency.Add inengagingdriving

dynamics thatdon’tcomeattheexpense

ofcomfort,and the 6 isa clear winner.

★★★★★

FORDIT’S close, butthe

newMondeo comes

secondto theMazda 6. Ford has

improvedits family car inmanyareas:

it’scomfortable, relaxing todrive, hasa spaciousinterior anda user-friendly

infotainmentsystem.Yet someof the

drivingsparklethatmade theprevious

model standabove thefamilycar pack

hasbeen lost,while theestateisn’tthe

roomiestormost practical choice.

★★★★ ★

SKODA IFyouwant thebiggest

boot for your cash, the

SuperbEstatewon’t letyoudown.It’s

alsothebestcar thisside ofa luxury

limo forrear legroom. Butthe currentcar isshowing itsage,as it’s short on

kit compared to rivals,andisn’tas

enjoyable todrive or comfortable on

themotorway, either.We’re surethe

newSuperbwillbe a closer opponent

when itarrives in the summer.

★★★★ ★

New line-up?THEMondeo range starts at£20,795 forthe 1.6TDCi

115Style.Our2.0-litre TDCi 150diesel alsocomesas a

180model, plus thereare 1.5160and 2.0240 EcoBoost

petrols. Style andZetec trims sitbelow ourTitanium,

whileourEstatecosts£1,250more than thehatch.

Green models?THE2.0 TDCi testedherealsocomesin ECOnetic

guise for anextra£250. Itgets smaller16-inch alloys

anddrops emissions from 117g/kmto 109g/km.

There’salsothe MondeoHybrid saloon.This petrol-

electricmodel emits 99g/kmandcosts£24,995.

Insignia Sports Tourer VAUXHALL’S Insigniaestatewasupdatedearlierthis

yearwitha freshlookinsideand out, plus cleaner

engines.The2.0 CDTi 140SRiNav costs£23,284

andhasdecentkit,while emissionsof104g/km

are competitive. So isthe 520-litre boot.

SERVICE COSTS

THREE separateservices work outslightly cheaperthan Ford’s three-yeardeal, althoughthese prices aren’tguaranteedagainst inflation.

SERVICING

FIXED-price dealis £211 cheaperthan the similarthree-year schemeoffered by Ford.

DRIVER POWER

SKODA is a topperformer in ourannual satisfaction

surv y, and theSuperb finishedthird in 2014’s top150 countdown.

PERFORMANCE

MAZDA was fasterthan its rivals atthe test track,thanks to highertorque figure andlighter kerbweight.

EXTRAS

IF you want leatheror xenon lights on

your 6, you haveto move up to theSport model, whichcosts an extra£2,300. DABisn’t available.

OPTIONS

SE is short on kit,while DAB radio ispart of sat-navupgrade. Elegancetrim is £2,710extra, and addsleath

, xenonsand electric seats.

COMPANY TAX

OUR standardMondeo 2.0 TDCi(150) costs morein company car

tax than rivals, but109g/km ECOneticmodel will setlower and higher-rate earners back£848 and £1,696respectively.

BOOT SPACE

NEW estate’s525-litre boot is24 litres smallerthan the old car’swith the seats inplace. Fold them,and the capacitytrails by 50 litres.

NCAP RATING

MONDEO facedthe latest crashtest regime, whichis tougher than theother cars wereput through, soscores can’t bedirectly compared.

TITANIUM X PACK

LEATHER is partof £2,000 packwhich also addsLED headlights,heated electricmemory seats,keyless entry andprivacy glass.

F.



Road test MercedesS 63AMGCoupévs Porsche Panamera

t

CanMercedes’

MERCEDEShasa long traditionof building elegant and

luxurioustwo-doorcars,so it knowshowto excel at this

exclusive endof thecoupé market. However, theoutgoing

CLnever quite had thekudos tomatch its price tag –

somethingthenewS-Class Coupéaims to rectify.Basedon a shortened version of thesuperbS-Class

saloon’s chassis, the new Coupé featuresgroundbreaking

technology,eye-catching looks anda luxuriouscabin.As ever,

AMG modelsdominate and the S 63 tested herepromises

serious pace from itspotent 577bhp twin-turbo V8 engine.

However, if it’s performanceyou’reafter, thePorsche

PanameraTurboS combines twin-turboV8 power with

all-wheel drive anda practicalfour-doorcoupé body.Sowhich of thispairdoesa better job ofblending the often

contradicting elements of refinement, comfort and luxuryon

theonehand, andperformanceand handling on theother?

ors he

Panamera Turbo SPrice:£132,067

Engine: 4.8-litre V8, 562bhp


Testeconomy: 18.9mpg/4.2mpl

CO2: 239g/km Annual road tax:£490



MercedesS 63AMGCoupévs Porsche PanameraRoad test

er edes

S 63 AMG CoupéPrice:£125,595

Engine: 5.5-litreV8, 577bhp


Testeconomy: 17.6mpg/3.9mpl

CO2:237g/km Annual road tax:£490

Pictures: PeteGibsonLocation:CentenarySquare, Birmingham

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glamorous S 63AMGCoupé steal thelimelight from its Porsche rival?




MercS63

Interior

Exterior

BLENDINGthecomfortof anS-Classwith thestyleof a coupéand

theperformancepedigreeofMercedes’tuningarm, theall-newS 63AMGCoupé

is a tantalisingproposition. It’sdesignedtoofferexclusivityandluxury tomatchaBentleyContinental GTwiththe promiseofhandlingandperformanceto rival theflagship Porsche Panamera,and aims tobe theultimate luxury all-rounder.

Styling 4.3/5DESPITEgetting theS-Classname,thenewCoupé standsout enoughfromthelimousineonwhich it’s based.Sharpcreases down thesides,a long bonnet,sloping roof anda neat spoiler integratedinto thebootliddo agreat jobof shrinking

theS-ClassCoupé’slargedimensions.Despitebeing only260mmshorterthanthe four-door, theCoupé looksmuch smallerandmoredynamicthanitsbigbrother.AMGadditionsincludeamattsilver splitterandsidesills, a bespokegrille andchrome-platedtwin tailpipes. TheS 63strikes a tastefulbalancebetweenexecutive and sporty, but it’sinsidethatthe S-Class reallymakesyou feellikeyou’reinone ofthebestcars intheworld. Withamoreextravagant, sweepingdash

designthanthesaloon anda smaller steeringwheel,it feels like a coupé,but youget allthetechnicalgoodiesof thesaloon, includingthesamepair of crystal-clear screens: onefor the

speedo, tripcomputerand revcounter, theother fornavigationand control functions. TheCOMANDsystem is easytouse,and

whilethere’sa bewildering level of functionsavailable, the intuitivenatureof theset-upmeans itonlytakesa shortwhile tofeel atonewith theS-Class– anexperience that isonlyamplifiedbythequalityand styleof thecabin.Mercedesreally haspulled outall thestops

togive thecara lavishand luxuriousinterior,ensuringthat everysurface youtouch oozesquality. Theswitchgear isfirst-rate,whilemood lightinggivesthecabin a swishambienceatnight,witha selectionof sevencolours, fromrelaxingice blue toswankyred.

As you’dexpectfroma carwitha six-figureprice tag, standardkitis generous,but there’salso a vast arrayof expensiveoptionsandlotsof potentialfor personalisation.

