ALPINE A110vs MUSTANG

Can Europe trump US in

sports car showdown?

5-11 MAR 2025 | NO. 1,872 | £4.50

DRIVENTHIS WEEK
TESLA MODELY
Behind the wheel of new sci-fi SUV

EV2 concept reveals future Ford Puma rival

NEW MOKKA-E
Vauxhall’s big seller updated for ’25

REVISED BMW iX
Tech-filled M70 is a fitting flagship

PLUS
Picanto to
CUPRA LEON ST 333
Spanish firm’s Golf R hits the spot
be reborn
as EV1

FAST BRANDS #2 AUDI

www.autoexpress.co.uk
10

9 770954 886302

Past, present & future of Audi Sport

PLUS New A6 revealed
NEWSWEEK
6
6 KIAEVBLITZ
Kia’s electric offensive
Latest on EV4 and PV5 as EV2 revealed
New supermini,
Audi A6 Avant
Sleek look for new exec estate 10 SUV, MPV and panel
van lead Korean
Jaguar interview
Exclusive chat with brand’s boss 12 brand’s EV charge
Pick-up tax
Makers hit out at changes due in April 14
Bentley EV
Luxury brand’s CEO on new flagship 16
FEATURES
EV transition
18
Climate change committee report
Fast brands
The legends that made Audi Sport 30
AUDIA6AVANT
German’s firm’s
10
new wagon is
NEW CARS sleek and striking,
but not electric
Vauxhall Mokka
We test new plug-in crossover 20
Tesla Model Y
Our verdict on facelifted EV 24
BMW iX
26
Revised luxury SUV rated
Cupra Leon
Sporty petrol estate reviewed 28
VAUXHALL
MOKKA 20 24 TESLAMODELY
Are a new look
Our verdict on and the latest

ROAD TESTS the facelifted

family favourite
tech enough
to reboot EV
Ford Mustang vs Alpine A110
Retro sports cars go head-to-head 36 brand’s sales?

Our cars: Tesla Model 3

Final verdict on second-hand EV 50
AUDISPORT
Our cars: Lexus LBX
Compact SUV takes on taxi duties 52 We visit Germany REGULARS
to discover past,
RUTHERFORD 82
PRODUCTS present and future
of the brand Our columnist says that
Hot kit and books
57 behind quattro now is a good time for

30
Reversee sheds light on parking
youngsters to consider a
New on the shelves
Viofo cam: high resolution, high price 59 career in the car industry

Online parts suppliers

NAPA’s eBay store takes on rivals 61 NEWCARPRICES 74
All the details you need to

36
Product test
Cordless vacuum cleaners rated 62 RETROHEROES know before you head to
the showroom
Alpine A110 S and
BUYING CARS Ford Mustang GT SUBSCRIPTIONS 54
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Choosing a Vauxhall Astra Mk 8 68 money
Top 10 Volkswagens
Our pick of the German brand’s best 70
5 March 2025 3
 I WROTE last week about Renault being
a brand with momentum, and you’ll see “KIA IS FAR FROM
CONTACT US
email: [email protected]
from our Top Story this week – and the cover! – ABANDONING
Social: facebook.com/autoexpress @AutoExpress
Subscriptions: 0330 3339491
that Kia is another which is very much on a roll.
It’s been a long journey from the Pride (a THE INTERNAL
Director of content and publishing: Sarah Perks
Editor: Paul Barker
rebadged Mazda 121) that arrived here in 1991
– but the Korean maker is now one of the UK’s
COMBUSTION
Editor-at-large: Phil McNamara
Deputy editor: Richard Ingram most popular, having had its best-ever year in ENGINE JUSTYET,
DESPITE A RAFT
News, reviews and tests
Chief reviewer: Alex Ingram 2024. It registered more than 112,000 cars,
Senior test editor: Dean Gibson
putting it above the mighty Ford and behind
OF STRIKING NEW
Executive editor: Paul Adam
Senior staff writer: Jordan Katsianis
Senior news reporter: Alastair Crooks only VW, BMW and Audi at the top of the charts.
News reporter: Ellis Hyde
Chief columnist: Mike Rutherford
Consumer
In model terms, the Sportage was beaten
solely by the Ford Puma last year, and will get
ELECTRIC MODELS
ON THE WAY”
Current affairs editor: Chris Rosamond
Consumer reporter: Tom Jervis
a facelift soon to increase its appeal, while the
Products
Products editor: Tom Barnard EV3 appeared in 2024 alongside an updated
Digital
Head of digital content: Steve Walker
EV6, to expand the company’s EV portfolio.
Web producer: Pete Baiden
Online reviews editor: Max Adams But there’s more to come, and importantly it’s both petrol and electric. The
Senior content editor: Shane Wilkinson
Content editor: Ryan Birch brand isn’t abandoning internal combustion engines yet, despite the new EVs
Carbuyer managing editor: Andy Goodwin
Carbuyer content editors: Charlie Harvey, Tom Gumbrell on the way. You can see more on those in deputy editor Richard Ingram’s video
DrivingElectric content editor: George Armitage

Design, pictures and production

report from Kia’s EV Day event, available on the Auto Express YouTube channel.
Creative director: Darren Wilson
Deputy art editor: George Vedmore
It’s fascinating how some car companies just seem to bring the right cars at
Picture editor: Dawn Grant
Senior photographer: Pete Gibson the right time, with smart styling, clever tech and competitive pricing: three
Chief sub-editor: Andy Pringle
Sub-editor: Paul Alton elements that are crucial when car buyers have more choice than ever before.
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Kia’s rise to sit second only to VW among the UK’s top mainstream makers
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Special contributors
is worthy of note, because the company, and Japanese arrivals in the seventies,
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are seen as examples of what new Chinese brands could achieve in the future.
Keenan, Otis Clay, Craig Cheetham
The similarities are there, with companies little-known in the UK, despite
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Strategic partnerships managers: success in domestic markets, arriving on our shores with models focusing very
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Senior operations lead: Kerry Lambird much on value. The differences now are in the sheer numbers – Kia wasn’t
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same time – and the shift to electric vehicles, which has opened the door to
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5 March 2025 5
 TOP STORY Kia’s next wave of EVs

Concept teases £25k electric Citroen e-C3 rival that’s set to

arrive next year as part of brand’s ambitious EV expansion plans

FIRST FOR Richard OFFICIAL

Ingram
[email protected]

KIA is rapidly expanding its EV

line-up, and it shows no signs
of slowing down in 2025. Alongside
the all-new EV4 and PV5, the firm
used its annual ‘EV Day’ to reveal
the EV2 concept, pointing towards
a small electric SUV due next year.
When it launches, the EV2 will, for
a little while at least, be the smallest
electric car Kia makes. It’ll take on
models such as the Citroen e-C3 and
forthcoming Ford Puma Gen-E, with
prices expected to start from around
30,000 Euros (approximately £25k).
It will eventually be joined by an EV1

10 AUDI
OFFICIAL
A6 AVANT
Sleek look for premium estate
city-sized electric car (Page 9) that
will rival the future Volkswagen ID.1.
The concept has lots of giveaways
that point us to the production EV2
arriving in 2026. Kia’s executive vice
president and head of global design, the base like in a Honda Jazz. Habib
Karim Habib, said: “It is still a concept said this is “something [Kia is] working
car, but a lot of it you will see. on” for the production car.
“You can take the example of the The 3D-printed elements, colours,
EV3 or EV4, which we showed two and materials might be a bit exotic,
years ago as concepts; the delta but the dash – with its minimalist
between production car and show layout and twin screens – shouldn’t
car is exactly the same [for EV2].” change too much. The rear-hinged

12 INTERVIEW
RAWDON GLOVER
Exclusive chat with Jaguar boss
The upright stance and small-SUV
side profile are almost identical to
the heavily camouflaged cars we’ve
doors won’t be offered on the EV2,
but Habib said parent firm Hyundai
Motor Group is “working towards”
seen testing, and the vertical ‘Star offering it on a production car, adding:
Map’ DRLs are in keeping with Kia’s “I cannot tell you when. But we will do
‘Opposites United’ design language. that; it is a very practical thing”.
The rear lighting pattern has been The EV2 will probably come only
tweaked for the EV2, with the clusters in single-motor form, and will use
set far apart to emphasise the car’s the same dedicated E-GMP
width. Typical SUV elements such as electric car platform as its
lots of cladding are present, while big, bigger brother, the EV3.
four-spoke wheels finish things off, Following in the tyre tracks
but we expect a more modest design of the EV3, EV4 and EV5,

14 TAX
PICK-UP TRUCK
CHANGES
Makers slate new rules
to feature on the production car.
The cabin has a folding, sliding and
reclining rear bench, which lifts up at
the EV2 is expected to
use a 400-volt electrical
architecture, with a choice
 TOP STORY

PRODUCTION POINTER
Concept gives us lots of hints of what
to expect from the showroom EV2,
including the upright stance, family
nose and SUV-style lower cladding

“THE UPRIGHT STANCE AND SMALL-SUV SIDE

PROFILE ARE ALMOST IDENTICALTO THE HEAVILY
CAMOUFLAGED CARS WE’VE SEEN TESTING”
of batteries designed to suit its
position as an urban-focused SUV.
There’s a chance we may see an
entry-level car with a circa-40kWh
battery, plus, possibly, the EV3’s
larger 58kWh unit. Given that car can
do around 270 miles on a charge, it’s
feasible the smaller EV2 could breach
300 miles on the official WLTP cycle.
Kia has confirmed the EV2 will have
Vehicle to Load (V2L) and Vehicle to
Grid (V2G) tech, as well as the ability
to accept over-the-air (OTA) updates.
As we’ve seen on the EV2 concept,
it’s all but certain that Kia’s family
face seen on the EV3, EV5, EV6 and
EV9 will be condensed into a more
compact package for the production
version, with the tall body translating

“THE EV2 WILL PROBABLYCOME ONLYIN SINGLE- to plenty of cabin space.

A £25k UK price tag would see the
MOTOR FORM,AND WILL USE THE SAME E-GMP EV2 slot in just above the affordable
Citroen e-C3 (our reigning Car of the
ELECTRIC CAR PLATFORM AS THE BIGGER EV3” Year) and the Jeep Avenger.

5 March 2025 7
TOP STORY Kia’s next wave of EVs

OFFICIAL

Korean brand gives the inside story

THE covers came off the all- fact, at 4,730mm, the EV4 saloon is charger. The company has also
new Kia EV4 last week and 35mm longer even than an EV6. confirmed the EV4 will be offered
revealed how close the production Buyers will have a choice of two with Vehicle to Load (V2L) and “AS IT STANDS,
THERE ARE NO
car’s design will stay to the concept’s. batteries, ‘Base’ and ‘Long Range’. Vehicle to Grid (V2G) capabilities.
Now, the firm has shown us the The 58.3kWh option will do up to Whichever EV4 you go for, you’ll
model in full, including a first look
at the interior layout.
267 miles on a charge (255 miles for
the less efficient hatch), while the
get a single front-mounted electric
motor producing 201bhp. As it DUAL-MOTOR ALL-
Kia’s Volkswagen ID.3 rival will be 81.4kWh unit ups this to a maximum stands, there are no dual-motor all- WHEEL-DRIVE
MODELS, BUTA KIA
available in the UK and Europe as a of 391 miles in the saloon – or 367 wheel-drive models, although a Kia
hatchback and a saloon. They both miles for the five-door model. EV4 GT is likely to follow in time,
use the E-GMP platform and have an
identical wheelbase, yet the saloon
Kia hasn’t quoted a peak charging
speed, but all versions take around
possibly with upwards of 300bhp.
The lighter car fitted with the EV4 GT IS LIKELYTO
is a full 300mm longer overall thanks
to an extended rear overhang. In
half an hour to go from 10 to 80 per
cent via a suitably fast DC rapid
smaller 58kWh battery will do
0-62mph in 7.4 seconds, and the
FOLLOW IN TIME”

New PV5 will shoulder the load as Kia

enters the commercial vehicle market
KIA’S venture into the hard- such as ambulances, ice cream E-GMP layout used by a number
fought commercial vehicle vans or campers. Kia says the PV5 of Kia, Hyundai and Genesis cars.
market is gathering pace, with “will leverage the brand’s world- There’s a choice of 51.5kWh
the firm revealing full details of leading EV technology to fulfil the or 71.2kWh batteries, with an
its PV5 electric van and MPV, diverse needs of a broad customer additional 43.3kWh option for
after releasing a selection of base by providing unprecedented the PV5 Cargo. All versions have
exterior images (Issue 1,871). flexibility and customisation a single front motor producing up
Passenger, Cargo and Crew through innovative modularisation”. to 161bhp and 250Nm of torque.
Cab bodystyles will be offered, as It’s already in talks with firms UK prices and specs will be
well as a Wheelchair-Accessible such as Uber and DHL to create announced closer to the van’s
Vehicle (WAV) with a ramp that bespoke versions of the PV5 at launch in the second half of
slides out from the side door a special facility in South Korea. this year, but bosses have
capable of supporting up to The new E-GMP.S architecture claimed an approximate
300kg. Later, a Chassis Cab-style underpins the PV5. While unique to starting figure of 30,000
model will join the range, offering the firm’s commercial vehicles, it is Euros (£25,000) excluding
up a platform for myriad uses, loosely based on the established VAT for a basic Cargo PV5.

8 5March 2025 www.autoexpress.co.uk

 TOP STORY
FEATURES
A 30-inch three-screen
panoramic display (far left)
dominates the dashboard;
Europe will get saloon and
hatchback (below) versions
of the EV4, with the latter
unique to the continent and
built at Kia’s Slovakia factory

EV1 would be an alternative to Kia’s popular petrol Picanto (above)

EV1 city car is “definitely” in

company’s electric-car plan
KIA’S rapidly expanding electric car line-up will “definitely”

y on all-new EV4
include a city car-sized EV1, according to the company’s global
CEO Song Ho-Sung – and a concept could be unveiled in as little
as 12 months, Auto Express can reveal.
Speaking at the brand’s annual EV Day in Tarragona, Spain,
Ho-Sung acknowledged that Kia needed a “lower size, lower
81kWh model 7.7 seconds; both the over-the-air updates, and allows price model” to sit under the EV2 small SUV due next year. The
saloon and hatch are inseparable owners to run third-party apps such car would be an obvious rival to Volkswagen’s upcoming ID.1
over the benchmark sprint, and as Disney+ and Netflix while charging. (dubbed EVERY.1), and its sister cars from Skoda and Cupra.
every EV4 has a 106mph top speed. The saloon will be built in South He told Auto Express: “Yes, definitely. We need a lower size,
The dashboard is dominated by Korea, but the Europe-only hatch will or lower price model. We are internally studying what will be our
a huge 30-inch panoramic display be assembled at the firm’s factory in entry EV model apart from EV2. Maybe on the next EV Day we
comprising a 12.3-inch central Slovakia, filling a slot vacated by the will show you what we have planned.”
screen, five-inch climate control petrol-powered Kia Ceed later this
panel and an additional 12.3-inch year. Exact UK prices haven’t been
digital instrument cluster. It runs Kia’s announced, but bosses confirmed
connected car Navigation Cockpit the EV4 will get a starting price of
(ccNC), which the firm claims “sets around 37,000 Euros (approximately
class-leading standards for in-car £31,000) when it goes on sale in
entertainment”. It’s compatible with Europe in the second half of 2025.

Kia could use the new PV5 as the basis for an electric campervan

Electric Kia PV5 campervan

family under consideration
BOSSES at Kia are investigating whether there might be appetite
for a family of electric campervans based on its new PV5 van and
MPV range. If the business case proves viable, the models could
beat Volkswagen’s hotly anticipated California EV to market.
The head of Kia’s PBV division, Sangdae Kim, told Auto
Express: “We have been studying many different use cases in
the market. Camping cars is one of the important domains for
our potential market, so considering our PV5, we are going to
study the camping car market.
CABIN PV5 passengers’ seats can be configured in “We are considering introducing two different camping car
different ways. Kia says it will have a “spacious luggage versions,” he added. “One would be a camper ‘lite’ version” –
area” and various trays for additional storage space presumably without a kitchenette – “and the other one would
be a more serious camping conversion.”

www.autoexpress.co.uk 5 March 2025 9

NEWS Audi A6 Avant

“A KEYADDITION TO THE DIESEL IS

AUDI’S NEW MHEV PLUS MILD-HYBRID
TECH,WHICH CANALSO DRIVE THE CAR
ON ITS OWN AT LOW SPEEDS“

OFFICIAL

Audi A6 Avant arrives w

Jordan Estate boasts rakish roofline to go with petrol and mild-hybrid diesel powertr

