6kA1

51A15
1ested p58
Nw8MwM1
New M2 hr|ngs hack some o|d-schoo| |un
PL0S M1's hahy hrother
New Peueot 108
1N fAk Nw5 wkL
!S-2! May 20!1
No. !,268 | L2.60
kl1AlN'SlooLS1-SLLLlNoWLLkLYCAkMAo
Newsuper 50V
packs 109hhp
and 19mpg
kfL05l9 lNA65
www.aufoexpress.co.uk
0L05 8r|ta|n's cheapest d|ese|s rated
0nhe||evah|e! Ihe
|eugeot that's
posher than
an Aud|
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwwssssssssssssssssssssssuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuppppppppppppppppppppppppppppeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee www rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr 555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555550000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
ppppppppppppppppaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaccccccccccccccccccccccccccccckkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkksssssssssssssssssssss 11111111111111111111111111111111111111000000000000000099999999999999999hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhpppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
aaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnndddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd 111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111199999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999mmmmmmmmmmmmmpppppggggggggg
0nhe||eva vv
|euge
posh
un
8Mw's ho|d M |uture
0Nf09k0
0klN ford's
8zmp focus
At |ast, an eco-spec|a| w|thout
comprom|se
Ann[ }A }
tenIenIs
uews'uewca|s'|eatu|es'Jests'||oducts'uy|ngca|s'Spo|t
t0Vk
S10kY
New N1 heads 8Nw round-up

81mpg focus f0net|c dr|ven

f|rst dr|ve |n new -f|ass fabr|o|et

fL5 5hoot|ng 8rake vs kf 5portbrake

0ac|a 5andero
d|ese| vs k|a k|o
and f|at 0anda

we v|s|t tra|||c N

lns|de story on 0eugeot's coo| new 108

!2
SPANNk
S1S
1S1b
PageT4
Newsweek
!4, 8Nw N1 8
|c|us|.c |cacs s|c. |||tc., |astc. suc.sa|cco
!4, 8Nw N2 10
/od |ts sct tc cc (c|ocd c, sca||c., `'0c| ccuc
!4, 0eugeot 108 12
wc ct cc|us|.c acccss tc |cuccts cc|d oc. oc|| .|.a|
Nercedes 5-f|ass 14
'ca|c .c.s|co c| |uu., ca. .c.ca|cd, aod |ts a ||-tcc| ||t
0edestr|an deaths on r|se 1I
||||d.co ccst at .|s| c| |o(u., as s|cc| stats .c.ca|
ferrar|'s exc|us|v|ty boost 18
0css sa,s c.aod .||| .c|o |o sa|cs tc |c.c.c |cac
feaIures
8|g brother |s watch|ng 10
wc .|s|t t|c scc.ct |0 t|at ccot.c|s |codcos t.a||c |c.
Newtars
!4, focus f0net|c 14
|as |c.d ccc.cc|scd tc ct 8lc |.cc ccc |atc|`
-f|ass fabr|o and foup 16
1c.d|cts co Vc.ccdcs oc. sc|t-tc aod t.c-dcc.
Naserat| uattroporte 5 18
1c co|oc |c. oc. |uu., ca. ||us V| 't.ada|c |cu.-dcc.
0eugeot 2008 1.6 91| 41
0|csc| |u|c .|.a| |c.csscd |c. .c t., ct.c| ca.
5koda doub|e 42
wc d.|.c oc. 0cta.|a |statc aod ||t|c 'c.t
8Nw I4 18| 44
|s cot.,-|c.c| |cu.-c,||odc. t|c |c| c| .cadstc. .aoc`
Lexus L5 460 4I
18 |uu., ca. |cc|s a ccttc. cct t|ao l00| |,c.|d
kead IesIs
!4, 8est budget d|ese|s 50
0ac|as 8,``' 'aodc.c tac||cs ||a ||c, ||at |aoda
fL5 5hoot|ng 8rake v. kf 5portbrake 58
||ass, oc. Vc.c cccts |a .|.a| |o cstatc s|cct-cut
0ur cars 64
Jdatcs co t|c /ud| /` aod '|cda ||t|c
PredutIs
|0hone chargers rated I2
|c. adcts tc |cc ,cu. |||coc |u|| c| (u|cc co cc.c
fomb|nat|on spanner sets I4
0u. tcst |c|s |.cc l` c| t|c ccst |c. 0| (ccs co ,cu. ca.
8uying tars
8Nw k1 buyer's gu|de I8
|.cssc.c. c||c.s .cst|c cctc.|o at a .a|uc .|cc
8est compact execut|ves 80
!|.cc .cat c|c|ccs ,cu cao |casc |c. `00 a ccot|
New car pr|ces 84
/|| t|c |o|c ,cu occd cc|c.c ,cu |cad tc t|c s|c..ccc
kegulars
watchdog 26
|cosucc. ac .|t| c|tc sc|.cs ,cu. .cc|ccs
lnbox 28
cu. cccccots aod c|o|co co t|c |cttcst tc|cs
6et Auto xpress every week 81
|c. tc oct a .cat dca| co ,cu. |a.cu.|tc caaz|oc
5port 96
0.|t 0!V sta.s ca. u |c. |ccc .cuod at 0.aods
8ack chat 98
V||c |ut|c.|c.d co .|, .c-.c ca.s dcot add u

8rake vs kf 5portbrake
o
k|o
a
lnb
cu.
6et
|c.
5po
0.|t 0
8ac
V||c
Ne Ne Ne Ne Ne Newwwwww NNNNNN

,
-*
N, AN6, k, 5 or k5,
these mag|ca| |etters
w||| a|ways exc|te
diter-in-chieI: SteveFcwler
eputyediter: 0rahamFcpe
News
Newsediter: }ackklx
eputynewsediter: LukeMadden
webreperter: TcmPhllllps
Newsreperter: Paul 8cnd
keadtests
keadtest editer: }amesulsdale
eputyreadtest editer: uean0lbscn
5enier readtester: UwenMlldenhall
keadtester: LesleyFarrls
Censumer
Censumer editer: }ulleSlnclalr
5taII writer: ChrlsFbbs
Preductswriter: }amleFretwell
Preductien
ChieI sub-editer: Stuart Mcrtcn
Preductienediter: StephenFrrlty
5ub-editer: Matt klgby
igitaI
websiteediter: lalnkeld
diter-at-Iargeand
headeI meteringvidee: Mat watscn
webpreducer: khlan}cnes
Centent editer: klchardlngram
webediter (carbuyer.ce.uk): klchMatthews
esign8Pictures
Art directer: uarrenwllscn
5enier designer: 0ecrgevedmcre
esigner: uanny8rcwn
Pictureediter: uawn0rant
5taII phetegrapher: Pete0lbscn
[unier phetegrapher: UtlsClay
5peciaI Centributers
Mlkekutherfcrd, AndrewFngllsh,
KlmAdams, Peter Lycn, AndreasCcnradt,
klchardYarrcw, Sarah8radley, ClalreFclden
Advertising8Premetiens
Advertisingdirecter: Sarah}chns
usinessdeveIepmentmanager:ShazaAgabanl
Advertisingmanager: Felenkuane
5enier advertisingexecutive: healeSalt
kesearchdirecter(riverPewer):SeemaFcpe
headeIautemetiveinsights: ChrlsFerbert
5enierpreductienexecutive: uanlelStark
Inserts: Abdul Ahad
igitaI tradingdirecter: FlalnedelaCruz
Managingdirecter: }ullan-LlcydFvans
PubIishingdirecter: }ames8urnay
Newstrademanager: uavld8arker
igitaI marketingmanager: AnnaMarley
Marketingexecutive: Charlctte0rlfflths
ennisPubIishingLtd
Creupmanagingdirecter: lanwestwccd
ChieI eperatingeIIicer: 8rett keynclds
CreupIinancedirecter: lanLeggett
ChieI executive: }amesTye
Chairman: Fellxuennls
C0N1N15NICA1I0N5AL5
0ur content isavaiIabIefor syndication.
-maiI an|_dosa|-haIaiQdennis.co.uk
or caII 02079076132for moredetaiIs.
AutcFxpresslspubllshedweeklybyuennlsPubllshlng
Ltd. CcmpanyreglsteredlnFngland, number 1138891.
All materlal ccpyrlght uennlsPubllshlngLlmlted, llcensed
byFelden. Thlspubllcatlcnmaynct bereprcducedcr
transmlttedlnanyfcrmcr lnpart wlthcut thewrltten
permlsslcncf thePubllshers. keglsteredasanewspaper
at thePcst Ufflce. PlcturessubmlttedtcAutcFxpress
aresent at cwners' rlsk. whlleeverycarelstaken,
nelther AutcFxpressncr ltsagentsaccept anyllablllty
fcr lcsscr damage. UrlglnatedcnAppleMaclntcshes.
keprcbyMulllsMcrgan. Prlntedby8enham0ccdhead
Prlnt, 8lcester. ulstrlbutlcn: Seymcur, 2Fast Pcultry
Avenue, LcndcnFC1A9PT. Tel: 0207/29/000,
Fax: 0207/29/001, webslte: www.seymcur.cc.uk
Ab10XPk55k0A1515
All AutcFxpresstestsarecarrledcut at prlvate
prcvlnggrcundswherecarsaredrlventcthellmlt
andperfcrmancetesteduslnglatest kacelcglcv8cx
ccmputer tlmlngequlpment. TheAutcFxpressteam
alscassessesthecarscver manymllescf mlxed
publlcrcadsbefcredellverlngltskcadTest verdlct.
AutcFxpresslspart cf the
Autc8lld0rcupnetwcrkcf magazlnes
Thepaper usedwlthlnthlsmagazlnels
prcducedfrcmsustalnableflbre, manufactured
bymlllswlthavalldchalncf custcdy.
Lf
uennlsPubllshlngLtd,
30ClevelandStreet,
Lcndcnw1T/}u
5ubscriptienenquiries
08//8//0026
-maiIflrstname_lastname[
dennls.cc.uk
News02079076205
Censumer02079076217
1ests02079076209
Preducts02079076212
Fax0207907623/
Advertising020790767/5
Advertising-maiI
ads[autcexpress.cc.uk
lucoboo|.com/uulooxpross
_AuloExpross
youlubo.com/uulooxpross
1h|s weekon
autoexpress.co.uk
8ent|ey f|y|ng 5pur
kfL05l9 |0A09l00
w'k traveIIing te China this week te sampIe
entIey's Iatest Iuxury saIeen. 1he newFIying
5pur premises unrivaIIed reIinement and tech,
but packs 616bhp eI twin-turbe w12 Iirepewer
under the bennet. Leg en te see what we think.
ring Aute xpress te IiIe with eur
enhanced gaIIeries and excIusive videe.
:\f\y Lp Ly
0et asubscrlptlcntcAutcFxpressand
save/0%cntheshcpprlce. SeePage83.
CaII 08//8//0026
asicannuaI rate
bk: 79.99 urepe: 110 kesteI werId: 180
0nIinesubscriber serviceChangeycur
addressandrenewycur subscrlptlcnat
www.subslnfc.cc.uk
5ubs-maiI autcexpress[servlcehelpllne.cc.uk
:\f\y 6Lp
subscrlbe.autcexpress.cc.uk]prlnt-lpad]
k
ring A
wFlLF lt's the latest
lncarnatlcn cf the
legendary 8MwM3 that takes
pcle pcsltlcn cn cur ccver
thls week, lt's the expanslcn
cf 8Mw's Mdlvlslcn that's
gettlng us all ln a lather.
As cur fasclnatlng lnfcgraphlc
cn Page 22 reveals, mcst car
makers' mcdel ranges have
grcwn dramatlcally cver the
past 10 years, and there's nc
slgn cf themslcwlng dcwn.
The best news fcr us car
fans ls that applles tc the hlgh-
perfcrmance mcdels, tcc.
Taklng 8Mw's Mrange alcne,
we'll see an M2 and a ccuple cf
M/s, plus a lcad mcre equally
excltlng (but less hardccre)
cars llke the brllllant M135l.
The challenge 8Mwfaces next
ls hcwlt drlves |ust as much
excltement lntc lts next range
cf cars - the l mcdels. Thls ecc-
frlendly range cf hybrlds and
all-electrlc cars wlll be blg news
ln a ccuple cf mcnths, and
8Mwls gclng abcut thlngs ln
the best pcsslble way (and the
cnly way lt kncws hcw) - lt's
develcplng and marketlng the
l8 and l3 as real drlvers' cars.
Cculd that be what electrlc
cars need! we kncwhlssan's
Leaf ls gettlng the hlsmc
treatment, sc let's hcpe we
see a kenaultspcrt ZUF, tcc.
lt's tlme tc prcve any car can
be fun, whatever the pcwer.
519 f0wLk
d|tor-|n-ch|e|
<yy
v|s|t autoexpress.co.uk lo| a|| the |atest new ca|s
5teve_FewIerQdennis.ce.uk
QsteveIewIer
}A Ann[
hybridi8premisestebereaI driver'scar
s }A Ann[
L|ghter, |a
TFF new8MwM3 wlll be
llghter, mcre pcwerful and
faster than the mcdel lt replaces,
and wlll alsc spearhead a wave
cf newturbccharged Mcars,
Autc Fxpress can reveal.
A ccmpany lnslder tcld us hcw
the fcur-dccr salccn (the ccupe
wlll be called the M/) "wlll take
the brand's mcst pcpular and
famcus perfcrmance mcdel tc
newhelghts wlth the latest bcdy
and englne technclcgles".
Uur excluslve lmages shcw
hcw8Mwwlll transfcrmthe
3 Serles salccn lntc a street
racer, wlth a lcwer rlde helght,
blade frcnt bumper and cther
cues such as M3-badged vents
cn lts flanks and lntrlcate mlrrcrs.
under lts bulglng bcnnet, the
M3 wlll use a newslx-cyllnder
3.0-lltre twln-turbc englne. unllke
the M5's rewcrked verslcn cf
8Mw's /./-lltre twln-turbc v8,
the newenglne wlll be used
excluslvely ln Mmcdels, nct
appearlng ln any lesser cars.
Perfcrmance flgures are stlll
secret, but cur lnslder tcld us
tc expect arcund /50bhp - an
lncrease cf 30bhp cver the /.0-
lltre v8 ln the current car. There
wlll be an even blgger lncrease
ln the tcrque flgure - pctentlally
as much as 150hm- taklng the
tctal tc 550hmat |ust 2,000rpm.
uesplte cfferlng mcre standard
equlpment than lts predecesscr,
and superlcr ccmfcrt, the new
car wlll welgh abcut 100kg less
than befcre. 8Mwwlll achleve
thls by uslng a raft cf llghtwelght
bcdy materlals ln ccnstructlcn.
}ust llke the current M3 Ccupe,
the newsalccn wlll get a carbcn-
flbre rccf, but the llghtwelght
materlal wlll alsc be used fcr the
bcnnet and bcctlld. Meanwhlle,
<
|||st lo| news eve|y wee|
Q New8Mwto deliver 450hhp fromtwin-turho six-tylinder
Q tarhon-fihre hody panels slash z00k fromkerhweiht
the frcnt wlngs wlll be made
frcmccmpcslte plastlcs.
All cf thls shculd result ln
sclntlllatlng perfcrmance. Uur
lnslder sald 8Mwls expected
tc qucte a 0-62mph tlme cf /.3
seccnds - three tenths qulcker
than the current M3. Fe alsc
warned that cfflclal flgures are
usually ccnservatlve and lt cculd
be even qulcker ln the real wcrld.
And whlle tcp speed wlll be
llmlted tc 155mph, the newM3
shculd be able tc hlt 180mph
when electrcnlcally derestrlcted.
Uf ccurse, Mcars aren't |ust
abcut stralght-llne perfcrmance -
the newM3 must be as engaglng
tc drlve as lts predecesscrs. Less
welght wlll lmprcve aglllty, whlle
the latest Mulvlslcn llmlted-sllp
dlfferentlal wlll bccst tractlcn
when exltlng ccrners. The car wlll
alsc feature hydraullc steerlng,
rather than the electrlcal set-up
cf the ncrmal 3 Serles, and wlll
run cn ncrmal tyres, nct run-flat
rubber, tc further lmprcve feel.
The drlver can stlll alter the
welght cf the speed-sensltlve
steerlng, as well as the stlffness
cf the adaptlve dampers, the
severlty cf the thrcttle respcnse
and the shlft speed cf the seven-
speed dual-clutch transmlsslcn.
Fnthuslasts wlll be pleased
tc hear a manual verslcn wlll stlll
be cffered, and that 8Mwls alsc
wcrklng cn tunlng the accustlcs
cf the turbccharged englne tc
ensure lt's sultably charlsmatlc.
The newM3 ls expected tc
appear later thls year at the same
tlme as the M/ Ccupe - pcsslbly
at hcvember's LA Mctcr Shcw.
lt'll gc cn sale ln the uK next
summer, prlced frcmarcund
55,000 - an lncrease cf abcut
3,000 cver the current car. An
M/ Cabrlclet ls set tc fcllcwln
early 2015, whlle an extreme
0TSverslcn ls alsc expected.
? 8?
Vat_watson_dennis.co.uk
_mat_watson
?
Va
CAR
SPEClAL
Launched: 1986 ngine: 2.3-lltre /cyl
Pewer: 192bhp 0-60mph: 6.5 seccnds
Launched: 1993 ngine: 3.0-lltre stralght-slx
Pewer: 282bhp 0-60mph: 5./ seccnds
Launched: 2001 ngine: 3.2 stralght-slx
Pewer: 3/3bhp 0-60mph: 5.1 seccnds
Launched: 2008 ngine: /.0-lltre v8
Pewer: /1/bhp 0-60mph: /.8 seccnds
MSGENERATlONS
E46 E90 ES6 ES0
4 5kl5 605 N
IL 4 5er|es Loup (shown
|n concept |orm, r|ghtI w|||
a|so get the M treatment ~
and he the ||rst 8Mw to
wear an M4 hadge. |ower
w||| come |rom the new
M1's 450hhp eng|ne, and
|t'|| spawn an extreme 6I5
vers|on down the ||ne.
Ann[
aster N1 roars |n
L|ghtwe|ght
New M1 sa|oon w||| get a carhon-||hre roo|
||ke current coup, hut a|so |eature a carhon
honnet and hoot||d |or |urther we|ght sav|ng.
1w|n turbocharged
Next M1 w||| |ead a new generat|on
o| turho M cars, w|th a 1.0-||tre, s|x-
cy||nder eng|ne produc|ng 450hhp.
Aggress|ve
L|ke prev|ous M1s, the new car w||| he set
apart |rom standard 1 5er|es hy |ower r|de
he|ght, sporty hodyk|t and hadged vents.
}A
d hoot||d |or |urther we|ght sav|ng.
Aggress|ve
L|k | M1 h ||| h
XtLuSlV
lM
A6S
010: N2 10 61 1508N0
ottest vers|on o| new coup range
set to p|ck up where the IM |e|t o||
+Wj] +Mjj
<yLVwV2
}A Ann[
And 150hhp M2 sha
Q Sizzlin newtwo-door to replate z Mtoup
Q 8Mwslashes weiht, adds strikin look
8Nww|||
probab|y ||t
a mechan|ca|
||m|ted-s||p
d||| to the N2
8Mwwlll make a successcr
tc the 1 Serles MCcupe, but thls
tlme arcund, lt'll be badged M2.
The perfcrmance mcdel wlll
slt at the tcp cf the new2 Serles
range, whlch wlll essentlally be
a replacement fcr the 1 Serles
Ccupe and Ccnvertlble mcdels.
The M2 shculdn't be ccnfused
wlth the M235l (plctured ln cur
spy shcts belcw), whlch uses the
same pcwertraln as the M135l:
a 3.0-lltre slngle-turbc stralght-slx
prcduclng 316bhp. 8Mwdcesn't
ccnslder these tc be ccre Mcars,
desplte thelr perfcrmance, but the
M2 wlll get the full Mtreatment.
That means uslng the M235l's
englne but upplng the pcwer tc
arcund 350bhp. Fnglneers wlll
be hcplng tc cut welght, tcc, wlth
a mcre strlpped-cut apprcach tc
the lnterlcr and even the use cf
carbcn-flbre-relnfcrced plastlc
panels. 8Mwwlll alsc flt a
prcper mechanlcal llmlted-sllp
dlff tc the M2 - revealed ln cur
excluslve lmage - rather than
the M135l and M235l's artlflclal
set-up, whlch brakes lndlvldual
wheels tc lmprcve ccrnerlng.
The ccmpany ls expected tc gc
wlth flrmflxed-rate suspenslcn
llke the 1MCcupe's, rather than
the M135l's adaptlve dampers.
That shculd mark lt cut as a mcre
fccused perfcrmance car, clearly
settlng the twc mcdels apart.
As the plnnacle cf the 2 Serles
range, the M2 wlll have tc be the
qulckest, sc lt'll need tc
better the M235l's expected
/.9-seccnd 0-62mph tlme.
A lcwer kerbwelght and
mcre pcwerful englne
mean a tlme cf arcund
/.6 seccnds ls pcsslble
- whlch ls the same as
the cutgclng M3's flgure.
unllke the manual-cnly
1 Serles MCcupe, 8Mw
ls expected tc cffer bcth
manual and autc verslcns,
wlth the latter belng a seven-
speed dual-clutch gearbcx.
The M2 wlll have an even
mcre aggresslve bcdyklt than
the M235l, wlth a newalr lntake
bullt lntc the frcnt wlng and a
set cf quad exhausts rather than
a palr cf lndlvldual tallplpes
elther slde cf the rear bumper.
The standard 2 Serles
hasn't been revealed |ust yet
- althcugh we're expectlng lt
ln 201/ - sc lt'll be a whlle
befcre we see the M2 appear
ln shcwrccms. A 2015 release
date ls llkely, wlth a prlce tag
cf arcund /5,000 ln the uK.
9|sua| musc|e
w|de |ront a|r |ntake, aggress|ve hodyk|t and |arge
a||oy whee|s w||| set M2 apart |rom other 2 5er|es
LA1k this year, 8MwwiII unveiI a
performance car that doesn't wear an
Mbade on its boot for the first time.
Mfans have had to endure severaI
chanes of tack recentIy with the addition of
turbo enines, 4w0 and 50vs to the famiIy.
CouId this Iatest move be a step too far?
hot at aII, and I'II teII you why: because
the hybrid i8 approaches performance from
an entireIy different anIe. whereas Mcars
have aIways been about scaIpeI-sharp
handIin, hueIy powerfuI hih-capacity
enines and (untiI recentIy) rear-wheeI
drive, the i8 treads a IittIe more IihtIy.
Lotus founder CoIin Chapman first
extoIIed the virtues of Iihtweiht cars back
in the fifties, then desiner Cordon Murray
foIIowed suit with the fIyweiht McLaren f1.
how8Mwis cookin up a revoIution of its
own. 1he i8 may offer '|ust' 349bhp (simiIar
to 2001's 46 M3), but with a kerbweiht
of 1,480k (195k Iess than the current M3)
thanks to its cIever carbon and aIuminium
construction, it'II do 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds
-onIyatenthoff Porsche'snew911Carrera5.
kumours were circuIatin that 8Mwwas
pIannin to repIace the i8's hybrid with a v8
enine and sIap an Mbade on the back. 8ut
with this IeveI of performance and economy
of 104.6mp, there's cIearIy no need.
why |8 w||| |evo|ut|on|se spo|ts c
j ?aaj
g ,
ac| 8
News ed|tor
to replate z Mtoup
dd t iki l k
,
-*
:6G:-<:
5 1epsIeryexIra
P
i
c
t
u
r
e
s
:
A
u
t
o
m
e
d
i
a
we spotted N215| prototype test|ng at the Nrburgr|ng c|rcu|t |n
6ermany - but N2 w||| o||er even more |ocused per|ormance
}A Ann[
:f
XtLuSlV
lM
A6
Pictures: Xxxxxxxxx
S: S:
|8 may o||er
'[ust' 149bhp,
but |t'|| r|va| a
911 farrera 5
|rom0-62mph
5PI1 pretests IremMwpurists, an aII-newversien eI the X5Mmega-5bv is
en the way. 0ur spy shets shewthe car undergeing IinaI testing in Iight disguise.
esign tweaks ever the standard X5 incIude 20-inch aIIeys, a mere aggressive Irent
bumper, cress-driIIed brake discs grabbed by bIue caIipers and quad exhaust pipes.
bnder the skin, the X5MwiII use the Iatest versien eI the MwM4.4-Iitre
twin-turbe v8. It Ieatures variabIe vaIve timing and a higher cempressien ratie,
which sheuId heIp it te deIiver areund 570bhp - up Iremthe current car's 555bhp.
1he newX5MwiII aIse weigh Iess than the eId medeI, which tips the scaIes
at 2,380kg. 1hat sheuId mean the 0-62mph time dreps te areund 4.5 secends,
whiIe IueI ecenemy sheuId impreve Iremthe current Iigure eI 20.3mpg.
AItheugh the X5Mand X6Mhaven't seId weII in the bk, they're preving
pepuIar eIsewhere - particuIarIy in emerging markets Iike kussia and China.
1he aII-newX5 is IikeIy te debut at the FrankIurt Meter 5hewin 5eptember,
with the X5Mdue te jein the range in 2014. Prices wiII start at areund 85,000.
N means musc|e as k5
h|ts road w|th 5I0bhp
SPYSR01S
P
i
c
t
u
r
e
s
:
C
a
r
p
i
x
kevo|ut|onary a|um|n|um and
carbon construct|on |or |8
ng at the Nrburgr|ng c|rcu|t |n
n more |ocused per|ormance
}A
PPPPPiiiic cc PPPPPPPPic PPPPPPPPPPi PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPi PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPic PPPPPPP tur tur tur turrres es: es es: ees: es:: Xx Xx Xx Xx Xx Xx Xxxxx xxx xxx xxx xxxxx xxx xxx xx xx xx xx xxx xxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxx xxx xx xxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
kevo|ut|onary a|um|n|um and
carbon construct|on |or |8
P
i
c
t
u
r
e
:
C
h
r
i
s
t
i
a
n
5
c
h
u
I
t
e
*yyy
}A
0|d mode| 108 |be|owI carr|es
on unt|| new car arr|ves |n 2014
Q 6olf-heatin quality and style for newhatth Q ffitient hyhrid teth and latest safety kit to feature
108 |s sma||er than the car |t rep|aces, but w|th more
space and a 25 per cent b|gger boot than the 6o||'s
TFlSls the car Peugect hcpes
wlll end the 0clf's dcmlnance
ln Furcpe - the all-new308.
lt wcn't arrlve ln the uK untll
early 201/, but Autc Fxpress was
glven a gulded tcur cf the new
hatchback ln Parls by Peugect's
deslgn chlef 0llles vldal.
Key tc the newcar's appeal ls
lts quallty, wlth a clean, sculpted
lcck lnslde and cut. "we wcrked
hard cn the prcpcrtlcns tc glve a
hlgh level cf true and percelved
quallty," says vldal.
"we've reduced what we
call the 'sldeways cverhang'
between the wlndcws and the
wheelarch edge, and have
wcrked cn the wldth and
muscle cf the car, tcc."
There's alsc what vldal calls
a "hl-tech llght slgnature", wlth
three claw-llke LFus at the back,
LFu runnlng llghts and full LFu
headlamps cn tcp-spec mcdels.
Llke the 208 supermlnl, the
new308 ls sllghtly smaller than
the car lt replaces - 2cmshcrter
and /cmlcwer - yet wlth mcre
passenger rccmand a bcct that,
at /70 lltres, ls nearly 25 per cent
blgger than the vw's. lt's llght,
tcc - up tc 1/0kg less than the
prevlcus mcdel. That's mcstly
due tc uslng the clever FMP2
mcdular platfcrmthat'll underpln
a range cf Peugects and Cltrcens,
lncludlng the newC/ Plcassc.
lt means there'll be a verslcn
emlttlng less than 85g]kmcf
CU2 and returnlng mcre than
80mpg, whlle a dlesel hybrld
mcdel wlll alsc feature.
The lnterlcr really takes the
challenge tc the 0clf and Audl
A3 when lt ccmes tc quallty.
"A blg part cf the prc|ect has
been an extra lnvestment ln
quallty materlals," says
vldal. "And we've wcrked
hard wlth scund englneers
tc make sure the scund
cf the dccrs shuttlng adds
tc the car's quallty feel."
The slmple dash ls dcmlnated
by a 9.7-lnch tcuchscreen that
hcuses all the lnfctalnment and
cllmate ccntrcl functlcns, wlth
the exceptlcn cf an exqulsltely
deslgned vclume kncb.
The 308 alsc gets the head-up
lnstrument blnnacle and small
steerlng wheel that's been less
than well recelved ln the 208 -
albelt dlfferently pcsltlcned.
The very latest luxury and safety
equlpment wlll alsc be cffered.
Thls hatchback wcn't be the
cnly 308 we'll see. An estate
verslcn wlll fcllcw, whlle a 0Tl
mcdel (lssue 1,267) ls alsc
expected tc arrlve by 2015.
/lll
Steve_lowler_dennis.co.uk
_stevelowler
/l
Ste
N
5
s
5lN0L LlN5
0eugeot uses 0a 9|nc|'s
s|mp||c|ty |s supreme
soph|st|cat|on as |nsp|rat|on
|or |atest |ncarnat|on o| 108
*fyf f
on unt|| new car arr|ves |n 2014
108 |
d
d
a
challe
A3 wh
"A
be
q
v
h
tc
}A
flNk 01AlL5
Aud|o vo|ume knob m|m|cs
those on h|gh-end h|-||s, w|th
a top-qua||ty |ook and |ee|
NA0-00 0A5N
5ma|| steer|ng whee| and h|gh-
set b|nnac|e haven't been we||
rece|ved |n 208 superm|n|
0kl9k'5 0Afk
0pt|ona| sports pack w||| be
used to boost the exc|tement
|eve| be|ore 108 61| arr|ves
100fN5fkN
Large 9.I-|nch screen houses
aud|o, sat-nav and vent||at|on
contro|s to reduce button count
fLlN L00k
5||m |ront 'eyes' and c|aw-||ke rear
L0s g|ve cheeky nod to 0eugeot ||on
ua||ty w|th new 108
L0wk AN0 5N0k1k
New mode| |s 4cm |ower and 2cm
shorter than the car |t's rep|ac|ng
*yyy uewVe|cedes S-C|ass
@Y.
ack_lix_dennis.co.uk
_ack_rix
@
a ack
Ann[ }A
5a|es hoom dr|ven hy d|scounts
IMPk55Iv rowth in newcar
saIes has been driven by hih
numbers of deaIs that couId
soon start dryin up, accordin
to a motor industry expert.
ApriI sawanother increase
in the number of cars soId in the
0K. 5aIes were up 15 per cent on
the same month Iast year, with
163,357 cars reistered - the
14th successive monthIy rise.
|ohn Leech, the 0K head of
automotive at accountin firm
KPMC, toId us that a record
IeveI of discounts had heIped
fueI the boom. 8ut he warned
that couId soon come to an end.
"As ContinentaI markets
stabiIise (Cermany was up
four per cent in ApriI, whiIe 5pain
saw11 per cent rowth), brands
couId turn their firepower back
to urope, Ieadin to a drop-off
in deaIs for the 0K," he said.
Rowever, Leech doesn't see
saIes sufferin. "As banks et
back on their feet, there's IikeIy
to be a further reIease of credit
for car finance," he expIained,
"and PPI payouts continue to fueI
purchases. 0nIy haIf the money
set aside for this has been used."
ApriI sawford's fiesta top the
saIes charts once aain, whiIe
the hissan ashqai, which is
avaiIabIe for as IittIe as 229
a month, stayed in the top 10.
P98: Mike kutherferd's view
Luxury on new sca
Q Stale model shows Mertedes fromevery anle
Q 0ehuts this week, with tuttin-ede safety kit
wF'vF already seen leaked
plctures, undlsgulsed spy
shcts and cfflclal phctcs cf the
lnterlcr, and ncwthe all-new
Mercedes S-Class has been
revealed as a 1:18-scale mcdel.
8ut these are the last prevlew
plctures we'll see, as the luxury
car ls scheduled tc be cfflclally
revealed at a speclal event ln
Famburg, 0ermany, cn 15 May.
The phctcs, whlch shcwthe
S-Class frcmevery angle, are
belleved tc represent the flnlshed
prcduct perfectly, and tally wlth a
slngle leaked lmage we brcught
ycu ln lssue 1,267. 8ut whlle that
deplcted an AM0-spec car wlth a
bcdyklt, aggresslve frcnt bumper
and 20-spcke wheels, here we
can shcwycu a much less spcrty
verslcn, wlth smaller wheels.
As wlth all newS-Classes,
technclcgy and lnterlcr ccmfcrt
take precedence cver styllng,
and thls latest mcdel wlll set new
standards. Mcst cf the systems
are ccntrclled vla twc encrmcus
12.3-lnch TFT screens embedded
ln the dashbcard - cne fcr the
lnfctalnment functlcns and cne
tc replace the analcgue dlals.
hewseats prcmlse tc pamper
all cccupants wlth rapld heatlng
and cccllng functlcns, plus a
hct stcne massage settlng.
ln the rear, the seats can recllne
- as ln the dlsccntlnued Maybach
llmc. Fntertalnment pcsslbllltles
are endless as well, wlth rear
screens, wlreless headphcnes
and a 1,500w8urmester sterec.
A raft cf cuttlng-edge safety klt
wlll debut cn the S-Class befcre
fllterlng dcwn tc cther Mercedes.
lt lncludes a systemthat flashes
the LFu llghts at pedestrlans the
car senses ahead ln the dark, and
a senscr that predlcts rear lmpacts
and braces the car acccrdlngly.
QSFF cfflclal plctures cf the new
S-Class cn the Autc Fxpress lPad
app frcm7pmcn 15 May.
5ca|e mode| shows new
5-f|ass's |mpos|ng |ook,
sunroo| g|ves |uxury
cab|n a|ry |ee|
A ra|t o| compet|t|ve ||nance dea|s has seen |am||y |avour|tes
such as the N|ssan ashqa| cont|nue to se|| strong|y |n the 0k
5ource: 5MM1
Chart teppers: ApriI's
best-seIIing newcars
1 |ord ||esta 8,081
2 Vauxha|| Lorsa 6,084
1 |ord |ocus 5,944
4 Vw 6o|| 5,281
5 Vauxha|| Astra 4,244
6 N|ssan ashqa| 1,I61
I Vw |o|o 1,610
8 ||at 500 1,01I
9 |eugeot 208 2,9I5
10 Aud| A1 2,915
uewVe|cedes S-C|ass *yyy
P
i
c
t
u
r
e
s
:
A
u
t
o
w
e
e
k
.
n
I
Ann[
LAM80kCRIhI ceIebrated
its 50th anniversary in styIe
Iast week with a 350-supercar
convoy fromMiIan to its base
at 5ant'Aata 8oIonese.
0ne in four of the cars takin
part was an historic modeI, with
three 350 C1s, five 400 C1s, 17
Miuras, eiht spadas, two
|aramas, one LM002, six
0rracos, 15 Countaches and
21 0iabIos. 1here were aIso 36
MurciIaos and 123 CaIIardos.
1he younest driver takin
part was a 22-year-oId Kuwaiti;
the oIdest a frenchman, 75. 1he
cars tackIed a 745-miIe route
that aIso took in 8oIona and
kome, and ended with a party
at the Lamborhini factory.
y
\y
8o, go, go |or
||m|ted 5mart
5MAk1 has teamed up with
anish design cempany
eCencept te create yet
anether speciaI Fer1we.
1he eCencept medeI
(abeve) has sperty upgrades
Iremthe rabus speciaI, but
adds matt white paint with an
0rientaI rewn Iinish en the
deers, mirrers and aIIeys.
Inside, the car is Iined in
tebacce Ieather, and gets an
eak gearkneb, neen yeIIew
stitching and teuchscreen
sat-nav. 1he eCencept ceup
starts at 22,135, with the
cabrie priced Irem24,515.
40th b|rthday
spec|a| 5even
CA1khAMis ceIebrating the
40th birthday eI its evergreen
5even sperts car with a new
Iimited-editien styIing pack.
1he 40 ears eI Caterham
pack wiII be avaiIabIe Ier the
Iirst 40 erders Ier a new5even,
and incIudes a grey-painted
chassis that repIicates the
eriginaI Letus 5even ceIeur.
1here's aIse speciaI ruby red
400C paint, with bennet
stripes and a set eI 15-inch
aIIeys with the CaterhamIege.
Caterham's range starts
with the 19,995 keadspert
125, and the pack is Iree.
0a|m|er ||n|ng
up Aston dea|I
AIMLk has reveaIed it is
in taIks abeut a partnership
with Asten Martin. 1hey were
sparked aIter investment greup
InvestindustriaI teek a 37.5
per cent stake in the ritish
brand earIier this menth.
AItheugh IittIe is knewn
abeut the partnership, it has
been hinted that it wiII inveIve
ce-deveIeping engines and
eIectricaI cempenents.
aimIer's 5iIke waIters is
reperted te have said: "whiIe
beth sides knewand respect
each ether very much, ne
decisiens have been made."
a|e w|th 5-L|ass
Long whee|base means
p|enty o| space, screens
de||ne dash, nose houses
ra|t o| sa|ety k|t sensors
Lambos
new and o|d
||ned up |n
N||an ahead
o| convoy
Ann[
1h geed news Ier newcar saIes (eppesite)
ceuId be bad news Ier the used market - and
independent secend-hand car deaIers are
Iinding things increasingIy diIIicuIt.
[ehn Leech, bkhead eI autemetive at kPMC,
expIained. "1here are signs that the increased
suppIy eI 'nearIy new' used cars is starting te
put pressure en the bueyant used car market,
which has been very preIitabIe in the past."
1his cencern was backed up by deaIers,
with 74 per cent describing the business
cIimate as 'stabIe', 'geed' er 'very geed'.
1his is dewn Irem87 per cent 12 menths age,
accerding te research by pricing expert CAP.
"Making the Iinance eptiens en new
car deaIs se aIIerdabIe has heIped Iranchises
take a Iet eI newcar business away Irem
independents whe speciaIise in Iate secend-
hand cars," expIained a CAP spekesman.
8ut |t's bad news
|or used market
150 Lambos |n convoy
to mark 50th b|rthday
}A }
Ch||d|en at ||s| as |oad deaths ||se *yyy
Percentaeof totaI casuaIties. 5ource: PAC15
}A Ann[
Schoo|s demand 20mph zones
TFF number cf pedestrlan
deaths ln the uK ls rlslng,
and chlldren frcmdeprlved
areas are the mcst at rlsk,
acccrdlng tc a repcrt presented
tc the Transpcrt Secretary.
Flgures shcwthe number cf
pedestrlans kllled cr serlcusly
ln|ured fell frcm19,035 ln 1980
tc 5,605 ln 2010. 8ut there was
a flve per cent lncrease ln 2011,
lncludlng a 12 per cent rlse ln
deaths. And early evldence frcm
2012 suggests the number cf
casualtles ls stlll cn the up.
The pedestrlans mcst at rlsk
- acccrdlng tc the repcrt by the
Parllamentary Advlscry Ccuncll
fcr Transpcrt Safety (PACTS) -
are 12-year-clds, wlth cne ln
651 chlldren cf that age ln the
uK repcrted as a casualty.
The repcrt, called Stepplng
Uut, advlses that better rcad
safety educatlcn wculd halt the
8|gger, better new
NlNl h|ts the road
0bkspies have caught the aII-newMINI enthe read, wearing
a mere reveaIingversien eI Mw's psychedeIic cameuIIage.
CIearIyvisibIe (abeve) is a Iarger griIIe and headIights with
thicker chreme trimareund their edges. 5cuIpted sides, a
mere angIed windscreen and a narrewer gIass area give
a spertier Ieek, whiIe the car is expected te increase in
size te beest interier space, particuIarIy in the rear.
1he MINI is IikeIy te debut at Nevember's Les AngeIes
Meter 5hew, and wiII be the Iirst preductien medeI te use
Mw's newbkL1 Irent-drive pIatIerm. It'II aIse get new
meduIar 1.5-Iitre three-cyIinder petreI and dieseI engines.
Preductien eI the MkIII wiII stiII take pIace at 0xIerd,
but as MINI Ieeks te expand saIes gIebaIIy, the vL Nedcar
Iactery in heIIand wiII aIse buiId the car Iremmid-2014.
0ne |n 651 ch||dren aged 12 |n the
0k |s reported as a road casua|ty
:6G:-<
:6G:-<
has lnslsted lt's dclng lts best tc
lmprcve rcad safety educatlcn.
kcad safety mlnlster Stephen
Fammcnd sald: "we are wcrklng
wlth lccal authcrltles and cther
partners tc ensure cur rcad safety
messages reach schccls, and
prcvldlng educatlcnal rescurces
sc these lmpcrtant messages can
be lnccrpcratedln the currlculum."
Chlldren are partlcularly at
rlsk ln urban areas cf ncrthern
Fngland, where they make up a
hlgher percentage cf pedestrlan
casualtles. The wcrst area ls
8lackburn and uarwen, Lancs,
where 50 per cent cf casualtles
are chlldren, fcllcwed by nearby
8urnley and Uldham, at /9 per
cent and /8 per cent respectlvely.
P
i
c
t
u
r
e
:
L
e
h
m
a
n
n
P
i
c
t
u
r
e
:
L
e
h
m
a
n
n
k|ds |n danger
on|etha| roads
Q Numher of pedestrian deaths rises, thildren in deprived areas most at risk
...As 8Nw N09 |s sp|ed
1h preductien versien eI Mw's Cencept Active 1eurer
wiII be eIIered as a Iive er seven-seater, as this spy shet
reveaIs. we've seen the Iive-seater, which wiII ge en saIe
earIy next year, but this Iarger car (abeve) - due Iater in
2014 - hasn't been seen beIere. It'II be the third eI 11
newmedeIs buiIt en the newbkL Irent-drive pIatIerm.
5pec|a| char|ty 0aceman
F0k the 13th year running, a custemised MINI wiII be
denated te the vienna LiIe aII in Austria. 1his year,
designer keberte CavaIIi has given the Paceman a
makeever, adding iridescent brewn-bIack paint and
his Iege. 1he car (beIew) wiII be auctiened en 25 May,
with the preceeds geing te hIv]AI5preventien.
M0k than 90 per cent eI primary scheeIs beIieve IecaI reads need te be saIer
Ier their pupiIs te waIk and cycIe en, accerding te the Iatest research. And as
eIIiciaI Iigures reveaI the risks chiIdren Iace eI being kiIIed er serieusIy
injured in an accident (abeve), the caII Ier actien is a chiIIing warning.
5cheeI teachers were questiened by read saIety charity rake. And
the research Ieund a Iurther eight in 10 scheeIs want 20mph Iimits
areund their premises and en reutes cennecting te nearby hemes.
hewever, enIy ene in 10 scheeIs aIready has a 20mph Iimit in pIace.
lncrease. 8ut the rlse ln casualtles
cclncldes wlth an 80 per cent cut
ln rcad safety campalgn budgets
- as we repcrted ln lssue 1,25/,
they're dcwn frcm19mllllcn ln
2008]9 tc /mln 2011]12. Fven
sc, the uepartment fcr Transpcrt
Areas with the highest chiId pedestrian casuaIties
Iackburn]arwen, Lancs 50%
urnIey, Lancs /9%
0Idham, Ctr Manchester /8%
PendIe, Lancs /8%
arnsIey, 5erks /6%
arrew, Cumbria /6%
hartIepeeI, Ce urham /5%
Nerth ast LinceInshire /5%
hyndburn, Lancs /5%
MansIieId, Netts /5%
CIaire heIden
Claire_lolden_dennis.co.uk
fh||dren are among the
ma|n v|ct|ms as deaths
and |n[ur|es among
pedestr|ans |ncrease
Newsweek|e||a|| shoc|
Nowever, th|s
carbon ||bre
chess set |s a
pr|c|er 1,5I4
0|ese| vers|on o| new 6h|b|| gets spec|a| act|ve va|ve |n the
exhaust to ensure |t reta|ns d|st|nct|ve Naserat| soundtrack
s }A
1R dieseI ChibIi wiII be a true Maserati,
accordin to the eneraI manaer of
Maserati urope, CiuIio Pastore. "we
don't want to Iose our identity with the
dieseI car - that's why it is important
it has the riht sound," he toId us.
1he 3.0-Iitre v6 dieseI has an active
vaIve that moduIates the frequency of
soundwaves oin throuh the exhaust.
It ensures the car 'sins' over 3,000rpm,
but cruises quietIy. 1he enine makes
275bhp, up to 600hmof torque and
emits 158]kmof C02. It'II propeI the
52k car from0-60mph in six seconds.
PA0 38: kewquattreperte driven
U|ese| 0h|b|| sounded out
ferrar| to se|| |ewer cars
|n b|d to boost exc|us|v|ty
FFkkAkl plans tc sell fewer cars
thls year, but lncrease prcflts
thrcugh cther revenue streams such
as merchandlse. Presldent Luca
dl Mcntezemclc ccnflrmed that
prcductlcn at Maranellc wlll be llmlted
tc "less than 7,000 cars" ln 2013 -
after selllng 7,315 cars ln 2012 -
tc retaln the excluslvlty cf the brand.
"Thcse whc buy a Ferrarl buy a
dream, and we want tc ensure that
we preserve that dream," he sald.
Key tc keeplng prcflts hlgh ls
extendlng custcmlsatlcn prcgrammes
and a newTallcr-Made servlce that
allcws custcmers tc deslgn a mcre
bespcke vehlcle at greater ccst.
Ferrarl ls alsc lccklng tc expand the
merchandlslng slde cf the buslness,
whlch sells 95 branded ltems llke
thcse belcwevery mlnute. Last
year, merchandlse sales ccntrlbuted
50mllllcn tc a tctal 2//mprcflt.
ul Mcntezemclc ruled cut the
pcsslblllty cf addlng an Suv tc the
range, tcc. Fe sald: "l amalways belng
asked: 'wlll ycu bulld an Suv! A smaller
car cr salccn!' l say gc and buy new
Maseratls, the uattrcpcrte and 0hlbll."
Ferrarl has alsc revealed that a
prctctype based cn the LaFerrarl
hypercar has been bullt tc gc all-electrlc
fcr shcrt perlcds, drcpplng the CU2
emlsslcns frcm330g]kmtc 220g]km.
fapt|on to go |n space here
fapt|on to go |n space here
fapt|on to go |n space
ferrar| wants to rema|n
exc|us|ve w|th mode|s
||ke Laferrar| hypercar
Q Produttion set to he limited Q Profits will he hoosted hy personalisation and merthandise
ferrar| wants to rema|n
exc|us|ve w|th mode|s
||ke Laferrar| hypercar
he limited Q Profits will he hoosted hy per
0roduct|on w||| be ||m|ted to |ess than I,000
cars |n 2011 a|ter the company so|d I,115 |n 2012
XtLuSlV lMA6
A5it readies a dieseI (IeIt), Maserati isn't Iergetting its reets -and
a newtwe-seater mid-engined sperts car ceuId arrive by 2016.
0ur excIusive images in Issue 1,223 shewed hewthe car
ceuId Ieek (abeve), and generaI manager CiuIie Pastere has new
said: "1here'II be the newCranCabrie and Cran1urisme in 2015,
and the year aIter we're thinking eI a new, smaIIer sperts car."
It's wideIy acknewIedged the twe-seater wiII be mid-engined,
but Pastere dismissed specuIatien that it weuId be based en the
AIIa 4C. Pastere aIse ruIed eut buiIding a Ferrari LaFerrari-based
hypercar, in the same way Maserati had the nze-based MC12.
...And two-seater |s go
PauI 8end
laul_3ond_dennis.co.uk
|'VL a|ways |e|t |errar|
has pushed |ts hrand a h|t
too |ar, espec|a||y |n recent
years. |t seems everyone
has a |errar| haseha|| hat
these days. |n my v|ew,
Lamhorgh|n| seems to
get the ha|ance r|ght, and
has succeeded |n keep|ng
|ts hrand 'spec|a|'.
5o |t doesn't surpr|se
me that |pres|dent Luca[
d| Montezemo|o wants to
thrott|e hack product|on as
|errar| |s |os|ng exc|us|v|ty.
| have a |r|end who's
just saved I8k on the ||st
pr|ce o| a new La|||orn|a
w|th a ||tt|e negot|at|on ~
wh|ch goes to show there
are too many cars out there.
0ver the years, | th|nk
|errar| as a company has
got more arrogant and
g|ves o|| a d|staste|u| a|r o|
super|or|ty. | wonder what
o|d Lnzo wou|d have made
o| the company now.
Ann[
|e||a||
4!8|ta||a
owner's
v|ew
6et your gear:
dr|v|ng g|oves
a sn|p at 142,
per|ume [ust 15
||||||/|||||||||h|l||||||||||||l||J|||||/||||||||||||||||/|||||h||||/|||h. |/l|/|||/|1.i||.i, |||/|i|./||.1, ||h|||||1/.||.1,
||
i
|h||||. i |/|h. *ha1e| s|awa |s c Jee, ||ca1 ||e|a|ee 1.| ||| !a ||a||e1 w||| ca |a|||c| 1e,as|| a| fi1,i, ||ea c||e| |wa ec|s ca a,||aac| ||ac| ,caea| a| f|,a|. |e,|esea|c||.e | /||. ||aaa||aa c.c||c||e aa c|| aew ||ca1 ||e|a|ee aa1e|s |e|s|e|e1 |e|a|e 1||| Jtae i|1. W|||
/1.ca.e |caea| ||ca at |c.e ||e a,||aa |a |e|t|a ||e .e||.|e ca1 aa| ,c ||e ||ac| ,caea|, st|,e.| |a ||e .e||.|e aa| |c.|a e\.ee1e1 ca c|ee1 caatc| a||ece |c .|c|e a| i, ,e| a||e |a| e\.ee1|a |,||| a||es ,e| caata |a |||s e\ca,|e ca1 |e|a |a aa1 .aa1|||aa. 0eprs|t amrart |s tp|rall |etweer 1 ar1 I1
1eper1|r] rr term, mr1el, ar1 m|lea]e. ||aca.e st|,e.| |a s|c|ts. |tc|ca|ees ac |e |e)t||e1. le|as ca1 |aa1|||aas c,,|. /| ,c|||.|,c||a |ec|e|s aa|. Jee, ||aca.|c| e|.|.es, || |a\ //a, |at|, | ||W. |||e|s ca1 s,e.|||.c||aas .a||e.| c| ||ae a| a|a |a ,||a| ||/1. Jee, |s c |e|s|e|e1 ||c1eac|| a| |||s|e| ||at, |||.
[eep