Driving 4.8/5BEINGbasedontheworld’smost comfortable,dynamicallyaccomplishedandrefined luxurysaloongivestheS63Coupéa head start.It’salso lowerandshorterthan thesaloon, andfrombehindthewheel,it feelsa fractionsharper thanthe four-door.Inspiteofits

two-tonne-pluskerbweight, it cornersflatwithout fuss,has a positiveturn-inandgoodbody control – somethingthat’s helpedby AMGMagicBodyControlwiththe curve

tilting function,whichdebutsontheCoupé. The groundbreakingtechnologyis a firstonaproduction car. It loads thesuspensionupto leanthecar intoa bend, not toincreasecorneringspeedsbut toenhance comfortbyminimising lateral loads.Youcanfeel itthrough thesteering, too, as thewheel doesn’tweightupwhen turning asmuch asyou’dexpect,which feels a fractionunnatural.Still, bycombiningthistechnologywith

theMagic BodyControl,whichprimesthesuspension forbumpsahead viaa camera,theS 63strikes a finebalancebetweenridecomfort andsuspensioncontrol. There’s nomissing theperformance

available,either.While thePorschepippeditat thetesttrack,on theroadthe effortlesstorqueof the900NmAMGdeliversrelentlessin-gear response.Yet forall this pace, thehushed cabinand sublimerefinementmake justasbigan impression.It isn’ta thrillingdriver’scar, but it’sa classyGT that’ll soakupanyjourneywith ease, transportingyou and yourpassengersin comfort and luxury.

Reliability 4.8/5 THES-Classhasawelldeservedreputationfordurability andquality, and theCoupé islikelyto upholdthis. Betterstill, thetally of

safety systemsensuresMercedes’ flagshipisoneofthesafestmodels ontheroad. The S63comeswiththe Driver Assistance

PackagePlus,including active cruise control,low-speedcollisionmitigationandblindspotwarning.TheActive LaneKeepAssistguidesthecarback into lane if it sensesyou’redriftingacrossthewhite lines,while theSteer Assiststeersautomaticallyif thecruisecontrol isengaged –providingyoukeep your handsonthewheel. Elsewhere,safety kitalso includesnightvision, eightairbags anda 360-degree camera.

Running costs 2.9/5 AT£125,595, theS63Coupé isveryexpensive. owever

, comparedtorivalsfromBentleyandAstonMartin, it couldbeconsidered goodvaluegiventhetechnologyincluded. It’salsocheaperthanthePanamera TurboS – ahigher-bandearnerwill pay £906a yearlessin tax.Still,it’sworthnoting thatwithoptions ourtestcar costaneye-watering£155,735,whichwouldmassivelyincreaseBenefit inKindbills.Forprivatebuyers, depreciationwillbe the

biggest sourceof financialpain – you’lllose£64,556overthree years, althoughthis48.6percentretainedprediction is considerablybetterthanthe Porsche’s 37.2 percentfigure.

Duringour test,we averaged17.6mpg,sofuel billswon’t becheap, althoughthis carismore frugalthanpreviousV8AMGs– itgetsstop/startas standard. Fixed-price servicingwill help budgetfor running costs, too. adly ,Mercedes’dealersranked 21st inDriver Power2014,whereasPorsche’sgaragesplaced third.

“The effortless torqueof the 900NmAMGdelivers relentlessin-gear response”

MODEL TESTED:MercedesS 63AMG CoupéPRICE: £125,595 ENGINE: 5.5-litreV8 twin-turbo, 577bhp

GlamourFOR added glitz you can spec a £2,860 LED IntelligentLight System headlight option. It features 47 Swarovskicrystals in the lamps for a striking jewel-like look aswell as active cornering lights and adaptive high beamassist. Our car also featured £1,740 matt black wheels


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/auto-express-december-24-2014-uk 53/92www.autoexpress.co.uk 24December 2014 53


MG Coupé !CO2/tax

237g/km

£490 or 35%

PracticalityBoot

400 litres


4.3/4.1 seconds


44.1/31.8/8.5m


£101 fill-up

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Practicality 3.0/5 ANYONEwho’s travelled in thebackof anS-Class saloonwillwonderwhereallthe spacehasgoneintheCoupé.Thesculptedpair of rearseats is comfortable andsupportive, andthere’senough legroomforadults,but it’s a bittight giventhesizeof the

r

. Thefrontseatsautomaticallyslide forward tomakeaccess relatively e sy, although

thefour-doorPorscheedgesahead forrearpassengercomfort.Boot space isdecentfor this class,witha 400-litrecapacity –which

ismore than enoughroomforsomesuitcasesor a coupleof sets of golf clubs. Therear seats fold flat, too, althoughthe445-litrePorscheagain just hastheupperhand.Ourcar featuredthe£320load-throughhatchand£440WarmthPackage,which addsheatedarmrestsonthecentreconsole anddoors, plus aheatedsteeringwheel.

InfotainmentCOMAND system includesDAB, navigation, in-carInternet, voice activationand live traffic information

CabinPANORAMIC glass roof isstandard and our car wasfitted with £4,500 ExclusivePack, including ‘designo’leath , inlays and rooflining

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Porsche P

Exterior

Interior

THEPorschePanamera line-uphasgrowntoencompassa wide rangeof

models,withpetrol, dieselandhybridversionsnowavailable, buttheperformanceflagship

is theTurboS.It’smore expensivethantheMercedes, butis it a better all-rounder?

Styling 3.6/5PORSCHE’SevolutionaryapproachtostylinghasensuredthePanamerahas changedgraduallythroughout its life.New lights,cleaner flanksanda smoother tail with aredesigned bumpermark outthe2014model.Butwhenlinedupagainst thenewMercedes,thereactionsof everyonewemet onthetestmade it clear that thesvelteS-Class Coupéhastheupper handwhen itcomestostyle.Still,whilethe exteriordesigndivides

opinion, thecabinfeaturesPorsche’s usualmixof a great layout, perfect driving positionandhigh-qualitymaterials. Thebutton-heavytransmissiontunnelis thesameas you’llfindina911, whilethe traditional overlapped dialsfeature a smart TFTscreenintherightpod,whichcan display trip, audio, telephoneandnavigation information. The controlsare logical andeasyto

use,althoughthePorscheCommunicationManagementnavigation screen is smallcomparedtothe biggerand clearer displayin theMercedes.Overall,though, thePorsche’sinteriorfeels old-fashionednext tothehi-techS-Class.

Ontheplusside,the cabin featuresfirst-ratematerialsthroughout andbuildquality issuperb. Aseverwitha Porsche,there’shugescope toaddexpensiveoptions,butstandardequipmentincludescruisecontrol,parking sensors, leather trim,heatedseats anda Bose audio system.

Driving 4.6/5 THINKof thePanameraasa four-doorsportscar ratherthana coupéora saloon,andyouwon’t besurprised bythewayit drives. mazingly, givenitsnear-two-tonnekerbweight, theTurboShasthe sort

of agilityyou’dexpect fromPorsche’ssmallersports cars. The standardDynamic ChassisControl active anti-rollbarskeepbodymovement incheck,while thePorsche TorqueVectoringPlus (PTV+) systemhelpstheall-wheel-drivetransmissiondeliverexcellenttractionand sharphandling.Switch toSports Plusmode,andnot only

are thethrottle,gearbox,stability control andexhaust flipped intotheir sportiestsettings,butthePASMair-suspensionhunkersdown,reducingrideheight andtighteningbodycontrol further. In thismode,the Panamera

almostfeelslikea heavy911, and issharperandmoreagile than theS 63. ThePorsche’ssteering isfasterand theweighting ismorenatural,whilethe dual-clutch PDK

transmission offers superbmanual control. Addall thesefactorstogetherand it’shardto ignore thePanamera’s dynamic abilities. owever, when it comestofindingthe sweetspot betweenhandlingandcomfort,it isn’t asaccomplishedas theMercedes.Onbumpyroads, thePorsche’sair-suspensionstrugglestofinda happymediumbetweencontrollingbody andwheelweight andsmoothing outthe ride. So, onroads the S63glidesover,thePorschefidgets andwriggles.But, whilethelargetyres generatesomenoiseonthemotorway

, overall refinementis stilldecent.Performance is scintillating.TheTurbo S

engineupgradesincludea reinforcedcrank

andspecialalloyforgedpistons,whileincreased fuelinjectionpressureand a revisedthrottlecontrol ensuregreaterresponsiveness. At the testtrack, thebigPorsche rocketed

offthe line to60mphinjust 3.6seconds. Theenginerevsharder andfor longer thantheMercedes’ andthere’sa lovely, gutturalexhaust note – althoughtheS-Classhasin-gearresponse tomatchthePorsche,thanksto itsextra torque.