Katsianis also results in a low drag co-efficient

of just 0.25Cd, helping with efficiency
class interiors, after its recent models
were criticised for a drop in quality.
[email protected] at high speeds. Elements such as We’ve sat in the car, and the good
aero-focused wheels and clever news is that everything you touch
AUDI’S new model offensive is management of air around the front feels suitably solid and substantial.
now at full speed, and the next bumper also assist in this regard. The materials are excellent, with
to arrive is the striking new A6 Avant. Put the A6 Avant side by side with almost all the touchpoints covered
Launching ahead of a saloon which is its smaller A5 sibling and you’ll see in soft-touch plastic or leather-like
due in a few weeks, the full-size that while they look similar, they are fabrics. Overall it does a convincing
premium estate was initially meant to proportioned differently. On this job of feeling a step up over rivals
use the A7 moniker, but will instead model, the grille stretches all the way such as the Mercedes E-Class and
be sold wearing the traditional A6 down to the base of the bumper, and BMW 5 Series. There is a little
nameplate. It’ll sit alongside the all- the headlights sit higher and wider scratch-prone black plastic on the
electric e-tron version, thanks to a across the nose. The headlights are centre console, but it matches the
U-turn in strategy from the firm. available with matrix LED and Digital car’s generally hi-tech feel.
Looking at the car’s aggressive Light tech as options, and also feature The new A6’s infotainment system
design, it’s clear that the brand hasn’t a hexagonal metal screen over the is the same next-generation MMI
held back on even the base version configurable daytime running lights. set-up as found on other models in
of the A6 Avant, because the model The rear lighting is just as dramatic, the Audi range. This combines a 14.5-
features pumped-up wheelarches with new two-piece units that feature inch touchscreen with a 12.3-inch
paired with a very sleek silhouette. a lower light bar, and brake lights with driver’s display in a single curved
Audi’s designers told us that due to OLED panels mounted above. Wheel housing. The screen quality is high,
the shift of family car buyers to SUVs sizes stretch from 18 to 21 inches, with white-on-black graphics and
such as the Q7, they were able to give with some of the larger options lots of space for dedicated functions,
the A6 Avant much more of a ‘lifestyle’ available in lighter forged designs. including a shortcut bar and key
feel than before, compromising on
ultimate boot capacity for the sake
Inside, the A6 carries the weight of
needing to re-establish Audi’s once
heating and ventilation controls.
Audi has retained some physical
“ALMOSTALLTHE TOUCHP
of enhanced style. This svelte shape coveted reputation for offering top- controls in the cabin, with items such SOFT-TOUCH PLASTIC OR
10 5March 2025 www.autoexpress.co.uk
 NEWS
LOW PROFILE
A6 Avant trades some boot
space for a sleek look. The
Audi offers 503 litres with the
rear seats up, but still trails its
Mercedes E-Class rival

with a svelte new look

rains, with plug-in hybrids to follow
fully loaded TDI in First Edition trim. will also be available in other markets,
All models are available to order from while the UK line-up will soon diversify
1 April, with the first cars due to reach with a range of plug-in hybrid
customers by mid-June. powertrains, including those which
The range starts with a 2.0-litre will power the high-performance S6
turbo petrol model with 200bhp and and RS 6 models that we know Audi
340Nm of torque powering the front currently has in the works.
wheels via a dual-clutch gearbox. It will If there’s one obvious compromise
sprint from 0-62mph in 8.3 seconds with the new model, it’s the dramatic
and has a top speed of 149mph. drop in the roofline. Compared with
There’s also a 200bhp 2.0-litre diesel, the significantly boxier and more
which offers an increased 400Nm of upright Mercedes E-Class, the A6
torque and quattro four-wheel drive. Avant trails on boot size by nearly
INTERIOR This model cuts the 0-62mph time to 150 litres, with a capacity of 503
We’ve no complaints about the seven seconds exactly. litres. This can be increased to 1,564
build or material quality in the A key addition to the diesel is Audi’s with the second row lowered, but
cabin, while the twin digital new MHEV Plus mild-hybrid tech. This even then it’s still nearly 300 litres
screens are easy to read and use differs from previous offerings thanks down on the E-Class.
to a larger e-motor, which produces However, the square-shaped
as a volume knob, driving modes and 24bhp and 230Nm of torque. Here, it boot has a small amount of under-
the start/stop button all in easy reach doesn’t just act as a starter generator, floor storage plus plenty of hooks
from the centre console. There’s also a but can also drive the car on its own and other little additions to make
passenger display in high-spec trims. at low speeds. The system is also able it as versatile as possible. The rear
The A6 will initially arrive in the UK to recuperate energy at up to 25kW, seats can drop in a 40:20:40 split,
with two combustion engines and ensuring the car’s compact lithium- with that centre section lowering
POINTS ARE COVERED IN three trim choices, with the range
starting at £52,510 for the entry-level
ion battery is always topped up.
A front-wheel-drive diesel and
independently to allow for long
items such as skis to fit even when
LEATHER-LIKE FABRICS” TFSI Sport, rising to £64,480 for the turbocharged V6 petrol with 367bhp four passengers are in place.

www.autoexpress.co.uk 5 March 2025 11

NEWS Jaguar’s future

Jag boss: “We didn’t me

Phil INTERVIEW Rawdon Glover says he wants current drivers to back its electric

McNamara 33,000 cars last year, but Glover

argues there was no point continuing
[email protected] the loss-making enterprise. “Being
single-minded helps us focus on the
JAGUAR boss Rawdon Glover new job. But we need to continue
says the firm’s internet-busting looking after existing customers
electric relaunch reached nearly a and they’ll be able to get their car
billion people – but one of his key serviced, get any warranty [issues
priorities is to manage the fallout with covered] and buy used cars.”
the brand’s existing customers. Glover’s team is developing the
Late last year, Jaguar released new Jaguar retail experience and the
a colourful teaser video featuring first store will be in Knightsbridge,
striking-looking models to announce London; others in Paris and Shanghai
its transformation, following it up are coming. Prospects can expect a
with the Type 00 concept coupé, luxurious lounge feel, food created by
previewing its new electric design a Michelin-starred chef, and hi-tech
language. But the “delete ordinary”, virtual reality to bring the cars to life.
“break moulds” messaging combined But it’ll be a while before the first
with the current Jaguar range going Jaguar appears. Although prototypes
off sale alienated many owners. are testing, manufacturing won’t
“We do need to create and attract begin until 2026. Glover says its
a new client base,” Glover told Auto introduction isn’t dependent on
Express. “But what got lost is that parent company Tata’s new Somerset
we do care about our existing client battery factory, but bogged down by
base. I’ve been investing a lot of time the complexity of JLR’s ongoing
bringing our existing fans, clients and overhaul of its industrial base.
classic enthusiasts along on the Solihull is gearing up to build
LOYALTY
journey – it’s really important to us.” electric Range Rovers and Range Jaguar’s Managing Director, Rawdon
Jaguar predicts its new electric Rover Sports (and ultimately the Glover, believes that brand loyalty will
line-up, launching with a four-door GT Jags), electric motor production still play a big part in the brand’s future
in late 2026, will typically cost around must ramp up in Wolverhampton,
£120,000. That will exclude about 85 and the Halewood plant is being
per cent of current customers, but kitted out for the new electric Velar.
there’s no reason why high-end Jaguar will go public with the
F-Type or performance SVR drivers GT’s design in late 2025: “It’s very
can’t make the leap, Glover reckons. consistent with the Type 00.
He hopes some of them will feel Nobody’s going to say: ‘hold on, what
comfortable forsaking six or eight happened to this or that [design
cylinders for electric performance, element]’,” promises Glover. He says
arguing that exterior and interior Jaguar is starting with a four-door
design, and a love of the brand, are rather than a crossover because it’ll
far more important to Jag’s target embody ‘new Jaguar’ in its purest form.
buyers than what’s under the bonnet. He also vows that despite rivals
And given that most future owners such as Lotus and Porsche wavering
will have multiple cars, they can still on their electric ambitions, Jaguar will
get their petrol fix from other models stick to its guns: “No, we won’t be
in their garage. Stopping sales meant putting a plug-in hybrid in that lovely,
Jaguar’s volume slumped to just long bonnet,” he pledged.

RAWDON GLOVER Jaguar Managing Director

“WE DO NEED TO CREATE AND ATTRACTA NEW

CLIENT BASE, BUTWHAT GOT LOST IS THATWE
DO CARE ABOUT OUR EXISTING CUSTOMERS”
12 5March 2025
 NEWS

ean to alienate owners’’

c transformation

Merc plots end of EQ brand

MERCEDES’ era of
bespoke EQ models is
coming to an end, and as part of
this shift we’ll soon see an all-
electric version of the E-Class. ES90 will share much with EX90 SUV
The announcement was quietly
made within Mercedes’ latest
update on its future EVs and
Volvo’s new EV
technology. It said that alongside
a new electric GLC (which will saloon is starting
replace the EQC) and an electric
C-Class, “an all-new fully electric to take shape
E-Class will round out the picture”.
We expect it to be shown off in Current EQE will, in effect, be replaced by electric version of the E-Class THE new Volvo ES90 electric saloon
late 2026 ahead of a 2027 launch will be revealed this week, and the
– after the new electric CLA, GLC E-Class is more likely to utilise coincide with the mid-life brand has confirmed the BMW i5
and C-Class. When it arrives, an Mercedes’ upcoming MB.EA facelift of the current internal- rival will have up to 435 miles of
electric E-Class will in effect platform. This is an electric-only combustion-engine E-Class, range and the fastest charging
replace the existing EQE. This architecture designed for mid- which by that point would be speeds of any Volvo EV.
strategy will be seen across other size and large vehicles, which has marking its fourth birthday. Volvo claims drivers will be able
EQ models and we’ve already had reportedly been put on hold to Despite the two cars sitting on to add 186 miles of range in just 10
confirmation that the S-Class and push through other cars to be different platforms, they could be minutes, or 10 to 80 per cent in 20
GLB are among those to gain built on the Mercedes Modular quite similar on the inside, most minutes via a 350kW charging point.
electric alternatives. Architecture (MMA). likely using the three-screen Volvo has also shared yet more
Rather than being based on the The launch of the electric ‘Superscreen’ layout offered in darkened teaser images of the
EQE’s EVA2 platform, the electric E-Class in 2027 could neatly the current petrol saloon. ES90. These reveal a rear lighting
signature similar to the EX90’s
(below), and it has a sleek profile,

Next GLC spotted testing

a steeply raked windscreen and a
sloped, fastback-style roofline. We
can also make out a small nodule at
the top of the windscreen, which
indicates it will feature the same
Automedia

NEW spy images of the all-

electric Mercedes GLC have SPIED LiDAR technology as the EX90.
We can also look to the saloon’s
surfaced, revealing more details SUV sibling for battery and motor
about the critical new SUV that configurations. That means the
we can now confirm will be ES90 will probably be launched
arriving in 2026. with a single 107kWh battery, and
In contrast to the prototypes dual motors for all-wheel drive.
we’ve previously seen, these new Visit autoexpress.co.uk from
images reveal a car that’s much 5 March to see it in the metal.
closer to production, and with it a
series of fairly substantial design
changes to the front-end. upright grille and bonnet –
This includes the production- different from the design we’ve
relevant headlights that are come to expect from its EVs.
smaller and lower-set, and more The new GLC will precede
in-keeping with Merc’s current the electric C-Class, which is
ICE model range, plus a more also due in 2026.

www.autoexpress.co.uk 5 March 2025 13

NEWS Pick-up tax changes

Manufacturers speak out as

pick-up tax deadline looms
Chris INSIGHT New HMRC rules come into force from April that reclassify
double-cab trucks as passenger cars rather than commercial vehicles
Rosamond
[email protected]

BUYERS of double-cab pick-

ups who pay company car tax
or claim capital allowances have one
month to order new vehicles before
new HMRC tax rules kick-in on 6 April.
Double-cabs are currently treated
as commercial vehicles for company
car Benefit-in-Kind tax, meaning
users have a flat-rate BiK liability of
£3,950. From April, however, they’ll
be considered as passenger cars,
and subject to CO2 emissions-based FORD UK
BiK rates as high as 37 per cent.
Capital allowances will also be cut
for business users, who will in future
“IFTHE GOVERNMENTWILL NOT RECONSIDER ITS DECISION, IT
be able to offset much less of a
double-cab’s price against tax.
SHOULD – ATA MINIMUM – CONSIDER A DEFERRALTO 2026”
The changes follow a court ruling
that double-cabs are equally suited

Most EV chargepoint issues

to carrying goods or people, and
therefore can’t demonstrate the

can be fixed over the phone

required ‘predominant suitability’ for
goods, needed for classification as
commercial vehicles.
Manufacturers have hit out at THE vast majority of public EV
the changes, saying the costs will chargepoint issues can be solved
hit small businesses hard. via a quick phone call – so says
“The change in taxation to double- the AA’s latest Recharge Report,
cab pick-up vehicles is a rash move which also revealed the most
by the Government that will have a common problems faced by
big impact on UK business,” a Ford drivers using public chargers.
spokesperson told Auto Express. When users encounter issues or
The company considers its Ranger have queries regarding charging cent of calls, with one in six issues
double-cab to be a work truck, with infrastructure, there is typically a concerning digital difficulties –
businesses relying on its capability phone number somewhere on the signing up for and into apps etc.
to carry heavy loads and to tow. device. The AA has been assisting The improving reliability of the
“Double-cab pick-ups are an chargepoint operators with calls UK public charging network is
essential tool for the farming and for five years and in its experience, reflected in the fact that only
agricultural sector, construction, 95 per cent of niggles are quickly three per cent of calls were
transport and small business owners resolved during a phone call. regarding an out-of-order
such as landscape gardeners, who The association says drivers’ chargepoint. The AA’s head of
rely on the extra space not only for most common complaint is an roads policy, Jack Cousens, said:
passengers but additional stowage, inability to start or finish a “As the Government is now
which will now carry a significant charging session, accounting for capturing the reliability of the
premium for many,” Ford said. 27 per cent of calls combined. network, operators will be
The company sold 20,000 Rangers Pricing enquiries and stuck desperate to top the charts for
in the UK last year, and believes that cables each make up seven per their units being ready to use.”
at least two-thirds of customers will

14 5 March 2025 www.autoexpress.co.uk

 OFFICIAL
NEWS

Prices start at £38,110 for 308 (left) and £41,500 for 408

Alpine updates A110 range Near50-mile EVrange for

newPeugeotplug-inhybrids
for final year of production PEUGEOT has introduced a new plug-in hybrid powertrain
ALPINE is celebrating its 70th wheels, with track-focused Michelin for its 308 hatchback, 308 SW estate and 408 fastback.
anniversary and the final year of Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres, an Akrapovic This replaces the existing PHEV powertrain, and Peugeot is
the current, petrol-powered A110 by exhaust and a 296bhp turbocharged quoting an electric range of 49 miles for the 308s, and 48
launching two new variants of its mid- four-cylinder petrol engine that for the 408 – around 15 miles more than the old version.
engined sports car. produces 340Nm of torque. The A110 The new set-up is similar to the previous one, pairing a
The limited-edition A110 R 70 is taking GTS, meanwhile, gets the chassis turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine with a 124bhp
over as the range-topping model, and is set-up from the A110 S it replaces and is e-motor and battery pack. However, the latest system
priced from £103,345. Meanwhile, the available in five new colours: Peacock drives the wheels via a new seven-speed dual-clutch auto
new A110 GTS (from £67,311) replaces Blue, Acropolis Orange, Solar Orange, transmission, rather than the previous eight-speed unit.
the existing GT and S versions. The base Eclipse Blue and Steel Grey. Peak combined power is rated at 192bhp for the 308, and
A110 remains, but now starts at £55,160. An optional aero kit based on the R 222bhp for the 408, with peak torque at 380Nm in both.
This fresh line-up goes on sale in May. will be available with the GTS, featuring CO2 emissions have also been reduced to 18g/km, which
Customers will have 12 months to place a front splitter, side skirts, rear diffuser drops the BiK tax rate to just nine per cent, a four per cent
an order before the current A110 makes and a carbon-fibre spoiler. Buyers will reduction over the model based on the current 2025 rates.
way for its all-electric replacement. be able to add 18-inch GT Race wheels,
Just 770 examples of the A110 R 70 with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres.

Valentino Rossi honoured

will be produced, featuring nods to the The GTS will be powered by the same
brand’s birthday such as ‘A70’ logos on 296bhp turbocharged four-cylinder

with BMW special edition

the front wings, as well as on the fuel engine as the R 70, while the entry-level
cap, door sill and headrest. model gets a 248bhp version.
The R 70 receives the same chassis as PAGE 36: Road test – Alpine A110S
the outgoing A110 R, featuring bespoke vs Ford Mustang GT

BIRTHDAY
Interior of limited-
edition R70 gets
numbered plaque,
while 70 cars will
each be painted
in red, white and
blue to reflect the
French flag

THIS is the BMW M4 CS VR46 special edition, named in

celebration of the legendary MotoGP champion and now
BMW works driver Valentino Rossi, plus his legendary 46
race number. This figure is also the number that will be built.
BMW will offer the VR46 in Sport and Style trims, both
with the M4 CS’s upgrades over the ‘standard’ Competition
models, with unique suspension and 542bhp.
Finally, buyers of the VR46 will also be given an audience
with Rossi himself during a two-day visit to Italy, including
a day at the Misano World Circuit for a BMW M Driving
experience with the latest M models.

www.autoexpress.co.uk 5 March 2025 15

NEWS Electric Bentley SUV

New Bentley EVwill set f

Paul INTERVIEW Luxury brand’s Chief Executive reveals all to Auto Express

Barker TEASER
Only vague silhouette
[email protected] images have been shown
of the new SUV to date
BENTLEY’S first electric
model will herald a new design
direction inside and out for the British
brand when it’s unveiled late next year.
A smaller SUV sibling to the petrol
Bentayga will hit roads during the first
half of 2027, and Bentley CEO Frank-
Steffen Walliser told Auto Express
that, while not completely revolutionary,
the styling will surprise. “A new car

Atelier Edition marks

should take a little bit of time; if you terms of the driver interface, and
like it immediately, it loses excitement “everything you can see and touch”.
relatively quickly,” he said. “If it needs There won’t be a purge on buttons,
a little bit of time to get familiar with it
from different angles, and after a year
you are still excited to see different
but a new touchscreen system will
allow more tech to be packaged.
“With the technology, you have
Bentayga’s birthday
things, then it went right.” more possibilities so you need a user THIS year marks a decade accompanied by self-levelling
Although described as a bigger interface that can handle it,” he said. of the Bentley Bentayga, wheel badges, a ‘jewel’ filler
step than previous new Bentleys, the “With Bentley, nobody is pushing to so to keep it feeling as luxurious cap and ambient lighting with
“first part of the transition of Bentley” get all of the buttons out of the car; as you’d expect, a new limited Bentley Diamond Illumination
won’t be a complete reinvention. some cannot be replaced by a edition has joined the line-up. on the doors.
“People should recognise the Bentley touchscreen. [It] is helpful for the The Atelier Edition introduces Other exterior details include
behind it; it should make steps, but navigation system, for example, but new paint finishes and interior unique badges on the front
keep the DNA so you recognise you don’t want to have a lot of buttons combinations, with five Mulliner wing, plus a satin finish to the
elements of Bentleys [from] the past.” to navigate through; it must be direct legacy exterior colours to 22-inch alloys and trim on the
Walliser said the new car’s styling access and easy to understand.” choose from: Light Onyx, rear wing, and front and rear
will influence replacements for the Although Walliser wouldn’t be Rubino, Porcelain, Quartzite bumpers. There’s also a subtle
Bentayga, Flying Spur and Continental drawn on pricing, range or battery and Light Emerald, along with tweak to the grille, with vertical
GT later in the decade, and told us technology, he did reveal that it will be a brand-new additional colour chrome vanes and a second
that the upcoming electric model will “north of 100kWh” – a powertrain likely – Obsidian Crystal. matrix-style grille behind.
introduce a new and more tech-laden to be shared with the electric Porsche Step inside and you’ll be What you can’t have with the
interior. Bentley’s boss revealed that Cayenne due this year. He emphasised greeted by a unique welcome Atelier Edition, however, is the
the cabin will be a big step forward in the importance of charging speed, light sequence, plus Atelier famous W12 engine; this is now
though, with a 10 to 80 per cent battery Edition sill plates. There’s also consigned to the history books.
charge target of under 20 minutes. standard Harmony Diamond Instead, the Atelier Edition
“We’re aiming for the Champions quilted upholstery, a five-seat comes with a twin-turbo V8 or
League of charging”, he said, with Comfort Specification layout a hybrid V6. Pricing hasn’t been
speeds of 270kW likely where ultra-fast and Bentley’s three-chamber revealed, but expect the Atelier
charging infrastructure is available. active air suspension called to command a significant
The Bentley EV will be built in the Dynamic Ride, along with rear- premium over the £170,000
UK and use the PPE platform shared wheel steering. These are cost of the standard model.
with Porsche and Audi, with no ICE
or hybrid version planned.