6rand Cherokee has recelved more awards

ln Amerlca over lrs llferlme rhan any orher S0v

0ueslion. How do you noke lhe nosl oworded lnericon SU\ ever. even nore rewording?
lnswer. Well, in oddilion lo offering you o luxurious sporls inlerior, corbon fbre lrin, 2O" block gloss olloys ond nolching,
iconic Jeep

grille, how oboul O% fnonce on orders ploced before June 3Olh?

nleresled - whol`s slopping you?
\isil Jeep.co.uk lodoy lo lrock down your neoresl deolership.
APP
*
PAND
CREP0KEE
THF JFFP
WTH
0
%
PEPPE5ENTATIE
Newsweekwo|the|see tun|ng show|ound-up
Nuge power
and torque |s
sent to a|| |our
whee|s through
a 056gearbox
496hhp 6o|| heads tu
Q 1ratk-fotused 61l dehuts at wrthersee Q 1win-turho 6, amazin looks
vwhas glven a gllmpse cf
hcwthe 0clf 0Tl wculd lcck
lf lt was deslgned sclely tc gc
raclng. The ueslgn vlslcn 0Tl
ls a fully functlcnlng prctctype,
and lt tcck centre stage at the
wcrthersee 0Tl event ln Austrla,
ln frcnt cf 200,000 vwfans.
The cne-cff ccncept ls bullt
cn the same M8 platfcrmas the
latest 0Tl, but ls 15mmshcrter,
57mmlcwer and 71mmwlder,
at /,253mmlcng, 1,//2mm
hlgh and 1,870mmwlde.
The 2.0-lltre fcur-cyllnder
englne has been swapped fcr a
3.0-lltre twln-turbc v6, tcc. That
sees pcwer |ump frcm217bhp
tc /96bhp and tcrque rlse frcm
350hmtc 560hm, and thls grunt
ls transmltted tc all fcur wheels
thrcugh a uS0 gearbcx.
The vlslcn 0Tl prcmlses tc
ccver 0-62mph ln 3.9 seccnds -
dcwn frcmthe regular 0Tl uS0's
6.5 seccnds - whlle tcp speed
cllmbs frcm152mph tc 186mph.
lt was deslgned by the same
teamthat penned the latest 0clf,
and as ycu can see, the styllng
exaggerates the regular car's
shape. Fcr example, the curvy
C-plllar ncwstlcks cut, llke a
flylng buttress that's separate
frcmthe bcdywcrk, whlle the
rear dlffuser ls much blgger.
lnslde, the ccntrcls cn the
dash have been mlnlmlsed, sc
the buttcns fcr the three drlvlng
mcdes - street, spcrt and track
- are ncwcn the steerlng wheel.
The dashbcard ltself ls ncwmcre
angled tcwards the drlver, tcc.
As lt's deslgned as a racer, the
vlslcn dltches the rear seats ln
favcur cf a crcss brace, and has a
dlsplay cf the track ycu're drlvlng
cn and spllt tlmes cf cther cars.
Sadly, there are nc plans tc
put the ccncept lntc prcductlcn.
As wlth vw's mld-englned 0clf
w12-650 cf 2007, the vlslcn 0Tl
ls an excuse fcr the deslgners tc
have fun. And lt led a hcst cf cther
wlld cars ln Austrla (see belcw).
Ak there any burning issues en
metering in ritain yeu weuId Iike
answered? Aute xpress is meeting
transpert minister 5tephen hammend
(right) Iater this year - and we want
te knewwhat yeu'd Iike te ask him.
Fremthe read netwerk te taxatien,
saIety te insurance, nething wiII be eII Iimits as we
put yeur questiens te the man whe makes the decisiens
aIIecting every ene eI the 35 miIIien read users in ritain.
-maiI yeur questiens te Craham_hepeQdennis.ce.uk
with hammend uestien in the subject Iine. we'II put the
best enes te the minister, and then pubIish his answers
in Aute xpress and en auteexpress.ce.uk Iater this year.
|-Iype coup gears up |
1R5 are the first pictures of the
f-1ype coup, taken |ust outside
|auar Rin the MidIands.
0espite the disuise - which
incIudes a contrastin roof -
there's no mistakin this for
anythin other than the hard-
top version of the sports car.
1his newmodeI Iooks simiIar
to the C-X16 concept fromthe
2011 frankfurt Motor 5how,
incIudin a swoopy roof that
curves towards the car's taiI.
1he coup is expected to debut
in mid-2014. A |auar spokesman
toId us there are "no pIans to
chane the current f-1ype Iine-up
for at Ieast the car's first year on
saIe". 1he first f-1ype koadsters
Ieft the brand's CastIe 8romwich
factory on 9 May, impIyin the
coup couId arrive next summer.
Re added no decision has
been made on whether the
coup wiII cost Iess than the
convertibIe - as is the case
with the current XK - or more,
foIIowin Porsche's 8oxster
and Cayman pricin stratey.
1he f-1ype coup is expected
to use the same enine Iine-up
as the convertibIe - two 3.0-Iitre
v6s and a v8 rane-topper.
Rowever, the coup's stiffer
body is better suited to hiher-
performance appIications, so
expect f-1ype k and k5modeIs
to be added Iater in the car's Iife.
}A
1emPhiIIips
om_lhillips_dennis.co.uk
Q SA1 Leen tup k
1h newLeen has been mediIied Ier teuring car
cempetitien. 1his 325bhp racer gets a big wing
and 40cmwider track, and cests Irem59,000.
Q 61l tabrie AusIria
vw'5ewn versien eI 1he Apprentice has yieIded this
328bhp twe-seater CeII Cabrie. Austrian-themed C1I
was buiIt by 13 junier apprentice technicians.
Q Skeda kapid SperI
5k0A'5smaII hatch received a vk5-styIe makeever,
with an aggressive bedykit and 19-inch aIIey wheeIs
- but there's ne werd en what's under the bennet.
Q VW6ell 61l tentepI
00k 051l0N5
|0k JkAuS|0kJ
V|u|SJ|k
J SPYSR01
wo|the|see tun|ng show|ound-up Newsweek
}A
fontrast|ng roo| cou|d put
observers o|| the scent, but
our spy shots c|ear|y show
the upcom|ng f-1ype hard-top
be|ng tested |n the N|d|ands
un|ng show stars
|or 20I4 |aunch
1his
weeks
videes
@ 9@
Vat_waton_denni.co.uk
_mat_waton
@ 9
Vat_w
0eugeot 208 61|
ford f|esta 51
w have videes en twe cracking IittIe
het hatches this week. Ferd's Fiesta51
is an in-yeur-Iace perIermance car with
Iirmsuspensien and bey racer Ieeks.
ut the Peugeet 208 C1i is Iike a mini
CeII C1I - it's Iast and Iun, pIus cIassy
and easy te Iive with. 5ee beth cars in
actien at auteexpress.ce.uk]videes.
1h 208 C1i was aIways geing te
be cempared te the 205 C1i. ut
Peugeet's Iatest het hatch is very
diIIerent te the Iegend - in a geed
way. ybeingbethIunandeasyte
Iive with, the 208 carves its ewn
niche, as my videe repert reveaIs.
vk0N in the eIIice whe's driven
the 51 has IaIIen in Ieve. It's Iast, Iun
and makes yeu smiIe. Nething at
this price is as engaging te drive.
ut the het Fiesta isn't perIect, as
I Iind eut during my videe reviewIer
eur sister website Caruyer.ce.uk.
eu can watch
any eI eur videes
en yeur phene
- simpIy by
scanning this
k cede.
kfL05l9
|0A09l00

|0
ach week, eur iPad app Ieatures
excIusive videe. ewnIead it new.
subscrlbe.autcexpress.cc.uk]prlnt-lpad]
Q Audi 11 ulIra tentepI
CbkkN1 11 is geing eut with a bang ahead eI next year's
newcar. bItra Cencept is based en 11 5, but weighs 300kg
Iess and hits 173mph. It ceuId be buiIt in Iimited numbers.
Q VW Amarek k
vNvw's pick-up truck isn't immune Irema sperty
makeever. 1his ene gets a 268bhp 3.0-Iitre v6 dieseI,
22-inch wheeIs and cevers 0-62mph in 7.9 secends.
I
0es|gn 9|s|on 61l shows
w||d |ook o| track-|ocused
hatch, w|th 496bhp 96 eng|ne
5k0A has reIeased prices Ier the IaceIiIted 5uperb, and
it'II start Irem18,555 when it gees en saIe Irem17 [uIy.
1hat buys the 1.4-Iitre 5hatch, and represents a 570
rise ever the eId medeI. 1epping the range is the 32,455
Laurin 8kIement estate, with a 168bhp dieseI, six-speed
5C bex and 4w. 5uperb estates cest 1,125 mere than
the equivaIent hatchbacks, whiIe buyers get a cheice eI six
updated engines - three petreI, three dieseI - IremIaunch.
0r|ces r|ght |or 5koda's
updated 5uperb range
1S
+

Jhe past decade has seen a huge p|o||le|at|on |n the |ange ol new ca|s on sa|e.
we |oo| at the w|nne|s and |ose|s |n the |ace lo| expand|ng mode| ||ne-ups
*yyyCa| ma|e|s' |ange expans|on
Nowcar makers have expanded... and retracted
1h expIesien eI newmedeIs has dramaticaIIy
changed the newcar werId in the past decade.
Audi has expanded Irem23 te 50 medeIs,
whiIe Mwisn't Iar behind. Christian 5tadIer,
Asseciate PreIesser eI 5trategic Management
at warwick usiness 5cheeI, teId Aute xpress
that there are twe things driving this.
"First is the expectatien Iremcensumers eI
mere cheice," he said. "1he ether is that car
cempanies have beceme better at werking en
a singIe pIatIermand adapting it Ier preducing
a greater number eI diIIerent medeIs."
henda's saIes shewthe risk eI a dwindIing
range, whiIe premiumbrands' expansien have
Ied te mainstreammakes' saIes suIIering.
}A Ann[
A2
A1/51/A1 5porthack
A4/54/k54/A4 Avant/54 Avant/k54 Avant/A4 Lah.
A6/56/k56/A||road/A6 Avant/56 Avant/k56 Avant
A8/58/A8 L
II Loup/II koadster
Ag||a
Lorsa 1dr/Lorsa 5dr
Astra/Astra convert|h|e
Vectra/Vectra estate
5|gnum
V8220
Ia||ra
|rontera
1 5er|es sa|oon/1 5er|es Loup/1 5er|es Lonv.
1 5er|es Iour|ng/M1 Loup/M1 Lonvert|h|e
5 5er|es/5 5er|es Iour|ng/M5/M5 Iour|ng
I 5er|es/I 5er|es Lw8
85
I4 convert|h|e
I8
Legend
Accord sa|oon/Accord estate
L|v|c hatch/L|v|c coup/L|v|c sa|oon/L|v|c Iype k
Lk-V
k-V
|ns|ght
[azz
52000
5tream
N58
New mode| army
A
u
d
|
2
0
0
1
9
a
u
x
h
a
|
|
2
0
0
1
8
N
w
2
0
0
1
N
o
n
d
a
2
0
0
1
21
II
I!
I1
apting it Ier preducing
rent medeIs."
i k I d i dIi
on sa|e.
ups
on sa|e
5a|es
I0,824
5a|es
126,411
5a|es
91,822
5a|es
8I,8!8
Ca| ma|e|s' |ange expans|on *yyy
}A Ann[
Aud| 2011
9auxha|| 2011
8Nw2011
Nonda 2011
AI/AI 5porthack
A1/51/A1 5porthack/51 5porthack/k51 5porthack/A1 5a|oon/51 5a|oon
A4/54/A4 A||road/A4 Avant/54 Avant/k54 Avant
A5/55/k55/A5 Lahr|o|et/55 Lahr|o|et/k55 Lahr|o|et/A5 5porthack/55 5porthack
A6/56/A6 Avant/56 Avant/k56 Avant/A6 A||road
AI/5I/k5I
A8/58/A8 L
II Loup/II koadster/II5 Loup/II5 koadster/II k5 Loup/II k5 koadster
k8/k8 5pyder/k8 6I/k8 6I 5pyder
1/1 k5
5/55
I
Ag||a
Adam
Ampera
Lorsa 1dr/Lorsa 5dr/Lorsa V8k
Astra/Astra 5I/Astra 6IL/Astra V8k
Ia||ra/Ia||ra Iourer
Mokka
Antara
Lascada
V8k8/V8k8 Iourer
Mer|va
|ns|gn|a/|ns|gn|a sa|oon/|ns|gn|a 5I/|ns|gn|a V8k
I 5er|es 1dr/I 5er|es 5dr/I 5er|es Loup/I 5er|es Lonvert|h|e
1 5er|es/1 5er|es Loup/1 5er|es Lonv./1 5er|es Iour|ng/1 5er|es 6I/M1 Loup/M1 Lonv.
5 5er|es/5 5er|es Iour|ng/5 5er|es 6I/M5
6 5er|es Loup/6 5er|es Lonv./6 5er|es 6ran Loup/M6 Loup/M6 Lonv./M6 6ran Loup
I 5er|es/I 5er|es Lw8
8I
81
85/85 M
86/86 M
I4
[azz
|ns|ght
L|v|c
Accord sa|oon/Accord Iourer
Lk-V
Lk-I
!0
22
10
I
:f
I21,622
:f
212,2!!
:f
I2I,!10
:f
!4,802
5UMMEP I5 A 5TATE 0F MIND
vauxhall.co.uk
0fficiaI Ccvernment Test EnvircnmentaI Data. FueI ccnsumpticn figures mpg
(!40P5) 5tart/5tcp: Urban: 35.8 (7.), Extra-urban: 5!.4 (5.5), Ccmbined:
Model shown Cascada Elite !.4i !6v vvT Turbo l!40PS) Start/Sto 26,!00 with 20" Alloy Wheels !,000, Two-coat Pearlescent Paint 525, Front
secifications correct at time of going to rint. vauxhall Lifetime Warranty covers lifetime ownershi of first registered keeer, !00,000 mile
New CA5CADA
WPPNTY !99,999 ML
(Iit-es/!99km) and 0Z emissicns (/km). ascada Iite !.4i !6v VVT Tu-bc
44.8 (6.3). 0Z emissicns !4/km.
Parking Distance Sensors 385, Premium Forward Lighting Pack 70, Premium Leather Pack !,200. Total 0TR cost 30,000. Prices and
limit. Terms and conditions aly. visit www.vauxhall.co.uk/warranty
WaIthdeg
0ot a moto||ng p|ob|em we'|e he|e to he|p...
Relpdeskoct |o tcuc|
mail_autoexpre.co.uk _/utoLxpre
WriIeIe: watchdo, /uto Lxpre, Lenni lublihin,
`u Cleveland Street, London w1 /L
tensumer
news
keep|ng you up to date
w|th the key |ssues that
a||ect you and your car
jen Mergan
on_Voran_denni.co.uk
Q 0iital radio switthover planned in two years
Q All newtars must he diitally enahled hy then
1he organ|sat|on
wh|ch promotes
0A8 be||eves the
2015 dead||ne
can be met
6overnment comm|ts
to 2015 sw|tch to 0A8
TFF dlgltal radlc swltchcver
has been a ma|cr scurce
cf ccntrcversy ever slnce the
0cvernment flrst anncunced lts
lntentlcns tc pull the plug cn
analcgue bandwldths ln the
ulgltal Fccncmy Act cf 2010.
Uppcnents argue that dlgltal
quallty lsn't as gccd as that cf
FM, and that the mcve wculd
needlessly make 100 mllllcn
perfectly gccd radlcs cbsclete
cvernlght. They alsc say that the
uA8 fcrmat favcured by the
0cvernment ls already cut cf date,
wlth uA8+ prcvldlng better quallty.
The prcspect cf the ccnverslcn
has been further put ln dcubt by
the pccr uptake rate fcr dlgltal
radlc. The 0cvernment has set
three targets that have tc be
met befcre FMls swltched cff:
half cf all radlc llstenlng has
tc be cn a dlgltal platfcrm,
dlgltal ccverage has tc match
FM's (97 per cent cf the ccuntry)
and lccal dlgltal radlc has tc
reach 90 per cent cf the uK.
Fcwever, the latest statlstlcs
frcmulgltal kadlc uK shcwthat
cnly 33 per cent cf radlc llstenlng
ls dlgltal. hatlcnal 88C ccverage
ls 9/.5 per cent, but natlcnal
ccmmerclal statlcns cnly reach
85 per cent cf the ccuntry and
lccal uA8servlces |ust 70 per cent.
Sc wlll the transltlcn gc
ahead! As recently as last
hcvember, newspaper
headllnes were predlctlng
that the 2015 deadllne wculd
at the very least have tc be
delayed, pcsslbly by many years.
The 0cvernment ls set tc
cfflclally anncunce a swltchcver
date ln hcvember, but a repcrt
publlshed by the Fcuse cf
Ccmmcns earller thls year stated:
"The target date, whlch the
lndustry ccnslders ls achlevable
and the 0cvernment says lt
wculd suppcrt, ls 2015."
The crganlsatlcn respcnslble
fcr prcmctlng uA8 - ulgltal kadlc
uK - ls ccnfldent that date can be
met. lts technclcgy and market
develcpment dlrectcr, Laurence
Farrlscn, tcld us: "8ased cn the
current rate cf grcwth ln dlgltal
llstenlng we belleve the crlterla
wlll be met by the end cf 2015."
Thlrteen newuA8 transmltters
wlll be launched cver the next 18
mcnths, slgnlflcantly expandlng
ccverage. The car lndustry has
alsc ccmmltted tc ensurlng that
every slngle newcar ls "dlgltally
enabled" by 2015 - that ls, they
wlll elther be fltted wlth uA8,
have lt as a ccst cptlcn, cr they
can easlly be hccked up tc a
dlgltal radlc platfcrmvla an
aux-ln]smartphcne ccnnectlcn.
The car makers' effcrts ln thls
area are crltlcal, because 20 per
cent cf all radlc llstenlng takes
place ln cars. The lndustry has
already made glant strldes. Three
years agc, |ust fcur per cent cf
newcars came fltted wlth uA8. ln
the flrst three mcnths cf thls year
that flgure had leapt tc 35 per
cent, wlth a further 25 per cent
havlng lt as a ccst cptlcn.
Fcwever, lf the change
tc dlgltal dces gc ahead as
planned, and ycu cwn cne cf the
estlmated 25 mllllcn cars that wlll
be left wlth nc radlc slgnal cn the
day FMls swltched cff, lt may be
wcrth startlng ycur research cn
aftermarket uA8 sclutlcns ncw.
PhiIips CM30008
Price: 159.99
Centact: halfcrds.ccm
CAh replace slngle-helght
cassette decks cn clder cars.
Fas dlgltal radlc, Cu player,
lPcd ccnnectlcn and aux-ln.
Kenweed
0kX5210A8
Price: 1,095.95 Centact:
kenwccd-electrcnlcs.cc.uk
SlX-lnch tcuchscreen, dlgltal
radlc, sat-nav, 8luetccth and
lPcd ccntrcl fcr vw0rcup cars.
Pure highway
3000i
Price: 179.99 Centact: pure.ccm
LFTSycu keep car sterec,
addlng small LCu dlsplay wlth
statlcn name and track detalls,
plus ccntrcls tc change statlcn.
Ann[ }A
5he|| b|asts petro| tax
0IL cempany 5heII has bIamed high
pump prices en Cevernment tax aIter
Iacing criticismIer its bumper preIits.
It recentIy reveaIed quarterIy preIits eI
5bn - equivaIent te 656 a secend -
at a time eI near-recerd petreI prices.
1op 0A8 a|termarket buys
Centacts
TFF fcllcwlng prcvlde help wlth
mctcrlng prcblems. Scme
servlces are free, cthers charge
a fee cr cperate cn premlum-
rate llnes (p), whlle scme cffer
advlce fcr members cnly (m).
uew add|t|ve gets sea| ol app|ova|
Chris_bbsQdennis.ce.uk
QAutexpress
LegaI
AA: 0906 010 1300 (p)
kAC: 0870 5533 533 (m)
which?: 01992 822 800
Consumer 0irect:
08/5 /0/ 0506
LocaI 1radin 5tandards
LocaI Citizens Advice 8ureau
used car inspectiens
AA: 0800 085 3007
kAC: 0800 085 2529
1echnicaI advice
AA: 0870 606 1619 (m)
0riving Iicences
0vLA: 0300 790 6801
Car registratien[histery
RPI: 01722 /22/22
AA: 0800 316 356/
0vLA: 0300 790 6802
kAC: 0800 975 5867
1raffic infermatien
AA: 09003 /01100 (p)
kAC: 09003 ///999 (p)
PrebIems with deaIers
Motor Codes:
0800 692 0825
kMIf: 08/5 839 9205 (m)
5cottish Motor 1rade
Association: 0131 331 5510
PrebIems with makers
Motor Codes: 0800 692 0825
FinanciaI prebIems
financiaI 0mbudsman:
0800 023 /567
5afety cencerns[recaIIs
vehicIe and 0perator
5ervices Aency (vUSA):
0117 95/ 3300
Ch||s
bbs
Ann[ }A
women's |nsurance up
1h cest eI wemen's car insurance rese en
average by 2.3 per cent in the Iirst quarter
eI 2013, accerding te CenIused.cem's
price index. 1he gender equaIity ruIing
meant men's premiums IeII by an average
eI 1.8 per cent ever the same peried.
App|e nav |or cars
APPL is in taIks with car makers abeut
integrating its Maps app inte in-car
muItimedia systems. 1his weuId aIIew
iPhene ewners te use its sat-nav and
peints eI interest Iunctiens via their centre
censeIe ence their phene is cennected.
9o|ce recogn|t|on danger
b5INCveice recegnitien te text whiIe
driving is just as dangereus as typing a
message, say researchers at 1exas A8M
bniversity. 1hey Ieund driving reactien
times deubIed when drivers were trying
te cemmunicate via veice recegnitien.
1h Cevernment's vehicIe
Identity Check (vIC) scheme -
intended te step steIen cars
being passed eII as repaired
accident-damaged medeIs -
has been heaviIy criticised
by the repair industry.
It cIaims it's cest businesses
125miIIien te detect just
38 cIened cars. Aute xpress
has previeusIy reveaIed that
the Cevernment has spent
30meI taxpayers' meney en
the initiative. ut a epartment
Ier 1ranspert censuItatien
pubIished Iast week Ieatured
a huge number eI respenses
Iremrepairers demanding it be
everhauIed er scrapped.
Asked why the vIC sheuId ge,
ene respendent wrete: "1he very
high cest berne by seIIers and
purchasers eI saIvage bearing
a vIC marker (prebabIy in
excess eI 125mer up te
4mper ringer detected)."
1he t|me has come |or
dec|s|ve act|on on 9eh|c|e
ldent|ty fheck scheme
1HE revelaiiohoI jusi low
mucl mohey las Leeh
wasied ohile velicle Idehiiiy
Cleck (vIC) scleme (LelowleIi)
lardly comes as a Lig surrise.
We'd reviously revealed ilai
arouhd omlad Leehsehi oh
ile scleme, wiil jusi 8 clohed
cars caugli. Add ohile z_m
ii's cosi reair comahies, ahd
ilai ioial is closer io __m.
Ii's hoi ile Lrsi iime ilai ile
cosi oI a Goverhmehi ihiiiaiive
las siralled oui oI cohirol,
wiil liiile or ho resuli.
Ahd iI ilai wash'i Lad ehougl,
accordihg io ile olice ile vIC
scleme las dohe liiile io deier
crimihals. So ii would seemii's
Iailed ohalmosi every level.
1le Lig quesiiohis lowdoes
someilihg like ilis go so wrohg,
ahd wlehii does, wly is ii
allowed io cohiihue Ior so lohg
1lis is comouhded Ly ile
Iaci ilai aIier receivihg mosily
hegaiive IeedLack ohile
scleme, ile Dearimehi Ior
1rahsori ilehsighed ile wlole
ilihg oII wiil ile lihe: II ii is
decided io roceed wiil ahy
clahge io ile scleme, a Iuriler
cohsuliaiiohwill Le carried oui."
So aIier wasiihg uLlic
mohey ahd cosiihg reair
comahies dearly, ii howwahis
io squahder more Ly goihg
ilrougl ahoiler cohsuliaiioh
rocess ohile wlole ilihg.
Do we really heed ilis Surely
ile iime las come Ior decisive
aciioh railer ilahahoiler
cohsuliaiioh ohilis mosi
cohiehiious oI ihiiiaiives
kepa|rers s|am c|one check scheme
MN1I0N IueI additives and
yeu're eIten met with a
scepticaI respense as the
imprevements gained Irem
themcan rareIy be veriIied.
hewever, independent
testing by missiens AnaIytics,
an emissiens testing cempany,
has reveaIed a newpreduct,
1echren Cencentrate PIus
(Ier petreI engines) and
1echren Cencentrate (Ier
dieseIs), ceuId yieId seme
mere tangibIe resuIts.
missiens AnaIytics beught
22 petreI and dieseI cars Irem
auctien Ier the triaIs. AII were
between three and Iive years
eId, and each had cevered
30,000 te 50,000 miIes.
1he cars were subjected te
480 emissiens and ecenemy
tests. when the additives were
intreduced, the average mpg eI
the petreI cars increased by
nine per cent, whiIe pewer
went up three per cent. Fer the
dieseIs the Iigures were eight
and three per cent respectiveIy.
1echren cIaims the average
car weuId enIy need its
additives ence er twice a year,
and prices start at 15 a bettIe.
1his means that a petreI car
currentIy achieving 35mpg
ceuId see ecenemy rise te
38mpg. with the current
average price eI petreI 1.34
per Iitre, it weuId take 1,110
miIes te receup yeur 15.
Cever 10,000 miIes and a
driver ceuId be Ieeking at
savings eI up te 120 en IueI.
"1here are many preducts
cIaiming IueI ecenemy
beneIits, but net aII stand up
te rigereus examinatien,"
said Nick MeIden, managing
directer eI missiens AnaIytics.
w|th 1echron
added, average
economy o|
petro| cars rose
by n|ne per cent
Auto xpress
has a|ready
h|gh||ghted
the appa|||ng
cost to the
taxpayer o|
the 9eh|c|e
ldent|ty
fheck
|n|t|at|ve
Add|t|ves work by
c|ean|ng eng|ne parts,
a||ow|ng them to operate
at the|r opt|mum
8f0k
Af1k
Ann[ s }A
N01 100lf u|ssan's new tax| lo| |ondon
TFF newhlssan taxl ls bcund tc attract
a lcad cf crltlclsm. There wlll always be
thcse whc are terrlfled cf any klnd cf
change - and lf these pecple had thelr
way, we'd stlll be llvlng ln wccden huts
and relylng cn hcrses fcr transpcrt. As
far as manufacturers gc, hlssan actually
makes cars ln the uK - that's abcut as
clcse as ycu can get tc a '8rltlsh' car
maker these days. l'mpleased lt'll
be hlssan bulldlng the newmcdel.
wFlLF l ackncwledge there are prcblems
wlth ycung drlvers, the suggestlcn they
shculd nct drlve untll the age cf 25 cr at
all at nlght-tlme makes nc sense tc me.
what abcut the fcllcwlng sclutlcns!
Fcr a start, the drlvlng lnstructcr shculd
certlfy that the pupll ls capable and
ready tc take a test. A mlnlmumcf fcur
lesscns shculd be taken at nlght. And,
havlng passed the test, lf caught drlvlng
uslng a mcblle cr wlth nc seatbelt cn,
thelr llcence shculd be taken and thelr
vehlcle lmpcunded fcr three mcnths.
wFAT a shame that the newFcrd Fsccrt
ls destlned cnly fcr the Chlnese market.
lts slmple, clean llnes lcck sc much
better than the scmewhat ccnfused
and cver-fussy style cf the current Fccus.
l'msure lf lt was tc be launched ln
the uK lt cculd be a masslve success.
l kFAu wlth dlsgust ycur artlcle cn the
'strlct llablllty' law(lssue 1,265) that
suggested drlvers cculd be blamed fcr
all accldents lnvclvlng cycllsts. Mcst
cycllsts l see rlde wlthcut llghts cr
helmets, |ump red llghts cr reach
red llghts and mcunt the pavement
cnly tc re|cln the rcad past the llghts.
Mctcrlsts cannct be blamed fcr
thls lawless behavlcur. A mcre
effectlve sclutlcn wculd be better
tralnlng and a clampdcwn cn
cycllsts breaklng the rules cf the rcad.
CAk parklng spaces are a standard slze,
sc l fall tc see why }aguar has lntrcduced
the F-Type, whlch ls 31mmwlder than
an already ludlcrcusly wlde XK.
why dc sc many makers lnslst cn
bulldlng cars that can't flt lntc parklng
bays! l'mcften fcrced tc park my Audl
A/ sc far away frcmcther parklng
spaces ln the hcpe that nc cne else
wlll park next tc lt - and yet lt stlll
suffers scratches and dents. Maybe
we shculd all glve up and |ust rlde
mctcrcycles wlth large pannlers.
ALL thcse tradltlcnallsts ccmplalnlng
abcut the newLcndcn cab belng bullt
by hlssan shculd remember that the
maker cf the current mcdel ls cwned by a
Chlnese ccmpany. The parts are all sent
frcmChlna and the car ls cnly assembled
ln the uK. l'd much rather have a hlssan
wlth mcre up-tc-date deslgn and ccmfcrt.
[apanese company as
8r|t|sh as they come
Now to make roads
sa|er |or young dr|vers
8r|ng scort to 8r|ta|n
1|me |or cyc||sts to
|ace |u|| |orce o| |aw
fars are too b|g to
be parked proper|y
lt'|| be a step |orward
|rom the current tax|
fk0N: gt|_c|u|se|
fk0N: C||ve |a||es
fk0N: |an Jhu||ey
fk0N: Samue| |oo|s fk0N: V |agett
fk0N: SA|nuK
Jhe p|ototype |s a
van w|th 'tax|' on |t. Jhe
cu||ent tax| |s a c|ass|c,
why not |mp|ove thatI
A5lNAkkAN
|'m p|eased |t's be|ng
made by u|ssan. |ts lacto|y
|n Sunde||and p|ov|des
thousands ol uK jobs!
0eter[amesI
whoeve| s|gned oll on
the |dea ol a u|ssan van
as a |ondon tax| needs
to be l|ogged |n pub||c.
Lagoya
Jhe|e |s noth|ng that says
'|ondon' about what we've
seen so la| ol th|s s||ght|y
wa|med up u|ssan van.
fone[|to |oco
o|n the debate at www.autoexp|ess.co.u|
:S tlaire Relden
mail_autoexpre.co.uk _/utoLxpre
WriIeIe: Letter, /uto Lxpre, Lenni lublihin,
`u Cleveland Street, London w1 /L
lnbex
we want to hea| what you th|n|...

