Auto Express Special Issue, No. 1730, May 25-June 14, 2022

ROAD TESTSFord Fiesta ST vs rivals All offers and finance prices correct at time of going to press THROUGH THE RANGE Which trim level might suit you? OF these three cars, the i20 N is comfortably the best equipped straight out of the showroom. The only customisation open to buyers is with the exterior paint finish; there are seven to choose from, of which one – Elemental Brass metallic – is a no-cost option. On that lengthy standard kit list are a set of 18-inch alloy wheels finished in matte grey, LED headlamps, heated front seats and steering wheel, part-leather upholstery, climate control, satellite navigation, rear parking sensors, a reversing camera and lane-keep assist. If you choose to go down the leasing route, then based on the deals we currently found, the i20 proved to be slightly pricier than its rivals. Match the three-year terms to those of the others, and the best deal we found came to £415 per month. However, while lease deals don’t favour the i20, it’s still the cheapest car to buy outright by some margin. Our choice: Options only INFOTAINMENT & SPECS Digital dials change colour and appearance according to the drive mode that’s selected Seats Boot space is the best here, measuring 352 litres, despite the i20’s compact proportions N-branded sports seats are supportive, while blue highlights are dotted throughout the cabin Hyundai’s stubby gearlever is connected to a precise-shifting six-speed gearbox Special Issue 51

ROAD TESTS Ford Fiesta ST vs rivals Infotainm8e0nL4t 824L 844LFFoiersdta Which multimedia system is best for music, sat-nav & connectivity? 4sco.r0e PVoollokswagen 4sco.r1e iH2y0undai 4sco.r2e Ford SYNC 3 Navigation Discover Media Navigation 10.25-inch touchscreen Key features: Apple CarPlay, Android Auto Key features: USB-C connectivity Key features: Wireless smartphone charging DIGITAL dials represent a tech boost for the ST, but it’s THE Polo doesn’t have VW’s latest infotainment set-up, THE i20 comes with a pair of 10.25-inch displays; one a pity that the recent facelift didn’t introduce a revised but that’s a blessing, because it means it still includes a for the digital instruments, another for the touchscreen touchscreen at the same time. Ford has elected to stick couple of physical controls, as well as permanent infotainment set-up. Of the three cars here, it feels like with the SYNC 3 infotainment system instead of its latest touch-sensitive shortcut keys surrounding the display. Hyundai has put the most effort into the dials. Each of SYNC 4 software (as fitted to the updated Focus), which The responsive screen and keen loading times mean the three driving modes has its own unique graphics, means that what you get here is nothing more than okay. route planning is quicker than in either of the other two. and if you prod one of the N buttons on the wheel, a unique layout appears, placing a large rev counter The blue graphics are a little monotone and the Driver-assist systems such as lane assist are easy to front and centre ahead of the driver. resolution of the eight-inch display can’t compete with its disable; simply press a button on the end of the left- rivals here. Nor can the interface itself; the menu pages hand column stalk and a menu appears in the digital Elsewhere, the infotainment set-up gets additional aren’t as intuitive as the i20’s or Polo’s, and the loading driver’s display allowing you to deactivate it. performance menus, including a G-meter and engine times are slower. As with the other two, Apple CarPlay diagnostics in real time. Elsewhere, it’s the same, and Android Auto are standard, so it’s easy to make use The GTI gets an uprated stereo, courtesy of Beats impressive system from the standard i20. The screen is of the superior resources at your smartphone’s disposal. Audio. Or at least that’s what the logos say – it barely large, with logical and clear menus. Neither the graphics sounds any different from the average set-up you get nor the loading times can quite match the Polo’s, but both There’s not much in the way of ST-specific functions, in a standard Polo. The Hyundai’s Bose setup sounds are ahead of the Fiesta’s. The i20 is also the only car here although the graphics of the instrument panel change great, while Ford’s optional B&O system is one that gets wireless smartphone charging as standard. depending on which drive mode is selected. of the best available in a non-premium model. Divided Home screen is split into three, Lacking Polo’s graphics look sharp, but Display Hyundai’s widescreen layout giving easy access to key functions such as there aren’t many GTI-specific features. works great on mapping page, and enables navigation and media settings. The pale The digital dials are similar to the regular the system to present plenty of shortcuts blue theme looks a little dull, though Polo’s, but a lap timer is a new addition on the main menu screen FOR AND AGAINST FOR AND AGAINST FOR AND AGAINST Smartphone integration, multi-tiled Rapid loading times, sharp Logical interface, great digital dials, home screen page, brilliant stereo graphics, handy shortcut keys plenty of standard features Old interface neither looks as good nor Underwhelming sound system, Loading and screen response works as well as Ford’s newer systems fiddly steering wheel buttons times slower than the Polo’s 52 Special Issue www.autoexpress.co.uk

ROAD TESTSFord Fiesta ST vs rivals Figures Hyundai Ford Fiesta Volkswagen i20 N ST-3 Polo GTI DSG On the road price/total as tested £25,250/£25,800 £27,245/£28,320 Residual value (after 3yrs/36,000) £14,125/55.9% INSURANCE £13,383/49.1% WIDTH £27,805/£30,135 SERVICING £11,125 OUR typical quote £13,862 FORD feels £13,950/50.2% VW’S two-year Depreciation £1,772/£3,544 revealed the £1,817/£3,634 compact on the £13,855 service package Annual tax liability std/higher rate £2,120/£3,534 Hyundai to be £2,317/£3,861 road, and as the £1,902/£3,803 works out at 27/£431/£165 the cheapest to 26/£474/£165 narrowest car in £2,172/£3,619 £16 per month Annual fuel cost (12k/20k miles) £435 (2 years) insure, with little £330 (2 years) this group it’s 23/£481/£165 – £2.25 a month Insurance group/quote/VED 4,040/2,580mm separating the 4,068/2,493mm never intimidating £386 (2 years) more than the Cost of 1st/2nd/3rd service 1,440/1,775mm Ford and VW. 1,469/1,735mm to thread along 4,074/2,549mm Ford’s. Length/wheelbase 4cyl in-line/1,598cc 3cyl in-line/1,497cc a twisty B-road. 1,431/1,751mm Height/width 201/5,500 bhp/rpm SPARE 197/6,000 bhp/rpm 4cyl in-line/1,984cc BOOT Engine 275/1,750 Nm/rpm PUNCTURE repair 320/2,500 Nm/rpm TURNING CIRCLE 204bhp THIS figure is with Peak power/revs 6-spd man/fwd kit only for the 6-spd man/fwd ALL three are easy 320/1,500 Nm/rpm the spare wheel Peak torque/revs 40 litres/repair kit i20 N – the other 42 litres/£200 enough to park, 7-spd auto/fwd fitted; without Transmission 352/1,165 litres two can add a 292/1,093 litres but the i20 N and 40 litres/£105 it, the Polo’s 1,190kg space-saver spare 1,280kg Polo GTI are more 287/1,079 litres boot increases Fuel tank capacity/spare wheel 10.8 metres as an option. 11.0 metres manoeuvrable 1,361kg to 305 litres. Boot capacity (seats up/down) 5yrs (unlimited)/1yr 3yrs (60,000)/1yr than the Fiesta ST. 10.6 metres 16th/15th EMISSIONS 25th/12th 3yrs (60,000)/1yr Kerbweight N/A ONLY a couple 87/84/64/60/5 (’17) CAMERA 17th/16th Turning circle 6.2 secs/143mph of grams of CO2 6.5 secs/143mph WE like that Ford 96/85/76/59/5 (’17) Basic warranty (miles)/recovery 42.5mpg/374 miles separate these 38.9mpg/359 miles has included a Driver Power manufacturer/dealer pos 40.4mpg three, but it’s 42.2mpg reversing camera 6.5 secs/149mph NCAP: Adult/child/ped./assist/stars 8.9mpl enough to push 9.3mpl as standard, but 41.5mpg/365 miles 0-62mph/top speed 154/158g/km/36% the i20 one BiK 168/151g/km/35% Hyundai’s set-up 41.5mpg Auto Express economy/range Yes/yes/rear/yes band higher. Yes/yes/rear/yes has a higher 9.1mpl WLTP combined No/yes/no/yes No/yes/no/yes resolution. 157/154g/km/35% WLTP combined Yes/yes PAINT Yes/yes Actual/claimed CO2/tax bracket Part/yes ELEMENTAL No/£350* Yes/yes/f&r/£270 OPTIONS Airbags/Isofix/parking sensors/camera £0/yes Brass Metallic is £525/yes Yes/yes/£520^/yes Auto box/lane keep/blindspot/AEB Yes/no standard, but Polar Yes/no Yes/yes PLENTY of added Climate/cruise control Yes/yes White Solid is Yes/yes No/£315 costs on the Polo’s Leather/heated seats Yes/yes £300 and the Yes/yes £630/yes options list; we Met paint/LED lights Yes/yes/yes other metallics £425+/yes/yes £355/no think wireless Keyless entry & go/power tailgate cost £550. Yes/yes charging should Sat-nav/digital dash Yes/yes be standard. DAB radio/connected services £115/yes/yes Wireless charge/CarPlay/Android Auto Results 1stHYUNDAI 2ndFORD 3rdVW ROAD TEST VICTORY goes to the BASED on pure driving THE Polo GTI is the hot Hyundai by the narrowest enjoyment alone, the hatch for those drivers HYi2U0NNDAI of margins. True to the hot hatch Fiesta ST still edges the i20 N. Its who are more concerned about MAY 2022 formula, its sharp handling and strong chassis remains the benchmark: everyday usability than outright straight-line speed make it hugely enormous fun on the limit, yet grin-factor. The auto gearbox will thrilling – yet it still feels special even with the sophistication and feel help the average driver cover ground on a regular drive. It backs up its engine that mean it’s always on your side. quickly, but this, plus the safe chassis and powertrain with the i20’s usual Now that it only comes in ST-3 trim set-up, will leave keener hot hatch strong points of a spacious cabin and following the facelift, it’s not quite fans feeling cold. In this contest the great infotainment tech. Throw in a long as good value as it once was, but if Polo GTI lacks a little character, and warranty and strong residual values, you’re willing to spend the extra cash, if you head into the options list, it and it’s a worthy winner. then it remains a hot-hatch great. becomes expensive, too. AEB = Autonomous Emergency Braking. *Incl. heated steering wheel. +Part of B&O sound system. ^Part of Driver Assist pack. In red = equipment fitted to our test car. Insurance quotes from AA (Tel 0800 107 0680 or theAA.com) for a 42-year-old living in Banbury, Oxon, with three penalty points. Residual values provided by CDL VIP Data. Sapmriece NEW: MINI Cooper S USED: Honda Civic Type R (2018) Other options for PRICE: £26,765 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo, 176bhp PRICE: £27,500 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo, 310bhp similar money... THE Cooper S succeeds where the Polo doesn’t quite hit the THE Civic Type R sits a size up from these superminis, but still mark, because it offers both a premium deserves consideration - it will go down as interior and an exciting chassis. Its one of the greatest hot hatches ever rivals here are more powerful, produced. Incredible straight- but try not to be drawn into the line speed combines with options list and it’s surprisingly wonderful handling, good value for money. steering and gearshift. www.autoexpress.co.uk Special Issue 53