FRANK-STEFFEN WALLISER Bentley CEO

“A NEW CAR SHOULD TAKE A BIT OF TIME.

IF YOU LIKE IT IMMEDIATELY, IT LOSES
EXCITEMENT RELATIVELY QUICKLY”
16 5 March 2025
 NEWS

future design language

OFFICIAL

DVLA says ‘25’ looks like ‘SS’

GOING
Tesla’s website says just
over 30 new Model S and
Xs are for sale in the UK DVLAcracks
downonnaughty
Tesla Model S and X axed in UK newnumbers
Ellis drive here since 2023, when the
‘Virtual’ queues
MARCH is here, so in what

Hyde
new, heavily updated versions has become an Auto Express
of cars finally arrived.
At the time of writing, there for company’s tradition, we’ve put together
a list of some of the naughtiest
[email protected] are 24 new or ex-demo Model
Xs available on Tesla’s website,
Superchargers number plates that the DVLA
deems too rude for the road.
THE Tesla Model S and fewer than 10 factory-fresh ONE of the bugbears still Every March and September,
Model X are being pulled Model S cars listed. surrounding EV motoring is the DVLA issues new numbers,
from the UK, with the current However, while the Model S charging, and specifically featuring an ‘age identifier’ – in
stock set to be the last examples and Model X are being axed in waiting times. But Tesla is this case, ‘25’.
that’ll come to our shores. the UK, it doesn’t mark the end looking to tackle this issue It may seem entertaining –
The Model S was launched here for the pair. In fact, it appears by piloting ‘virtual queues’ we’d be lying if a couple of the
11 years ago in 2014. It not only that both will be getting more at its Superchargers. registrations below didn’t elicit a
established Tesla as a proper updates later this year. Tesla has said the virtual snigger from members of the Auto
car manufacturer, but it also Tesla’s vice president of queuing system would be Express team – but it’s something
paved the way for the countless engineering Lars Moravy told tested from the spring, at the DVLA takes very seriously.
premium-brand electric cars the Ride the Lightning podcast: “selected sites”. The The organisation holds two
available today, such as the “I think the upgrade the Model American company did meetings per year to ensure that
Porsche Taycan and BMW i5. S and X got a couple of years confirm it would implement no plates go into circulation that
The closely related, gullwing- ago was bigger than most a “wider rollout this year if it believes “may cause offence,
doored, seven-seat Model X did people thought, in terms of feedback is positive”. embarrassment or are
the same thing for electric SUVs. architecture and structure, and Details on how the considered to be in poor taste”.
It reached the UK in 2016, and the cars got a lot better too. queuing system will work The main concern for this most
within a couple of years, the “But we’ll give them some are unconfirmed but we recent set of registrations is the
Jaguar I-Pace, Audi Q8 e-tron love later this year,” he expect it to be within the number ‘25’ which, if you squint
and Mercedes EQC arrived to revealed, “and make sure Tesla app or in-car system. hard enough, can look a little like
try and steal some of the Tesla’s they receive some of the It should remember ‘SS’. This has led to some rather
thunder. Now, a new electric SUV stuff we’ve been putting in drivers as they enter the fruity combinations like
seems to be launched almost the Model 3 and Model Y.” station, to avoid arguments ‘TO25 ERR’ and ‘AS25 HOL’ not
every other week. about who’s next in line. making the cut. The DVLA also
Importantly, the Model S and
Model X are being removed from
“WHILE THE MODEL S AND Despite this, the brand said
less than one per cent of its
wants to avoid people using their
cars to promote certain political
sale in the UK, which isn’t that
X ARE BEING AXED IN THE Supercharger users issues, with ‘25 RUS’ or ‘25 UKR’
surprising, because the pair have UK,THIS DOESN’T MARK experience a wait. also being withheld for
only been available in left-hand THE END FOR THE PAIR” obvious reasons.

www.autoexpress.co.uk 5 March 2025 17

REPORT Electric future

Chris CLIMATE CHANGE COMMITTEE’S ANNUAL REPORT IS DISMISSIVE OF

Rosamond infrastructure network as key to a rapid acceleration of take-up, but
[email protected] enabling a successful shift to zero- said incentives must be provided. PLUGGINGIN
emission transport,” our source said. The report claimed the transition By 2040, the CCC says
NEARLY 80 per cent of drivers Similar views were expressed by will be “propelled by the falling cost of that more than 80 per
must be driving EVs by 2040, Mike Hawes, chief executive of the batteries, which allows electric cars to cent of drivers should
but there’s “no role for hydrogen” on Society of Motor Manufacturers and reach price parity with comparable have electric cars
the roads, according to the latest Traders. He said: “The transition to petrol-electric and diesel cars by 2026
advice from the UK Climate Change zero-emission transport should take to 2028. After this point, EVs will be
Committee (CCC). a technology-neutral approach, cheaper to buy and run, making them
The CCC is a statutory body of allowing all technologies and fuels – the clear choice for many buyers and
environmentalists charged with including hydrogen – to form part of allowing sales to accelerate beyond
setting out a pathway to reach the the decarbonised future. the minimum levels set out in the
UK’s 2050 net-zero commitment via “Many manufacturers are investing zero-emission vehicle mandate.
its annual ‘carbon budget’. Its advice in hydrogen for the UK and European “Market mechanisms improve
has previously been adopted, but the markets, and it could have a incentives to take the action required
CCC’s view that hydrogen should significant role to play for hardest-to- and provide a consistent basis for
have no place in the UK’s strategy electrify applications, such as certain markets to grow and competition to
to decarbonise roads is meeting HGV and off-highway use cases. develop. Examples include the zero-
resistance from within the car “The UK must also consider emission vehicle mandate and the
industry, which is forging ahead with adjacent market strategies given clean heat market mechanism,” it
hydrogen-fuelled developments. the importance of cross-border continued, adding that for both EVs
Indeed, some of the biggest traffic, especially freight, and that and heat pumps, there is evidence
players are making huge investments. means investing in relevant of significant misinformation about
“Toyota, globally, has just announced infrastructure to enable free-flowing their reliability and cost.
development of a third-generation traffic movements irrespective of “Effective, trusted public
fuel cell system, as part of its technology,” said Hawes, referring to engagement is important to address
continuing efforts towards realising a the European Commission’s strategy this,” the report said. “For example,
hydrogen society,” a UK spokesman of rolling out significant hydrogen 30 per cent of people wrongly see
for the Japanese company told Auto refuelling infrastructure across Europe. electric cars as being expensive to
Express, adding that the tech is The CCC’s seventh annual carbon run and maintain, and 40 per cent
suitable for both commercial vehicles budget, published on 26 February, wrongly believe that electric cars
and passenger cars. also predicted that the falling price are no more environmentally friendly
That sentiment was echoed by of EVs after 2026 will contribute to than petrol or diesel cars.”
a spokesman from BMW UK, who
commented: “We view FCEVs as MIKE HAWES Chief Executive, Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders
complementing our other electrified
powertrains. In the long term, we are “THE TRANSITION TO ZERO- HYDROGEN HIGHWAY
convinced that a second emission-
free drive system variant will make EMISSION TRANSPORT SHOULD BMW and Toyota are both forging
sense. Support for the use of green
hydrogen in the transport sector is
TAKE ATECHNOLOGY-NEUTRAL ahead with fuel cell plans despite
the committee’s resistance
an important step on the road to APPROACH,ALLOWING ALL
climate-neutral mobility and
hydrogen can act as a clean energy
TECHNOLOGIES AND FUELS –
carrier to help to reduce carbon INCLUDING HYDROGEN – TO
emissions in the transport sector.”
BMW also confirmed it has FORM PART OFTHE
emphasised the importance of DECARBONISED
FUTURE
hydrogen refuelling stations in its
response to the Government’s recent
ZEV consultation. “We see a well
developed and accessible [hydrogen]

18 5March 2025
 CONSUMER REPORT
EV BUYERS ARE QUIDS
IN, SAYS NEW REPORT

FUEL CELLTECH, DESPITE MAJOR CAR INDUSTRYINVESTMENT

Experts assessed 50 electric cars

EV drivers save an average of

almost £6,000 over the course
of ownership compared with
either a petrol or diesel car.
That’s according to a study
by ElectricVehicles.uk, which
evaluated 480 different
scenarios across typical four-
year and five-year terms of
ownership for new and used
vehicles, respectively.
The electric car advice site
took into account mileage and
how and where the car was
charged, across 15 new and 35
used electric models. And it
found that in four years, new-
car buyers in 2025 would save an
average of around £7,785 over
an equivalent petrol model.
The study shows that 97 per
cent of buyers charging at home
save money, thanks to huge EV
discounts and the rock-bottom
cost of plugging-in at a wallbox.
However, this drops to just
60 per cent of owners without
home charging who drive 5,000
miles a year – and to 46 per cent
if they cover over 10,000 miles.
EVUK also found that 80 per

£120M BOOST EXTENDS PLUG-INVAN GRANT INTO 2026 cent of used EVs are cheaper to
buy than an equivalent petrol
variant. However, used owners
THE Government has responded to calls to back electric cars as well. The plug-in car grant, which only save an average of £3,440
incentives for electric van sales, by extending offered taxpayer-funded cash to EV buyers, was axed over five years – again largely
the plug-in van grant for another year, until 2026. by the previous Government in 2022, while the plug-in dependent on overnight top-ups.
According to the Department for Transport, the van grant for business users was due to end this year. Those able to use a wallbox
grant has helped to sell over 80,000 electric and zero- Industry and climate campaigners will be hoping the can save more than £5,000
emission vans since its launch, and £120million has stay of execution indicates a change of mindset at across five years, according
been allocated to extend the scheme. the DfT and the Treasury over the to EVUK, and while it does say
We are still waiting for the controversial question of whether those without a driveway can
Government’s response to its taxpayer cash should be handed to save money, the organisation’s
consultation over changes to the ZEV buyers who can afford new EVs. methodology involves using
Mandate, at which point we’ll know Either way, van buyers – along with slow, rapid and ultra-rapid
whether it’s listened to pleas from cab drivers and wheelchair accessible chargers, which may not
industry and the Climate Change vehicle users – stand to benefit from reflect every owner’s
Committee to boost incentives for the extended plug-in van scheme. usage patterns.

www.autoexpress.co.uk 5 March 2025 19

FIRST FOR

FIRST DRIVE Minor facelift and new tech keep

big-selling small SUV competitive against rivals

Richard ESSENTIALS

Ingram Vauxhall Mokka Electric

Ultimate 54kWh
[email protected] Price: £36,270 On sale: Now

24 TESLA
MODEL Y
Updates make EV better to drive
THE Vauxhall Mokka may not be a
household name in the same way as its
Powertrain: 51kWh battery, 1x e-motor
Power/torque: 154bhp/260Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic,
Astra and Corsa siblings are, but it’s still an front-wheel drive
immensely important model for the brand. It’s 0-62/top speed: 9.0 seconds/93mph
a regular fixture in the UK’s top 10 best-selling Range: 249 miles
cars, with its wide choice of powertrains giving it Max charging: 100kW (0-80% in 30min)
an edge in a hotly contested part of the market. Size (L/W/H): 4,150/1,987/1,534mm
Yet barely a week goes by without a new
B-segment SUV joining the ranks – either from
Europe or, more likely these days, China. To keep
things competitive, Vauxhall has treated its cluster and within Vauxhall’s ‘Vizor’ instrument
popular Mokka to a subtle nip and tuck, plus panel; both are bright and easy to read.
a set of tech revisions, for 2025. Elsewhere, there’s a new steering wheel, which

26 BMW
iX M70
SUV is more appealing than ever
The styling is broadly unchanged, with the
external tweaks limited to a reprofiled bumper
and a new three-block lighting signature front
is slightly flatter and squarer than before, with
redesigned buttons that are intuitive enough to
use on the move. The centre stack still features
and rear. The EV gets an updated alloy wheel easy-to-operate rotary climate controls, although
design and there are a few new paint options, there are now fewer physical buttons below the
including the gloss metallic Colibri Blue (a £700 main screen. We didn’t find this an issue, however.
option) of our test car. But the second- Vauxhall says the fabrics used are now
generation Mokka was always a smart-looking recycled, and quality, in general, is pretty good
thing, so it makes sense not to have messed – certainly for a car in this class. The seats are
with the aesthetic all that much. comfortable enough for 150 miles or so; any more
Inside, all versions now get a 10-inch central than that and you’ll have to stop and charge, anyway.
screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android We tested the latest Mokka on a cool day (five
Auto. It’s a robust system, and held our to seven degrees) with occasional rain, returning
connection faultlessly during the time we spent efficiency of around 3.7-3.8mi/kWh. That

28 CUPRA
LEON ST
Spanish estate packs a punch
with the car, even if the screen itself isn’t the
most responsive or easy to navigate. The main
display sits next to a fully digital instrument
translates to about 190 miles of range (versus an
official rating of 249 miles), or a little less if you’re
sitting at a constant 70mph on the motorway. The

www.autoexpress.co.uk
 DRIVES

ON THE ROAD
Revised Mokka feels little different to pre-facelift
car, but that’s no bad thing. It’s an undemanding –
if ultimately a little unexciting – car to drive

optional £400 heat pump is a very worthwhile

investment, although it’s probably best to see the
Mokka as a capable urban runaround that’s suited
to an occasional long run if the need arises.
We emphasise the word ‘occasional’ there,
because the Vauxhall’s unchanged 100kW peak
charging speed means that while a zero to 80 per
cent top-up should take just 30 minutes, it lags
behind newer models such as the Kia EV3 (150kW)
and forthcoming Skoda Elroq (175kW). The Mokka’s

5 March 2025 21
FIRST DRIVE Vaxhall Mokka

new 54kWh battery will easily charge to full on

a 7kW home wallbox overnight, however.
There is, as mentioned, still a choice of petrol
and hybrid variants – each with around 130bhp,
the latter with a little electrical assistance and an
automatic gearbox. We’ve not sampled either in
the Mokka, but have tried them in some of its
Stellantis siblings and the base version should feel PRACTICALITY
sprightly enough, while the hybrid is moderately There’s plenty of
more efficient, claiming up to 57.8mpg. The EV will room up front for two
be the smart choice for business users or those who adults, and in the
can charge at home on an off-peak energy tariff. rear; boot space is
On the road, the new Mokka doesn’t feel hugely par for the course
different. It’s still relatively grown up, and holds its
own on most surfaces and road types. In ‘Normal’
mode it has enough power for ‘normal’ driving;
‘Eco’ makes the Mokka feel quite lethargic, while “The Mokka is comfortable enough, mostly perfectly
‘Sport’ can feel a bit jerky in its responses.
The ‘B’ mode ramps up the regenerative braking, refined, relatively controlled and easy to manoeuvre”
and while it won’t bring the car to a complete stop,
it’s strong enough to reduce dependence on the
left pedal in town. Turn it off on faster roads and
it’ll still feed energy back into the battery when
coasting, albeit with significantly less aggression.
Otherwise, the driving experience is pretty
unremarkable. That’s not such a bad thing, though
– the Mokka is comfortable enough, perfectly
refined in most cases, relatively controlled and
easy to manoeuvre. A Ford Puma is more fun,
and a Skoda Kamiq is more comfortable. But
the Vauxhall is the kind of car you can hop in
and drive, without much drama or surprise.
The same is true for practicality and boot
space. Headroom is generous enough, but
taller adults may struggle behind similarly
sized drivers due to the inherent issue of
having such a short wheelbase. The 350-litre
boot (310 litres for the Mokka Electric) is
pretty much par for the course, although the
squarer tailgate and less-raked rear screen on
a Peugeot 2008 do make the French car more
versatile overall. The EV’s moveable boot floor
means there’s room to store the charging cable,
even if there’s no extra space under the bonnet.
And yet none of this matters if the Mokka can’t
mix it with the best when it comes to outright value

22 5March 2025 www.autoexpress.co.uk

 DRIVES

EQUIPMENT All Mokkas now come with a 10-inch central screen,

while fabrics used inside (above) are recycled. Entry-level Design car
gets 17-inch alloys, while top-spec Ultimate (left) has matrix LED lights

for money. This top-spec Electric Ultimate model GS trim costs just £1,200 and adds a sportier look VERDICT
does look expensive on list price (£36,270), but with a black roof and 18-inch wheels. You also get
the entry-level Design trim costs £31,420 with the a reversing camera and tinted rear windows. THERE’S nothing particularly innovative,
same battery and motor, and still comes with much If you do want all the bells and whistles, Ultimate interesting or out of the ordinary in isolation,
of the kit you’d consider necessary in this kind of spec will tick a lot of boxes, however. It comes with but myriad small changes add up to make the
car; LED lights, 17-inch alloy wheels, cruise control matrix lights, keyless entry, heated seats and a updated Vauxhall Mokka a better car than it
and those twin 10-inch screens are all included. heated steering wheel, additional ADAS features was before. It’s simple to drive, reasonably
Of course, if you’re not looking for an EV, the and built-in navigation for the infotainment display. efficient and practical enough for small
otherwise appealing petrol starts at £23,480 with a Vauxhall says a petrol-engined Ultimate is only families, but this top-spec electric version is
manual gearbox, so unless you’re keen to slash your around £50 more per month than a GS over four hard to justify alongside the cheaper trims
Benefit-in-Kind bill and run a Mokka as a company years, with a £2,000 deposit – although that rises and petrol powertrains – not to mention the
car, this will make a lot more sense. Upgrading to to roughly £90 per month with identical EVs. swelling crop of affordable EVs coming soon.

www.autoexpress.co.uk 5 March 2025 23

FIRST DRIVE Tesla Model Y

Tesla Model Y
FIRST DRIVE Revisions make a big difference to electric SUV,
although some of the older criticisms with the car still remain