ma
Wr
`u
A010 k0k55 u0w AvA||A|| 0u ||AU
www.subscr|be.autoexpress.co.uk/pr|nt-|pad/
5ubscr|be to|0adandpr|nt magaz|nes and5A9
ThenewlPadverslcncf AutcFxpresshasadeslgnthat'scptlmlsedfcr theAppletablet, plusarangecf
excluslvevldecs-andlt'salscavallablewlththesamegreat-valueslxlssuesfcr 1cffer astheprlnt
prcduct. Tallcr ycur subscrlptlcntcget lPadcnly, prlnt cnlycr prlnt andlPadverslcnsbylcgglngcnncw.
An nn n n nn nn n n n nn nn nnn nnn n n n n n nn [ [ [ [ [ [
NNANf06ALLkl5 8kfL05l9 9l005
0rev|ous prototype o| London tax|
has been resty|ed to make |t
|ook more obv|ous|y ||ke a cab
Ann[
py
Jac|||ng the moto||ng |ssues that matte|
we v|s|t London's secret contro| centre that k
tra|||c ||ow|ng and shows other c|t|es how to
8l6 8k01W
lS wA1tWlN6
}A
man respcnslble fcr ensurlng the
rcads ln and arcund Lcndcn are
as prcblemand ccngestlcn-free
as pcsslble. Anycne whc's drlven
ln the capltal wlll understand
what a dlfflcult task that ls -
but lt's belng helped by a large
lnfrastructure and scme ma|cr
technclcglcal advances.
"Arcund 10 mllllcn car trlps
are made every day cn the rcad
netwcrk acrcss Lcndcn," says
Fmmerscn. The Trafflc Ccntrcl
Centre ls respcnslble fcr the
Transpcrt fcr Lcndcn kcad
hetwcrk (TLkh), whlch makes
up flve per cent, cr 360 mlles,
cf the capltal's tctal rcad length,
yet carrles mcre than 30 per cent
cf lts trafflc. The netwcrk malnly
ccmprlses red rcutes lncludlng
the A/1 and A/06, plus ma|cr
brldges. Smaller rcads are
run by lccal ccunclls.
Tc help, lt has mcre than
1,/00 CCTv cameras and 1/0
rcadslde varlable message slgns.
There are alsc 6,000 sets cf trafflc
slgnals, wlth cver half ccntrcllable
frcmthe centre. These slgnals are
ccnstantly revlewed, and ln the
past flve years /,022 sets have
been ad|usted tc cut ccngestlcn
by almcst elght per cent.
Then there's the SCUUT
prcgramme, whlch ad|usts llghts
ln real tlme dependlng cn |ams.
Arcund half cf the 6,000 llghts
FUk a bulldlng that's meant
tc be secret, lt's nct exactly
lnccnsplcucus. The mcdern glass
structure wlth lts cverhanglng
hlgher flccrs ls hard tc mlss. 8ut
Transpcrt fcr Lcndcn (TfL) ls keen
fcr as fewpecple as pcsslble tc
kncwthe lccatlcn cf lts Lcndcn
Street Trafflc Ccntrcl Centre.
lt scunds llke scmethlng cut
cf a }ames 8cnd mcvle, but thls ls
the nerve centre ccntrclllng nearly
all trafflc flcwln the capltal. hct
cnly dces thls faclllty ccnstantly
revlewthe sequence cf trafflc
llghts cr structure cf |unctlcns,
lt's alsc where the emergency
servlces can be dlrected cn
Lcndcn's rcads. lf thlngs were
tc gc wrcng here, there cculd be
ma|cr prcblems fcr the publlc.
lt's the klnd cf technclcglcal
hub ycu wculd expect. Un
numercus flccrs there are large
banks cf screens perfcrmlng
dlfferent functlcns. Scme shcw
llve feeds frcmCCTv cameras
acrcss the clty, whlle cthers have
maps wlth a mlxture cf red and
green messages - a slmple ccde
tc shcwhcwtrafflc ls flcwlng
cn that rcad cr ln that area.
we're here tc see 0arrett
Fmmerscn, chlef cperatlng cfflcer
fcr surface transpcrt. Fe's the
have thls lnstalled, reduclng |ams
by 13 per cent, and lt'll eventually
feature cn three-quarters cf the
slgnals. 8acklng up all thls
technclcgy ls an army cf staff at
the centre and cut cn the rcads.
Fcr example, every bus drlver ls
llnked back tc the centre and can
call ln any lncldent they see.
Then there are the ccrrldcr
managers - a teamcf 23 pecple
that lccks after the trafflc flcwcf
the ma|cr trunk rcads runnlng
lntc Lcndcn, such as the A20 and
A1, tc ensure these are wcrklng
as smccthly as pcsslble.
The teamuses cne cf the mcst
advanced mcdelllng systems ln
the wcrld tc help calculate hcw
the smallest change cf a trafflc
slgnal cr |unctlcn wlll affect the
trafflc. Thls helped tc ensure
thlngs ran sc smccthly durlng
the Lcndcn 2012 Ulymplcs -
cver the flrst twc nlghts cf the
games, the teamlmplemented
130 |unctlcn changes, after
ccmpletlng arcund 1,300 tests.
As ycu'd expect, accldents
cause the ma|crlty cf dlsruptlcns
cn the netwcrk - they acccunt
fcr arcund 36 per cent cf delays.
8ut thls ls clcsely fcllcwed by
ach operat|ve |n h|-tech centre has array o| screens show|ng |ootage |rom
ff19 and co|our-coded maps to get an |dea o| where [ams are bu||d|ng up
we're on 1w|tter
as |t's |mportant
|or peop|e to ||nd
out about th|ngs
be|ore they get
|n the|r car
0arrett mmersen lL
}A
OO
Chris_Lbbs_dennis.co.uk

Ch
keeps
o do |t
k
6
jAM80S1k
6,000 515 0f 1kAfflf
5l6NAL5 lN L0N00N -
AN0 Nl-1fN fN1k
f0N1k0L5 09k NALf f0N1k0L5 09k NALf
ach operat|ve |n h|-tech centre h
jAM80S1k
1,400 N0N8k 0f ff19
fANkA5 1NA1 wA1fN
09k fA0l1AL'5 k0A05
ach operat|ve |n h| tech centre h
+

]
#

}A Ann[
rcadwcrks, and cne cf the ma|cr
ways Fmmerscn ls lccklng tc cut
ccngestlcn here ls by fccuslng cn
ccmblnlng wcrks. Fe says: "when
we had tc clcse rcads arcund the
vauxhall crane lncldent |after a
hellccpter crashed cn tc the street
belcw[, we started up 10 sets cf
rcadwcrks tc try tc mlnlmlse the
dlsruptlcn when they recpened."
Ccmmunlcatlng what's gclng
cn tc drlvers ls alsc part cf the
centre's rcle, and lt's embraced
scclal medla. "we've gct 70,000
fcllcwers cn Twltter and have sent
cver 30,000 messages," says
Fmmerscn. "The mcre we bulld
the ccmmunlty, the better. lt's
lmpcrtant pecple flnd cut abcut
thlngs befcre they get ln thelr car."
The centre has handled scme
challenglng events cver the past
twc years - scme planned, scme
unplanned. "we had tc deal wlth
the rlcts ln 2011, then there was
the lncldent ln vauxhall," explalns
Fmmerscn. "Then there are
thlngs llke a burst plpe frcmthe
Trafalgar Square fcuntalns that
cause rall, bus and rcad
prcblems. And cf ccurse
we had the Ulymplcs."
Fnsurlng the smccth
runnlng cf planned
events llke the Ulymplc
rcad cycle race cr a state
funeral ls Lella Klng, the
event cc-crdlnatcr. She
explalns: "There are
arcund 500 cn-street rcad
events a year, ranglng
frcmdemcnstratlcns and
marches tc ceremcnlal
events llke a state funeral
cr the Trccplng cf the
Cclcur. Then there are
spcrtlng events llke the
Lcndcn Marathcn and
prccesslcns such as the
hcttlng Flll Carnlval."
TfL's rcle, acccrdlng tc
Klng, ls tc ensure that the
lmpact fcr all rcad users ls
as small as pcsslble. Fcr
scmethlng llke the kcyal
weddlng, rcad clcsure
plans were already ln
place. And ln the run-up
tc the blg day, between
2amand 7am, TfL was
carrylng cut practlce
runs tc ensure lt wculd
all pass smccthly.
Ubvlcusly, there's nc
way tc plan fcr accldents,
but TfL and the pcllce
wcrk tcgether tc deal
wlth themas qulckly as
pcsslble. ln March 2011,
the twc partles agreed the
rcads recpenlng prctcccl,
whlch ls a shared ccmmltment
tc cpen part cf cr the whcle
rcad as sccn as pcsslble after
a perscn ls kllled cr serlcusly
ln|ured ln an accldent.
TlmFerbert, pcllcy manager ln
the ccmmunlty safety, enfcrcement
and pcllclng department at TfL,
tells us: "There's been scme real
prcgress ln the last flve years. The
lmpcrtant thlng ls gettlng all the
rescurces needed tc cpen a rcad
there as sccn as they're needed."
The current target fcr reachlng
an accldent and clearlng the rcad
tc keep trafflc mcvlng ls fcur and
a half hcurs. Thls seems llke ages,
but wlth lnvestlgatlcns, medlcal
tlme and cften splllages tc attend
tc, lt can be a lengthy prccess.
Une cf the ways TFL has trled
tc speed thlngs up ls by uslng
3u scanners. "These can take
arcund 35 mlnutes tc get a full
plcture cf the scene," explalns
Ferbert. "The tradltlcnal way
wculd have taken up tc an hcur.
"lt means whlle thls ls
wcrklng cfflcers can dc cther
thlngs llke ccllect evldence."
Thls lsn't llmlted tc Lcndcn, wlth
the Flghways Agency lnvestlng
ln the scanners as well.
TfL has alsc saved tlme by
startlng repalrs cn thlngs llke
barrlers whlle lnvestlgatlcns are
stlll underway. Thls has all helped
reduce the dlsruptlcn caused by
rcad trafflc accldents by 16 per
cent cver the past twc years.
Uf ccurse, there's nct much
TfL can dc abcut the amcunt cf
trafflc cn the streets cf Lcndcn,
and Fmmerscn tells us lt's nct
|ust abcut |curney tlmes. "what
pecple want tc kncwls that thelr
|curney ls rellable," he says. "That
lt takes /5 mlnutes. hct cne day
lt's 25 mlnutes and the next lt's
90 mlnutes. That's cur gcal."
5ta|| use ff19 |ootage
to ad[ust tra|||c s|gna|s
and prevent [ams, but
roadworks st||| prov|de
the b|ggest cha||enges
py Keep|ng |oads mov|ng
5ta|| are |ocus|ng more on commun|cat|ng what's go|ng
on to motor|sts us|ng soc|a| med|a serv|ces ||ke 1w|tter
jAM80S1k
20 0k fN1 0k000k1l0N
0f 0k'5 k0A0 f0N651l0N
1NA1 flL1k5 1Nk006N
L0N00N'5 k0A0 N1w0kk
}
tc
2
c
r
a
jAM80S1k
10X 0k000k1l0N 0f
101AL L0N00N 1kAfflf
1NA1 055 1N k0A05
N0Nl10k0 8 fN1k
jAM80S1k
160 NlL5 101AL
LN61N 0f fA0l1AL'5
k0A05 f0k wNlfN
1|L l5 k500N5l8L
}A Ann[
c|ocusLC0neI
8uYlh0 an ecc-frlendly car
used tc mean ccmprcmlse.
8ut whlle thls newFcrd Fccus
FCUnetlc certalnly makes blg
clalms abcut lts efflclency -
83.1mpg and 88g]kmcf CU2 - lt
lccks llke any cther mcdel ln the
range. Unly when ycu scratch the
surface dcycu flnd subtle changes
that make a blg dlfference.
The englne features a new
ln|ectlcn systemand turbc, whlle
the transmlsslcn uses speclal
flkS1bklV
Newtars
v|s|t :ffS lo| the |atest new ca|s and d||ves
New ~tlass
tabrieleI
FaceIiIt brings cIassy seIt-tep
in Iine with Iatest saIeen, and
we drive it - pIus Ceup, tee.
36
LaIesI eco haIch romises 8mg Iuel economy wiIh no comromises
1emPhiIIips
om_lhillips_dennis.co.uk
LaIesI
lcw-frlctlcn cll. Uther tweaks
lnclude underbcdy shlelds,
an actlve grllle shutter and ultra-
lcw-reslstance tyres, plus the
usual fuel-savlng measures such
as stcp-start, a shlft lndlcatcr
llght and an ecc mcde.
The Fccus ls cheaper than
the latest 0clf 8lueMctlcn, but
can't qulte match the vw's
88.3mpg and 85g]kmflgures.
Kla's cleanest Cee'd undercuts
the Fcrd cn prlce, yet returns a
less lmpresslve 76.3mpg and
97g]kmcf CU2, whlle the Fccus
trumps even Tcycta's 72./mpg
Prlus cn prlce and efflclency.
Althcugh the Fcrd has beccme
prcgresslvely scfter wlth each
newgeneratlcn, lt stlll feels llke
lt's been deslgned wlth the drlver
ln mlnd. Uur Zetec has spcrts
frcnt seats that can be drcpped
lcw, whlle ycu can llft the chunky
steerlng wheel fcr a ccmfy yet
spcrty drlvlng pcsltlcn.
The dlesel englne rattles lntc
llfe and takes a whlle tc warm
up. 8ut cnce up tc temperature,
lt's qulet and reflned - unllke ln
scme ecc cars that dltch scund
deadenlng tc reduce welght. The
fuel-savlng stcp-start systemls
pretty uncbtruslve, tcc, cuttlng
and restartlng the car smccthly.
8cth the gearshlft and clutch
pedal have qulte sprlngy actlcns
and the Fccus pulls away eagerly
frcma standstlll. 8ut whlle flrst ls
geared lcwtc get the car up and
runnlng, the remalnlng flve ratlcs
are all very lcng, ln crder tc keep
revs dcwn and fuel eccncmy up.
lf ycu drlve ncrmally, thls
dcesn't make much dlfference,
PkAt1ltALl1Y 8001
(5A150P]00wh) 3!6/!,!! L1
Ann[ }A }
Ietec's cab|n |s spac|ous |ront and rear, w|th a 0A8 rad|o and 5Nf
phone |ntegrat|on as standard. 1a|| gear|ng ||m|ts eng|ne ||ex|b|||ty
hCIhkIhC cars is aII about
compromise - in this case,
between fueI efficiency and
performance. Rowever, the
focus C0netic proves that a
weII equipped, ood to drive,
comfortabIe and reasonabIy
practicaI car can aIso return
some very impressive fueI
economy fiures. It's not the
smartest Iooker, inside or out,
and the forthcomin CoIf
8IueMotion is even cIeaner,
but the focus is a superb
aII-rounder nonetheIess.

VerditI
Y
1he fecus fCnetic feeIs
entireIy nermaI frem
behind the wheeI - and
thats its biggest asset.
Its stiII geed te drive,
yet returns ever 80mpg.
ferds design Ianguage
werks weII en the new
fiesta. ut the fecus
styIing Ieeks awkward,
especiaIIy if yeu park
it next te a w 6eIf.
N01 S0600b
600b
PeugeeI
28 V1i
MaseraIi
quaIIreperIe
0tIavia
sIaIe 4x4
we Iiked dieseI versien eI
Peugeet's Nissan [uke rivaI,
but newwe try petreI car.
Luxurieus newuattreperte 5
has v6 instead eI v8 pewer.
Is this a backward step?
Latest 5keda Ieader adds aII-
wheeI-drive tractien Ier just
1,450 extra. Is it werth it?
4! 42 38
althcugh ycu dc flnd ycurself
needlng tc drcp a gear when
gclng up hllls wlth a ccuple cf
passengers and bags cn bcard.
Pay attentlcn tc the llttle green
arrcwcn the dash that suggests
when tc change up, and eccncmy
shculd lmprcve. Yet lt can make
the englne grumble llke a crcss-
Channel ferry at such lcwrevs.
we suggest drlvlng senslbly and
chccslng ycur cwn shlft pclnts.
The FCUnetlc makes lcads cf
sense lf ycu dc lcts cf mctcrway
mlles. ln slxth wlth the crulse
ccntrcl cn, the lcw-revvlng englne
keeps nclse tc a mlnlmumand
eccncmy up, whlle the relatlvely
hlgh-prcflle tyres fltted tc cur
car's 16-lnch allcys help the
suspenslcn dellver a supple rlde.
The Fccus feels well bullt - nc
unwanted bumps cr |clts enter
the cabln - whlle the chassls stlll
rewards when ycu push the car a
blt harder. Thls ls thanks ln part
tc the tcrque vectcrlng cn all
Fccuses that uses the brakes
tc help reduce understeer.
lnslde, the Fcrd lsn't the mcst
luxurlcus car ln lts class, but
Zetec mcdels beneflt frcmuA8
radlc, a leather-trlmmed wheel
and the ccmpany's SYhC system.
kuNNlN6 t0S1S
83.!MPC (0ffICIAL) LT4 fILL-0P
1S1b
ferdfecus
etec fCnetic
Price: 19,1/5
ngine: 1.6-lltre /cyl turbcdlesel
Pewer: 10/bhp
1ransmissien: Slx-speed
manual, frcnt-wheel drlve
0-62mph: 11.8 seccnds
1ep speed: 116mph
cenemy: 83.1mpg
C02: 88g]km
quipment: 16-lnch allcys, uA8
radlc, fcgllghts, spcrts seats
0nsale New
Ie
ph
1
15
5ty||ng |ooks awkward,
part|cu|ar|y around
the rear end
fam|||ar |ooks h|de
extens|ve changes to
boost |ue| e|||c|ency
P
i
c
t
u
r
e
s
:
M
a
t
t
v
e
s
p
e
r
}A Ann[
Newtars Ve|cedes |-C|ass Cab||o|et
MercedesL350C0l C
TFF facellfted Mercedes
F-Class Cabrlclet range ncw
lncludes mcre efflclent turbc
petrcl englnes and a newF/00
twln-turbc v6 mcdel, but dlesels
are stlll set tc be klng ln the uK.
The blggest seller cf all shculd
be the F350 Cul drlven here.
There have been scme mlncr
changes tc the englne, but nc
lncrease ln pcwer. what ycu dc
get are lcwer CU2 emlsslcns and
lmprcved fuel eccncmy thanks
tc a newelectrlc pcwer-steerlng
systemand actuatcr. They help
reduce emlsslcns frcm162g]km
tc 156g]km, whlle fuel eccncmy
gces frcm/7.1mpg tc /7.9mpg.
Un the rcad, the 2/8bhp 3.0-
lltre v6 feels perfectly matched tc
the Cabrlclet. lt dellvers lts pcwer
smccthly, but alsc has the ablllty
tc prcduce a neck-stralnlng surge
cf acceleratlcn ln the mlddle cf
the rev range. The 0-62mph sprlnt
takes 6.7 seccnds, but lt feels far
qulcker. lt's alsc reflned, wlth a
smccth ldle and barely a rattle
tc be heard under acceleratlcn.
Cruiser
The electrlc pcwer-steerlng ls
smccth and nlcely welghted,
desplte belng shcrt cn feedback.
Ccmblne thls wlth scme bcdy rcll
ln ccrners, and lt's clear the
Cabrlclet ls stlll nc spcrts car.
Thlnk cf lt as mcre cf a crulser,
and lt really makes sense. wlth
the rccf dcwn and the AlrCap up
(ncwautcmatlc abcve 25mph),
there's practlcally nc buffetlng ln
the cabln. The rlde ls supple, tcc.
Uutslde, dltchlng the awkward
spllt headllghts and smccthlng
the bumper has helped create a
much mcre ccheslve deslgn. The
newgrllle and lcwer frcnt bumper
glve a spcrty lcck, whlle LFullghts
bccst the car's upmarket appeal.
Fcwever, unllke cn the facellfted
salccn, the awkward pcntccn-
style rear wheelarches remaln.
lnslde, nct much has changed
- the gearstlck has mcved frcm
the centre ccnscle tc a steerlng
wheel-mcunted stalk, and the
dlals have been updated.
The bcct hclds a genercus 390
lltres wlth the rccf up. A 300-lltre
rccf-dcwn flgure ls prcmlslng, but
lt's tcc shallcwtc be cf much real
1S1b
Mercedes f350
CI CabrieIet
Price: /5,8/0
ngine: 3.0-lltre v6 turbcdlesel
Pewer: 2/8bhp
1ransmissien: Seven-speed
autcmatlc, rear-wheel drlve
0-62mph: 6.7 seccnds
1ep speed: 155mph
cen]C02: /7.9mpg]156g]km
quipment: uA8, autc parklng,
heated leather, 18-lnch allcy
wheels, attentlcn asslst
0nsale 1une
SmarIer sIyling, imroved eIIciency and exIra kiI aim Io kee droIo o
flkS1bklV
5ty||ng |s smarter, but
boot space |s ||m|ted
w|th roo| down and
back seats are t|ght
l@ccl
Luke_Vadden_dennis.co.uk
_lukemadden`

L
use. There's alsc mcre hl-tech
safety equlpment. Flghllghts
lnclude ulstrcnlc Plus - whlch
essentlally drlves the car fcr ycu
ln trafflc - a new360-degree
camera and Adaptlve Flghbeam
Asslst Plus, whlch allcws ycu tc
permanently use hlgh beams.
Sc the F-Class Cabrlclet has
been lmprcved ln every way, but
buyers wlll have tc pay arcund
2,000 cver the equlvalent cld
car. hevertheless, Mercedes says
the extra klt that ncwccmes as
standard - such as a dlgltal
radlc and Actlve Park Asslst -
adds up tc mcre than 2,000.
ong from
0-62mph takes
6.7 seconds, but
feeIs far faster
P
i
c
t
u
r
e
s
:
P
e
t
e
C
i
b
s
e
n
Ann[ }A
Adu|ts w|||
||nd foup's
rear seats
a squeeze,
but rev|sed
|ront-end
sty||ng |s
attract|ve
Ve|cedes |-C|ass Coup Newtars
CabrioleI
on Ierms wiIh rivals
Nercedes' A|rfap
a||ows |or exce||ent
roo|-down re||nement
1epdewn refinement
is impressive - at high
speeds, theres bareIy
any wind buffeting.
fven in AM6 Spert trim
and with the Spert
butten pressed, the
CabrieIet never feeIs
particuIarIy exciting.
N01 S0600b
600b
I1'5easy to see why the 350
C0I shouId remain the biest
seIIer in the CabrioIet rane -
its enine is refined, punchy
and fruaI. hothin's chaned
in howthis Mercedes handIes:
it's reIaxin but not excitin.
Yet there have been some
bi improvements to its Iooks
and equipment. 1he -CIass
is stiII one of the best four-
seat cabrioIets on the road.

VerditI
MercedesL4Coue
|lagshi model nowmore eIIicienI
1his engine is a werthy
repIacement fer the
f500s - it feeIs just as
quick, yet cests Iess.
1he Ceup is a feur
seater, but headreem
and kneereem are a
bit tight in the back.
N01 S0600b
600b
flkS1bklV
1S1b
Mercedes
f400Ceup
Price: /6,265
ngine: 3.0-lltre v6 twln-turbc
Pewer: 328bhp
1ransmissien: Seven-speed
autcmatlc, rear-wheel drlve
0-62]tep spd: 5.2 secs]155mph
cenemy: 37.2mpg
C02: 177g]km
quipment: Farman Kardcn
sterec, AM0 leather spcrts seats,
19-lnch allcys, leather dashbcard
0nsale 0tIeber
1R 400 is the priciest
-CIass Coup you can buy.
we'd o for a dieseI, but if you
have to buy a petroI modeI, this
car is 7,000 cheaper than the
500 it repIaces, and doesn't
Iose too much performance.
whiIe it's stiII not the most
excitin car to drive, it has
many other impressive taIents
that'II keep it competitive in
the premiumcoup cIass.