Reliability 4.2/5 YOUcanexpect thePorsche tobedependable,withstrong reliability scores inourDriver

Power 2014survey. Plus,if anythingdoes gowrong,it shouldbe covered bythestandardthree-yearwarrantyandrecoverydeal. The Panameraalsoimpresseswhenit

comestosafety, as it featureseightairbags,includinga knee bag. There’s anactivepedestrian safetybonnet, too. TheTurboSgets ceramic brakesas standard,andyoucanadd adaptivecruise control andalanedeparturewarningasoptions.Ourcar also featuredthefullLEDlights

packagewithPorscheDynamic LightSystemPlus, costing£395,whichincludesautomaticdimmingof thefullbeamforoncomingtraffic andjunctionlighting.

Running costs 1.9/5ITwon’tcome asa surpriseto hearthat the£132,067 TurboS –oneof themostexpensivemodelsin Porsche’s range– isnota cheapcartoown. Ahigher-bandearnerwillpay £18,361a yearin tax torunoneasa company car,whileprivatebuyerswillprobablysufferover£80,000indepreciationoverthreeyears.Standardstop/startand coasting

functionality onthePDKboxkeepfuelconsumptiontoa level that is just aboutacceptable fora performance carboastingover 500bhp.While itemits2g/kmmore

thantheMercedes,we averaged18.9mpgduringour test and,with a 100-litre fueltank,eachfill upwill becostly. The Porschealsositsin thehighest

insurancegroupand isexpensiveto cover– althoughnoneof this is likelytobeanissuefor buyersat thisendof themarket.

MODEL TESTED: Porsche PanameraTurbo SPRICE: £132,067 ENGINE: 4.8-litre V8 twin-turbo,562bhp

“Porsche’s enginerevs harder andlongerwith a love ,guttural exhaust note”




Head-to-head

!

CO2/tax239g/km

£490 or 35%


445/1,263 litres


3.6/3.1 seconds


42.3/31.1/ .2m

unning costs

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Practicality 3.4/5 THEPanameraisperfectforanyonewho findsa 911isn’tbigenough,butwhodoesn’twant an UV .Witha largecentral spinerunningdown themiddle of thecar, it’s strictlya four-seater, althoughthesculptedrear

seats arecomfortable andsupportive. There’s enoughlegroom foradults tositcomfortably, andwithbiggersidewindowsandamoreaccommodating roofline,itfeelsmorespacious than theMercedes.Plus, the2014modelyear updatealsosawthe introductionofa biggerrearscreen,which improvesvisibility.

Youget apoweredtailgate asstandardand the445-litrebootis 45 litresbiggerthanthe ercedes’ ,withusefulunderfloor storage,too.The fold-flatrearseats offer a 1,263-litrecapacity anda longload length.

SpaceTHE S-Class Coupé doesn’t haveas much passenger space as itssaloon cousin, while the curved

roofline and tapered side windowsmean you feel snug in the back.There’s still enough room to

travel in comfort in the Mercedes,however, plus the sculpted rearseats are well shaped, comfortableand benefit from heaters. If it’sspace you’re looking for, though,the Porsche (below) has just afraction more head and legroom.

WheelsA SET of 10-spoke 19-inch wheelscomes as standard on the S 63. The20-inch black rims on our test carcost £1,740. The Panamera gets awider rear tyre than the Mercedesand features 20-inch 911 Turbo-style wheels as standard. Our

test car was fitted with the £25820-inch Classic style rims (below).

Bespoke extrasBOTH these cars offer plenty ofoptions. Our S 63 came with lotsof bits from Mercedes’ designobespoke ordering range. The£4,500 Exclusive Package addsNappa le

ther

, AMG illuminateddoor sill panels, a microfibre rooflining and an electric blind. It alsohad £1,520 piano black trim.

InfotainmentPORSCHE CommunicationManagement includesMP3, navigation andDAB. You also get14-speaker Bose audio

CarbonOUR car featured the£618 carbon interiorpackage. Heated 14-wayadjustable sports seatsand paddleshift steeringwheel are standard


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/auto-express-december-24-2014-uk 58/9258 24December2014

Our cars Livingwith a NissanQashqai

Essentials

Joe Finnerty [email protected]

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iss

FINALREPORTOu

NissanQashqai1.5dCiTekna

On fleet since: April 2014

Pricenew: £25,550

Engine: 1.5-litre 4cyl, 109bhp

CO2/tax: 99g/km/£0

Options: Metallic paint (£525)

Insurance*: Group:15 Quote:£302

Mileage/mpg: 11,872/54.2mpg

Any problems? None

*Insurance quoteprovidedbyAA(0800107 0680)for a 42-year-old living

inBanbury,Oxon, withthree points.

HEADLIGHTS Typically poorBritish weather blighted our tripto the north, but Qashqai’s superbself-levelling headlights ensuredwe could see clearly in the fog

PRACTICALITYQashqai offersplenty in the way of boot space,with a 430-litre capacity whichcan be expanded to 1,585 litreswhen the rear seats are folded

AFTER eightmonths of hard

workon our fleet, we’vehadtosaygoodbye to ourNissan Qashqai. owever

, we wantedone last hurrahwiththe stylish crossover,sowetook it on a trip back to itsbirthplacebefore wesaid ourfinal farewells.

I covered theproductionof thetwo-millionthQashqai at Nissan’sfactory in Sunderland (Issue 1,345), so itfelt appropriateto take ourcar on the600-mileround trip to the north-east.

I’lladmit, though, that theprospectof slogging hundreds of miles up theA1fromLondon to Nissan’s factory wasn’texactly fillingme with joy. Especially

sincethe heavens openedas soonasI pulledoutof our car park.

Still, the British weather wasn’t theQashqai’s fault,and fewcarsare as adeptat handling such poor conditions. Itmade light work of thewet roads,andtheraised driving position meant I sat

clear of theworstspray being kickedup

by thelorries I passed. As thingsclearedup through theMidlands,I wasabletosetthe cruisecontrol andsettle back into the comfortable cabin.

A little undersix hourslater, I arrivedin Sunderlandwith the tripcomputershowing we’d hit60mpg – prettyimpressivewhen you consider Nissanclaims the front-wheel-drive 1.5 dCimodelcan achieve 74mpg combined. The only realirritant on the first leg of the journey was our Tekna’sstandard-fit sat-nav. I’mnotthebiggest fan ofan

overbearing assistant, but that’s how I

foundNissan’ssystem: loud and,attimes,unnecessary. But the menus areeasy to go through, andturningthe audioguidanceoff just took a feweasysteps.

After a fascinating tourof theQashqai productionline, where ourcarwas oneof more than twomillionthat have been produced in thelasteight years,it wastimefor thecrossover’s finalphotoshoot in frontof the factory. I haveto say thatour car’s£525optionalInk Bluemetallicpaintlooked really attractive, and thetwo-tone19-inch alloywheels addto the car’sclassy appearance, too.

Havingspentso many hours of theprevious dayon the 1, I decided totakethescenic route south,and cutacrosstheNorth Yorkshire Moors.Out on thewinding and undulatingmoorlandroads, the Qashqai’ssmooth manualgearbox wasa joyto use, whilethe

“On thewindingmoorland roads, thesmoothmanual boxwas a joy to use”

FUELECONOMYWe hit 60mpg on our trip up to Nissan factory inSunderland, while average of 54mpg during our time was respectable



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s ho w u p d i r t y ma r ks”

Kia Soul EVFIRSTREPORTWe’ve picked up keys to stylish new electric car

PRACTICALITYKia salesman Mark McKaigshows Dawn the location of the charge point;281-litre boot easily fits charging components

WORKINGfor AutoExpressandlivingin LondonmeansI’ve become

familiarwith a variety of electriccarsover theyears.Sowhen Kiacontactedus

with theoffer of running itsnew Soul EV onourfleet, I wastheprimecandidatetotake custody ofournewarrival.