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OUR CARS Living with a Porsche Taycan John McIlroy Charging Porsche Tayca [email protected] Battery (usable) 83.7kWh FIRST REPORT Track-day action with a difference @johnmcilroy Max charging 270kW DC WHEN a new fleet car arrives, we Performance usually spend a few hours going through the cabin, learning the different 0-62mph/top speed features. We may even read the manual 4.1 seconds/149mph (yes, really), while there’s a lot to be said for a good, long journey to help us settle technique of other racing drivers. We in. But visiting a test track, accompanied start off with a few gentle laps of the test by an instructor? That’s a rarity. track, after which he concludes that my However, that’s just what we’ve done lines and anticipation are good, but that with the latest addition to our fleet – the my brake-pedal modulation is “horrific”. Porsche Taycan 4S Cross Turismo – and it’s the same approach that we’d have taken if It soon becomes clear that the guidance we’d actually bought the car. Anyone who around the fairly sinuous handling track purchases any new Porsche in the UK gets a isn’t about learning to drift; Brian’s focus complimentary half-day driving experience, is on getting me to drive more smoothly, you see – regardless of whether they’ve just particularly when easing off the brakes, taken delivery of an all-electric Taycan or a and trying to anticipate how the road 911 GT3 RS track-day special. ahead is going to twist or turn. I’ve told Even so, our own Taycan doesn’t really him to be brutally honest (he says he’s seem an obvious candidate for track activity. a perfectionist, so I guess he’d do that As the Cross Turismo version, it’s the anyway) but after several laps he seems slightly jacked-up, semi-estate version of happier with my driving – enough so to Porsche’s EV, more focused on school runs put it to the test on the other track, which and driving holidays than lap times and also includes the opportunity to sample clipping apices. But at the same time, the Taycan’s remarkable launch control. even the relatively modest 4S boasts some stonking performance figures; with 469bhp Just when I think I’m getting the hang on tap, and up to 563bhp and 650Nm of things, Brian directs me to the kick- available under launch control, this is plate – a water-soaked, plastic-coated a full-sized family car that can crack the stretch of asphalt with a moveable section 0-62mph sprint in 4.1 seconds. of road at its entry. We approach at 20mph, It turns out that Porsche’s Experience the rear of the car is suddenly thrown off Centre in Silverstone is fully EV-ready, course and, before I know it, 2.3 tonnes of with a couple of fast chargers out front Weissach’s finest is sliding gracefully at and another half-dozen at the side of the right angles to the intended direction. imposing building to keep the in-house fleet of Taycans up and running. Yes, you’ve Brian starts working on my technique, read correctly; most customers don’t want cutting down my reaction time, to drive their own pride and joys on track, maintaining my focus on the direction but because they’re meant to go through the I want to travel and removing needless experience in an equivalent model to the steering input. It takes a few goes to one they’ve just bought, Porsche has a bunch get it right, but by the end of class I feel of Frozen Blue Taycans along with the usual considerably more tuned in to how the Caymans, Cayennes, Macans and 911s. Taycan behaves in situations such as this. Surmising that it makes little difference whether I drive Porsche’s Silverstone-based Ultimately I come away with a better car or one owned by the press office, I opt understanding of why this half-day is to take our own Cross Turismo out onto the so valuable to Porsche and its customers. track – but only after attending the briefing, While most of the Porsche Experience where Porsche officials guide the owners on Centre’s day-trippers are new buyers, everything from their cars’ braking ability the bulk of the other attendees are to nutrition, health and fitness. repeat visitors, keen to further explore My tutor for the afternoon is a chap the limits of what their cars can do, in called Brian Saunders – an accomplished GT a safe, controlled environment. There’s racer who splits his time between helping performance to thrill and delight, of punters at Porsche and fine-tuning the course, but also the opportunity to get a solid grounding in the cars’ systems, and how to get the best out of them. I certainly feel I’m in the best possible place as we approach six months with ‘our’ Porsche. “By the end of class I feel considerably more tuned in to how the Taycan behaves” Second opinion “It’ll be interesting to see how what is supposedly the more practical version of the Taycan fits into John’s family life. The Cross Turismo is more like an estate, but it’s still a very focused shape” Sean Carson Associate editor 56 Special Issue www.autoexpress.co.uk

Ready to go Pete Gibson OUR CARS All UK Porsche Essentials buyers – and John – get a Porsche Taycan 4S Cross Turismo complimentary half-day driving On fleet since: April 2022 Price new: £88,270 experience Engine: 2x e-motor, 483bhp CO2/tax: 0g/km/£0 Options: Black leather-free interior (£2,538), Ice Grey metallic paint (£1,683), 20-inch Turbo-design wheels (£1,776), Panoramic roof (£1,137), 22kW onboard AC charger (£1,179), Sport Chrono Pack (£788), Bose surround-sound system (£956) Insurance*: Group: 50 Quote: £1,516 Mileage: 4,500 Any problems? None so far *Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old in Banbury, Oxon, with three points. an WE LIKE Responsive steering in our new fleet addition and excellent body control make Taycan a fine companion on swift cross-country journeys. Bose hi-fi upgrade delivers fantastic oomph without losing clarity Practical Taycan’s charge-cable bag neatly stows away in special compartment WE DON’T Central screens have a decent enough interface, Training John Charge up Porsche Experience Centre has plenty of EV chargepoints for its fleet but they’re a total fingerprint magnet. Porsche would no doubt hones his skills argue that it’s the price you pay behind the wheel for a cleaner, less cluttered cabin www.autoexpress.co.uk Verdict TAKING a 2.3-tonne shooting brake onto Porsche’s track seemed strange at first, but it actually taught us a lot about what the Taycan CT can do. And it’s fast-tracked us past the settling-in period to boot. Special Issue 57

OUR CARS Living with a Toyota Yaris Cross Inside Optional Tech Pack has nine-inch touchscreen with nav and ’phone integration. Rear-seat accommodation is a bit tight Toyota Yaris Cross FIRST REPORT Fuel-sipping baby hybrid is making a good first impression James Brodie Running costs Practicality [email protected] 54.6mpg (official) Boot (seats up/down) @jimmybrods £59 fill-up 397/1,097 litres AMONG all the talk of the 2030 ban for surprisingly large amounts of time. inside. A bit more space, too, given that use of the short-term electric-running on sales of new petrol and diesel cars, Our Yaris Cross is in Design trim, with the somewhat diminutive Yaris Cross, with capacity, has immediately brought this car’s one key element of the landmark change is only two options boxes ticked. its 4,180mm length, is on the shorter side. best aspect to the surface. Since getting the consistently overlooked. Fully electric cars The impact of this is felt in the second Toyota I’ve still not had to fill up with petrol. will likely dominate new-car sales come The £500 Tech Pack introduces a row, where the rear bench is something In fact, there’s still more than half a tank the end of the decade, but hybrids won’t be nine-inch central touchscreen system of a tight squeeze to access and a little in the Yaris Cross from its delivery in late totally off the table. The exact rules around complete with satellite navigation plus short on space once you get there. March. For a hybrid without any plug-in what will be allowed post-2030 haven’t been wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto aspect, that’s seriously impressive. ironed out just yet and are subject to further integration. It replaces the eight-inch But what buyers won’t find in the Skoda Government consultation, but some hybrids display with wired smartphone mirroring is a hybrid powertrain as impressive as this. We’ll see how that around-town efficiency will be sold until 2035. Perhaps that’s music that’s offered as standard at this equipment The electrified aspect of the Yaris Cross is, holds up as the Yaris Cross goes on some to Toyota’s ears, because the brand boasts grade. Our car’s optional Platinum White without a doubt, its biggest trump card. longer journeys this summer. But for now, the sort of prowess in hybrid tech that other Pearl paintwork comes in at £920, although Agreed, at 114bhp its performance isn’t at least, it’s already leaving an impression makers can only dream of. a solid white gloss is offered by default. especially sprightly; 0-62mph takes 11.2 on me as a solid urban companion. The Yaris Cross is the brand’s latest effort seconds, despite there being a Power drive to be powered by the technology, and it’s Standard kit on the Design trim includes mode. But by far this car’s most impressive also the newest addition to the Auto Express a reversing camera and adaptive cruise aspect is its rather astonishing efficiency. long-term fleet. It’s a compact SUV that control with lane-keeping assist. However, offers up a fiercely efficient take on the while it’s representative of what around Since taking delivery I haven’t covered popular B-sector SUV format. half of all UK Yaris Cross buyers opt for, it’s huge miles in the Yaris Cross. Just over Integrated into the pleasingly chunky a lower-mid-equipment level. At £25,690, it 300 have been racked up so far, nearly bodywork is the same hybrid system as looks expensive compared with competitors; all of them within the M25 and almost you’ll find in the Yaris supermini, meaning more so if you choose a higher-spec model exclusively in the car’s Eco mode. So a 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine, a to gain bits such as heated seats, parking plenty of urban driving, making best small battery of around 0.76kWh and an sensors and a power tailgate. electric motor combine to create a small “Since getting the car I’ve still not had to fill SUV that can run on electric power alone You can be in a range-topping Skoda up with petrol. That’s seriously impressive” Kamiq SE L Executive for the same money as the Design and perhaps you’d find that’s a car with a little bit more flair and panache 58 Special Issue www.autoexpress.co.uk

Essentials OUR CARSLiving with a Toyota Yaris Cross Fleetwatch Toyota Yaris Cross 1.5 VVT-i Design FWD Fighting talk Even accomplished DS 7 loses to tank in utility stakes On fleet since: March 2022 DS 7 Crossback Price new: £25,690 Engine: 1.5-litre 3cyl petrol OUR DS 7 Crossback has had an eventful time of it recently. First it paid a hybrid, 114bhp visit to the excellent tank museum in Bovington, Dorset, where it cosied CO2/tax: 102g/km/£160 up to something from the opposite end of the utility-vehicle scale. Then Options: Tech Pack including we learned first hand one of the reasons why tank designers tend to favour tracks over tyres – by picking up a slow puncture. 9.0-inch HD touchscreen, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay (£500), Platinum The initial sign of trouble was a tyre-pressure warning light pinging White Pearl paint (£920) into life on the DS 7’s instrument cluster. The system doesn’t identify a particular culprit, and none of the tyres was noticeably low on pressure, Insurance*: Group: 12 Quote: £395 so a few extra PSI were added, the monitor was reset and the car was on Mileage/mpg: 305/76.8mpg its way. It was a week before the light returned; this time the nearside Any problems? None so far front was slightly down on pressure, forcing another top-up. *Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a At this point the tyre-pressure monitor seems to have adopted a ‘well, 42-year-old in Banbury, Oxon, with three points. I did warn you’ stance. The dashboard light never came back on, but two days later the tyre clearly looked under-inflated compared with the others. Custodian Steve Walker topped it up again for the short drive to the tyre centre, where a new 19-inch Michelin Primacy 3 was fitted at a cost of £183. Eyebrows were raised, but when have new tyres ever seemed cheap? Handy HR-V Honda aims to be sporty and practical WE LIKE The Yaris Cross IONurDfleEetX certainly doesn’t shy away from Alfa Romeo Giulia Second opinion typical small-SUV themes. It looks Honda HR-V eCVT Issue 1,728 chunky and purposeful, with good BMW 3 Series “The Yaris Cross is expected to make a big ground clearance for a little car HAVING waved goodbye to a Renault Captur self- Issue 1,723 difference to Toyota’s European sales – and it’s charging hybrid, consumer and features editor Citroen e-Berlingo easy to see why. This is a great halfway house WE DON’T We’re all for saving Chris Rosamond has swapped straight into one Issues 1,718, 1,727 for those who aren’t ready for an EV just yet.” dosh by cutting back on spec – of its newest rivals – the Honda HR-V eCVT that Citroen e-Dispatch but the Yaris Cross doesn’t hide we’re running in the top-spec Advance Style trim. New arrival John McIlroy Deputy editor its lack of kit, with a cheap and DS 7 Crossback dated strip of blanking plates The 1.5-litre petrol engine and electric motor Issue 1,727 www.autoexpress.co.uk provide similar performance to the Captur, but Ford Ranger Verdict the HR-V’s sharper styling and tauter chassis Issues 1,694, 1,701, 1,713, make the Honda instantly more appealing – to 1,721, 1,728 A STRONG start around town has Chris, at least: “Much as I admired the Captur, Honda HR-V eCVT seen the Yaris Cross cement its it wasn’t particularly engaging. The HR-V’s roll- New arrival reputation as a small SUV that free handling and direct steering are almost Lexus UX 300e should work well for urban dwellers. sports-car like by comparison, meaning it’s Issues 1,713, 1,719 We plan to hit the open road a bit actually quite fun to drive,” he says. Mazda CX-5 more in the coming months. Issue 1,726 A rakish rear hatch looks the part, too, Nissan Qashqai even though the dog is unimpressed by the Issues 1,707, 1,716, 1,724 low headroom. Chris’s children, however, are Peugeot 508 SW enjoying acres of space in the back and – unlike Issues 1,714, 1,725 in the Captur – rear-seat cup-holders. Polestar 2 Issues 1,719, 1,725 Your ultimate Porsche Taycan CT guide to buying New arrival and owning an Skoda Fabia electric car New arrival ToyotaYaris Cross New arrival Special Issue 59



PA2rwo0ad2ru2dcst We pick the best products for your car and your wallet across 20 categories www.autoexpress.co.uk AS the cost of living and motoring soars, it’s more important than ever that your money is spent wisely. Thanks to our extensive programme of product tests, conducted by people with decades of experience in the sector, we can ensure that whether you’re buying a cleaner for under a fiver or improving your chances of safe winter driving with a set of all-season tyres, it will be money well spent. Our Product Awards are also a celebration of the aftermarket, which has had a lot to cope with over the past 12 months as lockdowns made way for stock shortages and soaring prices. We’d like to give huge thanks to everyone who put in the extra effort to ensure our test programme could continue. Supply chain problems made access to samples difficult, but we’ve put close to 550 products to the test over the past 12 months, slightly up on last year’s total. More than 400 appeared in our multitests, over 100 in mini assessments, while car care testing alone topped 160 products in a sector that shows little sign of slowing. As you look to make every penny count, take the time to read the next 28 pages so you’ll know you’re getting value for money. xx XxSxpxexcxixaxl I2ss0u18e 61

