Auto Express - (January 2020)

wDRIVEN3008 h ybrid Porsche’s s ixappealOFFICIALShock T e slaDRIVENNewAlpineA110S SVolkswagenT - RocRFEATUREThereturnofAlvis(yes,really)PLUSBRITAIN’SBEST- S ELLINGWEEKLY CAR MAGAZINE22-28 January 2020No. 1 ,610 | £3.50REVEALEDCART ECHY O U’LLW A NT IN 2022TWOG R E A T TES T S THIS WEEK3SeriesestatevsMerc & Volvo rivals Audi Q3 SportbackLexus UXvsnewA L F A ’S B A B YS U VEXCLUSIVEEXCLUSIVEIMAGESElectric power forsexy SUV aimingat Audi Q2DIESELvsHYBRIDFirst hint at plan for all-new baby model New Peugeot plugs in with 40-mile range Flat sixes back in Boxster & Cayman











www.autoexpress.co.uk22January20205NewsweekCOVERAlfa’s plan for a b aby SUV8We reveal plans for p ure-electric model due in 2022COVERSix-cylinder boost f or Porsches12Flat-six power returns to 718 C ayman and Boxster G TSCOVERTesla’s hatchback14Official sketch gives us glimpse of upcoming hatchToyota’s b aby SUV is coming17We told you first; N issan Juke r ival is on the wayKia bets b ig on EVs18Korean firm’s £19bn EV plans laid out in fullCar t echnology o f t omorrow20We reveal upcoming tech that will be in your next carFeaturesAlvis returns to the road22We visit reborn British car manufacturerNewc arsCOVERPeugeot 3008 Hybrid426Fast-but-frugal plug-in Peugeot comes at a p riceCOVERAlpine A110 S28Sharper coupé tested in the UK for t he first timeVolkswagen T-Roc R30Flagship performance S UV hits t he roadFord Fiesta Trend32New entry-level supermini gets E coBoost p owerMercedes-AMG GT R r oadster33Hardcore M ercedes-AMG GT goes toplessSubaru Forester e-Boxer34Rugged off-roader gets n ew mild-hybrid motorRoad testsCOVERBMW 3 S eries Touring vs rivals36Load-lugging estates from BMW, V olvo and Merc s ize u pCOVERAudi Q3 Sportback vs Lexus U X46Diesel vs hybrid in Premium SUV b attleOur cars54Updates on our Jaguar XE and Toyota CorollaProductsHot kit59Sygic’s head-up display add-on for s martphone nav appNew on the shelves60Meguiar’s car wash s now cannonIn-car adaptors62Our pick of car adaptors t o k eep your devices topped upBuying carsViva b uyer’s guide68What to look out for o n V auxhall’s b argain city c arPractical performance c ars70We pick hot hatchbacks f or a £ 12,000 budgetNew car prices72All t he info y ou need before y ou head to the showroomRegularsGet Auto E xpress every w eek52How to net a g reat deal on your favourite m agazineSport80WRC t eams head to Monte C arlo for s eason openerBack chat82Mike R utherford on the future of the PSA/FCA p artnershipC O N TEN T SNews | N ew Cars | F eatures | T ests | Products | Buying cars | SportFull story o n A lfa’s r adical plan for a baby SUV 8Online thisweekRacing L eaf N ismo RC drivenacingNISSAN’S Leaf Nismo RC was more o f a marketingISSAN’S Lexercise, designed to drum up interest in thexercise, dnew hatchback. But n ow we’re g etting b ehindew hatchthe wheel to see if an electric racer m akes sense.he wheelThe Leaf Nismo RC uses a d ual-motorset-up, o ne on each axle, f or four-wheel drive,et-up, o n eand it develops 3 22bhp. N issan claims it cannd it devecover 0 -62mph in 3.4 seconds. Head over toover 0-62autoexpress.co.ukfor S teve Sutcliffe’s thoughts.Six-cylinder Cayman and BoxsterPeugeot 3008 Hybrid4 plug-inMore f ocused Alpine A110 r atedGetting Alvis back on the road3 S eries T o uring vs C-Class, V60Series Touring vs C-Class, VPremium compact S UVs t estedcompact SUVs tested122628223664633RNentThe Leafsac

ECOSPORTST- LI NE£ 1 9 9PERMONTHON3 Y EA R F OR D O PTI ONSTH E F OR D E COSPORTST- LI NEF I NDOU T M OR E AT F ORD. CO. UKI NCL UDESA £ 40 0 D EPOSI TCONTRI BUTI ONWHE N Y OUFI NANCEWI TH F OR D C REDI T .OPTI ONALFI NA L P AYMENT£ 8, 683,C USTOME R D EPOSI T£ 5, 2030%A P RREPRESENTA TI VEAvailable o ns electedD ealer s tock only. P lease c ontact a p articipating F ordD ealer f or more information.EcoSport ST-Line 1.0E coBoost 1 25PS Petrol Manual. F uel e conomympg (l/100km) (Combined): 4 7.1 (6.0).*CO emissions: 114g/km.2Figures showna re for c omparability p urposes; only compare fuel consumption andC O2gures w ithfigures mfio ther cars tested to the s ame t echnical procedures. These ect r eal l ifeflay not r etted, variations in weather, driving s tyles a nd vehicle load.*There i s a n ew test used for f uel c onsumptionfidriving r esults, w hich w ill depend upon a n umber o f f actors including t he accessories and C O2gures. The C Ofi2rst registration.figures s hown, h owever, a re based on the o utgoing t est c ycle a nd will be used to calculate vehicle t ax on fiRetail Only. F inance subject to status. F reepost F ord Credit. Optional Final P ayment is based o n 9 ,000 miles p er annum. F urther charges may apply s ubject to mileage a nd condition, if the v ehicle isreturned at the e nd of the a greement. S ubject to availability at a F ord U K A uthorised Dealer f or newv ehicles contracted between 1 st January 2 020 a nd 31st M arch 2020 and r egistered b y 3 0th J une 2 020.

www.autoexpress.co.uk22January20207T H I S W E E [email protected]@stevefowlerAS you c an read o n P age 5 7, I h aven’t h ad the bestexperience w ith t he UK’s EV charging networkrecently. If the government’s g oal is to get u s i ntoelectrified vehicles as soon as possible, it needs to domore than just leave i t t o t he private sector. I ’ve w rittento the t ransport secretary, G rant Shapps MP, a bout i t, butam still awaiting a r esponse; perhaps h e’s t rying to finda c harger that works on the U K’s motorway network...It’s n ot only the government that needs to step up,though.Carmakersaren’texactlyjumping t hroughhoopsto make sure one of the remaining b arriers t o t he uptakeof electric vehicles is removed. The o fficial r esponsefrom the i ndustry is that it’s n ot down to it todelivera c harging n etwork;car makers d on’t have their ownnetwork o f f illing stations, they r epeatedly t ell us.Thisisdifferent, t hough.Carcompanies have to selllots of EVs t o h elp t hemmeet C O2targets. T o d o t hatthey need to reassure buyers that the public chargingnetwork can b e r elied upon. And at the moment, i t c an’t.There is good growth i n t he number of new chargersbeing i nstalled around t he country, b ut it could b e b etter.Ionity, a j ointventurebetweenBMW, Mercedes, F ord,Audi and Porsche i s w orking away, b ut compared withotherchargingcompanies, i t’s i n i tsinfancy.Whiletearingmyhairouttryingtogeta c hargerworkingwithmyJaguarI-Paceata s ervicestationontheM4,I l ookedacrossatthemyriadTeslaSuperchargers, w ith o wnershappily, e asilyandcheaplychargingtheircars.Here’s a c ompanytakingresponsibilityforeverypartofelectric-carownership, i ncludingcharging.ItmeansTesladrivershavemorechanceofworry-freejourneysthanownersofotherelectriccarsfromdifferentbrands.That’s a g reatshame.Weloveelectriccarsandthey’regettingmoreappealingallthetime.Butthegovernmentandindustryneedtogetthechargingnetworksortediftheywanttohittheirgoalsonelectric-cartake-up.STEVE F OWLEREditor-in-chiefMak e rs need to r a ise theirgame on E V chargingEditor-in-chief:SteveFowlerDeputyeditor:JohnMcIlroyNews,reviewsandtestsNewsandreviewseditor:JonathanBurnDeputynewsandreviewseditor:JamesBrodieChiefreviewer:SeanCarsonSeniorreviewer:SamNaylorSeniorstaffwriter:JoeHoldingStaffwriters:AlexIngram,LukeWilkinsonConsumerConsumereditor:HugoGriffithsConsumerreporter:TristanShale-HesterProductseditor:KimAdamsProductionAutomotivemanagingeditor:StuartMilneManagingeditor:StuartMortonChiefsub-editor:AndyPringleSub-editor:PaulAltonDigitalGroupwebsiteeditor:SteveWalkerEditor-at-largeandWebproducer:PeteBaidenOnlinereviewseditor:JamesHoweContenteditors:DeanGibson,JakeWeaver,AlastairCrooksCarbuyereditor:JamesBatchelorCarbuyerdeputyonlineeditor:BenHodgesCarbuyersub-editor:WilliamMorrisCarbuyercontenteditors:BenCustard,AndrewGoodwin,DavidKirbyDrivingElectriceditor:RichardIngramDrivingElectricassociateeditor:VickyParrottDrivingElectricmanagingeditor:StephenErrityDesign&PicturesCreativedirector:DarrenWilsonDeputyarteditor:GeorgeVedmoreDesigner:VictoriaCoquetPictureeditor:DawnGrantSeniorphotographer:PeteGibsonStaffphotographer:OtisClaySpecialContributorsSteveSutcliffe,MikeRutherford,AndreasConradt,PeterLyon,EuanDoig,SarahBradley,JulieSinclairAdvertising&PromotionsAdvertisingmanager:PierreClementsAccountmanagers:MilesTaylor,DanWallaceSeniorsalesexecutives:DemiDaviesSalesexecutive:TomBirchCommercialpublisher:SarahJohnsProductionexecutive:MikeHillsChiefrevenueofficer:Julian-LloydEvansPublishingmanagers:AmritBaidwan,HollyJeramNewstrademanager:DavidBarkerHeadofmarketing:AnnaIngramDennisPublishingLtdChiefbrandofficer:NicolaBatesChiefoperatingofficer:PeteWoottonChiefexecutive:JamesTyeCompanyfounder:FelixDennisCONTENTSYNDICATIONSALESOurcontentisavailableforsyndication.E-mailnicole_creasey@dennis.co.ukorcall+44(0)2038903998formoredetails.©CopyrightDennisPublishingLimited2020.Allrightsreserved.AutoExpressisaregisteredtrademark.AutoExpressispublishedweeklybyDennisPublishingLtd.CompanyregisteredinEngland,number1138891.Neitherthewholeofthispublicationnoranypartofitmaybereproduced,storedinaretrievalsystemortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeanswithoutthewrittenpermissionofthepublishers.RegisteredasanewspaperatthePostOffice.PicturessubmittedtoAutoExpressaresentatowners’risk.Whileeverycareistaken,neitherAutoExpressnoritsagentsacceptanyliabilityforlossordamage.OriginatedonApplecomputers.Creativerepromanager:DaveKinnardCreativereproartworker:FrancescaCinquepalmiPrintedbyWilliamGibbons,Wolverhampton.Distribution:Seymour,2EastPoultryAvenue,LondonEC1A9PT.Tel:02074294000,Fax:02074294001,Website:www.seymour.co.ukAUTOEXPRESSROADTESTSAllAutoExpresstestsarecarriedoutatprivateprovinggroundswherecarsaredriventothelimitandperformancetestedusingRacelogicVBoxcomputertimingequipment.AutoExpressalsoassessesthecarsovermanymilesofmixedpublicroadsbeforedeliveringitsRoadTestVerdict.T 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822January2020“The merger betweenFCA a nd PSA g ives Alfaaccess to all it needs toget a c ompact c rossoverto market quickly”qyJonathan [email protected]@Jonathan_burnwww.autoexpress.co.ukT O P S T O R YVisitautoexpress.co.ukfor y our daily news updatesALFA R omeo has r efocused its futureproduct plan and will launch a n ewbaby crossover d esigned to rival the NissanJuke i n t he next two y ears. T he crossover w illalso be the Italian company’s first model tobe offered with the option of fully electricpower, official d ocuments have revealed.The firm was relatively late bringing itsfirst SUV, t he Stelvio, t o m arket in 2017 andsince t hen A lfa h as yet t o b roaden its SUVoffering. Aware t hat i t i s l osing o ut on●Alfa Romeo’s t hird SUV is due to go on sale within two y ears●Set t o b e b ased on PSA p latform, with petrol and electric optionsEXCLUSIVEXCLUSIVEXCLUSIVEItalian brand to benefit from FCA/PSA m erger by fast-tracking development of third c rossovertalian brand to benet livaluable market share a nd profits, Alfa isrefocusing i ts SUV plans a nd will bring t wosmaller m odels t o m arket in the next 24months. The first will be a v ersion of theTonale concept (right), first seen at lastyear’s Geneva M otor Show, but a smallerelectric crossover ( above) w ill f ollow.The recent merger b etween Alfa’s owner,Fiat Chrysler A utomobiles (FCA), and GroupePSA, which o wns P eugeot, Citroen andVauxhall, gives Alfa Romeo access to allbattery p ack a nd one electric motor thatdrives the front axle for a m aximum range o faround 200 miles. F or a c ompact B-segmentcrossover i t’s unlikely Alfa will change theset-up of the architecture t o a ccommodatefour-wheel drive, given the car’s expecteduse a s u rban transport. This w ill a lso h elpkeep the cost of the vehicle down.As well as a f ully electric option, Alfa willoffer conventional petrol engines f or thosenot ready t o m ake t he jump to a f ull E V. Theplatform is originally PSA-engineered, so it’slikely that the 1.2-litre t hree-cylinder enginefrom the current Corsa a nd 208 line-ups w illE EI Ifi tf f romFCA/PSA merg by fast tracking development of third crCA/PSAe ro s s overbd t bfi fi t tf f fFbf t tkidlt f thi dAlfa t a rgets J u k e a n d Q 2of the necessary mechanical running g earto get a compact, fully e lectric crossover t omarket quickly. PSA’s strength in developingelectric vehicles was one of the key b enefitsFCA identified in striking a d eal.While unconfirmed, it’s almost certainthat the future crossover w ill b e b ased uponthe Compact Modular P latform (CMP) that isused as a b asis for t he Peugeot e-208 andVauxhall C orsa-e. Currently the architecturecan a ccommodate a 5 0kWh lithium-ion

www.autoexpress.co.uk22January20209Radovan VaricakSTYLINGAs our picturesshow, weexpect newcrossover tofeature Alfa’sfamiliar grilleand slim LEDheadlightswith all-new sma l l SUVPLATFORMNew SUV willfollow Tonale(left) and is setto sit on PSA’sCMP platform(right), used bynew VauxhallCorsa andPeugeot 208New small Alfa SUVT O P S T O R YEXCLUSIVE I MAGES

1022January2020www.autoexpress.co.ukT O P S T O R YNews mall Alfa SUV“ A lthough Alfa will havelittle input into t he runninggear, t he design of the newcrossover will be unique”find its way i nto A lfa c rossover. This w illallowA lfa t o f urther reduce c osts a nd bringthe vehicle to market more q uickly.While Alfa will have little i nput into t herunning g ear, the design will be unique,as our exclusive i mages p review. S lenderLED headlamps a nd Alfa’s trademarktrapezoidal grille w ill b e i ts standoutfeatures, w hile its expected length of around4.1 metres will make it a m atch for m odelssuch as the Audi Q2 and Nissan Juke.The as-yet-unnamed crossover w ill g oa c onsiderable way t o h elping b oost Alfa’ssales figures, w hich d idn’t take off in theway t he company e xpected with the Stelvio.Nissan regularly shifts around 60,000 Jukeseach year in Europe – a lmost two t hirds ofAlfa’s entire a nnual sales on the continent.A m odel that will beat the electriccrossover i nto s howrooms is the all-newTonale SUV. I t w ill s it in the segment above,rivalling m odels s uch a s t he Audi Q3 andBMWX 2. It will be around 4.25 metres long,and is due to go on sale at the end of thisyear. I t w on’t be offered as a f ully electricmodel, but i t w ill b e a vailable as a p lug-inhybrid, using t he platform and running g earthat currently underpin the Jeep Renegade.This m odel will be Alfa’s first electrifiedvehicle, e xpected to pair a 1 .3-litre enginewith a s mall electric motor on the rear axle.This w ill e nable t he firm to develop four-wheel drive, with the electric motor poweringthe rear wheels a nd the engine driving t hefront axle. I t s hould a llow owners t o t ravelup to 31 miles on pure-electric power.Rounding o ff the confirmed modelsdue by 2022 will be facelifted v ersions o fthe Giulia s aloon and Stelvio SUV, b othexpected in around 12 months.Beyond 2022:More P SA platform-sharingOFFICIAL documents o nly s howu s w hat A lfa h as planned for t henext two y ears. H owever, there are n otable gaps to be plugged i nthe firm’s product plan, a nd the r ecent merger w ith Groupe P SAcreates a wealth of opportunities f or the Italian b rand.Although there i s n o o fficial w ord o n a r eplacement f or theGiulietta h atch, i t w ould come as no surprise to see Alfa launch sucha m odel on the EMP2 platform used by the like o f t he Peugeot 308. Acar l ike t his i s s till key i n t he European new car m arket and the ready-made platform gives the opportunity to develop a c redible Audi A3rival quickly a nd with the option of plug-in hybrid technology.Less likely is a n ew version of the MiTo s upermini. Alfa executiveshave previously s aid that this i sn’t a c ore c ar for t he brand, whilethe profits t o b e m ade i n t hat s egment are n otoriously s mall. Thecompany h as emphasised its a mbition to maintain its p remiumpositioning, something w hich a f ocus on SUVs w ill h elp to achieve.