This is thefirstelectriccarKiahassoldin the UK,butthecompanyis beingrealisticabout itssalestargets. A priceof £24,995is prettysteep, andKia expects toshiftaround250 Soul EVsin thefirstyear

, while only13 ofits 170 dealers willsell it.One of those franchises isBeadlesinCoulsdon,southLondon, andthat’swhere wewent topick upournew car.

All thestaff werevery friendlyandhelpful, andI wasshownaround theSoul EVbysalesmanMark McKaig.

He’shad special trainingtohighlighttheEV’s keysellingpoints, andI wasimpressedwithhis knowledge.

Therewasplenty of kit tobe shown,too, astheSoulis brimmingwith tech. at-nav, a six-speaker stereo,heatedsteeringwheelandseats, frontandrearparking sensors andclimatecontrol areallstandard. Infact, thereareno options,atallas metallicpaint isalso included.

Oneparticularhighlightof theSoulEVis the

sat-nav

. It’s been programmedespecially forthecar,andifyouplanaroutethat exceeds itsrange, itwillsuggest a chargingpointenroute.Of

course, a lack of charging facilities isone

wnGrant [email protected]

“Kia is offering tofit a charging pointworth £250atevery buyer’s home”

reasonwhy many areputoff byelectriccars,but Kiais hopingto address that,too, byoffering to install a fast-charging

pointworth£250 ateverybuyer’s home.It’s somethingthatwill ease rangeanxiety

, althoughourcar’s90-milerange ona fullcharge isshort ofKia’sclaimed maximum of 132miles.

We’reputtingthatrange limitationdown tothecoldweather, becauseoverall, thingsarelookinggood forournew V. TheSoul is comfortable,easytodriveand pretty practical, sofitsmyneedsperfectlyas anurbancruiser.

MY RATING★★★★ ★

Our cars Livingwitha Kia Soul EV


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/auto-express-december-24-2014-uk 61/92www.autoexpress.co.uk 24December 2014 61

Livingwitha Kia Soul EV Our cars

e’ve told you bout our carsNow tell us about yours www.autoexpress.co.uk/driverpower

Fleetwatch

Our fleet

Suz. SX4 S-CrossTHE SX4 S-Cross is coming to the end of itstime on our fleet – but it didn’t get a perfectreport card. The yellow engine warning lightominously appeared on the dashboard,so the crossover was summoned back to

Suzuki headquarters for a check-up.The warning related to the emissionscontrol system, but a faulty pressuresensor was to blame rather than anythingmore serious or costly. Thankfully, therepair was completed under warranty,and the S-Cross was backin action within a week.

We’ll be sorry to seethe car go when it makesthe trip back to Suzukion a permanent basis ina few weeks’ time.

You’ll be able toread the final report on

our time with the car inAuto Express soon.

Hyundai i10

AudiA3SaloonIssues 1,324, 1,335

BMWi3Issue 1,338

CitroenG.C4PicassoIssues 1,322, 1,335, 1,342

DaciaDusterIss. 1,305, 1,315, 1,330, 1,339

Hyundaii10Issues 1,332, 1,338, 1,348

JaguarF-TypeIss. 1 307, 1 31 , 1,32 , 1,344

KiaCarensIss. 1,302, 1,318, 1,332, 1,340

Kia Soul EVNewarrival

LexusIS 300hIss. 1,312, 1,320,1,32 , 1,340

Mazda3Issues 1,311, 1,334, 1,345

MINICooperD5drIssue 1,346

NissanQashqaiIssues 1,323, 1,332, 1,341

Peugeot308 SWIssue1,342

SEATLeon SCCupraNewarrival

SkodaSuperbEstateIssue 1,347

SuzukiSX4S-CrossIssues 1,310, 1,321, 1,334

VauxhallCorsaNewarrival

VolkswagenGolfGTIIssues 1,320,1,332, 1,341

IT’S always reassuringwhen a small car hasbig-car safety kit, asdemonstrated by our i10’styre pressure warningsystem, which gaveus a timely reminderto check its

ru er

.Deputy news editor

Richard Ingram had thewarning light flash upon the dashboard onemorning, but a visualinspection didn’thighlight anythinguntoward with the tyres.

A garage visitconfirmed that allfour tyres were slightlylow on pressure,probably due to thechange in the we ther,but a quick top-up hadthem back up and the

warning light reset.

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D e p u t y r o a d t e s t e dit o r

Essentials


281/891 litres

CO2/tax0g/km£0 or 0%

KiaSoulEVOn fleet since: November 2014

Price new: £24,955 (including GovernmentPlug-inCar Grant)

Engine: 81.4kW electricmotor,109bhp

CO2/tax: 0g/km/£0

Options: None

Insurance*: Group:18 Quote: £445

Mileage/mpg: 642/0.0mpg

Any problems? None so far

*Insurancequote providedby AA(0800107 0680)for a 42-year-old living

in Banbury,Oxon, withthree points.

ELECTRICDRIVEEco modeoptimises Soul EV’s systemsto make the best use of thecar’s electricity, while ‘B’ modeincreases regenerative brakingwhen you lift off the throttle

RANGE Sat-nav is programmedspecifically for Soul EV and willsuggest charging points alongroute; we’ve averaged a rangeof 90 miles, well under Kia’sclaimed maximum of 132 miles

Electric drivePower/claimed range

109bhp/132 miles

P e

t e G i b s on



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ca b le t ha t r u ns t h ro ug h t he ca r”

Your chance to win

a classic Porsche

CLASSICCarWin isa new sourceofmotoring competitionprizes,and it’s celebrating itslaunch by givingaway a rebuilt Porsche924HistoricRally Car (above).The 1981Porsche, classified

asa CategoryThree racer intheHistoricRally register,wasrestored over eight years and isnowworth around£20,000. Itsengineandgearboxwere replacedand it’s nowfinished inMartinicolours. Enter by31 Januaryby visiting classiccarwin.co u .

Euro ar Parts

fills Unipart gap

EUROCar Parts has opened 16newstores as theparts supplier looks to capitalise on thedemiseand liquidation of itsrival,Unipart Automotive,earlier thisyear.

Fourteen of the new EuroCar Parts branchesused to belong toUnipartandmoreof the brand’sformerstores areset to followsuit.Over 200 jobs have beencreated.

Holidayweekend

classic car sprint

A HOSTof classic carsandmotorbikeswill take to thestreets of NorthantsonSunday (28December) as theOundleClassicSprinttakes advantageof new closed-roads legislation.There aredisplaysof vehicles

dating frombeforeWWII to thiscentury,plus carswill take part insprint eventsthrough the town’s

historic square.Allprofits go tothecharityHelp forHeroes. Log onto oundleclassicsprint.org for entryand spectator information.

THEdashcammarket is booming,

asmore drivers install thesystems to

record anypotential accidents. Yet as valuableasdashcamshave

proven in helping motoristsfightback

against crash forcash insurancescams,

most devicesonly faceoneway.The new

BlackvueDR650GW-2CH is different,

though. It features cameras filming the

roadahead and the roadbehindyou.

Whenweset up the two cameras in

our car,wewerepleased to see that

both could record in high definition. The

front-facing camera shoots still images

at a resolution of 2.4megapixels and

can recordmoving film at 1920x1080,

while thesmaller rear-facingunit is

capableof capturing1280x720 video.