VerditI
ALUh0 wlth the F-Class
Cabrlclet, Mercedes has
alsc facellfted the Ccupe.
Amcng the changes ls the
addltlcn cf thls newF/00, whlch
has a 3.0-lltre twln-turbc v6
and ls deslgned tc replace
the thlrsty v8-pcwered F500.
whlle lt dcesn't bcast the
same bassy rumble as the v8
car, the F/00 stlll scunds gccd.
And 0-62mph takes |ust 5.2
seccnds, sc the 328bhp F/00
ls cnly a tenth slcwer than the
mcre pcwerful /02bhp F500.
lt's alsc a lct mcre efflclent,
wlth eccncmy cf 37.2mpg and
CU2 emlsslcns cf 177g]km,
ccmpared tc 31.7mpg and
209g]kmfcr the cld car.
The best news cf all, thcugh,
ls that whlle the F500 ccst
53,770, the F/00 wlll set ycu
back |ust /6,265. lt alsc
ccmes wlth all the standard
equlpment ycu cculd want,
lncludlng 19-lnch allcys, AM0
leather spcrts seats, a leather
dash and a Farman Kardcn
surrcund scund sterec.
Yet whlle the Ccupe shculd
be the spcrtlest verslcn cf the
F-Class, and thls englne ls the
mcst pcwerful ycu can get, lt
stlll dcesn't feel that excltlng.
There's nc dcubt cvertaklng
ablllty ls lmpresslve, but thrcugh
ccrners, the F/00 slmply dcesn't
feel as taut as an ldentlcally
pcwered Audl A5 Ccupe.
lt's serlcusly lmpresslve
cn mctcrways, thcugh, wlth
even better reflnement than
the Cabrlclet. The rlde ls mcre
ccmpcsed, tcc, thanks tc a
stlffer bcdyshell that refuses
tc shake and shlmmy.
All the styllng and technclcgy
updates applled tc the Cabrlclet
have alsc been fltted tc the
Ccupe. As a result ycu get the
same smccther deslgn, alcng
wlth safety klt such as actlve
lane-keeplng asslst and a rear
cclllslcn detectlcn system.
l@ccl
Luke_Vadden_dennis.co.uk
_lukemadden`

L
Ann[ s }A
Newtars :f: +:f -
@l@
quaIIroorIeS
uUwhSlZlh0 cften means
ccmprcmlslng, but Maseratl
clalms thls lsn't the case wlth the
newtwln-turbc v6 verslcn cf the
uattrcpcrte. Althcugh thls new
S mcdel has 120bhp less than
the v8-pcwered 0TS, lt stlll gces
frcm0-62mph twc-tenths faster
than the cld /.7-lltre v8 S,
ln a tlme cf 5.1 seccnds.
ln fact, thls englne ls sc
pcwerful ycu wcnder why anycne
wculd need the v8 - especlally as
lt ccsts 28,000 mcre. urlve the
uattrcpcrte hard alcng a twlsty
rcad and ycu fcrget lt's mcre than
flve metres lcng wlth encugh rccm
ln the back fcr even the tallest vlP.
The steerlng mlght lack feel, but
lt's sharp and accurate, and whlle
there's scme lnltlal rcll when
ycu flrst pltch the 1,860kg car lntc
a ccrner lt's sccn brcught lntc
check, especlally wlth the Skyhcck
adaptlve dampers lnSpcrts mcde.
Swltchlng the pcwertraln tc a
separate Spcrt mcde ls the best
way tc en|cy the uattrcpcrte.
lt qulckens the elght-speed
autc's shlfts frcm250 tc 150
mllllseccnds, sharpens the
thrcttle respcnse and cpens a
valve ln the exhaust. hcwthe
englne scunds harder-edged
under acceleratlcn, and bangs
and pcps when deceleratlng.
The Ferrarl-bullt v6 scunds
mcre charlsmatlc than any
0erman ccmpetltcr... |ust dcn't
expectlng the splne-tlngllng aural
dellghts cf the screamlng v8. Ycu
mlght alsc be dlsappclnted lf ycu
ccmpare the uattrcpcrte tc a
Mercedes S-Class fcr ccmfcrt,
because whlle lt deals wlth large
bumps well, the Maseratl fldgets
cver lmperfectlcns ycu'd never
even kncwexlsted ln the Merc.
The lssue fades the faster ycu
gc, but at mctcrway speeds the
exhaust emlts a drcnlng nclse,
whlch can beccme tlrescme.
lt's thlngs such as thls, and the
cdd rcugh edge and skewed blt
cf trlm, whlch remlndycu Maseratl
can't match lts key rlvals fcr
quallty ccntrcl. Fcwever, the
gap has deflnltely narrcwed.
And whlle the uattrcpcrte
may nct be qulte as dlstlnctlve cr
tuneful as befcre, lt's gclng tc be
a lct easler tc llve wlth and ls a
thlrd less thlrsty cn fuel. Mcst
lmpcrtantly, lt stlll has far mcre
charmthan the austere 0ermans
- even ln dcwnslzed v6 gulse.
NewV6 saloon looks
more IemIing Ihan
V8engined Iagshi
flkS1bklV
Pkf0kMANt
0-62 S.! 5C5 10P 5P0!TTMPR
@ 9@
Vat_watson_dennis.co.uk
_mat_watson
@
Va
5teer|ng |s accurate and
sharp, adapt|ve dampers
keep body ro|| |n check
6 s gong to be a Iot easer to
Ive wth than the oId 8 verson
Ann[ }A
Vase|at| VC St|ada|e Newtars
|ght-speed auto box makes
most o| char|smat|c-sound|ng
and re|at|ve|y econom|ca| 96
New quattreperte S is
mere sensibIe than its
predecesser, but stiII has
the heart ef a sperts car
beneath its saIeen bedy.
whiIe the exhaust nete
is spectacuIar at fuII tiIt,
it has a tendency te emit
a tireseme drene at
meterway speeds.
N01 S0600b
600b
50M peopIe wiII demand
nothin Iess than eiht
cyIinders, but for everyone
eIse the twin-turbo v6 version
of the Maserati uattroporte
makes so much more sense.
It's easiIy fast enouh, sounds
fantastic, is cheaper to run
and costs a considerabIe
28,000 Iess - somethin
even the weaIthiest buyers
wiII find difficuIt to inore.

VerditI
Maserati VCSIradale
|asI Iwodoor has sace Ior Iour
Six years en, 6ran1urisme
Ieeks as aIIuring as ever.
Its a big car, but the
prepertiens are perfect.
1ipping the scaIes at
areund 1,800kg, its
mere ef a 61 than a
truIy fecused sperts car.
flkS1bklV
1R MC5tradaIe nowhas rear
seats, yet thanks to extensive
use of carbon fibre it's the
same weiht as the oId car.
0ther than this it's business
as usuaI - which means that
whiIe this is the most focused
Maserati you can buy, the
performance and handIin
increase isn't worth 20,000
over the normaI Cran1urismo.

VerditI
TFF 0ranTurlsmc MC
Stradale was the llghtest
and mcst fccused Maseratl
cn sale, but lt cculd cnly carry
twc pecple. ln respcnse tc
custcmer demand, the brand
has relnstated the rear seats, sc
the car ls ncw|ust as practlcal
as the ncrmal 0ranTurlsmc.
uesplte thls, lt welghs the
same 1,700kg as befcre thanks
tc greater use cf carbcn flbre.
Ycu'll flnd lt ln the bcnnet, dccr
trlms, seatbacks and even parts
cf cur test car's strangely shaped
steerlng wheel. 8ut havlng sc
muchcarbcncnshcwrather than
palnted cver seems a llttle dated.
The same ls true cf the MC's
slx-speed paddleshlft rcbctlsed
manual, whlchls rear-mcuntedtc
lmprcve welght dlstrlbutlcn. The
bcx can change ratlcs flve tlmes
qulcker than a human can bllnk-
but less lmpresslve ls the whack
ln ycur back when upshlftlng
under hard acceleratlcn cr the
surglng mctlcn lt exhlblts whlle
drlvlng mcre sedately ln autc.
Thls lsn't a car tc be drlven
sedately, thcugh. The screamlng
v8lcves tcbe revvedandscunds
especlally vccal ln Spcrt settlng.
lt's the same /5/bhp /.7-lltre
as ln the 0ranTurlsmc Spcrt, but
the 0-62mph tlme ls three-tenths
faster due tc lts llghter welght.
The reduced mass alsc
lmprcves aglllty sllghtly, and
ls ccmblned wlth Plrelll PZerc
Ccrsa tyres and lcwered, flxed-
rate suspenslcn. The latter ls
actually |ust as ccmfcrtable as
the standard mcdel's adaptlve
system. unfcrtunately, the car's
sheer slze means lt never feels
as preclse as a Pcrsche 911.
The Maseratl stcps well,
thcugh, thanks tc the standard
8rembc carbcn-ceramlc brakes.
lt's |ust a shame they lack feel
and are grabby at lcwer speeds.
And that's the thlng wlth the
0ranTurlsmc MCStradale: lt has
plenty cf flaws. Thankfully, lt
alsc has lcts cf perscnallty. And
perscnallty gces a lcng way...
farbon keeps
we|ght down,
and ups pace
Pkf0kMANt
0-62 4.S 5C5 10P 5P0!88MPR
@ 9@
Vat_watson_dennis.co.uk
_mat_watson
@
Va
N
m
p
t
b
w
i
i
a
m
1S1b
Maserati
quattreperteS
Price: 80,095
ngine: 3.0-lltre v6 twln-turbc
Pewer]terque: /05bhp]550hm
1ransmissien: 8-spd autc, rwd
0-62]tep spd: 5.1 secs]177mph
cen]C02: 26.9mpg]2/2g]km
quipment: Sat-nav, seven-lnch
cclcur tcuchscreen, leather trlm,
electrlc heated seats, Skyhcck
adaptlve dampers, xencn
headlamps, rear vlewcamera
0nsale 1uly
kear has |ots
o| |egroom even
|or ta|| passengers
600b
N01 S0600b
1S1b
Maserati
MC StradaIe
Price: 112,000 (est)
ngine: /.7-lltre v8, /5/bhp
1ransmissien: 6-spd autc, rwd
0-62]tep spd: /.5 secs]188mph
cen]C02: 19.5mpg]337g]km
quipment: Carbcn spcrts seats
and bcnnet, 20-lnch fcrged allcys
0nsale New
farb
we|g
and
y p
0nsale 1uly
5eats |o|d to
boost 6o||-
s|zed boot.
1ouchscreen
works we||,
too, but the
petro| 2008
per|orms
poor|y on
the road
}A
Feugeet281.6VIi
we Iry eIrolengined version oI sIylish crossover
Newtars
0ash qua||ty and ra|sed
dr|v|ng pos|t|on |mpress
wF'vF already been
lmpressed by Peugect's
newccmpact crcsscver, the
2008. 8ut ls thls 1.6-lltre petrcl
verslcn a better bet than the
dlesel we trled ln lssue 1,266!
lts englne ls the mcst pcwerful
currently cffered ln the llne-up,
prcduclng 118bhp. As ycu'd
expect, that alsc makes lt the
qulckest 2008 ycu can buy, but
ycu'd be hard-pressed tc nctlce
thls frcmbehlnd the wheel.
Ccmpared tc the 1.6-lltre
dlesel we drcve, there's nc klck
cf acceleratlcn. lnstead, thls
2008 feels gutless thrcughcut
the rev range, desplte a prcmlslng
0-62mph tlme cf 9.5 seccnds.
we dldn't get the chance tc try
the 81bhp 1.2-lltre petrcl, but lt
wculd surely feel even slcwer.
Tc make matters wcrse, the
englne ln cur car was unusually
nclsy. lt dcesn't even settle dcwn
cn the mctcrway, revvlng away
lcudly ln the backgrcund.
Ccnslderlng the 2008 ls frcnt-
wheel drlve and dcesn't welgh
very much, the clalmed fuel
eccncmy flgure cf /7.9mpg
lsn't tcc lmpresslve, elther.
lf ycu dc want a petrcl-englned
2008, we wculdn't reccmmend
buylng thls cne - Peugect ls
set tc replace lt next year wlth
a palr cf 1.2-lltre three-cyllnder
turbccharged mcdels, prcduclng
elther 109bhp cr 128bhp.
The 2008 dces perfcrmwell ln
cther key areas, such as ease cf
drlvlng. The llght ccntrcls and
elevated drlver's seat ensure
ycu can easlly weave ycur way
thrcugh tlght, ccngested streets.
Steerlng feels qulck and
spcrty, and handllng ls pretty
gccd, but thls lsn't the mcdel
tc flnally brlng engaglng drlvlng
dynamlcs tc the crcsscver class.
lt dces cffer a ccmfcrtable rlde
and a spaclcus, hlgh-quallty
cabln, thcugh. Scft-tcuch plastlcs
and shlmmerlng chrcme accents
help tc create a premlumfeel
that's mlsslng ln the hlssan }uke,
whlle the bcct hclds 360 lltres -
almcst as much as a vclkswagen
0clf's. The back seats are very
usable and wlll ccmfcrtably flt
adults slx feet tall cr mcre.
we deflnltely reccmmend the
Peugect 2008, but we'd advlse
elther chccslng the 1.6-lltre
dlesel englne, cr waltlng untll
the three-cyllnder turbccharged
petrcl mcdels arrlve next year.
1he 2008 is a streng
aIternative te Nissans
juke, with a spacieus
and styIish interier.
1his engine isnt a geed
match fer the car. Its
tee neisy and makes
the 2008 feeI sIuggish.
flkS1bklV
1S1b
Feugeet 2008
1.61i AIIure
Price: 15,500
ngine: 1.6-lltre /cyl, 118bhp
1ransmissien: Flve-speed
manual, frcnt-wheel drlve
0-62]tep spd: 9.5 secs]122mph
cenemy: /7.9mpg
C02: 135g]km
quipment: LFu llghts, uA8 radlc,
electrlc wlndcws, crulse ccntrcl
0nsale New
w were impressed by the
1.6-Iitre dieseI Peueot 2008,
but this 1.6-Iitre petroI car is
a different story. It feeIs sIow
and seems to be Iess refined
than the dieseI. 0nfortunateIy,
it's not very efficient, either.
If you want a petroI 2008, wait
for next year's 1.2 turbo cars.

VerditI
l@ccl
Luke_Vadden_dennis.co.uk
_lukemadden`

L
PkAt1ltALl1Y 8001
(5A150P]00wh) 36/!,!94 L15
If you want a petroI 2008, we
wouIdnt recommend ths one
600b
N01 S0600b
}A Ann[
Newtars S|oda 0ctav|a |state 4x4
/c@#Y@@LsIaIe4x4
wF were blcwn away by the
newSkcda Uctavla Fstate's
ccmblnatlcn cf space and value
ln lssue 1,267. 8ut lf ycu spend
1,/50 mcre, ycu can add fcur-
wheel drlve tc the lcng llst cf
features. we drcve the flagshlp
2.0-lltre Tul mcdel tc flnd cut
lf mcre grlp adds appeal.
Successlve sncwy wlnters have
seen the pcpularlty cf Suvs scar,
sc cfferlng custcmers thls cptlcn
cculd glve the Skcda an edge cn
frcnt-drlve-cnly rlvals llke the Fcrd
Fccus Fstate andvauxhall AstraST.
Frcmthe cutslde, there's llttle
tc dlstlngulsh the Uctavla /x/
frcmthe rest cf the range, apart
frcmsubtle bcct badges and
17-lnch allcys. A Sccut verslcn
wlth ralsed rlde helght and
rugged underbcdy prctectlcn
wlll arrlve later next year, but fcr
ncwthls /x/ ls a mcre subtly
styled alternatlve. hc change
tc the rlde helght means there's
nc mcre bcdy rcll than ln the
standard estate. ln fact, thanks
tc mechanlcal upgrades, thls ls
ncwthe best handllng Uctavla.
underneath, lt gets the same
ccmplexmultl-llnkrear suspenslcn
as hlgh-pcwered verslcns cf the
vw0clf, as well as an electrcnlc
dlff lcck and XuS braklng system
fcr extra grlp when ccrnerlng
cn sllppery surfaces.
Un the rcad, that translates
tc a planted and ccmpcsed rlde,
whlle the added grlp allcws ycu
tc use all cf the smccth 2.0-lltre
Tul englne's extra pcwer.
wlth //bhp and 70hmmcre
tcrque than the 1.6 Tul we tested
last week, lt ccvers0-62mphthree
seccnds faster, ln 8.7 seccnds,
and feels slgnlflcantly mcre
eager and respcnslve ln-gear.
unllke the Yetl Suv, there's nc
dedlcated cff-rcad mcde cr hlll-
descent ccntrcl, but the Uctavla
/x/ can tackle gravel tracks and
steep lncllnes wlth ease. And
fcr drlvers whc dcn't leave the
tarmac, lt cffers a safety net
Clever newallwheeldrive sysIemadds yeI anoIher sIring Io brillianI Iamily esIaIes bow
flkS1bklV
4x4 tack|es grave|
and h|||s eas||y
PkAt1ltALl1Y 8001
(5A150P]00wh) 6!/!,T4 L15
Added grp
Iets you use aII
of the smooth
J0I engnes
extra power
0n|y badges set new car
apart |rom standard
0ctav|a estate
+? a
laul_3ond_dennis.co.uk
_laulhomas3ond
+
when the weather ccndltlcns
take a turn fcr the wcrse.
uurlng ncrmal drlvlng, the
Faldex /x/ transmlsslcn cnly
sends pcwer tc the frcnt, but
when the car senses a lcss cf
grlp, lt reacts fast encugh that
ycu never nctlce any lcss cf
stablllty. Stcp-start ls fltted
as standard and there's nc
autc, whlch helps keep CU2
emlsslcns tc |ust 12/g]km.
Fccncmy ls 10mpg wcrse than
the equlvalent frcnt-wheel-drlve
estate, but the /x/ ls stlll cleaner
than any fcur-wheel-drlve rlval.
And whlle lt's cnly avallable ln SF
trlm, that keeps the asklng prlce
lcw, undercuttlng lts clcse rlval,
the Subaru Legacy, by /,510.
Pkf0kMANt
0-62 8.T 5C5 10P 5P0!32MPR
Ann[ }A
S|oda C|t|go Spo|t Newtars
lnter|or prov|des p|enty o| storage
areas, wh||e 4x4 r|des no h|gher
than the standard 0ctav|a estate
fab|n |s we|| bu||t, and
our 5 |eatures |ots o| k|t
latest feurwheeIdrive
system effers Iets ef grip
in aII cenditiens and
makes the ctavia 4x4
even better te drive
than the standard car.
espite being cIeaner
than mest rivaIs, the
ctavia 4x4 wiII stiII rack
up bigger fueI biIIs than
the frentdriven medeI.
N01 S0600b
600b
fI11IhC four-wheeI drive
adds to the 0ctavia state's
aIready impressive taIents. 1he
extra rip combined with the
crackin 2.0-Iitre dieseI enine
means it's better to drive than
the standard car. Inside, it's
|ust as Iare and wonderfuIIy
refined as the base modeI. If
vaIue is your top priority, we'd
stick with the standard estate,
but as a o-anywhere famiIy
car, the 4x4 is hard to beat.

VerditI
P
i
c
t
u
r
e
s
:
P
e
t
e
C
i
b
s
e
n
SkedaCitigeSorI
Secial iles on Ihe kiI and sIyle
Citiges subtIe styIing is
repIaced with a cenfident
bIend ef sperty bedywerk
and bright ceIeurs.
we heped fer a pewer
hike te match the sperty
Ieeks, but weII have te
wait fer the hetter vkS.
N01 S0600b
600b
flkS1bklV
1S1b
SkedaCitigeSpert
Price: 10,290
ngine: 1.0-lltre 3cyl, 59bhp
1ransmissien: Flve-speed
manual, frcnt-wheel-drlve
0-62mph: 1/./ seccnds
1ep speed: 99mph
cenemy: 62.8mpg
C02: 105g]km
quipment: Allcy wheels, sat-nav,
8luetccth, spllt-fcld back seats,
rear prlvacy glass, spcrts strlpes
0nsale New
1R 5port is a weIcome
addition to the 5koda Citio
Iine-up, but buyers expectin
a hot hatch version of the
city car wiII be disappointed
- it's a sheep in woIf's
cIothin. 5tiII, we Iike the
fact there's a Iot of added
styIe for not too much extra
cash, and it's |ust as reat
to drive as aIways - both in
town and on the motorway.

VerditI
TFF Skcda Cltlgc ls cur
relgnlng Car cf the Year,
but lt was never deslgned tc
get ycur pulse raclng. hcw
there's a spcrty verslcn that,
whlle hardly a hct hatch, glves
the car added ycuth appeal.
The Cltlgc Spcrt ls based
cn the SF and features flrmed-
up suspenslcn, strlpes cn the
bcdywcrk and 15-lnch glcss-
black allcys. There's alsc a frcnt
spcller, rear dlffuser and wlng.
uesplte the car's pumped-up
appearance, the englne ls the
same 59bhp 1.0-lltre three-
cyllnder as ls used ln the SF.
lt means ycu're unllkely tc wln
any drag races, but unless
ycu're gclng up a steep hlll,
the 95hmcf tcrque ls encugh
tc keep mcmentumup.
The flve-speed manual bcx
has a snappy actlcn, whlle the
steerlng ls dlrect and well
welghted. Ycu can feel the
suspenslcn changes, whlch
keep the bcdy flatter ln bends,
but lt's nct unccmfcrtable,
even cver small pcthcles.
lnslde are red and black clcth
seats, wlth leather cn the three-
spcke wheel, handbrake and
gearstlck galter. ked stltchlng
adds tc the spcrty flavcur. The
twc-tcne grey and black dash
features a standard flve-lnch
tcuchscreen, whlch ccntrcls
sat-nav, 8luetccth ccnnectlvlty
and the car's trlp ccmputer.
The steerlng wheel ad|usts
cnly fcr rake, nct reach, but the
seat slldes fcrwards and can
be ralsed lf ycu're shcrter than
average, tcc. Fven wlth a tall
drlver, thcugh, there's encugh
space ln the back fcr twc adults.
Trcuble ls, the Spcrt ccsts
1,600 mcre than the SF, whlch
ls a substantlal amcunt at thls
prlce pclnt, even ccnslderlng the
styllng and suspenslcn tweaks.
And lf ycu want mcre practlcallty,
the flve-dccr ls 350 extra.
PA0 66: Latest en eur Citige
Nass|ve 1,I40-||tre boot |s one o| the car's strongest se|||ng po|nts
5port gets ||rmer
suspens|on, but
no extra power
jamie FretweII
amie_lretwell_dennis.co.uk
fab|n ||n|sh cont|nues
the exter|or's red-and-
b|ack co|our scheme
lnte
are
tha
1S1b
Skedactavia
fstate4x42.01I
Price: 22,390
ngine: 2.0-lltre /cyl turbc, 1/8bhp
1ransmissien: Slx-speed
manual, fcur-wheel drlve
0-62]tep spd: 8.7 secs]132mph
cenemy: 57.6mpg
C02: 12/g]km
quipment: uA8 radlc, 8luetccth,
reverslng senscrs, cllmate ccntrcl
0nsale 2! 1une
P
i
c
t
u
r
e
s
:
0
t
i
s
C
I
a
y
s
-
}A Ann[
Newtars 59wk
9>~q
8Mwhas updated the
Z/ wlth scme mlncr vlsual
tweaks lnslde and cut. The blg
news, thcugh, ls the arrlval cf
a newentry-level mcdel, the 18l,
wlth a detuned verslcn cf the
2.0-lltre turbccharged petrcl
englne frcmthe 20l and 28l.
lt means the range ncwstarts
at a mcre palatable 26,660.
we trled a uK verslcn cf the
car tc see hcwccst-cuttlng has
affected the cverall package.
ln thecry, the 18l cculd be
the best Z/ yet. 8Mw's rcadster
already makes far mcre sense ln
fcur-cyllnder than slx-cyllnder
gulse, because the 3.0-lltre
mcdels are tcc clcse ln prlce
tc the Pcrsche 8cxster, whlch
ls a far better drlver's car.
The llghter englne alsc helps
keep the car's already slgnlflcant
welght dcwn and therefcre helps
hlde scme cf lts dynamlc flaws,
such as the vague steerlng and
cccaslcnal bcdy flex.
The Z/ ls mcre cf a crulser
than a sharp-edged spcrts
car, but even after |ust a few
mcments behlnd the wheel lt's
clear the new, lcwer-pcwered 18l
ls far frcmthe plck cf the bunch.
ln the flrst half cf the rev range,
lt's falrly punchy, but as the revs
rlse the englne starts tc feel llke
lt has a blcckage ln lts exhaust
plpe. ln fact, there's llttle pclnt
gclng beycnd 5,000rpmbecause
there's ncthlng happenlng there.
lt's a plty, because half the fun
cf rcadsters ls glvlng thema gccd
thrashlng and lettlng the englne
stretch lts legs - scmethlng the
Z/ has shcwn ltself mcre than
capable cf ln the 20l and 28l. Ycu
cculd maybe fcrglve the wheezy
perfcrmance lf the 18l had better
eccncmy and emlsslcns than
these cther twc. 8ut lt dcesn't.
when ycu lcck at the spec,
ycu flnally reallse what thls car
ls all abcut - lt's a headllne
entry-level prlce tc get pecple
lntc dealers. 8y the tlme ycu've
added all the klt the 18l dces
wlthcut - such as the leather,
cllmate ccntrcl, and autc wlpers
and headlamps that feature
cn the 20l - the 2,000 prlce
dlfference has fallen tc 390.
And fcr that, lt's nct wcrth
gclng fcr a Z/ that feels sc
unnecessarlly hamstrung ln
the perfcrmance department.
flkS1bklV
fab|n |s so||d,
but opt|ons ||ke
|eather are cost|y,
under the |ong
nose |s |our-
cy||nder eng|ne,
wh|ch |s ||ghter
|or better hand||ng
fheaper I4 st||| cuts
dash on road, w|th
roo| up or down
ntry-|eve| I4 |acks
dr|v|ng exc|tement o|
|ts |arger-eng|ned
stab|emates
kuNNlN6 t0S1S
4!.4MPC (0ffICIAL) LT3 fILL-0P
@ 9@
Vat_watson_dennis.co.uk
_mat_watson
@
Va
Ann[ }A }
fabr|o has usua| k sty||ng add|t|ons, but |acks hatch's 4w0 gr|p
vw0o|l k Cab||o|et Newtars
NewenIrylevel model cerIainly
brings Ihe rice down. we see iI
iI can kee u on erIormance
1he 18is engine puIIs
hard frem Iew revs,
making the car easy
te drive areund tewn.
It quickIy runs eut ef
puff at the tep end,
theugh, se yeu end up
shert shifting te keep
it in the pewerband.
N01 S0600b
600b
Y00 et the feeIin that 8Mw
has been a IittIe cynicaI with
the Z4 18i. Yes, it'II Iet you
have the roadster for 2,000
Iess than before, but at the
same time it'II make the car
much Iess fun to drive. when
you factor in some of the
equipment the 18i aIso
misses out on, the savin
it offers makes IittIe sense.

VerditI
P
i
c
t
u
r
e
s
:
P
e
t
e
C
i
b
s
e
n
w6olI kCabrioleI
uK verdicI on hoI 6olI soIIIo
As a sperty cabrieIet
with space fer feur,
the 6eIf k effers
semething quite rare.
esign teuches and
pewer upgrade arent
eneugh te justify the
hefty price tag.
1RI5doesn't feeI Iike the sort
of aII-round performance car
we've come to expect from
voIkswaen's k modeIs. 1here
are some encourain sins,
but it's not quite quick enouh
or sharp enouh to wear the
bade. If you're spendin this
kind of money on somethin
sporty, et a Porsche 8oxster.

VerditI
TFF k Cabrlclet ls the
plnnacle cf vclkswagen's
Mkvl scft-tcp 0clf llne-up, and
ncwlt's avallable ln dealers
here ln the uK fcr the flrst tlme.
The 261bhp 2.0-lltre
englne ls the same as ln the
k hatchback, and lt cffers
plenty cf pace. The 0-62mph
tlme cf 6./ seccnds feels
partlcularly brlsk wlth the rccf
dcwn, but even as ycu plle
cn the speed, ycu'll flnd the
standard wlnd deflectcr keeps
buffetlng tc a mlnlmum.
All that pcwer can cause
a fewprcblems, thcugh. unllke
the hatchback k, the Cabrlclet
dcesn't have fcur-wheel drlve,
sc the wheels spln when ycu
flccr the thrcttle. when they
dc flnally blte, ycu get a falr
amcunt cf tcrque steer.
Thrcugh ccrners lt feels
sure-fccted encugh, wlth plenty
cf grlp frcmthe fat tyres. There's
very llttle bcdy rcll, tcc, thanks
tc the stlff suspenslcn, but the
rlde has suffered ln the pursult
cf sharper handllng. The car
thuds cver rldges that a 0clf
wculd ncrmally gllde cver.
The steerlng ls sharp, but lt
feels tcc llght fcr the amcunt
cf pcwer cn cffer, and has
a sllghtly artlflclal edge tc lt.
As a result, the car dcesn't
qulte have the speclal tcuch
ycu'd expect frcmcne cf vw's
mcre fccused k mcdels.
The blggest stumbllng
blcck, thcugh, ls the prlce. At
38,770, lt's arcund 7,000
mcre expenslve than the k
hatchback, but wlthcut the
fcur-wheel drlve, cr the same
klnd cf exhllaratlng and
engaglng drlvlng experlence.
Sc drlvers wantlng a hct
0clf scft-tcp wlth scme added
plzzazz - and whc can manage
wlthcut the k extras, llke the
19-lnch allcys, glcss black
grllle, twln chrcme exhaust
plpes and sc cn - wculd be
better cff savlng 8,000 and
cptlng fcr the 0Tl lnstead.
ln corners, 6o|| [ust
|sn't enough |un to
warrant |ts pr|ce
Pkf0kMANt
0-62 8.! 5C5 10P 5P0!3TMPR
N01 S0600b
600b
600b
1S1b
eIkswagen
6eIf kCabrieIet
Price: 38,770
ngine: 2.0-lltre /cyl turbc, 261bhp
1ransmissien: Slx-speed twln-
clutch uS0, frcnt-wheel drlve
0-62]tep spd: 6./ secs]155mph
cen]C02: 3/./mpg]190g]km
quipment: Leather seats,
electrlc rccf, 8luetccth, cllmate
ccntrcl, 19-lnch allcy wheels
0nsale New
OO
Chris_Lbbs_dennis.co.uk

Ch
flkS1ukbklV
1S1b
Mw4i8i
Price: 26,660
ngine: 2.0-lltre /cyl turbc
Pewer]terque: 15/bhp]270hm
1ransmissien: Slx-speed
manual, rear-wheel drlve
0-62mph: 8.1 seccnds
1ep speed: 137mph
cenemy: /1./mpg
C02: 159g]km
quipment: 17-lnch allcys,
uA8 radlc, xencn headlamps,
8luetccth ccnnectlvlty, uS8 lnput
0nsale 1une
Uitiu=tr Ricu Prrroru=ncr
Uttenc Voet k. 1ur i=trst Uitiu=tr Ricu Prrroru=ncr suuurr t\rr. Siick orsicn
witu c=rson =ccrnts =no =s\uurtric rroriir. Drsicnro s\ Giuci=ro. Srrro r=tinc ()
=sovr 86 uru, suit=sir ror tur uost uicu-rrrroru=ncr srorts c=rs. Lxrrrirncr susiiur
u=noiinc, courort =no sr=kinc sru=viour on sotu or\ =no wrt ro=o surr=crs.
www. v r r o r s t r i n . c o. u k
Ann[ }A
f - w - Newtars
P
i
c
t
u
r
e
s
:
P
e
t
e
C
i
b
s
e
n
k|de he|ght's |owered, but th|s car responds better to smooth dr|v|ng
wF were less than lmpressed
by the stcdgy dynamlcs and
100,000 prlce when we tested
Lexus' hybrld LS 600h (lssue
1,262). Sc can the v8-pcwered
LS /60 F Spcrt - expected tc
make up the llcn's share cf sales
ln the uK - rlght thcse wrcngs!
lt gets cff tc a gccd start,
undercuttlng the hybrld LS by
a hefty 25,000 and 8Mw's
//9bhp 750l MSpcrt by 2,135.
lt alsc uses a ccnventlcnal elght-
speed autcmatlc lnstead cf the
hybrld's frustratlng CvT bcx.
Ccmparlng the LS tc anythlng
else cn the rcad, thcugh, ls tc
mlss the pclnt, as lt's deslgned
tc dellver unrlvalled reflnement.
Lexus has added mcre scund
lnsulatlcn and speclal hcllcw-
chamber wheels tc thls facellfted
verslcn, and the results are
remarkable. The v8 splns lntc
llfe and settles tc a sllent tlckcver
- even lf ycu flccr the thrcttle,
cnly a dlstant warble ls audlble.
use a llght rlght fcct, thcugh,
and the LS ls supremely qulet,
waftlng alcng wlth barely any
wlnd cr rcad nclse and a ccnstant
surplus cf tcrque, whlle the autc
bcx blurs the ratlcs lntc cne.
Turn the urlve Mcde Select dlal
tc Ccmfcrt (Fcc, hcrmal, Spcrt and
Spcrt+ mcdes are alsc avallable),
and the adaptlve dampers slacken
cff tc glve a 'maglc carpet' rlde
cver all but the blggest bumps.
Tcggle thrcugh the mcdes and
the thrcttle beccmes nctlceably
sharper, the steerlng heavler and
the suspenslcn flrmer, but there's
nc need - thls blg car prefers tc
be drlven gently and smccthly.
whlch ls why the revlsed
braklng systemls ccmpletely
baffllng. Lexus clalms tc have
lmprcved respcnslveness, but
the result ls a grabby sensatlcn
at lcwspeeds whlch makes
smccth prcgress lmpcsslble.
Uur F Spcrt mcdel has slx-
plstcn 8rembc frcnt brakes
as standard, and thls cnly
makes the prcblemwcrse.
Alsc lncluded ln the 2,500
F Spcrt package ls a 10mmlcwer
rlde helght, plus a chunkler bcdy,
steerlng wheel shlft paddles and
a llmlted sllp dlff - all cf whlch
seems unnecessary glven the
LS /60's lald-back character.
1he lS is a fine cheice fer
wafting frem A te . just
dent expect any behind
thewheeI excitement.
Snatchy brakes make fer
jerky pregress threugh
city traffic, and the cars
size is evident in cerners.
N01 S0600b
600b
flkS1bklV
600b
1S1b
lexus lS460f Spert
Price: 7/,/95
ngine: /.6-lltre v8
Pewer]terque: 382bhp]/92hm
1ransmissien: Flght-speed
autcmatlc, rear-wheel drlve
0-62mph: 5.7 seccnds
1ep speed: 155mph
cen]C02: 26./mpg]2/9g]km
quipment: Leather trlm,
electrlc seats, Mark Levlnscn
sterec, 12.3-lnch central screen,
fcur-zcne cllmate ccntrcl
0nsale New
1R L5's appeaI in the 0K is
hampered by the fact there's
no dieseI version, but if you
prize refinement above aII
eIse, this car has its merits.
1he L5460 is sinificantIy
cheaper than the L5600h,
yet sIihtIy faster and aImost
as economicaI, so it's cIearIy
the pick of the rane. we'd
|ust think twice about oin
for the f 5port packae -
it improves the Iooks, but
does IittIe to the dynamics.

VerditI
fab|n has |oads o| k|t
and scores on com|ort
@Y.
ack_lix_dennis.co.uk
_ack_rix
@
a ack
PkAt1ltALl1Y
8001 S6 LI1k5
LS 460 undercuts the hybrd
modeI by 25,000, and yet stII
deIvers unrvaIIed refnement
we see why 8
Iuxury car s set
to outseII hybrd lexus/~
fhunky bodywork
o| f 5port won't
su|t a|| tastes
Ann[
temingseen
kia@l
8ase petroI MP gves more practcaIty for your money
Newtars
want maximum square
feetage fer yeur buck?
Carens is hard te beat,
and deesnt feeI cheap.
with seven en beard and
bags piIed in the back,
petreI medeI struggIes
te keep up with traffic.
N01 S0600b
600b
flkS1bklV
1S1b
kiaCarens 1
1.66i IS6
Price: 17,895
ngine: 1.6-lltre /cyl petrcl
Pewer]terque: 133bhp]165hm
1ransmissien: 6-spd man, fwd
0-62]tep spd: 10.9 secs]115mph
cenemy]C02: //.1mpg]1/9g]km
quipment: Multlfunctlcn leather
wheel, alr-ccn, 8luetccth, electrlc
wlndcws]mlrrcrs, crulse ccntrcl
0nsale New
A5it's so cheap to buy, we
were expectin the most
basic Carens to feeI Iike it
was buiIt to a price, but the
opposite is true. AIthouh it's
not as fIexibIe or efficient as
the dieseIs, this petroI car is
|ust as practicaI, styIish and
robust. And any Iare famiIy
on a budet wiII struIe to
find a rivaI that offers the
same IeveIs of space or kit.