SpecialIssue11Aston Martin DBXT O P S T O R Ywide, while the quality you’re p resented withas you s tep i nside is where y ou’d want it tobe for a c ar costing i n e xcess o f £ 150,000.The boot is a d ecent 632 litres with morespace under the floor, b ut it’s a l ong w ay upfor y our dog to jump. T he air suspension doesgo into i ts lowest setting i n A ccess mode.The DBX will also tow, w ith a c apacity of2,700kg, although that will obviously d entfuel economy. You w ouldn’t expect that tobe great a nyway, and it’s not: a c ombinedaverage u nder the new WLTP standard o f19.7mpg. And if you’re w orried about CO2emissions, look away now: 269g/kmmeasured under the older NEDC standard.For s ome luxury S UV buyers, t hat m ightmatter, b ut for m any i t w on’t. T hey’ll j ustbe focused on buying the best SUV for t hemoney. A nd on the form of this p rototype,with improvements to come, the DBX fulfilsthe brief brilliantly. I t’s a v ery s pecial c arthat could be the saviour of Aston M artin.WE’LLavoid giving a s tar r ating u ntil w e’vedriven a p roduction car, but i n p rototypeform the DBX is hugely impressive. I tdelivers a driving e xperience t hat n oother SUV can; in fact, it doesn’t feellike an SUV. Y et it still d oes a ll the dayin, day o ut things that SUVs n eed to do.It’s not perfect – w hat i s? But i f w e w ereabout to put a s izeable d eposit down ona l uxury, sporting S UV, w e’d be headingto an Aston M artin dealer pretty quickly.TECHNOLOGY10-inch infotainment screengets A pple CarPlay connectivity,but it relies on awkward s croll-wheel or touchpad (left) ratherthan touchscreen. There a re toomany similarly sized buttons,and they’re n ot easiest t o u se.INTERIORCavernous rearspace i s m adeto feel evenmore s paciousby standard-fitpanoramic glass“ A ston has m ade theDBX feel like a s portscar much more t han itlooks l ike a s ports c ar”V e rdict

1222January2020N E W SPorsche 718 Boxster/Cayman GTS“The GTS 4 .0 uses amildly detuned versionof the flat six seen in thehardcore C ayman GT4”Alex I [email protected]@AxleIngramFlat - six p owerr e turns t o 7 1 8 r a n g ePORSCHE is reintroducing s ix-cylinderengines t o i ts entry-level s ports c ars,the 718 Cayman and 7 18 Boxster.This i s t he new GTS 4 .0, which u ses amildly detuned version of the naturallyaspirated 4.0-litre f lat s ix already fittedto the hardcore Cayman GT4. It’s a d irectreplacement for t he existing G TS, w hich w aspowered b y a 2.5-litre f our-cylinder engine,and a r iposte to critics o f t he car’s enginenote. However, Porsche h asn’t removed f lat-four engines f romt he range e ntirely; theywill continue to be sold in the standard andS v ersions o f t he Boxster a nd Cayman.The flat six produces 395bhp in the GTS4.0, which i s 1 9bhp less than the GT4, andthe engine revs up to a 7 ,800rpm red l ine.Both coupé and roadster f eature a s ix-speedmanual transmission as standard.The result i s t hat b oth versions o f t heGTS m anage 0 -62mph in 4.5 seconds ( 0.4seconds q uicker t han t he 2.5-litre G TS) a ndthey have a t op speed of 182mph (2mph●New GTS 4 .0 models revealed●395bhp, s ix-speed manual boxfirmness to offer both precision whencornering a nd comfort a t a cruise.The GTS m odels r ide on a s et of 20-inchalloy w heels w ith 235mm-section tyres atthe front and 265mm items at the back. T hewheels h ouse cross-drilled discs g rippedby red P orsche calipers, with ceramiccomposite discs a vailable as an option.From the outside, the new GTS m odelsare s et apart f romt he rest of the 718Boxster a nd Cayman line-ups b y t heir blackaccents for t he spoiler l ip, a ir intakes andrear diffuser, w hile both the head and taillamps f eature a s moked f inish.The cabin f eatures Alcantara u pholsteryin the seat centres, o n t he steering w heelrim, gearlever gaiter and centre a rmrest.Optional highlight packages allowb uyersto finish the seatbelts, rev c ounter anddecorative s eams in either yellow or red.A c onsequence o f t he larger, m orepowerful engine is that prices for t he GTSmodels h ave i ncreased slightly. T he CaymanGTS c osts £ 64,088, and the Boxster i s£65,949 – a r ise o f £ 2,815 over the outgoingGTS. First deliveries a re due in March.faster). The new six-cylinder motor is slightlythirstier than the old u nit, though; Porscheclaims fuel consumption has d ropped from28.5mpg t o 2 5.9mpg, while CO emissions2have gone up by 36g/km, to 246g/km.Aside from the engine, the GTS 4 .0features largely the same upgrades as theprevious 7 18 Boxster a nd Cayman models.That means P orsche’s PASM adaptivedamping s ystemi s f itted as standard, aspart of a s uspension set-up that sits 20mmcloser to the road than in S m odels.Power i s s ent to the rear wheels t hrougha m echanical limited-slip differential, whilethe active d rivetrain mounts adjust their

22January202013Porsche 718 Boxster/Cayman GTSN E W Swww.autoexpress.co.ukIS the move back to six cylindersfor the 718 Cayman and Boxsterrecognition from Porsche thatit should have never removedthem in the first place? Perhaps.But while the switch to a flat-four angered enthusiasts (andcontinues to do so), it doesn’tappear to have put off peoplewho actually bought the cars.The sales numbers speakfor themselves; UK sales haveremained largely consistentbefore and after the switch,peaking at 2,971 units in 2013with a low of 2,392 sales lastyear. For that reason, it’s unlikelyPorsche will see a sales spike,but Internet forums will at leastbe a little quieter.Jonthan BurnNewsandfeatureseditorOPINIONUNBOXEDOpen-topped718 Boxstergets the sameengine andupgrades asCayman coupéOFFICIALGTS model features 20-inch wheels, black exterior detailing and lowered suspensionSix-speed manual is standard, while red cabin highlights can be added as an option“The switch to flat foursdoesn’t actually appearto have put off buyers”

www.autoexpress.co.uk1422January2020N E W STesla hatchbackSTYLINGLooks o f D iscoverywill change only a l ittle i n t hisupdate, with subtle tweaks t olighting and bumpers e xpected“It would be super-coolto design an original carin China for c onsumptionaround the world”ELON MUSKTesla CEOJLR SPIEDDiscovery h eads t o a h ybrid futureTESLA has dropped an official h int o nhowa b aby h atchback model couldlook – j ust as the company c onfirmed plansto start e ngineering c ars i n C hina.An unattributed design sketch was issuedas part of a s tring o f o fficial c ommunicationsby Tesla o n C hina’s WeChat socialnetworking s ervice. R oughly translated, oneof the statements accompanying the imagesaid, “In the end, it will be interpreted as anoriginal Chinese Tesla, and go global.”The single sketch shows a c ar with clearcurrent Tesla d esign cues at the front end,but m ore c omplex surfacing a long t he flanksand a s woopier, t aller t ail e nd that hints atthe vehicle being a b aby h atchback.Such a m odel would be a p otential nextmove for T esla, which c urrently has theModel S a nd Model 3 s aloons, as well asthe Model X a nd Y S UVs, in its line-up.The official c ommunication came justdays a fter Tesla b oss E lon Musk v isitedChina t o m arket the first deliveries o f l ocallymanufactured Model 3s. At the ceremony,held o ne year after T esla f irst broke g roundTHE Mk3 Discovery h as been on sale in theUK for a lmost t hree years, which m eans it’sready f or its mid-cycle facelift. To keep theSUV c ompetitive w ith key r ivals s uch a s t heVolvo X C90 and Audi Q7, the update s eenin these spy s hots will bring a h andful ofstyling t weaks a nd new hybrid powertrains.We’ll h ave t o w ait a w hile to see a p lug-inhybrid version of the Discovery, but m ild-hybrid drive w ill b e m uch m ore o f a priorityin this u pdate. Diesel engines t raditionallysell w ell i n t he Discovery, so a 4 8-voltmild-hybrid a daptation of the SUV’sexisting 2 .0-litre four-cylinder and3.0-litre s ix-cylinder units seems likely.Land Rover could also borrow the rangeof mild-hybrid petrol and diesel powertrainsfrom the new Evoque, but w hether LandRover will be able to adapt the Discovery’son its Chinese Gigafactory, Musk t old theaudience, “I think something t hat w ouldbe super-cool – and so we’re g oing t o d oit, we’re g oing t o t ry to do it – w ould beto create a C hina d esign and engineeringcentre t o a ctually d esign an original carin China f or worldwide consumption.”He went on to say: “I think this w illbe very exciting. I t hink China h as someof the best art i n t he world a nd I t hink it’ssomething t hat w ould be appreciated o na w orldwide basis. I t hink it should bedone, and we’re g oing t o d o i t.”Designing, engineering a nd producinga s maller vehicle than even the Model 3would make sense for T esla – b ecause thereduced costs a long a ll of those steps i n t heprocess c ould conceivably help it to delivera c ar at the required market price o fbetween £20,000 and £30,000.Much of Musk’s recent focus has b een o nthe Tesla C ybertruck, but t his i s n ot the firsttime the company h as hinted at a s mallermodel. In June 2018, Musk responded toa q uestion he received at a s hareholders’conference a bout compact (VW Golf-sized)cars by saying, “ I t hink we’ll d o a c ompactcar i n l ess t han f ive y ears.”●Sketch released online in China●Engineering base on the way“Mild-hybrid engines willbe much more o f a p riorityin these updates“current underpinnings to accommodate t hisacross t he line-up remains u nknown.However, JLR has said that every n ewproduct launched from nowo n w ill f eaturesome form of electrification as the firm triesto drive d own i ts average C O2fleet output.Cosmetically, t he updated D iscoverywon’t change dramatically over the c urrentmodel, with the revisions l imited to subtlelighting a nd bumper tweaks. S py shotsreveal that the offset – a nd controversial –number plate w ill r emain. T he updated SUVis expected to go on sale later t his y ear.T e sla hints a t p ossible newJohn [email protected]@johnmcilroySPIEDSTYLINGSketch showsa s mall car thatblends familiarTesla cues withmore c omplexsurfacingOFFICIAL

www.autoexpress.co.uk22January202015Tesla hatchbackN E W SCarPix“Designing, e ngineering andproducing a s maller car than theModel 3 w ould make s ense”DISGUISEDFinished XJ is notexpected t o l ooklike t his mule,which seems tofeature a heavilymodified XF shell...while new Jag XJ is out in the openOVER at Jaguar, t he firm’s developmentteam has also been busy: this i s o ur firstlook at the all-new, a ll-electric Jaguar XJ.It’s due to be unveiled l ater this y ear a ndwill be a d irect rival to the T esla Model S.Following t he I-Pace S UV, t his n ew XJwill be Jaguar’s second EV. B ut while theI-Pace w as a n ew project, the XJ is a b oldreinvention of one of the company’s mosticonic models – although the finished carwon’t look like t he mule in these pictures.It’s camouflaged by what looks l ike a verymodified XF body, b ut we can s ee thestretched wheelbase, wider track a ndtaller sills, presumably t o a ccommodatebatteries f or the electric powertrain.The new XJ is based on a n ew platformcalled MLA, d esigned for l arge Jaguarsand to enable battery-electric, plug-inhybrid and mild-hybrid drivetrains t o b emounted on the same production line.So far, Jaguar has only discussed anall-electric version of the next-generationXJ but g iven the flexibility of the newunderpinnings, i t c ould technicallyproduce c ombustion engine-assistedversions o f t he car, too.w baby hatchbackn e wsin briefLimited edition marksthe end of MulsanneBENTLEY has marked the end ofMulsanne production with a l imited runof 30 special-edition cars named afterthe V8 motor that powers it. T he 6.75Edition (above) i s b ased on the MulsanneSpeed and its engine develops 5 30bhpand 1,100Nm of torque.Bentley’s coachbuilding a rm Mullinerhas given the car a r aft o f c osmeticchanges, including a n e ngine numberplaque signed by Bentley’s Chairmanand Chief Executive, Adrian Hallmark.Wireless charging trialfor p ure-electric taxisTAXI drivers i n N ottingham are t o b enefitfrom neww ireless c harging p ads thattop u p e lectric cabs’ b atteries w hile theysit i n r anks, after t he Transport S ecretaryannounced a £ 3.4million pilot scheme.Nottingham City Council w ill p urchase10 Nissan and LEVC e lectric cabs for t hetrial, providing t hem to cabbies f or freeover six months. If it’s successful, t heproject could be expanded to benefit a lldrivers o f e lectric vehicles in the future,although no current EV has w irelesscharging c apabilities a s s tandard.Ford takes w raps offtwo m ild-hybrid MPVsDEFYING rumours o f t he cars’ d emise,Ford has released new mild-hybridversions o f i ts S-Max and Galaxy MPVs.The models ( below) were c onfirmedas part of a 4 2m Euro (£35m) investmentinto t he Ford factory i n V alencia, S pain.Both will use a 2 .5-litre p etrol engine,supported b y a n e lectric motor andwater-cooled b attery m aking 1 97bhpand 210Nm of torque. Ford will launch12 more e lectrified models i n 2 020.SPIED

Fuel economy and#C O 2*r esults fort he NewCorsa range: Combined mpg (l/100km): 45.6 (6.2) –7 0.6( 4.0).CO emissions: 99 – 8 5g/km.2#Fuel consumption figures ared etermined according to the WLTP test cycle. *CO emissions figures are2d etermined according to the WLTP test cycle however, aGovernment formula is then applied to translatethese figures back to what theywould have been under the outgoing NEDC test cycle, which WLTP replaces. The correct taxt reatment is then applied. Figures arei ntended for c omparabilityp urposes only. T he fuelconsumption youa chieve under real lifed riving conditions and CO produced will depend upon a2n umber of factors, including the accessories fitted after registration, variations in driving styles, weather conditionsand vehicle load. Only comparef uel consumption and CO with other vehicles tested using the same technical procedures. For m2orei nformation contact your local Vauxhall Retailer. 2019/20 tax y ear. Vauxhall Motors†Limited does not offer tax a dvice and recommends that all Company C ar Drivers consult their owna ccountant with regards to their o wn tax p osition. All figures quoted correct at time of going to press (January 2020).G E N E RICG E N E RICG E N E RICG E N E RICI ICCCOONNNIICCCICCONNICCBIK from 22%†Search NewCorsa.S SWWIITTCCHH IITTT UUPPSWITCH ITT UPTHE ALL-NEW CORSAWITH UP TO 70MPG#

www.autoexpress.co.uk22January202017Toyota round-upN E W SPHEV’s kit reflects its s tatus as RAV4 flagshipNew Y a ris-sized SUV c o nfirmed●T o yota t eases n ew model●4WD likely to be offered...while plug-inRAV4 powers u pTOYOTA’S plug-in hybrid RAV4 (below)will be the most powerful version of thefamily SUV ever when it goes on salelater t his y ear, it has been confirmed.The 2.5-litre p etrol-electric hybrid willhave 302bhp, a llowing t he RAV4 to sprintfrom 0-62mph in just over sixseconds a ndgo at up to 84mph on electric power a lone.According t o T oyota, the RAV4 PHEVwill be able to travel 38 miles in electricmode, and CO emissions w ill b e j ust229g/km. The RAV4 PHEV is due to goon sale in the second half o f 2 020.TOYOTA i s p romising a “ standalone”approach with its forthcomingNissan Juke-rivalling s mall SUV, w hichit confirmed plans f or last w eek.As detailed e xclusively by Auto E xpressat the start o f t his m onth (Issue 1 ,607),the new model will use t he same TNGA-Barchitecture t hat u nderpins t he new Yaris.However, in confirming p lans for t he car’s sproduction, Toyota said that, while it will be ebuilt a longside the supermini in France, itwill have a d istinct look of its own. A s ingleofficial t easer sketch suggests a n e dgierdesign theme than that used on the Yaris.Toyota Europe’s Vice-President MattHarrison said the car w ill “ not b e j ust a Y aris swith body cladding a nd raised suspension”. ”.The new model will sit b elow the C-HR in the ecompany’s line-up, a nd Toyota estimatesthat by 2025, 30 per cent of the brand’ssales in the region will be accounted f orby the Yaris a nd its sister S UV.The as-yet-unnamed new arrival will belonger a nd wider than a Y aris – as well ashaving what Toyota E urope President Johanvan Z yl called “the height of a p roper SUV”.Toyota sources a lso r evealed t hat t he newmodel will be available w ith the electricmotor-based AWD-i four-wheel-drive s ystemfrom the RAV4. It’s all b ut certain that theupcoming S UV will be hybrid only – a t l eastuntil T oyota’s Gazoo R acing d ivision getsround t o p roducing a version of it.Toyota hasn’t issued an on-sale datefor t he car, but w e s till expect it to makea p ublic debut s ometime this y ear, withsales beginning i n t he first h alf of 2021.John [email protected]@johnmcilroyTHIS is the new Toyota Mirai fuel-cell c ar,which w as unveiled i n p roduction format an event in Amsterdaml ast w eek.The second-generation Mirai switchesbodystyles to that of a m ore c onventional-looking s aloon, and grows considerably;its wheelbase stretches b y 1 4cm.The 4,975mm-long, five-seat car h as threehydrogen s torage tanks i nstead of two, andit’s rear-wheel drive, a m ove w hich, T oyotaclaims, transforms the driving e xperience.That increased hydrogen capacity andgreater e fficiency in the fuel cell ‘stack’help to deliver at least 4 04 miles betweenrefills. As before, this c an be completedin between three and five m inutes, m uchas with conventional petrol or diesel.The new model is expected to go on saleat the end of this y ear, and Toyota hopesthat it will push w ell b eyond the 10,000first-generation Mirais s old worldwide.GROWNSecond-generationMirai is bigger andhas rear-wheeldrive for a b etterdriving experienceNext Mir a i a ims for t he mainstreamFIRSTAGAINWe scoopednew SUV inIssue 1,607, butsfinal look couldibe bolder stillOFFICIALFI ALTeaser sketch of newsmall SUV revealsits e dgy l ookIfOFCI