Andboth cameras capture moving

footage at an impressive 30 framesper

second,so whenyou playback, you can

besureyou won’t missany key details.Havingtwocameras like this did

meanwe had toruna cable fromone

end of the car to the other,which was

a pain, but thiswas worth the effort

as thecameras interacted reallywell.

Standalone footage from both dash

cams is savedas individual files that

canbe replayedona computer.There’s

also aWi-Fi connection, allowing youto

play video back ona smartphone, which

helps to compensate for the fact that the

Blackvue doesn’t have a screen.

The trouble is,setting up thedevice

without a built-in display is tricky in the

first place.Withno live viewofwhatthe

front andrear lensesare picking up,

itends upbeinga bit hit andmiss.

Thedevicescored pointswith

itsbuilt-inGPS, whichenabled ustopinpointona map any incidents

we’d encountered onour journey.

However,we found itsG-sensorwas

toosensitiveat times,andagain,

the lackof a screenmade it tricky

to adjust sensitivity settings.

Blackvuecharges a premium price

for its camerakit, but onceyou’vegot

it setup,you’reguaranteed top results.

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ash cam kit’sgot your back

KUMHOhas addedthree newdesigns to itsgrowingline-

upoftyres.And top ofthe range istheSolus HS51– aimed

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European roads. It has anasymmetric treadandpromises

a good balance between dryandwetroad performance.

From launch, theSolusHS51 comes in 32sizes, including

the205/55R16found onmanycompact family hatchb ks.

Kumho istargeting the sametypeof car with the

KrugenHP91 tyre, although this isavailable in a choice

of 24 sizesfor larger 17 to21-inch rims. Itscompoundisdesigned todeliver durability andcomfort.

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g

”

ea s y to co n t ro l w h i le wa s h i ng”

-wo.co.u

AUTOBrand’s premise is interesting,

asthe booklooks intohow bestto

marketa car brand.The historyof the

top-rankingmakes is considered,

before it goes on to investigateways

of setting up amarketable firm today.

Historical recollection is accurateand

informative,whilenewmethods are

appealing, but onlyautomotive fans

with industry know-howwill enjoy it.

THISweighty book,subtitled

‘Strive For Perfection’, charts

the110-year historyof one

ofBritain’smost iconiccar

marques, Rolls-Royce, in

lavish fashion.The level of

detailwill satisfy even the

most curious fan, while thebeautifulphotos perfectly

capturewhat this luxurybrand is all about. It’s £50, but

thenyouwouldn’texpecta book about Rolls tobe cheap.

TH annual LeMans24 Hours

isa starkcontrast to theglamour

of ormulaOne, as this gripping

film documents. Cameras

followthe Jota Sport teamaround in the build-up to the

legendaryendurance race,

and thebehind-the-scenes

access givesyoua real sense

of the commitmentinvolved.

N Wapp from road safetycharity TyreSafe

isa great idea, asit provideshandy tipson

ensuring your tyres are safe, withprompts

andinformation.Butwe found it unreliable,

asitcrashed and failed toopenat times.

We’d suggestwaiting foran update.

HenryWillis

AWASHmitt is ideal for

keeping winter road grimeoff

your car.Not onlydoes it take

the effort out of cleaning, it

keeps yourhandsprotected

from the coldatthe same time.

Our Issue 1,301 test winner,

theKent 2-in-1NoodleWash

Mitt, has been a favourite for

sometime, butWo-Wo’s

luxurious-feeling new Lambs

WoolWashMitt looks to rival

its performanceandusability.

So, we tried the pair againsttheSakuraWashMitt ina three-

waytest, ratingwater retention,

performance aswell asvalue.

Pricesare froma range of

sources aswe went topress.

While theWo-Womitt starred

with its long-pilematerial, we

couldn’t ignore thefact that,

although it produces similar

results to theKent, it’s around

four timespricier. TheSakura

mitt didn’tperformaswell as

thenewcomer,butdidoffer

excellent valueformoney.

MICROFIBRE noodles helped this Kent

mitt absorb a lot of water when we

tackled ourdirty car. It cleared the film

of grime straight away and the foaming

action from the retained shampoo

made working thesuds in aneasier

task. Plus, it’sa comfor table fit.mesh padforclearing bugs and

marks makes it a winnerhere.

Rating:★★★★★

ALTHOUGHits cleaning results didn’t

compare to the excellent entmitt, we

wereimpressed with theSakura’swater

retention and wiping action, aswe werein our Issue 1,301 test. The mitt is

relativelysmall, so controlling it is

easy when applyingit toyour car.

The mesh panel isusefuland its

low price means it rankssecond.

Rating:★★★★

WEtackleda different partof the front of our mucky

car with eachmitt, rating how well they soaked

up waterand suds from the bucket– then

looked at how well this transferred into a

wiping actionwhenappliedto thebodywork.

TheWo-Wo mitt soaked up lotsofsoapy

water beforewe wiped it across ourbonnet.

It initiallycleared dirt due to the mix of

absorbed water and abrasive material,

and therewasenoughshampooleft to

work into thecar to achievea cleanfinish.

The long-pile designworked in the

mitt’s favour, giving a streak-free finish, whilewe struggled to get thesame results with rivals’ noodle

fabric. Apartfrom itsprice, we can only fault it for being a bit big

– although we tried the model with a thumb slot for superior grip.

Rating:★★★★

s a s

o

f

ing

oo

easier

rt lefit.As and

.

, we

s water

s weweree mittis

co rollingit is

it toyourcar.

l and its

cond.



Products Driving games tested

20142014

RIVING G MES

Which video game is best for getting you behind the wheel?

PRODUCTGROUPTEST 24 | 12 | 2014Every week, we extensively test all the latest car kit from tyres totrim cleaners.Logon towww.autoexpress.co.uk to look through our huge onlinetest archive.

HenryWillis

GAMINGconsoles arealwaysa popular gift at

Christmas– andthegreat news forpetrolheads is

that are loadsof driving gamesavailable for them.

Not only can games provide hours of fun over

thefestive period, they allowenthusiasts to

customisecars,hone their skills on the road, race

circuit or rally stageandbecomea topdriver.

Therearemany options to choose from,

though, sowe tried 10popular titles to find

thedrivinggamescar fans shouldbe buying.

A MUST-havefor driving gamefans. It canbe

tough, andmostactionunfolds on the track as

opposed to road circuits,yetplayers investing hours in this cansee their virtual trackcareers

take off, so it’srewarding.Maker Codemasters

wasresponsible for legendaryTOCA gameson

older consoles,and thisspirit returns inGrid.

Notmuch here for novices,but a great game.

Rating:★★★

TEST yourself against allkindsof terrain inWRC4.

This official game is based on2013’s rally series,

sohasmatchingdrivers, cars and locations.Theaction is fun, frantic and relatively realistic, with

cars reacting to differentsurfaces andcertain

vehicles having particularquirks. Hurtlingdown

amountain with instructions from your co-driver

isoneof the finest rally experiences in gaming.

Rating:★★★

WEenjoyhowDRIVECLUBdiffers to other games,

asyou formpartofa car-based teamand take

onother racersin a busyonline community. ThePS4-only title encourages teamworkand skilled

driving, somore pointscanbeawarded for

in-race stunts than finishing first. Trouble

is, thismeansthe careermode is shortlived,

plus there aren’tmany tracks or cars.

Rating:★★★

Grid:Autosport

Bestprice: £23.98

Available for:PS3, Xbox 360

WRC4:FIAWorldRallyChampionshipBestprice:£20.18


DRIVECLUB

Bestprice:£47.70

Available for:PS4

BEST BUY THISis one ofthe

newestof thelatestcropof racing

games,and wewereblown away

by thespectacular graphics of

Horizon 2 ontheXbox One. They

show itsselection ofwellchosen

cars in stunning detail.Carand

background look great as thegamemakes full use ofthe next-

generationconsole’scapabilities.

The list of included cars is extensive,

while thearcade feel to the racing

action is impressivelyrealistic.