Product Awards 2022 Wax/sealant Winner Bilt-Hamber Double Speed-Wax Price: £16.95 Size: 250ml Contact: bilthamber.com AS we have seen so often with Bilt-Hamber products, it’s the overall package that seals the win – and that’s the case here. Former champion Soft99 and Sonax’s latest offerings had a slight edge on the bonnet, but Double Speed-Wax (DSW to its fans) was near enough that including an applicator and a good microfibre cloth was enough to see it take the winner’s crown again. It isn’t the easiest to apply, because the thin coating needs to be left for five to 10 minutes before requiring a fair bit of effort to buff. But the result is a super-hydrophobic coating that barely slowed throughout the test, even when we assessed the beading once the panel was dirty. A recent £2 price rise almost unseated our multiple champion, but it put it on a par with the returning Soft99. In the end it was another victory for serial winner Double Speed-Wax, which provided remarkable protection for well under £20. Wax/sealant Our longer test shows products to take a shine to 28 THE days of just picking between hard then the final results were close. We took and liquid waxes are long gone, with price into account, but the heart of the test products all manner of chemistry in LSPs (last-step was durability. Each product was applied tested products). We have separate tests for ceramic according to the maker’s instructions to a and graphene-based protection, so we’re carefully prepared bonnet free from any looking at the rest here, from hard waxes previous LSPs, and beading monitored for to crystal-clear liquids that look like water. the full 12 weeks. While some showed little We extended our test to 12 weeks to sign of working by the end, impressively help separate the front-runners, but even half of them were still shifting water. Commended Soft99 Water Block Sonax Profiline Soft99 Fusso Coat 12 Super Splash Dark Polymer-Netshield Months Wax Dark Coat Price: £19.99 Size: 300g Price: £14.95 Size: 340ml Price: £31.49 Size: 200g Contact: soft99store.co.uk Contact: sonax.co.uk Contact: soft99store.co.uk SOFT99 is a past winner of this test BASED on previous experience, FUSSO Coat is back where it left off with Fusso Coat (right), but Water we didn’t expect much from this with another commendation. This Block got closest to the Bilt-Hamber. aerosol-applied protection, but time we went for the Dark version, For non-Japanese speakers the Polymer-Netshield’s performance but there’s been a substantial price packaging is a mystery, but there’s really took us by surprise. hike since we last tested it, which a QR code for instructions plus a doesn’t help in this company. sticker in English on the base. It requires little effort and its promise of six months’ protection There’s still the rapid water After it’s buffed, you have a seems valid based on our test where beading we recall from previous coating that lives up to claims it showed little sign of slowing. tests, but Water Block (left) had a of “extreme hydrophobicity”. Others may have the edge on price slight edge. Like our winner, it’s It was at the head of the pack and will outlast the 340ml you get, not the quickest to apply, needing throughout and has a clear price but for quick protection this is hard up to 15 minutes to haze then advantage over Fusso Coat, plus to beat. Another top performance requiring a little effort to buff, but you get 300g rather than 200g. from the revitalised Sonax range. Fusso Coat remains a top performer. 62 Special Issue www.autoexpress.co.uk

Wash wax Product Awards 2022 Wash wax Winner Save time, but still leave your paint well protected 16 Sonax Xtreme PROTECTION that goes on to a wet car edge, but there’s only a small gap to the Spray+Seal or as you dry can be great for drivers best wash waxes. The options have also products who don’t have the time to get out the wax grown, with products that go on to wet or tested Price: £16.95 Size: 750ml and spend an hour applying and buffing it. dry cars joined by ones applied with a lance Contact: sonax.co.uk As so often with labour-saving products, or sprayed on and rinsed immediately. the protection wasn’t as good as drying a ADDING protection to your paintwork car then applying a regular wax, but new To find the best, we applied each to the doesn’t get much easier than this. After washing the technologies have cut that gap. Ceramics, maker’s requirements and then monitored car and thoroughly rinsing it, you apply Spray+Seal. It sealants and paste waxes still have the water beading over 11 weeks. Price was doesn’t need much, just two or three pulls per square also taken into account in the final ranking. metre, then it’s immediately rinsed away with plenty of water and dried as normal. As we have seen before with this type of product, the protection left after such a short time on the car is hard to believe. Spray+Seal topped our beading test results throughout and was still quickly clearing its section even after almost three months. It is pretty impressive and, along with Autobead’s Lance Sealant, the standout performer. It also won’t break the bank, because coming in a big 750ml trigger bottle means it lasts well if used sparingly, as required by the directions. It can also be used to top up protection previously applied. Another impressive product from the revitalised Sonax range on its return to our tests. Commended 303 Spray Wax Autobead Lance Sealant Price: £11.95 Size: 473ml Contact: motorgeek.co.uk Price: £39.95 Size: 1,000ml Contact: autobead.com THIS is a much more conventional approach to getting protection on to a car’s paintwork YOU’LL need to invest in a snow foam lance quickly than the other pair here. It can be and pressure washer to use this sealant. applied to wet or dry panels, and on the There’s also a hefty outlay for Lance Sealant, latter it can be used to remove water spots but it’s not as bad as it seems because it is and other light marks. On wet panels it is diluted before use. You need just one part to sprayed then spread with one microfibre four of water in your reservoir before spraying. cloth before being dried with a second. As with Sonax (above), it needs to be According to 303, its Spray Wax is good rinsed immediately to remove any excess, for 90 days’ protection, but we reckon the then dried as normal. The result is super- company is being modest, because it was impressive protection, which kept pace with still clearly working at the end of our our winner until the last few weeks of the test. 11-week assessment period and showed If you already have a pressure washer and no signs of disappearing. lance, this makes a lot of sense because you’re effectively getting five litres of the mix. Special Issue 63 www.autoexpress.co.uk

Product Awards 2022 Scratch remover 64 Special Issue www.autoexpress.co.uk

Scratch remover Product Awards 2022 Scratch remover Commended We reveal the top ways to restore a perfect paint finish 16 ValetPRO CLEANING your car is a great way of feel with a fingernail will probably need a Advanced Compound getting up close and personal with the machine polisher or professional attention. products paintwork and spotting any blemishes that tested Price: £19 Size: 500ml may well be missed during everyday use. Returning a shine to the clearcoat can be Contact: valetpro.global Looking at the bodywork from different done by hand, and to find the top products, angles can reveal the light marks that will we marked long-neglected paintwork with SOME scratch removers don’t take the edge off any shine you add with a a plastic ice scraper and added a fine line actually do what they say on the wax or coating. Removing them requires a with a knife tip. These were tackled with 20 tin, but instead fill marks so they scratch remover, although anything you can and 30 wipes and progress assessed after become less visible. No fears of each attempt. Price was also a factor. that with Advanced Compound, because it is free of filler and Winner contains no wax or silicones. Angelwax Regenerate Like our winner, it can be applied by machine polisher Price: £15.95 Size: 500ml or hand, but has a 3,000-grade Contact: angelwax.co.uk maximum abrasion, putting it in the same medium-cut UNLIKE several of our other categories, compound range as Regenerate. this test has produced an all-new top It marginally topped our tests, four. The shift to a more heavily but not by enough to overcome marked test bonnet and placing Regenerate’s price advantage. the focus of the scoring on the improvement in finish may have Auto Finesse been the reason. But it certainly Tripple suited Regenerate, which is primarily designed to be used with a rotary or Price: £14 Size: 500ml dual-action polisher, although it can Contact: autofinesse.com be applied by hand to take out swirls. WE didn’t have high expectations Angelwax says it can be used to of Tripple, because products that remove up to 2,500-grade sanding aim to improve and protect paint marks. Along with the rest of the top four here, it tend to do neither well. We topped the results for finish improvement, leaving a didn’t test what kind of water- shine in stark contrast to untreated areas and most repelling finish Tripple left, but of its rivals’ attempts. It had trouble with the plastic it certainly improved our tired ice scraper marks, but fared better on the fine knife paint. And it was adding a shine line, where it only had to give best to ValetPRO. A where Tripple excelled, matching competitive price was enough to give it a narrow the best with a glossy finish. victory over the similar Advanced Compound. It struggled to make the same headway with the plastic and metal blade marks as our top two, but did reduce their impact. And with a keen price, that was enough to put it in our top four. Soft99 Polishing Compound Price: £15.99 Size: 300ml Contact: soft99store.co.uk THIS compound is the middle stage in Soft99’s three-step polishing system, making it another medium-cut formula like our winner. It is also designed to be used with a machine polisher. Despite this, it worked well with just hand application, making good improvements to the overall shine in its section. Much like Auto Finesse’s Tripple, it could not make the same inroads on the blade marks as our top two, but it did enough to secure a top-four finish. www.autoexpress.co.uk Special Issue 65

Product Awards 2022 Trim cleaner Trim cleaner Winner Make your interior as good as new with these sprays 15 Dodo Juice SHINY trim panels still have fans among door tops, a trim cleaner is the way to go, Total Wipe Out some drivers, but the more muted and our test focused on removing grime to products tones of the plastics and surfaces in today’s restore the natural finish of the material. tested Price: £10 Size: 1,000ml cars mean the focus of our test is cleaning. Contact: dodojuice.net Apart from glass, most trim products can We applied ground-in chocolate and a OVER the years, we’ve tested Total Wipe Out in tackle pretty much every interior surface, smear of oil to a plastic panel, then tackled various formats, including a concentrate that needed including some leather panels with care. them with limited wiping and cleaner. After diluting, and now Essex producer Dodo Juice has settled Whether it is removing muddy marks from letting the panel dry we assessed progress. on a ready-mixed version at a competitive £10 a litre. sill panels or shifting greasy deposits off Price played a part in the final result, but the emphasis was on cleaning. It can be diluted 50:50 with water to make it go further, but this pre-prepared mix worked well in our Commended test. As you’d expect, it can be used on soft and hard surfaces inside and outside the car, including light- Detailers United Interior Kenotek Pro coloured fabrics without staining if care is taken. It can Dash & Trim Cleaner Interior Cleaner be sprayed directly onto the surface, or onto a cloth in areas where overspray Price: £9.99 Size: 500ml Price: £9.99 Size: 1,000ml could be a problem. Contact: detailersunited.co.uk Contact: morethanpolish.com In our test the THIS year sees the test debut for THERE’S plenty of text on the pack, overall result was very Detailers United, which has a huge but very little of it is in English, so tight, but good progress range of detailing kit. This cleaner you need to head to the website to across the two marks, has a pleasant citrus smell, and can find out much about the Kenotek plus the great price, be used on hard and soft surfaces. Pro Interior Cleaner. It’s there that secured another win you learn the pleasant scent is John- for Total Wipe Out. Its performance caught the eye Paul Gaultier aftershave. and it marginally topped the results, It was the best here on with just small traces of the oil and It’s also there you learn it can be the oil, and while Detailers chocolate remaining. But that was used on soft and hard surfaces and United was very marginally not enough to overcome the price it needs to be left to react before the most effective cleaner advantage enjoyed by the winning working with a cloth or brush. The overall, it wasn’t enough Dodo Juice. The pack also says the research is worth the effort because of a difference to product is best used neat, so it can’t the Kenotek managed to combine overcome Dodo Juice’s be made to go further by diluting. decent cleaning with a keen price. clear price advantage. 66 Special Issue CarPlan No1 Super Valet Interior Detailer Price: £9.99 Size: 600ml Contact: tetrosyl.com IT’S interesting to see how producers think we like interior cleaners to smell – and this is a “cotton fresh” variation on citrus and after shave. Like the others in our top four, it is a jack of all trades that will tackle all types of materials and surfaces. It aims to clean without altering the appearance of the surface. It might not be able to match our winner or the Kenotek, but the bigger 600ml bottle certainly helped it secure a commendation alongside a top-four result in the cleaning test. www.autoexpress.co.uk