www.autoexpress.co.uk1822January2020N E W SKia’s ‘Plan S’Drivers f ace r enewed calls formore c hecks o n t heir eyesightKIA has outlined plans t o c reate a n11-strong line-up of fully e lectricvehicles by 2025, with a d edicated electricmodel, capable o f m ore t han 3 11 miles ona s ingle c harge, due on sale by 2021.It’s part of a £ 19billion programmethat Kia h as dubbed ‘Plan S’. This s ets thecompany a target of hitting o ne million salesof ‘eco-friendly’ (a mix o f l ow and zero-emission) vehicles by 2026. Half of thesewill be full E Vs by the brand’s own s ums.The new EV is expected to be a p roductionversion of the Imagine concept, a h igh-roofed fastback first shown at the 2019Geneva M otor Show, roughly between thesize of the X-Ceed and the Sportage.At last y ear’s show, Kia’s head of design,Luc D onkerwolke, t old Auto E xpress t hat t heImagine would eventually see the light ofday as a p roduction car, hailing t he conceptas an “emotional flagship” for t he brand.It’ll u se a b rand new electric platformwith enough battery c apacity to unlock t hat311 mile-plus r ange target, while boastingnew tech that will enable a s ub-20 minuteALMOST 20,000 motorists h ad their drivinglicences revoked b ecause of poor eyesightbetween January 2 017 and September2019, prompting o ptometrists t o r epeatcalls f or drivers t o p ay closer attention tothe quality of their vision.Every w eek, the D river and VehicleLicensing Agency (DVLA) takes a way 1 34licences from drivers w hose vision fails tomeet minimum standards, w hile 12 peoplefail their driving t est for b eing unable toread a n umber p late from 20 metres away.The data, o btained from the DVLA byDirect Line, was backed up by research f romrecharge where p ossible. Kia s ays i t i sworking o n v ehicles with 800-volt electricalsystems, technology which i s c omparablewith that in the Porsche T aycan.Beyond ground-up EVs, Kia w ill c ontinueto electrify e xisting m odels. It currentlyproduces the Soul E V a nd e-Niro, plus theKorean-market Bongo 3 E V c ommercialvehicle. E lectric cars, S UVs a nd MPVs w illbe created, some developed as derivativesof petrol-powered c ars, while others w illjoin the 2021 EV as bespoke m odels.Further to the electric car p lan, Kia i s a lsosoturning i ts attention to the Purpose BuiltVehicle (PBV) market. O n e ntering t hissector, K ia says that it will firstly targetcorporate r ather than private c ustomers.Hubs f or charging a nd maintaining t hevehicles will have to be built, while thePBVs themselves – d escribed as “mini-sizezedriverless d elivery c ars a nd robotaxis”– w ill u se a n ew modular ‘ skateboard’-style e lectric platform, enabling d ifferentbodies t o b e m ounted on top o f t hechassis for d ifferent use c ases.●Halo model arrives i n 2 025●Will lead 11-strong E V l ine-upOFFICIAL300-plus m iles of r a nge fthe insurer, showing 8.9 million people havehad n o e yesight check i n t he past two y ears.Optometrists h ave r epeatedly called forstricter rules around vision standards, w itheight out of 10 believing a nnual eye c hecksshould be mandatory f or motorists. Morethan half also say t he laws hould be changedto force o ptometrists t o r eport d rivers w ithsub-standard v ision to the D VLA.Direct Line’s Steve B arrett said: “A simpleeye t est, t hat t akes a m oment in time, canensure drivers h ave t he appropriatecorrective g lasses or contact lenses so thattheir vision is adequate t o d rive.”CLEAR VIEWVast majorityof optometriststhink driversshould havetheir visionchecked yearlyJames B [email protected]@jimmybrods

www.autoexpress.co.uk22January202019Kia’s ‘Plan S’N E W SBMWh as broadened the 3 S eries,X3 and X4 line-ups b y i ntroducinga n ew mild-hybrid powertrain.The set-up comprises a 2.0-litrefour-cylinder diesel and a 4 8-voltsystemw ith a s tarter-generator andadditional battery t hat p rovides a nextra 1 1bhp. T he systemi s n ow standard i nthe 320d saloon and Touring e state, and allows theengine to turn off when coasting a t s peeds b elow9 9mph.Elsewhere i n t he 3 S eries r ange, t he 318i ditchesits three-cylinder engine for a m ore p owerful 156bhp2.0-litre f our-cylinder unit developing 2 50Nm of torque.PAGE 36: New 3 S eries T ouring v s r ivalsMild-hybrid drive addedto 3 S eries and X m odelsWe hit theroad in firstAston S UVTHE Aston M artin DBX is one of thisyear’s most eagerly anticipated newcars. T he SUV is crucial t o t he firm’sfortunes, a nd it has t he potential tolaunch an exciting n ew future for t heBritish brand. Before its launch laterthis y ear, we’ve h ad an exclusive d riveof a p rototype. Steve F owler r eports.SUBARU FORESTERThe Forester e -Boxer h as all t he off-road credentials t hat y ou’d expect, butit nowc omes w ith a h ybrid powertrain.Vicky P arrott tries i t o ut on and off-road to see what it can o ffer over itsrivals f romM itsubishi and Toyota.KIA’S EV plans h ave b een bolsteredby the company i nvesting £ 85millionin UK-based electricvehicle start-up Arrival.The partnership, w hich a lso i nvolvesKia’s sister f irmH yundai, will see thetwo K orean c ar giants jointly developnext-generation electric vehicles withArrival. T he UK firm was founded in2015 and develops w hat i t c allsGeneration 2.0 EVs, which a re said tobe more c ost-efficient and cheaper thantoday’s EVs. It specialises i n d evelopingelectric commercial vehicles, withdelivery c ompanies s uch a s R oyal Mail,DPD and DHL trialling t he vehicles.Kia a nd Hyundai w ill b oth g ain accessto Arrival’s bespoke f lexible skateboardplatforms, which w ill e nable t hem toproduce m ultiple vehicles across arange o f s egments. In return, Arrivalwill be able to take advantage o f t heKorean firm’s expertise in production.Arrival currently has a f actory i nBanbury, Oxfordshire a nd employsaround 800 people globally.“ A production car based onthe Imagine concept will bean ‘e motional flagship’ f or Kia”VISIONImagine concept from GenevaMotor Show points t owardsa f lagship EV for t he firmSIGNEDAgreementsees Kia andHyundai gainaccess toArrival’s E Vtechnology...while Koreans i nvestin British EV start-upor Kia E V flagshipT h i s w e e k ’snewv ideosHEREUK firm Arrivalis developingan electriccommercialvehicle to caterfor c ompaniesthat need towork in low-emission zonesThree great v ideos onlineyoutube.com/Autoexpressyoutube.com/carbuyeryoutube.com/drivingelectricLAND ROVER DISCOS PORTThe 2020 Discovery S port l ooks v erymuch l ike t he outgoing c ar, y et itboasts new underpinnings, m ild-hybrid engines a nd a b rand new, m oreexpensive-feeling d ashboard. But i sthat enough to keep it desirable? Ourman J ames B atchelor finds o ut.eople globally.

www.autoexpress.co.uk2022January2020REVEALEDNew technology a t t his year’s CES r eveals where the future o f t he car is headingW e look at the t ech that’sc o ming t o a n ew car n ear youSONY’S decision to buildision to buildits o wn car f or the recentConsumer Electronics S how how( CES)highlighted just how howb ig a r oletechnology i s g oing t o p layin the next decade.For w hile the Vision-S i tself(right) is simply a t est bed and apromotional tool, C ES showcasedhowd iffering techs h ave m adegreater p rogress t han e xpected– w hile some have been knockedback. H ere’s our guide to the lateststate o f p rogress o n k ey features.TECHNOLOGY P REDICTIONSN E W STechnology round-upDashboards withoutrds w ithoouua s ingle buttonbutton5G-based warningsfor p edestriansVirtual Visor o rSolid-state b atteriesDUE: 2022SPEECH recognitionE CH recogn oncompany C erence ( formerlyce ( formerlyNuance) has been working w ithen w o rking withmanufacturers f or years; its t echsupports the ‘Hey Mercedes’feature in MBUX. I t d emonstrateda s ystema t C ES that mixedspeech c ommands, gesturecontrol and eye t racking t o l eaveno need for p hysical s witchesat all. It’s still t wo years o ffproduction – b ut it’s coming.DUE: 20225G is going t o s peedup our mobile phones’ dataconnection. But H arman u sed CESto showt hat c ars w ill b e a ble t ouse t he ultra-fast b andwidth tocheck f or obstacles in their path– a nd to ping a w arning t o o therroad users, pedestrians o rcyclists who are i n t he way. Thetech is called Cellular Vehicle toEverything ( C-V2X) and it’ll b eon production cars from 2022.DUE: 2025IN theory, solid-statebatteries a re more e nergy-densethan lithium-ion units a nd easierto charge more q uickly. B ut theexpectation that the new formatwould take over by the middleof this n ew decade h as dimmed.BMWt ech b oss K laus Fröhlichtold us at CES, “ Lithium-ion cellshave progressed so well thatthey’ve p ushed solid-state b ack.It’s 2025 to 2030 now, really.”DUE: 2025CAR TECH giant Valeoused CES t o s howa ventilationsystem that uses face-recognitionand infra-red cameras to judgehoww arm each passenger i s a ndadjust settings accordingly. I t’ssaid to be much m ore e fficientthan normal air-conditioning.John [email protected]@johnmcilroyfor the recentonics S( CES)b ig a r oleing to playde.Vision-S i tselfa test bed and al, C ES showcasedchs hhave mamadedethanthan exexpectedpectedvee beeen kn ocnkedguiduide te to to thehe latlatestesth lts s onon keykey fefeatuaturesres..on keytsut t t tt tVirtual V i [email protected]‘Targeted’ climatecontrol systemsDUE: 2022BOSCH won a n a wardat CES f or its d igital sun v isor,which d arkens t he top o f t hewindscreen in selectedareas to avoid glarefrom the sun.

www.autoexpress.co.uk22January202021THE following provide helpwith motoring problems.Some s ervices a re free,others c harge a fee o roperate on premium-ratelines ( p), while some offeradvice for m embers only (m)LegalAA: 0 345 850 1130 (m)RAC: 0 330 159 1446 (m)Which?: 0 1992 878329Citizens A dvice C onsumerhelpline:03454 040506Local T rading S tandardsLocal C itizens A dvice B ureauUsed car i nspectionsAA: 0 800 056 8040RAC: 0 330 159 0720Technical adviceAA: 0 370 142 0002 (m)Drivingl icencesDVLA: 0 300 790 6801Car r egistration/historyHPI: 0 1722 422422AA: 0 800 316 3564DVLA: 0 300 790 6802RAC: 0 330 159 0364Traffic informationAA: 0 906 888 4322RAC:09003 444999 (p)Problems with dealersThe Motor Ombudsman:0345 241 3008Consumer Ombudsman:www.consumer-ombudsman.orgRMIF: 0 845 305 4230Scottish Motor TradeAssoc.01313 31 5510Problems with makersThe Motor Ombudsman:0345 241 3008Financial p roblemsFinancial O mbudsman:0800 023 4567Safety concerns/recallsDVSA: 0 300 123 9000UsefulContactsJoin the d ebate a t w ww.autoexpress.co.ukContactT r istan Shale-HesterWrite to:Letters, AutoE xpress, D ennis P ublishing Ltd,31-32 Alfred Place, L ondon WC1E 7DPHOT T OPICFerrari PurosangueIndicator visibilityshould be prioritySensors, s ensorsand y et more s ensorsSelf-driving carsPortable chargers f orEVs w ould be greatPremium SUVs d on’tneed massive grillesGovernment shouldfocus on light reliefFROM:Glenn MI A GREE with DavidGibson’s letter about hard-to-seescrolling i ndicators ( Issue 1 ,607).I h ave a d egree o f c olour blindness,and scrolling i ndicator lights arealmost impossible t o s ee when brakelights are o n. Designers s hould putvisibility concerns a bove styling.DUE: 2022SONY made the Vision-S b ecauseit wanted to showo ff its e xpertise in sensorsand the software t hat i nterprets t heir data.Within the next two y ears, i t s eems inevitablethat cars of the Vision-S’s size will have notjust radar a nd stereo cameras, b ut also somelimited Lidar capability t hat w ill h elpthe vehicle to better judgethe world a round i t. i t.DUE: 2030MANUFACTURERSare f acing u p t o t he huge c ostof developing f ully self-drivingcars. E ven L evel 3 ( where t hedriver has to be ready t ot ointervene) is taking longerthan anticipated. While theAudi AI:ME (right) was designedwith an eye o n f ull a utomation,there i s n o r ealistic date forwhen cars will do the driving.FROM:David BraineWITH so manymanufacturers t rying t heir handat sporty SUVs, I c an’t help but b einterested t o s ee what Ferrari comesup with. As one of the greatest sportscar c ompanies o f a ll time, it shouldbe able to make something a mazing.FROM:Simon JarrattANOTHERillustrious c ar maker h as caved i nand decided to make an SUV. T his i sa r eal s hame; it dilutes the brand andmoves it away from its c ore p rinciples,even though I u nderstand at the endof the day it’s a b usiness decision.FROM:Peter S mithI W ANT an EV butlive i n a r ented house, and gainingthe landlord’s permission to installa c harge p oint isn’t v iable g iven theuncertainty of howl ong I w ill b e l ivingat the property. W hy aren’t portableunits that turn three-pin sockets intofast chargers readily a vailable?FROM:Richard H intonWHEN thesecond-generation Ford Scorpiolaunched in 1994, some people saidthe grille w as too l arge. I n c omparisonwith new cars such as the Audi Q8,though, I d are s ay it looks e legantand discreet. C ar designers w orkingon premium SUVs n eed to rethink.FROM:Geoff CowlingIN this s easonof dark, winter nights, an increasingnumber of cars have broken ormisaligned headlights and faultybrake l ights. I a lso w onder if the dirtynumber plates I o ften see are d own t opeople trying to avoid speed cameras.The Government should take action.■“Nothing s houldprevent any f irm frommaking what theyfeel will turn a p rofit.”PhilLC■“Looks a bit b etterthan the Urus. Wouldrather Ferrari stuck t osports cars, t hough.”Julien Carey■“The fact is that forevery c ustomer Ferrariloses w ith this m ove,it will gain five m ore.”UltimaRexOur impression of howFerrari’s first S UV could lookpolarised readers’ opinionsI n boxY o ur viewsS Self-driving carsthat cars of the Vision S s size will have notjust radar a nd stereo cameras, b ut also somelimited Lidar capability that will helpthe vehicle to better judgethe world a roundDUE: 2030MANUFACTURERSare f acing u p t o t he huge c ostof developing f ully self-drivingcars. E ven L evel 3 ( where t hedriver has to be readyintervene) is taking longer

2222January2020www.autoexpress.co.ukALVIS is a B ritish brand with a r ich h istory oftechnical innovation, high-quality manufacturingand engineering p rowess – b ut younger r eaders w ouldbe forgiven for n ot knowing the name. That’s becausethe company, founded in Coventry i n 1 919 and a p rolificproducer of fine automobiles for d ecades, s lipped intorelative o bscurity after p roducing i ts final car i n 1 967.The marque never fully disappeared, however. Its entirestock of spares, s ales records a nd original engineeringdrawings was moved t o n ew premises i n K enilworth,Warwickshire, where – u nder the Red T riangle n ame – t hecompany c ontinued to offer comprehensive support f orexisting c ars, regardless o f a ge and long a fter productionhad c eased. It’s a s ervice that continues t o t his d aythanks t o a n u nparalleled c ombination of parts, expertiseand original materials. And its owner believed that thiswas a s trong f oundation on which t o b ase a r evival.“We h ad all t he ingredients – w e c ould bringtogether the brand rights, all t he technical i nformation,technical ability and a r ange of bodywork that wecould use,” owner Alan Stote t ells us. T he stagewas set for A lvis to start p roduction again.In 2013, the Alvis C ar Company b egan work on the firstof its Continuation Series c ars. While targeted squarelyat collectors l ooking f or modernised classics, t hese arefar f romb eing r ecreations o r l ookalike i mitations o f t heoriginals. Each car i s b uilt on an all-new chassis, w hileeach engine is built u p f roma n u nmolested ‘ new-old-stock’ b lock t hat’s been in storage, as-new, f or decades.Almost every o ther part is made from the originaldrawings, a nd while concessions t o u sability, r eliabilityand emissions r egulations h ave b een m ade, each standsas a g enuine Alvis, c omplete with chassis numbers t hatfollowo n d irectly from their period counterparts.Every c ar takes u p t o 5 ,000 hours t o c omplete, w ithmuch o f t hat t ime taken u p b y t he bodywork. All o f t heContinuation Series c ars s port t heir own h and-madebody, w hich i n p eriod would have been produced byany n umber of specialised coachbuilding f irms.There a re six m odels i n t he Series: t he pre-war BertelliSports Coupé, Lancefield C oncealed H ood and VandenPlas Tourer, a long w ith the post-war Park Ward Drop HeadCoupé and the stylish Graber Super Coupé and Cabriolet.Auto E xpress w as invited t o s ee Alvis’s l atest creationjust as a p hase o f r igorous t esting a nd inspection wasgetting u nder way. Built f or a c lient in Japan, theparticular Vanden Plas Tourer we would inspect sporteda n umber of made-to-measure o ptions, including a ir-conditioning – e ssential in sweltering J apanesesummers – and a p eriod-style s tereo s ystem.The Tourer uses one of two c hassis and enginecombinations t hat a re offered by Alvis for i tsPete GibsonI N S I D E STO R YTackling the motoring issues that matterJames H [email protected] L V I STHE C OMEBA C KS PECIALWe meet t he team that’sk eeping this classic Britishmarque alive, and try one of its ‘new’ continuation carspopPREPPEDVanden Plas Toureris headed for J apan–b ut not b eforearigorous inspectionARCHIVEOur man Howegets shownsome of theoriginal Alvisengineeringdrawings bycompanyowner Stote