Rating:★★★★★

RECOMMENDED LONG-standing

Gran Turismo franchise is on itssixth

instalmentnow, andwhile the latest

offering is good, it can’t quitematch

thequalityof previousgamesin the

series – or that of Forza Horizon2. In

standardGranTurismo format, drivers

worktheir way upbyearningmoneyand training for licences.Racing is

funandexciting, while thegraphics

areexcellent.But theseriesneeds

somethingnew to freshenit up– and

wewish thiswas releasedonPS4.

Rating:★★★★

ForzaHorizon2

Bestprice: £34.99(Xbox360)

Available for:Xbox 360, Xbox One

GranTurismo6

Bestprice: £15.99

Available for:PS3



Driving games tested Products

How we tested themOUR 10drivinggamesare soldonvariousconsoles,

sowe tried themona SonyPS3 and PS4,Microsoft

Xbox360 and XboxOne and Nintendo Wii U.Multi-

platformtitles were rated onmore thanone system.

We lookedfor realisticgraphics,sound andcar

handling, plus thrilling single-player and convincing

online multi-playermodes to keep users interested.

Prices are from various sourcesaswe went topress.

THE Forza franchise takes up twoplaceson the

podium.If you haveanXboxOne,Horizon 2

leavesthe sixth instalmentof thePlayStation-

only Gran Turismoseries trailing in itswake.

1. Forza Horizon 2

2.GranTurismo6

3. ForzaMotorsport 5

UST likepreviousFormula One games, carsare

ricky to control and racing is technical. That adds

o thegame’smerits, as finally getting a carunder ontrol is satisfying.The single-player careermode

svaried and promisesplentyofhours offun.We

ust wish this fairlyrecent release waslaunched

onnext-generationconsoles, plus thecomplex

handlingmight notappealbeyondF1 fans.

Rating:★★★

NEED For Speed gamesaregreat, asyou know

you’re getting arcade-based, high-speed funwith

licensed cars.While Rivalshasthe backing ofasuccessful series, the carhandling is lacklustre

and thecourses areprettybut linear.Although

the next-generation console versions lookgood

andmulti-playermode is great, this doesn’t do

enoughto stand out from previousgames.

Rating:★★★

F1RaceStars has beenonsale for a while,

but it’s justbeen rereleased for theWii U and

given amuch-needed refresh. Combiningvariousdifferent racinggame genres into one, thisgame

has aMarioKart-like partyfeel, but thereare real

F1 racersbehind thewheel. It’s justnot asmuch

fun asMarioKart – and the licensed parts of the

game areoutdated in thePS3and Xbox versions.

Rating:★★★

F12014

Bestprice: £24.99


NeedForSpeedRivals

Bestprice: £24.95(Xbox360)

Available for:Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4

F1RaceStars

Bestprice:£9.49

Available for:PS3,Xbox360, Wii U

ANOTHER excellent racing game

fromthe Forza team, with this

erringmore towards theserious

sideof racing thanHorizon 2. In

that respect, Forza 5 ismoreofa

rival toGranTurismo 6.Thishas

thepower of thenext-generation

XboxOne behind it, though, sovisually it’smore appealing –

butweprefer the racingaction

andsingle-player modes in the

PlayStation game. Even so, this

isa must for XboxOne owners.

Rating:★★★★

THISdoesn’t serveup the same

intense racingactionofour topthree

games, butNintendo-exclusiveMario

Kart 8 stands out because it’s somuch

fun, especially inmulti-playermode.

You useweapons to workyour wayup

thegridin single-playerchampionships,

either against friends in the sameroom or online.The celebrated Mario

Kart styleof racing isn’t lostin this

eighth instalment, and it improves

onpreviousgameswithbetter

graphics and fairer gameplay.

Rating:★★★★

ForzaMotorsport5

Bestprice:£22.90

Available for:Xbox One

MarioKart8

Bestprice: £39.95

Available for:Wii U

Verdict



“Thanks to theaccelerated learningprovided by VBOX ,we had front-running

racepace from theoutset in our firstseason of GT3.”

Stuart Leonard & Paul Wilson,

Leonard Motorsport VLN and

Blancpain

A lightweight, portable data logger ideal

for measuring performance or lap times



“THEmostcomfortable

car I haveever owned.”

“Spacious,powerful

and economical.”

“An executivepackage

for the price ofa

family hatchback.”

“Well equipped, roomy

anda good combination

of economy and

performance.”

“Aptlynamedas it

isSuperbat handling,

corneringandall the

other thingsyou

want froma car.”

“All theadvantages of

an executivemodel at

two-thirds of theprice.”

“SERVICING andpart

costsarehigh.”

“I have littleconfidence

in it, as randomwarning

light issuesmeanregular trips to thedealer.”

“Warning lightsweren’t

working when theDPF

wasclogged and there

wasa battery fault.”

“I had a squeak

from theclutch while

the speedometer

needlewaversat

motorway speeds.”

“The sat-nav systemhas

died onmealready.”

“Ifind itto bea little

underpowered.”

Howwelldohybrids tow?I’M looking fora second-hand4x4, and am

considering a LexusRX400h or 450h.Will

these hybrids beokay for towing, and is

it a suitablecar for rough tracksor fields?

Peter Freeman,E-mail

HYBRIDS aresometimesnotrecommended for

towing dueto a lack of ‘spare’ power. Butwitha 2,000khtowing weight, the RX will be fine.

A towing preparationpackis available –

aska Lexusdealer fordetails.Thecar

itself willperform acceptablyoff-road, too.

Fiestafee seems toohighFORD isaskingfor£2,500for a replacement

car,as it isunable to fix our Fiesta. It says

this iscompany policyandaccountsfor the

8,000mileswe’ve donesincewe bought

the car inFebruary. Is Fordbeing fair?

Peter Parolin, E-mail

MOST makers willwanta contribution towardsa replacement carto account forresidual losses

and the use you’vehad out of it.But it’snot

your fault there’s an unfixable fault, and the

£2,500seems quitehigh. Try negotiating it

down with Ford or contact ourWatchdog team.

Servicing rulesexplainedI’VEhad mycarserviced at regular intervals,

but notat a dealer. The ECU isnow broken,

butit’s outof warranty.Customerservices

wouldn’t payas thevehicle hadbeen

serviced outside of thenetwork. Is this right?

Martin Lynch, E-mail

YOU’RE well withinyour rightsto getyour car

servicedoutside the network,and it won’tvoid

a warranty if guidelines are followed. However,

if youthen look fora goodwill gesture post-

warranty, you’lllikely be outof luck. Makers

workon the basis ofpayingout toowners

if they’ve paid in duringa car’s lifetime.

Q

Q

Q

A

A

oda Superb 2

How do you rate your car? Tell us what you think www.autoexpress.co.uk/driverpower

Got any car queries?

oe

Finnerty

[email protected] @AE_Consumer

NOT SO GOODGOOD

YOU TELL US... Bargain exec is rated highly across the board

3

PLACE

2014 ResultsSuperb Factfile

Bars show where modelfinished out of 150 cars inour 2014 survey. The lowerthe rating the better1.68%

OVERALL SCORE

Years: 2008 to present CO2: 143g/km

Fuel economy: 52mpg (2.0 TDI CR SE 5d)Best features: Sat-nav, heated seats, bi-xenon

lights, parking sensors, keyless entry

Prices: From £4,795

RELIABILITY

BUILD QUALITY

RUNNING COSTS

PERFORMANCE

ROAD HANDLING

RIDE QUALITY

EASE OF DRIVING

SEAT COMFORT

PRACTICALITY

IN-CAR TECH

22

20

12

19

76

30

19

25

6

33

150 125 100 75 50 25 1

UR VIEWSONYOUR RS

uyingcars

ew and used buying advice

YOUR VIEW ON YOUR CAR

N b i i



Buying cars Honda CR-VMk3

FROM£6,000 Reliable SUVmakes a solid and good-value used purchaseRichard Dredge

AT this timeof year,

many used carbuyers thinkabout acquiringanSUVthat’ll

keep themmovingwhen the

snow starts to fall. Theproblem

is, many cars in thissector

are costly. If your pockets

aren’t deep, but you want tobe

prepared forwinterweather, a

HondaCR-Vis a decentoption.