Lena Trautermann many people, it’s now more composed, yet still
FOR many, the most exciting news about the pleasantly direct, ensuring the driving experience
facelifted Tesla Model Y concerns its price. Contrary is sufficiently sporty for a car of this type.
to expectations, the heavily revised new car still The improved sound insulation boosts refinement,
starts at £44,990 for the single-motor standard and therefore comfort. Where the old Model Y let
range variant, yet offers a good level of standard in significant wind noise at higher speeds, you are
equipment and few expensive option packages. noticeably better isolated from the outside world
Design-wise, the Model Y takes inspiration from in the updated version. This is made possible by
the polarising Cybertruck, which isn’t available in new materials and some extra padding inside, but
the UK or Europe. The SUV’s overall shape hasn’t also by special glazing that absorbs noise better.
changed that much, but there’s a full-width LED The facelift has seen Tesla say goodbye to the
light bar at the front with separate headlights in classic gear selector on the steering column, too.
the lower bumper, while to the rear there’s another Instead, the forward and reverse gears, plus park,
light bar hidden within the tailgate. The number are selected using touch gestures on the central
plate has been moved to the bumper, too. That display. This sounds like it might take some getting
decision won’t be to all tastes, but it certainly gives used to, but in practice it’s surprisingly quick and
the now five-year-old Model Y a fresh lease of life. intuitive, especially when manoeuvring.
However, if Tesla wants to continue to expand One lever that did survive the revamp – unlike on
its already wide customer base, the latest model the latest Model 3 – is the indicator stalk, and that
needs to improve in one or two other areas. In works in typically Tesla fashion, with a quick tap
particular, weaknesses in the chassis and steering enough to activate it. The car then decides when it
were criticised on the outgoing car, with the Model should be switched off again. Most of the time this
Y suffering from a stiff ride and relatively poor works well, but on the odd occasion – for example
refinement levels. According to the firm, these
have now been addressed, and on the basis of our
first drive in an early production car in Germany,
the tweaks have been broadly successful.
We tried the top version with 444bhp, all-wheel
drive and the long-range battery. Tesla remains
silent about the specifics of the power pack, but
a figure of 78.4kWh seems to be commonly
accepted. In terms of range, that means a
maximum 353 miles, according to WLTP figures.
After just a few miles behind the wheel, it
becomes apparent that the chassis is now more
balanced compared with its predecessor. It’s still
taut, but while the pre-facelift Model Y dealt with
every little bump straight away, the newcomer irons
them out with noticeably more confidence, thanks
to revised suspension at the front and rear.
At the same time, the Model Y is more stable and
the ride feels safer and smoother, especially when
driving quickly on main roads. The steering has also
been revised; while it was previously too twitchy for

“On the basis of our first drive

in an early production car in
Germany,Tesla’s tweaks have
been broadly successful”
24 5March 2025 www.autoexpress.co.uk
 DRIVES
ESSENTIALS
Tesla Model Y
Launch Edition
Price: £59,990 On sale: Now
Powertrain: 78kWh battery, 2x e-motors
Transmission: Single-speed automatic,
four-wheel drive
Power: 444bhp
0-62/top speed: 4.1 seconds/125mph
Range/Max. charging: 353 miles/250kW
Size (L/W/H): 4,790/1,921/1,624mm

ON THE ROAD
Tweaks have improved the Model Y’s
steering, which now feels more sporty
and composed than in the old version

“The updated Model Y ushers in many small but noticeable

improvements that make the overall package more rounded”

when changing lanes twice in quick succession – it PRACTICALITY

turns off too early. Tesla’s Autopilot system is also The second row seats fold flat to increase the
still an optional extra, and as before it maintains boot capacity to 2,130 litres. When they’re in
speed and keeps the car in its lane, while use, passengers get their own touchscreen
monitoring the distance to the vehicle in front.
In practice, it does deliver a more relaxed way to VERDICT
travel, but there is an annoying peculiarity; if you
UPGRADED CONTROLS actively intervene by moving the steering wheel, THE new Tesla Model Y retains some of the
Suspension revisions The indicator stalk is not only does the lane-departure warning feature quirks of its predecessor, and so comes with
were apparent on our still present – unlike switch off, so does the entire system. many of the same criticisms. But there are
early production car, on the Tesla Model 3 Overall, though, the updated Model Y ushers also lots of small improvements that make
which felt more – but it can switch in many small but noticeable improvements that it a more comfortable and refined package.
comfortable and off too early in make the overall package more rounded and better To our eyes, it looks smarter than before, too.
stable than before certain situations suited to everyday use. We will have a full drive of Thanks to the fact that pricing is unchanged,
Tesla’s newcomer on UK roads in the near future. it remains an attractive BEV option.

www.autoexpress.co.uk 5 March 2025 25

FIRST DRIVE BMW iX M70

Alex ESSENTIALS
Ingram BMW iX
M70
[email protected]
Price: £114,205 On sale: Now
IF there’s been a breakout of itchy scalps in Powertrain: 108.9kWh battery, 2x e-motors
the R&D centres of Audi and Mercedes since Power/torque: 650bhp/1,100Nm
2021, we suspect the BMW iX is to blame. The Transmission: Single-speed automatic,
Munich brand’s flagship SUV not only managed to four-wheel drive
beat its rivals for comfort and refinement, but could 0-62/top speed: 3.8 seconds/155mph
handle like a car that weighs half a tonne less, too. Range: 373 miles
The atmosphere must have been so awkward in Max charging: 195kW (10-80% in 35min)
Ingolstadt and Stuttgart that you’d have been able Size (L/W/H): 4,965/1,970/1,695mm
to hear a pin drop. Or you would have, had it not been
for all that head scratching from the engineers…
Now, nervous teeth-chattering might be about
to join that constant background noise, because
the iX has been treated to a mid-life refresh which
aims to take things a step further – quite a feat
when the Mercedes EQE and EQS, plus the Audi
Q8 e-tron were already struggling to keep up.
It’s fair to say that the alternatives from Audi and
Mercedes look a touch less polarising, though, and
BMW hasn’t decided to tone down the iX’s bold
face in its latest iteration. The front grille has gained EASE OF USE The iX will be one of the
new detailing, but still keeps its rodent-toothed last BMWs to use the rotary iDrive controller,
shape, which can now be highlighted further on while gear selector toggle is simple to operate
models with an illuminated grille surround. The
headlights have also gained revised graphics that means that the xDrive45 is capable of up to 374
look slightly sharper than before. miles of range on the WLTP cycle – 40 per cent
In the range-topping M70 iteration driven here, more than the outgoing car.
the iX is even more menacing. The new front Above it sits a new xDrive60 model. Compared
bumper has huge vertical strakes at its extremities with its predecessor, it’s up by a more modest 15bhp
to further emphasise an already significant width, (now at 537bhp) and reaches 62mph half a second
while the lower front bumper treatment apes the sooner than the 45. It gains a larger battery, with a
design found on the latest M5. Things are a little 109.1kWh usable capacity promising a WLTP range
cleaner around the back, with the M70 gaining a of 435 miles. The xDrive45 charges at up to 175kW,
mock diffuser. Dramatic-looking 22-inch wheels while the xDrive60 and the M70 can hit 195kW.
fill the chunky arches nicely, and there’s also a That M70 gets a fairly serious powertrain, too. would in most situations. Four-wheel steering, air-
range of new exterior colours to choose from. Its twin-motor set-up offers 650bhp, along with a suspension and, in the case of the M70, M-specific
Inside, the iX’s concept car-like cabin was already mind-bending 1,100Nm of torque; the same torque tuning for the anti-roll bars, steering and brakes,
a high point, and not much has been messed with. figure as the outgoing M60, but with an extra 31bhp make it feel incredibly agile for its size.
There are some new material options, and the M70 to play with. Engage launch control, and it’ll throw We can’t really comment on the ride until we drive
gets a three-spoke steering wheel in place of the its hefty kerbweight – all 2,580kg of it – from it in the UK, because Spanish roads are generally
two-spoke one that it had previously, but otherwise 0-62mph in a mere 3.8 seconds. smoother. However, initial impressions suggest the
it’s the same clean look, complemented by slick On the road, it feels every bit as quick as those M70 won’t be too different from the outgoing M60: still
infotainment tech. It’s not short on space for numbers suggest, and that acceleration feels all comfortable, but not as silken as standard iX models.
people in the back, although some rivals offer the more surreal when there’s so little drama going Likewise, we’ll have to reserve judgement on the
greater capacity than the iX’s 500-litre boot. on elsewhere. This is one of the quietest, most promised efficiency improvements, because our
But the key changes come under the skin, with a refined cars money can buy, after all. twisty test routes weren’t particularly conclusive.
range of upgraded powertrain and battery options. The iX’s party piece, however, is how it can It’s fair to say that frugality wasn’t a former iX
A new base model, the xDrive45, replaces the combine this performance and refinement without strong point, so any improvement is welcome.
previous 40, adding 81bhp to now deliver 402bhp. feeling all at sea through the corners. On the Prices for the xDrive45 start from £75,305
This knocks a second off the old car’s 0-62mph challenging, twisty roads that snaked into the hills and while that’s a little up on its predecessor, the
time, achieving the benchmark in 5.1 seconds. around our Barcelona test route, the weight felt no significant boost in range makes it justified. It’s
More important is the new battery on board, more unwieldy than a mid-sized executive saloon lower than the other options in the range. You’ll need
which sees the capacity of the entry car climb to do lots of long trips to justify the extra range of
by 30 per cent to 94.8kWh. In addition to new “The iX’s party piece, however, the xDrive60 given that it starts from £93,105,
inverter technology for the electronics to improve while the M70 costs from £114,205. Considering
efficiency, plus a range of other measures including
is howwell it can combine this that the compromised EQE SUV starts at a similar
low rolling-resistance wheel bearings and tyres, it performance and refinement” price, the BMW is more appealing than ever.

26 5 March 2025 www.autoexpress.co.uk

 DRIVES
ON THE ROAD
Despite a huge kerbweight
of 2,655kg, the iX handles
and performs like a
smaller, more agile car

FIRST DRIVE Mid-life revisions make

electric SUV more appealing than ever

FUTURISTIC LOOKS
The 2025 revisions aren’t too extreme, meaning
that the iX combines its striking concept-car
looks with a new illuminated grille surround

VERDICT ____`
EVER since its launch, the iX has blown away
rivals with its ride, handling and refinement,
and this remains the case with the new version,
which has a healthy dose of extra range and
performance. The dynamics are astounding –
a car this big and heavy has no right to drive so
well. But the base xDrive45 model is £30,000
cheaper, and that’s where our cash would go.

5 March 2025 27
FIRST UK DRIVE Cupra Leon ST 333

“Cupra has been given

access to theVolkswagen
Group’s latest hardware,
and the Leon STnow has
the same 328bhp output
as theVWGolf R”

ON THE ROAD The Leon ST is refined under

Jordan normal driving conditions, but delivers plenty of
fun and performance when you turn up the wick
Katsianis

Cupra
overspeed one of the rear wheels to subtly help
[email protected] improve the car’s agility, or less subtly, create a
sense of oversteer when pushed.
LAST year, Cupra’s Leon hatchback and Our mid-level VZ2 test car didn’t have the VZ3’s
ST estate models were given substantial heavy-duty Akebono brakes or carbon-backed
updates to more closely align them to their more bucket seats, but the chunky discs and calipers
esoteric range mates, the Born and Tavascan. do a great job of stopping the car’s 1,651kg mass.
Yet thanks to the Leon models’ comparatively Inside, the 2024 update saw the infotainment
conservative design and a lack of an EV option, screen upgraded to a 12-inch display. It works very
they seem to have been sidelined somewhat. But well, with quick responses and a fairly clear menu FIRST UK DRIVE Spanish estate
to write them off would be a mistake, especially structure. The heater controls are built into a static
on the evidence of the new Leon ST TSI 333. bar at the base, and shortcuts to various menus are
plenty of practicality with some
As is tradition, sitting somewhere near the top of permanently mounted to the top. On the screen
the Leon ST range is a high-powered four-cylinder itself, you can switch between the likes of Apple
petrol model with an all-wheel drive system. The CarPlay and the car’s native system with ease.
difference here is that Cupra has been given access Space inside is good, but rear legroom is a touch
to the Volkswagen Group’s latest hardware. tight in comparison with EVs of a similar size. In
So while the EA888 powerplant is similar to the contrast, the boot has a huge 620-litre capacity –
old engine, it now has the same 328bhp output as only just shy of a full-size SUV such as the BMW X5.
in the latest Golf R. This is a fair chunk more than In normal driving, the engine is largely refined and
the 306bhp it produced before, and takes it above smooth, and the standard-fit adaptive dampers do
the Mercedes CLA 35 Shooting Brake and BMW X1 a great job, so despite occasionally thumping into
M35, which could be considered key rivals. Torque potholes, the car is comfortable on the whole. Up
is up to 420Nm, and drive is sent through a seven- the ante and you realise the 328bhp engine is
speed dual-clutch gearbox that’ll see 0-62mph particularly strong, giving a real sense of pace. The
dispatched in 4.8 seconds. Top speed is 155mph. steering is well weighted and the body controlled,
Like most cars in this class, the Leon’s all-wheel allowing you to drive with confidence at speed.
drive system is front-biased, but as in the Golf R Select the full-house Cupra mode and you’ll
and Audi RS 3, the Leon also packs in the clever be presented with a slightly over-augmented
torque-splitter rear differential. This is able to soundtrack as well as a more aggressive shift

28 5March 2025 www.autoexpress.co.uk

 DRIVES

Leon ST 333
ESSENTIALS
Cupra Leon ST
VZ2 TSI 333
Price: £48,410
On sale: Now
Powertrain: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
pattern for the transmission and rear differential. Power/torque: 328bhp/420Nm
e is a sound choice if you’re after The ride also tightens right up, but with a bit of Transmission: Seven-speed automatic,
fiddling in the driver modes you can mix and match all-wheel drive
understated high performance the various active elements to great effect. 0-62/top speed: 4.8 seconds/155mph
In Cupra mode the rear end will loosen up when Econ./emissions: 32.5-34.0mpg/188g/km
you get on the power early in a corner, helping the Size (L/W/H): 4,656/1,799/1,466mm
nose turn in, thanks to that differential. With a bit of
moisture on the road surface this will turn into more
overt oversteer, all of which can be gathered up
with a sustained push of the throttle.
These attributes make the Leon ST just as VERDICT
engaging as the more overtly sporting Audi RS 3
INTERIOR and Volkswagen Golf R, but the added practicality IN contrast to the Cupra Leon ST’s
The seats are of the Cupra’s estate body, attractive price and its rather dreary appearance, this high-
supportive and demure design make it all the more intriguing. performance TSI 333 version is a joy to
comfortable, The VZ2 spec’s electric seats, leather trim and drive. Its charismatic powertrain and
while the trim is big diamond-cut wheels aren’t exactly necessary, engaging chassis are paired with a well
typical of Cupras: but the VZ3’s performance goodies would be formed, practical estate body in this most
dark with a welcome if it weren’t for that car’s near-£52k price. unusually introverted Cupra. If you’re
sprinkling of However, at £44,905 for the base level VZ1, there looking for a fast, fun, under-the-radar
copper-coloured are few more capable and entertaining cars on the daily driver, the Leon ST 333 is a strong
accents road that will fit a baby buggy in the boot. option at a reasonable price.

5 March 2025 29
FEATURE Fast brands: Audi

Tom
Jervis
[email protected]

IN the iconography of motorsport, success IN THE BEGINNING

is often associated with a prancing horse or The origins of today's Audi Sport brand can
pony, or perhaps a silver three-pointed star. be traced right back to the Auto Union Grand
However, few emblems have found themselves Prix cars that raced in the thirties (above)
on the bonnet of so many successful competition
cars of varying types and breeds than the four desired: success in motorsport, specifically
sacred rings of Audi Sport. rallying. To showcase the potential of four-
Today, Audi operates under the motto ‘Vorsprung wheel drive in this space, chief engineer Jörg
durch Technik’ (Progress through Technology) – yet Bensinger took the Audi-developed Volkswagen
much of the ‘Vorsprung’ over the past few decades Iltis truck for winter testing and demonstrated
has been the result of the ‘Technik’ derived from how, despite producing half the power of
the brand’s sporting division. As the company prototype turbocharged Audi 80s, it was able
prepares to enter the pinnacle of motorsport next to pull away from them with ease.

FAST DS
year with the formation of the Audi F1 team, we After convincing Piëch with prototypes using
take a look back at the history of Audi Sport, get up the Iltis running gear raided from the VW Group
close and personal with some of its iconic road and parts bin and watching how modified Audi
race cars and find out what’s in store for the future. models were already seeing success through
private entries into rallying and the European

BNEWRSEARIENS #2 AUDI S
A BRIEF HISTORYOFAUDI SPORT Touring Car Championship, the Quattro project
In its current form, Audi has amassed fans and – which until then was known as ‘Development
countless wins in several categories across Order 262' – was given the green light. After a
motorsport, yet the beginning of its racing story short pre-production period, the Quattro made
is a rather uncomfortable one that began with its debut at the 1980 Geneva Motor Show, just
the formation of Auto Union in 1932. months before the start of the 1981 rally season,
The Auto Union merger of Audi, Horch, DKW equipped with a state-of-the-art permanent
and Wanderer was the brainchild of the then four-wheel drive system.
German chancellor, Adolf Hitler, who announced Yet, before any Quattro models could get
two things at the 1933 Berlin Motor Show – down and dirty in the WRC, Audi needed to
the People’s Car project, which would go on to secure a change in the rules, because up until
spawn the Volkswagen Beetle, and also a state- that point, four-wheel-drive cars were
sponsored racing programme. prohibited. In 1979, Audi convinced the FIA to
In the years following, Auto Union saw success amend the rules, with no one suspecting that
in Grand Prix racing, but the Second World War a 4WD vehicle – which were then still seen as
stopped its involvement with motorsport overnight. utilitarian workhorses – could ever be truly
It wasn’t until Ferdinand Porsche’s grandson, competitive. Boy, were they wrong.
Ferdinand Piëch, joined Audi in the early Seventies When the Audi Quattro made its first rally
that the brand began thinking about motorsport appearance at the 1981 Monte Carlo Rally, it
again. At the time, Audi lacked identity and had blew away the competition on the first stage,
been experimenting with Wankel rotary engines to with Swedish driver Hannu Mikkola finishing
try to get ahead of the German competition. Even a full minute ahead of the rest of the cars. The
before the ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ ad campaign Quattro, unfortunately, failed to keep up this
of the eighties, pushing the very boundaries of early promise for the remainder of the rally, but Audi Sport is the brand
technology was firmly instilled in the brand’s DNA. it was a snapshot of what was to come.
Yet the foresighted Piëch knew how the Audi It secured three wins during its debut WRC
brand could earn the credibility it so desperately season, including at the Sanremo Rally, during
which Michèle Mouton became the first woman
to win a world rally. It wasn’t until the following

“EVEN BEFORE THE ‘VORSPRUNG year, however, that the Quattro truly asserted
its dominance, with Audi Sport taking home
DURCH TECHNIK’AD CAMPAIGN the Constructors' Trophy and Mouton finishing
runner-up in the drivers’ championship.
OFTHE EIGHTIES, PUSHING THE Over a six-year period, the Quattro secured

VERYEDGE OFTECHNOLOGY two drivers’ and two constructors’ titles, as well

as three wins at Pikes Peak, courtesy of Mouton,
WAS FIRMLYINSTILLED WITHIN Bobby Unser and Walter Röhrl.
Head of Historical Collection at Audi Tradition,
THE BRAND’S MINDSET” Timo Witt, told Auto Express that the Quattro is

30 5 March 2025
 FEATURE

TIMO WITT Head of Historical

Collection at Audi Tradition

“THE QUATTRO
IS THE CAR THAT
HAS ULTIMATELY
SPORT HAD THE BIGGEST
IMPACT ON THE
AUDI SPORT BRAND”