22January202023ONE of the larger workshop areas in the Alvisfactory i s r eserved f or metalwork and its m arriageto complete rolling c hassis. W ork here i s s low,deliberate a nd detailed; just two c raftsmenwere present during o ur visit, hand-formingpanels f or the next model down the line – aspectacular G raber S uper Coupé.While the actual p rocess of hand-forming s heetmetal and building a sh frames h asn’t changed f ordecades, A lvis is employing state-of-the-art3D-scanning t echnology. A c omplete three-dimensional model provides t emplates f or some ofthe more c hallenging a reas of the car’s c oachwork.The one-piece a luminium nose of the Graber(right) was c reated by hand w ith a l ittle h elp froma 3 D-printed mould, f or example. T he use o f t hismethod helps w ith consistency in productionand ensures t hat p anel gaps and tolerances aremore e asily managed – p articularly importantwhen offering u p t housands o f h ours w orthof handiwork to a r olling c hassis.The Body Shop TREASUREWarehousei s p ackedwith original parts

2422January2020www.autoexpress.co.ukI N S I D E STO R YAlvis“The parts library is invaluable toproducet he Continuation carsand keep existing ones g oing”A S ERIES o f t est drives makes u p p art o f t he in-depth sign-off process f or every n ew Alvis – a nd Auto E xpress w as inattendance j ust in time to help out with the Vanden Plas.First impressions a re of a c haracteristically p re-war cabin;a h igh floor, t ight footwells a nd a l arge steering w heel alladd up to a d riving p osition that’s comfortable, but s nug.A p air of driving s hoes w ould be preferable to our b oots,which h ad to be removed t o n egotiate the tight pedal box.The electronic immobiliser – a nother concession tousability – i s d eactivated with a k eyfob, a llowing t he4.3-litre e ngine t o c atch quickly o n t he modern ignition.Pulling a way i s s imple; a w ealth of low-down torquemeans n o t hrottle i s r equired to get r olling, while the pedals,steering a nd gearshift a re heavy and deliciously m echanical.There a re six g ears to play with and, with 175bhp and245Nm of torque from the 4.3-litre s traight six, t he caris surprisingly sprightly. The feel and sound are a kin t o ameatier 2.5-litre T riumph engine, while the throttle r esponseand low-down shove offer the perfect tonic t o m odernWITH expensive, m ade-to-measure c ars, comes c ustomerexpectations t hat f ar exceed most other automotivesegments. The team at Alvis understand this, as wasevident when Auto E xpress j oined Peter B arford – t he manresponsible f or quality control ( QC) on the ContinuationSeries. Every i nch o f a finished car i s p ored over in minuteDevil’s i n t he detailmanages t o d eliver a c omfortable – i f s lightly bouncy –ride that’s no doubt aided by the car’s 1 0-foot wheelbase.In fact, the Alvis feels f ar tighter t han a p re-war carhas much r ight to. Its c omposure and predictability on themove are p erhaps t he most obvious b enefits o f t he firm’smodernisation efforts. T he brakes impress, too, becausewhile the owner opted for a n u nservoed system, there a rediscs a ll round; sometimes o riginality can h appily beeschewed in the name of safety.detail. To our u ntrained eye t he Vanden Plas looked a q uickclean away from being r eady for d elivery, but P eter sawotherwise, drawing u p a l ist o f i nfinitesimally s mall s nags.Barford’s QC role extends f urther than most: h e’s thelast to see the car b efore i t i s t ransported t o J apan, andthe first to meet it on the o ther side of its i nternationaljourney, w here h e’ll p ersonally d rive t he Tourerto the Alvis distributor’s showroom in Tokyo.turbocharged engines. Tucked in behind the windscreento escape the chill, we barrel towards a r oundabout andour first test of the Tourer’s handling. It’s a l ong, heavy carcompared to the cars of today a nd the unassisted s teeringneeds p lenty of effort, but i t a ll feels t ight and accurate.Body control i s a verage by modern standards, b ut stellaras far a s p re-war classics go; e verything m echanical isfactory-fresh, after a ll, a nd so works e xactly as it should.The leaf-sprung suspension needs t ime to settle, butContinuation Series c ars. The 4,387cc s ix-cylinder engineis the larger of two u nits available, and this i s o fferedexclusively with the pre-war bodystyles.Alvis’ o n-site facilities a re comprehensive, l ocatedacross a warren of workshops a nd side rooms. Eachstage o f t he Continuation Series c ars’ production ishandled by a s eparate t eam: new parts a re madeand tested i n-house, engines a re built, placed on adynamometer to check t heir power, and tuned usingspecialist equipment. E very stage o f c onstruction – f romthe rolling c hassis to the hand-formed bodywork andupholstery – i s c ompleted u nder one roof.One of the more i mpressive areas of the buildingis the parts s tore – a h uge c ollection of originalcomponents stacked i n t heir period wooden rackingover two f loors. From engine blocks to radiator fans,grilles to pistons, m uch o f t he stock has been instorage since p roduction ceased in the sixties –and in many cases, for m uch l onger t han t hat.This l ibrary o f o riginal parts i s i nvaluable both tothe production of Alvis’ C ontinuation cars and therestoration and upkeep of existing o nes. As Alanexplains, “This s ort o f s tuff doesn’t go off; manyof the parts w e u se are f romt he 1960s.”It’s a r elatively small o peration – n owhere n ear t hescale o f J aguar Land Rover Classic, for e xample – b utmodern-day Alvis i s a n i mpressive company. Its smallteam is dedicated to the historic brand, the preservationof its original cars and the production of its newContinuation Series. If you’ve g ot plenty of spare c hange(prices start a t a round £ 250,000) and would ratherdrive y our classic t han p ark it in a c ollection, a l ightlymodernised, factory-fresh A lvis could be just the ticket.Alvis hasleft the buildingANALYSISEach car is given anextensiver oad testbefore deliveryHANDSO NOur man getsinvolved by checking over t hetightness of the instrumentsSERVICEAlvis also undertakes everything from routine maintenancet ot he restoration of existing models

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www.autoexpress.co.uk2622January2020Alex I [email protected]@AxleIngramN E WC A R SVisitautoexpress.co.ukfor t he latest newc ars a nd drivesALPINEA110 SMore p ower and asharper drive f orFrench c oupé2 8P e u g e o t3 0 0 8 H y b r i d 4FIRST D RIVEPlug-inmodel introduces lowe missions and four-wheel drivet or ange“Plant y our right f oot a nd the 3008 surgesforwardw ith a n ear h ot-hatch-like s hove”THIS is the Peugeot 3008 Hybrid4 – acar w hich, by emitting j ust 29g/km ofCO , h as comfortably t he lowest tailpipe2emissions o f a ny car i n t he SUV r ange.Perhaps s urprisingly for a c ar with sucha l ow emissions f igure, it’s also the mostpowerful model. T he 3008’s plug-in hybridsystemu ses t wo electric motors – oneon each axle – p roducing 1 08bhp each.They are j oined by a 1 97bhp 1.6-litre t urbopetrol engine that means t here’s a c ombinedoutput of 296bhp and 450Nm of torque.Select Sport m ode, and this f our-wheel-drive f amily crossover w ill s print from0-62mph in 5.9 seconds. It really feels i t,too. Plant your right foot and the 3008surges forward w ith a n ear h ot-hatch-likeshove, a nd nearly with the sound to match.Take things easy, and it settles into a g entlebackground hum and is decently refined,although the gearbox c ould be a l ittle s harperto react to throttle i nputs. Keep the 13.2kWhbattery t opped up, a nd the 3008 Hybrid4can d rive a round f or 36 miles on electricpower a lone, m aking t he petrol enginealmost redundant on short j ourneys. Withonly the electric motors e ngaged, the 3008feels s mooth, silent and relaxing to drive. It’scomfortable, too, even on 19-inch w heels.From start-up, t he car d efaults to ‘Electric’mode, while ‘Hybrid’ leaves the car t omanage the best way t o u se both petrol andelectrical energy. T here’s also a p roper four-wheel-drive s etting w hich, in addition to hilldescent control, m eans that the 3008 canventure o ff-road with some capability.Another mode allows the driver to savea c ertain amount of charge in the battery o nlonger j ourneys, so that there’s enough leftto use i n l ow-emission zones. A s martphoneapp a llows users t o s et charging s chedulesor to pre-heat or cool the cabin, too.A f ull b attery c harge t akes roughly eighthours v ia a r egular three-pin plug, or it’lltake one hour and 45 minutes if you h ave aPeugeot in the territory o f a BMWX 3xDrive30e and Audi Q5 55 TFSI e.However, those lowe missions s tillmean that this i s a cheap c ompany c ar. A s i tstands, the 3008 Hybrid4’s CO emissions2mean it qualifies f or a 1 2 p er cent Benefitin Kind rate, c ompared to 27 per cent forthe 3008 GT diesel. T hat m eans that anytaxpayers in the 40 per cent bracket w illpay £2,240 per year for t he hybrid, whilethe diesel will cost nearly double that.For t hose who can’t stomach the askingprice, Peugeot offers a front-wheel-drive3008 Hybrid. It produces a h ealthy 2 22bhpand accelerates from 0-62mph in aroundeight seconds. Like-for-like, it’s £5,000 lessthan the Hybrid4, but i t’s also offered inlower t rims, so the cheapest Allure-specmodel costs a more r easonable £36,585.7kW home charger. The battery p ack i tself ispositioned beside a f uel tank that’s 10 litressmaller t han i n o ther 3008 models.Unsurprisingly, t he hybrid systema lsoeats into b oot space. The 520-litre l oadbay found i n p etrol and diesel versions ofthe 3008 shrinks t o 3 95 litres, a lthoughpassenger s pace is unaffected.The hybrid systema lso a dds 340kg w hencompared to a r egular 1.6 petrol 3008. Sowhile performance f eels l ively, t he Hybrid4feels t oo lethargic during c ornering t o b econsidered anything c lose to fun. At least a llthat mass is positioned lowd own i n t he car.In reality, t he slightly unremarkabledrive m akes the headline power o utputseem a b it unnecessary. A nd so doesthe price: the admittedly well equippedHybrid4 costs £ 46,735, a f igure t hat p utsPeugeot 3 008GTHybrid 4Price:£46,735Engine:1.6-litre 4 cyl t urbopetrol/electric motorPower/torque:296bhp/450NmTransmission:Eight-speed automatic,four-wheel-drive0-62mph:5.9 s econdsTop s peed:155mphEconomy:217.2mpgCO :229/kmONSALENowEssentials

22January202027VWT-ROCRCompact SUV getsa h eart transplantfrom rapid Golf RFORD FIESTATRENDEntry-level s uperminiis upgraded with newEcoBoost petrolGTRR OADSTERMercedes-AMG’shardcore sportscar l oses its roofSUBARU FORESTERMild-hybrid tech aimsto boost economy a ndappeal of rugged S UV3 03 23 33 4THERE’S lots to like about the 3008Hybrid4. It’s well built, well equippedand has a c abin design that makesmost other conventional familySUVs l ook a ncient. I t’s comfortable,economical and relaxing to drive, too.However, all o f t hese attributes alsoapply t o t he front-wheel-drive 3 008Hybrid, and that costs a s m uch a s£10,000 less. If you’re n ot a c ompanycar u ser, t hen t his f our-wheel-driveversion is too e xpensive to recommend.★★★★★HYBRID POWERLarger battery meansfour-wheel-drive Hybrid4 boasts lower CO2emissions than front-wheel-drive models, a swell as more p ower and performance. There’sa q uoted electric-only range of 36 miles, t ooINTERIORThree years o n f roml aunch,and the 3008’s c abin is still arguably theclass benchmark for d esign. Build quality i simpressive too, but standard i nfotainmentisn’t the s harpest s ystemo ut thereEQUIPMENTHybrid4 model is availableonly in GT Line trim, so its s tandard k it listis enormous. W ireless smartphone charging,massaging front seats a nd adaptive cruisewith semi-autonomous mode are a ll fittedPRACTICALITYCharging cables store u nderboot floor, b ut capacitytakes a h it due t o t he hybridsystem. Space i n t he backseats i s u naffected, but3008 is a l ittle t ight next toa S EAT A teca or VW TiguanV e rdict

www.autoexpress.co.uk2822January2020Jonathan [email protected]@Jonathan_burnRARELY d oes a new car f roma n ew (orin this c ase, revitalised) brand comealong a nd give t he established big-hittersa s erious r un for t heir money, b ut the AlpineA110 is one of those cars. T he fact it’s thecurrent Auto E xpress C oupé o f t he Year goesto showy ou howh ighly w e r ate i t.Not quite s atisfied, the French f irm hasdeveloped an even more f ocused, morepowerful version t o t ry and cement its placeas an accomplished sports car s pecialist.It’s called the A110 S a nd this i s o ur firstchance t o g et behind the wheel in the UK.The basic r ecipe for a c ar designed togive y ou a b it more o f e verything i s a s y ou’dexpect. P ower f romt he 1.8-litre t urbo is up by39bhp to 288bhp, t he brakes are l arger a ndmore p owerful, a nd the car’sride has d roppedby 4mm, while the springs are 5 0 p er centfirmer and the anti-roll b ars t wice as stiff.On paper, i t’s a s izeable s et of upgrades.But t here’s a p rice to pay; t he A110 S c ostsglide over our pitted and potholed r oadswith balletic grace, the S i s n oticeablyfirmer – a s y ou’d only expect given thetweaks to the suspension.That doesn’t make it an uncomfortablecar – f ar from it, in fact – b ut a l ayer o fpolish and suppleness has been shavedfrom the standard A 110’s ride quality.The trade-off is a c ar that corners w ithmore p recision and poise than before.There’s less r oll d uring q uick c hanges ofdirection, and more b ite f romt he frontend. Where y ou could provoke the rearend of the standard A110 into p layfulslides b y b alancing t he throttle w ithmore a ggressive steering i nputs, thisS f eels m ore s table a nd planted. Theoverall s ensation is of a c ar that’s morefocused and less p layful.Nowp acking 288bhp, t he A110 Swill cover 0 -62mph in 4.4 seconds – 0.1seconds q uicker t han t he standard m odel.There’s no extra t orque, but t he power i snows pread o ver a b roader rev r ange; t heengine still s uffers that initial low-downA l p i n eA 1 1 0 SFIRST U K D RIVESharper version of our favouritec oupéNEEDTO KNOWA110 S c osts £9,000more t han regularA110, but £3,000 ofthat is due to extraequipment o n t hefaster model“There’s l ess b ody rollduring quick changesof direction, and morebite f romt he frontend. Overall, this carfeels more f ocusedand less playful”N E WC ARSAlpine A110 S£9,000 more t han t he entry-level m odel.Which, as we know, is far f roml acking.There a re a n umber of other standardfeatures on the S, such as an active s portsexhaust, f ront and rear parking s ensors,aluminium pedals, a F ocal audio set-upand a t elematics s ystemt hat a llows thedriver to see live t echnical data on the car.That extra k it alone adds up to £3,000.The car d oesn’t boast a bout its persona.Aside from black A lpine script on the rear,orange paint callipers a nd some carbon-fibre b adges, there’s little t o m ark out theA110 S. It’s more i nterested i n s howingwhat it does r ather than what it is.But i f y ou want the matt grey paintworkon this c ar you’ll h ave t o p ay a w hopping£4,400. White i s t he only colour that comesfree. Other extras, w hich a ren’t strictlyessential, include a £ 2,160 glossy c arbon-fibre r oof and 18-inch F uchs forged alloysat £1,656. What started o ut as a s ensibleprice f or a s ports car c an escalate q uickly.Have t he changes h ad the desired e ffect?Yes, and no. W here the standard A 110 will

www.autoexpress.co.uk22January202029Alpine A110 SN E WC ARSPete GibsonTHE A 110 S i s a more s erious a ndfocused sportscar. That doesn’tnecessarily make it better than thestandard m odel, but i t d oes g iveit a c haracter of its own. However,asking a £ 9,000 premium meansyou’ll h ave t o r eally a ppreciateits extra f ocus to want one.★★★★★V e rdictRunning costs42.8mpg (official)£57 fill-upPerformance0-62mph/tops peed4.4 seconds/161mphPRACTICALITYStorage will never be astrong point for a s ports c ar, b ut the A110 h asa 9 6-litre l uggage area at the rear as well as aseparate 1 00-litre l oad space u nder the bonnetEQUIPMENTSeven-speed automatic is theonly gearbox a vailable in the A110. Seven-inchinfotainment display and sat-nav (below) areboth standard b ut neither is the slickest t o u seAlpineA110 SPrice:£56,810Engine:1.8-litre 4cyl t urboPower/torque:288bhp/320NmTransmission:Seven-speed a uto,rear-wheel drive0-62mph:4.4 s econdsTop s peed:161mphEconomy:42.8mpgCO :2147g/kmONSALENowEssentialslag, but b eyond 2 ,500rpm the extra p owermakes i tself known, the engine pulling w ithnoticeably m ore f orce than before.What remains u nchanged is the excellentseven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, whichseamlessly f ires home changes u p a nd downthe gears. We just wish A lpine had s een fitto change the plastic paddles behind thewheel; they still o perate w ith a f limsy clickrather than the satisfying clunk y ou wantfrom a g reat metallic paddle-shifter.The bump in price f or the A110 S o verthe regular model does m ove t he coupébeyond the list price o f s ome thoroughlyaccomplished competition such as thePorsche 718 Cayman S, which p acks 345bhpand is slightly cheaper, a t £ 53,746.Then there’s the BMWM 2 C ompetition.As well as undercutting t he Alpine, at£51,425, it also uses a m ore c haracterfulsix-cylinder engine that packs 4 10bhp.The A110 S’s inflated price t ag makesthe corners t hat A lpine has c ut with cabinquality even more d ifficult t o s wallow –especially g iven howw ell b uilt both itsrivals f romB MW and Porsche are. Theinfotainment systemi n t he French c arwould look dated a nd out of place i n a£15,000 hatchback, never mind a £ 57ksports car, some of the switchgear o n t hedashboard i s a wfully cheap a nd, i f y ouwant to make some adjustment to theheight of the driver’s seat it’ll r equire acoffee break a nd a s et of spanners.However, few, if any, of those grievances,are e ver l ikely to be red f lags in the eyes ofpotential buyers of this s ort o f v ehicle. T heAlpine A110 remains o ur favourite n ewsports car o f t he moment.