Unlike somerivals, it features

four-wheel drive that cuts in

when needed, to give security

allied to fuel economy.Plus

reliability is good and theprice

is even better; £6,000stops

you grinding toa haltwhenthe temperaturedrops.

HistoryTHE third-generationCR-V

debuted inDecember 2006,

with148bhp2.0-litre i-VTEC

petrolor 138bhp2.2-litre i-CTDi

turbodieselengines, plusSE,

ESand EX trim levels. The petrolenginewasofferedwith an

automatic transmission, but

there was noauto option for

thediesel, until a facelifted

CR-V arrived in January2010.

Thisbrought a newfront

bumperand grille, redesigned

alloysand improved cabin

materials.Refinementwas

boosted at thesame time,

while a cleaner,more powerful

148bhp2.2-litre diesel engine

wasalso fitted, badgedi-DTEC.

Which one?PETROLCR-Vscanfeel

underpowered, and they’re

notespecially frugal,but they

manage without particulate

filters, a turbochargerand

dual-mass flywheel, which

means they’re likely to be

more reliable in the long

term than thediesels.The automatic transmission

isn’tparticularlyaccomplished,

sogo for a car witha manual

transmission. Even the entry-

level SEcomeswith powered

windowsall round,ESP,

TrailerStability Assistand

air-conditioning,while the ES

adds 17-inch alloywheelsand

parking sensors front and rear,

plusdual-zone climate control.

Therange-topping EX also

features 18-inch alloys, electric

adjustment on thedriver’s seat,

heated front seats, sat-navanda panoramicglass roof.

AlternativesTHENissanX-Trail iswell worth

a look, thanksto itspracticality,comfort and affordableprices,

although watchout forengine

problemson the turbodiesels.

Toyota’s RAV4 isalsoa cracker

that’sgreat to drive, superbly

builtand reasonablyefficient

in D-4D turbodiesel form.

Another strongcontender is

the FordKuga, onaccount of its

sharp looks, fine driverappeal,

affordability and reliability.We’d

highly recommendtheLand

Rover Freelander 2 aswell– it’s

pricey, butworthconsidering

if you can afford it. The samegoes forVolkswagen’sTiguan.

VerdictTHE CR-Vis a talented car, and

even though it’s eight yearsold it can still givemanynewer

rivalsa run for their money.

Allof thecompact SUVs that

trumped the Mk3 Honda inour

Driver Power satisfaction survey

thisyearwere launched ata

similar time to the Mk4, so

they’re much more costly.

The Honda isnodriver’s car,

but it’s a great tow vehicle and

offers comfort, performance

and dependability, alongwith

a spaciouscabin. Runningcosts

canbe high, though, so if you’re

ona really tight budget, makesure you can afford toown one.

N

TO KNOWBe wary of carson 18-inch alloy

wheels. The ride can be very firm andreplacement tyres are expensive.

BUYER’S GUIDE:HondaCR-V

“The CR-V is a talented r, and even though it’s eightyears old, it gives newer rivals a run for their money”



Carsharefor39paminute

THE RELIABLE CHOICE THE VALUE CHOICE THE CLASSY CHOICE

Buying cars Best buys

£13,000 for an alternative to Ford’s Fiesta

CarhunterContact: [email protected]

DearLawrence, I want to trade my 2012 Ford Fiesta in for

something different. Priorities are reli ility, running costs and

a good list of standard equipment. What can I get for £13,000?

David Hutchins, E-mail

JeepCherokeeDEALOFTHEWEEK£2,000offand0%onJeep

BMWandSixt have launched a newcar-

sharing schemethat allowsmotorists to

rentan i3, 1 Series orMINI Countryman

for 39p per minute.Users pay a one-off

£29 to register forDriveNow, cansearch

for carson a DriveNowapp,andpay 39p

per minute withanhourly cap of£20.

The270-car fleet currentlycomprises

210 1 Series– all witha child’s booster

seat in the back– and60 Countrymans.

Thesewill be joined inApril by30 i3s.

Theschemeis initially running in theLondon boroughsof Islington,Hackney

andHaringey,and BMWbelieves it will

succeedwhererival schemeshavefailed

asdrivers can parkthe carsanywhere in

these boroughs,not just in setspaces.

PAGE90:ReadMike Rutherford’sview

THEnew Cherokee has

beenon salefor onlya

fewmonths, but Jeep is

alreadyoffering finance

deals to temptbuyers.

All nowgeta £2,000

finance contribution

and zeroper centAPR

representativeon hire

purchase, plusthree

years’ freeservicing isthrown in, too.So, the total payable ona 138bhp

2.0-litredieselin Longitudespec isonly £23,495 for

a three-year contract,with a buy-backoption at the

end of the term. Visitwww.j p.

o.uk to find out more,

orgo towww.

arb uy r.

co.uk formore great deals.

“Users pay £29 to register, thenhave 270-car fleet to pick from”

THEToyotaYarisoften gets forgotten, what with a

numberofmore desirablesuperminis on the market,

but it’s still worthyof consideration. Thestyling has

improved – although it’s still ordinary – while the fit

and finishareadmirable,and it’s spacious, too.

Although the1.33-litre VVTIpetrolengine isn’t

the quietestand costs the mosthere to tax, it offers59mpg and justenough go, even without a turbo. One

drawback, though, is that theToyota feels less nimble

and involving than rivals. Theride wasimprovedwith

the2014 facelift, however, and it’s still easy to drive.

Extra equipmenthasbeen made available in the

latestupdates, although theVauxhallCorsaoffers

more forsimilar money.Where theYaris has theedge

is in terms of reliability, andit fared wellin thisarea

in ourDriverPower2014 satisfactionsurvey.

While £13,495 willget you a brandnew 1.33

Icon,haggleandyou’llsee theprice fall quickly.

VW’s recently updated Polo isa firm favourite

withus, andit’seasyto see why onceyou’ve driven

one. While thestyling hasn’t changed much over the

years, the cabin isone of the mostupmarket in the

supermini class,with a tactile, high-quality feel and

plentyof hi-tech kit. It’s gotthe smallestboot of this

trio, but isas roomy for passengersas its rivals.ThePolo isextremelycomposed on theroad, with

good body control, responsive steering and a grown-

up, comfortable ride. But aswith the other two cars

here, it’s notas excitingasyour Fiesta. Thetorquey,

refined 1.2 TSI isour engine of choice, as it promises

over 60mpg yet isthe fastest car of these three.

While theVW ispricierthan the others, it feels it.The

89bhp 1.2TSI SE five-doorcosts £14,210, yetdeals

can easilybe had on pre-reg cars. The only fly in the

ointment is questionable reliability, as the pre-facelift

Polo surprisedus by finishing110th in DriverPower.

VAUXHALL’S latestCorsa isa huge improvement

over theprevious model in virtually every way. Despite

similar proportions andstyling, inside there’s a far

more upmarket cabin that’sstill spacious. It’s better

todrive,too, with directsteeringanda comfortable ride.

Thehighlightis thenew1.0-litrethree-cylinder petrol

turbo, which is smooth and efficient, claiming60mpg-plus.Yetwhile theVauxhallhas theedge forrefinement,

theFiestastilldelivers sharperandmore agilehandling.

The main downside isthatthe Corsa has only just

gone on sale, andyou may have towait for delivery,

plus the touchscreen techis slow touse. Yetthe car

hits back with itsexcellentvalue for money. It’s much

cheaper newthanrivals, and £13,330 willnet a well

equipped Designmodel with the89bhp 1.0-litre.