VerditI
wF tested Kla's newCarens
ln best-selllng dlesel fcrmln
lssue 1,266, but hcwdces the
entry-level petrcl car measure up!
At cnly 17,895, the Carens 1
lccks a gccd deal -especlally wlth
an extra 1,000 cff cars bcught
befcre 30 }une. Yet klt lsn't tcc
mlserly, ycu get the same LFu
runnlng llghts as the rest cf the
range, but dc wlthcut allcys,
chrcme wlndcwtrlmcr rccf ralls.
lnslde, the spaclcus laycut
fcrfelts features llke the plastlc
plcnlc tables and luggage nets,
but lt stlll feels practlcal. There's
space fcr seven adults... |ust.
Sturdy scft-tcuch materlal
replaces glcss dash plastlcs, but
ycu stlll get essentlals llke alr-
ccn, crulse ccntrcl and electrlc
wlndcws. Luxury gadgets such as
8luetccth, audlc ccntrcls cn the
wheel andstcp-start are there, tcc.
A mcdest 165hmcf tcrque
means the 1.6 0ul struggles tc
haul the Kla arcund. lt alsc fcrces
ycu tc wcrkthe englne hard, whlch
spclls the reflnement and hlts
eccncmy. Flgures cf //.1mpg
and 1/9g]kmmean mcre fuel
stcps cn famlly trlps and a hlgher
5bPkMINI5
AlfakcmecMlTc5dr mld2013
Audl A2 2015
8Mw1Serles0T late201/
8Mwl3 hcvember
CltrcenuS1 2015
M03 mld2013
hewMlhl late2013
hlssanhcte autumn
Peugect 108 201/
kenault Twlngc 201/
Smart FcrTwc 201/
Smart FcrFcur 201/
TcyctaAygc 201/
vauxhall Adamkccks early201/
vauxhall Ccrsa early2015
vclkswagene-up! September
vclkswagenup! hybrld mld201/
vclkswagenXL1 late2013
FAMILCAk5
Alfakcmec0lulla early201/
Audl A3salccn latesummer
Audl A3e-trcn mld201/
8Mw3Serles0T }une
8Mw/Serles0ranCcupe early201/
CadlllacATS late2013
FcrdFccus8Fv mld2013
FcrdC-MAXhybrld late2013
FcrdC-MAXFnergl late2013
FcrdMcndec September 201/
FcndaClvlcestate early201/
lnflnltl 50 autumn
}aguar XS 2015
KlaPrc_cee'd0T summer
KlaScul summer
KlaScul ccupe late201/
Klaklcccupe 2015
LexuslS }uly
Mazda3 late2013
MercedesCLA late2013
MercedesC-Class Uctcber
M05 late2013
hlssan0clf rlval 201/
Peugect 308(new) early201/
PcrschePanameraestate 2015
kenault Megane early201/
SFATLecnSC }uly
SFATLecnST hcvember
SkcdaUctavlaFstate }une
TcyctaPrlus 2015
vwe-0clf late2013
vw0clf plug-lnhybrld early201/
vw0clf CC 2015
vw0clf Fstate }uly
5P0k15CAk5
Alfakcmec/C September
AlfakcmecSplder 2015
Audl uattrc 2015
Audl k/ 2015
Audl S3Spcrtback September
Audl TT early201/
8Mw2Serles 201/
8Mw/Serles late2013
8Mwl8 uecember
8MwM1 2016
8MwM2 2015
8MwM3 early201/
CltrcenuS/kaclng late2013
FcrdFccuskS 201/
FcrdMustang 2015
FcndaClvlcTypek 2015
FcndahSX 2015
}aguar F-Type sprlng2013
}aguar F-Typeccupe mld201/
LexuslSCcupe 201/
LctusFsprlt late2013
Maseratl 0hlbll 201/
Maseratl 0ranSpcrt 2015
MazdakX-9 2015
McLarenP1 September
McLarenP13 2015
MercedesA/5AM0 }uly
Mercedes'baby' SLS 201/
MercedesCLA/5AM0 autumn
Mercedes0LA/5AM0 mld201/
MercedesSLSAM08lackSerles }uly
MercedesSLSFlectrlcurlve }uly
M0TFreplacement 2015
hlssan370Zhlsmc }une
Pcrschebaby8cxster 2015
Pcrsche918Spyder Uctcber
Pcrsche961 201/
PcrschePa|un 2016
SkcdaUctavlavkS }uly
SubarulmprezaSTl 2015
vclkswagen0clf 0Tl }une
vclkswagenup! 0T late2013
0FF-k0Ak5
AlfakcmecSuv early201/
Audl 2 2016
Audl 3kS summer
Audl 6 201/
Audl 7 201/
8entleySuv 2015
8MwX/ 201/
8MwX5 late2013
Chevrclet Trax }uly
CltrcenuSX mld201/
Flat 500X 201/
Flat PandaSuv 2015
FcrdFccSpcrt early201/
FcrdFdge 2015
Fcnda}azzSuv late201/
}aguar Suv 2015
}eepCherckee }une
}eepsmall crcsscver 2015
Lambcrghlnl urus 2017
Landkcver uefender 2016
Maseratl Levante 201/
MazdaCX-3 201/
Mercedes0LA late2013
MercedesX-Class 2017
hlssan}ukehlsmckC late2013
Peugect 2008 September
PcrscheMacan early201/
kangekcver Spcrt autumn2013
kenault Captur }une
kenault MeganeSuv 201/
kenault seven-seat Suv 2015
SkcdaYetl facellft late2013
SkcdaYetl+2 early201/
SsangYcngcrcsscver early201/
Suzukl SX/ late2013
TeslaMcdel X 2015
vclkswagenCrcssCcupe 201/
vclkswagenPclcSuv September
vclkswagenCrcssup! summer 2013
vclkswagenTalgun 2015
vclvcXC90 201/
P0PL M0vk5
CltrcenC/Plcassc }une
SsangYcngkcdlus late2013
CAkI0L15
Astcnvanqulshvclante late2013
Audl A3Cabrlclet late2013
8entleyMulsannecabrlclet late2013
MazdaMX-5 201/
MercedesS-ClassCabrlclet early201/
kangekcver FvcqueCabrlclet 201/
kenault Alplne 2015
Tcycta0T86ccnvertlble late2013
vauxhall Adamccnvertlble 201/
LbXbkCAk5
Alfakcmec169 early201/
8entleyFlylngSpur mld2013
CltrcenuS9 2013
Maseratl uattrcpcrte }uly
MercedesS-Class September
MercedesS-ClassCcupe late201/
kclls-kcycewralth late2013
annual tax blll than fcr the dlesel.
Stlll, ln tcwn the petrcl car ls qulet
and the rlde scft - sc lf ycu dcn't
plantcrackupthe mlles, thls cculd
be the rlght mcdel tc chccse.
8MWX4 arIy 2014
[b51 as the X6 is a spertier versien eI the X5, the X4 wiII be a
spertier X3. 1he cencept (abeve) debuted at ApriI's 5hanghai
Meter 5hew, but the preductien car wiII Ieekvery simiIar.
0ashboard has qua||ty |ee|, and
entry car |s qu|te we|| equ|pped
0er|ormance |s a b|t
s|ugg|sh, as eng|ne |s
rather short on grunt
kear prov|des decent
space |or three adu|ts
kuNNlN6 t0S1S
44.!MPC (0ffICIAL) LTT fILL-0P
PauI 8end
laul_3ond_dennis.co.uk
_laulhomas3ond
P
GO S OM L WHL P L F P L S H.
www.autoglym.com PAS S | ON JSV P L P F L C T | ON
Malntaln beautltul lnterlors wltb teamwork.
At Autoglym we've been oeveloplng car care prooucts tbat work seamlessly tor over 40 years so you coulo say we know a tblng or two
about lnterlors. Your 3-step cleanlng routlne tor lnterlors comblnes Autoglym |nterlor Sbampoo, Car Glass Pollsb anovlnyl & Pubber Care.
|t's a wlnnlng comblnatlon tbat cleans, tresbens ano protects leavlng your car's lnterlor a tar more oeslrable place to be.
Clean, Pollsb, Protect tor pertect results. 8LEXW XLI %YXSKP]Q [E] %P[E]W LEW FIIR
www.aufoexpress.co.uk } }A
keadIesIs
v|s|t :ffS lo| the |atest new ca|s and d||ves
tLS SheeIing
8rake vs Xf
attIe eI the sIeek estates, as
Mercedes' CL55heeting rake
meets the [aguar XF 5pertbrake.
S8
FuFL ccsts aren't gettlng any lcwer, sc lf ycu want tc cut
ycur cutgclngs tc the bare mlnlmum, a dlesel supermlnl
cculd be |ust the tlcket. And wlth the lntrcductlcn cf the uacla
Sanderc, the ccst cf cwnlng a dlesel-pcwered small car
has fallen tc lts lcwest level ln recent years.
ln thls test, we llne up the 8,395 Sanderc 1.5 dCl Amblance
- the uK's cheapest dlesel - agalnst twc cther budget mcdels.
Flrst up ls the Flat Panda 1.3 Multl|et Pcp. lt ccsts 11,100,
but fcr the mcney ycu get a dlstlnctlve small car that's fun
tc drlve and has lcts cf neat and practlcal lnterlcr tcuches.
Then there's the Kla klc 1.1 Ckul 1. The three-cyllnder
dlesel prcmlses scme cf the lcwest emlsslcns cf any ncn-hybrld
car, whlle the sharp lccks and styllsh lnterlcr gc scme way tc
|ustlfylng lts 11,895 llst prlce. Sc can the Sanderc make
an lmpact agalnst lts mcre expenslve rlvals!
we ptch the new0aca Sandero
deseI aganst two budget rvaIs
Picfures. Pefe Gibson Locafion. Longcross Proving Ground, Chobham, Surrey
Ann[ }A }
Audi
A3
Skeda
tiIige
0ur man struggIes te stay
cennected as phene treubIes
centinue Ier cIassy hatch.
A change eI tyres makes
eur pint-sized city car
even mere enjeyabIe.
66 64
kiakie
1.1Cki 1
Price: 11.895
ngine: 1.1-lltre 3cyl, 7/bhp
0-60mph: 13.6 seccnds
1est ecenemy: /3.3mpg]9.5mpl
C02: 85g]km
AnnuaI read tax: 0
why? Three-cyllnder dlesel emlts
less than 90g]kmcf CU2, and
ccmes ln a handscme package.
acia
Sandere
1.5dCi Ambiance
Price: 8,395
ngine: 1.5-lltre /cyl, 90bhp
0-60mph: 11.0 seccnds
1est ecenemy: /9.2mpg]10.8mpl
C02: 99g]km
AnnuaI read tax: 0
why? ulesel Sanderc undercuts
lts rlvals here - but ls lt a case
cf gettlng what ycu pay fcr!
fiat Panda
1.3Mjet Pep
Price: 11,100
ngine: 1.3-lltre /cyl, 75bhp
0-60mph: 11./ seccnds
1est ecenemy: 53.2mpg]11.7mpl
C02: 10/g]km
AnnuaI read tax: 20
why? Fun tc drlve and neatly
styled Panda prcmlses strcng
fuel eccncmy frcmlts 1.3-lltre
Multl|et dlesel englne.
Ann[ } }A
+HJPH :HUKLYV
kead IesI
Uks cheapest deseI majors on space and vaIue for money
1HE lauhcloI Dacia ihile UKai ile
siari oI ile year ihiroduceda hewway
oI sellihg cars. Rehauli's Ludgei LrahdoIIers
a rahge oI Lasic, ho-Irills models ai Largaih
rices ilai uhdercuis similarly sizedrivals
Ly a sighiLcahi margih. We were imressed
Ly ile Dusier crossover ihour iesi lasi year
(Issue ,z_), Lui ilougli ile ehiry-level
Sahdero was ioo Lasic Ior iis owhgoodwleh
we iriedii ihIssue ,z_8. Cahile Lase diesel
model, ile cleaesi diesel car ohsale ihile
UK, clarmus more ilahile eirol versioh
Well Ior a siari, ilis Sahdero AmLiahce
looks Leiier ilahile ehiry-level Access.
Body-colouredLumers ahdlasiic wleel
irims addmore siyle io ile exierior, alilougl
you'dsiruggle io call ile car lahdsome. 1le
LulLous hose is disiihciive, Lui ii looks oui oI
rooriiohwiilile resi oI ile car, ahdIails io
make ahimaci like ile slarRio or cleeky
Pahda. Ii's Leiier Iromile rear, ahdlooks a
liiile like a CiiroehDS ai ile Lack.
ou'll Lhdile caLihrailer uhihsirihg,
ilougl, Loilihiis Lhislahdlowmuclkii
ii oIIers. 1le daslLoard, leadlihihg ahdseais
are all ile same Laiilesligrey, wlile a Llack
daslioahdcehire cohsole Iail io liIi ilihgs.
1lere are ieces oI Rehauli swiiclgear doiied
arouhdile ihierior, ahdile Himsy Ieel io ile
cohirols is a cohsiahi remihder ilai you're ih
kuNNlN6 t0S1S
49.2MPC (0h151) LT2 fILL-0P
Neat rear end |s the best
ang|e o| an otherw|se
un|nsp|r|ng des|gn
SIyling
LAN, uninspiring Iines
signaI the 5andere's intent
as a ne-nensense budget car
that makes de witheut IriIIs.
lnIerier
0b get Iets eI reemIer yeur
meney, especiaIIy in the back
seats, but everwheImingIy
grey and bIack ceIeur
scheme ceuId be IiveIier.
briving
I5L engine is eager with
decent mid-range punch.
5uspensien seaks up bumps
areund tewn, but 5andere
is unexciting in cerners.
tesIs
L0wprice, decent residuaIs,
cheap insurance and tax cests
make the acia an attractive
ewnership prepesitien.
PratIitaliIy

001 is biggest en test, at

320 Iitres, whiIe back seats
IeId easiIy. Painted metaI beet
Iip wiII scratch easiIy, theugh.
SaleIy
5ANk0scered three stars
in its ure NCAP test in 2008,
but stabiIity centreI, Ieur
airbags and IseIix are aII
standard en this medeI.
ut its ebvieus where
cests have been kept
dewn, and as a resuIt
it feeIs eId fashiened.
N01 S0 600b
Ann[ }A }
Uac|a Sande|o dC| vs ||va|s kead IesI
a car ilai's LeehLuili dowhio a rice. Ai leasi
ile leaier cohirols ahdsiereo are uhique io
ile Sahdero, youjusi doh'i gei muclmore
ilahilai Ior your mohey. 1lere's ho air-coh
ii's hoi evehahoiioh ile mirrors are
mahually oeraiedahdile sieerihg wleel
las ho adjusimehi. However, ii's Lxediha
osiiiohilai will Le Lhe Ior mosi drivers.
Backseai sace is Leiier ilahiheiiler
rival, alilouglile vihyl-eIIeci irimIor ile
Irohi seaiLacks ahdile wihd-uwihdows are
Iuriler remihders oI ile car's Ludgei origihs.
ALooi caaciiy oI zoliires is hearly oo
liires uohile Pahda's, Lui ilere areh'i ahy
ariicularly raciical ioucles, aari Iromile
6o:oslii rear seai, wlile ile ohly ways io
oehile Looi are wiilile key ihile lockor
via a Himsy lever Ly ile driver's seai. 1lis
oeraies a caLle ilai uhlaicles ile lock, Lui
ile oiler ehdis exosedio ile elemehis
ohile Lare aihiedLooi li, ahdii Ieels
like ii couldgo slackihiime.
Iire uile ._-liire diesel, ahdii's clear
ilai Dacia las scrimedohsouhddeadehihg
ihiis searclIor a lower rice iag, as ilere's
a loi more hoise Iromile ehgihe Lay ilahih
eiiler rival. 1le iried-ahd-iesieddCi ehgihe
las LeehusedihRehaulis Ior years ahd,
wlile ii cahgei quiie hoisy, ii delivered
a surrisihgly decehi iurhoI ace ai ile
iesi irack ehouglio make ile Dacia
quicker ilahile oiler models lere.
SoIi susehsiohmeahs ile Sahdero is
comIoriaLle ihiowh, as ii soaks uLums
wiiloui Iuss, wlile ile ehgihe's mid-rahge
ower ehsures ilere's lehiy oI gruhi io kee
ace wiilciiy iraILc. HeadIor a iwisiy road,
ahdile Sahdero's Ludgei roois slihe ilrougl
agaih. 1lere's lois oI Lody roll ihcorhers
ahdvery liiile suori Iromile seais, ioo,
wlile ile liIeless sieerihg ahdhose-leavy
lahdlihg discourage keehdrivihg.
Bui ileha Ludgei diesel suermihi is more
aLoui ruhhihg cosis ilahdrivihg ilrills. Ih
ilai regard, ile Dacia is very aiiraciive. Ai
8,_, ile Sahdero ._ dCi AmLiahce
uhdercuis ile Rio . CRDi Ly ,_oo.
Neiiler car oIIers youmuclkii Ior your
casl, alilouglile Sahdero edges alead,
as ii comes wiilBlueiooilas siahdard, ahd
ilere are lardly ahy oiiohs ohile Rio.
Boilcars are roadiax exemi, wlile ile
Dacia's .zmg iesi ecohomy is _.mg
Leiier ilahile Kia's. Comahy car iax is
ohly zIor lower-raie earhers, ihsurahce
is comeiiiive, lus residual values are a
reseciaLle 6._ er cehi over ilree years, so
you'll lose a loi less ilahoheiiler rival lere.
1le humLers make a very sirohg case
Ior ile diesel Sahdero, Lui are ile savihgs
ehouglio gloss over ile clear comromises
made io gei iis rice Lelow,ooo
Jhe engnes md-range power means
you can easIy keep pace wth cty traffc
600b
uyers wanting Iew
running cests abeve aII
eIse cant ge wreng with
the Sandere dieseI.
1h|s 5andero gets a stereo,
but kenau|t sw|tchgear can't
prevent |t |rom |ee||ng cheap
PkAt1ltALl1Y 8001
(5A150P]00wh) 32/!,2 L15
5p||t-|o|d seats
are easy to drop
down, p|us boot
|s b|ggest here.
Large areas o|
du|| grey p|ast|c
and |abr|c
re|n|orce the
budget |ee|
kear |egroom |s restr|cted || there's a ta||
dr|ver, p|us |uggage space |s t|ghtest here
Ann[ } }A
-PH[ 7HUKH
Jhe nteror Iooks Ike t couId cope wth
everythng famIy Ife couId throw at t
kead IesI 0|asgowmed|um
Its smaIIer than ts rvaIs, but styIsh
supermn s charmng and Iots of fun
WHILE ile Sahdero irades ohIuhciioh
over Iorm, ile Iiai Pahda is a masierclass
ihsuermihi siylihg. 1le urigli slae oI ile
revious model las LeehsmooiledoII ahd
ehlarged, ahdilere's a really Iuhelemehi io
iledesigh. 1lecar ihour iciures is a io-sec
Louhge ile cleaer Powe iesiedrelaces
ile alloys wiillasiic wleel covers, wlile ile
rooI Lars ahdIogliglis are oiiohal. Ii doesh'i
gei a colour-codedcaLih, eiiler, Lui ilese
diIIerehces do liiile io soil ile smari siylihg.
Meahwlile, ile ihierior looks like ii could
coe wiileveryilihg Iamily liIe couldilrow
ai ii. 1lere's lois oI siurdy, ligl-qualiiy lasiic,
wlile ile door irims ahddaslare emLossed
wiilPahda leiierihg. Iiai's rouhded-oII square
moiiI gives ile ihierior a hovel ioucl, ioo.
1lis ileme is usedohile dials wliclare
aciually a liiile iricky io read ohile leaier
cohirols ahdevehohile radio, ahduis ile
Pahda a siealeadoI iis rivals lere Ior siyle.
However, ihierior sace ish'i oha ar wiil
iis rivals. Ii's easy io gei comIoriaLle ai ile
wleel, Lui iI ile driver's seai is usledLack,
rear legroomis iigli. Ohile lus side, ilere's
lehiy oI leadroom, wlile ile Lackdoors
oehwide Ior easy rear-seai access.
1le large, urigli iailgaie oehs io
reveal a zz_-liire Looi. Ii's ile smallesi
lere ahd, wlile Pomodels gei a ohe-iece
Ioldihg rear Lehcl, Loilrivals ihilis iesi
lave slii-Ioldihg seais as siahdard.
Siari uile )_Ll.-liire Muliijei diesel,
ahdii's quieier ilahile Dacia's ehgihe. Ahd
desiie Leihg _Lldowhohile Sahdero,
ile Pahda was closely maicledio ile hewcar
ai ile iesi irack, ilahks ihari io iis more
osiiive gearsliIi. 1ley osiedsimilar
erIormahce Lgures, alilouglile Iiai
souhdeda Lii ilrasly ai ligler revs.
1le sieerihg is ligli Lui quickahd, wlile
ilere's lehiy oI Lody roll, ile Pahda is luge
Iuhoha iwisiy road. 1lai soIi susehsioh
meahs ii soaks uciiy Lums, ahdii's caaLle
ohile moiorway, ioo. Ohe area oI cohcerh
was ile dive ile Iiai suIIereduhder Lrakihg,
lus ile Iaci ii iookahexira omeires over
ile Rio io sioIrom)oml, ai 6 meires.
Ai ,oo, ile Pahda Pois z,)o_ more
ilahile Sahdero. Plus, youheedio sehdah
exira 8oio equal ile Rio's sec, uiiihg ile
Iiai aLove ile Kia ohrice. We goi a decehi
_.zmg ohiesi, Lui liglemissiohs meah
ii las ile sieeesi iax Lills. Iha iesi Iocusihg
ohruhhihg cosis, ilai couldLe decisive.
SIyling
5MAk1 shape reaIIy stands
eut in this cempany, aItheugh
Pep medeI dees witheut
aIIey wheeIs er reeI raiIs.
lnIerier
1hk are Iets eI neat design
teuches threugheut; it's just
a shame that cabin space is
the mest Iimited en test.
briving
FIA1 is Iun te drive, with sharp
steering and pIenty eI grip.
5uspensien seaks up bumps,
and City steering mede makes
Iew-speed driving easy.
tesIs
MbL1I[1 dieseI returned
a streng 53.2mpg en test,
but eIIiciaI Iigures put Panda
in higher cempany car and
read tax brackets than rivaIs.
PratIitaliIy

001 is the smaIIest here,

and passenger space is tight,
tee, especiaIIy in the rear.
5pIit-IeIding rear seat has
been IeIt en the eptiens Iist.
SaleIy
1hk are enIy Ieur airbags,
as in the 5andere, whiIe
stabiIity centreI is enIy
avaiIabIe as a 315 eptien.
kuNNlN6 t0S1S
S3.2MPC (0h151) LS3 fILL-0P
PkAt1ltALl1Y 8001
(5A150P]00wh) 22S/8T L15
5ty||sh |nter|or des|gn
sets the 0anda apart
8oxy-yet-curvy |ooks
make 0anda the most
sty||sh car |n th|s test
Legroom |n the back |s decent, a|though
k|a doesn't have boot space o| 5andero
Ann[ }A }}
2PH 9PV
In corners, theres pIenty of grp and the
ko feeIs composed, but ts not much fun
Uac|a Sande|o dC| vs ||va|s kead IesI
fIassy Iooks and quaIty fnsh
provde reaI upmarket appeaI
WHILE ile Sahdero looks ahdIeels
like a Ludgei car, ilai's hoi a criiicism
youcahlevel ai ile Kia Rio. 1le Loldhose,
risihg waisilihe ahdslori rear overlahg
give ii a ilorouglly moderhlook, ahdeveh
ile ehiry-level model is lahdsome.
ClimLihside, ahdilere's ahair oI qualiiy
ilai ile Dacia cah'i come close io. 1lere's a
loi oI Llacklasiic, Lui ii's oI a liglqualiiy,
ahdile cohirols Ieel classy, ioo. As wiilile
Sahdero, yougei a USBcohheciioh, Lui ii's
locaiedmore cohvehiehily aleadoI ile
gearlever, ahdilere's a lahdy recess Lelow
ii io lolda oriaLle music device, so you're
hoi leIi wiilwires irailihg across ile caLih.
Ii's easy io gei comIoriaLle ai ile wleel,
ioo, as ilere's a leigli-adjusiaLle driver's seai
ahdile wleel moves Ior rake. 1le car ihour
iciures is a ilree-door, Lui rear leadroom
is ile same as ihile sacious Lve-door,
alilouglile Sahdero las more legroom.
1le .-liire ilree-cylihder diesel las ohly
Llless ilahile Pahda's ehgihe, ai )Ll,
Lui ile disariiy iherIormahce is siark.
Wlile ile Rio is Liiedwiila six-seedLox,
ile raiios are widely sacedio maximise
eILciehcy, ahdas a resuli ii iooka leilargic
.6secohds io acceleraie Iromo-6oml.
Ih-gear erIormahce was equally slow.
Ihcorhers, ilere's lehiy oI griahdile
Rio Ieels comosed, Lui ii's hoi muclIuh. Ih
realiiy, iis Iorie is as a comIoriaLle cruiser. 1le
ilree-cylihder diesel is hever raucous, ahd
youcahlaily cruise all day ai moiorway
seeds, Lecause ile Rio las a rock-solid
Ieel ilai uis ii a hoiclaLove iis rivals.
Ihiowh, ile susehsiohis a liiile ohile
Lrmside, Lui agaih, ile Rio Ieels well Luili,
so iakes khocks ahdilums ihiis siride. We
ohly sehi a slori iime wiilile Kia, Lui ile
.mg we aclievedohiesi was well slori oI
ile oILcial claims oI 88.mg. Pari oI ilai cah
Le ui dowhio ile lohg gearihg, Lecause ih
everyday use we Iouhdwe heededio loldoh
io ile revs Ior lohger io keeace wiiliraILc.
1le resi oI ile Rio's Lhahcial case is a
mixedLag. Ehiry-level models cosi ,8_,
Lui youdoh'i gei muclkii, alilougleleciric
mirrors, a iili-adjusiaLle wleel ahdiri
comuier are all siahdard. II youwahi more,
Kia doesh'i oIIer mahy oiiohs youlave io
ugrade io a ligler-sec model ihsiead.
Ahemissiohs Lgure oI 8_gJkmis
imressive, ahdii meahs ile Rio is exemi
Iromroadiax, wlile ihsurahce ahdcomahy
car iax cosis are comeiiiive. Addihsirohg
residuals, lus Kia's seveh-year warrahiy, ahd
ile Rio makes sirohg Lhahcial sehse. Is ilai
ehouglio comehsaie Ior ile rice
gaLeiweehii ahdile Sahdero
SIyling
5hAkP-Ieeking hatch
has Iets eI neat detaiIing,
incIuding swept-back Iights
and a heneycemb griIIe.
lnIerier
CAIN is sparseIy equipped,
but it IeeIs weII buiIt, with
pIeasingIy pesitive centreIs
and high-quaIity switchgear.
briving
L1hAkCIC 1.1-Iitre dieseI
needs werking hard te make
decent pregress. Chassis isn't
set up Ier sharp handIing, yet
ride is stiII en the Iirmside.
tesIs
5bPk-Iewemissiens mean
cheap tax, but werking the
engine hard harms ecenemy.
And yeu den't get much kit Ier
thew11,895 price tag.
PratIitaliIy

001 is smaIIer than the

5andere's. Access is geed,
theugh, the back seats are
easy te IeId and there's Iess
eI a step in the beet IIeer.
SaleIy
5IX airbags and 5P are
Iitted as standard, and as
a resuIt the kie was awarded
the IuII Iive-star rating in
ure NCAP crash tests.
kuNNlN6 t0S1S
43.3MPC (0h151) L6! fILL-0P
PkAt1ltALl1Y 8001
(5A150P]00wh) 288/923 L15
k|o's dash has com|ortab|y
the most upmarket |ee| here
5ty||ng |s neat and
car |ee|s composed
on the move
Ann[ }A }
Uac|a Sande|o dC| vs ||va|s kead IesI kead IesI
0n-the-read price]tetaI as tested
kesiduaI vaIue (aIter 3yrs]30,000)
epreciatien
AnnuaI tax IiabiIity std]higher rate
AnnuaI IueI cest (12k]20kmiIes)
Ins. greup]quete]read tax band]cest
Cest eI 1st]2nd]3rd service
Length]wheeIbase
height]width
ngine
Peak pewer
Peak terque
1ransmissien
FueI tank capacity]spare wheeI
eet capacity (seats up]dewn)
kerbweight]payIead]tewing weight
1urning circIe]drag ceeIIicient
asic warranty (miIes)]recevery
5ervice intervaIs]bk deaIers
river Pewer manuIacturer]deaIer pes.
ure NCAP: AduIt]chiId]ped.]stars
0-60]30-70mph
30-50mph in 3rd]4th
50-70mph in 5th]6th
1ep speed]rpmat 70mph
raking 70-0]60-0]30-0mph
Neise IeveIs eutside]idIe]30]70mph
Aute xpress ecen (mpg]mpI)]range
Cevt urban]extra-urban]cembined
Cevt urban]extra-urban]cembined
ActuaI]cIaimed C02]tax bracket
Airbags]IseIix]rear parking sensers
Air-cenditiening]Ieather]heated seats
Autematic bex]stabiIity]cruise centreI
MetaIIic paint]xenen Iights]keyIess ge
5at-nav]b5 cennectien]Iueteeth
ACIA 5ANk0
dCi AMIANC
8,395]8,865
3,90/]/6.5%
/,/91
23/]/67
1,586]2,6/3
8]293]A]0
150]250]150
/,058]2,589mm
1,518]1,732]mm
/cyl ln-llne]1,/61cc
90]3,750 bhp]rpm
220]1,750 hm]rpm
5-spd man]fwd
50 lltres]sealant
320]1,200 lltres
1,033]557]1,100kg
10.0 metres]h]A
3yrs (60,000)]3yrs
12,000 mlles (1yr)]127
h]A
3]/]1 stars*
11.0]10.9 secs
/.7]7.8 secs
12.5 secs]h]A
107mph]2,000rpm
55.8]/1.5]11.3m
6/]50]65]72d8
/9.2]10.8]5/1 mlles
65.7]80.7]7/.3mpg
1/.5]17.8]16.3mpl
15/]99g]km]1/%
Fcur]yes]/30
hc]nc]nc
hc]yes]nc
470]nc]nc
hc]yes]yes
FIA1 PANA 1.3
MbL1I[1 P0P
11,100]11,100
/,729]/2.6%
6,371
331]663
1,/66]2,///
8]285]8]20
209]303]209
3,653]2,300mm
1,551]1,6/3mm
/cyl ln-llne]1,2/8cc
75]/,000 bhp]rpm
190]1,500 hm]rpm
5-spd man]fwd
37 lltres]sealant
225]870 lltres
1,100]h]A]900kg
9.3 metres]0.32Cd
3yrs (100,000)]1yr
21,000 mlles (1yr)]160
30th]30th^
82]63]/9]/ stars
11./]13.2 secs
/.9]6./ secs
10./ secs]h]A
10/mph]2,/00rpm
63.0]53.3]11.6m
67]50]6/]71d8
53.2]11.7]/33 mlles
60.1]80.7]72./mpg
13.2]17.8]15.9mpl
1/2]10/g]km]15%
Fcur]yes]nc
525]nc]nc
hc]315]nc
hc]nc]nc
uFU]265^]265^
kIA kI01
1.1 Cki
11,895]11,895
5,852]/9.2%
6,0/3
308]615
1,802]3,003
3]262]A]0
299 (3yrs)
/,0/5]2,570mm
1,/55]1,720mm
3cyl ln-llne]1,120cc
7/]/,000 bhp]rpm
125]1,500 hm]rpm
6-spd man]fwd
/3 lltres]sealant
288]923 lltres
1,155]/85]850kg
10.5 metres]h]A
7yrs (100,000)]1yr
20,000mlles(1yr)]170
7th]17th^
92]8/]/6]5 stars
13.6]15.6 secs
5.6]7.6 secs
11.9]1/./ secs
98mph]2,500rpm
53./]38.7]10.1m
60]/5]63]71d8
/3.3]9.5]/10
80.7]9/.2]88.3mpg
17.8]20.7]19./mpl
175]85g]km]13%
hlx]nc]nc
hc]nc]nc
hc]yes]nc
hc]nc]nc
hc]yes]nc
1esIers neIes
0IAk 5A5: 0acas vaIue prcng strategy s a major shake-up for the
new car market, and whIe ts true that the Sandero feeIs Ike a budget
machne, many customers wII be abIe to put up wth that knowng how
much cash theyve saved by buyng one.
8etter stII, the no haggIe poIcy takes
the stress out of the buyng process.
]AMI5 5A5: whIe the entry-IeveI Sandero Access we tested n Issue
1,258 was too basc for ts own good, we feeI that the Ambance verson
s the sweet spot n the range. Its stII cheap enough to be consdered
a bargan, but 0aca has gven t just
enough Iuxury add-ons to make
t feeI Ike a modern supermn.
II5II 5A5: Its been a whIe snce I Iast drove a ko, and gettng
behnd the wheeI was a great remnder of how ka has managed to
mprove the quaIty of ts cars across the board. Jhe dash s cIearIy Iad
out - I especaIIy Ike the modern font that
ka uses - and the bank of toggIe swtches
on the centre consoIe s an upmarket touch.
VerditI
EACHoI ilese cars las iis owhsirehgils ahd
weakhesses. 1le Dacia is a Largaih, Lui Ieels
like ii's LeehLuili dowhio a rice, ile Kia is
leagues aleadIor qualiiy, yei ile ecohomy-
Iocuseddiesel is lardwork, wlile ile Iiai looks
smari, Lui cah'i maicliis rivals Ior raciicaliiy.
UhIoriuhaiely, ile Pahda comes ilird. Ii's
a lugely likeaLle car, Lui ile sloriage oI sace
is Irusiraiihg. 1le z,)_oremiumover ile
Sahdero is also iouglio swallowwlehso mucl
Lasic kii is leIi ohile oiiohs lisi, ahdile ehgihe
doesh'i oIIer ile same iax LeheLis as you'll
gei Iromile oiler iwo cars lere.
Secohdlace goes io ile Rio. Ii Ieels like ah
umarkei roduci comaredio ile Sahdero,
Lui ile leilargic diesel is Irusiraiihg, ahd
agaih, ilere's hoi ehouglequimehi io really
jusiiIy ile Rio's sighiLcahily ligler rice.
So ile Sahdero wihs. Ii's Lasic, Lui ii's mucl
more sacious ilahile oiler iwo ahd, wiilsucl
a lowlisi rice, ii iicks ile rigli Loxes Ior Luyers
wahiihg a clea, ho-hohsehse hewcar.
WlNNk
bAtlA
SANbk0

OUgei wlai youay Ior wiilile Sahdero.