RALLY HEROES
The original Quattro,
Quattro Sport and
Quattro Sport prototype
are among the WRC
icons to be found
among Audi's
historical collection

that put the Technik into Vorsprung and the four-wheel drive into rallying

5 March 2025 31
FEATURE Fast brands: Audi Sport

FAST DS
R A N
BNEW SERIES #2 AUDI SPORT

ROLF MICHL Managing Director, Audi Sport the even more high-performance RS 2, which
came just a few years later.
“THEAUDI SPORT BRAND The RS 2 was developed as part of a
collaboration between Audi and Porsche, at a
IS INAGREAT POSITION time before the sports-car brand was absorbed

AS WEHAVEFINE into the VW Group. With Audi already assembling

the 924 and 944 on Porsche's behalf, the
COMBUSTIONENGINES Stuttgart-based marque tuned the Audi
80-based RS 2’s five-cylinder engine to produce
AND VERYPOWERFUL 312bhp and gave it brakes, suspension, wheels

ELECTRIC ONES” and even wing mirrors from the 964-generation

911 of the time, which made the links between the
brands obvious. There was also the option of
“the car that has ultimately had the biggest unique RS Blue paint, which was offered on the
impact on the Audi Sport brand”. Chatting to us in RS 2 and no other Audi model.
the seat of the very first Audi Sport Quattro to be Yet it was a partnership with a different sports-
built – a 224-unit homologation special designed car maker that created what is arguably Audi
and made for the WRC Group B supercar series – Sport’s most iconic model yet, aside from
he explained that since the Quattro, Audi Sport perhaps the Quattro. Audi was yet to create a
has continued to use motorsport as a method in poster car, but that changed with the R8 in 2006.
which to turbocharge the success of its road With an exterior design almost identical to the
cars, both in a metaphorical and literal sense. Audi LeMans Quattro concept from the early
Witt explained: “When we raced the TDI Noughties and sharing many of its parts with
(diesel) version of the Le Mans-winning R10 the Lamborghini Gallardo (thanks to VW Group’s
Prototype back in 2006, there was a lot of acquisition of the Raging Bull in 1998), the R8
development work in terms of high-pressure was a revolution, its most iconic aspects being its
diesel injection systems, which eventually went contrasting side blades and, come the arrival of
into full production years later.” the Gallardo-derived V10 model in 2009, its full-
However, it’s the quattro four-wheel-drive LED headlights, which were an industry first.
system – spelt with a lower-case ‘q’ to As Audi’s new halo car, the R8 was a fixture
differentiate it from the car from which it derives on the bedroom walls of almost every young car
its name – that has made its way into almost enthusiast of the era and catapulted the brand
every subsequent Audi Sport road car, aside from into an era of sales success that peaked at more
the occasional outlier, such as the R8 RWD. than 1.9 million units worldwide in 2023. Securing
Following the Quattro, the first model to get success in GT3 and Endurance racing plus
the iconic ‘S’ Audi Sport designation was the S2 appearing in some of the biggest film
– a high-performance version of the Audi Coupé, blockbusters, the R8 was a phenomenon and
this was envisioned as a spiritual successor to the cemented Audi’s position as brand that could
Quattro. Perhaps more interesting, however, is produce truly desirable performance cars.

32 5March 2025 www.autoexpress.co.uk

 FEATURE

WHAT IS
QUATTRO?
QUATTRO is Audi’s unique four-wheel
drive system, pioneered by and fitted
to the original Audi Quattro in the early
eighties. It differed from other all-
wheel-drive set-ups of the time,
because rather than using a traditional
PIONEER transfer box, the first-generation
The short-wheelbase Quattro system used two driveshafts: a
Sport was developed for rally traditional one for the front wheels, and
homologation, sitting atop a another hollowed-out one, connected
chassis designed for forest stages to a central locking differential, and
powering the rear wheels.
The system has been gradually
refined and improved upon over time.
In 1987, for example, a torque-sensing
central differential was added that,
rather than distributing power 50:50
all of the time, could send as much as
75 per cent of power to either axle to
provide optimum traction. Now, with
the advent of Auto e-tron quattro
models, power is provided by two
electric motors, one sitting on each
of the front and rear axles, with an
electronic differential deciding
where (or not) to send power.

RS ICONOGRAPHY
Unique paint, blue seat inlays and
Porsche 964 alloys and mirrors define
the original Audi 80-based RS 2

GAME-CHANGER
The V10 R8 redefined perceptions of
Audi when it made its debut in 2006

5 March 2025 33
FAST DS
R A N
BNEW SERIES #2 AUDI SPORT

“CHARACTERISTICS WHICH DEFINE

THEAUDI SPORT BRAND TODAYARE
LIKELYTO CHANGE IN THE FUTURE”
WHAT DOES THE FUTURE OF with the Audi brand goes back to his father, who
AUDI SPORT LOOK LIKE? owned an original RS 4 – a car that celebrates its
25th anniversary in 2025. Michl said: “The [Audi
AS we move into a new era of electrification, a Sport] brand today is in a great position, because
lot of what makes Audi Sport products stand we have attractive combustion engines, like the
out, such as five-cylinder engines or trick four- five-cylinder, and very powerful electric ones”.
wheel drive systems, are set to disappear or, as Michl added that characteristics which define
is the case with quad electric motor all-wheel- Audi Sport cars today are set to change in the
drive set-ups, become the norm. future, explaining that "while you will probably
To find out what the future must live up to, we lose some of the aspects that are creating
got behind the wheel of the newly updated Audi emotion today, such as sound, you will gain
RS 3 which, in our opinion, is the closest thing others, like greater lateral dynamics”.
on sale that channels the essence of the original Comparing Audi Sport’s vision with the
Quattro. Looking past the admittedly funky likes of BMW M and Hyundai N’s approach of
customisable headlights and Virtual Cockpit, augmenting certain elements, such as engine
the RS 3 isn’t too far away from the Quattro’s sounds and gearshifts, Michl said that “like in
philosophy of being a small, four-wheel-drive motorsport, you have to find your own strategy”.
sports car that’s usable every day and has the Fake engine burbles are not the same as the
performance to rival contemporary supercars. unique synthesised sounds played through
Today, the RS 3 is the only car on sale in the the speakers in the RS e-tron GT. Hot Audis,
UK powered by a five-cylinder engine. It emits a according to Michl, “need to remain authentic”
sonorously throaty burble that’s more exotic and and that “a copy of an element in another
emotional than the turbocharged four-cylinder dimension would not be the future solution”.
units employed by rivals. In fact, throw it round a So what's the next step for Audi’s line-up
corner at speed, with the quattro system acting of S and RS cars? The company launched the
like an invisible set of rails to keep you from aforementioned e-tron GT as its new electric
ploughing into a neighbouring field, and it’s halo car in late 2020, with Michl’s beloved RS 4
pretty easy to feel like you’re Mouton or Röhrl. set to be reborn in spirit, if not name, with the
Yet with the next generation of A3 expected new plug-in hybrid RS 5 later this year.
to go fully electric, just how will Audi keep its Addressing concerns around the undeniable
heritage and DNA alive? weight challenges of hybrid and other electrical
Rolf Michl is the managing director of Audi technology, Michl said: “You can’t eliminate a
Sport and told Auto Express that his connection certain amount of weight, which is an obvious

34 5March 2025
 FEATURE
RS AND S:
WHAT'S THE
DIFFERENCE?

RS 6 was the second Audi to wear the badge

WITH powerful performance and just a

letter to separate them at first glance,
it can be difficult to tell the difference
between Audi’s line-up of S and RS
models, but they are distinct.
ALL-TIME GREAT An abbreviation for ‘Renn Sport’
The RS 4 is Audi Sport (German for ‘Racing Sport’), RS models
boss Rolf Michl's all-time are the best that Audi Sport has to
favourite – he was involved offer, with chassis and engine upgrades
in the car's development over standard models. S or Sport cars,
and launch programmes on the other hand, are more
approachable alternatives in terms
of both price and performance, still
offering upgrades over the standard
Audi fare, but optimised for the road,
rather than the racetrack.
MODERN TAKE Other than by drilling down into
With its five- the performance figures, there are
cylinder engine a handful of easy ways to spot the
and traditional differences between S and RS cars,
quattro all-wheel apart from the badge on the boot lid.
drive system, the S models typically come with quad
current RS 3 (left) exhausts, whereas RS vehicles are
is probably the last famed for their dual-oval set-ups.
of the breed RS models tend to come with more
radical bodykits, sometimes even with
carbon-fibre accents. Finally, on the
inside, RS cars get hexagonal stitching,
whereas S models make do with a less
elaborate quilted pattern.
That said, Audi’s S models are still
capable and can, sometimes, be our
pick over the RS alternatives. The
physical limitation. A car’s power, drivetrain and that “aside from sharing the four rings, all Audis facelifted S3, for example, may not
suspension can [still] make for fun driving”. also share a passion for technology”. get the RS 3’s five-cylinder engine, but
And he added: “Honestly, with all the power This will inevitably become the brand’s core its Golf R-derived four-cylinder still
these latest technologies offer, you really won’t feel message. Michl hinted that the Ingolstadt marque provides prodigious power. We also
the weight – even in terms of lateral dynamics, this is already in the conceptual stages of developing its shouldn't ignore the fact that the S3
will be more than compensated [for].” next halo product. “It’s very ambitious to continue gets the RS 3’s once-exclusive limited-
Aside from this, future performance Audis will be an icon [like the R8] and make it new,” Michl said. slip rear differential, narrowing the gap
very much design-led. We’ve already spotted test “[The] thoughts are there, but the future will between the two cars even further.
mules of the RS 5 sporting huge central exhausts definitely be electric.”
and blistered wheelarches reminiscent of the Ultimately, while Audi’s days as a boundary- TOP 5 AUDI SPORT MODELS
original Sport Quattro. “A wide body is always a pushing underdog may be well behind it, it’s clear Audi Sport Quattro
sign that marks an Audi Sport model,” Michl says. that the team at Audi Sport see the electric Audi R8 (Gen 1)
Whether the brand will be able to recapture the revolution and its entry into Formula One as the Audi RS 2
magic and once again stand at the forefront of start of an era. “It’s a new chapter,” said Michl, “and Audi RS 4 (B7)
performance car technology, though, is yet to it’s a very tough competition. But it gives us a Audi RS 6 (C8)
be seen. Audi Tradition's Timo Witt reminded us chance to prove ‘Vorsprung’ like we always did.”

www.autoexpress.co.uk 5 March 2025 35

TESTED Ford Mustang vs Alpine A110
Pete Gibson

36 5March 2025 www.autoexpress.co.uk

 ESSENTIALS
TESTS
Ford Mustang GT Alpine A110 S
Price: £55,725 Price: £54,490
Powertrain: V8, 5,038cc, 440bhp, Powertrain: 4cyl in-line turbo, 1,798cc,
six-speed manual 278bhp, seven-speed auto
0-62mph: 5.3 seconds 0-62mph: 4.5 seconds
Test efficiency: 23.5mpg Test efficiency: 42.1mpg
CO2: 275g/km CO2: 152g/km
Annual VED: £600 Annual VED: £600

Ford’s Mustang and Alpine’s A110 offer different

approaches to the classic two-door coupé recipe. Will
all-American brutishness win over French finesse?

www.autoexpress.co.uk 5 March 2025 37

TESTED Ford Mustang vs Alpine A110

Classic V8 muscle goes toe to toe with clever turbo chic CONTENDERS
IF you’re in the market for a coupé true bruiser in all the best possible ways. But Ford Mustang
right now, what matters most to you? now it’s packing more tech and refinements
Burly looks or race-car proportions? Brutish than ever before in order to give the best THE Ford Mustang has traditionally been a
performance or delicate handling? A compact European sports cars a run for their money. blue-collar hero – a car whose performance
footprint or space for the family? In the red corner is the Alpine A110. Parked punches well beyond its price point. That’s
Well as it turns out, whatever floats your beside one another, it might seem hard to very much the case today, with lucky US
two-door boat, there are two near-identically draw any similarities between the two, but buyers able to snap up a V8-powered GT
priced options which take very different look closer and there are more than you might for $42,860 (just under £34,000).
approaches to the coupé formula. think. As with the Ford, the A110 sports retro It’s certainly more pricey in the UK –
In the blue corner is the Ford Mustang. This design touches that nod to an iconic ancestor. costing from £55,725 – but even at that
marks the seventh generation of one of the And even if our rivals bring vastly different figure, it’s got an edge not only on most
most famous exhibits of American muscle – a solutions in how to extract straight-line versions of the Alpine A110, but also the
speed, the end results are remarkably similar. BMW M2, with only the basic four-cylinder

HEAD TO HEAD But does one stand out more when it comes
to making driving an enjoyable experience?
Porsche Caymans costing less.

ON THE ROAD TECH HIGHLIGHTS PRICE AND RUNNING

THESE cars are brilliant to drive in
62 NOWHERE are these two cars IT’S not just the Alpine’s handling
MPH
their own very distinct ways. The more different than in their that benefits from its low weight,
Ford blends the brutishness of its V8 powertrains. The Ford has a front- it’s really frugal on fuel, too. When
with a surprising amount of precision, and mounted 5.0-litre V8 producing 440bhp running an A110 on our long-term fleet,
especially long-distance comfort. The and sending its drive to the back via a six- we averaged nearly 35mpg – a very
A110 feels so pure, from its steering speed manual gearbox. The capacity of impressive figure for a car with the best
accuracy, to its agility, to its composure the Alpine’s mid-mounted 1.8-litre engine part of 300bhp. That’s better than the
over difficult roads; everything about its is less than half that of the Ford’s, but it absolute best you can expect from the
chassis feels beautifully judged. At a time has turbocharging to compensate. It also Ford, which although frugal for a V8
when cars are growing ever heavier, the weighs a featherweight 1,102kg – that’s a coupé, will generally be averaging an
Alpine feels like a wonderful antidote. whopping 702kg less than the Mustang. mpg figure in the mid-twenties.

38 5March 2025 www.autoexpress.co.uk

 TESTS
RETROBRANDING
The Alpine A110 and the Ford
Mustang names originally
appeared back in the sixties,
but now adorn thoroughly
modern performance coupés

Alpine A110
IN all its forms, the Alpine A110 has proven
that it will go down in history as a sports car
great, thanks to its lightweight chassis,
engaging handling and its wonderful driver
feedback. It’s a shame that it will only be on
offer for another year (see Page 15).
The model pictured here is the mid-spec
A110 S, which costs £67,490. But our pick of
the range, the base A110, loses a little power
relative to the S, but is priced at a point that
sees it dip just below the Ford, at £54,490.
The hardcore A110 R costs £91,490.

PRACTICALITY SAFETY OWNERSHIP

THERE’S a clear winner in this NEITHER car has been assessed FORD and Alpine’s parent
category. Four usable seats, a big by Euro NCAP yet. However, company Renault didn’t fare too
boot and plenty of interior storage safety kit on the Alpine is fairly well in our 2024 Driver Power owner
make the Mustang a genuinely capable limited; there’s a couple of airbags, ABS satisfaction survey, while both cars come
four-seat performance car. There are even and stability controls, but otherwise it’s with a three-year warranty. The Ford’s
Isofix mounts for fitting child seats in the down to the driver to keep things pointing fuel bills might not be the cheapest,
back. In contrast, Alpine drivers have to in the right direction. The Ford Mustang but it is a car that at least tries to be
compromise much more. There’s strictly comes with the latest suite of mandatory considerate to your neighbours; a quiet
only space for two, and while there are safety systems, including speed limit mode avoids a big flare of revs on start-
front and rear boots, when combined they information (plus an alert when the limit is up to avoid bothering anyone on early
barely add up to half of the Ford’s volume. exceeded) and a lane-departure warning. starts. It’s still loud, though.

www.autoexpress.co.uk 5 March 2025 39

TESTED Ford Mustang vs Alpine A110

IT’S always a tough task to reimagine an

icon, but that is what Ford has done for
the sixth time, in the shape of this new Mk7
Mustang. With buyers easily falling for its
predecessor’s looks, the aim was clearly to not
tinker with the formula too drastically. The
latest model is sharper, more menacing and
more angular than the Mk6 generation, but
it’s still instantly recognisable as a Mustang.
At a time when so many cars are using
turbos or electrification to improve efficiency,
the Mustang has stuck with a big, simple V8
engine, driving the rear wheels only. As
before, it’s possible to buy a Coupé model
or – for £3,500 more – a Convertible.