THE new car m arket has changedsignificantly in the decade s inceVolkswagen launched its R p erformancebrand. Today, s mall SUVs d ominate, and inan effort t o c apitalise on their success, V Whas given its own c ontender in the classa r acy makeover; m eet the T-Roc R .Like t he rest of the T-Roc r ange, t his h otmodel shares its running g ear w ith the Golf.That means t he engine, transmission andelectronics c ome from the Golf R, but t heyhave been tweaked t o s uit the SUV body.The Golf R h as established itself as a c arthat delivers e asily accessible p erformance,and the T-Roc R is no different. F ire u p t heengine – w hich sounds a l ittle f lat w ithoutthe optional Akrapovic e xhaust – a nd inComfort m ode it feels b arely a ny differentto drive f rome very other petrol T-Roc.It’s quiet, easy t o p ilot around town w ithdirect, light steering a nd is comfortable o verpotholes, d espite t he 20mm lower s portssuspension set-up. I t r ides m arginallybetter than the Golf R, and as such,certainly nails its brief of being a m oresupple and spacious a lternative.Four-wheel drive i s s tandard, and theT-Roc b oasts d riving m odes f or off-road andslippery c onditions. However m ost buyerswill be far m ore i nterested i n w hat h appenswhen they select Race mode via t hestandard, sharp and slick-to-use eight-inch c entral touchscreen.Immediately, t he seven-speed DSGgearbox b ecomes a l ittle m ore i nterestedin the engine it’s linked to, the motor itselfswitching t o a m ore a ggressive throttle m ap.It’s a r elentless s et-up when you c onsiderhowe asily the 296bhp and 400Nm transmitthemselves to the road, u nlocking a t urn ofpace that confirms the T-Roc R as a p roperlyfast car, and an easy o ne to drive a t t hat.However, it does i t w ith minimal sparkle,and isn’t helped by the DSGg earbox. Thisshifts smoothly but i sn’t the most alert, andthe small p lastic paddles mounted behindthe steering w heel do little t o c onvince y outo click t hrough the gears yourself.Our car h ad the optional Dynamic ChassisControl systemw ith adaptive s uspension,but o n f lowing roads the additional stiffnessdoesn’t leap out, and the extra w eight onthe steering r ack i ntroduced by tapping i ntoRace mode doesn’t add any e xtra substanceto the direct, but u nspectacular steering.The Haldex a ll-wheel-drive s et-up has beentweaked t o d eal w ith the T-Roc’s extra w eightand taller profile, t he result b eing thatthere’s probably j ust as much g rip availablehere a s i n t he Golf, b ut a s hade less a gility.There’s lots of power, too, which t ranslates tolots of straightforward, c ross-country p ace.The T-Roc R ’s interior offers m ore i n t heway o f f amiliarity. T he cabin i s t weakedsubtly with the addition of sports seats,aluminium pedals a nd a f lat-bottomed,R-branded steering w heel. B ut the hardplastics r unning a cross t he dashboard a restill f ound here. I f y ou want a l ittle m orequality inside, the Audi SQ2 i s o ne toconsider, a lthough it’s not as practicalas the VW, w hich h as a 3 92-litre b oot.If the interior is a l ittle l anguid, standardtechnology i s g ood, with the inclusion ofVW’s 10.3-inch A ctive I nfo D isplay digitalinstrument panel. Y ou’ll g et adaptive c ruisecontrol, a utomatic wipers a nd lights, frontand rear parking s ensors, sat-nav, AppleCarPlay/Android Auto p reparation, and LEDheadlights and tail-lights all a s s tandard.However, some creature c omforts, suchas heated seats, a r ear-view camera a ndhigh-beam assist, are o nly o ptional.V o l k s w a g e nT - R o cFIRST U K D RIVERapid SUV shares its running gear with the Golf R3022January2020James B [email protected]@jimmybrodsN E WC ARSVolkswagen T-Roc R

Nathan MorganTaller body means T-Roc Risn’t as agile as Golf R,but it has l ots o f g ripRIF you w ant a f ast, practical andcomfortable c ompact VW, t hen theGolf R i s p robably s till the best buy.Alternatively, i f y ou want morepracticality, t he Estate version alsobeats theT-Roc R , a nd for l ess c ash.However, this i s a style-focusedchoice, and one delivered with littlecompromise, because it drivesmuch t he same as its Golf cousinsand packs j ust as much p unch,with a l ittle a dded ride quality.★★★★★V e rdictEQUIPMENTEight-inch touchscreensystem is all the infotainment you’ll need.Heated seats a re only available as partof optional Winter pack (£300), whichalso includes heated washer jetsINTERIORCabin is spaciousand visibility is great,but while optionalblue dash insertadds colour, t hereare p lenty o f h ardplastics on showV o lkswagenT - Roc R2.0 T SI 4MOTION DSGPrice:£38,450Engine:2.0-litre 4 cyl turbo p etrolPower/torque:296bhp/400NmTransmission:Seven-speed automatic,four-wheel drive0-60mph:4.8 s econdsTop s peed:155mphEconomy:32.5mpgCO :2176g/kmONSALE NowEssentialsRunning costs32.5mpg( official)£72 fill-upPerformance0-62mph/top speed4.8s econds/155mphVolkswagen T-Roc RN E WC ARS22January202031PRACTICALITYAll-wheel-drivesystem meansT-Roc R ’s bootmeasures 392litres, d own from445 l itres o f t hestandard c ar

www.autoexpress.co.uk3222January2020“New EcoBoost engineraises the price, but it’swell worth the extra”N E WC ARSFord Fiesta TrendSTILL top o f t he sales charts, the FordFiesta h as long b een a f avourite, bothwith us here a t A uto E xpress, and withfamilies u p a nd down the land. But a newthreat h as emerged: the latest Renault C lio.The French h atch is a s trong c ontenderin the supermini class, a nd a b road range o fspec and engine options g ive b uyers greaterchoice – e specially s ince Ford culled t heZetec m odel from the Fiesta l ine-up.While this w ouldn’t usually be cause f orconcern, the gulf between the entry-levelFiesta T rend and the sporty ST-Line wasexaggerated b y F ord’s lacklustre 1.1-litreengine: we far p refer t he eager t urbochargedEcoBoost units on higher-end models.But F ord h as nowd ropped that naturallyaspirated engine in favour of a m ore e nergetic94bhp EcoBoost motor. I t r aises t he listprice b y £ 500, but i t’s well worth t he extra– e specially w hen you c onsider that anypremium will likely pale into i nsignificanceon a m onthly PCP finance d eal.Fitted with this e ngine, the Fiesta i s b ackas a c ontender. W e’ve n o c omplaints whenit comes t o s tandard e quipment; big-carkit s uch a s L ED lights, privacy glass andan eight-inch c entral touchscreen are a llincluded in the Trend’s £16,995 list price.Don’t be fooled b y t he Fiesta’s on-paperperformance, either. A 0 -62mph time ofNEEDTO KNOW1.0-litre E coBoostengine dropsto 94bhp from99bhp to help itmeet latest W LTPemissions testON THE ROADTrend trim looks s mart a nd benefitsfrom the same fun c haracter a sthe rest of the Fiesta rangeF o r dF i e s t a T r e n dFIRST D RIVEEntry-level s upermini is made morea ttractivew ith EcoBoost p owerRunning costs45.6mpg (official)£53 fill-upPerformance0-62mph/top speed13.8 seconds/105mphengine, which e mits an enthusiastic butnever intrusive thrum from beneath thebonnet. T he steering i s l ight enough, butprecise a nd direct when you n eed it tobe. Body control is excellent.Running c osts s hould p ut a s mile onyour face, t oo. L ow emissions m ean i t’san affordable c ompany c ar, w hile decenteconomy – y ou can e xpect 40mpg-plus,even in town – h elps k eep a l id on day-to-day costs. Flat-rate V ED prevents it beingany c heaper to tax t han i ts rivals, however.There a re one or two a reas where t hisbasic F iesta f alls down. The seat basesare f lat, and there i s v ery l ittle i n t he wayof support; the chairs i n t he flashier ST-Linecar o ffer better side bolstering a nd aremore c omfortable. It’s a s hame becausethis i s o therwise a very accomplishedand refined car a t h igher s peeds.And while it is the cheapest new Fiestamoney can b uy, t he excellent Clio Iconic– e ven w ith the desirable T Ce 100 turboengine – c osts £ 500 less. W ith 16-inchwheels, LED lights and privacy glass, t heRenault m atches the Ford’s kit l ist – butit goes further by adding s at-nav, k eylessgo and rear parking s ensors, too.Ford Fiesta1.0 E coBoost 95TrendPrice:£16,995Engine:1.0-litre 3cyl turbo petrolPower/torque:94bhp/170NmTransmission:Six-speed m anual,front-wheel-drive0-60mph:13.8 secondsTop s peed:105mphEconomy:45.6mpgCO :294g/kmONSALENowEssentials13.8 seconds i s d eceptive; around town t heturbo engine feels l ivelyand the Fiesta i s m orethan able to keep up with urban traffic. W orkthe slick s ix-speed box, and the car w ill r eachthe national speed limit without trouble.The Fiesta i s f un to nip about in thanksto the characterful three-cylinder petrolRichardI [email protected]@rsp_ingram

www.autoexpress.co.uk22January202033Jonathan [email protected]@Jonathan_burnMercedes AMG GT R R oadsterN E WC ARSPete GibsonWITH its new EcoBoost engine, theentry-level F ord F iesta i s b etter thanever. T he price i s s till on the highside, but t he kit l ist i s g enerous, andif you s pend a l ot of time nippingabout town o n s hort journeys, itcould be all t he car y ou’d ever need.It’s frugal, spacious a nd well built,but t he excellent new Renault C lioremains a thorn in the Ford’s side.★★★★★THE GT R R oadster i s a n i ntoxicatingand serious p erformance c ar, b utnot one without its compromises.It’s laden with tech, f eels a gileand is thunderously q uick, butat almost £180,000 (a whopping£30,000 more t han a G T R c oupé)it’s going h ead t o h ead w ith someserious t op-tier competition fromMcLaren and Porsche. A f ussycabin a nd questionable ridecount a gainst it, too.★★★★★V e rdictV e rdictEQUIPMENTIt’s the entry t rim, butTrend has standard k it including 16-inchalloys, automatic headlights, lane-keepassist, a s peed limiter and electricallyadjustable and heated mirrorsTECHNOLOGYThe GT RR oadsterfeatures a 1 2.3-inch digital instrumentcluster, rear-wheel steering and alimited-slip differential on the rear axlePRACTICALITYFiesta remains adecent supermini for p racticality, with a311-litre b oot. I t’s o ne of the fewm odelsthat’s still available with three or fivedoors, with the latter c osting £400 extraEQUIPMENTQuilted leather trim,Airscarf h eater a nd a s ports e xhaustall come as standard. Carbon-ceramicbrakes are a h efty £5,995 optionPERFORMANCE577bhp twin-turbo V8delivers t hunderingperformance a nd asoundtrack to matchMercedes-AMGGTRR oadsterPrice:£178,675Engine:4.0-litre 8 cyl bi-turboPower/torque:577bhp/700NmTransmission:Seven-speeddual-clutch auto, rear-wheel drive0-62mph:3.6 s econdsTop s peed:197mphEconomy:22.6mpgCO :2284g/kmONSALENowEssentialsTHE Mercedes-AMG GT R R oadster i sthe fastest, m ost powerful and dearestconvertible ever to wear a M ercedes b adge.It’s about as extreme as roadsters get.That, in itself, i s a bit o f a head-scratcher.Mercedes-AMG had g one to great l engthsto make the regular GT R a s f ocused as canbe, with carbon-fibre p anels, four-wheelsteering, a n ine-stage t raction-controlsystem, active a erodynamics a nd carbon-ceramic brakes. B ut nowi t’s lopped offthe roof and added 80kg. And at 1,710kg,the Roadster i s n o f eatherweight.However, Mercedes-AMG isn’t a lone inthis; Ferrari, Lamborghini and McLaren a llhave open-top versions o f t heir top-tierperformance c ars. If you w ant to add t heGT R R oadster t o y our fleet you’d better bequick; only 750 examples will be built. Andat £178,675, it’s certainly not cheap.An icy winter’s morning i s a considerabledistance a way f romt he car’s comfort z one.However, it provided the perfect opportunityto test the GT R’s new Slippery d rivingmode. It acts like a n a utomotive t ranquiliserdart, t ightening t he traction control andputting t he safety systems and sensors o nhigh alert t o k eep progress c alm and sedate.At city-dwelling s peeds, what’s not socalming i s t he ride. The GT R h as some of thewidest tyres fitted to any p roduction car, andyou c ertainly notice w hen t hey come intocontact with an even slightly abrasive surface.Coupled w ith the track-focused suspensionset-up, i t m akes for u ncomfortable p rogress.On faster A -roads the GT R R oadster i smore a t h ome; the ride feels a lot morecontrolled a t s peed and, once i nto i ts flow,the GT R a dopts the rowdy and raucousperformance-car character i t’s known for.The fat r ears tyres fight for t raction at everyflex of your right foot, the GT R s quatting andsquirming u nder acceleration as it attemptsto deploy a ll 577bhp and 700Nm of torque.Once h ooked u p, it’s thunderously q uick,with the 4.0-litre V 8 p ulling f rom2 ,000rpmright up to 7,000rpm with relentless t hrust.The steering i n t he Roadster i s v eryfast and alert. It gives the car a s ense ofagility that betrays i ts width on the road,but i t t akes some time to adjust to.M e r c e d e sA M GG T R R o a d s t e rFIRST U K D RIVEHardcore rear-drivet wo-seater l oses its head

www.autoexpress.co.uk3422January2020NEEDTO KNOWThe Foresterhas a m aximumtowing capacityof 1,870kgSUBARU’S new mild-hybrid Forester hasbeen tasked w ith combating t he SUV’sreputation for p oor fuel economy. It joins aheavily p opulated marketplace of mid-sizedoff-roaders, rivalling t he Toyota RAV4,Mazda C X-5 a nd Volkswagen Tiguan, andthis i s o ur first chance t o t est it in the UK.Unlike F oresters of old, t his n ew modelhas ditched turbocharging f or mild-hybriddrive i n a b id to improve e conomy a ndemissions. The Forester is nowo nlyavailable w ith Subaru’s e-Boxer p owertrain,which c omprises a naturally a spirated2.0-litre f lat-four petrol engine, a c ompactlithium-ion battery p ack a nd a g earbox-mounted electric motor for a c ombinedoutput of 148bhp and 196Nm of torque.The shift t o h ybrid drive h as producedmixed r esults. While a c laimed emissionsfigure o f 1 54g/km is reasonable for a n S UVof this s ize, the Forester’s fuel economy f allsshort; don’t expect to see more t han 3 5mpgin the real world. Although Subaru says theForester c an operate i n p ure E V-mode atup to 25mph, we rarely got n ear t hatspeed before t he engine kicked in.The petrol engine and electric motor workbest as a t eam, with the motor filling i n t hegaps in the combustion engine’s powerband – b ut the e-Boxer s ystems till feelsa l ittle s luggish. Due t o t he engine’s lackof a t urbocharger, y ou have to work thepowertrain quite h ard w hen m erging ontothe motorway o r o vertaking. There’s alsoa c onsiderable amount of road noise atspeed and the petrol engine is jerky t ore-engage after r unning i n e lectric mode.Refinement issues a side, though, theForester e -Boxer i s a comfortable p laceto be. Its chassis is well damped andcomposed, soaking u p a ll but t heharshest of road imperfections, whileSubaru’s CVT gearbox m anages theS u b a r uF o r e s t e r e - B o xFIRST U K D RIVEMild-hybrid tech aims to boost S UV’s a ppeal“The engine and electric motor w ork b est as ateam, the motor f illing gaps i n t he power b and”with the seats stowed, which i s b etterthan both the CX-5 and Tiguan.In traditionalSubaru fashion, the Forester’sinterior is tech-laden and quirky, with acluttered dashboard, a b usy m ultifunctionsteering w heel, digital instruments andan eight-inch i nfotainment system.There’s a l ong l ist o f s afety technology,too, with Subaru’s EyeSight driver-monitoringsystema s tandout feature. It keeps t abs o nthe driver’s actions, to ensure they’re r egularlychecking their mirrors, and lane discipline.It’s a c lever s ystem, but s lightly irritating,because it sometimes f ail t o r ecognise abrief glimpse in the mirror, i ssuing t hedriver with an annoying audible warning.combustion engine well, p reventing t herevs from soaring u nder hard acceleration.The Forester i s f ar better suited to off-road driving. Thanks t o i ts high ground-clearance, permanent all-wheel-drivesystema nd selectable terrain settings,it can t ackle g round t hat w ould stumpmore s tyle-focused competitors s uchas the SEAT Ateca o r P eugeot 3008.It’s practical, too; there’s plenty ofspace in the cabin, with ample leg andheadroom for a ll passengers and enoughspace in the back for t hree adults. Theboot’s a d ecent size, a s w ell, boastinga 5 20-litre c apacity with the rear benchin place a nd 1,779 litres of [email protected]@LT_Wilkinson