Leather cleaner Product Awards 2022 Leather cleaner Winner Seek out the most-effective solutions for grubby hide 19 Dodo Juice WE added a little spice to our test this more aggressive and do the job on newer Supernatural year by smearing the leather with curry hide, but can cause damage if the protective products Leather Cleaner paste and chilli oil. Alongside ballpoint pen coat has broken down over the years. tested ink, the stains are key to finding the top Price: £10 Size: 500ml performer, because the cleaners have to We made two attempts at our marks Contact: supernaturalcarcare.com shift the marks without harming the top using limited wiping and assessed progress coat that seals in the coloured layer below. after each one. Any protective layer left was YET another win for this super-effective cleaner. It This is where a specialist product scores also checked by timing how long a droplet made good inroads on the difficult-to-shift curry over an all-purpose cleaner. The latter can be of water remained on the surface after paste, plus it did its usual thorough job of lifting cleaning. Price was the final consideration. the ink from the leather’s grain. Care needs to be taken with old or damaged leather finishes, but when it comes to shifting grime, few products can get close to Supernatural. Dodo Juice has firm views on protecting modern car leather, preferring to clean and seal rather than applying some sort of cream. The firm sells a separate sealant, but we can’t help thinking there’s an element of it in this cleaner, because it kept our drop of water at bay for more than 90 minutes. It’s something we’ve seen before, despite Dodo Juice making no claims for protection for this pure cleaner. Overall, this is another well deserved win for Supernatural, which has been our favourite since 2015. Commended Autobead Gyeon Q2M Leather Cleaner LeatherCleaner Strong Angelwax Heaven for Leather Price: £9.95 Size: 500ml Price: £9.95 Size: 500ml Contact: autobead.co.uk Contact: cleanandshiny.co.uk Price: £8.99 Size: 500ml Contact: angelwax.co.uk ANOTHER impressive performance GYEON is back in our top four after a from Autobead, which appears in fine performance in the tests. It got IF we’d ever sat in a leather club our tests for the first time this year. the closest to our winner, matching armchair, we reckon it would smell Like the Angelwax, this spray aims it on the stubborn curry paste, but like this cleaner. Heaven for Leather to clean with a pH-neutral formula Supernatural had the edge when it may have a super-soapy aroma, but that leaves natural oils behind and came to the ballpoint pen ink. that is backed up by an effective nourishes the leather. cleaner, which leaves a water- Like its arch-rival, it is a pure repellent finish on the hide. Like our other commendations, cleaner, the strongest in the South it cleans and protects, keeping our Korean firm’s line-up, and another While rivals talk about leather water droplet at bay for more than 90 product seals the surface. It put up in similar terms to paintwork, with minutes. It did well with the paste, little resistance in the droplet test, sealants and coloured layers, but found the ink trickier. Combined with the water disappearing quickly. Angelwax says the pH-neutral with a competitive price, though, it But if you want a pure cleaner, this Heaven for Leather nourishes the still did enough for a top-four place. is well worth tracking down. hide, leaving it supple and protected from day-to-day wear and tear. Special Issue 67 www.autoexpress.co.uk

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Bug cleaner Product Awards 2022 Bug cleaner Winner Spray away those baked-on insects with these liquids 10 Angelwax RECENT research has found the number temptation to rub harder or get something Revenge of flying insects in England and Wales more aggressive to shift stubborn remains. products has dropped by more than half since 2004, tested Price: £8.11 Size: 500ml but that doesn’t mean you will escape this To find which is the best one to keep Contact: angelwax.co.uk summer without a bug splat or two. your paintwork free of bugs and scratches, Leave the mess for a few days and it will we baked reptile food onto glass, applied THE detailers’ favourite is fast making require more than a damp cloth or soaked each product then gently rinsed to see how this test its own, with Revenge continuing its run of mitt to remove. A bug cleaner is designed much the formula lifted. We did multiple victories that started back in 2017 after the formula for the job and should help you resist the tests and factored in ease of use and price was revamped. Like most of its rivals, it needs to be to produce our final ranking. sprayed on the debris and left to work for up to four minutes, which was perfect for our tests, where a gentle rinse was all the help the bug shifters got. Care needs to be taken in warmer temperatures because it will dry out in less than four minutes, but it works well even with a shorter dwell time. The water-based formula, which is free from harmful solvents, will not strip off any waxes previously applied despite topping the multiple cleaning tests by a clear margin. The liquid is also biodegradable and environmentally safe. There are cheaper products on the market, but Revenge is competitively priced and well worth the extra for this performance. Commended CarPlan No1 Stjärnagloss Super Bug Först Auto Finesse Citrus Power Price: £9.99 Size: 600ml Price: £10 Size: 1,000ml Contact: tetrosyl.com Contact: stjarnagloss.com Price: £10 Size: 1,000ml Contact: autofinesse.com A RELATIVELY new addition to the IF you’re short of space or money, CarPlan No1 line-up, this is the one try this multi-purpose cleaner from ANOTHER commendation for Citrus to seek out if you’re forced to park Stjärnagloss, which is part of the Power, which works in a similar way under trees and are plagued by bird Dodo Juice offering. It comes in a big to Stjärnagloss (right) combining lime and tree sap. No1 Super Bug one-litre pack and remains one of a bug shifter with a traffic film aims to tackle these as well. the least expensive options we tried. remover. It too has a citrus scent and we struggled to separate the We didn’t test these elements, Stjärnagloss describes Först as a two across our tests. but it worked well on bugs, only traffic film remover, which is applied beaten by our champion. It’s thicker before washing to loosen heavy It delivers a fine, wide spray than most rivals, so clings well while soiling – usually around the lower making large areas easy to cover. you wait five minutes for it to work. half and back of the car. It certainly Despite its effective cleaning power, Our only niggle is the narrow spray, worked on our bugs, where it it will not harm waxes, sealants or which is good for targeting spots, proved most effective on the thicker ceramic coatings. A great choice if but wasteful over a wide area. debris on the front of the car. cash and space are tight, given that it combines two products in one. Special Issue 69 www.autoexpress.co.uk

Product Awards 2022 Wheel cleaner Wheel cleaner Winner Colour-changing formulas come to the fore once more 21 Bilt-Hamber A DECADE on from the red revolution, managed to outperform it? To find out, our Auto-Wheel wheel cleaners that change colour as test focuses on just what the formula can products they work on iron particles embedded on do, because a pressure washer or stiff tested Price: £14.95 Size: 1,000ml your alloys are still dominating the sector, brush can mask its true performance. Contact: bilthamber.com with only around a quarter of our 21 test APART from making a highly effective cleaner, what samples not featuring colour-change tech. Using long-neglected wheel trims, we Bilt-Hamber does so well is to provide a complete Bilt-Hamber was a pioneer of the colour- applied each, let them dwell for a set time, cleaning package, so you can get going straight away. change formulas and has been a top then gently rinsed. Multiple attempts were A brush was once a common addition among wheel performer ever since, but has a rival finally made, including some with a lightly weighted cleaners, but Auto-Wheel was the only product that brush to ensure equal pressure for all. we tested that came with one, removing the need to find an old paintbrush or purchase a specialist tool. Commended That useful addition helped to offset a recent price rise, and Auto-Wheel 4Detailer Simoniz Ultracare secured yet another Hummer Iron Wheel Cleaner win in the face of competition from Price: £9.99 Size: 1,000ml Price: £5 Size: 500ml less expensive rivals. Contact: morethanpolish.com Contact: holtsauto.com It topped our tests 4DETAILER was a serious contender, IF you can’t bear to get too close once more because not least because it takes a similar to the pong from the red cleaners, it fared well on the first cleaning approach to our champion. A big then this non-acidic alternative from attempt, both with just rinsing and one-litre pack and a keen price Simoniz could be for you. Unlike with the weighted brush. Rivals keep the cost down – a key factor similar formulas of the past, this matched it on successive cleans, when results are very close. can be used on all types of wheel but none could overcome Auto- material, including delicate ones Wheel’s advantage. The whiff It uses a similar formula, which such as chrome without problem. of bad eggs could be works on the oxidising surfaces of improved – it’s still not the iron particles to reduce, then It was a step behind the best, something you want to release the bond to the wheel. This but was clear of the rest of the get too close to – but Polish brand claims the cleaner has closely matched pack. Add in a that’s a small price a natural smell – it was a bit too competitive price and you have to pay for a brilliant natural for us, but worth overcoming a worthy alternative to the red performance. for its great cleaning power. cleaners dominating the sector. Sonax Beast 70 Special Issue Wheel Cleaner Price: £17.99 Size: 1,000ml Contact: sonax.co.uk PREVIOUS testing of this German firm’s products produced sound results, but nothing special. However, this year Sonax has made a major impact in our tests, collecting no fewer than five awards. Beast Wheel Cleaner was topped only by 4Detailer and Bilt-Hamber here. It did particularly well on the second attempts, but that wasn’t enough to overcome the price difference, despite the one-litre pack. As with others here, the colour- change formula works on all surfaces. www.autoexpress.co.uk

Glass cleaner Product Awards 2022 Glass cleaner Winner If you want streak-free visibility, the result is crystal clear 20 4Detailer CLEANING glass is the final touch in glass dry – look out for specialist glass- Crystal Glass valeting a car because it should remove cleaning microfibre weaves to make products any marks or overspray deposited on your the job as easy as possible. tested Price: £5.99 Size: 1,000ml windows from the other products used. Contact: morethanpolish.com Sprayed on a cloth and applied to a To find the best cleaner, we lightly screen, this will ensure the glass cleaner sprayed oil on to a side window to mimic IF you wince at paying big money for doesn’t spoil just-waxed paintwork or newly the greasy layer that builds up on interior car care products, then our winner here should bring protected trim. We’d recommend using glass. We used minimal wiping, multiple a smile to your face. Polish maker 4Detailer undercuts a second, dry microfibre cloth to buff the tests and tackled a dirty rear window to find many rivals in the test while delivering twice the a winner, plus we took price into account. amount of cleaner. It’s great value, and the five-litre bottle is even better, at £23.99. The win isn’t down to price alone, although it helps in a notoriously close test. 4Detailer also performed well, topping the side window test with a run of results that left no trace of the oil after minimal wiping. The formula is designed to evaporate quickly, and we could see that it dried faster than many others. It had to give best to German rival Sonax on the grimy rear window, but not by much. Factor in the side glass results to that impressive price and you have a debut win for 4Detailer from the Morethanpolish range. Commended Armor All Sonax Xtreme Glass Cleaner Glass Clear Dodo Juice Clearly Menthol Price: £5 Size: 500ml Price: £9.99 Size: 500ml Contact: armorall.eu Contact: sonax.co.uk Price: £9.99 Size: 500ml Contact: dodojuice.net A SLIGHT advantage on the grimy THE packaging looks familiar, but rear window wasn’t enough for we suspect Xtreme Glass Clear had AS we saw in the trim test with Total former winner Armor All to repeat a similar makeover to the rest of Wipe Out (p66), the Essex-based its 2020 victory. It couldn’t match Sonax’s range. In previous tests it producer has simplified its range 4Detailer’s super-low price, but hasn’t troubled the scorers much, by doing away with the concentrate it was among the most cost- with mid-table results at best. option and now only has this ready- effective on test, which helped mixed version of Clearly Menthol. it to the runner-up spot. That’s all changed here, where it had the better of the other three Dodo Juice says the ‘professional’ On the oily side window it was here on the grimy rear screen. It also formula is packed with alcohol to lift a touch behind our other top-four took a win in the second round of grime and leave a residue-free finish, finishers here, but it clawed back tests on the oiled glass. Price does and it certainly delivered on the oil some of the disadvantage on the it no favours in this company, but it and rear window. Price doesn’t help rear screen. That price put it certainly works well and reinforces where tests are so close, but it ahead of Sonax and Dodo Juice. Sonax’s improved performance. performed well enough to maintain its run of top-four finishes. Special Issue 71 www.autoexpress.co.uk

MARKETPLACE 72 Special Issue www.autoexpress.co.uk

Bumper shine Product Awards 2022 Bumper shine Winner Top treatments to bring all your plastic trim back to life 18 Simoniz IF trim cleaners are the jacks of all trades black) plastic trim on a car to protect. Wing Back to Black in car care, then bumper shines are the mirror mounts, spoilers and grilles need products Tyre & Trim long-distance runners. When waxes treating to retain their shine and colour. tested dominated paint protection, bumper shines Price: £5 Size: 500ml outlasted them, beading water for far longer. Our test focused on protection, with each Contact: holtsauto.com In fact, calling them bumper shines product applied according to the maker’s doesn’t really do them justice. Bumpers instructions to a tired bumper from a THERE’S lots to like about this treatment, which can have long been painted by car makers, but scrapyard. We assessed the initial finish, be used on both trim and tyres, making it ideal if there is still a surprising amount of (usually then monitored beading over three months, storage space for your car cleaning kit is limited. It’s as well as taking price in to account. also one of the easiest to apply – just spray on after washing and drying the car and leave to dry. There’s no need for applicators or buffing to a shine with this aerosol. You can increase the gloss by applying several coats, but just one application gave a decent shine and darkened the appearance of our tired bumper. To our eye it was one of several on test that got the balance between gloss and finish right. It was easy on the wallet, too, proving to be the least expensive on test. But it doesn’t take the win solely on price, because it also was beading water all through the three months – a worthy winner. Commended Angelwax Duel Enigma Corona Profile Turtle Wax Wet ‘n’ Black Trim & Tyre Gel Price: £22.50 Size: 500ml Price: £11.95 Size: 500ml Contact: angelwax.co.uk Contact: duelautocare.co.uk Price: £8.49 Size: 300ml Contact: turtlewax.co.uk ANGELWAX says this spray sealant WE’VE been impressed by newcomer will last for weeks rather than days, Duel’s products in previous tests YET another product that can be used but we beg to differ, because that and now it’s Profile’s turn to secure on exterior trim and tyres, plus it’s should be months. It was quickest at a commendation. It is another that the one to pick if you prefer applying shifting water throughout our test. can protect trim and tyres, and it by hand rather than with a spray. provided a water-repellent finish As with rivals, it can be used on that was among the front-runners After washing and drying the car, other surfaces, including paint and throughout the three months. squeeze a small drop on to a cloth rubber. We also like the finish it left, and work into the surface. Leave but the elephant in the room is that It is applied with a sponge, and for around five minutes for a gloss it’s a ceramic formula, which does repeated applications increase the finish or, for something more muted, not come cheap. At four times the shine, but we liked the darkening wipe with a damp cloth for a satin price of our winner, Enigma Corona effect of a single application. It’s look. We prefer the Simoniz’s initial was always going to struggle, but it not the cheapest option, but this is finish, but Wet ‘n’ Black proved to is our clear money-no-object choice. offset by the finish and durability. be the more durable, particularly at the end, when it had the edge. Special Issue 73 www.autoexpress.co.uk