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE 4.7/5

THE heart of any American muscle car is its
engine, and the Mustang has a very big heart.
The 5.0-litre naturally aspirated ‘Coyote’ V8
puts out a very healthy 440bhp in GT spec, or
7bhp more in the more focused Dark Horse. Of
course, all that shove is backed up by plenty of
torque, too, with the GT offering 540Nm. In
GT form, that’s enough to reach 0-62mph in
5.4 seconds, with the Dark Horse arriving at
the benchmark 0.1 seconds sooner.
That isn’t far shy of the 473bhp offered up
by the BMW M2 – and that car costs nearly ONTHEROAD
£12,000 more than the Ford; the BMW doesn’t Whether you’re on an open road, a motorway
sound as good, either. Even when you’re or in town, the Mustang hardly puts a foot
plodding along in traffic or gently cruising up wrong. We’d definitely avoid the automatic
to 3,000rpm before each upshift, there’s a gearbox, though, and stick with the manual
growl from Ford’s engine, which constantly
reminds you that you’re driving something
very special. Rev matching is very easy when by the fact that the auto accelerates slightly
changing down, but there is a switchable quicker than the manual – if you need an auto
automated system that can do this for you, too. in your performance car, look elsewhere.
Use all of the power that the Ford has to
offer, and it begins to roar as it nears the red DRIVING 4.5/5
line. Some previous Mustangs have a slightly ON the road, the Mustang gets a lot of things
harder edge to their tone than the latest very right – and very little wrong. Composed
model, but there’s still so much pleasure to be
had from extracting everything that the V8
yet comfortable, exciting yet refined, Ford has
settled upon a really well judged set-up.
Famous nameplate gets a more
can offer. Upshifts need to be well considered
during hard driving, because aggressive AROUND TOWN Prod the round starter
changes can cause the rear axle to spin up – button at the base of the dashboard, and the
especially in the damp. In a time of charmless deep burble from the V8 engine could leave
turbo engines and electric powertrains, the some Mustang newbies feeling slightly
Mustang never fails to put a smile on your face. intimidated about how tricky it might be to
There is one very big exception to all of this, drive such a burly coupé. The first few miles
however, which is the automatic gearbox. The behind the wheel, however, will ease their
optionally available transmission has a baffling minds completely. While the clutch pedal and
10 speeds, and with so many ratios to choose gearshift require some positivity, they’re slick
from, the engine is never given the chance to and precise to use. There’s enough heft to
extend itself. Each upshift is accompanied by reassure you that it’s engineered to cope with
a drop in revs so small that you’d be forgiven the engine’s torque, but it’s significantly
for thinking that there’s a CVT gearbox hiding lighter than earlier Mustangs and its rivals
in the car, making that V8 feel completely flat. from 10 to 15 years back.
Even if you seize manual control, there are That engine has so much grunt from low
so many gears that it’s hard to keep up with down that low-speed manoeuvres and plenty
which one you’ve chosen. Don’t be tempted of traffic jam crawls can be carried out on just

40 5March 2025 www.autoexpress.co.uk

 TESTS
the biting point of the clutch – often there’s
MODELTESTED: no need to even tickle the throttle pedal.
Ford Mustang GT A & B-ROADS The Mustang surprises on a
twisty road, where there’s a level of precision
PROS CONS and delicacy to its chassis that gives some of
the best European coupés a run for their
Wonderful V8 Awful automatic
money. The nose is keen to dive towards an
engine gearbox
apex, with steering that is well judged in
Poised chassis So-so cabin design terms of its response, weight and accuracy.
Comfort and Clunky Body movement is fairly well contained,
refinement infotainment even on tricky roads. It’s only when it’s
pushed very hard on the most challenging
roads that the ultimate sharpness fails to live
with a BMW M2 or Porsche Cayman – and its
TESTER’S NOTES fairly substantial mass starts to reveal itself.
Grip and traction are impressive, while the
THE Mustang’s centre console houses what overall balance is neutral. Almost too much
looks like a manual handbrake, but it’s so: for a V8-powered coupé, the torque feels
actually electric. By selecting an Electronic pegged back at the lower reaches of the rev
Drift Brake mode on the infotainment range, so it means that trying to adjust the
screen, the rear brake pressure is preloaded mid-corner balance on the throttle has less
so that a tug on the lever locks the back axle effect than we’d like. The brakes are more
to initiate a handbrake turn. than up to the task of hauling the car to a stop.
I drove the car on public roads,
so I couldn’t put the theory to MOTORWAY For all its ability as a driver’s
the test, but I wasn’t keen on car, the Mustang’s credentials as a long-
the way the lever is sprung. distance cruiser manage to exceed even those
Rather than gradually building high standards – this is a model that really
resistance like a regular lives up to its GT billing.
handbrake, it feels initially Regardless of if you’re driving around town
heavy with little effort or at motorway speeds, the ride is impressively
needed after. soothing, which combined with the car’s big,
Alex Ingram
Chief reviewer
soft seats, makes it a very comfortable place
to complete lengthy journeys. The gearing in

aggressive look for its seventh generation

FEATURES
Mustang’s 5.0-litre
V8 engine (left)
produces 440bhp
and 540Nm of
torque; the 408-
litre boot (far left)
is decent by class
standards and
boosts the Ford’s
practicality

“THE HEART OFANYAMERICAN MUSCLE CAR IS ITS ENGINE,

AND THE FORD MUSTANG HAS AVERYBIG HEART
5 March 2025 41
TESTED Ford Mustang vs Alpine A110

sixth is very long, which means at 70mph the cheap-feeling plastics dotted around to make INTERIOR SPACE
engine is pulling less than 2,000rpm. it feel truly luxurious. Leather-trimmed front seats (below) are
supportive and comfortable, plus offer lots of
MPG & RUNNING COSTS 3.5/5 TECH AND INFOTAINMENT While much of adjustment to find the ideal driving position;
PEOPLE don’t buy a V8 American muscle car the infotainment mirrors that of other Fords, the back seats (bottom) are also sculpted to
expecting it to sip fuel like a Toyota Prius. In the Mustang has a few unique menus. You can cocoon passengers. Rear headroom is a little
certain situations, the Mustang works its way display auxiliary gauges on the touchscreen, tight due to the coupé design, while knee room
could be an issue if the front seats are set back
through unleaded as keenly as you’d expect, to give real-time readouts for oil pressure,
and in even fairly free-moving urban traffic, lateral G and battery voltage. Find a private
expect low-twenties mpg at best. road, and you can record your own 0-62mph
But on more open roads, things improve. attempts via the built-in acceleration timer.
That torquey engine that makes motorway The GT comes with a 10-speaker B&O sound
trips feel so effortless – and the long sixth gear system. Even though it’s having to fight with
that means it’s barely ticking over at 70mph – the bass from the V8 engine, it sounds punchy
ensures that it will achieve more than 30mpg. and clear – better than the premium systems
Cruising range is harmed by its average- you’ll get in a BMW M2 or Porsche Cayman.
sized 61-litre fuel tank, and while 300-ish
miles will be fine at a cruise, work the car PRACTICALITY 4.0/5
harder and you’ll be making regular fill-ups. WHILE practicality will never be at the
forefront of a coupé buyer’s checklist, those
TAX Whether you’re a company-car user or looking for a desirable performance two-door
a private buyer, road duty for the Mustang is that has space for a young family of four
about as high as it’s possible for it to be. From would struggle to do better than the Mustang.
April 2025, VED rates are set to double across
almost every band; with the Mustang’s CO2 FRONT SPACE The high dashboard line
emissions of 275g/km already putting it in the and long bonnet add a sense of occasion to
highest Band K, that will see its first year cost the Mustang’s cabin, but the upshot is that
rising from £2,745 to £5,490. After that, the judging the car’s extremities needs careful
cost will be £600 a year. consideration in tight spots. It’s easy to get
comfortable, though, because the seats are
INSURANCE Depending on which model you supportive. They also have plenty of
choose, the Ford Mustang line-up sits between adjustment, and so does the steering wheel.
insurance groups 43 and 46.
REAR SPACE The Mustang’s rear seats can be
DEPRECIATION Residual values are fairly genuinely usable. Against the tape measure,
strong across the Mustang range. The GT while headroom is a little tight, the cut-out in
Coupé is expected to retain roughly 56 per the roof line at the leading edge of the rear
cent of its value after three years or 36,000 windscreen means that it offers roughly the
miles, while the GT Convertible will hold onto same space as the BMW iX2 coupé-SUV.
53 per cent. The Dark Horse version looks set Predictably, it’s knee space which is most at
to resist depreciation the best, keeping 58 per a premium, because if the driver’s seat is set
cent of its original asking price. all the way back, it is touching the rear seat

INTERIOR &TECHNOLOGY 4.0/5

squab. But with an average-sized driver (or
shorter), there’s enough space to carry adults.
TESTER’S NOTES
BLENDING retro design and modern tech The seats are very sculpted and supportive. IN some ways, Ford has done a great
is a tough challenge, and in some areas the job of bringing the Mustang’s cabin into
Mustang succeeds in this better than others. BOOT SPACE At 408 litres, the capacity is the 21st century while leaving subtle
very reasonable for a performance car. The references to its past. For example, the
DESIGN Ever-growing digital displays make opening isn’t huge, but the space is more than digital gauges can be customised to show
the Ford short of the clear retro feel in some a metre long and almost one metre wide, so the driving information in many ways, with
of its predecessors, but a chunky-looking there’s space for golf clubs, or even suitcases. track mode offering a huge, horizontally
steering wheel and lots of Mustang logos add scrolling rev counter.
some sense of occasion. The shoulder line of RELIABILITY & SAFETY 3.8/5 You can even make your
the windows is fairly high as you sink into the THE latest Mustang hasn’t been tested by new Mustang resemble
large, supportive seats, so you still feel snugly Euro NCAP yet, but the latest model gets much past models. Among the
cocooned within something clearly sporty. more safety tech than its predecessor. A lane- options are gauges aping
keep assist system can be switched off easily those of the 1967 original,
QUALITY Ford Mustang buyers have always via a button on the steering wheel, but the a 1987 Fox Body or even
had to concede some build quality in order to speed-limit warning system needs to be a 2000s-era SVT
get a keenly priced coupé with a big engine, disabled via an infotainment sub-menu. Cobra.
Alex Ingram
and while the new car feels reasonably well The Mustang also has a system that alerts
Chief reviewer
finished, there are still a few too many hard, the driver if they’re not holding the steering

42 5March 2025 www.autoexpress.co.uk

 TESTS

CABINDESIGN
Ford has tried to keep some retro touches
inside and even the digital dials can be
configured to mirror older Mustangs’

“MUCH OFTHE INFOTAINMENT

MIRRORS THAT OF OTHER
FORDS, BUTTHE MUSTANG HAS
A FEW UNIQUE MENUS
wheel. Our test car often failed to register
that we had both hands on the wheel, and
only a vice-like grip would satisfy it.
Owners ranked Ford 30th out of 32 brands
in our 2024 Driver Power owner satisfaction
survey. Among its results were 31st place in
the ride and handling section and 27th in the
powertrains category – so it’s safe to say that
those areas of feedback don’t apply to the
Mustang’s excellent chassis and V8 engine.

WARRANTY 3.9/5
ALL new Fords have a three-year, 60,000-mile
warranty. There aren’t many rivals to the
Mustang that offer more comprehensive cover.

SERVICING 3.3/5
MAINTENANCE costs aren’t as cheap as most
new Fords you can buy today. A three-year
Ford service plan with a 7,000-mile annual
mileage limit costs just over £1,000.

5 March 2025 43
TESTED Ford Mustang vs Alpine A110

THE relaunch of Alpine as a brand was

always going to be exciting. Reviving
a manufacturer steeped in motorsport
excellence and known for producing
lightweight sports cars was a stroke of genius
by Renault, and with many of RenaultSport’s
engineers – responsible for some of the
greatest hot hatchbacks ever created – raring
to go after the demise of hot Clios and Méganes,
we were looking forward to the result.
And it sure didn’t disappoint. The A110
instantly won us over with its fabulous
driving experience; that motorsport-like
double-wishbone suspension mated to a
lightweight chassis makes it feel like it was
designed specifically for UK roads. Over the
years, the formula has been mildly tweaked
and new variants have been launched – as has
an endless stream of special editions – but the
original formula has been maintained.

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE 4.6/5

ON paper, some buyers might look at the 1.8-
litre capacity of the Alpine’s four-cylinder
engine and be left underwhelmed. But it
comes from good stock, because it’s essentially
the same unit that was fitted to the final-
generation RenaultSport Mégane RS – a car
that was never criticised for lacking straight- ONTHEROAD
line speed. In base spec, there’s 249bhp on tap, Alpine is fantastic to drive on all types of
climbing to 296bhp for the rest of the range. surfaces, but its supple suspension and
With that engine bolted behind the driver brilliantly calibrated steering mean it comes
in a car that weighs just 1,102kg – around into its own on Britain’s battered B-roads
200kg less than even the lightest Mégane RS
Trophy R – in any of its forms, performance
isn’t in short supply. The base A110 can dash DRIVING 4.8/5
from 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds, and the most FEW cars deliver the purity and precision
potent R model shaves half a second off that. of the Alpine A110, whether the road is
But it’s the way in which it delivers that challenging or not. It’s a truly superb driver’s
power that adds to the excitement. With so car, yet remains one that’s approachable, too.
little weight to move around, the Alpine

Two-seater offers a real sense of

always feels eager to surge forward with even AROUND TOWN It takes barely 100 metres of
a gentle tickle of the throttle. As the engine driving the A110 to understand its strengths.
reaches its boost, the car flies towards the The car moves off from a standstill feeling like
horizon in a way that feels every bit as there’s no inertia whatsoever, and the
dramatic as its rivals. While the noise from steering, which is light, feels wonderfully
a four-cylinder turbo is never going to be as precise. Its compact dimensions make it easy
exciting as a Porsche Cayman’s flat six or the to place on the road, the turning circle is good,
Mustang’s V8, it’s among the better examples and a composed ride means it’s also perfectly
of the breed – suitably rorty on acceleration happy gently pottering around town.
without going over the top with childish pops
and bangs from the exhaust, offering just a A & B-ROADS Driving the A110 solely on
little turbo whoosh to add more character. urban trips would be missing out on what
When the A110 was announced, we were it’s truly capable of, however – it’s on a twisty
disappointed to discover that there would be B-road where it really shows its mettle.
no manual gearbox option. However, we’ve There are few cars better suited to a UK
long dismissed that as an issue, because the back road; those compact dimensions once
dual-clutch transmission used here is superb. again come into play, but it’s the suspension’s
Shifts are responsive both up and down the ability to soak up bumps that steals the show.
ratios, and it’s also very smooth and easy This enables the Alpine to flow along a tricky
to live with at parking speeds, with no section of tarmac better than any of its closest
unnecessary sharpness or jerkiness. rivals, remaining unfazed by mid-corner

44 5March 2025 www.autoexpress.co.uk

 TESTS
bumps. The lack of mass has allowed Alpine’s
MODELTESTED: engineers to soften the suspension just
Alpine A110 S enough to allow a touch of body roll – a useful
indicator for the driver as to how much the
car is loading up through the turns – while
PROS CONS keeping things neatly under control when
Superb ride and Limited practicality the road really gets challenging.
handling If anything, it’s the base A110 that feels best
Expensive at top
suited to UK roads; the firmer S and R variants
Strong performance of range
stiffen things up, which makes them more
Low running Old-fashioned focused on smooth surfaces or tracks, but
costs infotainment
prevents them from riding quite so sweetly
as the entry-level version elsewhere.
That light steering is also loaded with
feedback, and can point the car towards an
TESTER’S NOTES apex with barely a flick of the wrist. The
balance is wonderful, grip is strong and the
AT the top of the range sits the A110 R. Think brakes manage to give plenty of confidence
of it as the GT3 to the standard Porsche 911 even after repeated, heavy use.
range; it removes weight, largely through
the use of carbon-fibre parts extending as MOTORWAY One of the small compromises
far as even the wheels, to add more focus. of the A110’s light weight is that certain
While it’s firmer-riding than the base A110, creature comforts are used more sparingly.
there’s an extra layer of sophistication built Soundproofing is one such luxury that you’ll
in. So while it’s a bit firmer to use struggle to find. Compared with a Ford
every day, once it’s on the right Mustang or a BMW M2, the A110 isn’t as
road, it’s transformed into peaceful inside at motorway speeds, but road
a mind-blowingly sharp and wind noise aren’t much worse than you
performance car. It’s get in a Porsche Cayman. That composed ride
expensive, but if also comes into its own here, because this is
you can afford it, it’s an impressively comfortable cruiser.
definitely worth
Alex Ingram
the extra. MPG & RUNNING COSTS 4.5/5
Chief reviewer WITH so little weight to lug around, the
engine really doesn’t need to work very hard

f occasion as well as great dynamics

RALLY HERITAGE
Competition
cues include
central sports
exhaust (left)
and distinctive
driving lights
(right), but come
at the expense of
practicality thanks
to a tiny boot

“COMPACTDIMENSIONSCOMEINTOPLAY,BUTIT’STHECAR’S
ABILITYTOSOAKUPBUMPSTHATSTEALSTHESHOW
5 March 2025 45
TESTED Ford Mustang vs Alpine A110

in everyday driving. As a result, the A110 QUALITY You won’t find many soft-touch INTERIOR SPACE
is impressively kind on your wallet at the plastics inside the A110’s cabin, but it There are only two seats in an Alpine A110,
fuel pumps – especially by the usual manages to make the most of its lightweight but accommodation is pretty decent for
standards of a high-performance car. approach without feeling cheap and nasty. driver and passenger. Stowage space is
When we ran an A110 on our long-term test The steering wheel is nice to hold and is neatly limited, though, with just a small net and
fleet, we averaged 34.8mpg over the course of trimmed in Alcantara in all but the base shallow door pockets inside the car. While
12,000 miles. Lengthy motorway journeys can model. The steering wheel-mounted gear the Alpine has two boots, the total capacity
on offer amounts to less than 200 litres
see that figure climb beyond 40mpg. There paddles feel solid and have a more pleasing
will be many drivers who will consider taking action than in most rivals.
an A110 on a track day, and that light weight
has its benefits there, too, because compared TECH AND INFOTAINMENT In a car where
with a heavier rival like a BMW M2, the Alpine simplicity is one of its key selling points, the
will be much kinder on its tyres and brakes. A110 isn’t loaded with tech. However, Alpine’s
Telemetrics system can help to coach its
TAX Low fuel usage translates into modest owner to help them get the most out of the
CO2 emissions, which means for both private car. Standard on the S and the R and optional
and fleet users, an A110 is cheaper to tax than on the entry-level model, Alpine-Telemetrics
pretty much any of its rivals – although a allows the driver to monitor the car’s vital
sports car with a price tag north of £50,000 statistics in real time.
still won’t be a cheap option.
A price hike in VED from April 2025 will PRACTICALITY 3.5/5
see the A110’s first-year costs climb to A TWO-seat performance car is never going
£1,360, but that’s still £2,000 less than the to deliver limo-like cabin space, but the
comparable figures for either a BMW M2 or Alpine’s compact luggage areas are just about
a Porsche Cayman, and over £4,000 cheaper adequate for a few bags of soft luggage –
than a Ford Mustang GT. that’s as good as it gets.

INSURANCE Depending on variant, the FRONT SPACE The seat is height-adjustable,

A110’s insurance groups range from 47 to 50. but not via a lever – you’ll need to remove and
refit a couple of bolts to relocate the seat into
DEPRECIATION The A110 resists depreciation a higher or lower position, so it’s not
admirably, regardless of which variant you something you can do quickly between drivers.
choose. After three years or 36,000 miles, the Regardless of where it’s positioned, your
estimated figures range from the S clinging brain is initially tricked into thinking that
onto just under 57 per cent of its original you’re sitting a little high; but this is because
value, up to a residual value of almost 60 per the base of the windscreen sits so low. It’s a
cent for the base A110. feeling that the A110 has in common with
modern McLarens and the original Honda
INTERIOR &TECHNOLOGY 4.0/5 NSX and the benefit is that you get a brilliant
IT’S a little more sparse inside than some of its view of the road ahead. Storage is very
rivals, but that’s one very small compromise limited, however, with a small net and shallow
you have to pay for the A110’s light weight, door pockets about the full extent of the
which forms such a significant part of the
driving experience.
options for holding items in the cabin.
TESTER’S NOTES
BOOT SPACE Long weekends away in the ALPINE gives its customers a range
FRONT SPACE Those stepping out of a BMW Alpine will need some investment in soft of scope for customisation. While it’s
M2 or even a Porsche Cayman will no doubt luggage and fairly light packing, because the possible to go for all the usual muted
find the A110’s cabin a little spartan – but 90-litre boot isn’t just small, the opening is greys that have become so popular on
that’s kind of the point when you consider tiny, too. Fortunately there’s a second boot up many new cars, A110 owners can inject
the Seventies rally car it pays tribute to. front, which at 100 litres is a little larger. The a healthy splash of colour, too.
It has all of the features you need, with just front boot is the place to store the weekly There are 24 exterior colours to choose
one or two small luxuries thrown in. There shop, while the back is for takeaways; due from, a wide range of wheel
are plenty of examples of Renault parts bin to the exhaust’s proximity to the rear designs, endless colour
sharing here; the climate control panel is compartment, it tends to warm up once choices for the brake
lifted from a Mk1 Captur and there are lots the engine is fully up to temperature. calipers, plus a range of
of other buttons familiar to the brand’s interior material options to
cheaper models, but at least all of those RELIABILITY & SAFETY 3.9/5 go for, too. I’m quite a fan of
controls are operated with physical switches, ALPINE didn’t feature in our 2024 Driver the red-on-red interior/
so they’re rather easier to use than haptic Power customer survey, although the Renault exterior finish of this
touchscreens. The neat bank of toggle Group’s results overall were, it’s fair to say, test car.
Alex Ingram
switches below the screen and array of a bit mixed. While Renault itself as a brand
Chief reviewer
buttons for the gear selector add design flair. finished a disappointing 28th out of 32, the

46 5March 2025 www.autoexpress.co.uk

 TESTS

CABINDESIGN
Being basic doesn’t have to mean a car
lacks a sense of occasion, and the Alcantara-
trimmed Alpine is very much proof of this

“YOUR BRAIN IS TRICKED

INTO THINKING YOU’RE
SITTING HIGH, BECAUSE THE
WINDSCREEN IS SO LOW

Dacia Duster, which is built using mostly

parts from Renault models, proved to be
the most satisfying car to own in the UK
according to its owners.
There isn’t a huge amount of safety tech
on offer in the A110, but you do get stability
control, emergency brake assist, hill-start
assist and a couple of airbags.