While theprevious Corsa finished a lowly 140th in

ourDriverPower survey,Vauxhall hopes thenewcar,

which feels much betterbuilt, canimprove on this.

ToyotaYarisFOR: Efficientengines, strongreliability

AGAINST:Blandcabin, dull todrive

VauxhallCorsaFOR:Frugalandrefinedengine,greatvalue

AGAINST:Safe styling,sluggishtouchscreen

VolkswagenPoloFOR:Upmarket interior,bigcarfeel

AGAINST:Expensive new uy, reliability


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/auto-express-december-24-2014-uk 76/92www.autoexpress.co.uk76 24December 2014

1

3

2

Verdict

Solid Ford is well equipped throughout Interior of VW is full of classy touches BMW’s cabin has conservative design

BMW 1 Series62.8mpg (official)

£63fill-up

VW Golf68.9mpg (official)

£63 fill-up

Ford Focus56.5mpg (official)

£70 fill-up

Buying cars Used triple test

Familyhatchmatch-upOur three five-doors are excellent all-rounders, but which is the best on the used market?

VWGolf BMW1 SeriesFordFocus

2.0 TDI GT Years:2012 todate Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl, 148bhp

Insurancegroup:19 Econ/CO2: 69mpg/106g/km

Why? Seventh-generationGolf is oneof thebest

all-rounders; refined, classy and verypractical.

Prices from: £15,295

116d M Sport Years:2011 todate Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl, 114bhp


Why?Rear-drivenBMWis the driver-focused

choicehere, andhas themost premium image.


2.0 TDCi Titanium Years: 2011 todate Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl, 138bhp


Why? Blue-collar Focushas greatvalue andkit

on its side, aswellas a fun driving experience.


STILLa great familyhatch, theFocus is

easily thebest-value choice on theused

market. That doesn’t mean it’s basic,

though. Itmaynothave thehigh-quality

feelofothers, butthere’s loads ofkit

and goodpassengerspace. However,

the 316-litre boot isa bit ofa letdown.

Thechassis is composed andsupple,yetalso agile for anengagingdrive.And

while the2.0-litreTDCi is the thirstiest

diesel here, it’sstronger than theBMW’s.

Keepaneye on the amount of coolant

beingused – goingthrough lots could

indicate a leaking thermostathousing.

VOLKSWAGEN’S latestGolf isoneof the

most complete all-roundersonsale. Look

beyond its staid styling, and ithas a well

appointed,practicalandclassy interior,

plus thebiggest boot here, at 380 litres.

Refinement isa real strongpoint, as

it rides likea car fromthe class above. It

doesn’t have the funhandling of rivals,but the2.0-litreTDI diesel is the fastest

andyet themost frugalmodelof this trio.

Ownershave reported fewproblems

since theGolf Mk7hitdealers, although

some have complained about issues

with the suspension bushes.

THE 1 Serieshas beena great success

forBMW, servingup thebrand’s prestige

image in a compact package.The sporty

yetconservative design iscomplemented

by thecar’s fantastic andappealingrear-

wheel-drivehandling,witha balanced

chassisand excellent steering.

MSport models ride firmly, plus the116d isn’tfast, with just 114bhp, butit’s

still fun. Practicality is improved – the

360-litreboot’sbigger than theFocus’–

although passenger spacestill isn’t great.

Look out forknockingnoises from the

rear suspension andrattling front doors.

Ford Focus

★★★★ ITmaynothavethe

premiumimageofthe

VWorBMW,buttheFocus

comesoutontopthanks

toitsterrificusedprices,

greatdynamicsand

generouskitlevels.

VWGolf

★★★★

THEGolf is everything

you need in a family

hatch: it’scomfortable,

spaciousandsmart.But

the highprice tag – twice

thatof the FordFocus –

means it fallsto second.

BMW 1 Series

★★★★ THIRD place isnoshame

for the BMW, asit’sstill a

fine familycar. Thedrive

impresses, but it’s not

practicalor affordable

enough in this company.



p rt

l l the ction from the world of motorsport

www.autoexpress.co.uk88 24December2014

p rt

All the ction from the world of motorsport

■ MINI and Peugeot head up entries ■ Roma eyes another win ■ Starts in Argentina on 3 January

Teams ready for Dakar blast-off

Jarvis gets Kristensen’s Audi seatBRITAIN’SOliver Jarvis will replace theretiringnine-timeLeMans 24Hoursrace winnerTomKristensen inAudi’sfactoryWorld EnduranceChampionship(WEC) team next season. Jarvis, who is set to turn31next

month,will contest theentire 2015WEC seasonwith thesquad.

TheCambridge driver hasscoredtwothird-place finishesat LeManssincemaking his debut in the

twice-round-the-clockmarathonback in2012, buthas notpreviouslycontesteda fullWEC season.

“It’s an earlyChristmas present andat the sametimethe fulfilmentofadream,” commentedJarvisat theannouncement, whichwasmadeat

Audi’send-of-seasonreception inits newstate-of-the-art racing facilityinNeckarsulm,Germany, last week.

“I’vegot somebig shoes to fillinreplacing Tom,but I look forward torisingto thechallenge,” headded.“To contest the fullchampionship

and fight for a world title isamazing andsomethingI strived toachieve.” Jarvis will gethis2015WEC

seasonunderwayby contesting a six-hour racewithco-driversLucasdiGrassi andLoicDuvalatSilverstoneon12April.

PEUGEOT andMINI aregearingup

todobattle in the punishing Dakar

Rally– a traditional curtain-raiser for the

motorsportseason andoneof the

toughest sporting eventson theplanet.

Last year’swinnerNani Roma (above)isback todefendhis title, driving one

ofeight MINI ALL4Racings in the event.

ThePeugeot challenge is three-

pronged,with doubleWorld Rally

champion(and 2010 Dakarwinner)

CarlosSainz inone of the 2008DKRs.

Theotherswill be drivenby11-time

Dakar victor Stephane Peterhansel

and five-timewinner of themotorcycle

classCyrilDespres, who’smakinghis

STEPPING UPBritish driver

Javis has raced

for Audi before

but now gets

the chance to

compete over

entire season

■ TOYOTASETTOCONFIRM WORLDRALLY COMEBACK TOYOTA is expected to announceaschedule for itsreturn to theWorldRallyChampionshipnextmonth.

The Japanese manufacturer lastcontested rallying’stop flightback in 1999 (above), before turning

itsattention to FormulaOne.Toyota’s European motorsport

arm has been testing a Yaris WRCprototype this year, and thebrandisthoughtto be aiming fora full-time return to the sportin 2017.

ephenErrity [email protected]

first Dakar start on four wheels.

Other threats foroverall victoryinclude

the vastly experiencedSouthAfrican

Giniel deVilliers, driving forToyota,

while AmericanNASCARstar Robby

Gordonwill once again take

on the desert rally ina Hummer.

Porsche’s factory sportscar aceRomainDumas isalsoon the entrylist,

continuing to broaden hismotorsport

experience after tackling thePikesPeak

hillclimb in theUSearlier this year.

Theevent gets underwaynext

Saturday, 3 January, with a ceremonial

start at thepresidentialpalace in

BuenosAires, Argentina. The stages

properbegin the followingday, with

a reststopon 12 Januaryin Iquique,

Chile,being theonly let-up

in the actionuntil the field

makes its return toBuenos

Aires on17 January.

This year’s rally also crosses

briefly into Bolivia, andthe2015

running also sees the returnof

‘Marathonstages’ forcarandtruckcompetitors. In these,

thedrivers andco-drivers

must dowithout support teams.

Asusual,Eurosport (Sky Channel

410) will bringdaily updates

on the rally toUKviewers.

TRIPLE HITTERS From left:

Peterhansel, Despres and Sainz

will be gunning for glory for Peugeot



ckch t

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90 24December2014

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