Product Awards 2022 Snow foam lance Winner MJJC Foam Cannon Pro Price: £42.95 Contact: ebay.co.uk PRODUCTS from sites such as eBay are often at the poorer-quality end of the market, but this MJJC is an exception. It’s a class act that shows how a lance should be put together. Since our test we’ve found it on specialist online retailer sites, but prices vary by as much as around £20, so it pays to shop around. And you should, because this makes a thick foam that can be delivered in a wide or narrow fan plus, unusually, the angle can be altered to suit applying to vertical or horizontal panels. The reservoir has markings to aid diluting your snow foam choice (opposite), plus there’s a wide base to prevent it tipping over. It has a metal filter on the end of the pick-up pipe, and if you have a lower- powered pressure washer, there’s an alternative nozzle. A great, well thought-out product. Snow foam lance Give your car the ultimate clean with a specialist sprayer 9 TOUCHLESS car cleaning and snow foam of lances. We focused on foam delivery, but are now part of many drivers’ washing also looked for user-friendly touches, such products regimes as they do all they can to prevent as a scale for easy mixing and how quickly tested adding swirls to the paintwork. But unlike each lance went through chemicals. other innovations requiring little more than a microfibre cloth to apply, snow foams We also wanted to adjust fan width, angle need a pressure washer and a special lance. and mixture, plus we checked how each We’ve covered pressure washers for would work with lower-pressure washers. many years, but this was our first full test We checked the stability of these top-heavy units and took price into account, too. Commended Hydro 360 Halfords Snow BigBoi Snow Snow Foam Lance Foamer Kit FoamR 5 Way Price: £25.95 Price: £27.99 Price: £60 Contact: motorgeek.co.uk Contact: halfords.com Contact: theultimatefinish.co.uk THIS lance from online retailer ANOTHER product that has dropped BIGBOI’S lance is twice the price of Motorgeek was keenly priced on test in price, with a modest £2.01 some rivals, but you get a lot for your and it’s had a £6 price drop since, reduction bringing it in under money, not least the ability to choose making it even more compelling. It £30. It lost points due to the how the foam is delivered. Five- ticks a lot of boxes, too, with scales slim bottle with a narrow neck, way refers to a choice of on a reservoir bottle that has a which is hard to fill. But where horizontal, vertical, angled, wider base than most, and a big it scores is with its extras. cone and jet sprays, selected neck for easy filling and mixing. via a rotating ring on the lance end. It comes with metal adaptors for The foam thickness was only Halfords’ own pressure washers and Other class touches included easy- beaten by our winner, and you can the big-selling Kärcher K-series, plus to-read dilution markings, a wide adjust the angle of delivery to suit a fan nozzle. This can be quickly neck for simple filling and a stable where you need to get the foam. It swapped with the foamer for easy base. A wide range of pressure also has a pick-up filter, but can’t rinsing and turns the standard lance washers are catered for and PTFE match the MJJC’s package or quality. into a halfway-house trigger gun. tape is included for leak-free fitting. 74 Special Issue www.autoexpress.co.uk

Snow foam Product Awards 2022 Snow foam Winner The best way to shift dirt without risking scratches 12 Sonax THIS test started out as an evaluation paint and loosens the dirt so it’s ready to Profiline of shampoos that you use in a pressure be shifted by the pressure washer. products Actifoam Energy washer, but the market has changed and tested just about every product we were sent Our test saw just how much grime each Price: £15.99 Size: 1,000ml for this assessment was a snow foam. foam shifted. We poured 100ml of the Contact: sonax.co.uk The key difference is that most snow recommended mix on to a dirty panel, then IF you ever doubted snow foams really did anything foams need to be delivered through a lance power-washed off and ranked progress. We apart from temporarily transform the look of your car, (opposite), which creates the blanket effect. did the same via a snow foam lance, then then this great Sonax product will prove you wrong. The idea is the layer of snow settles on the finally counted the cost of filling a one-litre The effect it had on our dirty panels was most lance reservoir with the recommended mix. noticeable in the pour test, where the solution is stronger because it’s not diluted through the lance. The section it was applied to had much less dirt on it than adjacent untreated sections. So it was among the best in the pour test, but where it starred was through the lance, leaving the cleanest section by a clear margin. It can be diluted 1:10 or 1:20, and we used the former, which gives it a wash price of £1.46 and a useful advantage over many rivals. It’s also a good option if you lack a lance or pressure washer, because it can be applied through a foam sprayer or mitt. Commended Turtle Wax Halfords Pressure Snow Foam Washer Shampoo Angelwax Fastfoam Price: £14.49 Size: 5,000ml Price: £12 Size: 5,000ml Contact: turtlewax.co.uk Contact: halfords.com Price: £24.76 Size: 5,000ml Contact: angelwax.co.uk A TWO-pound price drop at Halfords since our test helps ANOTHER survivor from our old tests, but it fared better this snow foam from Turtle Wax, but it can’t overcome the than ever in our revamped procedure. The price suggests OUR new test didn’t faze Fastfoam, which finished near fact the formula is used neat. it’s here on cost alone, but any the top again. It was strongest in the pour test, where it Most rivals are diluted in the saving is negated because the shifted dirt better than all but bottle before getting further solution is used neat. one of its rivals. It struggled weakened through the lance. a bit more through the lance, It was no surprise to see but it still made good progress The result is that a litre still the foam blanket was pretty after being left for 10 minutes. costs around £3, and you’ll thin and it didn’t hang around likely get only get five washes long, but it did work well. It Its overall scores were a step per pack. That’s a shame, matched our winner in the behind our winner’s but, in a because the foam works well pour test and backed that up sector where a single use can and was only beaten in the with a decent result through cost several pounds, Fastfoam tests by our champion. There’s the lance. Handily, it can also does the job for just 50 pence. also a pleasant cherry aroma. be used to clean driveways. Good performance at a price like that can’t be ignored. Special Issue 75 www.autoexpress.co.uk

Product Awards 2022 Impact wrench Impact Winner wrench Draper D20 20V These are the best tools to turn to when 8 Brushless 1/2-inch you need extra help with tough jobs Mid-Torque Impact products Wrench 99251 CAR DIY is mostly about twisting and turning nuts and bolts, tested but when rust or over-enthusiastic tightening has made them Price: £197 impossible to shift, it’s time to reach for an impact wrench. This used Contact: drapertools.com to mean owning an expensive compressor to power a pneumatic tool, NEW to the market in 2021, this D20 model was an instant and having yards of air hose snaking dangerously around the garage. hit. It’s housed in a tough, protective case and accompanied But thanks to the advances in motor technology and battery life, the by a fast charger together with two 4Ah batteries, meaning best option today is a cordless electric version. that it could handle plenty of work before needing to swap. We put eight to the test, focusing heavily on their torque abilities by using them to remove wheel nuts and a large hub nut, and driving large Certainly, there was still plenty in the tank after we had hex-head screws into wood. As well as looking at their performance, we finished our tests, despite us making the best use of its logged the battery state at the end of the tests. Marks were also awarded claimed 400Nm of torque. As with all its rivals, the speed for practical considerations such as weight, size and number of batteries could be varied on the trigger and, while the quoted max supplied, presence of a protective case or bag, LED lights, battery-state of 2,200rpm wasn’t the fastest, it presented no problems. indicator and torque-limiting settings to prevent fastener damage. Practicality was enhanced by the five torque settings, ideal for preventing over-tightening or shearing off smaller fasteners. 76 Special Issue The tool is around 195mm long, making it easy to access most nuts and bolts, and very well balanced, which helps to overcome our one niggle: at 2.2kg, it’s a touch heavy. www.autoexpress.co.uk

www.autoexpress.co.uk Impact wrench Product Awards 2022 Commended Clarke CIR18LI 1/2-inch Drive 18V 450Nm Brushless Impact Wrench Price: £178.80 Contact: machinemart.co.uk WITH 450Nm of torque (the highest figure we tried), it was no surprise that this Clarke whizzed through our trials with an ease bordering on contempt. It was neatly designed, short and plenty light enough at just 1.8kg. The brushless motor spun easily up to its maximum 2,900rpm and could be controlled via one of three torque settings. That’s all good, but it’s a shame the settings were unlit and unmarked, plus we had to guess at the battery state because there’s no indicator. HiKOKI WR 18DBDL2JX 18v Brushless Impact Wrench Price: £295 Contact: hikoki-powertools.co.uk A PAST winner, the HiKOKI is still a cracking machine: light, wieldy and able to handle our tests without breaking sweat. It boasted more than 300Nm of torque and had comprehensive instructions with two 6Ah batteries in the hefty, stackable case – it would take a serious job to drain its power. We liked the upmarket, fan- cooled quick charger, four torque- limiting settings and its IP56 ingress protection rating against moisture and dust. Overall, it was impressive, but in a competitive market, the price was just too high. Ryobi R18IW7-0 18V ONE+ Cordless Brushless Impact Wrench Price: £217.89 (inc. charger & battery) Contact: uk.ryobitools.eu AS with most cordless tools, the Ryobi’s battery can be used with a raft of kit. Products are sold bare, so £110 for the device turned into £218 with a 4Ah battery and charger. A case would be extra. As ever, it was very well made and had a heady max speed of 3,000rpm. The torque of 270Nm was enough for our tasks and we liked the battery-state LEDs and the three torque settings, plus the auto stop function for wheel bolts. Short at 155mm and lightweight at 1.8kg, it was also a joy to use. Special Issue 77

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Inspection lamp Product Awards 2022 Inspection lamp 8 We give you a clear view of the best work lights on offer products tested THERE’S no shortage of activity in this sector, as makers explore the major advances in both battery power and LEDs to deliver ever-more-useful work lights. The wide choice allows users to pick what meets their needs best or to have several lights and choose one to suit each task. If proof were needed, our recent test included no designs from the last time we looked at this sector, and it assessed models from two new ranges. Our test looked at three main areas and took price into account. We measured the beam brightness and width, plus runtime at max output. Next, we looked for all you need to be included, plus displays for progress and battery state. Finally, we assessed how easy it was to get light where it’s needed. Winner Commended Philips Xperion 6000 UV Pillar Philips Xperion NightSearcher 6000 Slim i-Spector Flex Price: £99.99 Contact: powerbulbs.com Price: £49.99 Price: £22.80 AIMED more at the professional Contact: powerbulbs.com Contact: nightsearcher.co.uk rather than the DIY market, this is a PHILIPS edged the battle of the new NIGHTSEARCHER goes its own way great addition to any toolkit if you ranges, with this 6000 Slim taking a with design and this adds a new can afford it. And you a get a fair bit narrow victory from Ring. The blade twist to blade-style lamps. Instead for your money, because the Find design is not new, but there is a solid of being hinged, the 500-lumen my Device chip is in included in the feel to this version that we didn’t COB LED strip is mounted on a package, along with a UV leak- encounter in others. The blade flexible arm, so getting light where detection light and a bright torch. unfolds 180 degrees and can be you need it is easy, particularly with twisted three-quarters of a turn, the base magnets on a metal surface. The 500-lumen beam is up there giving plenty of options to direct with the very best, its CRI 95 rating light. There are also magnets in the Its beam was a touch off the best, ensures accurate colour rendering, base and back to help positioning. but still effective, and it was alone and like our winner, it can be used in controlling output with a rotary with Philips’ optional dock charger. The 500-lumen beam was bright switch. Its runtime was a bit down Big money, but a big package. and wide, plus there was a usable on the best, but that cracking price 180-lumen torch in the tip, often made it deserving of a place here. Ring Magflex Slim something of an afterthought in 500 RIL6300 rival designs. There’s also a half- Ring Magflex power option to prolong the 500 RIL6200 Price: £39.99 270-minute runtime we saw Contact: ringautomotive.com at maximum output. Price: £49.99 THIS is Ring’s take on the twist-and- Contact: ringautomotive.com fold, blade-style work light and it has Charging is via USB-C and THIS new Ring delivered the best more than a passing resemblance to a supplied adaptor, plus the beam in our test and lasted an our winner. It had the edge in beam unit is compatible with Philips’ impressive 300 minutes at full brightness, but a similar spread. optional docking station. It output. It’s definitely the one to go also works with the optional for if you prefer the single-unit style That was at the expense of run Find my Device system, which with a hinged magnetic base for time, which was around half an hour helps locate the unit in a busy mounting. It also had a UV light less than our champion. Battery workshop. Top performance in the tip for leak protection. monitoring is good, but you need and a great overall package. to supply an adaptor for the USB-C It was in contention for the win, charge lead. Not big drawbacks, but www.autoexpress.co.uk but you need to supply your own enough to drop the RIL6300 out of adaptor for the USB-C charging and contention for a win. It’s still worthy that hinged base does not twist. of a commendation, though. Even so, the RIL6200 makes a great addition to any workshop. Special Issue 79