Subaru Forester e-BoxerN E WC ARS22January202035AutomediaComing s oone rTHE Subaru Forester i sn’t a c arthat you b uy with your head,because there a re plenty of rivalswhich o ffer a b roader range o fability and – m ore i mportantly– b etter fuel economy. However,if you’re a fter a p ractical, no-nonsense SUV that isn’t fazed b yrough terrain, the Forester e -Boxermakes a convincing c hoice. Justbe prepared to pay for i t.★★★★★V e rdictEQUIPMENTTop-spec versions ofthe Forester come with LED headlamps,18-inch alloy wheels, a s uite o f s afetysystems and an eight-inch infotainmentsystem on the dashboardPRACTICALITYThe Forester’s boxy shape means that there’s p lenty o fhead and knee room in the back seats. Its 5 20-litre b oot is very r oomy, t ooSubaru Forester2.0i e-Boxer X EPremium LineartronicPrice:£38,995Engine:2.0-litre 4cyl petrolPower/torque:148bhp/196NmTransmission:CVT auto, all-wheel drive0-62mph:11.8 secondsTop s peed:117mphEconomy/CO :234.7mpg/154g/kmONSALENowEssentialsRunning costs34.7mpg (official)£76 f ill-upPerformance0-62mph/top speed11.8s econds/117mphAUDI A3SUMMERAudi’s big-sellinghatch is due to beshown a t M arch’sGeneva s how. E xpecta r ange of new mild-hybrid engine optionsSMALLCARSFiat500EV2020Hondaeearly2020HondaJazzearly2020Hyundaii10early2020Hyundaii202020MINIElectricmid2020MINIhatch2022MitsubishiMirage2020Peugeote-208early2020SkodaFabia2021ToyotaYarisl ate2020VauxhallCorsa-eearly2020VolkswagenID.supermini2023FAMILYCARSAudiA32020AudiA3Cityhopper2022Audie-tronhatch2021BMW2SeriesGranCoupé2020BMWi12021BMWi42021CitroenC42020CitroenC4EV2020Citroenflagshipsaloon2021DaciaEV2020HondaClarity2022KiaStonichybrid2020MercedesC-Class2021MercedesE-Classfacelift2 020MercedesEQAlate2020MercedesEQB2021MercedesEQVearly2020SEATel-Born2020SEATLeonearly2020SkodaOctaviaearly2020TeslaGolfrival2023ToyotaEV2021VauxhallAstra2021VauxhallInsignia2022VolkswagenArteonshootingbrake2020VolkswagenGolfMk8early2020VolkswagenID.32020VolkswagenID.Microbus2022VolvoV402020SUVSAlfaRomeoTonale2020AlfaRomeolargeSUV2020AstonMartinDBX2020Audie-tronS2020Audie-tronSportback2020AudiQ4e-tron2020AudiQ5facelift2020BentleyBentaygafacelift2 020BMWiHydrogenNext2025BMWiNext2021BMWiX32020BytonM-Byte2021CitroenC5AircrossPHEV2020CupraFormentor2020CupraTavascan2021DS3CrossbackE-Tenseearly2020FerrariPurosangue2021FiskerOceanlate2021FordPumaSUVearly2020FordKuga2020FordMustangMach-Elate2020Hyundai452021HyundaiKonaN2020HyundaiTucson2021JaguarE-Pace2020JeepbabySUV2020JeepCherokee2020JeepGrandWagoneer2020JeepRenegadeEV2021KiaHabaniro2021KiaSoulEVearly2020LandRoverDefendersummer2020LexusUX300e2021ListerSUV_E2021MaseratismallSUV2020MercedesEQG2021MercedesGLA2020MercedesGLCPHEVearly2020Mercedes-MaybachGLS2020MINIsmallSUV2021MitsubishiOutlanderPHEV2021NIOEC6late2020NissanQashqai2020Peugeote-2008mid2020Peugeot40082020Polestar22020RangeRover2022RangeRovercrossover2021RivianR1S2021SkodaVisionE2020SsangYongXAV2020TeslaModelY2020ToyotaRAV4PHEV2020VauxhallMokkaXlate2020VauxhallMokkaXEVlate2020VolkswagenID.22025VolkswagenID.42020VolkswagenTiguanRe arly2020VolvoXC40Recharge2020PICK-UPSJeepGladiator2020TeslaCybertruck2021SPORTSCARSAstonMartinRapideE2020AstonMartinValkyrie2020AstonMartinVanquish2020Audie-tronGT2020AudiRS32020AudiTTreplacement2021BMW4Series2020BMWM32020BMWM8GranCoupé2020BMWVisionMNext2021ChevroletCorvette2020FerrariRomamid2020FerrariSF90Stradalemid2020FordMustanghybrid2020GenesisMint2021GordonMurrayT.50early2022Hyundaii20N2020JaguarF-Typeearly2020LamborghiniHuracanRWDlate2020LexusLCFearly2020LotusEvija2021MaseratiAlfieri2020McLarenEV2023McLarenGTSuperlight2020McLarenSpeedtaile arly2020Mercedes-AMGOne2020MercedesSL2022MGE-motion2021Nissan370Z2021NissanLeafNismo2020RenaultZoeRS2021SkodaOctaviavRSa utumn2020TeslaRoadster2020ToyotaGRSporthypercar2 020ToyotaYarisGR-42020TVRGriffithlate2020VolkswagenGolfGTI/R2020VolkswagenID.Scirocco2020CABRIOLETSAstonMartinVantageRoadster2 020BMW4SeriesConvertible2020ChevroletCorvetteconvertible2020LexusLCConvertiblelate2020MaseratiAlfieriCabrio2020VolkswagenT-RocCabrioletmid2020LUXURYCARSLexusLFFC2020MaseratiQuattroporte2020MercedesEQSlate2020MercedesS-Class2020PorscheMissionECrossTurismo2020PorschePanamerafacelift2 020Rolls-RoyceGhost2020VolkswagenPhaetonEV2022Your ultimateguide to buying andowning an electric carPete Gibson

3622January2020R O A D T E S T SVisitautoexpress.co.ukfor t he latest newc ars a nd drivesQ3VS UXNew Audi Q3 Sportbackfaces Lexus UX in battlefor coupé-SUV honours4 6BMW 320d xDriveT o uring M SportPrice:£41,325Engine:2.0-litre 4cyl diesel, 187bhp0-60mph:7.2 secondsTest economy:40.8mpg/9.0mplCO :2124g/kmAnnual road tax:£465Testers’ notes“Our 320d is an xDrive, but a rear-drive version is available, too. The V60 is onlyfront-wheel drive, while the Mercedes is only rear-wheel drive, although ourperformance and economy figures are for a 4MATIC 4WD car that is no longeron sale. Don’t expect too much difference in acceleration or economy, though.”Sam NayloraSenior reviewerBMW’s3SeriesSaloonisawinner. NowthenewT o uringv e rsiontakesontheM e r c edesC - ClassandV o lvoV 6 0f o r esta t ehonoursPictures: Otis Clayestat ewww.autoexpress.co.ukof theArtS

TOYOTACOROLLAOur Japanese hybridhatch impresses, butit’s not the perfect carJAGUAR XEWe’re loving life at thewheel of our Jag, but it’snot so good in the back5 45 6Mercedes C 220 dEstateAMG LineEditionPrice:£41,155Engine:2.0-litre 4cyl diesel, 191bhp0-60mph:7.1 secondsTest economy:42.3mpg/9.3mplCO :2119g/kmAnnual road tax:£465V o lvoV60 D4Inscription PlusPrice:£40,465Engine:2.0-litre 4cyl diesel, 187bhp0-60mph:8.1 secondsTest economy:39.8mpg/8.8mplCO :2122g/kmAnnual road tax:£465THE BMW 3 Series saloon was one of the best carsto come out in 2019, as we found out throughoutthe year. It stormed to victory in its first test at the startof 2019, and then we ran a model on our test fleet thatcontinued to impress during its six months with us. Italso won the title of Best Compact Executive car at ourNew Car Awards last summer.But a saloon isn’t perfect for everyone. If you need a bitmore practicality than a hatch brings, plus the extra spaceto carry big items, an estate could be even better – and anice alternative to an SUV if they’re not your thing. Whichbrings us to the 3 SeriesTouring that we’re putting upagainst two of its toughest rivals in the BMW’s first grouptest, a year on from our first test of the saloon.Those key competitors are the Mercedes C-Class Estateand the Volvo V60. All three of these cars add a longerroofline and a hatchbacktailgate to create extra spaceand versatility compared with their saloon siblings.Yet they still have to provide the important aspectsthat executive car buyers want: comfort, driverenjoyment, a high-quality interior and the latesttechnology. Which one of these upmarket estatecars brings these aspects together most effectively?We’ll be finding out over the next eight pages.www.autoexpress.co.uk22January202037

3822January2020www.autoexpress.co.ukROADTESTSBMW 3 S eries T ouring vs rivalsMODELTESTED:BMW3 20dx Drive T ouring MS portPRICE:£41,325ENGINE:2.0-litre 4 cyl, 187bhpBMW launched this version of the 3 S erieswith an all-new platform, fresh engines andthe latest in-car tech. Nowi t’s t ime to see how theTouring version rates. H ere we’ve got a 3 20d x Drivein MS port trim, which costs £41,325.Design &engineeringTHETouringaddsalongerrooflineanda d ifferent tailgate in its transformationfrom saloon to estate, which also means the bootbecomes part of the cabin. This allows you to fold therear seats down to create even more room inside, butwe’ll t akea c loserlookatthis i n t hePracticalitysection.Many of BMW’s models are based on the brand’sCLAR architecture, including the latest 3 S eries.The p latform brought improvements to torsionalrigidity and reduced weight. I t u ses multi-link rearsuspension, with MacPherson struts at the front.Clever lift-dependent suspension dampertechnology r eacts to the weight the car is carrying,so when it’s f ull of people, the damping is tauterto control the extra heft. A daptive dampers arepart of the optional £2,200 MS port Plus Package.This 320d model uses a 2 .0-litre four-cylinderdiesel unit that delivers 187bhp and 400Nm oftorque. It has two turbochargers: a s maller o neto bring better responsiveness at low revs anda l arger one to boost power at higher revs.An eight-speed gearbox sends power to all fourwheels in this xDrive car, a lthough we reckon therear-wheel-drive 320d is the better choice, because itwillbecheapertobuyandbealittlemorefuel-efficient.The T ouring’s cabin is just as good as the saloon’s;it has the build quality buyers in this market expect,plus a n eat, c lassy d esign with good use of high-quality materials in the right places. I t a lso featuresall the tech you’d want, i ncluding a 1 0.25-inchtouchscreen infotainment system that’s s harp,modern and easy to use (see Infotainment on P42).Other standard kit on MS port includes 18-inch rims,sports suspension, heated leather seats, L ED lights,a r eversing camera, plus cruise and climate control.DrivingTHE 320d’s engine is impressive,bringing a s olid mix of performance,refinement and responsiveness. I t’squieter than its rivals’ from idle right up to highrevs, a nd making progress is effortless thanks to theclever turbo set-up. T he 320d went from 0-60mphin 7.2 s econds in our tests, j ust 0.1 s econds behindthe more powerful Mercedes and nearly a s econdfaster than the V60 D4.The t ransmission is another strong point for theBMW, b ecause it’s s moother to shift than those inits rivals, a nd also delivers rapid changes in manualmode. The a uto s etting is good at keeping you in ahigh gear and making use of the 400Nm of torque.Along with its excellent powertrain, the 320dleads its rivals for dynamics and appeal behind thewheel. The d riving position is superb, a nd theweight of the steering is spot-on, although it doesn’thave much feel and the wheel rim is too thick. T hechassis matches this because it’s v ery agile, withlots of grip and a mildly adjustable balance thatencourages you to drive it quickly on country roadsThere’s p lenty of leg and headroom in the BMW’s b ack seatsBoot c apacity with the rear seats u ps plits rivals, at 500l itresTesters’ notes“The 3 S eries i s a superb motorway c ruiser.Its engine stays h ushed, wind and road noiseis minimal and the suspension is at its best ata h igh-speed cruise. The tech helps h ere, too.”Sean C arsoneChief r eviewer(if you want to), because it gives so much confidence.It’s more fun than either of its competitors here, yetthisfocusonenjoymentdoesn’tdetractfromcomfort.The d amping is sophisticated, and while there’s afirm edge to the ride – i t’s n ot as supple as the larger5 S eries, f or example – t he BMW remains composedover bumps and is just as comfy as the C-Class andV60. A ll three cars provide good ride comfort, b utthe f act the BMW has more driver appeal.This xDrive model brings good traction in badconditions, b ut we don’t feel it justifies its £3,190cost, b ecauseitdoesn’tchangethedrivingexperiencein a meaningful way; we just don’t get enoughextreme weather in the UK for it to be worth it.PracticalityTHESE estates are all about practicality,and the 320d Touring scores well here.The h atchback boot boosts luggage spaceover the saloon version, and while its 500-litrecapacity is a l ittle smaller than the Volvo V60’s529 litres, i t’s s till a g ood, useable size and biggerthan the Mercedes’ 460-litre boot.It comes with some clever features. T he main oneisthesplittailgate;youcanopenjusttheglasssectionof the boot door, a llowing easy access for dropping insome shopping, or getting to items stashed at the topof a f ull l oad bay. I t’s a g reat feature and only appearson theBMWhere.A p oweredtailgateisstandard,too.OwnershipEURO NCAP awarded the 3 S eries a f ullfive stars in its 2019 safety tests, a nd theTouring gets kit including AEB, L ED lights,parking sensors and a r eversing camera as standard.The D rivingAssistantProfessionalpack(£1,250)addsadaptivecruise,lane-keepassist, c ross-trafficwarningand blind-spot assist for improved protection.BMW did poorly in our Driver Power 2019 surveythough, coming in 25th overall out of 30 brands,although Mercedes was 26th. Volvo finished 13th,well ahead of its rivals for customer satisfaction.Running costsALL three estates break the £40,000barrier and so incur a £ 320 r oad taxsurcharge, but for these models companycar tax is the more important factor. T he 320d xDriveemits124g/kmofCO andsitsinthesame32percent2bracket as the V60 D4 (122g/km), while the C-Class(119g/km) is in the 31 per cent Benefit-in-Kind band.These figures mean higher-rate earners will pay£5,256 in tax contributions for the BMW, £ 5,146 forthe Volvo and £5,239 this year to run the Mercedes. 4L4Lscore4.3 4L4Lscore4.5 4L4Lscore4.4 4L4Lscore4.0 4L4Lscore3.8BMW 3 S e rWe crowned saloon version our compRunning costs40.8mpg( on test)£77 f ill-up/£465 or 32%t axPracticalityBoot ( seats up/down)500/1,510 litres!Braking70-0/60-0/30-0mph49.6/36.3/9.3mPerformance0-60mph/top speed7.2 s econds/140mphS

22January202039www.autoexpress.co.ukBMW 3 S eries Touring vs rivalsROADTESTSTHROUGHTHE RANGEWhich trim level might s uit y ou?THE 3 S eries c omes in SE, S port, MSportand MS port P lus E dition trim levels.SE is the entry-level m odel but i t s till hasplenty of kit, including L ED lights, climatecontrol, 1 7-inch a lloys, a r eversing camera,AEB and an 8.8-inch i nfotainment system.It costs £ 534 a m onth on a 3 6-month PCPfinance d eal limited to 10,000 miles a y ear,based on a £ 4,000 deposit.Sport m odels c ome with 18-inch a lloywheels, heated leather seats, a l arger f ueltank and roof rails, f or £562 a m onth.Move up to MS port a nd this r ises to£569 a m onth, b ut you a lso g et a s portierlook, a 1 2.3-inch d igital dash, sportsseats a nd MS port suspension. MS portPlus E dition costs £ 756 a m onth andfeatures 1 9-inch a lloys, adaptive d ampers,upgraded brakes and unique paint options.Our c hoice:320d xDrive T ouring SErm, which makes BMWfiRide is f un to drive,but it’s s till a c omfortable and composed carThe smooth and quick-shifting automaticgearbox i s a another key T ouring strengthPerformanceTwo-litre d iesel offersstrong performance,with the 3 S eriesonly just p ippedfrom 0-60mph bythe C-Class EstateClassy cabin f eatures the h igh-quality materials and build buyers i n t his class e xpect, combined with a g reat driving positionr ies T o uringact exec champ last year. I s t he estate version a w inner , too?NEXT CARAlloffersand finance pricescorrect at timeo f going to press