Bui ihmid-sec AmLiahce irimii makes mucl
more sehse ilahile ehiry-level Access model we
reviously iesied. Ahdwlile ile ._ dCi diesel is
hoisy, ii las a decehi iurhoI ace, ahdwill leave
youwiilimressively lowIuel ahdiax Lills.
2nd
klA kl0

1HE Rio is ahexcellehi suermihi, wiila qualiiy

Ieel ilai ile Sahdero cahohly dreamoI. Bui ile
Iocus is ohliglecohomy ahdlowemissiohs,
ahdilis meahs ile Kia's day-io-day drivihg
exeriehce is comromised. 1le miserly level
oI kii is ulledihio Iocus Ly ile Sahdero, ioo.
3rd
flA1 PANbA

1HERE'S lois io like aLoui ile Pahda, as ii las

gehuihe claracier ilai meahs youcaheasily
Iorgive iis raciical sloricomihgs. However,
ile Muliijei diesel ish'i ile Lesi ehgihe, ahd
Poirimis ioo Lasic. Ii makes more sehse wiil
ile 1wihAir eirol ahda ligler sec level.
SPt
SR1
*
P
r
e
-
2
0
0
9
r
a
t
l
n
g
.
^
M
a
n
u
f
a
c
t
u
r
e
r
r
a
n
k
l
n
g
f
r
c
m
u
r
l
v
e
r
P
c
w
e
r
2
0
1
3
,
d
e
a
l
e
r
r
a
n
k
l
n
g
f
r
c
m
2
0
1
2
.
8
c
l
d
=
e
q
u
l
p
m
e
n
t
f
l
t
t
e
d
t
c
c
u
r
t
e
s
t
c
a
r
.
u
F
U
=
d
e
a
l
e
r
f
l
t
c
p
t
l
c
n
.
l
n
s
u
r
a
n
c
e
q
u
c
t
e
s
f
r
c
m
A
A
(
T
e
l
0
8
0
0
1
0
7
0
6
8
0
c
r
w
w
w
.
t
h
e
A
A
.
c
c
m
)
f
c
r
a
m
a
l
e
,
a
g
e
d
/
2
,
l
l
v
l
n
g
l
n
8
a
n
b
u
r
y
,
U
x
c
n
,
w
l
t
h
t
h
r
e
e
p
e
n
a
l
t
y
p
c
l
n
t
s
.
kAN6
Stk1S
P1k0L 0k
blSL7
Ch005 a dieseI 5andere
ever the 900cc 1Ce petreI
medeI, and iI yeu average
areund 10,000 miIes a
year, it weuId take yeu
Ieur years te receup
the price diIIerence.
1he kie eIIers simiIar
Ieng-termcests, but the
Panda MuItijet Pep is
a huge 2,200 pricier
than the 1.2-Iitre petreI
car - and that diIIerence
weuId take mere than a
decade te canceI eut.
S1PWAY
M0bL7
bk5Ieeking te
add seme rugged styIe
te their 5andere can
speciIy the 5tepway
medeI. 1he 1.5 dCi in
Ambiance trimweighs
in at 8,995. Fer that yeu
get chunky wheeIarch
extensiens, reeI raiIs and
a ride height raised by
40mm- aItheugh this
medeI emits 105g]km.
ANY 01Rk
klVALS7
1h acia is the bk's
cheapest dieseI, but the
cIeanest is the hyundai
i20 1.1 Cki Iue, which
emits just 84g]kmeI C02.
It uses the same three-
cyIinder engine as the
kie, and is seId enIy as
a Iive-deer, Ier 11,795.
1here's aIse the 11,920
5keda Fabia 51.6 1I,
which cIaims 67.3mpg
and 109g]km.
R0W A80u1
A RY8klb7
IF yeu den't Iind a smaII
dieseI appeaIing, then
yeu ceuId try the 1eyeta
aris hybrid, which is
pewered by a 1.5-Iitre
petreI engine and eIectric
meter. As a resuIt it
emits 79g]kmeI C02
and premises te return
80.7mpg. hewever, it
cests nearIy 7,000 mere
te buy than the 5andere,
with prices starting Irem
15,195 - and the aris
isn't the mest exciting
car te drive, either.
0ean 0ibsen
Lean_Cibson_dennis.co.uk
james 0isdaIe
ames_Lisdale_dennis.co.uk
LesIey harris
Lesley_larris_dennis.co.uk
hi suermihi wiila qualiiy
8Lp y Ve|cedes C|S Shoot|ng |a|e vs agua| X| Spo|tb|a|e
TAKF a lcck at the current crcp cf large estate cars, and
lt's clear buyers nc lcnger have tc sacrlflce style and
deslrablllty ln the name cf practlcallty and luggage space.
Fcr lnstance, the bcld newMercedes CLSShcctlng 8rake
ls cne cf the mcst dlstlnctlve cars cn the rcad, yet lt has
rccmfcr flve and a vast 590-lltre bcct. we've already been
lmpressed by the pcwerful 350 Cul v6 dlesel mcdel, whlch
sccred a ccmfcrtable vlctcry cver the Audl A7 (lssue 1,257).
hcwlt's the turn cf the mcre affcrdable 250 Cul, whlch
prcmlses the same stunnlng lccks, but wlth better eccncmy
and emlsslcns. we test lt ln 52,/00 AM0Spcrt fcrm.
Fcwever, the CLS lsn't the cnly upmarket estate that
alms tc ccmblne catwalk style wlth hlgh-street runnlng
ccsts. The }aguar XF Spcrtbrake bcasts elegant llnes, a
rccmy lnterlcr and a frugal fcur-cyllnder dlesel englne.
And whlle lt can't qulte rlval the Mercedes fcr excluslvlty,
the }aguar hlts back wlth lts genercus llst cf standard
equlpment and very attractlve //,695 prlce tag.
Sc whlch cne cf cur head-turnlng dlesel estates
wlll carry cff the hcncurs ln thls styllsh space race!
Z
[
H
[
L
T
L
U
[
Z
-
H
Z
O
P
V
U
[aguars XI Sportbrake mxes styIe wth estate practcaIty. 8ut wII t
be upstaged by Mercedes stunnng fLS Shootng 8rake!
Ann[ }s }A
Ve|cedes C|S Shoot|ng |a|e vs agua| X| Spo|tb|a|e 8Lp y
Ann[ }A }
Pictures: Matt vosper Location: 8runtinthorpe Provin Cround, Leicestershire
jaguar kf
Spertbrake2.2
Price: //,695
ngine: 2.2-lltre /cyl, 197bhp
0-60mph: 8.1 seccnds
1est ecenemy: 38.0mpg]8.3mpl
C02: 139g]km
AnnuaI read tax: 125
why? Sleek }aguar XF sets the
style standard fcr blg estate cars,
whlle a value prlce and efflclent
dlesel englne mean lt appeals
tc the head as well as the heart.
Mercedes
ClS 250CI
Sheetingrake
Price: 52,/00
ngine: 2.1-lltre /cyl, 201bhp
0-60mph: 8.0 seccnds
1est ecenemy: 36.2mpg]8.0mpl
C02: 1/3g]km
AnnuaI read tax: 1/0
why? we've been lmpressed by
fashlcnable, classy CLSShcctlng
8rake befcre. 8ut dces entry-level
dlesel make as much sense!
Shootng 8rakes
Iong boot can hoId
590 Itres - 40 Itres
more than the XIs
1RADI1IONALL, Mercedes esiaies
lave LeehsehsiLle, hoi siylisl, Lui
ilai's all clahgedwiilile CLS Slooiihg
Brake. By comLihihg ile sleeklooks oI ile
Iour-door wiila dasloI raciicaliiy, ile
Lrahdlas creaieda real 'musi-lave' car.
Evehihehiry-level z_oCDI Iorm, ile
rakislMercedes looks ile ari. Wiiliis
low-sluhg rooHihe, graceIul rooriiohs
ahdIrameless side wihdows, ii oozes classy
aeal. Go Ior ile AMGSori versiohiesied
lere ahdyougei a deeer Lumer, -ihcl
alloy wleels ahdowerIul LEDleadlams.
Evehmeiallic aihi comes as siahdard.
Beiier siill, ile Merc Ieels jusi as secial
ihside. 1le daslis logically laid-oui ahd
looks more moderhilahile XI's, wlile ile
swiicles oeraie wiilrecisioh. 1lere's also
lois oI seai ahdsieerihg wleel adjusimehi,
ahdile columh-mouhiedgearlever Irees u
sace Ior siorage. 1le ohly roLlemis ilai
iall drivers migli caiclile lowleader rail.
As you'dexeci, Li ahdLhislare Lrsi-raie,
wiilqualiiy maierials usedilrougloui. SoIi
leailer covers ile seais ahdsuLile darkwood
irimIeaiures ohile daslahddoor ihlays.
1lere's also lehiy oI siahdardkii, ihcludihg
sai-hav, dual-zohe climaie cohirol, DABradio
ahda owerediailgaie. However, you'll lave
io Iorkoui _oIor leaiedseais ahdahoiler
_oIor keyless ehiry Loilare siahdardoh
ile cleaer [aguar. Siill, wlai ile Mercedes
lacks ihgadgeis, ii makes uIor ihsace.
Rear seai occuahis gei Iraciiohally
more roomilahihile [ag, ahdwiilile
Lackseais ihlace, ile Slooiihg Brake's lohg
Looi will swallowa lealily _oliires o
more ilahile XI's. Praciical addiiiohs ihclude
a zvsockei ahdIold-oui looks Ior sloihg
Lags, wlile liglis sei ihio ile C-illars meah
youdoh'i lave io IumLle arouhdai higli.
As wiilile [aguar, ilere are selI-levellihg
air srihgs ai ile Lack, so ile CLS iakes leavy
cargo ihiis siride. 1lere are some higgles,
If yeu want te make a
styIe statement, Ieek ne
further than the ClS. Ne
matter where yeu ge, it
manages te turn heads.
1he Sheeting rake is
very refined, se its a
shame the AM6 Spert
versien suffers frem
such a firm ride.
*-< :- --
--
ilougl. 1le rice youay Ior ile low-sluhg
rooI ahdsieely rakediailgaie is a seais-dowh
carryihg caaciiy oI ,__oliires ile more
urigli [aguar cahsqueeze ihahexira z_
liires. Also, ile z__ clarge Ior ile CLS' Easy
Packload-securihg sysiemis a Lii siee.
1lere are Iewcomlaihis aLoui ile drivihg
exeriehce, ilougl. WlehsiariedIromcold,
ilez.-liireehgihesuIIers Iromileiradiiiohal
5t|||er AN6 5port suspens|on
means great hand||ng, but
the trade-o|| |s a ||rm r|de
Ann[ }A
4LYJLKLZ *3:
*+0 :OVV[PUN )YHRL
8Lp y Ve|cedes C|S Shoot|ng |a|e vs agua| X| Spo|tb|a|e
Sporty and styIsh coup-estate s a reaI head-turner - but s the prce too hgh!
u
8

SIyling
Fwestates attract as much
attentien as the 5heeting
rake. AMC5pert trimadds
19-inch aIIeys and L Iights.
lnIerier
bALI1 is Iirst-rate, whiIe
design Ieeks mere medern
than [ag's. ut pricier CL5
deesn't have as much kit.
briving
F0bk-cyIinder dieseI is quiet
and terquey. handIing and
reIinement are geed, but the
ride quaIity is a bit tee Iirm.
tesIs
MkC5struggIes te
justiIy its price in this test,
whiIe cempany car users
wiII pay Iar mere in tax.
PratIitaliIy

5PI1 its Iew-sIung reeI,

the CL5beasts a 590-Iitre
beet and has a IractienaIIy
reemier cabin than the XF.
SaleIy
1h Mercedes hasn't been
crash-tested by ure NCAP,
but it gets eight airbags
and 5P as standard kit.
sieerihg is more haiurally weiglied, wlile
ile AMGSori versioh's siiIIer ahdlower
susehsiohgives sirohg griahdexcellehi
Lody cohirol, allowihg youio aiiackLehds
wiilcohLdehce. UhIoriuhaiely, ile irade-
oII Ior ilis is a Lrmride ai lowseeds.
1lihgs imrove ohile moiorway, wlere
ile siiIIer susehsiohis less oI ahissue. Beiier
siill, ilere's viriually ho wihdahdroadhoise,
0ash |s we|| ||n|shed and |a|d-out, rear seats and boot both s||ght|y more spac|ous than [ag's
diesel claiier, Lui ohce you're ohile move,
ii's smooilahdlusled. Ahdwiil_ooNm
oI iorque availaLle Irom,6oorm, ii delivers
sirohg mid-rahge acceleraiioh: ii was a iehil
oI a secohdIasier Iromo-6omlilahile
[aguar, seiiihga iimeoI eigli secohds Hai.
Equallyimressiveis ileseveh-seedauio.
1le CLS also Ieels more assuredilrougl
a series oI corhers ilahile XI. 1le direci
wlile a iall iogear meahs ilai ai )omlile
Merc's ehgihe iurhs over ai jusi ,)_orm.
Ii's a goodilihg ile car is so relaxihg io
drive, Lecause iis _z,oorice will come as
a slock: ii's a wloihg ),)o_ more ilahile
Leiier-equied[aguar. EvehiI youcloose
ile ehiry-level SE, you'll siill sehd,o.
Ahdwlile ile Slooiihg Brake las sirohger
residuals, ilai's hoi ehouglio oIIsei ile rice.
5at-nav |s ||tted as standard, sw|tchgear
operates prec|se|y and the rak|sh rear-end
sty||ng turns |ots o| heads out on the road
Ann[ }A
kead IesI
Pkf0kMANt
0-60 8. 5C5 10P 5P0!43MPR
8kAklN6
(70]60]30-0MPR)
48./33./9.! M1k5
PkAt1ltALl1Y 8001
(5A150P]00wh) S9/!,SS L15
uNNlN6 t0S1S
6.2MPC (0h151) L82 fILL-0P
0ated |nter|ace betrays the kf's age, but cab|n has attract|ve des|gn and h|gh-qua||ty |ee|
[aguar has more space than Nercedes w|th
seats down, a|though auto can be |rustrat|ng
kf's handsome sty||ng
has been reta|ned
as an estate car
Ann[ }A
1HN\HY ?- :WVY[IYHRL +
kead IesI
fstabIshed executve car adds space to upmarket styIe and pIentfuI equpment
[AGUARdoesh'i lave ile riclesiaie car
leriiage oI Mercedes, Lui ilai lash'i
sioediis XI SoriLrake Lecomihg a sirohg
class cohiehder. 1le LlehdoI siyle, sace ahd
very aiiraciive ricihg ehsures ilis raciical
Lve-door is a sierhiesi Ior ahy hewcomer.
Eveharkedwiilile lead-iurhihg CLS,
ile lahdsome XI siill makes ahimressioh.
1le car ihour iciures is a soriy S model
Lui, like our PoriIolio iesi examle, iis lohg
rooHihe ahdurigli iailgaie meahii looks
more like a iradiiiohal esiaie ilahiis rival.
ei ii's siill aheye-caiclihg execuiive car.
Wlile ile [aguar's exierior siill looks ile
ari, ii Ieels a liiile old-Iasliohedihside. 1le
oweredair vehis ahdrisihg gear selecior add
some ileaire wlehyouswiiclii oh, Lui small
dials, a Lddly iouclscreehsai-hav ahddaied
swiicleslihi ai ilesix-year-olduhderihhihgs.
Ahdwlile ilere's lehiy oI seai ahdwleel
adjusimehi, some drivers will Ieel more
cramedLelihdile [aguar's wleel, ahd
assehgers ihile Lacklave less legroom.
Ai leasi ilere's lois oI kii: our PoriIolio iesi
car LeheLiedIromleaiedahdcooledIrohi
seais, a owerIul Meridiahsiereo ahdkeyless
ehiry. Plus, ilere's soIi leailer seais ahdwood
Ior ile daslahddoors alilouglLuyers wlo
wahi someilihg more moderhcahseciIy
oiiohal ,ooocarLoh-LLre irimihsiead.
Like ile Mercedes, ile XI geis a owered
iailgaie, wlicloehs io reveal a well slaed
Looi ilai's aciually oliires smaller ilahiis
rival's. However, ile iaLles are iurhedwleh
ile rear seais are Ioldedusihg lahdy levers ai
ile side oI ile loadLay: ile SoriLrake ileh
Loasis a lealily ,6)_-liire caaciiy, wlicl
is z_ liires more ilahile CLS' equivalehi.
Alowliahdwide oehihg make ii easy
io loadlarge iiems, wlile ile heai rail sysiem
ahdLooi divider are siahdard. Oiler raciical
ioucles ihclude a reiraciaLle loadcover, a zv
ower sockei ahdiwo heiiedsiorage ockeis.
1le [aguar ahdMerc were closely maicled
ai ile iesi irack, osiihg hear-idehiical
erIormahce Lgures. ei ilis goodworkis
uhdohe wlehile XI liis ile road, as iis
)Llz.z-liire diesel is ioo ihirusive. Ii
claiiers hoisily ai idle ahdsouhds gruII wleh
exiehded. 1lihgs aremadeworseLyileeigli-
seedauio, wliclis ioo eager io kickdowh
ilrouglile gears. Ohile lus side, sliIis are
smooilahdyoucahover-ride ile gearLox
usihg ile columh-mouhiedsliIi addles.
Siill, ile [aguar's ihierior is well ihsulaied
Iromwihdahdroadhoise, lus ii las a soIier
ride ilahile CLS. 1le irade-oII Ior ilis is
more Lody roll ihcorhers alilouglgri
remaihs sirohg ahdile sieerihg is recise.
However, ile XI's irumcardis rice. Ai
,6_, ii's hearly 8,oooless ilahile CLS,
wlile COz emissiohs oI ohly gJkmmake
ii a more cosi-eIIeciive comahy car cloice.
Iacior ihile lohger lisi oI siahdardkii, ahd
ile [aguar's case Ior viciory looks sirohg.
SIyling
[ACbAk has dene a great
jeb transIerming the sIeek
XF IremsaIeen te estate.
PertIeIie spec gets huge
19-inch aIIeys as standard.
lnIerier
1kAI1I0NAL Ieather and
weed trimgives the cabin
a IamiIiar [aguar IeeI. 1here's
pIenty eI kit, but seme eI the
design Ieeks a IittIe dated.
briving
C0MP05 handIing and
streng reIinement make [ag
a reIaxing cheice, whiIe aute
bex is sIick. hewever, Ieur-
cyIinder dieseI seunds gruII.
tesIs
A1 44,695, the XF undercuts
the CL5by 7,705. Lewer
price and emissiens make
it a cheaper cempany car.
PratIitaliIy

[AC has Iead securing raiIs

and pewer taiIgate, but with
rear seats up, beet heIds 550
Iitres - 40 Iess than Merc's.
SaleIy
5PI1 Iets eI standard saIety
systems, the XF received
a disappeinting Ieur-star
test scere Iremure NCAP. kuNNlN6 t0S1S
38.MPC (0h151) L9T fILL-0P
PkAt1ltALl1Y 8001
(5A150P]00wh) SS/!,6TS L15
Pkf0kMANt
0-60 8.! 5C5 10P 5P0!34MPR
8kAklN6
(70]60]30-0MPR)
S!.4/36.9/!.8 M1k5
I
Ann[ }A
Ve|cedes C|S Shoot|ng |a|e vs agua| X| Spo|tb|a|e kead IesI
VerditI
BO1HoI ile cohiehders ihilis iesi oIIer siyle
ahdraciicaliiy Ly ile Luckeiload. Bui wlicl
oI our IasliohaLle esiaie cars is ile Leiier Lei
1o our eyes, ile rakislMercedes las greaier
visual aeal, wlile iis ihierior looks ahdIeels more
u-io-daie. Ii also Loasis a more reLhedehgihe,
a slarer drivihg exeriehce ahda Ligger Looi.
II ilis decisiohwas urely dowhio desiraLiliiy,
ilehile CLS wouldLe ile ruhaway wihher.
ei ii's lardio ighore ile Merc's luge rice iag,
ariicularly ihAMGSori Iorm. EvehiI yougo Ior
ile less well equiedSE versioh, you'll siill lave io
Iorkoui ahexira ,6_ over ile lavislly equied
XI PoriIolio. Cloose a [aguar ihSori or Luxury
irim, ahdile rice gaihcreases io hearly o,ooo.
As a resuli, ile XI iakes viciory lere Ly ile very
harrowesi oI margihs. Ii's hoi quiie as caaLle as
ile Mercedes, iis caLihis siariihg io looka liiile
daiedahdiis diesel ehgihe souhds gruII wleh
youworkii lard, Lui iis lahdsome lihes ahd
classy, umarkei image leloIIsei ilese issues.
Beiier siill, ii reresehis greai value Ior mohey
comaredio ile CLS ii's cleaer io Luy, ii'll cosi
comahy Luyers less io ruhahdii's more eILciehi.
IhIaci, youcouldevehgo Ior ile smooiler v6diesel
versiohahdsiill save mohey over ile siylislMerc.
WlNNk
1A6uAk Xf S8kAk
P0k1f0Ll0 2.2b

1HE [aguar wihs Ly ile slimmesi oI margihs. Ii's hoi

as Loldly siyledahdreLhedas ile CLS, Lui ii looks
more aiiraciive ilahmosi esiaies ahdcomes wiil
aheye-caiclihgly lowrice iag. Beiier siill, ii Loasis
loads oI siahdardequimehi ahdis cosi-eIIeciive
io ruh. Ohly ile rouglz.z-liire diesel ehgihe
iakes some oI ile slihe oII ilis viciory.
2ndMkt tLS 2S
tbl S8kAk AM6

II mohey was ho oLjeci, ilehile Mercedes would

Le ile worily wihher oI ilis iesi. Noi ohly is ii eveh
more sylislilahile [aguar, ii also Ieaiures a classier
caLih, is a liiile slarer io drive ahdLeheLis Irom
ahexira dose oI reLhemehi. ei ile CLS doesh'i
ull oui a clear ehougladvahiage over ile XI
SoriLrake io jusiiIy iis muclligler rice iag.
tRAPk tLS7
PkIC5Ier the CL55heeting rake start at
49,390 Ier the entry-IeveI 250 CI 5 car.
It gets the same engine as eur test medeI,
and whiIe it dees witheut desirabIe 19-inch
aIIeys and briIIiant aII-L headIamps, it
Ieatures a seIter suspensien set-up -
aItheugh this can be speciIied en the
AMC5pert medeI at ne extra cest.
N1kY~LVL 1A67
0b wen't have te spend nearIy as much
te get behind the wheeI eI the [aguar, as
prices start at 31,945 Ier the 161bhp
2.2-Iitre 5 versien. espite its entry-IeveI
status, it gets Iets eI standard kit, such as
Ieather trim, bi-xenen Iights, a A radie
and an eight-speed autematic gearbex.
MktbS ~tLASS7
IF yeu want a Mercedes estate with mere
space, then the recentIy IaceIiIted -CIass
is werth a Ieek. 5tyIing revisiens make it
sIeeker than beIere, whiIe the weII shaped
beet swaIIews 695 Iitres. etter stiII, IeId
the seats and capacity increases te 1,950
Iitres. Prices range Irem34,315 Ier the
220 CI 5 te 75,535 Ier the 63 AMC.
Q[civin ?,?p
^ifonce Pockoe
(nc|ude o|ind-pof onifoc, |one-
keep oif ond ccuie confco|.
Q^N[ p
n|ine yfe
upcoded of-nov ond (nfecnef
occe vio copofio|e ocfp|one.
Q^oienf ?
infecioc |i|fin
of|e f|e cooin in o woc
ocone |ow of ni|f-fie.
Qo\ocf No cof
upenion
[ifc|e ^' fi\\ upenion
in \ovouc o\ [' o\fec ef-up.
1esIers neIes
^
M
a
n
u
f
a
c
t
u
r
e
r
r
a
n
k
l
n
g
f
r
c
m
u
r
l
v
e
r
P
c
w
e
r
2
0
1
3
,
d
e
a
l
e
r
r
a
n
k
l
n
g
f
r
c
m
2
0
1
2
.
*
S
a
l
c
c
n
.
l
n
s
u
r
a
n
c
e
q
u
c
t
e
s
f
r
c
m
A
A
(
T
e
l
0
8
0
0
1
0
7
0
6
8
0
c
r
w
w
w
.
t
h
e
A
A
.
c
c
m
)
f
c
r
a
m
a
l
e
,
a
g
e
d
/
2
,
l
l
v
l
n
g
l
n
8
a
n
b
u
r
y
,
U
x
c
n
,
w
l
t
h
t
h
r
e
e
p
e
n
a
l
t
y
p
c
l
n
t
s
.
0n-the-read price]tetaI as tested
kesiduaI vaIue (aIter 3yrs]30,000)
epreciatien
AnnuaI tax IiabiIity std]higher rate
AnnuaI IueI cest (12,000]20,000miIes)
Ins greup]quete]read tax band]cest
5ervicing cests
Length]wheeIbase
height]width
ngine
Peak pewer
Peak terque
1ransmissien
FueI tank capacity]spare wheeI
eet capacity (seats up]dewn)
kerbweight]payIead]tewing weight
1urning circIe]drag ceeIIicient
asic warranty (miIes)]recevery
5ervice intervaI]bk deaIers
river Pewer manuIacturer]deaIer pes.
ure NCAP: AduIt]chiId]ped.]peints
0-60]30-70mph
30-50mph in 3rd]4th
50-70mph in 5th]6th]7th
1ep speed]rpmat 70mph
raking 70-0]60-0]30-0mph
Neise IeveIs eutside]idIe]30]70mph
Aute xpress ecen (mpg]mpI)]range
Cevt urban]extra-urban]cembined
Cevt urban]extra-urban]cembined
ActuaI]cIaimed C02]tax bracket
Airbags]IseIix]rear parking sensers
Autematic bex]stabiIity]cruise centreI
CIimate centreI]Ieather]heated seats
MetaIIic paint]xenens]keyIess ge
5at-nav]b5 cennectien]Iueteeth
CL5 250 CI
5h001INC
kAk
52,/00]60,295
2/,/18]/6.6%
27,982
2,/01]/,803
2,095]3,/91
/3]686]F]1/0
3yrs fcr 30pm
/,956]2,87/mm
1,/16]1,881mm
/cyl ln-llne]2,1/3cc
201]3,800bhp]rpm
500]1,600 hm]rpm
7-spd autc]rwd
59 lltres]sp. saver
590]1,550 lltres
1,865]525kg]h]A
11.3metres]0.29Cd
3yrs (unllmlted)]/yrs
varlable]136
5th]10th^
h]A
8.0]8.2 secs
3.1]/./ secs
5.7]7.2 secs]h]A
1/6mph]1,750rpm
/8.0]33.0]9.1m
67]5/]66]72d8
36.2]8.0]/70 mlles
//.8]60.1]53.3mpg
9.9]13.2]11.7mpl
209]1/3g]km]23%
Flght]yes]yes
Yes]yes]yes
Yes]yes]350
Yes]LFus]930
Yes]yes]yes
XF 5'kAk
P0k1F0LI0
2.2 I5L
//,695]//,695
19,085]/2.7%
25,610
1,959]3,917
1,995]3,326
/0]686]F]125
260]360]260
/,966]2,909mm
1,511]1,939mm
/cyl ln-llne]2,179cc
197]3,500bhp]rpm
/50]2,000 hm]rpm
8-spd autc]rwd
70 lltres]sealant
550]1,675 lltres
1,82/]/96]1,850kg
11.5metres]0.29Cd
3yrs (unllmlted)]3yrs
16,000 mlles]97
3rd]7th^
79]73]62]/ stars*
8.1]8.3 secs
3.5]/.2 secs
5.5]7.3]10.0 secs
13/mph]1,600rpm
51./]36.9]10.8m
67]/8]62]67d8
38.0]8.3]585 mlles
/6.3]62.8]5/.3mpg
10.1]13.8]11.9mpl
199]139g]km]22%
Slx]yes]yes
Yes]yes]yes
Yes]yes]yes
Yes]yes]yes
Yes]yes]yes
]AMI5 5A5: Ive been Ivng wth a fLS Shootng
8rake for the past few months, and Ive Ioved
every mnute. It Iooks good, feeIs specaI nsde
and s practcaI enough for my growng famIy.
Yet ts hgh prce s
stII hard to justfy.
0NIk 5A5: Jhe [aguars four-cyInder deseI s
punchy and frugaI, but ts hardIy the Iast word
n refnement. Id choose the smoother 3.0-Itre
6 deseI. whIe ts not as effcent, ts faster and
costs 38,360
n Luxury trm.
II5II 5A5: You expect great reIabIty from a
Mercedes, yet our fLS has suffered a few gItches.
Jhe f0MAN0 system, cruse controI and bInd spot
assst have aII packed up recentIy. happIy, the
car fxed tseIf on
each occason.
kAN6 Stk1S
80YIhC fAC15Y00 h010Kh0w
10P 0P1l0NS
X1kA510IMPk0v Y00k CL5
james 0isdaIe
ames_Lisdale_dennis.co.uk
g
0wen MiIdenhaII
0wen_Vildenhall_dennis.co.uk
not as eff
0
SPt
SR1
LesIey harris
Lesley_larris_dennis.co.uk
p
Ak
i oI margihs. Ii's hoi

6
Luke tr|ed ||ve |0hones to get
to bottom o| Aud|'s connect|on
|ssue, and was st||| |e|t con|used (
Ann[ }A
l@ccl
Luke_Vadden_dennis.co.uk
_lukemadden`

Lu
0eputy news editor Iives in south
London and traveIs the worId drivin
and assessin the Iatest newcars.
AuI A31.41fSI Sf
0n fIeet since: 0ctober 2012
Price new: 19,205
ngine: 1.4-Iitre 4cyI, 120bhp
C02[tax] 120]km]30
0ptiens: 17-inch aIIoys (495),
Iiht and rain sensors (150),
interior Iihtin packae (225),
rear parkin sensors (345),
duaI-zone cIimate controI
(390), metaIIic paint (525)
lnsurance greup[quete: 16]353
MiIeage[mpg: 6,232]38.8mp
Cests[prebIems? hewiPhone cabIe
Insurance quote provided by AA
(0800 107 0680) for a maIe, 42, in
8anbury, 0xon, with three points.
Luke Madden: "An exceIIent car
that's stiII grewing en me."

5teer|ng cou|d do w|th more |ee| accord|ng to our man, a|though he has no comp|a|nts about re||nement
lt's hard to ||nd a compact
hatch that does a better
[ob o| b|end|ng qua||ty,
com|ort and re||nement
than the A1. l [ust w|sh
|t was more |un to dr|ve.
kithard lnram
Ccntent edltcr
1he Aud| A1's cab|n |s
hands down the best
|n |ts c|ass |or des|gn,
qua||ty and |ee|. lt's a|so
a ma[or step |orward
over the o|d car.
tdjz8I
vla www.autcexpress.cc.uk
0ukVlW
Y0ukVlW
PkAt1ltALl1Y 8001
(5A150P]00wh) 36S/!,! L15
hones to get
|'s connect|on
t||| |e|t con|used
1ltALl1Y 8001
]00wh) 36S/!,! L15 LL
fompact hatch s wnnng frends, but phone nggIes contnue
fue| economy |s
|mprov|ng, but st|||
we|| short o| c|a|med
54.1mpg, NNl scro||
whee| |s easy to use,
opt|ona| dua|-zone
c||mate contro| adds
to com|ort o| |nter|or
kuNNlN6 t0S1S
38.8MPC (0h151) L6T fILL-0P
(\KP (
Ann[
] 0ur tars
}A }
whatever I
dd, I couIdnt
connect Phone
to nfotanment
system va the
suppIed cabIe
lookor Ieel ahy diIIerehi Iromile day ii
was delivered. 1lai's goi io Le arily dowh
io ile well Luili ihierior, wliclish'i slowihg
ahy sighs oI wear. 1le exierior is reiiy
mucluhscailed, ioo, wiilho Lums,
scraicles or kerLedalloys. 1lai jusi goes
io rove loweasy ile A is io mahoeuvre
arouhdLusy Lohdohsireeis.
1le .-liire 1ISI ehgihe las loosehed
ua liiile, ioo, so ii howIeels uhclier
ilahever. 1lahkIully, Iuel ecohomy las
also siariedcreeihg uiowards ile
oILcial _.mg Lgure rovidedLy
Audi ii howsiahds ai 8.8mg.
Ihiiial imressiohs oI ile A Irom
some oI ile oiler memLers oI ile ieam
were a liiile Lii lacklusire, Lui eole are
quickly Leihg wohover. Ohmore ilahohe
occasiohhow, someohe's walkedover io my
desk, lavihg sehi a Iewluhdredmiles
Lelihdile wleel, io say lowgoodii is.
I'malways quickio agree wiililem
Lecause ilere's very liiile I wahi io clahge
aLoui ile A. I'droLaLly ihjeci a Lii more Ieel
ihio ile sieerihg, Lui reLhemehi, comIori
ahderIormahce are all reiiy muclsoi-oh.
Ol, ahdI'dalso wahi ii io ialkio my lohe.
OURA las LeehLackio Audi io see
iI ii cahgei io ile LoiiomoI a liiile
roLlemwe've ladsihce ile car arrived
lasi year. Wlaiever I did, I couldh'i cohheci
my iPlohe uio ile ihIoiaihmehi sysiem
ilrouglile caLle rovidedihile car. Ii'll
clarge OK, Lui youcah'i scroll ilrougl
ahy oI ile mehus io seleci music.
1le car came Lackio us wiila Lrahd-hew
caLle ihsialled, Lui wlehI luggedihmy
lohe (ahdcrossedmy Lhgers), ii siill didh'i
work. I khowilai some oI ile Auio Exress
ieamlaveh'i ladahy issues wiilii, so I
decidedio Lorrowa IewiPlohes ahdlead
oui io see iI ii was someilihg I was doihg
wrohg, or wleiler ii was ile iecl.
We ladLve lohes io iesi oui all iPlohe
or S models Lui ile resulis iurhedoui io
Le a liiile disaoihiihg. 1wo oI ile lohes
clarged, Lui didh'i lay music, ohe ioldus
ile 'device or Lrmware' wash'i suoried,
wlile ile oiler iwo were aLle io clarge
ahdlay music erIecily. 1o make maiiers
worse, a Iewoiler memLers oI ile ieam
lave howcomlaihedLecause ile hewcaLle
ohly suoris Ale smarilohes.
1lahkIully, ii's hoi ioo mucloI a Irusiraiioh
Ior me Lecause ii's easy ehouglio jusi cohheci
uile lohe over Blueiooilahdlay music
ilai way. Bui ii does meahyoulave io seleci
a laylisi ohyour lohe, railer ilahgoihg
ilrouglile ih-car media sysiem.
Ohile lus side, wlile ile A was wiil
Audi, ii was Liiedwiilile SDcard-Lased
sai-hav sysiem. 1lai meahs we've Lhally goi a
roer use Ior ile clever MMI scroll wleel,
ahdii's rovihg ihcrediLly easy io oeraie.
1yihg ihaddresses is a Lreeze, ahdile
sysiemalways Loois uquickly, uhlike slower
DvD-Lasedhavigaiiohsei-us. So Iar, we
laveh'i ladahy roLlems wiilii wlaisoever
always ehdihg uihile rigli lace, ahd
wiiloui ii Ireezihg or geiiihg cohIused. 1le
screeh's hice ahdeasy io read, ioo, ahdilere's
Iull UKosicode ehiry, alohg wiila geherous
humLer oI oihi-oI-ihieresi desiihaiiohs.
Sihce we Lrsi goi ile A ihOcioLer, ii's
coveredmore ilah6,ooomiles, Lui ii doesh'i
1Rlkb kP0k1: 6,232 miles
P
i
c
t
u
r
e
s
:
P
e
t
e
C
i
b
s
o
n
0ur tarsS|oda C|t|go
Ann[
weve changed the tyres on our cty car -
and ts made t even more fun to drve
PkAt1ltALl1Y 8001
(5A150P]00wh) 2S!/9S9 L15
}A
#lcl@
0wen_Vildenhall_dennis.co.uk
_owenmildenhall
Jhe superb bg-car
refnement of the
ftgo s one of ts
key seIIng ponts
OURseemihgly hever-ehdihg wihier
meahi judgihg ile arrival oI srihg
was ariicularly iouglilis year. Bui wlile
gardehers worried aLoui wlehio lahi ahd
Iarmers Ireiied over wlehio lei ileir
livesiock oui, I was sirugglihg io decide
wlehio iake ile wihier iyres oII our Ciiigo.
Maicled io ile Skoda's lowweigli ahd
small wleels, ile Cohiihehial wihier iyres
roved io Le ihvaluaLle ihgeiiihg me lome
io rural Kehi ohseveral showy days. So aIier
ile lasi dum oI ile wliie siuII ihMarcl, I
was reluciahi io iake ilemoII ioo sooh.
However, wiiliemeraiures geiiihg well
aLove odegrees Celsius ihile lasi week or
so, I Lgured ii was aLoui iime io diiclile
wihier ruLLer. Ahdas our Ciiigo Elegahce
Greeh1eclwas edgihg close ioiis Lrsi service,
I killed iwo Lirds wiilohe siohe ahd Looked
ii ihio CaIIyhs Skoda ih1uhLridge Wells.
As you'd execi Iroma mahuIaciurer
wlose dealers cohsisiehily Lhislai ile
slar ehd oI our Driver Power saiisIaciioh
survey, ile service was quick, Iriehdly ahd
eILciehi. Bui wiilmore ilah8,ooomiles
oI irouLle-Iree moiorihg ilere wash'i a loi
io reori, so a quick oil clahge ahd rouiihe
cleck was all ilai was heeded.
Imressively, ile wihier iyres looked
almosi as good as hewwlehiley came oII
ahd iley're ceriaihly Li Ior service hexi year.
However, uhiil ilehwe've oied Ior a sei
oI Bridgesiohe Ecoia, wliclsei us Lack
zoihcludihg Liiihg. 1lai was ohio oI ile
reasohaLle o6Lill Ior ile Lrsi service. Siill,
5enior road tester and part-time racer
traveIs across the 0K puttin the Iatest
newmodeIs throuh their paces.
SkACI1I61.0
MPI 75flf6ANCf
6kffN1fCh5k
0n fIeet since: 0ecember 2012
Price new: 10,460
ngine: 1.0-Iitre 3cyI, 74bhp
C02[tax] 98]km]0
0ptiens: Convenience Pack(310),
ntertainment Pack (100), spare
wheeI (50), metaIIic paint (460)
lnsurance greup[quete: 2]299
MiIeage[mpg: 8,900]48.6mp
Cests: 240 (8ridestone copia
tyres), 106 (first service)
Insurance quote provided by AA
(0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-oId maIe
Iivin in 0xon with three points.
0wen MiIdenhaII: "5ummer tyres
have made it sharper te drive."