Product Awards 2022 Summer tyre Summer Winner tyre Hankook Pandemic restrictions didn’t stop us 10 Ventus S1 Evo3 finding the best summer performers products Price: £87.17 WE’RE now used to travel restrictions being removed almost entirely, tested Contact: hankooktire.com but who could forget that last summer it was all but impossible to leave the UK? The pandemic-enforced rules meant that Auto Express had KOREAN producer Hankook took a well deserved first win to make major changes to its test, which is for the tyre that most of us use in our test, after steadily creeping up the results table in all year round, but across the Channel are for hot weather only. recent years. It has secured original equipment listings Test host Continental did all of the objective testing on our behalf, and with leading German car makers, and that expertise has we hired an experienced tester who has worked for magazines and car spun off into its replacement tyres. We also saw how its makers to conduct the wet and dry subjective elements of our evaluations. policy of developing a tyre throughout its life pays off Fortunately, restrictions had lifted just ahead of our deadline so we could because Hankook has really found something with the get our own impressions of the tyres, too. We had to get tyres sent by revised compound for the Ventus S1 Evo3. manufacturers, rather than buy them in the market as we would normally do, but the winners were later checked against bought tyres. Its wet braking result was particularly special, The mix of wet and dry tests, plus cabin noise, fuel economy and because it stopped a significant two metres ahead of price remained the same, while we looked at 225/45R17 tyres. the next best – and test specialist – Continental. That wet grip continued on the handling track, where it was 80 Special Issue second, and it had a good showing in the deeper water of the aquaplaning tests. It was less assured on the dry handling track, but the braking excellence was still there, netting a second place. A great all-round performance. www.autoexpress.co.uk

Summer tyre Product Awards 2022 Commended Michelin Pilot Sport 4 Price: £112.98 Contact: michelin.co.uk ANOTHER great example of developing a tyre throughout its life, because the Pilot Sport 4 debuted in our 2016 test. It won then and came close in 2021 with a string of results in the top three. It managed the difficult trick of combining good performance in both shallow and deep water with wins in cornering and straight aquaplaning. It dropped to fifth in the closely matched dry handling assessment but topped the results in dry braking. The only area where it showed its age was fuel economy where it was a distant last. Vredestein Ultrac Price: £85.74 Contact: vredestein.co.uk WHILE the top two places were taken by older designs, third was secured by the Ultrac, which launched in 2021, one of several new tyres from the Dutch maker. The R&D team had obviously done its homework, because the Ultrac was the star of the wet handling circuit, finding grip where others would just slide wide. The results were matched in the other wet tests, where it was third behind our top two. It wasn’t the sharpest in the dry, but still managed a joint third, which is enough for a commendation here. Bridgestone Turanza T005 Price: £93.53 Contact: bridgestone.co.uk WHEN tyre makers design a new product, they have targets, and fuel economy was clearly high on Bridgestone’s list, because it romped the rolling resistance test by a considerable margin. Using four per cent less fuel will appeal to many drivers, although this is partially explained by its W speed rating, compared with its heavier Y-rated rivals. The trade- off is with wet grip, and here the Turanza struggled, particularly in wet braking. But other results were good enough to keep it in the running for a commendation. www.autoexpress.co.uk Special Issue 81

Product Awards 2022 Winter tyre Winter tyre The best treads for when the temperature drops 8 WHEN this test started over a year ago the wet and dry braking, plus aquaplaning. in frozen Finland, we weren’t certain it As soon as restrictions eased, we flew to products would be completed because strict travel Germany to complete the handling tests. tested restrictions were still in place. Just as with our summer tyre test, we had to make All-season designs may be popular, but changes to ensure that, if and when we could the ultimate way to cope with weather travel, we’d done all we could to prepare. extremes is to change tyres for the season. Hankook completed the objective tests on We looked at the big-selling 225/45R17 snow at its Ivalo facility, and Continental did size on snow-covered, wet and dry surfaces, taking into account fuel economy and price. Winner Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 Price: £130.69 Contact: bridgestone.co.uk AS the results started to roll in from the various test sites, it was clear that something pretty special would be needed to stop Bridgestone taking a second win on the trot with the Blizzak LM005. In the frozen north of Finland it took a win and a second, but ultimately it was just pipped by the Continental. Back on wet roads in Germany it scored victories in braking, handling and cornering. On the handling track it felt as though it was pulling the car through the turns, while others merely skated wide on the power. The LM005 also starred in the braking test, where it finished two metres ahead of the next best tyre. It made a clean sweep of the dry tests, too, and struggled only in the deeper water of the aquaplaning trials. Wins at the proving ground often compromise fuel economy – but not with the Blizzak, which also proved to be the most frugal in our test. A superb all-round performance. 82 Special Issue www.autoexpress.co.uk

Winter tyre Product Awards 2022 Commended Continental WinterContact TS 870 Price: £118.69 Contact: continental-tyres.co.uk A YEAR’S delay in the TS 870’s launch due to the pandemic did it no favours here. It took part in our 2020 test of 16-inch winter tyres, but although it topped the results it wasn’t ranked because it wasn’t on sale. Now it is, yet it was comprehensively beaten by last year’s winner in 17-inch form. Despite this, the Continental was still a step ahead of the rest of the opposition and was the best on snow. Elsewhere it was less assured, giving best to the Hankook in the wet – although two aquaplaning wins compensated. Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 Price: £104.89 Contact: hankooktire.com WE’RE never quite sure what to expect from Hankook, because the brand seems to make major changes to tyres throughout their lifespan. The RS2 has had mixed results over the years in our tests, but this iteration backs up its second place in 2020. It slid in behind our top two thanks to an advantage in the dry and on snow, and felt particularly good for handling, with relatively lively steering and low slip. It was less effective in the wet, though, giving best to the Michelin, while its rolling resistance needs work. Michelin Alpin 6 Price: £145.99 Contact: michelin.co.uk WITH a focus on wet grip rather than performance on snow, the Alpin 6 makes a good case for being the winter tyre best suited to UK roads. It certainly struggled in Finland, finishing some three per cent behind the Conti test-topper. It made up for that in the wet, where it was runner-up behind our test winner with pleasingly sharp handling. It was less competitive in the dry by a small margin. At the pumps, others had the advantage in what was once a Michelin speciality. The Alpin 6 just misses out on the last podium spot. www.autoexpress.co.uk Special Issue 83

Product Awards 2022 All-season tyre 84 Special Issue www.autoexpress.co.uk

All-season tyre Product Awards 2022 All-season tyre Commended These do-it-all choices need to deliver a 8 Bridgestone Weather great all-round performance in our tests Control A005 Evo products THE rise of the SUV has also seen and Continental for the objective tested Price: £82.37 increased interest in all-season results, because travel restrictions kept Contact: bridgestone.co.uk tyres. In many ways they have a similar us in the UK. As with the winter test, IT’S not unusual for EU tyre label role – the SUV is neither a full-on off- restrictions lifted just in time for us ratings to seem at odds with our roader nor an estate, while the latter to complete wet and dry handling. wet braking tests, but with the Evo isn’t a winter specialist or a dry-road star. version of the A005, which claims For our look at the latest all-season Again we had to ask producers to an A grade, they were spot on. It tyres, we relied on test hosts Hankook supply tyres, but we compared the was the only tyre on test with an top two against purchased tyres. A ranking and it took the win by a Winner metre or so from the Vredestein. Hankook Kinergy 4S2 It didn’t emerge from the wet assessments as the top performer, Price: £81.50 though, because it struggled in the Contact: hankooktire.com aquaplaning tests. Wet handling was good, and the Bridgestone IT was mighty close, but in the end Korean brand backed that up in the dry, proving Hankook just did enough to secure its second overall the quickest through our test victory from Japanese rival Bridgestone. There seems section alongside the Vredestein. to have been some major changes to the Kinergy 4S2 during its life, because it has been up and down our Vredestein leaderboard since its launch in 2018. Snow grip was Quatrac lacking at first, but this latest iteration emerged from our Ivalo tests as runner-up on the white stuff. Price: £79.78 Contact: vredestein.co.uk It backed up that performance in the wet, where it was UNUSUALLY, Vredestein’s new- best in test. It took both aquaplaning tests and was close in-2020 Quatrac took top spot in to the best in braking and handling. It also took the cabin both wet and dry handling tests, noise win, but was less successful in the dry, although although the former win was it was only a few per cent behind the best. The only real shared with Bridgestone. Strong downside to the Kinergy 4S2 was fuel consumption, front-end grip and a stable rear which was three per cent off the most frugal. were key to success in the wet, where the lateral grip was high through the turns. It was a similar story in the dry, but a relatively poor result on snow (Vredestein concentrated on the design’s summer abilities) saw it fall back from contending for the win to a close-fought contest for the final podium spot. Continental AllSeasonContact Price: £91.27 Contact: continental-tyres.co.uk AFTER two wins and a runner-up spot since its 2018 launch, fourth is not where we expect to see the AllSeasonContact. But the margins were very close this year and a small improvement in one test could have made all the difference. A seventh place in dry braking and a fourth in the wet were the only results off the podium, but that was enough for it to settle for fourth and a commendation. We questioned if it was time to update the AllSeasonContact and we know work is under way, but it remains a great all-rounder. www.autoexpress.co.uk Special Issue 85

Product Awards 2022 Headlamp bulb Headlamp bulb We shine a light on the best bulbs to fit to your car 8 WE introduced big changes for our at 50 and 75 metres down the road to get bulb test this year, conducting it using our Figure of Merit (FOM), plus the brightest products a camera rather than a light tunnel. The point, the area with light levels over 30 lux, tested beams from the H4 twin-filament bulbs and beam length. We checked that the were still shone on a marked wall, but then output was within E-mark limits, too. a high-res image was taken and analysed. The system, developed by Ring, gives When we last tested bulbs, just one comparable results to owner Osram’s light promised 200 per cent more light within the tunnel. As before, we measured light levels beam. This time, all bar one made the claim, so we were keen to see who did it best. Winner Ring Xenon200 Price: £25.99 Contact: ringautomotive.com THE longer we test headlamp bulbs and the further engineers develop the technology, the fewer makers there are at the top. Factor in the acquisition of Ring (which supplies Halfords’ lamps) by Osram, and the pool shrinks further. With minor differences between these four bulbs, the results were bound to be close and Ring’s Xenon200 took the win on home ground. As we’ve seen so often, decent results across all tests are the key to securing a win and the Xenon200 was never off the podium. It came top in our Figure of Merit test, where we added together the light at two 50-metre points and twice the hard-to-reach 75-metre reading. It was pipped by the Philips in the maximum brightness test and was also second for beam length. Its worst result was a joint third in the area over 30 lux, but it had done enough to score a narrow win. 86 Special Issue www.autoexpress.co.uk

Headlamp bulb Product Awards 2022 “The longer we test light Commended bulbs, the fewer makers there are at the top Philips RacingVision GT200 www.autoexpress.co.uk Price: £22.99 Contact: powerbulbs.com PHILIPS was the first to deliver a 200 per cent bulb, but has to give best to its arch-rival Ring here, although it was close, with just two per cent between the pair’s overall scores. The root of the Philips’ problems was inconsistency. It took two wins, topping the results in the peak brightness test and delivering the biggest area with more than 30 lux, but it fell to fifth and sixth in the other two ratings, ending up some 15 metres shy in the beam length test. The margins of its victories were not enough to overcome the poorer results. Osram Night Breaker 200 Price: £24.99 Contact: osram.com WE guess Osram has mixed feelings about this result. Its Ring brand took top spot, but its flagship bulb had to settle for third. The margins were small, but the Night Breaker 200 was a step behind our top two. It fared best in the FOM and area-more-than-30-lux tests, with a pair of fourths. The other tests saw a couple of fifths, ending up some eight metres behind the winning bulb in the beam length scores. Overall, it finished level with the Halfords-exclusive Ring Pro, but a big difference in price meant it took the final podium place. Ring Pro +200% Price: £39.98 Contact: halfords.com ANOTHER top performance from an Osram bulb in a brand created for Halfords (Ring also supplies the chain’s own-brand bulbs). The on-pack claim for original equipment (OE) technology is no hype, because we struggled to separate the Ring Pro from the OE Osram bulb even over our four tests. The differences were small, with the pair swapping places throughout and there was just a metre’s difference in the beam length over 150 metres. The bulbs were very evenly matched overall and split only by price. Special Issue 87