4022January2020www.autoexpress.co.ukROADTESTSBMW 3 S eries T ouring vs rivalsMODELTESTED:Mercedes C2 20 dE state AMGL ine EditionPRICE:£41,155ENGINE:2.0-litre 4 cyl, 191bhpTHE Mercedes C-Class was facelifted in 2018,and the saloon version fared well, winningits first test in that year. T his is the first t ime we’vebrought the Estate version together with its rivals,andinC 2 20d A MGLineEditiontrim,itcosts£41,155.We were supplied with a 4 MATIC four-wheel-drivemodel, so our economy and performance figures arefor this specification, but it’s n o l onger available new.Design &engineeringTHE C -Class Estate is based onMercedes’ Modular Rear Architecture(MRA). This isn’t a b rand new set-up like on thelatest BMW 3 S eries; it was what underpinnedthe previous model, too, b ut has evolved tofeature the latest technology.Another element of the facelift included a n ew191bhp 2.0-litre diesel engine, which was a b igimprovement over what came before. It’s t he mostpowerful unit here, although its torque figure of400Nm is the same as both other competitors.It uses a s lightly different suspension to its rivals,with a d ouble-wishbone front and multi-link rearset-up, w hile this A MG Line Edition gets loweredsports suspension as standard. Adaptive dampersaren’t currently available on the C-Class becauseMercedes has reduced the range of options on offer.The C -Class’ interior is much more traditionalthan those of its rivals. T he design wraps aroundthe driver and front passenger, a nd while materialquality is on par with the Volvo’s and BMW’s, thedesign doesn’t have the minimalist feel of theformer nor the modern, sleek set-up of the latter.There is still lots of technology, though. Its10.25-inch infotainment display includes sat-navand you also get a 1 2.3-inch digital instrumentcluster, s o i t matches its rivals for displays.AMG Line Edition models also come with18-inch alloy wheels, L ED headlights, l eather seats,a r eversing camera, AEB, h eated seats and climatecontrol. Changes to the C-Class range mean thatthere are now very few options to add; even thePremium and Premium Plus packs are now onlyavailable by going up to a h igher trim level. Thiscould be beneficial for company car drivers, t hough,becauseitcutsoutpayingextrataxonoptionalextras.DrivingTHE Mercedes is set up for comfort,and it achieves this for the most part.It covers ground smoothly on mostroads, a nd while potholes and harsher bumpsdo thud into the cabin, the C-Class Estate matchesthe BMW and Volvo for overall comfort.The r ide o n t he motorway offers a l ittle morefloat. H owever, i t c an’t match the 320d for driverenjoyment, b ecause there’s more body roll in cornersas a r esult and it has numb steering. The s teering hasa n icer weight than the V60, b ut neither can matchthe BMW for fun. Yet w ith l ots of grip and its punchyturbo engine, the Mercedes is still good to drive. It’ssatisfying to keep your speed up in bends.Thatmotorisstrong,too. T heC-Classwasquickestfrom 0-60mph (7.1 seconds), although it fell behindits rivals in the higher gears from 50-70mph, taking5.9 s econds in fifth, next to the 5.0 a nd 5.3-secondTesters’ notes“The C-Class is among a t iny n umber o f c arsavailable a s a plug-in h ybrid diesel. T he C 3 00 demodel mixes l ong-range e fficiency with all-electricpower f or around town a nd lower c ompany c ar tax.”Sean C arsonChief r eviewertimes from the BMW and Volvo respectively. P lus itneeded 4.2 s econds to go from 30-50mph in fourth,while the 320d clocked 3.5 s econds and the V60 4.0seconds. T he difference is marginal, though, and thistrioisfairlyevenlymatchedforperformance;youcanbarely tell a d ifference in outright speed on the road.The C -Class’ nine-speed gearbox is smoothand slicker than the Volvo’s transmission, just. B utneither can keep up with the BMW’s swift shifts.The e ngine isn’t as responsive either, a nd it’s morerattly than the 320d’s motor, although not overly so,while the Volvo’s engine is one step coarser again.PracticalityTHERE’S lots of rear-seat legroom in theC-Class Estate, maybe even a l ittle morethan the BMW, s o a dults will be comfy inthe back. B ut headroom is a l ittle more limited.With 460 litres of boot space with the seatsup, t he C-Class isn’t as spacious when it comes toluggage room. This is key for an estate car and dentsthe Mercedes’ appeal slightly, a lthough folding therear bench reveals 1,480 litres. T hat’s n ot quite asmuch as the BMW’s 1,510 l itres, b ut it’s morecapacity than the V60 offers, a t 1 ,441 litres.As on both rivals here, a p owered tailgate isfitted as standard on the C-Class Estate, whichhelps boost the usability of this model.OwnershipA D ISAPPOINTING 26th-place finishout of 30 brands in our Driver Power2019 customer satisfaction survey needsattention from Mercedes, w hile BMWw as only oneplace better. V olvo performed best, i n 1 3th, and withits dealers in ninth. BMW’s garages came 25th, whileMercedes’ franchises finished 15th last year.Autonomous braking and a r eversing cameraare standard, but the £1,695 Driving Assistance Packisn’t available on this trim. That’s a s hame because itadds blind-spot and lane-change assist, c ross-trafficalert, r ear collision assist and evasive steering assist.Running costsTHE C 2 20 d E state managed 42.3mpgon test, w hich works out at £1,686 a y earin fuel. The 3 20d r eturned 40.8mpg, whichis £1,748 a y ear in fuel, while the V60 D4 recorded39.8mpg, which works out at £1,791 at the pumps.Servicing on the Mercedes is more expensivethan the BMW, a t £ 32 per month over three years(£1,152), compared with £25 per month for theBMW (£900 over three years). Three s erviceson the Volvo cost £1,050. 4L4Lscore4.2 4L4Lscore4.1 4L4Lscore4.1 4L4Lscore4.0 4L4Lscore3.9Legroom is good, yet h eadroom is tighter t han in the 3 S eriesPoweredt ailgate is handy, b ut boot i s s mallest with seats u pMercedesWagon was r evamped in 2018. We findRunning costs42.3mpg (ont est)£86 fill-up/£465 or 28% taxPracticalityBoot ( seats up/down)460/1,480 litres!Braking70-0/60-0/30-0mph51.5/37.7/10.1mPerformance0-60mph/top speed7.1 s econds/145mphSe

22January202041www.autoexpress.co.ukBMW 3 S eries Touring vs rivalsROADTESTSTHROUGHTHE RANGEWhich trim level might s uit y ou?THE C-Class Estate i s a vailable i n f ourtrims. The entry-level m odel is the SportEdition, which o ffers s at-nav, A EB, a 1 0.25-inch s creen, LED headlights, 18-inch a lloysand a r eversing camera.AMG Line Edition gets leather sportsseats, different alloys, sport s uspensionand a l arger 1 2.3-inch d igital dashboard.AMG Line Night Edition Premium has19-inch a lloys, upgraded infotainmentand wireless s martphone c harging.The top-spec AMG Line Night EditionPremium Plus a dds keyless e ntry a nd go,a 3 60-degree camera, a B urmester stereoand a p anoramic sunroof.Mercedes d oesn’t currently offer PCPfinance q uotes a s a manufacturer, s o t o g etmonthly prices on these models, you w illneed to speak t o y our local dealer.Our c hoice:C2 20 dE state Sport E ditionIts s ofter s uspension set-up means thatthe Mercedes offers good ride comfortWhile nine-speed autob ox is slick in use,the BMW’s t ransmission is quicker to shiftPerformanceIts p unchyengine made theC-Class quickestfrom 0-60mph,yet i t l ost out inour in-gear testsMercedes d ashboardi s t he most t raditional-looking here. Build and material quality is mostly on par with its test rivalsC - Class Estateout if it still cuts the mustarda gainst BMW’s f resh metalNEXT CARAlloffersand finance pricescorrect at timeo f going to press

4222January2020www.autoexpress.co.ukROADTESTSBMW 3 S eries T ouring vs rivalsMODELTESTED:Volvo V 60 D4 Inscription PlusPRICE:£40,465ENGINE:2.0-litre 4 cyl, 187bhpTHE Volvo V60 is a S candinavian alternativeto the German executive car options, a nd itbrings its own approach and style as a r esult. H erewe’re looking at the front-wheel-drive D4 model(£40,465), because the all-wheel-drive version onlycomes in off-road-focused Cross Country form.Design &engineeringTHE V 60 is built using Volvo’sScalable Product Architecture (SPA),which is the larger of the Swedish brand’s twoplatforms and means the car shares parts not onlywith the S60 saloon, but also the XC90, S 90 and V90.It uses MacPherson struts for the front suspensionanda multi-link l ayoutattherear, w hichisa s tandardset-up for this class. T his D4 is front-wheel drive; forAWD you’ll need the Cross Country or the T8 PHEV.Volvo offers two different suspension options.The fi rst i s a lowered, sporty set-up that costs £400,but we’d avoid this because it doesn’t suit the car’scharacter. Much more suitable will be the ActiveFour-C Chassis, w hich costs £750 and adds adaptivedampers that change according to the driving mode.All V60s have four-cylinder engines, a nd thisD4 model has a 1 87bhp 2.0-litre unit that produces400Nm of torque, which matches the 320d’s output.It also has an eight-speed automatic gearbox.Interior quality is very good and despite somehard plastics in places, i t f eels upmarket and classyinside. Volvo has a d ifferent approach to its rivalshere, with simple, clean lines and many functionsrelegatedtothetouchscreen,sotherearefewbuttons.The n ine-inch infotainment display uses a modern-lookinginterfaceandisintegratednicelyintothedash,and you get a d igital instrument cluster as standard.Top-specification Inscription Plus trim is verywell equipped. The s creen comes with satellitenavigation and connected services, a nd you alsoget keyless entry and go, L ED lights, 1 8-inch alloys,roof rails, h eated leather seats and climate control.DrivingTHE V60’s solid-feeling interior ismirrored in its driving experience. Ithas a f ocus on refinement and comfort,rather than offering thrills or sporty handling likethe BMW. While it’s s till good to drive, it doesn’thave the 320d’s agility and responsiveness – a nd theC-Class is a l ittle more fun from behind the wheel.The V olvo’s light steering offers little connection totheroad,anditdoesn’thaveasmuchgripastheBMW.It rides relatively smoothly, t hough. The V 60doesn’t fully settle down on medium-speed roads,but on motorways it soaks up imperfections well.Good soundproofing keeps wind and road noise atbay, t oo. T his means the Volvo is a match for bothrivals for motorway manners, a nd it’s r eally tough topicka s tand-outmodelforlongtripsbecauseallthreeare at the top of the class in this regard. It’s j ust t hattheBMWmanagesthiswhilealsobeingthemostfun.The V 60 D4’s 2.0-litre engine is hushed at a c ruise,too, b ut it’s noisy under load. The n ote is harsherthan the 320d’s, but t here is enough performance.The V olvo was quick from 30-70mph through thegears, t aking 7.2 s econds to the 7.3 s econds it tookits rivals. T hat’s o nly a s mall difference, and this isTesters’ notes“Pure d iesel power i s s till likely be the most popularoption for t hese three cars, b ut all t hree brandsoffer plug-in h ybrids t o h elp b oost efficiency andreduce r unning c osts i f t hey’ll s uit your usage.”Sam NaylorSenior reviewerthe case in nearly all of our tests, b ecause these carsare well matched for acceleration. For example, boththe Volvo and BMW took 2.9 s econds to go from30-50mph in third, while the Mercedes needed3.1 s econds to do the same.The V 60’s gearbox is smooth, although it isn’tquite as responsive as the BMW’s eight-speed unitwhen you put your foot down. It sometimes changesdown more than you expect after a l onger delay,sending engine revs high and hurting refinement.PracticalityTHE Volvo’scomfyseatswillbea b igplusfor passengers, a s w ill be the plentifulrear-seat space. It’s l ight and airy inside, too,so the Volvo is a t op family car, y et both rivals are alsospacious. T here’s q uite a b it more headroom than inthe C-Class and a b it more than in the 3 S eries, s o t alladultswillfeelmoreathomeinthe Volvo’srearseats.The V 60 also scores for luggage space, because its529-litre boot is the largest boot with the seats inplace. It’s a l ittle smaller than the BMW with all theseats folded, but there’s s till a fl at floor and plenty ofroom for bikes or dogs. A 2 ,000kg towing capacitywill be of note to some buyers, b ecause the othertwo models pull 200kg less. A ll three should begood with a t railer, t houghOwnershipVOLVO finished 13th out of 30 brandsin our Driver Power 2019 poll. This wasmid-table but still ahead of the 25th and26th that BMW and Mercedes finished respectively,so the ownership experience should be good.The V 60 has a fi ve-star Euro NCAP rating andplenty of safety kit, i ncluding AEB with pedestriandetection. The I ntellisafe Pro pack (£1,650) addsblind-spot monitoring, cross-traffic alert andrear collision mitigation to the safety tally.Running costsRESIDUAL values are relevant nomatter how you buy your car, b ecausethey affect cash buyers when the timecomes to sell and PCP buyers since they determinethe monthly cost. T he V60 is predicted to retain 46.6per cent of its list price after three years or 36,000miles, a ccording to our experts, s o i t w ill b e w orth£18,857, h aving shed £21,608 after this period.The 3 20d T ouring is expected to keep 46.1 per centafter the same time, losing £22,274, while the C-ClassEstate should hold on to 43.6 per cent, l osing £23,211.These models will be worth £19,051 and £17,944respectively at the end of a t ypical ownership period. 4L4Lscore4.3 4L4Lscore4.0 4L4Lscore4.4 4L4Lscore4.0 4L4Lscore4.1SaSpacious rear seats h ave lots of headroom and cabin is lightBoot i s b iggest w ith s eats up and just l oses out with them downV o lvo V60We discover i f S wedish estate’s leftfieldRunning costs39.8mpg( on test)£72 fill-up/£465 or 32%t axPracticalityBoot ( seats up/down)529/1,441 l itres!Braking70-0/60-0/30-0mph47.4/37.1/9.5mPerformance0-60mph/top speed8.1 s econds/137mph

22January202043www.autoexpress.co.ukBMW 3 S eries Touring vs rivalsROADTESTSTHROUGHTHE RANGEWhich trim level might s uit y ou?THERE are t hree trim levels in the V60range w ith this D 4 e ngine: MomentumPlus, R-Design Plus and Inscription Plus.Momentum Plus c osts £ 520 a m onth ona 3 6-month PCP deal limited to 10,000miles a y ear, based o n a £ 4,000 deposit.This f eatures 1 8-inch a lloys, two-zoneclimate c ontrol, a d igital instrumentcluster, h eated l eather seats, AEB andcruise control. You a lso g et a n ine-inchtouchscreen infotainment set-up with nav.Move up to R-Design Plus f or a s portierlook, different alloys, a h ead-up display,keyless e ntry a nd go, a n a uto t ailgate andupgraded seats. It’s £560 a m onth on thesame terms. Inscription Plus a dds similarequipment, minus t he head-up display,but w ith a m ore r eserved l ook than thesporty R-Design. I t c osts £ 584 a m onth.Our c hoice:V60D 4 Momentum PlusRefined suspension set-up makes the V60a c omfortable cruiser on the motorwayAuto transmission is smooth enough, butit can’t matcht he BMW’s f or responsePerformanceDespite b eingslowest in the0-60mph sprint,the Volvof aredbetter in our otherperformance t estsIndividual c abin c ombines high-quality materials with features such a s V olvo’s trademark portrait infotainment t ouchscreenapproach can keep BMWc ompetitor at bayINFOTAINMENT, F IGURES & R ESULTSAlloffersand finance pricescorrect at timeo f going to press

4422January2020www.autoexpress.co.ukROADTESTSBMW 3 S eries T ouring vs rivalsInfotainmentWhich multimedia systemi s b est for music, sat-nav &connectivity?AN 8.8-inch system is standard on all cars, b ut MS portmodels get a l arger 10.25-inch display, p lus a d igital dashto match its rivals here. There’s s at-nav, p lus l ive trafficinformation, Apple CarPlay, v oice features and over-the-air map updates. S adly, A ndroid Auto isn’t available at all.The T echnology P ackage costs £1,900 and adds ahead-up display, g esture control (a gimmick), wirelessphone charging and a WiFi hotspot. We’d go for thewireless charging option on its own for £350 if you needthat function, because it’s a n e xpensive pack otherwise.The r otary control on the centre console makes usewhile driving very easy, a nd you can operate it withouttaking your eyes off t he road, which isn’t so in the Volvo.It’s n ot just easier to interact with, but the menus arealso better laid-out and the graphics are sharp andmodern-looking, so the BMW has the best system here.THE 10.25-inch display screen in the C-Class is a g oodsystem, with sat-nav, s harp graphics and an applicationservice called Mercedes Me Connect. T his uses locationservices to supply things like geolocation, remote doorlocking and other functions on a s martphone app.The s creen is responsive to the touch, logical to useand has a d ial on the centre console too, a lthough thisisn’t quite as useful as the BMW’s because t he menusin the 320d feel better set-up for this input method.Our test car featured Android Auto and Apple CarPlay,butthisconnectivitydoesn’tfeatureon thistrim.It’s a s hame that the COMAND Online system, whichadds 3D maps, l ive t raffic info and voice-controlfunctions, i sn’t available on this trim level, nor iswireless smartphone charging. You need to move up to ahigher trim level if you want to get these features.A N INE-inch portrait touchscreen is standard onthe Volvo. I t’s w ell integrated into the dash, and thetablet-like interface is initially impressive.It looks great, w ith sharp graphics, a nd has an elegantinterface that uses swipe and tap commands. P lus, t hegraphics are sharp enough and it looks modern.Our problem is that it’s j ust n ot very good for useon the move – p retty k ey in a c ar. T he air-con controlsin particular are fiddly and can be annoying to change.Android Auto and Apple CarPlay also aren’t standard;you have to buy this functionality for £300. S till, withthis installed, the smartphone systems work well, eventhough they’re d isplayed quite small, because it’s alandscape interface on a p ortrait screen.The d igital dash is fitted as standard and has goodfunctionality but it’s n ot as sharp as its rivals’ units.FORA ND AGAINSTFOR AND AGAINSTFOR ANDA GAINSTLots of technology, s at-nav i sstandard, high-quality screensNo Android Auto, e xpensive optionsBigs creen, sharp graphics,easy t oc ontrolNo optional upgrades a vailable, notas easy t ou se as the BMW’s s et-upSat-nav i s s tandard, digitaldash, plenty of featuresGraphics could be sharper, a ir-concontrols, connectivity optionalDisplayCrisp touchscreen is large andpacked with features, i ncluding satellitenavigation, but there i s n o A ndroid Autoconnectivity, o nlyApple CarPlayScreenC-Class set-up matches BMW’s f orsize a nd sharp graphics, yet i sn’t as easy t ouse as the 3 S eries’ system. CarPlay A ndroidAuto require a c ostly trim upgradeInfotainmentTablet-like p ortrait screenlooks g ood and has lots offeatures. I t’s t rickyto use o n t he move, t hough, while AppleCarPlay a nd Android Auto are b oth o ptionsBMW 3 S eriesT o uringV o lvoV 60MercedesC-Class EstateLive C ockpit ProfessionalStd.Key f eatures:Sat-nav, online servicesAudio 20StandardKey f eatures:Sat-nav, hi-res screenSensus NavigationStandardKey f eatures:Sat-nav, portrait screen 4L4L 4L 4L 4L 4Lscore4.3score4.1score4.2