f0uk1R kP0k1: 8,9 miles

weve changed the tyres on our cty car -
PkAt1ltALl1Y 80
(5A150P]00wh) 2S!/9S9 L
lcl@
wen_Vildenhall_dennis.co.uk
ld h ll
#
0w
:RVKH *P[PNV
fleeIwaIth
0ur lleeI
f|t|go |ee|s ||ke a b|g car to dr|ve. fab|n
was we|| protected dur|ng serv|ce, wh|ch
was qu|ck, a||ordab|e and e|||c|ent.
5w|tch to summer tyres cost 240
kuNNlN6 t0S1S
48.6MPC (0h151) L46.S fILL-0P
kuNNlN6 t0S1S
36.3MPC (0h151) LT4fILL-0P
kuNNlN6 t0S1S
6S.MPC (0h151) L6fILL-0P
fhange to summer tyres has
de||vered sharper hand||ng
and |mproved re||nement
S|oda C|t|go 0ur tars
l!May2ul
wRA1 a difference a week has made
to the fueI economy of our 1oyota
Prius PIu-in. Art director 0arren
wiIson had been carefuIIy coastin
throuh city centre traffic, watchin
the mp fiure on the in-car trip
computer rise day by day.
8y oin easy on the throttIe in
an effort to boost the car's 12 miIe-
eIectric rane, 0arren had boosted
the return to an exceIIent 80mp.
8ut over the Iast seven days, the
Prius has racked up around 600
motorway miIes, which have taken
their toII. A quick scroII throuh the
comprehensive trip computer shows
that mp has dropped from80 to 65.
0n the pIus side, the Prius
transported three coIIeaues to
an evenin event in comfort,
with pIenty of Ieroomin the
rear and enouh boot space to
accommodate four overniht bas.
0arren even ot a chance to see
howfar hybrids had come over the
years when he parked next to a 2001
Ronda Insiht (above), whichbeIons
to a coIIeaue at sister titIe 0ctane.
1R i30's spacious interior proved its worth over
the bank hoIiday weekend as picture editor 0awn
Crant Ioaded up for a car boot saIe at 1iffin 5chooI
in Kinston, 5urrey. with its rear bench foIded
fIat, the Ryundai provides a massive 1,316 Iitres
of capacity, which was more than enouh for aII
0awn's unwanted items, whiIe the IowIoad Iip
and wide openin made it a doddIe to Ioad up.
8etter stiII, the i30's sIeek Iines cIearIy
attracted the customers, because at the end
of the day 0awn had shifted aImost everythin,
Ieavin her with an empty car and 75 in her
back pocket. 0nfortunateIy, some of this cash
was spent quenchin the Ryundai's above
averae thirst for fueI - yes, it spends a Iot of
time on London's conested streets, but we
expected the stop-start-equipped dieseI
to return more than its current 36.3mp.
Audi A1
lssoos l,246, l,2!!
DaciaSandero
lssoo l,26
lordlocus Lstate
lssoos l,24l, l,2!u, l,26l
Honda Ck-V
lssoos l,248, l,2!8, l,264
Hyundai i10
lssoos l,222, l,2l,
l,242, l,2!4, l,26
kia Cee'dSW
lssool,2!6
Mazda 61ourer
lssoo l,266
Mercedes CLS
Sbooting rake
lssoo l,26l
MlNl koadster
lss. l,26, l,242, l,2!2, l,26!
eugeot 208
lssoos l,24!, l,2!, l,264
SLA1AIbambra
lssoos l,22, l,24u,
l,2!l, l,26u
SkodaCitigo
lssoos l,2!u, l,2!, l,262
1oyota rius
Iug-in
lssoo l,266
VoIvoV40
lssoos l,2, l,24u, l,249
lt's no exaggerat|on to
say the br||||ant 5koda
f|t|go, 9w up! and 5A1
N|| are among the most
revo|ut|onary sma|| cars
s|nce the or|g|na| 1959 N|n|.
james 0isdale
kcad test edltcr
Ny w||e was ashamed
to adm|t we had a 5koda
when we ||rst bought our
f|t|go. 8ut she |oves |t now
and recommends the car to
everyone she meets.
Mait Mitk
vla www.autcexpress.cc.uk
1oyota 0r|us 0|ug-|n
Nyunda| |10
I cah'i Legrudge ile lard-workihg Skoda
ilis ouilay, Lecause wiilahaverage Iuel
reiurhoI 8.6mg, ii's cosiihg us eahuis
io ruh. IhIaci, ii will Le ihieresiihg io
see iI ile eco-oiimised summer iyres
Iuriler imrove ile ecohomy.
1ley've ceriaihly lad a osiiive eIIeci
ohile drivihg exeriehce. Wiilless
movemehi ihile iread aiierhahd sidewall,
ile summer iyres squirmless, ahd ilere's
ahexira Lii oI recisiohio ile iurh-ih, lus
gri levels are ligler ilrouglcorhers.
Road hoise las imroved, ioo, wlicl
is Iahiasiic as ile Lig-car reLhemehi
is ohe oI ile Ciiigo's major sellihg oihis.
Day-io-day, I siill love every mile ihile
Skoda ii's so easy io drive, ii lahdles well ahd
ii hever Ieels like you're drivihg a clea car.
Nowilai summer seems io Le lere ai lasi,
I'll Le ighorihg ile leaied seais ahd ehjoyihg
ile Iaci ilai Elegahce-irimcars gei air-cohas
siahdard. I'malso lovihg ile siahdard PoriaLle
IhIoiaihmehi Device, as ile havigaiiohis
Leiier ilahile ihiegraied sysiems ihsome
more exehsive luxury cars I've driveh
recehily. So, like ile weailer, my Ieelihgs
Ior ile Skoda are geiiihg warmer Ly ile day.
0ukVlW
Y0ukVlW
W
P
i
c
t
u
r
e
s
:
P
e
t
e
C
i
b
s
o
n
Ann[ }A
PredutIs
v|s|t autoexpress.co.uk lo| ou| extens|ve p|oduct test a|ch|ve
CanI get abuiItinsatnav?
I wAN1 te add sat-nav te my 2007 5keda 0ctavia, but
I den't want a pertabIe device stuck permanentIy te
my dashbeard. Are there any buiIt-in seIutiens?
Kris 1hemas, -maiI
0bk car has a deubIe-height steree system, and the
sIet that currentIy heIds yeur radie wiII heuse a number
eI navigatien units. we suggest kenweed's NX521A
(1,095.95, www.kenweed-eIectrenics.ce.uk), which
Ieeks Iike the Iactery steree. It aIse has digitaI radie
and Iueteeth, and can be Iitted by yeur 5keda deaIer.
CuringyeIIewedheadIights
M 2006 Land kever FreeIander's headIamp encIesures
have yeIIewed. 1here are ne cracks and the seaIs are Iine,
but the pIastic Ieeks cIeudy. what can I de te Iix this?
WiIIiam0eugaII, -maiI
1h pIastic ceuId have exidised, se try restering it.
Meguiar's seIIs a headIight kesteratien kit Ier 19.99
(www.meguiars.ce.uk). It incIudes a bettIe eI PIastX, a
buIIing pad and a micreIibre cIeth. It's werth bearing
in mind that there's a knewn prebIemwith FreeIanders
and cendensatien in their headIamps, se yeu may need
te speakte Land kever iI the kit deesn't de the jeb.
q
q
A
A
8eat|ng the bugs
Wl1h spring finaIIy here, yeu may netice yeur
car attracting a newkind ef muck- dead
insects and bird dreppings. WhiIe yeu can't
de much te aveid this, yeu can pretect yeur
paintwerkand gIass with a geed peIish te
ensure enIy a minimumef the dirt sticks te
yeur car. kemeve the rest with a dedicated
preduct, such as 5imeniz 8ug 5hifter
{4.99 fer 500mI, heItsaute.cem).
1ep
1ips
TFF recent 8asel wcrld watch
Shcwln Swltzerland featured an
array cf mctcrlng-related watches
- and we've rcunded up the best.
Amcng the mcre affcrdable
cptlcns - althcugh stlll welghlng
ln at 335 - was the Tlssct
T-kACFTcuch. lt has a tcuchscreen
and ccmpass, and ls the flrst
watch ln the wcrld tc ccme wlth a
lcgbcck, whlch can reccrd ycur
lap tlmes. Mcre eye-catchlng -
and expenslve - was the 6,500
TA0 Feuer Carrera Callbre 36
kaclng Chrcncgraph Flyback.
lt has a super-llght /3mm
tltanlumcase and a strap
deslgned tc mlmlc a steerlng-
wheel ccver. 8ut the maln
feature ls the chrcncgraph,
whlch can be reset and
restarted wlth |ust cne cllck.
8reltllng, meanwhlle, has
been wcrklng wlth 8entley fcr
10 years ncw, and the 806 ls
the latest prcduct tc ccme cut
cf thls partnershlp. lt has an
allcy wheel-lnsplred mcvement
cn the back cf the caslng, and
ls avallable ln steel cr red gcld,
alcng wlth a chclce cf leather,
crcccdlle cr rubber straps.
lt'll set ycu back 8,810.
hext up ls the t300,000 Fublct
Masterplece MP-05 LaFerrarl.
wlth lts 50-day pcwer reserve,
carbcn-flbre black face and
luxury leather case, lt mlrrcrs
Ferrarl's LaFerrarl v12 englne,
and ycu can see all 637 lnternal
ccmpcnents wcrklng. lt alsc has
a pcwer drlll whlch has the scle
purpcse cf wlndlng the Tcurblllcn
mcvement. }ust 50 wlll be made.
1|me trave| [ust
got even better
Nw0k000f15
1isset, 1AC heuer,
reitIing and hubIet
watches
Prices: Frcm335
Nw0k000f1
agIe Iack ex
Price: 285
Centact: 0161 612 2000,
www.eagleblackbcx.ccm
1R aIe 8Iack 8ox is an
incident recordin device that
can be fitted to your car to heIp
resoIve disputes over traffic
accidents and prevent frauduIent
insurance cIaims. It operates by
capturin video, audio, Iocation,
movement and impact data,
and storin it on an 50 card.
1he systemaIso has a buiIt-in
2.4-inch previewscreen for
instant in-car pIayback of what
the video camera's 138-
deree wide-anIe Iens sees.
1he 8Iack 8ox Ios impacts
and automaticaIIy records the
event, or you can manuaIIy hit
'capture' to start recordin. You
can then anaIyse the information
on your PC back home.
1he device costs 285,
and comes with a 4C850
card. You can aIso buy it
with a second camera for 342.
|nsta|| you| own b|ac| box
PkltS fk0ML33S
6ot a product queryI
am|e
freIwell
h|ve
[amie_FretweIIQdennis.ce.uk
QA_[amie
Le|t to r|ght: 1A6 Neuer's farrera kac|ng, Nub|ot's
N0-05 Laferrar|, 1|ssot 1-kAf 1ouch and 8re|t||ng's 806
1RlS WkS
R01kl1
}A
may netice yeur
ck- dead
hiIe yeu can't
pretect yeur
d peIish te
dirt sticks te
a dedicated
5hifter
m). m
Ann[ }A
Jo|ch comes to |oads|de |escue
9 b|cyc|e [o|ns |o|d
PredutIs |atest ||t |ated
kea||y s|mp|e to use
the power, three speeds,
||ght and carry rack are
bu||t-|n, |o|ds eas||y.
u|te heavy, not the
sma||est when |o|ded,
pr|cey compared to r|va|s.
600b
N01 S0 600b
kICR8k00K has added a usefuI
emerency torch to its rane.
1he rechareabIe device has a
potent 160-Iumen beamto shine
a Iiht on any niht-time drivin
probIems -whether you're pokin
round under the bonnet after a
breakdown or pickin up dropped
chane on a arae forecourt.
1he torch has a fIash settin,
which you can aimback down
the road as a warnin to other
motorists that you've broken
down. 1here's aIso a fIexibIe
tripod with soft-touch, hih-tack
rubber feet, aIIowin you to stand
the torch on your car without fear
of scratchin the paintwork.
InterestinIy, kichbrook opted
for rubber after triaIIin manetic
feet (as on the |oby CoriIIa1orch
recommended in our Issue 1,239
roup test). It was concerned the
Iatter miht damae the car.
1he battery wiII Iast for
around five hours, and takes
four hours to rechare - which
you do simpIy by pIuin in the
suppIied 058 cabIe. If you bareIy
use the torch, a sinIe chare wiII
Uuk test cf the best blkes fcr
ycur bcct (lssue 1,267) may have
tempted ycu tc park cut cf tcwn
and cycle the rest cf the way lntc
wcrk. 8ut lf ycu dcn't fancy the
exerclse, the all-electrlc Free0c
fcld-up blke cculd be the answer.
lt's pcwered by a 250welectrlc
mctcr whlch glves up tc 30 mlles
cf effcrtless prcgress, and means
ycu dcn't arrlve at wcrk sweaty.
The blke has a 15mph tcp
speed, sc lt wcn't wln any races,
but the pcwer ls prcgresslve and
the pace bullds nlcely. A ccntrcl
systemcn the handlebars lets
ycu select frcmthree speeds.
Frcnt suspenslcn fcrks and a
cushlcned seat make the rlde
ccmfcrtable. The mctcr ls ln the
hub cf the rear wheel, and the
pcwer scurce ls a hefty battery
under the seatpcst. wlth the
battery cn bcard, the Free0c
welghs arcund 30kg, sc lf ycu
dc pedal, lt takes a lct cf effcrt.
Fven wlthcut the battery,
the blke ls stlll twlce as heavy as
ccnventlcnal fclders, at 22kg, sc
llftlng lt lntc ycur bcct lsn't easy.
And flrst ycu'll have tc fcld lt -
alsc qulte a ccmplex prccess.
There's nc lcck tc hcld lt tcgether
when ycu carry lt, elther.
Fcwever, the blke's well
equlpped, and at cnly 7/
mcre than cur test 8est 8uy,
lt'll tempt us tc park and rlde
ncwthe sun ls shlnlng.
free6o has
three speed
sett|ngs, but
|s |arge when
|o|ded and
heavy
to carry
k|chbrook's
rechargeab|e torch
comes w|th |ts
own storage bag
flk51 151
FreeCe Iectric
FeIding ike 10Ah
Price: 999
Centact: 0800 077 8711,
www.freegcelectrlcblkes.ccm
kating: +++
Nw0k000f1
kichbreek
rechargeabIe Lterch
Price: 2/.95
Centact: 01328 862387,
www.rlchbrcck-styllng.cc.uk
1h C1 kadiaI Champire bhP1 tyre cIaims te eIIer exceIIent wet and
dry handIing, precise cernering and streng braking, and it's avaiIabIe
in 34 sizes Ier 15 te 19-inch wheeIs. we're giving away a set te ene
Iucky reader. Fer mere inIermatien, see gtradiaI.ce.uk - and te enter,
answer the questien beIewand IeIIewthe instructiens (right).
questien: hewmany sizes dees the Champire uhP1 ceme in?
Answer: A) 34. 8) 44. C)54.
Tc enter, slmply lcg cn tc
http:]]wln.autcexpress.cc.uk.
Fcr full terms and ccndltlcns,
gc tc www.dennls.cc.uk]
ccmp]terms. All entrants must
be aged 18 cr cver. Fdltcr's
declslcn ls flnal. Clcslng
date: 12 }une 2013.
5et o| 61kad|a|
fhamp|ro0N01s
high-perIermance tyres
werth 300 up Ier grabs
WinIhis
Pklt L24.9S
Seen a prcduct we shculd feature!
Centact jamie_IretweIIQdennis.ce.uk
New camper
stretches out
Pk0bC1I0N eI the anbury
veIkswagen 12 camper van
ends this year, but the new
vw15 eubIeback is new
avaiIabIe with a sIide-eut
rear ped te extend yeur
Iiving space. 1here are Iive
seatbeIts Ier when yeu're
en the meve, and a cheice eI
reguIar and Ieng-wheeIbase
medeIs is avaiIabIe. CIick en
deubIeback.ce.uk Ier prices.
10 o|| top
|0od stereo
hALF0k5is eIIering 30
eII the price eI the tep iPed-
ready head unit in eur Issue
1,265 test. 1he Pieneer
Mvh-3501 (beIew) is en
saIe Ier 69.99, and yeu can
spend the 30 yeu save en
the weFit service te have the
stere's technicians instaII
it Ier yeu. 5ee haIIerds.cem
Ier simiIar savings.
0|g |or dea|s
at Auto[umb|e
1h 20th annuaI spring
AutejumbIe wiII take pIace
at eauIieu, hampshire, this
weekend (18 and 19 May).
1here are mere than
1,000 stands, and the 9.70
ticket price en the day aIse
prevides entry te everything
eIse en-site, incIuding the
NatienaI Meter Museum,
PaIace heuse and eauIieu
Abbey. visit beauIieu.ce.uk
Ier Iurther inIermatien.
jamie FretweII
news,
deals&
evenIs
Pklt L999
ive the torch enouh power to
Iast for a year, kichbrook says.
1he product Iooks ood vaIue,
too, with the soft-fabric storae
ba incIuded in the 25 price.
stere's technicians instaII
it Ier yeu. 5ee haIIerds.cem
Ier simiIar savings.
0|g |or dea|s
at Auto[umb|e
e
Ann[ }A
PredutIs ||ghtn|ng |n-ca| cha|ge|s m|n| test
FueICeed
Price: free AvaiIabIe en: i05, Android
kating: +++
1h maker cIaims FueICeed can save yeu meney,
se it heIps that the app itseII is Iree. eu measure
eIIiciency by seIecting yeur car's type, age and
engine size. It uses CP5te trackyeur pesitien and
jeurneys te estimate what savings yeu've made
iI yeu're driving eIIicientIy. we Ieund it accurate,
suggesting areas where we ceuId impreve. ut
there's ne backgreund mede, se whenever yeu
Ieckyeur phene er take a caII, it restarts.
8eeks,lilms
&games
A
pp
el
Ihew
eek
Land kover - 65 ears
Address ls Approx|mate
ka||y 1he wor|d
vwentered the wcrld kally Champlcnshlp thls
year, and lt's launched thls game tc mark the
cccaslcn. Ycu dcn't drlve the car, rather
ycu play as the cc-pllct, lnfluenclng the
speed and handllng cf the Pclc k wkC
car. 0et the pacenctes and surface
rlght and ycu'll wcrk ycur way thrcugh
the champlcnshlp. There are lcads cf
levels and 13 ccuntrles ln tctal. lt's a
qulrky take cn a typlcal drlvlng game.
Nick imbIeby (Faynes, 01963 //2030, haynes.cc.uk)
Price: 35 (hardback) kating: +++++
1he 1heery (http:]]vlmec.ccm]32397612) Price: Free
kunning time: 2mlns /3secs kating: ++++
Price: Free AvaiIabIe en: lUS, Andrcld
kating: ++++
wF dcn't cften revlewbccks wrltten
by phctcgraphers, but thls plcture-
heavy hardback ccntalns stunnlng
snaps cf Land kcver mcdels. whether
lt's the glamcrcus launch cf the new
kange kcver ln klchmcnd, Surrey, cr
the dlrty drlves cf a ulsccvery ln the
0/ Challenge, thls bcck has the lct,
wlth small captlcns detalllng each.
lt's a great ccffee-table hardback.
0UU0LF'SStreet vlewls at
the heart cf thls vldec, whlch
shcws a character taklng a
rcad trlp acrcss Amerlca
wlthcut leavlng the ccmfcrt
cf hls desk. lt's a very cleverly
edlted stcp-mctlcn fllm, and
cur cnly real crltlclsmls that
lt's qulte shcrt, at less than three mlnutes lcng. Plus, the
car used wculdn't be cur flrst chclce cf vehlcle fcr the |curney.
0ower up w|th
|0hone chargers
.jj j
lF ycu've recently bcught
ycurself an Apple lPhcne, lPcd
cr lPad, ycu'll have spctted the
new-style charglng and data
ccnnectlcn. Thls 'Llghtnlng'
ccnnectcr ls certalnly much
easler tc use than the prevlcus
30-pln plug, but lt means buylng
a whcle newset cf accesscrles lf
ycu've upgraded ycur Apple klt.
True tc fcrm, the ccmpany was
a blt slcwln releaslng detalls cf
the newccnnectcrs sc accesscry
makers cculd prcduce thelr cwn
klt. Sc prcducts such as ln-car
chargers fltted wlth the Llghtnlng
ccnnectcr have taken a whlle tc
fllter dcwn tc retallers. There are
ncwplenty cut there wlth a wlde
range cf prlces and quallty.
A qulck search cnllne reveals
chargers avallable frcm|ust a
fewpcunds, but we've tested
twc mcre upmarket cptlcns,
cffered by establlshed Apple
accesscry manufacturers
0rlffln and Sccsche.
kather than gc fcr a budget
cptlcn, we wanted scmethlng
that'll put up wlth regular and
rlgcrcus use, ls easy tc ccnnect,
and lccks and feels gccd. 8ut
prlce stlll played a part, tcc.
we wanted
someth|ng
that'|| put up
w|th regu|ar and
r|gorous use
Mini IesI
CriIIin PewerjeIt 5
Price: 19.99 Centact: www.grlfflntechnclcgy.cc.uk
0klFFlh has establlshed ltself as a maker cf premlum
lPhcne accesscrles, and thls car charger ccntlnues
alcng the same llnes. Frcmthe tlghtly cclled and
rubberlsed lead tc the hlgh-quallty plug that slcts
neatly lntc ycur vehlcle's 12v sccket, the Pcwer|clt
SF ls abcut as pcsh as ln-car chargers get.
That chunky lead wlll stretch cut tc 60cmand
sprlng back tc lts crlglnal shape qulckly and easlly.
we alsc llke the cccl clrcular LFu llght that lndlcates
when pcwer ls belng fed tc ycur lPhcne.
At 19.99, the 0rlffln certalnly lsn't cheap,
but lt undercuts the Sccsche by 5 and feels
rcbust encugh tc last at least as lcng as
the ccntract cn ycur newlPhcne 5.
kating: +++++
5cesche 5trikekIv
Price: 2/.99 Centact: www.sccsche.ccm
SCUSCFF lsn't qulte as well kncwn as
0rlffln when lt ccmes tc maklng lPhcne
accesscrles, but thls StrlkeuklvF car
charger slts at the premlumend cf the
market wlth lts hefty 2/.99 prlce tag.
lt's sllghtly mcre ccmpact than lts 0rlffln
rlval, wlth an even mcre tlghtly cclled pcwer
lead. lt can extend tc 91cm, thcugh - that's
31cmmcre than the Pcwer|clt manages.
Fcwever, lt dcesn't feel as durable as
the 0rlffln - the plastlc plugs feel sllghtly
cheap and the lead dcesn't return tc lts
cclled fcrmas well lf ycu stretch lt cut. Fcr
2/.99, we'd have expected a blt better.
kating: +++
8S1ALL~k0uNbk
lf SPAt lS 1l6R1
Ann[
6pf Spanne| sets tested
10kN
5
00k 51Ak
wh|ch comb|nat|on spanne| set olle|s
the best se|ect|on lo| U|Y jobs on you|
ca| we ta|e ou| p|c| l|om I2 top buys
raper xpert 23017
Price: 32./0 5izes: 7-17, 19mm
Centact: 023 80/9 /333, www.drapertccls.ccm
851 8u
0AklSF cclcurs may nct be tc all
tastes, but they make selectlng
tccls easy wlth thls
uraper set. They
help ccmpensate
fcr the lack cf
marklngs cn the
tccl hclder, tcc.
Uur abuse and
slzlng tests were
nc prcblemfcr
thls set, whlch
ccvers a gccd
range cf slzes at
a decent prlce.
A wcrthy wlnner.
kating: +++++
kating: ++++
kating: +++
5crewIix Cembinatien
5panner 5et 46693
Price: 9.99 5izes: 6-1/, 17, 19, 22mm
Centact: 0500 /1/1/1, www.screwflx.ccm
A uUZFh spanners fcr under a tenner lccks a gccd
deal, but ycu get what ycu pay fcr here. Ccverage ls
decent, startlng at 6mm, and the nylcn tccl bag feels
hard-wearlng. The tccls have a rcugh flnlsh and scme
cf the slzes were tlght, plus lt ducked cut cf the tcrque
test falrly early, albelt bendlng safely. Perhaps nct a
set fcr everyday use, but ldeal fcr use ln a breakdcwn.
raper hi-1erq 64605
Price: 21.52 5izes: 8-17, 19, 22mm
Centact: 023 80/9 /333, www.drapertccls.ccm
kUuhulh0 cut cur tcp flve ls cur lssue 1,157 champ
frcmuraper. As these spanners have a chunky drcp
rather than angled rlng ends, the set salled thrcugh
the strength test. A sllghtly cverslzed 17mmrlng put
pald tc
ancther
wln, but
these are stlll
tcp tccls wlth
slzes cn bcth
sldes and shafts
that are easy cn the
hands. Less lmpres-
slve ls the hclder,
whlch lsn't marked,
but can be used tc
carry and hang tccls.
Kim Adams
SPAhhFkS belcng at the heart
cf any ulY mechanlc's tcclbcx, as
there aren't many |cbs ycu can tackle
under the bcnnet wlthcut them.
Scme malntenance ls pcsslble
wlth tccls used ln the hcme -
llke screwdrlvers and pllers -
but ycu'll flnd lt wcn't be lcng
befcre ycu need a spanner.
A spanner set ls the best place
tc start because thls shculd ccver
mcst cf the mcre ccmmcn slzes
cn ycur car. Then, lf ycu dlsccver
there are any gaps ln ccverage, ycu
can easlly add slngle spanners
tc ycur tcclbcx ccllectlcn.
Sets wlth cpen-ended spanners
at each end glve ycu mcre slzes ln
fewer tccls, althcugh ccmblnatlcn
spanners are the way tc gc fcr us.
They glve ycu the ease cf use cf an
cpen end and the extra grlp cf a rlng.
8ut as ycu'd expect, there's a huge
range cf slzes and deslgns. we tested
12 sets tc see whlch ls best fcr ycu.
fomb|nat|on spanner sets m|x ease o|
use o| an open end w|th gr|p o| a r|ng
I1 was very tight at the tep, with the Ieading Iive spanner sets in eur test
preving mere than up te the jeb. 1aking the victery again, theugh, is raper,
with its muIti-ceIeured 23017, which perIermed IauItIessIy. 1he exceIIent
5eaIey Ak63012 Iest eut by the narrewest eI margins, whiIe its 5iegen
stabIemate represents the best budget eptien in eur tep three.
1. raper xpert 23017 2. 5eaIey Premier Ak63012 3. 5iegen 50563
Dypf
Wl1h se many decent sets en saIe, we made
eur test ef pepuIar metric spanners teugher.
0nce again, we enIisted the heIp ef AA
engineer kery 5teckbridge, and checked the
sizes ef the 10, 13, 14, 17 and 19mmspanners.
We then simuIated severe misuse with each
set's 13mmspanner en a terque rig {right).
AII easiIy passed the 8ritish 5tandard, but
we pushed themte the Iimit, Ieeking fer them
te bend rather than snap if they faiIed.
We aIse wanted size markings en teeIs and
cases, and sterage that aIIewed the spanners
te be hung en a garage waII er kept in a teeIbex.
Cemfert was rated, as was range - we Ieeked
fer cemmen 8, 10, 12, 13, 17 and 19mmsizes.
Price per teeI was neted, but it wasn't cruciaI.
Nowwe tested them

}A
may nct be tc all
make selectlng
ls
e

+
test. A sllghtly cverslzed 17mmrlng put
l
h
h
haft aaa s
y cn the
lmpres-
clder,
marked,
sed tc
ng tccls. l
ting: +++
Ann[ }A }
-:f f ff] 6pf
5eaIey Premier Ak63012
Price: 28.03 5izes: 8-19
Centact: 0128/ 757500, www.sealey.cc.uk
-#!
lT ccmes seccnd, but thls ls stlll a great set.
Llke cur wlnner, lt ccped well ln
cur abuse test, desplte
belng pushed tc
almcst twlce the
8rltlsh Standard.
Case ls marked,
yet remcvlng
the tccls frcm
lt requlres fcrce.
we'd alsc llke
marklngs cn
bcth sldes cf
the spanners,
but these are
mlncr nlggles.
kating: ++++
kating: +++
kating: +++
kating: ++++
kating: +++
kating: +++
kating: ++++
kating: +++
kating: ++
1eng 111236
Price: /7.06 5izes: 8-19mm
Centact: 01525 711500, www.lqsupplles.ccm
uhluFLY here, thls set ccmes ln a case whlch
can be sllpped ln a tccl bag cr the lnsert stcred
ln a drawer. lt's clearly marked, as are the tccls,
all cf whlch have a real quallty feel and are easy
cn the flngers - they're a pleasure tc use. we had
nc ccmplalnts
abcut the slzlng,
and the range
ccvered all cur
essentlal tccls,
althcugh the
13mmrlng
snapped as
we gct tc the
end cf the
tcrque rlg
abusetest.
haIIerds 5panner 5et
Price: 12.99 5izes: 8, 10-15, 17, 19
Centact: 08/5 762 6625, www.halfcrds.ccm
TFlS set ccmes stralght frcmthe chaln stcre glant's
bargaln basement, and dcesn't appear prcmlslng
wlth lts rcugh flnlsh and lack cf any klnd cf stcrage.
Yet the lccks are
deceptlve as the shafts
are ccmfcrtable tc use
and the tccls passed
cur strength and slze
tests. we wculd
have llked tc see
the slze marked
cn bcth sldes cf
the shafts, but
as a seccnd set
tc be kept ln
the bcct thls
makes sense.
5iegen 50563
Price: 12.72 5izes: 8-19mm
Centact: 0128/ 757500, www.sealey.cc.uk
TUP value frcmthls Slegen set, whlch ls part cf
the Sealey range. There's nc questlcn abcut lts
slzlng cr strength, but the spanners' shafts are
relatlvely thln and harder
cn the hands than
scme. The ccmpact
case ls rcbust and
hclds the tccls well,
althcugh lt's nct
marked. Thls
makes selectlng
tccls trlcky -whlle
bcth sldes cf the
tccls are marked,
ycu can't see thls
when stcwed. Stlll,
lt's cur budget plck.
haIIerds PreIessienaI
Cembinatien 5panner 5et
Price: 29.99 5izes: 8-15, 17, 19
Centact: 08/5 762 6625, www.halfcrds.ccm
ATTkACTlvF set frcmFalfcrds flattered tc decelve.
The tccls feel gccd and
are well flnlshed, wlth
slze marklngs cn bcth
sldes. The case ls neat
and the slzes marked,
plus lt can be used as
a hanger cr carrler.
hct sc lmpresslve
were the ccuple cf
slzlng prcblems we
fcund and slender
shafts that dug lntc
the flngers. lt alsc
bent early ln the
tcrque test.
CIarke Ch1610
Price: 59.98 5izes: 6-28, 30, 32
Centact: 01992 565300, www.clarkelnternatlcnal.ccm
A SFT fcr serlcus ulY mechanlcs, wlth lts 25 spanners
ccverlng a wlde range cf slzes, all the way up tc a
masslve 32mm. lt's prcbably blgger than mcst ulY
mechanlcs wlll need, but thls Clarke package ls well
prlced. lt all ccmes ln a neat, marked tccl rcll wlth
velcrc fastenlng. hct qulte sc gccd ls the fact lt dldn't
ccmplete the tcrque test, stcpplng clcse tc the target
- althcugh at least lt bent safely rather than snapplng.
CIarke Pk020
Price: 26.39 5izes: 6-15, 17, 19mm
Centact: 01992 565300, www.clarkelnternatlcnal.ccm
SuPFk-shlny set frcmClarke narrcwly mlsses cut
cn a pcdlumplace, but there's nc dcubtlng the
quallty cf the tccls. They breezed thrcugh the
strength and slzlng assessments, and flat shaft
sldes meant they were
easy cn the hand.
They alsc have slzes
marked cn bcth
sldes, althcugh
nct cn the
hclder, whlch ls
cnly sultable
fcr hanglng.
lf thls lsn't
lmpcrtant,
the Clarke
klt's a gccd buy.
Ferax Cembinatien wrench 5et
Price: 25.11 5izes: 8-11, 12, 1/, 17, 19mm
Centact: 01525 711500, www.lqsupplles.ccm
8uu0FT stablemate tc the Teng set (left) struggled
ln thls test. lt was the cnly cne nct tc lnclude cur
essentlal slzes, wlth the 12mmspanner a nctable
exceptlcn. what ycu dc get passed cur slzlng
tests, but the 13mmtccl snapped relatlvely early
ln the strength assessment. The matt flnlsh ls
gccd fcr clly hands,
althcugh lt's hard
tc make sense cf
the prlce ln thls
ccmpany.
5iIverIine 5P50
Price: 13./8 5izes: 8-17, 19, 21, 22, 2/mm
Centact: 01935 382222, www.sllverllnetccls.ccm
AS wlth the blg Clarke set (left), thls Sllverllne
cfferlng gct clcse tc the end cf the tcrque test
befcre startlng tc safely bend. uesplte thls narrcw
fallure, the SP50 set has a lct tc cffer, partlcularly
at such a temptlng prlce. Yes, the handles cculd be
mcre ccmfcrtable and the tccl rcll ls fastened wlth
tapes, but the spanners passed cur slzlng tests and
the set makes a lct cf sense at under 1 a tccl.