Product Awards 2022 Battery charger Winner Battery charger CTEK CS One Let the latest electronic tech keep your car ready to go 8 Price: £219 Contact: ctek.com JUST as with antifreeze, thoughts turn needed, and some can recondition an ageing products to battery chargers as the temperatures powerpack to give it a new lease of life. tested THIS is the first all-new DIY car charger begin to drop and the risk of jumping in from CTEK for more than a decade. your car and it not starting increases. The heart of our test to find the best is There have been variations on the MXS Although winter is the worst time for charging a flat battery, so we timed how theme released over the years, but the heritage was batteries, modern chargers can do far more long each took to revive an 80Ah powerpack. clear to see. And that heritage is long because we’ve than simply get you going again when your We also tested for sparks during misuse, been testing the MXS 5.0 for more than a decade. engine fails to turn over. For little-used cars electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), and The CS One is not a direct replacement – not least they can keep a battery ready to go when it’s measured leads and clamps. Instructions and because it is double the price – but just like the usability were rated and price factored in, too. MXS range, it breaks new ground. While rivals happily list no end of charging cycle stages, the CS One does away with all that – you simply plug it in and leave it to do its job. You don’t even have to connect the clamps the correct way round, because it detects the polarity and exactly what kind of charge the battery needs. It was third quickest to charge our test battery, but no rival could match the overall package the new CTEK delivers. Commended Ring 8A Smart Battery Clarke IBC7 Intelligent Charger & Maintainer 7A Battery Charger Draper 12V Intelligent Battery Charger 53491 Price: £33.50 Price: £59.98 Contact: ringautomotive.com Contact: machinemart.co.uk Price: £67.22 THERE’S lots to like about this long-running charger Contact: drapertools.com IF cash is tight, then look no further from Clarke, which has clear design links to the CTEK THIS 10-Amp newcomer from Draper represents a big than this 8-Amp version of the MXS series, although it is a fair bit larger. It can provide step forward for the company’s chargers. It was easy familiar Ring design. We’ve tested a a 13.6V supply to maintain electrical items while the to use with intuitive controls and delivered a 7.4-Amp lower-powered version in the past, battery is removed, plus the leads are usefully long. It mean charge – a step off the 10-Amp rating, but still but this is a more usable spec and has good instructions, too, and while it wasn’t the fastest useful to have in the garage. Its chances of using a was fourth quickest in our charge charger, giving a mean output roughly half its rating, the cheaper price to overtake the new CTEK took a hit in test. It copes with most modern package was good enough for a commendation. misuse testing, but it remains a top performer and batteries and charged from just 2V. our pick of the conventional chargers. www.autoexpress.co.uk The cracking price meant it was 88 Special Issue close to the Draper after our tests. It aced the misuse and EMC tests, and if Ring could sort the confusing instructions and display, then the positions might be reversed.

Tool bag Product Awards 2022 Winner Silverline Hard Base Wide Mouth Tool Bag 268974 Price: £17.20 Contact: silverlinetools.com THE Silverline is everyone’s idea of a tool bag: nothing special in any one area, but a great combination of features makes it our Best Buy. At just less than a kilo, it was light enough for its 20x30x40cm size and came with a 1.2-metre strap for easy carrying. We liked its tough construction in reinforced nylon, which gave the impression it would stand up to many years of hard work. The zipped cantilever opening revealed a spacious interior complete with eight internal pockets, and there are a further 13 dotted around the exterior. The hard plastic base kept everything rigid and it coped with almost all our test samples. We also liked the Velcro grip, which secured a comfortable cover for its twin handles. It’s impressively well made, practical and, at the price, good value for an everyday bag. Tool bag To keep your tools safe, pick up one of the best carriers 8 ALTHOUGH cars have become ever spanners, tyre foam, torch etc) and then a products more reliable, it’s a good idea to carry a more comprehensive collection, with items tested few tools. The choice between bag and box like mole grips, hammer and multimeter. depends on many factors, but the former is usually a bit cheaper and potentially less We liked to see a selection of pockets damaging to your car’s trim. (inside and out), and elasticated loops were We evaluated these bags by seeing useful for keeping heavier tools in place. A how well they coped with a selection of rigid, plastic base prevented sagging when kit, starting with a basic set (screwdrivers, fully laden and stopped any water or oil leaking. A carrying strap was a bonus. Commended Stanley 16in Rigid Stanley 16in Open Multipurpose Tool Bag Mouth Tool Bag Price: £28.99 Price: £16.49 Contact: halfords.com Contact: halfords.com THIS Stanley was designed for harder work THIS second Stanley bag was a similar with rigid sides, although this meant that design to the Silverline while offering it could not be folded flat when not in use. around 20 per cent more capacity. Like We liked the hard plastic base, which the Rigid Bag (left), it had a 600-Dernier handily rose 30mm up the sides of the construction, which would stand up to bag, offering more protection. lots of hard work, and the metre-long padded shoulder strap was handy. Constructed from tough, 600x600- Denier fabric, the twin-zipped top included There were six exterior pockets, one with a neat transparent pocket, ideal for maps a Velcro flap, which is handy for smaller or instructions. We thought the inside items or those you want to keep out of pockets were a touch shallow, but we sight. Inside were one full-length pocket did like the elasticated loops for securing and three smaller ones. Between them all, tools. And there were four exterior pockets, they swallowed most of our test kit and, like including one with a Velcro flap. the top two, it had a tough, plastic base. www.autoexpress.co.uk Special Issue 89

Product Awards 2022 Dash cam Dash cam Who is the in-car star of our own mini Oscars? 8 THE choice of dash cams has never champions, and went for a drive in a variety been so bewildering, and this year of conditions. We checked how the lenses products we’ve tested more of them than ever and processors coped with changes in light tested before. They range from basic, sub-£50 and weather, then rated the downloaded devices to high-resolution, multi-camera footage. We particularly valued images that units that instantly upload footage to the capture crucial detail such as number plates. Cloud via mobile networks. We attached the newcomers to our We looked for a unit that’s easy to use, windscreen alongside our defending represents good value, has the most useful features and records exceptional footage. Winner Ring RSDC3000 Price: £89.95 (plus SD card) Contact: ringautomotive.com RING is a newcomer to the world of dash cams, but it has made quite an impression with the RSDC3000. On paper this tiny camera wouldn’t seem to excel in any one area, but it kept racking up the points in our test to emerge as a clear winner. It’s compact enough to fit behind the interior mirror and forget about, but also has a three-inch screen for ease of menu navigation, formatting the SD cards and checking the lens is pointing in the right direction. If you want to download footage, Ring’s app is easy to use and there’s a built-in WiFi connection. The camera dealt well with our test’s changing light conditions, and the 1296P files give a useful step up from the 1080P that is more common at this price level. Crucially, it also features a GPS sensor to stamp footage with speed and location data, making it far more useful as evidence. 90 Special Issue www.autoexpress.co.uk

www.autoexpress.co.uk Dash cam Product Awards 2022 Commended Nextbase 622GW Price: £249 (plus memory card) Contact: nextbase.com LAST year’s winner still represents the benchmark for footage quality. It may be relatively expensive, but sophisticated image-stabilisation tech captures superb detail, even in low-light conditions and on bumpy roads. The Nextbase has all the features we value, too, including a quick- release magnetic mount, a slick app and clear menus on an integrated screen. We like the Bluetooth, What3Words location data and Alexa voice activation to protect footage. Our only concern is the price, which may now be too much for many first-time users. Kenwood DRV A601W Price: £199.95 (including 64GB memory card) Contact: kenwood-electronics.co.uk KENWOOD has been nibbling at market-leader Nextbase’s heels for a few years, and the 4K A601W gets closest in terms of video quality. It also has a similar magnetic mount, polarising lens filter and easy-to-use app with a WiFi link. It can’t quite match the 622GW’s image stabilisation and has to make do without the extra hi-tech gadgets, but the output is still a cut above that of most rivals. Its main advantage over the Nextbase is value – it costs less than £200 including a 64GB SD card, or £249.95 with a rear camera and hard-wire kit. Kenwood DRV A501W Price: £139.95 (including 16GB memory card) Contact: kenwood-electronics.co.uk AROUND £150 is a price limit many dash-cam buyers will set themselves, and we reckon the A501W is a great package that slips comfortably under this budget. Its 1440P video obviously can’t match the 4K of the more expensive A601W, yet it is clear enough to read plates easily in all but the darkest conditions. A polarising filter comes as standard to improve image quality in bright sunlight, too, and it shares all the other useful features of the A601W, including a WiFi connection and GPS speed data. Special Issue 91

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Product of the Year Product Awards 2022 Product of the Year 2022 OUR top products award has always celebrated innovation maintenance mode that allowed the units to keep little- way and the unit will detect polarity, while the display is above all else, and it does so again with a design that used cars ready to go for months without problem. They basically a progress bar. The unit assesses the state of the breaks fresh ground. The CS One represents something even mimicked the design of the CTEK’S casing, although battery and applies the charge required, so the driver has to of a new dawn for battery charging specialist CTEK, which few could keep their chargers as compact. do little more than wait – and because the CS One is closer made a similar impact on the market when it introduced to its 8-Amp rating than rivals, that won’t be for too long. the MXS series more than a decade ago. The traditional We wonder how long it will take rivals to develop their ‘toaster’ charger, which whacked current into a battery no own version of the CS One, which aims to take the fear and There’s also an app that monitors charging progress and matter what state it was in, was made redundant overnight. mystery out of reviving a battery after research showed that lets users further explore the unit’s capabilities, including many drivers were scared of hooking up a charger. a reconditioning mode, a 12V supply and the ability to Rivals soon came up with their own versions of the wake up seemingly dead lithium and lead-acid batteries. multi-stage charging cycles that monitored battery state So out have gone complex charge modes, colour-coded and adjusted their input to suit, finishing up with a clamps that need to be connected correctly, and displays Yet again CTEK has changed the way battery chargers that confuse more than they inform. The leads go on any work and the new CS One is our Product of the Year 2022. www.autoexpress.co.uk Special Issue 93

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BUYING CARS ShTarilset-aHnester New and used buying advice from our team of experts Got any car queries? 13th [email protected] PLACE Lexus NX YOU TELL US Excellent safety features and a Q Could I have a car inspected fine cabin make this Japanese SUV a winner before I buy one privately? A I’M looking to buy a used car privately, but my mechanical knowledge is limited and I’m worried I’ll pick a bad one. Would a seller be likely to let me get a car inspected at a garage before I commit to buying it? NH, E-mail THIS will vary between sellers. Some private individuals with nothing to hide might be willing to let you do this, but understandably they could have concerns about their car being taken to an unknown garage. A better option might be to see if they’ll agree to one of the dedicated vehicle inspections offered by firms like the AA and RAC. These range from around £100 to £240 depending on the level of service. 2021 Results Q What are the rules around councils closing a road? Lexus NX Factfile A LOCAL road has been closed intermittently Years: 2014 to 2021 CO2: 161g/km INTERIOR No car in the survey was rated more highly for its cabin for several weeks, at great inconvenience to Fuel economy: 39.7mpg (300h FWD) myself and others. How long is the council Best options: Upgraded stereo, powered than the NX. Owners love the design, quality, visibility and seat comfort allowed to keep the road shut for? We don’t tailgate, heated steering wheel even know why it’s closed. Peter Bennett, E-mail USED PRICES: From £17,000 GOOD NOT SO GOOD A THERE are a great many reasons a road could be closed and the amount of time the closure OVERALL SCORE Bars show where model “LOTS of thought has clearly “THE system for entering a is required to last for could vary greatly. If finished out of 75 vehicles gone into the interior design. postcode into the sat-nav is maintenance works are taking place, there 90.15% in our 2021 new car survey. Very good-quality leather and fiddly. Some of the suggested should be a sign with contact details for the The longer the bar the better an excellent range of colours.” routes are just crazy.” company undertaking them. If not, you should “Front seats are extremely “Infotainment system is very be able to get in touch with your local authority comfortable and easy to complex and impossible to directly to find out the reason and state your adjust for my needs.” use while driving.” complaint. It may help if others do the same. “The performance is excellent, “The engine revs unnecessarily Engine and gearbox 75 1 given that this is a 4x4 with a high, even when I’m only Q Can I reset my car’s mileage Exterior 2.0-litre engine.” accelerating gently.” after the engine is rebuilt? “Exterior design is distinctive “We had problems with the A Interior and comfort and makes the NX stand out battery over lockdown, despite MY car’s engine is undergoing a full rebuild. Practicality and space from other premium SUVs.” following the garage’s advice.” When I get it back, will I be allowed to reset “The overall quality feels “The fuel economy is not as the odometer, because the engine is in Ride and handling better than any other good as I expected, even effect new again? I’ll probably sell the car Safety features competitor offers.” though I use Eco mode.” in a few years’ time so would welcome the “Consistent body panel “A touchscreen would’ve been increase in value from a lower mileage. MPG and running costs gaps and shut lines.” better than the trackpad.” Greg Porter, E-mail Reliability and “Plenty of legroom for rear- “Heater isn’t powerful enough build quality seat passengers.” for clearing the windscreen.” A REBUILT engine does not change the number Infotainment, of miles the car has covered. It is illegal to sell a car that has been “clocked”, so it would be connectivity and against the law to change your odometer to electrics match the miles covered by just the rebuilt Value engine. All you can do when you come to sell the car is advertise the fact that the engine WE SAID “The NX wins two categories in received a full rebuild at a particular mileage and state the miles covered since then. this survey, beating all competition when it comes to safety features and interior quality. Its biggest flaw is the infotainment.” www.autoexpress.co.uk Special Issue 95