22January202045www.autoexpress.co.ukBMW 3 S eries Touring vs rivalsROADTESTSOn the r oad price/total as testedResidual value (after 3 yrs/36,000)DepreciationAnnual tax l iability std/higher rateAnnual fuel cost (12k/20k miles)Insurance group/quote/road tax costServicing costsLength/wheelbaseHeight/widthEnginePeak p ower/revsPeak t orque/revsTransmissionFuel tank capacity/spare wheelBoot capacity (seats up/down)Kerbweight/payload/towing w eightTurning c ircleBasic w arranty (miles)/recoveryDriver Power m anufacturer/dealer pos.NCAP: Adult/child/ped./assist/stars0-60/30-70mph30-50mph in 3rd/4th50-70mph in 5th/6th/7th/8th/9thTop speed/rpm at 70mphBraking 7 0-0/60-0/30-0mphAuto E xpress e con.(mpg/mpl)/rangeWLTP combined mpgWLTP combined mplActual/claimed CO /tax bracket2Airbags/Isofix/parking s ensors/camAuto b ox/lane keep/blind spot/AEBClim./cruise ctrl/leather/heated seatsMet paint/LEDs/keyless/pwr tailgateNav/digi dash/DAB/connected appsWireless c harge/CarPlay/Android AutoAEB = A utonomous Emergency Braking. *Part o f o ption p ack. In red = equipment f itted to our t est car. Insurance q uotes from A A ( Tel 0 800 107 0680orwww.theAA.com) f or a 4 2-year-old living in Banbury, Oxon, with three p enalty points. Residual values p rovided by CDLVIP Data.Figur e sRESIDUALVALUESALL three carsenjoy r elativelyslowd epreciation,which makes theirprices easier tostomach. Goodnews for c ashand PCP buyers.BIGGESTBOOTBMW’s 5 00-litreload bay i sn’t quiteas spacious as theVolvo’s, but f oldthe seats downand the 320dhas the biggestboot. This is keyfor a ne state car.SAFETY RATINGFIVE stars f romt hecrash-test experts,Euro NCAP, a ndag ood level o fsafety kit, meanthe BMWi s s afe.Its rivals matchthe tech, though.EQUIPMENTANDROID Autoisn’t available atall, but w ed on’tmind toomuchbecause theinfotainment i sso good youdon’t need it.TAXTHESE modelsarej ust o ver t he£40,000 pricebarrier, s ot hey a llsuffer from a£ 320surcharge on theiryearly road tax.GEARBOXWITH plentyof ratios, thegearboxes h erearef lexible. T heBMW’s i s t he besttransmission, butall shift smoothly.FUELTANKDECENT fueleconomy a ndlarge fuel tanksin each car areuseful for r ange.TheMercedescanc over morethan 600 miles.DRIVER POWERMERCEDES andBMWp erformedpoorly in our 2019owner poll. Volvomanaged ab etterresult, taking 13thplace overall inthe annual survey.EMISSIONSCONSIDERINGtheir performancefigures, theseexecutivee statesemit relativelylowl evels of CO ,2which should helpcompany d rivers.PERFORMANCETHE C-Classwas q uick from0-60mph, but f ellbehind in highergears. This isn’t abig factor, t hough,because all threemodels we testedaref ast e nough.BMW3 20d xDriveveTouringMS port£41,325/£47,005£19,051 46.1%/£22,274£2,628/£5,256£1,748/£2,91331/£499/£465£25pm (3 years)4,709/2,851mm1,445/1,827mm4cyl in-line/1,995cc187/4,000 bhp/rpm400/1,750 Nm/rpm8-speed auto/4wd59 litres/run-flats500 1,510 litres/1,660/595/1,800kg12.0 metres3yrs (60,000)/3yrs25th/25th97/87/87/76/ (2019)57.2/7.3 secs2.9/3.5 secs5.0/6.5/8.5/15.4s/N/A140mph/1,600rpm49.6/36.3/9.3m40.8/9.0/530 miles47.9-49.6mpg10.5-10.9mpl186/124g/km/32%Eight/yes/yes/yesYes/yes/£1,250*/yesYes/yes/yes/yes£670/yes/£890*/yesYes/yes/yes/yes£350/yes/noVolvo V 60 D4Inscription Plus£40,465/£40,465£18,857/46.6%£21,608£2,573/£5,146£1,791/£2,98632/£417/£465£295/£460/£2954,761/2,872mm1,437/1,916mm4cyl in-line/1,969cc187/4,250 bhp/rpm400/1,750 Nm/rpm8-speed auto/fwd60 litres/repair kit529/1,441 litres1,682/528/2,000kg11.7 metres3yrs (60,000)/3yrs13th/9th96/84/74/76/5(2018)8.1/7.2 secs2.9/4.0 secs5.3/6.3/8.0/10.9s/N/A137mph/1,700rpm47.4/37.1/9.5m39.8/8.8/482 miles46.3-52.3mpg10.2-11.5mpl190/122g/km/32%Seven/yes/yes/£375Yes/yes/£1,625*/yesYes/yes/yes/yes£675/yes/yes/yesYes/yes/yes/yesNo/£300*/£300*Mercedes C2 20 ddEstate AMGL ineEdition£41,155/£41,155£17,944/43.6%£23,211£2,619/£5,239£1,686/£2,80931/£519/£465£32pm (3 years)4,702/2,840mm1,457/1,810mm4cyl in-line/1,950cc191/3,800 bhp/rpm400/1,600 Nm/rpm9-speed auto/rwd66 litres/repair kit460/1,480 litres1,615/590/1,800kg11.2 metres3yrs (unlimited)/3yrs26th/15thN/A7.1/7.3 secs3.1/4.2 secs5.9/7.3/10.6s/N/A/N/A145mph/1,750rpm51.5/37.7/10.1m42.3/9.3/614 miles46.3-52.3mpg10.2-11.5mpl179/119g/km/28%Seven/yes/yes/yesYes/no/no/yesYes/yes/yes/yes£685/yes/no/yesYes/yes/yes/yesYes/no/noNEW:AudiA4Avant 4 0 T DI quattro S LinePRICE:£41,275ENGINE:2.0-litre 4 cyl, 187bhpAUDI’S A4 Avant i s a nother topc hoice. It has a s maller bootthan the 3 S eries, at 495 l itres, but it’s s tillut it s stillpractical and has lots of passengergerspace. It’s efficient e nough tomatch c ompetitors, and therefined driving experienceoffers plenty of appeal.USED:BMW5 30d xDrive T ouring MS portPRICE:£42,000ENGINE:3.0-litre 6 cyl, 261bhpA£ 40,000 budget i s e nough for o ne of the very best and mostluxurious estates around.We found aluxurious estsix-cylinder 5 S eries T ouringsix-cylinw ithjust over 5 ,000 miles o n t hejusused market for £ 42,000. I t’sumore c omfortable and morespacious than the cars a bove.sS a meOther options forsimilar money...price1 st2 n d3rdResultsBMWEXECUTIVE estates mustoffer a b road range o fability and the BMW3 20d Touring f ulfilsthis b rief brilliantly, s o i t w ins h ere a sa r esult. It marries m uch o f t he V60’spracticality, w ith a b ig boot and loads ofpassenger s pace, b ut betters i t f or tech.The high-quality interior is packed withplenty of standard k it, but t he BMWi salso a s tand-out for r ide a nd handling,because it’s both fun t o d rive a ndcomfy. It’ll b e c ost-effective t o r un, t oo.★★★★★VOL V OIT was close f or secondplace, because the V60and C-Class offer a l ot of the samebenefits. But t he V60 has a f ew keystrong points that edge i t a head of itsrival. T he most important is its largerboot and more s pacious r ear s eats,particularly for h eadroom. The Volvois also cheaper and will cost less t orun, while the classy c abin gives itan individual feel. I t’s comfortableenough and well equipped, too.★★★★★MERCEDESTHE C-Class Estate i s s tilla f antastic car t hat c oversso many bases. It’s comfortable, hasa h igh-quality cabin, lots of kit ( albeitno phone tech), enough boot spaceand a s trong e ngine. Yet i t’s third h erebecause i ts rivals a re just slightlybetter in key a reas for a n e state. TheMercedes l acks a l ittle p racticalityand it’s also not as much f un todrive a s t he BMW, so it has to finishthird, despite a ll its strengths.★★★★★ROADTEST★★★★✩BMW3SERIESESTATEJAN 2020

46622January20202January2020www.autoexpress.co.ukwww.autoexpress.co.ukROADTESTSAudi Q3 vs Lexus UXQ3 Sportbackv sUXHEAD- T O - HEADTESTSleeker version of Audi SUV sacrifices some of itsspace f or style, b ut will s till c ope with family lifeAudi’s r ange of Qmodels is growing and the Q3 Sportback is one ofseven SUVs the German brand now offers, w ith high-performanceS a nd RS models available, as well as plug-in hybrids and even an EV.This Q3 Sportback is powered by Audi’s 2 .0 TDI engine, and inS l ine trim with two-wheel drive and an automatic gearbox, it costs£37,420. While its sloping roofline gives you extra style over a r egularQ3, y oulosesomepracticality, b utwithcarslikethePorscheCayenneCoupé popularising this bodystyle, even at this more affordable endof the market, i t’s a v ariant that’ll take family life in its stride.FOR A NDAGAINSTFor:Stylish looks, good practicality andbetter infotainment t han the LexusAgainst:Not q uite a s e fficient a s U X, so higherrunning costs; slower, occasionally jerky gearboxWHAT WE L OVEAudiQ3Sportback35TDIS l ine S t ronicPrice:£37,420Engine:2.0-litre f our-cylinder turbodieselPower/torque:148bhp/340NmTransmission:Seven-speed dual-clutchautomatic, front-wheel d rive0-60mph/top speed:9.5 seconds/127mphTest economy:41.4mpgCO /tax:2127g/km/£145Options:Metallic paint (£575), Driver A ssistancePack (£800), Advanced Key ( £400), M atrix L EDheadlights (£675), Virtual C ockpit Plus (£250),Audi Sound System( £275)AudiQ3 SportbackFIGURESImposing styleThe Q3 Sportback has a mini-Lamborghini Urus vibe to its looks.It’s a w ell executede volution of thesecond-generation Q3’s styling.Length/wheelbase:4,500/2,680mmHeight/width:1,567/1,843mmBoot (seats u p/down):530/1,400 litresvUnderpinningsnderpinningsQ3 Sportback is based on the MQB3 Sportback is based on the MQBplatform - a k nown quantity - s olatform - a known q u a n tity - soumoait drives well, a s w e’ll seet drives well, as we’ll seee’vd2UQp pi iswwyn a ,nae

22January202047www.autoexpress.co.ukautoexpress.co.ukAudi Q3 vs Lexus UXROADTESTSWith SUVs n owso popular,you’ll need a c oupé-SUVto stand out, but which isthe better, A udi orLexus?THE current SUV craze h appened partly because style-conscious b uyers w ere l ooking t o s tand out from thecrowd. But n ow most manufacturers o ffer these higher-riding m odels, and that has meant that buyers are l ookingfor t he next niche: the coupé-SUV.The Audi Q3 Sportback f ulfils the brief nicely, c ombiningconventional SUV practicality with coupé-like s tyling. Butthat puts it in direct competition with one of our favouritecompact, coupé-like c rossovers (and a p revious r oad testwinner in this m agazine): t he Lexus U X.Practicality and value are i mportant considerationshere, but i t’s also a b attle b etween diesel and petrolhybrid. So we’ll s ee howt hese two c ars c ompare f oreconomy – yet a nother front where t his f ight will be won.Hybrid Lexus c osts more t han A udi but is betterequipped, and should be at least a s e conomicalTHELexusUXisoneofourfavouritecarsinthisclass, a nditsawoff t hechallengefromtheBMWX2 lastyear. B utnowA udi a lsooffersa c arinthis class, s o t he Lexus faces the same fight from the Q3 Sportback.The U X i s e quipped for battle, though. A p etrol-hybrid powertrainis in tune with motoring politics in 2020, o ffering impressiveeconomy on paper and therefore running costs to rival its dieselcompetitor’s. In £38,605 F S port trim to match Audi’s S l ine, with thePremium Plus and Tech &S afety Packs, i t’s s lightly more expensivethan the Q3, b ut its e quipment justifies that.FOR A NDAGAINSTFor:Refinement, hybrid efficiency, ride quality andhandling nicely judged, strong performanceAgainst:Infotainment s till frustrating despitenewt ech, small boot, cramped rear cabinWHAT WE L OVELexusUXF S portPremiumPlusPack,T e ch&Safety P acksPrice:£38,605Engine:2.0-litre 4 cyl petrol, 2 x e -motorsPower/torque:182bhp/N/ATransmission:CVT automatic, front-wheel d rive0-60mph/top speed:8.0 seconds/110mphTest economy:45.5mpgCO /tax:297g/km/£135Options:Special m etallic paint (£820)LexusUXFIGURESRunning costsCompared with the Q3 Sportback,the UX should be cheaper to run. Itgets slightly more k it too, althoughit is a l ittle pricier than the AudiLength/wheelbase:4,495/2,640mmHeight/width:1,540/1,840mmBoot (seats up/down):320/1,231 litresvsHybridCombination of petrol and electricombination of petropower g ives good performanceemfppower gives gooddosirwpand strong efficiencyyyecengand strordayit is a little pricier than the AudiC

4822January2020www.autoexpress.co.ukROADTESTSAudi Q3 vs Lexus UX1 s tAudi Q3 SportbackExtra p racticality and better in-car tech put the newQ 3 j ust a head of its hybrid rivalLIKE many of Audi’s c ars, t his Q3 Sportback isbased on the brand’s MQB scalable platform.Its versatility is highlighted by the fact that thisarchitecture also underpins rapid sports cars likethe TT RS in the brand’s line-up.This car isn’t quite so racy, b ut all Q 3 S portbacksdo get sports suspension, progressive steering andthe Audi drive select system as standard. However,this sleeker model doesn’t drive all that differentlyto the standard Q3, w ith these features present onthe Sportback – w hich, of course, is no bad thing.The s teering is a g ood weight in the defaultmode, but there’s l ittle feel. It is nicely precise andrespondswelltoinputs, t hough.The r ideisgenerallyfine as well, although on our car’s 19-inch w heelsthe s uspension occasionally seemed unable to keepup, w ith sharper bumps felt in the cabin.Mostofthetime,however, o n t hemotorwayand sweepingroads, t he Q3 was comfortable.The e ngine is punchy enough, too, w ith the2.0-litre TDI producing 148bhp and 340Nm oftorque. The f ormer figure is less than in the Lexus,but the Audi’s e ngine’s e ffortless torque meansin-gear performance is smooth and easy. H owever,its 9.5-second 0-60mph sprint felt adequate but notparticularly rapid. This was 1.5 s econds slower thantheLexus, p artlyduetolesspowerandtheQ3’sneedfor gearchanges compared with the seamless UX.There are some negatives, b ecause the Audi isfar from quiet – b ut in a d ifferent way from theLexus. T he Q3’s diesel rattle is present more of thetime than the drone from the UX’s powertrain,which is only really intrusive at higher revs whenyou need more acceleration, and at full throttle.The Q 3’s dual-clutch box isn’t perfect either.Neither transmission set-up from the cars in thistest is, b ut when manoeuvring, the clutch take-upcan be a l ittle abrupt, w hile the b ox holds ontogears for a f raction too long. At least the shiftsare smooth in auto and snappy in manual.The S portback is 16mm longer than the standardQ3 and sits 49mm lower, a nd its silhouette isdefinitely sleeker as a r esult. T o b ack u p t he style,there’s p lenty of equipment in S l ine trim. Half-leather sports seats, L ED headlights, c limate andcruisecontrol,a 1 0.1-inchtouchscreen infotainmentsystem, a 1 0.25-inch digital dash, Android Auto andwireless Apple CarPlay, s ome solid safety systemsand parking sensors are all included. The q ualityof a f ew of the materials lower down in the cabin isa b it suspect, t hough, while the design is also blandin places. S till, the majority of the interior isinteresting to look at and well built.VERDICT★★★★★IT’S close, but the Q3 Sportback just s hadesthe UX.The Audi has a l ittle less kit but ithas what y ou need, and the infotainmentis much more a dvanced. Performance i sadequate, i f n ot on the UX’s level, and theride and handling are fi ne.The u sability,tech and practicality edge it ahead.ROADTEST★★★★✩AUDIQ3 SP’TBACKJAN 2020ROOFLINEDespite t hesleek styling, the Audi is alsoroomier than the Lexus in therear. T he loss of headroomcompared with the standardQ3 is marginal, so althoughyou h ave to sacrifice a l ittlespace, legroom is good fora c ompact SUV and it feelsmuch more s pacious than inthe back of the Lexus, whichis darker and more c ramped.Ifyou h ave kids that n eedc arseats, access to the back iseasier in the Audi too. 4L4L 4L 4L 4L 4Lscore3.9score4.1score4.2OPTIONSDriverAssistancePack (£800) a dds a daptivecruise w ith lane assist i f y ouwant to add some moreadvanced semi-autonomoustech. However, the UX getsthis as standard, closing theprice g ap between the cars.ATTHE PUMPSYou’llspend £1,747 a year in fuel onthe Audi and £1,535 with theLexus. Diesel is dearer thanpetrol, so while economy i sclose, t he difference i n f uelprice means the saving onthe UX is a u seful £212.RUNNING COSTSECONOMY will vary dependingon how the car is used; a h ybridmight be better around townand a d iesel more efficient onthe motorway. O verall, the Audiclocked 41.4mpg, the Lexusa l ittle more, at 45.5mpg.DRIVINGSPORTBACK rolls a l ittle lessthan standard Q3, b ut ride issometimes lumpy. L exus’slow-speed ride isn’t perfecteither, b ut Sportback offersbetter body control and moreprecision at higher speeds.PRACTICALITYTHE 530-litre boot in the Audidwarfs the Lexus’s 3 20-litreoffering. Both cars get a p oweredtailgate as standard (included inthe UX’s Premium Plus Pack) butit’s o bvious that the Q3 is betterpackaged and more versatile.