WARRANTY 3.9/5
THE A110 is offered with a three-year/60,000-
mile warranty, which is the industry standard.

SERVICING 3.9/5
ALPINE’S dealer network isn’t as widespread
as those of Ford, BMW or Porsche, so keeping
up scheduled maintenance could be more of
a hassle than rivals, depending on how close
you live to one of the brand’s 16 UK locations.

5 March 2025 47
TESTED Ford Mustang vs Alpine A110

PRICES AND SPECS INFOTAINMENT

FORD ALPINE
MUSTANG A110
Our choice GT N/A
Price from/price of our choice £55,725/£55,725 £54,490/£54,490
Petrol or diesel? Petrol Petrol

POWERTRAIN AND PERFORMANCE

Engine V8/5,038cc 4cyl in-line turbo/1,798cc
Power 440bhp 296bhp
Torque 540Nm 320Nm
Transmission Six-speed manual/rwd Seven-speed auto/rwd
0-62mph/top speed 5.3 secs/155mph 4.5 secs/155mph
Fuel tank capacity
CO2
61 litres
275g/km
45 litres
156g/km Ford Mustang 4.5/5
MPG (WLTP)/range 23.5mpg/365 miles 42.1mpg/344 miles SYNC 4 | KEY FEATURE: BUILT-IN AMAZON ALEXA

DIMENSIONS A HUGE 13.2-inch screen dominates the Mustang’s

dashboard and it uses the latest version of Ford’s SYNC
Length/wheelbase 4,810/2,719mm 4,510/2,680mm
software, with some Mustang-specific content thrown
Width/height 1,916/1,404mm 1,650/1,865mm
in. Squeezing the bespoke features into the standard
Boot space (seats up/down) 381 litres/N/A 90/100 litres
interface has added confusion, though; the My Mustang
Kerbweight 1,804kg 1,102kg
menu lets you customise colours and graphics for the
Turning circle 12.2 metres 11.7 metres
dials, yet some other display settings are where they are
in other Fords, which puts them in a completely different
COSTS/OWNERSHIP sub-menu. One positive with the Ford’s set-up is that it’s
Residual value (after 3yrs/36,000 miles) £31,541/56.44% £30,923/56.75% amazingly quick and easy to pair a Bluetooth device.
Depreciation £24,274 £23,567
Ins. group/quote/VED 43/£786/£600 47/£789/£600
Three-year service cost £1,010 Varies
Annual tax liability std/higher rate £3,916/£7,833 £3,763/£7,526
Annual fuel cost (10k/20k miles) £2,343/£4,686 £1,831/£3,662
Basic warranty/recovery 3 yrs (60,000)/1 yr 3 yrs (60,000)/3 yrs
Driver Power manufacturer position 30th N/A
Euro NCAP Adult/child/ped./assist/stars N/A N/A

EQUIPMENT
Metallic paint/wheel size £800/19in £840/18in
Parking sensors/camera Rear/Yes £385/£1,095
Spare wheel/Isofix points
Keyless entry & go/powered tailgate
Repair kit/2
Yes/No
Repair kit/No
Keyless go/No Alpine A110 3.7/5
Leather/heated seats Yes/Yes £3,315 (part of pack)/£375 ALPINE MULTIMEDIA| KEY FEATURE: APPLE CARPLAY
Screen size/digital dashboard 13.2in/Yes 7.5in/No
Climate control/panoramic sunroof Yes/No Air-con/No IT’S fair to say that the seven-inch display in the A110 isn’t
USBs/wireless charging Yes/Yes Two/No exactly the most advanced of its type – indeed, the basic
Wireless CarPlay/Android Auto Yes/Yes Wired/Wired interface is similar to that seen on previous generation
Blind-spot warning/head-up display Yes/No No/No of Renault’s small cars. Don’t expect glitzy graphics
Adaptive cruise/steering assist Yes/Yes Cruise/No and instantaneous loading times here, then, because
everything feels a bit clunky. Fortunately, it’s possible to
hook up a smartphone via Android Auto or Apple CarPlay,
so things are much better if you leave your own device to
take care of the navigation and music legwork.

WHAT WE WOULD CHOOSE

FORD For £2,000, it’s possible
to upgrade to a set of Recaro
ALPINE With rearward visibility at a
premium, we’d suggest a couple of
“ONEOFTHEPOSITIVESWITH
sports seats. They’re a lightweight options to keep those sinewy lines THEFORD’SSYSTEMISTHATIT’S
alternative to the standard items,
trading a little bit of squishy comfort
looking pristine. A reversing camera
is a pricey option at £1,095, but AMAZINGLYQUICKANDEASYTO
for more lateral support – handy for
making the most of that chassis.
parking sensors at £395 are
more reasonable. PAIRABLUETOOTHDEVICE
48 5March 2025 www.autoexpress.co.uk
 TESTS

FORD MUSTANG BEST FOR:

Engine sound. You have to spend serious money
ALPINE A110 BEST FOR: on a new car today to find one whose motor has
Dynamics. The mid-engined layout, suspension
as much character as the Mustang’s V8
and feedback from its steering and brakes make
the A110 one of the best drivers’ cars you can buy

RESULTS
WINNER RUNNER-UP
Alpine A110 S Ford Mustang GT
ROADTEST
THE A110 remains the benchmark sports THESE two coupés take very different
car on sale today. Low weight and compact
WINNER approaches, but we feel that the A110 hits its
ALPINE
dimensions are becoming ever-more scarce A110 brief ever so slightly better than the Mustang
MARCH 2025
in modern cars, which only serves to further does. Despite this, the Ford is very easy to fall
highlight the Alpine’s strengths of sublime for, and there’s so much to appreciate.
handling and composed ride. Few other new cars offer such personality
But it’s the feedback from all of the controls from their engines, with a soundtrack that’ll
that helps to make any drive feel truly special. make you question if there’s any point having
Better still, low running costs and strong a radio at all. However, that Mustang signature
residuals offer sensible reasons to back up its feature is backed up here by a chassis that
huge desirability, too. The A110 isn’t long for offers both sophistication and comfort. Throw
this world in petrol form, so our advice is very in two usable back seats and a big boot, and
simple: go out and buy one while you still can. INTERESTED? it’ll be an absolute joy to live with. INTERESTED?
Scan the code Scan the code
to view the new to check out
Alpine A110s new Mustangs
available now in stock

www.autoexpress.co.uk 5 March 2025 49

 “MANYOFTHE CLEVER
SOFTWARE TRICKS HAVE
ALL BEEN IMPLEMENTED
ON OLDER MODELS

FINAL REPORT

TESLA MODEL 3
Jordan
Katsianis
[email protected]

SIX months have passed since this

2019 Tesla Model 3 arrived on the Auto
We compare used with new as we say goodbye to EV
Express fleet, to find out how a six-year-old
version has aged, and if it’s still cutting edge. implemented on older models via over-the- definitely make it feel more sporty. Also
The early Dual Motor Performance was a air updates. This includes the ability to vary impressive on both are their digital interfaces.
worthy companion overall, and left us with stability and traction systems, and control The 15.4-inch screen and its software are
a good idea of how early Model 3s might feel torque split. Granted, most owners won’t unrivalled in ease of use and intuitive layout.
now there are several on the used market. often delve into such toys, but for a While some aspects, such as changing the
To further our sense of how the car has ‘Performance’ model, they’re nice to have. mirror positions or opening the glovebox, are
evolved, we hunted down the equivalent top- What has changed is the chassis. Our Tesla better served with physical controls, with
spec Performance variant today, even to the isn’t sophisticated to drive, with a firm ride, time even the most technophobic of drivers
point of finding one with the same Deep Blue and despite running on conservative 18-inch will have no problem adapting to a more
Metallic paint finish, to compare them. wheels, a tendency to crash into potholes. digital driving experience.
First, the positives... starting off with the Drive the new car in isolation and you Tesla’s Supercharger network is another
powertrain, which is brilliant on both. Tesla could be mistaken for thinking it’s much major plus. It offers fast charging and
knows how to calibrate EVs like few other the same, but tested back-to-back the impact reasonable rates, and they’re easy to find on
makers, with a consistency and feel to the of its revisions becomes clear. The adaptive major commuting routes. This is in addition
throttle and brakes, which makes driving suspension feels finely tuned, giving a more to the UK’s wider charging network, which is
much easier and more intuitive than in rivals. controlled – if not more comfortable – ride constantly being expanded. The fact it’s no
The new Model 3 Performance hasn’t picked and a useful increase in body control. more difficult than plugging in and letting
up much more poke. In fact, the latest version The brakes feel more powerful – essential it do its thing is another tick for the user
produces 460bhp, only around 10bhp more when you have so much performance – but are experience. So if regular charging on the go
than our 2019 model, so performance is pretty more resilient, which is reassuring. After a is essential to your EV ownership experience,
much unchanged. But the good news is that spirited drive, our car often saw the pedal this is not to be underestimated.
many of the clever software tricks, such as reach the floor. The new Performance model’s Here’s where the ‘buts’ come in, though.
a configurable Track Mode, have all been wheels, unique front end and revised seats The interior has aged well, but the overall

50 5 March 2025 www.autoexpress.co.uk

 2019MODEL
OUR CARS

Pete Gibson
In our car, the gear selector works off a column
stalk, while the curved headlights were seen by
some as cartoonish. White seats lack support...

PROS CONS
Digital interfaces Hard ride
Charging network Not engaging
Image
Performance 2024CHANGES
...but buy a new Model 3 and you select gears
via the touchscreen, the headlights are smaller
and sleeker, and the sports seats far better

MODELTESTED: quality isn’t great. Creaks and rattles have C-Class and Audi’s fresh A4 E-Tron all arrive

Tesla Model 3 Performance

appeared, so I’m grateful that the excellent in the next 24 months remains to be seen.
sound system can drown them out. But there’s a problem for Model 3s, and
Our early model has no heat pump and was all Teslas, that sits outside of the actual car
On fleet since: August 2024
dropping charge overnight in the cold. While and its pros and cons. From a personal
Price new: £56,490 this is rectified in the new car, low temperature perspective, some close family members were
Price now: £20,000 is still an enemy of EVs unless you plan ahead. looking at buying a £20,000 EV. When the
We also mentioned in a previous update Model 3 arrived, they had a poke around and
Powertrain: 75kWh battery, 2x e-motors,
that the doors can refuse to unlatch in icy felt it might be a great option, a notion that
444bhp weather; it’s true that pre-warming the cabin I wholeheartedly approved of. However,
CO2/BiK: 0g/km/2% is a useful way around it, but we have since much has changed in six months and, quite
Options: None been told by a reader that you’re able to open simply, a Tesla is no longer on their shopping
the door via the app – a useful piece of advice. list – nor would it be on mine.
Insurance: Group: 50 Quote: £713 In essence, the new Model 3 Performance
Mileage: 67,141 is a superior car to the previous one, and VERDICT
Efficiency: 3.4 miles/kWh while Tesla’s not following the norm with
a traditional seven-year life-cycle, there’s THERE are lots of used electric cars that
Any problems? Creaky trim, frozen doors, a reason for people who own a Model 3 like offer value for money and the Tesla Model 3
battery drains in cold ours to step up to a new-generation car. is one of them. It packs serious performance,
weather Those hoping for a wholesale change will be is practical and still feels modern. Long-term
*Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year- disappointed, though, and how long the Tesla build quality is questionable, and efficiency
old in Banbury, Oxon, with three points will stay near the top of the class when BMW’s in cold weather is compromised, but this is
new-era Neue Klasse, Mercedes’ all-new offset by the vast Supercharger network.

www.autoexpress.co.uk 5 March 2025 51

TESTED Living with a Lexus LBX

Alastair and Corolla, which started to monopolise life

on the cab ranks. With two six-foot men in the
Crooks back seats, I was expecting a few groans about
legroom, but there wasn’t a peep out of my
[email protected] team-mates, so any excuses about cramping
up before our game weren’t allowed. The boot
SO far, the LBX has been put through was easily big enough for four large bags, too
its paces as a motorway cruiser, an – once my passengers had closed it, of course.
urban runabout and even as a van of sorts. Later, the focus fell on the LBX’s ‘nanoe X’
That’s given us a fair idea of its capabilities air-purification technology, because you can
– but it’s always a sensible idea to get the imagine the scent of four well-beaten tennis
opinions of our passengers, too. players and their belongings in one car. I’d “THE BOOTLID PROVEDA
So now the Lexus is entering its taxi phase.
The good new is that it already has suitable
already been amazed by the system when I
picked up my 2ZZ engine (Issue 1,868), and HEADACHE FOR EVERYONE
paintwork – if you live in New York – so some
stickers and a roof sign were all it needed.
just as it did then, the set-up worked wonders
at fighting bad smells. It releases molecules
OF MYTHREE PICK-UPS,AS
Whether it has the other defining attributes
to become a viable cab remains to be seen.
of water through the air vents, which Lexus
says deters “bad odours, acts against mould,
THEYINSTINCTIVELYTRIED
I took three of my tennis team-mates to a and inhibits viruses, bacteria, pollen and TO CLOSE ITMANUALLY
match in Grimsby, North-East Lincs, and the
trip took around three-and-a-half hours in all SECOND REPORT
– plenty of time for everyone to hopefully get
comfortable in Lexus’s compact crossover.
The first question I was asked about the car
was how to close the boot lid. Now, if you’re a
courteous taxi driver, you’ll probably open the
boot for your passenger’s belongings. I’m not,
and unfortunately the electric boot lid proved
a headache for every one of my three pick-ups Cool cab or rank outsider? We see how hybrid fares as a taxi
as they instinctively tried to close it manually.
But the Lexus doesn’t like it when that
happens and halts proceedings, making sure
you have to press the close button on the lid.
A similar situation occurred when they tried
to open the boot. You merely have to click the
open button on the rear hatch and let it do its
thing. But it’s rather slow to open and close
automatically, so there’s a temptation to force
it – which, infuriatingly, results in it stopping.
The next question is if the LBX is a pure-
electric car, because when you set off, it
naturally drives in EV-only mode. The illusion
of electric running quickly dissipates though,
because the throttle only needs the slightest
nudge to awaken the three-cylinder petrol
engine, even at very low speeds.
There were no qualms about powertrain
refinement, perhaps not a surprise given that
the taxi industry ran on clattery diesels for
years – before the advent of quieter petrol-
hybrids such as the LBX’s distant relatives, the
Toyota
Prius

52 5March 2025 www.autoexpress.co.uk

 OUR CARS
allergens”. It also claims to “prevent moisture MODELTESTED:
evaporation to keep skin well hydrated”.
One thing that would be a big concern if Lexus LBX 1.5 Takumi CVT FLEETWATCH
the LBX was used as a taxi, though, is its fuel On fleet since: Oct 2024
consumption. Its efficiency has improved
slightly of late, to 48.6mpg, which is far
Price new: £39,555
from terrible, but we’re still a bit surprised Powertrain: 1.5-litre, 3cyl petrol, 1x e-motor
considering our test of a mechanically similar Power/torque: 134bhp/185Nm
Toyota Yaris Cross returned 64.7mpg. The
LBX’s return wouldn’t be so bad if its fuel
CO2/BiK: 107g/km/25%
tank wasn’t a lean 35 litres – which combined Options: None
with Lexus’s conservative estimates left us Insurance*: Group: 27 Quote: £639
scrambling for a petrol station with fewer
than 10 miles of range showing, despite at
Mileage/mpg: 4,449/48.6mpg
least five litres remaining when we filled up. Any problems? Key not working
I’m hoping an upcoming service will boost *Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old in
Banbury, Oxon, with three points.
the LBX’s fuel economy, but what I’m most
looking forward to is a fix for the key, because
the car recently lost its keyless start function.

CUPRA TAVASCAN
I TOOK my granddaughter out in the Cupra
Tavascan for the first time recently, but I
don’t have my own child seat, so I had to
borrow one from her parents.
They have the BeSafe Beyond 360,
which is super-versatile because it is
suitable for children from six months to six
CARRY-ONCABBIE years old; it can also be used both forward
Our passengers appreciated the and rear facing, and with or without the
space on offer, but the LBX’s small base. I was worried it would be difficult to
fuel tank and average economy fit, but luckily it was a breeze.
mean you wont see many with a The Cupra’s rear seats are spacious,
‘For Hire’ sign on the roof so I had no need to move the front seat
forward, even when I was using the base,
which slipped into the Isofix fittings easily.
Because I was only doing short journeys,
I chose to fit it forward-facing so we could
keep an eye on the occupant. Strapping
PROS CONS her in was fairly straightforward and the
Upmarket interior Unrefined engine padding was really supportive – which
Comfortable Thirstier than is just as well, because she ended up
despite dimensions expected falling asleep within five minutes.
DAWN GRANT
Lots of standard Almost £40k in
equipment top-spec form
REPORT INDEX
BMW 530e Issue 1,870
VERDICT ___`^ Cupra Tavascan
Genesis GV60
Issue 1,868
Issues 1,853, 1,864
Honda e:Ny1 Issues 1,859, 1868
THE LBX played its part as a taxi Ineos Grenadier Issue 1,866
convincingly, with my passengers Lexus LBX Issue 1,864
appreciating the compact SUV’s Mazda CX-30 Issue 1,865
MG3 Hybrid+ Issues 1,860, 1,869
practicality, and the interior quality Peugeot E-3008 Issue 1,867
you’d associate with a Lexus shining Renault Scenic Issues 1,855, 1,865
through. Its over-complicated boot Skoda Superb Issue 1,871
Suzuki Swift Issues 1,852, 1,859
lid would likely prove to be the LBX’s Tesla Model 3 Issues 1,851, 1,858, 1,867
undoing if it was used a taxi, however. Volvo EC40 New arrival
The average fuel efficiency remains
a touch disappointing, too.

www.autoexpress.co.uk 5 March 2025 53

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cancel an order if the trial offer is misused. Alternative gift
may be supplied. Please allow 28 days for delivery.
 59 VIOFO A329
FIRST TEST

Dash cam has 4k resolution

61 ONLINE PARTS
MINI TEST

New supplier takes on rivals

62 CORDLESS VACS
PRODUCT TEST

Which model will clean up?