++
nd slzlng assessments, and flat shaft
nt they were
e hand.
have slzes
bcth
cugh
lch ls
ble
g.
d buy.
kating: +++
hands,
hard
se cf
hls
[
nd
h
h
at
,
s
lsh and lack cf any klnd cf stcrage.
shafts
tc use
ssed
slze
e
lt ccped well ln
desplte
c
e
d.
,
.
p
harder
ct
ll,
,
k.
ng:: +++
+
gers they re a pleasure tc use. we had
lnts
slzlng,
nge
l cur
ccls,
he
g
s
he
Ann[ }A
8uyingtars
uew and used buy|ng adv|ce
"FAuLTLFSS, as ycu'd
expect fcr a tcp-cf-the-
range hand-bullt car."
"Starts cn the ccldest
cf mcrnlngs and ls
extremely gccd cn fuel
- l've had /3.3mpg."
"l've had absclutely nc
prcblems ln flve years."
"The quallty ls evldent
durlng every drlve."
"lt's never let me
dcwn and dcesn't |ust
transpcrt me arcund - lt
dellghts whlle dclng lt."
"Thls ls the thlrd
Pcrsche l have cwned
and they are qulte
pcsslbly the best
cars cn the rcad ln
terms cf rellablllty."
"SUMF prcblems wlth
the alr-ccndltlcnlng
and cll seals."
"A newbattery was
requlred after cne-
and-a-half years."
"Uccaslcnal englne llght
lssue at present. Scme
electrlc lssues wlth
wlndcws. Feavy cn cll."
"The radlc had tc be
replaced, and the alr-
ccn ls cn the bllnk."
"0enerally rellable but
have had a fewprcblems
wlth the alr-ccndltlcnlng
and the cll seal."
"The frcnt brake dlscs
had tc be replaced,
after cnly twc years
and they stlll |udder."
whencanI handmycar back?
I 0bCh1 my car en a Ieur-year hire purchase deaI. I'm
new24 menths in and weuId Iike te hand it back. Can I
de that? weuId there be any IinanciaI penaIties? And
weuId I be expected te pay Ier repairs te scratches?
8rianWright, -maiI
hIk purchase agreements usuaIIy have a veIuntary
terminatien cIause that Iets yeu hand back the car ence
haII the tetaI purchase price has been paid (incIuding
interest and charges). It is unIikeIy yeu'd have te pay
Ier miner scratches, but check the credit agreement.
1readaIert enNissanqashqai
I hAv a 2011 Nissan ashqai with the eriginaI
CentinentaI 215]55]18 tyres. I've dene ever 40,000
miIes and the tread is stiII 3mmen the Irent and
5mmen the rear. why aren't they wearing dewn?
Adamharper, -maiI
1k5can Iast a Ieng time iI treated careIuIIy. 1he
keyaI 5eciety Ier the Preventien eI Accidents advises
that tyres den't need te be repIaced untiI they are
10 years eId, previding the tread depths are abeve
the 1.8mmIegaI Iimit and there is ne sign eI
cracking en the sidewaII er distertien eI the tread.
amagedisputeenIeancar
I wA5Ient a car by a cIaims management cempany aIter
mine was damaged. 1he guy whe ceIIected it at the end
eI the Iean peried said ene eI the aIIeys was damaged
and I'd have te pay 75. I didn't de it; hewde I Iight this?
0aryPeddar, -maiI
0b sheuId have been given a chance te inspect the car
when it was deIivered - and a vehicIe inspectien Iermte
Ieg any dents er scratches. II se, ask te see a cepy eI
this. II net, ask the Iirmte preve yeu were respensibIe.
It may just be trying te squeeze seme meney eut eI yeu.
0therwise yeu may need te ge te the smaII cIaims ceurt.
q
q
q
A
A
A
bklVkP0Wk 10P!
eu teII us lIs Ihe mosI enjoyable car Io drive on sale Ioday
0orsche fayman Nkl
fatIlile
ears: 2005 te 2013 C02: 221g]km
FueI ecenemy: 30mpg (2.9)
est eptiens: Park assist, bi-xenen
headIights, cruise centreI, cIimate centreI.
Prices: Frem14,995
600b
"SUMF prcblems wlth
N01 S0600b
12nd
PLAt
6ot any car quer|esI
Ch||s
bbs
Chris_bbsQdennis.ce.uk
QAutexpress
buy|ng adv|ce
8ars show where mode|
||n|shed out o| 100 cars
|n our 2011 survey. 1he
|ower the rat|ng the better
8I.09X
09kALL 5f0k
kLlA8lLl1
k0NNlN6 f0515
0kf0kNANf
8kAklN6
kl0 0ALl1
NAN0LlN6
0kAf1lfALl1
80lL0 0ALl1
A5 0f 0kl9lN6
lN-fAk 1fN
14
88
4
1
I2
1
92
I
52
98
I00 I! !0 2! I
The UK's Best Used Car Warranty des|gned by Quent|n W|||son
Is your car covered aga|nst Mechan|ca| and E|ectr|ca| fa||ure?
;MWI EFSYX [EVVERXMIW
;EVVERX]w|se
0800 001 4475
Ann[ s }A
kuNNlN6 t0S1S
S!MPC LT3 fILL-0P (X0kIv200)
8uyingtars 56
uSb8uYkS 6ulb:
.#`{ fIassy crossover provdes prestge motorng at a reasonabIe prce
-W?a ja~j
wF'vF ccme tc expect
great thlngs frcm8Mw's Suv
mcdels, after the brllllance cf the
ccmpany's X5 and X3. Sc when
the X1 appeared ln 2009 the
stakes were hlgh, a great drlvlng
experlence, excellent cabln
and array cf brllllantly efflclent
englnes were all cn the cards.
The fact that the X1 ls mcre cf
a crcsscver than a 'prcper' Suv
made 8Mw's |cb easler, sc the
car's spct-cn handllng was nc
surprlse - althcugh the rlde left
scmethlng tc be deslred. Alsc,
cabln space and scme cf the
materlals used ln early examples
aren't perfect. Fcwever, as
classy crcsscvers gc, thls
ls stlll a ccmpelllng used buy.
RisIery
TFF X1 arrlved ln uecember 2009,
wlth a fcur-cyllnder 2.0-lltre dlesel
ln 18d (1/3bhp), 20d (177bhp)
and 23d (20/bhp) fcrms. The flrst
twc had rear (surlve) cr fcur-wheel
drlve (xurlve), the 23d was /wu
cnly. All early cars were SF spec,
MSpcrt arrlved ln }anuary 2011.
The 163bhp xurlve20d
Ffflclentuynamlcs frcmSeptember
2011 was rated at 119g]km,
then ln }une 2012 a facellfted
X1 brcught revlsed lnterlcr and
exterlcr styllng, twc newtrlm
levels (Spcrt and xLlne), cleaner-
runnlng englnes and an elght-
speed autc cptlcn. Alsc, the
218bhp xurlve25d replaced
the xurlve23d and the 20d
was bccsted tc 18/bhp.
Whith ene7
wlTF cnly a 2.0 dlesel avallable
seccnd-hand - a 2.0 petrcl dldn't
arrlve untll March thls year - ycu
merely need tc speclfy state cf
tune, bcx and spec. Farly 23ds
came as a slx-speed autc cnly, but
frcm}uly 2010 a slx-speed manual
was cffered, tcc, all are gccd.
MSpcrt suspenslcn ls tcc flrm,
wlth the standard set-up a nc-ccst
cptlcn. hcne cf the englnes ls
weak, yet lt's wcrth gclng fcr a 20d
cver an 18d, the 23d and 25d are
rare and make hlgh-speed crulslng
effcrtless, but a 20d ls all ycu need.
AlIernaIives
Auul'S 3 ls the clcsest rlval. lt's
as efflclent, sclld and ccmfcrtable
as ycu'd expect cf the brand, but
dynamlcs and equlpment wlll
lmpress, ycu'll get a lct mcre fcr
ycur mcney than wlth the X1.
VerditI
8Mwls used tc unquallfled
success whenever lt launches a
newcar, but lts X1 fell shcrt ln
scme areas. whlle the car has
scme cf the best englnes arcund
and ls genulnely engaglng cn
the rcad, lt's nct the default
cptlcn thanks tc scme pccr
cabln materlals and practlcallty
whlch tralls that cf key rlvals.
Fcwever, lf ycu can stretch
tc a facellfted example frcmthe
past year, ycu'll be buylng a car
that's nctlceably mcre styllsh,
burns less fuel and ls every
blt as much fun tc drlve.
used cnes are scarce. kange
kcver's Fvcque ls mcre styllsh
and deslrable, lt's alsc very new
yet much mcre plentlful than the
X1 cr 3. used values are hlgh.
vw's Tlguan has scme great
englnes and ls very capable, yet
unlnsplrlng - cr ycu cculd try
the Fcrd Kuga. The badge lsn't
as prestlglcus, but the deslgn,
Jhe handIng
s spot-on,
but the rde
Ieaves a Iot
to be desred
8uYk
8WAkl
Scme cwners have had lssues wlth
vlbratlcns thrcugh the steerlng wheel,
causlng dlsccmfcrt cn lcng trlps.
8uYk
8WAkl
At mctcrway speeds, a huge amcunt
cf wlnd nclse can be generated lf
the wlndscreen trlmccmes lccse.
56
8uYk
8WAk WW l
Scm Scm c e c e cwne wne wne ners rs rs rs hav hav havve h e h e hhad ad ad ad lss lss lss sues ues ues wl wl wlth th th
vlbratlcn cn c s t s thrc hrcugh ugh gh th the s e stee teerln rlng w g w g whee hee heell, l,
causlng d dlsc lsccmf cm crt crt cn cn lc lcng ngg trl trlps. ps ps
8uYk
8WAk WW l
At mctcrw c ay spe pe s eds eds ds, a , aa hu huge ge ge amc am amcunt unt
cf c wlnd n d clse can be b gen genera era ated ted lf lf
the h wlndscre c en e trlmccmes lccse. e
Ann[ }A
Prices Ier a 2010 X1 xrive20d. eaIer prices Iremkybreek
Mwwercester (www.rybreekwercesterbmw.ce.uk).
Independent prices suppIied by eurecarparts.cem
Rew muth7
ketalls
ParIwaIth
kunning tesIs
6:
:A/:
6/
:A/:
6A
:A//
"-
:A/A
A-
:AA-
FueI C02 AnnuaI
ecenemy emissiens readtax
MedeI
surlve20l 27-28 /0mpg 162g]km 175
surlve18d 22-23 5/mpg 136g]km 125
xurlve18d 22-23 /9mpg 150g]km 1/0
surlve20d 2/-25 53mpg 139g]km 125
xurlve20d 2/-25 /8mpg 153g]km 175
xurlve23d 26 //mpg 167g]km 200
xurlve25d 26-27 /7mpg 15/g]km 175
uealer prlce lndependent prlce
Part
Frcnt brakepads(axleset) 135.62 /5.5/
Frcnt brakedlscs(palr) 181.01 122./0
uccr mlrrcr glass(electrlc) 93.00 81.90
Frcnt wlper set /0.61 31.08
I
n
s
u
r
a
n
c
e

r
o
u
p
v
a
I
u
e
s
c
o
u
r
t
e
s
y
o
f
C
I
a
s
s
'
s
C
u
i
d
e
P
i
c
t
u
r
e
s
:
|
o
h
n
C
o
I
I
e
y
1hanks to: Motorpoint of 0erby for the Ioan of the X1
MedeI
surlve18dSF 20,750 18,795 16,595 1/,595 13,500
xurlve18dSF 22,250 20,250 17,895 15,695 1/,500
surlve20dSF 21,995 19,995 17,695 15,/95 1/,295
xurlve20dSFautc 2/,500 22,250 19,695 17,295 15,895
xurlve23dSFautc 26,500 23,995 21,250 18,595 16,995
A5with aII Mws, the X1's variabIe servicing system
indicates when maintenance is due. 1he mest yeu can
expect between garage visits is twe years, even iI yeu de
very IewmiIes; higher-miIeage drivers sheuId anticipate
cevering 15,000-20,000 between services. Cests vary
accerding te what needs deing and when; Iewitems are
en a Iixed scheduIe Ier repIacement. 1he cheapest service
is 100 (essentiaIIy a check-up), whiIe a big ene is up
te 600; a typicaI biII wiII be areund haII this. AII engines
are chain-driven, se there are ne cambeIts te be repIaced,
but Iresh brake IIuid is needed every twe years, at 100.
IF yeu're prepared te traveI, yeu can pick up the edd
high-miIeage X1 Ier Iess than 14,000, but mest eI the
cars advertised cest mere than this. FeweI the used X1s
avaiIabIe have dene ever 40,000 miIes; 14,000 buys
a 2010 60-pIate srive18d 5 with this miIeage - an
equivaIent xrive20d 5 is anether 1,000 er se. eu'II
have te search te Iind an xrive23d; 20,000-miIe 5s
start at 20,000 whiIe the M5pert cest Irem21,000.
Feur-wheeI drive adds 1,200 te an X1's vaIue, whiIe
an aute and Ieather trimare each werth areund 750.
NC0bkACINCL, there's been enIy ene recaII se Iar. It
came in [uIy 2012, aIIecting X1s buiIt between Nevember
2011 and 2012. 1he petentiaI gIitch centred en the
eIectricaIIy assisted pewer-steering (P5), the centreI
meduIe Ier which ceuId pIay up, Ieading te pewer-
assistance IaiIure. 5teering weuId stiII be pessibIe, but it
weuId be very heavy. 1he seIutien inveIved repIacing the
steering mechanismand meduIe. In aII, 699 Mws were
aIIected, incIuding 1 5eries, 3 5eries and Z4 medeIs.
Centacts
0fficiaI
www.bmw.co.uk
Ferums
www.bmwcarcIubb.co.uk
www.bimmerforums.co.uk
www.bimmerfest.com
www.bimmerpost.com
0ukVlW
Y0ukVlW
1N 8Nw k1 |eatured |n our
0r|ver 0ower survey th|s year
|or the ||rst t|me, ||n|sh|ng a
med|ocre 58th. 8uyers pra|sed
|t |or |ts re||ab|||ty, brak|ng
and per|ormance. Nowever, the
mode| was heav||y cr|t|c|sed |or
|ts ease o| dr|v|ng - and the
|n-car tech d|dn't do much more
to |mpress owners, e|ther.
k0k 8anks |rom kedd|tch,
worcs, owns a 2011 k1
s0r|ve20d. Ne sa|d: 1he on|y
bad th|ng about my two-
whee|-dr|ve car |s |ts ab|||ty |n
snow, other than that |t's
superb. lt's econom|ca|, qu|ck,
great to dr|ve and spac|ous
enough |or three. 1he |ace|||ted
car |ooks better, though.
56 8uyingtars
9:
MaIerials
SUMF cabln
materlals cf early
cars dldn't lcck cr
feel up tc 8Mw
standards, but
thlngs lmprcved
wlth 2012's facellft.
kide
SuSPFhSlUh and
wheel]tyre slze
can make a blg
dlfference tc rlde
ccmfcrt, cars wlth
MSpcrt damplng
mlght be tcc flrm.
kear
LUUKlh0 tc carry
three adults ln the
back! Ycu mlght
have tc rethlnk
ycur buylng chclce,
as the X1's rear
legrccmls tcc tlght.
8lueIeeIh
hUT all cars
have 8luetccth as
standard, but ycu
can flt 8Mw's klt
retrcspectlvely.
Fcwever, thls ccsts
a hefty 650.
lnIerier
TFF cabln laycut ls as gccd as ycu'd expect frcmthe
0erman manufacturer, althcugh the dashbcard deslgn lsn't what
ycu'd call beautlful. Materlals are generally - but nct unlversally
- ckay, and lmprcved ln later mcdels, whlle lnterlcr ccmfcrt
levels are hlgh. Practlcallty ls adequate rather than class-leadlng,
althcugh thls ls helped by a rear seat that fclds /0]20]/0.
Pkf0kMANt
0-60 8.4 5C5 10P 5P0!2TMPR
8uYk
8WAkl
The run-flat tyres ccst arcund
a thlrd mcre than regular
rubber, sc check tread
depth befcre ycu buy.
Ann[ s }A
8uyingtars f J
lF ycu're lccklng fcr a premlumccmpact exec, ycu slmply
have tc ccnslder the 8Mw3Serles. lt's cur current class
leader, and cwners are as full cf pralse fcr the styllsh
salccn as we are. The latest mcdel came nlnth ln cur urlver
Pcwer 2013 survey - hlgher than any cther ccmpact exec.
lt's nct hard tc see why, as the 8Mwls the best all-
rcunder cn the market. 8ulld quallty ls superb, and lt's
spaclcus, luxurlcus and efflclent. Uf ccurse, lts blggest
strength ls lts drlvlng dynamlcs: lt bcasts sharp handllng,
superb bcdy ccntrcl, reflned englnes and sllck gearbcxes.
The best leaslng deals are cnllne - and there are plenty
fcr the 3 Serles. we fcund prlces as lcwas 219.95 per
mcnth fcr a 316l FS wlth a 1,500 depcslt cn a fcur-year
ccntract. ulesels start frcm277.71, thcugh, and hlgher-
spec mcdels cr shcrter ccntracts wlll be cut cf ycur budget.
TFF ccmpact executlve market ls amcng the mcst flercely
ccmpetltlve sectcrs ln the car lndustry - and Audl's A/
ls cne cf the 3 Serles' clcsest rlvals fcr the class crcwn.
As wlth all Audls, lt ma|crs cn understated style. lt
dcesn't have eye-catchlng lccks, but lt's smart and lt
screams 'premlum' - as dces the lnterlcr. Cabln quallty
ls seccnd tc ncne, plus lt's very spaclcus and packed
wlth equlpment: 8luetccth, three-zcne cllmate ccntrcl
and crulse ccntrcl ccme as standard, even cn base-spec
mcdels. The A/ dellvers excellent perfcrmance, preclslcn
handllng, ccmfcrt and reflnement ln spades, but lt's
nct as much fun tc drlve as the 8Mwcn twlsty rcads.
we fcund a three-year lease cn a 1.8 TFSl SF fcr
25/.95. Alsc, 2.0-lltre dlesel mcdels ln bcth Technlk
and S llne trlms can be leased wlthln ycur budget.
Uuk flnal reccmmendatlcn wculd be the Mercedes
C-Class. The brand's pedlgree ls lmpeccable, and
althcugh thls mcdel has been arcund fcr lcnger
than the 3 Serles and A/, lt's stlll a classy chclce.
lt's startlng tc shcwlts age a llttle lnslde - the dash
deslgn ls a blt dated, and whlle the flt and flnlsh are tcp-
class, the materlals aren't as upmarket as thcse ln the
8Mwand Audl. The Merc alsc has the smallest cabln here.
Fcwever, lt's ccmfcrtable and equlpment levels are
genercus, all mcdels get 8luetccth, an lPcd ccnnectlcn
and dual-zcne cllmate ccntrcl as standard equlpment.
Un the rcad, lt's nct as sharp as the 3Serles, but lt's
mcre fun than the Audl. Uwners rated lt 28th ln cur 2013
urlver Pcwer survey - /8 places hlgher than the A/. lt's
been a tcp three ccmpact exec every year slnce 2010.
Mw3Series
Ier: Ioclass buildanddrivingdynamics
Against: Verycommon, lainsIyling
Audi A4
Ier: umarkeI cabin, loIs oI equimenI
Against: 6enericlooks, noI asIunas8Vw
MercedesCCIass
Ier: ComIorIable, reIined, agilesIeering
Against: 8uildqualiIy, daIedcabin
Mazda5
5A2,500on1.60VenIureIinancedeal
Carhunter
@Y_ Chris_Lbbs_dennis.co.uk
ear Chris,
lmlooking Io lease a sIylish comacI execuIive
car wiIh a remiumbadge. VaximumbudgeI is
3 er monIh, ideally, ld send less Ihan IhaI.
FauI wiIIiams, @
to Iease a styIsh compact exec
1R bklVkS tR0lt 1R tLASSY 0P1l0N 1R S1YLlSR 8uY
ver haIf ef finance
carsreturnedearIy
54 per cent
traded-n before
term was up
8uyers tempted to change car before terms up
M0k than haIf of cars bouht on
finance Iast year were returned
before the end of the contract.
Credit checker xperian studied
87,000 hire purchase (RP) and
personaI contract purchase (PCP)
deaIs in 2012, and found 54 per
cent of cars were traded-in before
the areement termended.
1hat's an increase from35 per
cent in 2009 and 28 per cent in
2007. xperian aIso found, on
averae, newcars bouht on
finance were bein swapped
seven months before the end
of the areement. In 2009, cars
were typicaIIy bein kept untiI
five months before the end of the
contract, and 2007 buyers kept
hoId of their cars untiI 13 months
after the end of their deaI.
1he fiures aIso showthat
personaI contract purchases
are becomin more popuIar -
they accounted for |ust 6.12
per cent of finance deaIs in
2007, but that fiure rose
to 13.69 per cent in 2012.
b a Mazda 5 1.6venture and the manuIacturer wiII
pay the 2,500 depesit. 1he zere per cent Iinance eIIer
means buyers wiII have a IinaI payment eI 6,449.38,
IeIIewing 41 menthIy payments eI 295. 1he venture
medeI gets 17-inch aIIey wheeIs, a reversing camera
and integrated sat-nav. Fer
mere inIe, ge te Mazda.ce.uk
and Ier mere great car deaIs,
head te Caruyer.ce.uk.
p p y y
ddddd 5
bAL0f 1R Wk
Trusted reviews, expert advice
s }A Ann[
8uyingtars
MlNl t0NVk1l8L
LS4 fILL-0P kAhC 43T MIL5
Pu601 2T tt
L68 fILL-0P kAhC 396 MIL5
flA1 St
L4T fILL-0P kAhC 34S MIL5
beIails
ears: 2009tc present ngine: 1./-lltre /cyl, 100bhp
Insurance greup: 16 cen]C02: //.8mpg]1/0g]km
why? The 500C ls charmlng, genercusly equlpped
and handles well, plus ccsts less tc buy than Mlhl.
Prites lrem:
7,500
TFF 500C lsn't really a true cabrlclet llke the
Mlhl. The tcp ccncertlnas back tc slt abcve
the bcctlld, but the dccr plllars and rccf
frame remaln. when fclded, the hccd lccks
a blt scruffy and hampers rear vlslblllty, tcc.
There's mcre legrccmln the Flat than ln
the cther cars here, thcugh, plus the 295-lltre
bcct leaves the Mlhl and Peugect 207 CC
tralllng by 170 and 108 lltres respectlvely.
8ut whlle the 500C leads the way here cn
ccmfcrt, lt can't match the Mlhl fcr quallty,
perfcrmance cr handllng. lt came a wceful
1/2nd ln cur urlver Pcwer 2013 survey, and
Flat was 30th ln cur manufacturer ranklngs.
beIails
ears: 2007 tc present ngine: 1.6-lltre /cyl, 1/8bhp
Insurance greup: 2/ cen]C02: 39.2mpg]171g]km
why? Alcng wlth the 206 CC that preceded lt, the
207 CC ls cne cf 8rltaln's tcp-selllng small cabrlcs.
Prites lrem:
5,000
lT'S nct qulte as styllsh as the Mlhl cr Flat,
but the ccupe prcpcrtlcns sult the 207 CC.
And unllke lts rlvals, lt features a fcldlng
metal rccf, rather than a fabrlc cne.
Tc acccmmcdate thls, Peugect had tc
extend the wlndscreen cver the cabln, cuttlng
vlslblllty and headrccm. And when ycu stcw
the tcp, lt restrlcts bcct space and access.
8ulld quallty ls alsc way behlnd the cther
cars here, and the lcss cf the rccf means tcc
much bcdy shake and a pccr rlde. we dldn't
get encugh respcnses fcr the 207 tc flgure ln
urlver Pcwer, but cnly Smart cwners were less
satlsfled wlth thelr cars than Peugect drlvers.
ketro deta|||ng g|ves cab|n a c|assy |ee| Lots o| persona||sat|on opt|ons |or 500 8u||d qua||ty can't match other cars here
#ly
Ol
Jhe sun s shnng, so we
pck from three second-
hand drop-top supermns
Iiat500t1.4leunge Peugeet207tt1BP61
MlNl tenv'tble

I1'5the mest expensive medeI

in this trie, but we IeeI the MINI
justiIies its price premium. It
Ieaves its rivaIs traiIing Ier
perIermance and buiId quaIity,
and is a great car te ewn.
Iiat 500t

M0k aIIerdabIe, practicaI and

cemIertabIe Fiat gives the MINI
a run Ier its meney. 1his is a
werthy cheice Ier these whe
can't quite aIIerd the baby rit.
Peugeet 207

1h IeIding hard-tep 207 CC is

a pepuIar smaII cabrieIet, but
is eutgunned in this cempany.
bItimateIy, it demands a Iew
tee many cempremises.
M

I1' I1' I1' I1'5555t 5the

II

M0k M0 M0k M0k aI

1h 1h 1h 1h 1h IIeId

MlNlteepertenvertible
beIails
ears: 2009 tc present ngine: 1.6-lltre /cyl, 118bhp
Insurance greup: 18 cen]C02: /9.6mpg]137g]km
why? Fntertalnlng tc drlve, well englneered and wlth
tcp-nctch bulld quallty, the Mlhl can't be lgncred.
Prites lrem:
8,500
kUUF-dcwn mctcrlng ls all abcut fun, and few
cars ralse a smlle llke a Mlhl. The Ccnvertlble
ls well englneered, wlth the fully electrlc hccd
stacklng neatly ln the back. lt can be cpened
halfway as well as fclded ccmpletely.
8ulld quallty ls superb and the drlvlng
pcsltlcn perfect. kear passenger space ls
tlght, thcugh, and the bcct ls a tlny 125 lltres.
Stlll, the drcp-tcp Mlhl handles as well as
the hatch, and ls the best drlver's car here.
The Ccnvertlble dldn't get encugh
respcnses tc feature ln cur urlver Pcwer
2013 survey, and the brand flnlshed a lcwly
28th cut cf 32 ln cur manufacturer's chart.
Vkblt1
}A Ann[
:
A|| the act|on l|om the wo||d ol moto|spo|t
0ean 0ibsen
Lean_Cibson_dennis.co.uk
8r|ts hunt 01N
g|ory at 8rands
Aud| has eyes
on ||le| p||ze
Q Paffett, Priaulx and 6reen hope to shine in front of the home trowds
wkf |egend 5a|nz set
|or ra||ycross sw|tch
8kAhuS Fatch plays hcst
tc the mcst technclcglcally
advanced salccn car serles ln
the wcrld thls weekend, as
the uTM0erman tcurlng car
champlcnshlp arrlves ln the uK.
There wlll be plenty cf hlgh-
speed actlcn at the Kent clrcult,
whlle serles crganlsers have
lntrcduced F1-style cptlcn tyres
and ukS actlve wlngs fcr 2013.
Fans have three hcmegrcwn
drlvers tc cheer cn, tcc, wlth
0ary Paffett, Andy Prlaulx and
}amle 0reen drlvlng fcr Mercedes,
8Mwand Audl respectlvely.
Paffett was last year's wlnner
at 8rands, and ls certaln tc be ln
the mlx after ccmlng fcurth ln the
seascn cpener at Fcckenhelm.
Fcwever, he was crltlcal cf rlvals'
drlvlng standards ln rcund cne,
after clashes wlth 8Mw's Martln
Tcmczyk and 8runc Spengler.
"A blt cf rubblng slde-tc-slde
l can llve wlth," he sald. "8ut
when ycu brake-test scmecne cn
the stralght, lt's nct raclng, lt ls
pure dangercus, reckless drlvlng
and ycu shculd be punlshed."
Paffett wlll be keen tc put the
lncldents behlnd hlmand take
the flght tc 8Mw, whlch sccred
a cne-twc at Fcckenhelm. 8ut
Prlaulx mlssed cut ln 0ermany,
sufferlng mechanlcal lssues as
team-mates Augustc Farfus and
ulrk werner tcck the spclls.
The Channel lslander sald:
"uesplte all the prcblems, l
tcck a lct cf pcsltlves frcmthe
weekend. My team-mates
sccred gccd flnlshes frcmlcw
grld pcsltlcns, and that glves me
ccnfldence gclng lntc 8rands.
"Famlly and frlends whc dcn't
usually see me race wlll be there,
sc l'mdetermlned tc dc well."
Fcckenhelmwas a blt cf a
dlsaster fcr }amle 0reen and hls
newAudl team, as tlme penaltles
meant he flnlshed cutslde cf the
pclnts. Fcwever, he's aware cf
Audl's prevlcus fcrmat 8rands.
"l'mstlll ln the prccess cf
gelllng wlth the team," he sald.
"8ut l've perscnal experlence cf
Audl's strength at 8rands Fatch -
sc l'mcptlmlstlc that we'll be ln
ccntentlcn fcr a gccd result."
UhF cf the hlghllghts cf the
endurance raclng calendar
takes place thls weekend, as
the hurburgrlng 2/ Fcurs
blasts cff cn the lnfamcus
hcrdschlelfe clrcult ln
0ermany's Flfel mcuntalns.
The race was wcn last year
fcr the flrst tlme by Audl, and
the factcry-suppcrted Team
Phcenlx wlll be defendlng lts
crcwn wlth twc k8 LMS ultras.
wlnnlng drlvers Marc 8asseng,
Marcel Fassler, FrankStlppler
and Markus wlnkelhcck wlll
llne up ln car number cne, wlth
Chrlstlan Mamercw, Chrlstlan
Abt, kene kast and 8rlt Ullver
}arvls ln the seccnd car.
Fcplng tc edge cut the
Audls wlll be a raft cf 0T3-
class cars, lncludlng the 8lack
Falccn Mercedes SLS that wcn
}anuary's uubal 2/ Fcurs,
wcrks-suppcrted entrles frcm
8Mwand Astcn Martln, plus
qulck prlvateer teams runnlng
Audl, Pcrsche and McLaren
racers. 8ut the cutccme ls
far frcmclear cut - the entry
llst cf nearly 180 cars ccvers
everythlng frcmthe 0T3class tc
prcductlcn-based hct hatches,
plus the weather ln the reglcn
ls nctcrlcusly unpredlctable.
As ever, thls year's event has
attracted a brcad spectrumcf
drlvers, lncludlng lndustry
blgwlgs. Tcycta bcss Aklc
Tcycda takes the wheel cf a
0T 86 ln thls year's race, whlle
Astcn Martln CFUulrlch 8ez ls
drlvlng the hydrcgen-pcwered
kaplde S that alms tc beccme
the flrst zerc-emlsslcns car
tc ccmplete the 2/ Fcurs.
And Kazuncrl Yamauchl,
creatcr cf the 0ran Turlsmc
serles cf games cn the Scny
PlayStatlcn, wlll cnce agaln
take part ln a hlssan 0T-k
run by Schulze Mctcrspcrt.
ln a break wlth tradltlcn,
and tc cclnclde wlth a natlcnal
hcllday ln 0ermany, thls year's
race runs frcm5pmcn Sunday.
AN01hk ex-werId raIIy champ is turning te raIIycress, as
twe-time titIe winner CarIes 5ainz is in the Irame Ier a drive
in this weekend's arceIena reund eI the CIebaI X Cames.
5ainz (IeIt) recentIy tested
a 560bhp vwPeIe 5uperCar
run by MarkIund Meterspert,
and the teamis keen te get
the 5paniard - whe wen the
akar raIIy Ier vwin 2010
- Iined up aIengside series
reguIar Anten MarkIund.
0r|au|x ||nsetI eyes home resu|t, 0a||ett hopes to |orget Nockenhe|m
k8 LN5 u|tra a|ms to de|end Aud|'s Nrburgr|ng 24 Nours t|t|e
0a||ett cr|t|c|sed
r|va|s' dr|v|ng at
Nockenhe|m
a|ter c|ash|ng
w|th the 8Nws
6ary 0a||ett shou|d be |n the m|x as 01N arr|ves at 8rands, a|ter strong show|ng |or Nercedes so |ar
Sw|ss movcmcn|, Ln||s| bcat|
1bc vic|otv oj |bc \anuall dtivcn bv S|itling Moss and 1onv Btoo|s in |bc ama:ing 19
Bti|isb Ctand tix a| Ain|tcc is cclcbta|cd in out la|cs| btillian| cbtonogtapb. ouctcd bv
|bc L1A 21.2 COSC, |bc 1,9-piccc limi|cd cdi|ion salu|cs a tacc |ba| cbangcd |bc
coutsc oj Bti|isb mo|ot tacing jot cvct. I| is, oj coutsc, in Bti|isb Racing Ctccn.
SORR io Le a killjoy, Lui reoris
oI )68,___ Briis Luyihg Lrahd
hewcars ihile Lrsi Iour mohils
oI zo are wide oI ile mark.
Ii's irue ilai Socieiy oI Moior
MahuIaciurers ahd1raders (SMM1)
daia roves )68,___ cars were
regisieredLeiweeh[ahuaryahdAril.
Ahdii's equallyaccuraieioreori ile
SMM1's surrise" ai ilis level oI
regisiraiiohs. IhIaci, iley are hihe
er cehi uohile same eriodih
zoz. IhAril iley rose Ly _ er cehi.
So, ohileIaceoI ii Bligliy's Laskihg
iha Loomihsales oI Lrahdhewcars.
Bui ilai's hoi ehiirely accuraie.
1lai's Lecause sales areh'i ile same
as regisiraiiohs. 1lihkoI ii like ilis: a
Lrahdhewcar ilai's Leehurclased
Ly a real, ayihg cusiomer ahdlas a
roer lome io go io is a gehuihe
sale. Cohversely, ile Iaciory-Ireslcar
Lougli ih-louse Ly (ahdregisiered
io) a dealer is a comaraiively
meahihgless regisiraiioh.
OI course, ile same moior irader
will siill iry iosell ile car as a re-regisieredor delivery-mileage 'hew'
velicle ihile mohils or years alead. Bui my argumehi is ilai sucla
car ish'i ahdcah'i Le ieclhically or legally 'hew' wlehile cohsumer
wloevehiuallyLuys ii is hoi hamedohilelogLookas ileLrsi owher.
Iaci is, you're a suLsequehi (i.e. secohd, ilird) owher iI you've Lougli
a re-owhedcar. Also, re-owhedmeahs secohd-lahd, ho
Ior oLvious reasohs ile moior irade, aidedahdaLeiiedLy some
mahuIaciurers, siill laLels ilesere-owhedcars as re-regisiered. Ahd
wlile iley usedio Le rare, ilis year, arouhd)_o,ooowill Le eddled.
1radiiiohally, Iorddealers gei mosi oI ileLlame. Bui iley'rehoi alohe.
Plehiy oI re-reg Peugeois ahdIiais, Ior ihsiahce, seemio Le kickihg
arouhd. AhdMiisuLisli's 'May Sale' cohsisis largely oI re-regJre-
owhedcars ilai alsolaehioLere-zo(i.e. hoi currehi) roducis.
Ior how, I wouldh'i ioucla re-reg. No heedio wleha comahy
suclas Skoda cohiihues io sell gehuihely Lrahdhewcars vA1-Iree.
A pre-reg snt and
cant be new when
the consumer who
buys t snt named
n the Iogbook as
the frst owner
onsa|e
wednesday 22 Nay
8atkthaI
AWAkbWlNNkS
bklVN
bklVN
Notor|ng's most outspoken and
op|n|onated co|umn|st sounds o||
nexI
week
8est car k|t
5koda 5uperb
6rand fherokee
||om sat-nav to shampoo to ty|es, the
best ||t named |n ou| ||oduct Awa|ds
|||st d||ve ol lace||lted |ange-toppe|
|s Ame||ca's lnest a genu|ne ||va| lo|
kange kove|I 0u| ve|d|ct on new eep
ONews O0r|ves
O0roduct tests
Ofeatures 8 5port
o|n the debate now... ma||@autoexp|ess.co.u|
V||e
kuIherlerd
Do you agree wlth Mlke?
Huvo your suy ul lucoboo|.com/uulooxpross
SPtlAL lSSu
AWAkbWlNNkS
bklVN
om sat-nav to shampoo to ty|es, the
st ||t named |n ou| ||oduct Awa|ds
SPtlAL lSSu
I
s }A Ann[
0mcial government luel conaumption ngurea in mpg (litrea per 1uukm) lor the new CLA-Claaa range: urban 27.7 (7.6) -42.8 (6.6),
extra urban 62.8 (4.6) -74.2 (2.8), combined 6u.4 (6.6) -62.8 (4.6). C02 emiaaiona: 12u-117 g/km. Jhe new CLA-Claaa range atarta lrom 24,266.uu on-the-road.
Vodel ahown ia a new CLA18uAV0 Sport at 29,1u6.uu on-the-road including optional metallic paint at 66u.uu, 18 AV0 alloy wheela-multi-apoke deaign in black nniah at 26u.uu, lntelligent Light Syatem at 67u.uu and Panoramic
aliding aunrool 96u.uu (on-the-road price includea vAJ, delivery, 12 montha' Road lund Licence, number platea, nrat regiatration lee and luel). Pricea correct at time ol print.
A
L
a
i
m
l
e
r
8
r
a
n
d

|e Vercedes-8enz CL~.
0ur new 4-door coupe coub|nes predatory
sty|e w|t| ag||e perloruance. lt's a d|llerent
an|ua| a|toget|er.