In association with Search thousands of new and used cars online Richard Dredge CO2/tax Running costs Performance PREMIUM brands have been hot 134-177g/km 36-48mpg (P’tech 225) 0-62mph/top speed property for quite a few years now, so it’s no surprise that many mainstream car £165 £103 fill-up 8.3 seconds/141mph makers have been trying to move upmarket and shake off their bargain-basement image. NEED TO KNOW One brand that took a slightly different path was Citroen, leading to the 2014 creation THE E-Tense plug-in hybrids both of its premium sub-brand, DS Automobiles. featured a 1.6-litre petrol engine. On the 225 this was a 180bhp For the first three years, all that was on unit backed up by a 109bhp offer were rebadged Citroens (DS 3, DS 4 and electric motor; on the 4x4, two DS 5) – but after three years we got our first motors (220bhp in total) worked stand-alone product, the DS 7 Crossback. alongside a 197bhp engine. With a focus on stylish design inside and out, along with generous kit levels, DS is trying to BUYER’SGUIDE: DS 7 C differentiate itself from the usual premium suspects. The question is, does the DS 7 Crossback have enough talent to challenge used premium compact SUV rivals? History THE DS 7 Crossback went on sale in La Premiere (first edition) form in May 2017. Buyers could choose between PureTech 225 (222bhp 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol) and BlueHDi 180 (177bhp 2.0-litre diesel) powerplants, both of which came only with an eight-speed automatic transmission, which was dubbed EAT8. Six months later the range was widened to encompass PureTech 180 (178bhp 1.6 petrol) and BlueHDi 130 (128bhp 1.5 diesel) engines and four standard trim levels. All engines were teamed with the eight-speed auto with no manual option – apart from the BlueHDi 130, which came only with a six-speed manual gearbox. The 1.2 PureTech 130 arrived in September 2018, the 296bhp plug-in hybrid DS 7 Crossback E-tense 4x4 CHECK ON... Louvre edition The special Plug-in hybrid The E-Tense Dealers There are 27 DS Louvre, launched in 2021, was available PHEVs were fitted with a 13.2kWh battery in blue, black or grey, with unique 20-inch pack, which was good for an electric-only dealers in the UK, 22 of which are in wheels and a lot of bespoke decals. range of 33-36 miles in the summer. England. Check where your nearest is. Citroen dealers won’t work on DS cars.

DS7Crossback BUYING CARS DETAILS DS’s quirky, high-quality ethos extends to its stylish alloys. Large touchscreen has comprehensive infotainment controls, but some of the menus aren’t especially intuitive Crossback FROM £16,230 Is premium compact SUV worth a look in the face of some impressive used rivals? Towing Trailer stability assist was Evexrpdeirctt’s DIMENSIONS Generous cabin space means there is plenty of head and legroom for three adults in the rear. Boot space in all standard across the range. The E-Tense 4x4 Tristan Shale-Hester models is 555 litres with the seats up, growing to 1,752 litres has the lowest towing weight at 1,200kg, Deputy consumer the BlueHDi 180 the highest at 1,850kg. editor Special Issue 97 www.autoexpress.co.uk/driver-power THE DS 7 Crossback faces the same issue as all of the brand’s other models – which ASIDE from the DS 3 appearing in our 2019 used-car polls (in is that there are so many better premium 89th place out of 100), DS has yet to be represented in our options. In order to choose a DS, you have surveys. Its models sell in quantities that are too small, but to say no to offerings from BMW, Audi, the firm did come 22nd out of 30 in our 2020 Brands survey. Volvo, Mercedes, Jaguar and Lexus. Owners like the performance, design, transmissions and Some buyers may be willing to make that engines, but are less enamoured with the infotainment, decision for the sake of having a stylish running costs, quality, reliability and ergonomics. car that stands out from the crowd, but unfortunately the DS 7 Crossback isn’t YOUR VIEW a good enough package for us to recommend it in that company. PAUL Constance from Swansea owns a 2019 DS 7 Crossback BlueHDi 180 auto. He says: “I’ve had a few Citroens, and Common faults I wanted something posher that wouldn’t cost a fortune; this was available for a decent monthly fee. The dealer has THE most common gripes among owners had to fix a couple of minor niggles, while the multimedia focus on electronic faults, with the most system should be easier to use, but my DS is supremely likely culprits being the stop/start and the comfortable, practical, refined, well made and looks great.” electronic parking brake. Infotainment glitches are also far from unusual. www.autoexpress.co.uk “To choose a DS, you have to say no to BMW, Audi, Volvo, Mercedes, Jaguar and Lexus”

BUYING CARS DS7Crossback How much? Model 2021 2020 2019 2018 PureTech 130 Elegance £22,514 £20,237 £17,478 £16,230 Finance per month* £913 £820 £709 £658 PureTech 180 auto Prestige Finance per month* £26,493 £24,157 £22,050 £19,767 BlueHDi 130 Elegance £1,074 £979 £894 £801 Finance per month* £22,759 £20,482 £17,975 £16,318 BlueHDi 130 auto Prestige £923 £830 £729 £662 Finance per month* £26,791 £24,500 £22,295 £20,139 BlueHDi 180 auto Prestige £1,086 £993 £904 £816 Finance per month* £27,963 £25,382 £23,030 £21,406 E-Tense 4x4 300 Perf. Line £1,133 £1,029 £934 £868 Finance per month* £38,796 £35,231 £31,997 N/A £1,573 £1,428 £1,297 N/A *Prices from BuyaCar.co.uk; quotes based on a 10% deposit YOU’LL find one or two sub-£19,000 examples, but this Interior start point will buy an 18-plate, 45,000-mile BlueHDi 130 Performance Line. It’s the most popular trim, with Prestige WHILE the cabin stands out, you might find it a bit close behind. Almost half of the cars we found were over-designed – and the infotainment menus aren’t petrol, mostly PureTech 180 and 225 editions. especially intuitive. The quality and materials are impressive, however, the seats are comfortable, Diesel BlueHDi 130 and 180 models come next, and there’s plenty of rear head and legroom. A while PHEVs start at £34,000 for a 10,000-mile, panoramic roof slightly reduces headroom, though. 20-plate 1.6 E-Tense 4x4 Prestige. The later E-Tense 225 costs from £38,000 for a 2,000-mile, 71-plate Prestige. Boot space is impressive, too, with all models boasting 555 litres with the seats up, or 1,752 Running costs litres with them folded. The DS 7 is available with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and 12-inch Average CO2 Annual Insurance group HD touchscreen, with satellite navigation offered MPG emissions road tax across all models, along with Bluetooth, DAB radio and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. Model £165 £165 PureTech 130 auto 19-23 39-43mpg 147-167g/km £165 PureTech 180 auto 25-30 36-47mpg 134-176g/km £165 PureTech 225 auto 28-31 36-48mpg 134-177g/km £165 BlueHDi 130 auto 21-23 46-68mpg 107-153g/km £155 BlueHDi 180 auto 29-31 57mpg 128g/km £155 E-Tense 225 30-33 157-176mpg 36-41g/km E-Tense 4x4 300 37-39 166-188mpg 35-39g/km THE DS 7 Crossback needs to be serviced every 12 STYLING In keeping with its Citroen months or 10,000 miles, with services alternating parent brand, DS has always featured between minor and major. While the first two services are priced at £249 and £299, from a car’s third birthday strong styling cues inside and out the costs alternate between £225 and £375. The brake fluid must also be changed every two years, at a cost of £69, while the coolant should be renewed every 10 years or 120,000 miles at £90. The four-cylinder 1.6-litre petrol engine is fitted with a timing chain, so there’s no cambelt to replace on that unit. However, the diesels and the PureTech three- cylinder 1.2-litre engine have cambelts, and they need to be replaced every 10 years or 120,000 miles. Using genuine parts, you can expect a bill of £595, but approved pattern components shave this to £495. 98 Special Issue www.autoexpress.co.uk

DS7Crossback BUYING CARS Partwatch Dealer price Independent price Part £71.15-£150.47 £37.94-£74.79 £93.29-£233.59 £63.78-£118.78 Front brake pads (axle set) Front brake discs (pair) From £44.48 N/A £50.44 £7.97-£26.94 Door mirror glass (electric) Front wiper set Prices for a 2018 DS 7 Crossback PureTech 225 auto. Dealer figures from Robins & Day Birmingham (www.robinsandday.co.uk). Independent prices from Euro Car Parts (www.eurocarparts.com). Recalls DS has issued a grand total of only one recall since it was formed as a brand in 2014, and this just so happens to have been for the DS 7 Crossback. The campaign was launched in February 2019, but it affected a mere 11 cars that had been built between 5 September and 26 October 2018. The issue centred on a component within the driver’s airbag that hadn’t been made correctly; DS didn’t specify which part was at fault or what the problem might be as a result, though. As a fix, all affected DS 7 Crossbacks were fitted with a complete new airbag. Incidentally, since that single DS recall, across its entire model range Citroen has issued no fewer than 48 recalls – none of which was because of faulty airbags. However, several recalls issued before 2019 were due to airbag glitches. reached showrooms in November 2019, INTERIOR Impressive build quality then the following summer a front-wheel- and plenty of kit help justify this drive E-Tense 225 PHEV joined the range. premium compact SUV’s pricing Which one? is the Volvo XC40, which is well equipped, always what it should be, with some dealers Contacts very safe and looks smart, while the Range seemingly out of their depth. When we tested WHILE the E-Tense 4x4 is the best to drive Rover Evoque also majors on style, although petrol and diesel DS 7 Crossbacks against Official it costs the most, too, although potentially it’s merely so-so dynamically. the XC40, the Volvo won on both occasions. www.dsautomobiles.co.uk impressive fuel economy compensates if you can charge regularly. After that it’s down Related to the Evoque, the Jaguar E-Pace Admittedly the XC40 is a particularly Forums to personal preference for petrol or diesel; looks smart and is very practical, plus there talented rival, but it shows that the DS 7 www.facebook.com/ds7crossbackclub both are good to drive, but the BlueHDi will is a plug-in hybrid. The Audi Q3, BMW X1 Crossback is no market leader, so make sure https://dsforums.net be far more frugal. Kit levels are generous. and Mercedes GLA offer a decent blend of you try a few alternatives before committing. https://frenchcarforum.co.uk badge prestige, impressive build quality The entry Elegance had 18-inch alloys, and superb ergonomics, with efficient rear parking sensors, keyless go, dual-zone engines for good measure. climate control, eight-inch touchscreen, eight-speaker hi-fi, powered tailgate and Other contenders include the VW Tiguan heated windscreen. The Performance Line and MINI Countryman, along with the Lexus got 19in wheels, privacy glass, Active Scan UX – which is related to the Toyota C-HR. Suspension, LED headlights, upgraded trim and 12-inch touchscreen. Top Prestige added Verdict a rear camera, front parking sensors and electric, heated front seats with massaging THE premium compact SUV sector is very function, plus extra driver-assist systems. hotly contested, so the DS 7 Crossback has its work cut out. Because DS doesn’t have Alternatives the brand equity to compete on equal terms with Jaguar, Lexus, Volvo and the Germans, THERE are some very desirable and high- it has taken a different approach, which profile contenders in the premium compact some buyers really like. Yet from owners’ SUV sector. One of the most accomplished forums it’s clear that customer service isn’t www.autoexpress.co.uk Special Issue 99

In association with Search thousands of new and used cars online Audi Q8 BMW X6 50 TDI quattro S line xDrive30d M Sport Years: 2018 to date Years: 2019 to date Engine: 3.0-litre V6 turbo, 282bhp Engine: 3.0-litre 6cyl turbo, 254bhp Transmission: 8-spd auto/4wd Kerbweight: 2,160kg Transmission: 8-spd auto/4wd Kerbweight: 2,260kg 0-62mph: 6.2 secs Top speed: 150mph 0-62mph: 6.4 secs Top speed: 146mph Boot capacity (seats up/down): 605/1,755 litres Boot capacity (seats up/down): 580/1,530 litres Ins. group: 47 Economy (on test): 31.2mpg Ins. group: 50 Economy (on test): 29.0mpg DISPLAYS Triple screens and plenty FOCUSED X6 tries to instil some of BMW’s of gloss-black trim help the Q8 to driver-focused philosophy by having its feel slick and upmarket inside centre console angled towards the driver 100 Special Issue www.autoexpress.co.uk