BOOKS
The Story of the Campervan
Andrew Jenkinson (Amberley Books, amberley-
books.com) Price: £15.99 Rating:
IF you’ve ever been curious about the birth
of campervan culture in the UK, this book is a
good place to start. It covers the origins, from
people simply sleeping in their estate cars,
through to the birth of proper vans, such as
the Dormobile, and up to the present day.
There’s plenty of Volkswagen campers
represented – the most iconic of the lot – but
it’s quite UK-centric, so you’ll see an abundance
of Bedford and Ford Thames imagery, too.
There are also a few interesting facts – we
learned about the birth of separate campervan
LIGHT RELIEF speed limits, for example – but it’s a compact
Reversee uses strips of LEDs that are book, so don’t expect anything too in-depth.
fitted below a standard UK number This is felt most in the last chapter, which
plate, providing additional light to covers the near five-decades between the
the car’s standard reversing lamp eighties and the present day in just a few pages.
Considering the huge shifts that have been

Reversee
made during this time with great innovations

HOT KIT in small campers, the birth of true ‘van-life’

culture and ever more sophisticated vehicles
being launched, this feels rushed and like a bit
Price: £45 with free shipping Contact: reversee.co.uk of an afterthought.
The earlier
IF your vision struggles when you dealer-fitted frame and can be painted decades are
reverse at night, a new British- to match the car’s bodywork. much more
designed product could help to light the A fixing kit includes sticky pads, cable thoroughly
way. Reversee is an add-on LED strip, which ties, a grommet for the bodywork, screws covered and
was designed by a mechanic with 40 years’ with caps and electrical connections. quite enjoyable
experience. He was constantly being asked Installation should be easy enough for a to read, however.
by customers if he could upgrade their cars’ DIYer, with power taken from the 12-volt The production
reversing lamps to improve performance. feed to the existing lamp. A £5 wiring values are good,
Reversee’s LEDs are said to provide far extension kit is available for cars where although some
greater illumination and can be used in the supplied two-metre cable is not full-page photos
addition to a vehicle’s existing lamp. The enough to reach the supply. would be nice to
extra light is also claimed to provide much Modern vehicles with a CAN bus or bulb- make the most
clearer parking camera images in the dark. failure warning lighting systems may see the of the excellent
The unit fits under the rear number plate Reversee’s LEDs as an extra power drain and archive shots
of any vehicle that has a standard 520mm throw up alerts, so a relay to fool the car’s featured.
x 110mm UK plate. It resembles a typical computer is available for an extra £10.

www.autoexpress.co.uk 5 March 2025 57

MARKETPLACE
osram.com/am

OSRAM NIGHT BREAKER® 220

Enter the next light level with NIGHT BREAKER ® 220. These cutting-edge headlight
bulbs impress with up to 220% more brightness and up to 20% whiter light
compared to the minimum legal standard and generate an up to 150m long beam.
More light and improved visibility can help drivers identify and react to traffic
hazards more quickly.
Available in H4, H7 and H11 ECE types with a new gold cap.

Insist on OSRAM – the number 1 in automotive lighting.

Be road ready

58 5 March 2025 www.autoexpress.co.uk

PRODUCTS New on the shelves
PRODUCTS
FIRSTTEST

ViofoA329 dash cam

Price: From £400 Rating: Contact: viofo.com NEWPRODUCT
IF you are involved in an want to go really big and don’t mind PIN SHARP
accident, getting the clearest the extra wiring, the Viofo can even The Viofo A329
possible images from a dash cam will be permanently connected to an looks as neat as
be crucial to help make out details external hard drive. the footage it
such as a registration number. Add in a few extras such as a delivers – but
The new A329 from Viofo moves hardwire kit and the Viofo’s price it comes at a
the game on with 4K image resolution will soon top £600. It’s the best dash hefty price
at 60 frames per second (fps) – this cam we’ve tried, but the price means
is double the speed of any dash cam its appeal is likely to be limited to
we’ve previously tried. It means that serious professional drivers only.
high-speed imagery is much clearer.

Continental
This can be combined with a rear
camera that records in 2K and at
30fps, which is a step up from
the 1080P of most rivals.
As you might expect, this results in EcoContact 7
the best-quality footage we’ve ever
seen in a test. And it’s easy to view Price: From £90 Size: Most popular sizes
the footage on the Viofo app, which Contact: continental.com
transfers files via built-in WiFi at
speeds up to 30Mbps. CONTINENTAL has unveiled new EcoContact 7
The sheer amount of data and EcoContact 7 S summer tyre ranges, which
created by the video from both it says will boost efficiency and cut noise
cameras at their highest settings pollution by using technology from its all-
means you will need to consider season range – and from golf balls.
the way you store the files. The EcoContact 7 series uses Continental’s
Anything less than a 128GB SD Green Chili 3.0 rubber compound, which cuts
card means you will be overwriting internal friction to reduce rolling resistance,
the beginning of your journey helping to extend EV range or lower fuel
even on relatively short trips. The consumption from traditional engines.
Viofo can accept up to 512GB, but In a nod to the aerodynamics of golf balls, the
budget for the best you can afford tyre’s Aerodimple structure uses a texture to
– a 256GB card costs £60. If you minimise air turbulence. Golf balls are equipped
with small dimples that reduce aerodynamic
resistance, and the pattern on the sidewall
reduces drag behind the wheel.
“ITHASDOUBLE Meanwhile, the Silent Pattern tread design
uses carefully chosen block spacing and angles
THESPEEDOFANY to suppress sound frequencies at 30mph,

DASHCAMWE’VE
improving refinement, especially for EV drivers.
While the EcoContact 7

PREVIOUSLY focuses on efficiency

with its low-rolling-
TRIEDANDTHAT resistance compound, the
7 S variant prioritises wet
RESULTSINTHE grip and dynamic handling.

BEST-QUALITY
It is also said to offer
more steering precision.

FOOTAGEWE’VE Both tyres are

available now, with prices
EVERSEEN” starting at around £90.

www.autoexpress.co.uk 5 March 2025 59

 Every year, thousands of car owners take the Driver Power survey, sharing thoughts, opinions and
experiences of the cars they own and drive. This not only helps potential buyers, but gives feedback
to manufacturers to shape the next generation of cars. The survey should take less than 10 minutes to
complete and by taking part, you’ll also be in with a chance of winning a £100 Amazon voucher.

TAKE PART TODAY AND TELL US WHAT YOU THINK!

Type https://autovia.blueconic.net/s/b6I into your browser or use the QR code
to access the survey
PRODUCTS Online parts suppliers
PRODUCTS
MINI TEST
Craig Cheetham
eBay/NAPA
NO sooner had we put the UK’s
leading online motor factors to the
ebay.co.uk/str/napaautoparts
test (Issue 1,865) than aftermarket
supplier NAPA Autoparts announced
Basket price: £119.67 (£101.71 with March discount)
a tie-in with the world’s biggest online
Delivery: Free, three days Rating: ____`
marketplace, eBay.
Using eBay’s search and payment WE didn’t include eBay in our most recent
systems, the set-up makes it easy to comparison of online motor factors, because in
source NAPA parts in one place. To our previous 2023 test we’d found it expensive
test the arrangement, we gathered a compared with its rivals. Plus the jumble of
‘basket’ of parts typically needed for suppliers, brands and sources meant it was
a major service – oil and air filters, an difficult to draw a fair or consistent comparison,
alternator drive belt, front brake discs due to constantly changing prices and stock.
and a track rod end – for five popular The NAPA Autoparts store on eBay changes
cars (Citroen C3 Airdream, Peugeot that dynamic quite considerably, especially
207, Range Rover, Mazda MX-5 and when you look at the prices. Although they’re
Ford C-Max), averaging out the total dearer than those on Parts In Motion, they were
price for our models and comparing close enough to make the shorter delivery time
it to the cost on two other sites. We and simple money-back guarantee hold appeal –
also rated the delivery time, postage not least because with eBay’s PARTS15 discount
cost and ease of use for each outlet. code, which runs until the end of March, we got
We found eBay’s set-up competitive, our near-£120 basket total down to £101.71.
but Parts In Motion remained on top.

TESTED Online parts suppliers

PARTS PARTNERS: With a new NAPA Autoparts store now available through eBay, we filled up our basket to see if it could take on the best

Parts In Motion Online Car Parts

partsinmotion.co.uk onlinecarparts.co.uk
Basket price: £94.04 Basket price: £114.20
Delivery: Free, or £8.40 next day Delivery: Free (over £140) or £8.45
Rating: _____ Rating: ____^

PARTS In Motion won our THE Online Car Parts site

original test despite not is clear and easy to use,
being the easiest of sites and although its price
to use – it’s slow and clunky, wasn’t cheapest overall,
and you have to go back to it worked out as the least
the home page to change expensive for the Mazda.
vehicles. But it still came out There are occasional
on top because of its value offers, but prices are
for money, known high-quality pretty keen anyway and
brands such as Mahle and Febi Bilstein, the site is easy to use, suggesting
no-quibble guarantee and free delivery, if you alternatives for each part. The delivery charge
don’t mind waiting up to five working days. is at the higher end, but you get free postage
At £94.04, even against competitive discounting from eBay via Evri if you spend over £140. eBay’s partnership has pushed the
and NAPA, our average basket cost for Parts in Motion couldn’t be basket costs close together, though, and the three-day free delivery
beaten. For a user, it’s not the best site, but it remains our Best Buy. and money-back guarantee swing second place to eBay/NAPA.

www.autoexpress.co.uk 5 March 2025 61

PRODUCTS Cordless vacuums

Ryobi RHV18F-0
Price: £64.99 tool only (£119.98 incl. charger and battery) BEST BUY
Rating: 2025
Contact: uk.ryobitools.eu
THIS is a no-brainer if you have other Ryobi ONE+ kit
with its universal battery and charger, because the
vac works really well in-car and topped the mat tests.
Even if you have to buy the battery and charger,
it still undercuts the home-and-car rivals.
Accessories are pretty basic, but it can be
used on floors with an extension tube and
floor tool alongside the well designed
crevice attachment. Ryobi claims
a 34-minute runtime with a 5Ah
battery, and we had three of four bars
showing on a 4Ah version after 10
minutes. It’s noisier than most rivals, though.

Makita DCL180Z
RECOMMENDED
RECOMMENDED
Price: £47.10 tool only (£108.49 incl. charger and battery) 2025
Rating: Contact: makitauk.com
THIS electric tool battery-powered Makita takes the runner-up spot by
impressing in a similar vein to our winner. It is compact, light and its one
speed is more powerful than the standard mode of more expensive rivals.
Accessories are limited, but the crevice tool works well, although having to
hold the power button on is irritating. It easily made it through our 10-minute
test with the supplied 3Ah battery, with three of four LEDs still lit.

Dyson Car+Boat
RECOMMENDED
RECOMMENDED
Price: £249.99 Rating: 2025
Contact: dyson.co.uk
DYSON’S latest has to narrowly give best to its less-expensive rivals in the top
three. Unlike the other high-end vacs, it’s compact and easy to move around one-
handed in a car. It has a powered brush bar, a two-in-one brush and a wide nozzle,
plus a well designed crevice tool that was one of the best at shifting our test mess.
The brand claims a 50-minute runtime and it got through the 10 minutes at
maximum power in our test. While the Car+Boat is not cheap, it oozes quality.

Miele Duoflex HX1 CarCare

Price: £339 Rating:
Contact: miele.co.uk
IF you need to use your car vac in the home too, then the Duoflex HX1 is our
choice. It weighs a little under two kilos and its 60cm length means it works
pretty well in the car with the supplied flexible hose. The vac still needs to be
held because the hose is stiff, but tackling tight spots is easier.
It comes well equipped with accessories, including a wall mounting bracket
and a choice of crevice tools. The Miele isn’t cheap, but it works well.

62 5March 2025 www.autoexpress.co.uk

 PRODUCT TEST

CORDLESS VACUUMS
Can’t use mains power? We put eight cordless vacs to the in-car cleaning test
Kim Adams
IF you cannot get mains
leads to tangle or trip over, plus
are easier to carry to your car.
How we tested
power to your car, the next best But those same advances AS makers shift their focus firmly towards
option for a quick cabin clean is have made cordless vacs viable home use, our testing was geared towards
a cordless vacuum. options for using in the home as finding to find the ones that work best in a car.
Advances in batteries and well – particularly when there’s We took a mix of sugar, salt, sesame seeds
motors have seen cordless vacs just a small spill to clear up – and and split peas then saw how quickly each vac
go from the poor relation to the that has seen prices rise. could shift a measured amount from a car
preferred option for many. They So which is the one to grab mat. We did this with the crevice tool at standard and maximum power, plus
may not have the sheer grunt of when your cabin needs a used a brush, powered if supplied, at the latter setting. We also tackled the
a mains machine, but they are refresh? We charged up eight same mix in-car for 10 minutes on the highest strength. Ease of use, noise,
much more convenient, with no cordless vacs to find out. weight, tools and versatility were assessed before price was factored in.

Beldray Airgo Cordless Vacuum Cleaner

Price: £117.99 Rating:
Contact: beldray.com
YOU get a lot for your money with this Beldray unit at this
discounted price. Even at the £139.99 full price, this is ideal if
you’re on a tight budget, but need a vac for the car and home.
It comes with 10 bags and will not work without one. There’s
also a wall bracket and a powered brush bar. Suction was a bit

Vax HomePro Pet-Design

down on the best in this test, but it’s still worth considering.

Price: £199.99
Hoover HF2 Pet Rating:
Contact: vax.co.uk
Price: £239 Rating:
OUR increased focus on performance in
Contact: hooverdirect.co.uk
a car didn’t suit this former test winner,
AS with the Ryobi (below) and Vax (right), this has a despite the discounted price at the time
bias towards use in the home. The HF2 is the lightest of writing – down from £319.99. Part of
of the three, at less than 1.5kg, and is easier to use in a car. the problem is the Vax’s 2kg-plus weight.
It’s 10cm longer than its nearest test rival, which puts This is partially offset by the free toolkit
strain on the wrist. The Hoover also struggled with the you get by buying direct from Vax, which
brush test, but the crevice tool is a match for the best. includes a flexible hose. It is quite stiff, so
you need to hold the vac while using it
and the rubber-tipped crevice tool

Ryobi ASV18BL
was tricky to use on carpet.

Price: £339.99 Rating:

Contact: uk.ryobitools.eu Verdict
OUR second tool to use Ryobi’s ONE+ battery system is at FOR car cleaning it has to be the powerful,
the other end of the scale from the minimalist RHV18F-0, light and compact Ryobi RHV and Makita,
but comes with a 4Ah battery and a neat charger. with the RHV taking a narrow win. Even if you
There are also two powered brush bars and an have to buy a battery and charger, they still
effective crevice tool. But these couldn’t overcome its undercut rivals. The Dyson takes a debut
2.5kg-plus weight, which made it hard work in the footwell. podium, but its performance comes at a
price. Miele is our pick for home and car use.

www.autoexpress.co.uk 5 March 2025 63

 NO-NONSENSE CAR
SELLING HAS ARRIVED

WHY IT PAYS TO SELL WITH THE EXPERTS

1 2 3
SELL WITH SAVE TIME GET AN
TRUST AND MONEY HONEST PRICE
With decades of testing all No hidden fees or bogus We’ll get your car in front of
manner of motors, we know deals, just a straightforward our trusted network of dealers –
what a fair valuation looks like. road to selling. readyto offer you their best price.

Ready to sell? Go to autoexpress.co.uk/sellmycar

 66 DRIVER VAUXHALLASTRA 70 VOLKSWAGENS
68 BUYER’S
POWER GUIDE TOP 10
KIA PICANTO
Owners’ verdict on city car Why it’s great value used Our test team’s favourites

THERE’S no way of sugar coating it –

buying or selling a car in the UK has
become synonymous with aggravation. BUY,LEASEORSELLWITHAUTOEXPRESS
“IT’S ALLABOUT
Whether it’s a private sale that means decision, right at your fingertips. Once
having to fend off time-wasting tyre-kickers, you’re ready, moving on to buying a car
or trying not to blink first in a tête-à-tête
with your local dealer, the whole business
EMPOWERING THE through Auto Express couldn’t be simpler;

feels far more stressful than it should be. CUSTOMER, SO DEALERS there are brand-new, used and approved
models to choose from, sourced from our
Even writing this is giving me a headache;
there are just too many variables pulling
COME TOYOU WITH trusted network of dealers.

THEIR BEST PRICE”

It’s all about empowering the customer,
you in different directions and ultimately which means dealers come to you with
leading you to end up with a car that’s at their best price and potential finance
best a compromise, at worst an inadequate options, so there’s none of the usual hassle
money pit that you’ve paid over the odds cars at the right price, and ensuring you that comes with doing a deal in the
for – probably via an inflated finance deal receive the very best support along the way. showroom. You can compare prices from
that you’re stuck with for three years. We want to become the go-to destination several dealers side-by-side, on as many
So what’s the answer? Well, Auto Express for car changing, and that starts with cars as you like and in your own time.
is now offering new services for those ensuring you receive the most accurate and Plus, recognising the need for flexibility
who are buying or selling. It’s driven by a up-to-date car news and reviews – all the in how people now choose to buy and run
passion for getting people into the right details you need to make an informed their cars, we offer leasing options, too.
Our expert in-house team is tasked with

PAUL
providing you with the latest vehicle
leasing deals on both new and used models,
plus tax-saving, salary sacrifice schemes.

ADAM
The focus on providing everything you
need to change your car doesn’t stop there,
because with Auto Express Sell My Car you
can get an instant valuation and advertise
to thousands of dealers across the country,
Auto Express’ executive even arranging for free collection if you
editor explains how we can agree on a price – it couldn’t be simpler.
If you’re thinking of a change, then
help take the hassle out of
please get in touch. We’d love to help you
buying and selling cars source your next new or used car, as well
as sell your existing one.

www.autoexpress.co.uk 5 March 2025 65

DRIVER POWER Kia Picanto

OWNER VIEWS ON THE UK’S BEST CARS

“My Picanto has been an

absolute pleasure to drive,
with its comfy seats and a
comfy ride for a small car.”

“Kia’s customer service is

no help at all, although my
car is under warranty and
less than three years old.”

“This is my third Kia and

I am totally happy with the
quality. That’s why I have
stayed with the brand.”

POSITION 12th Kia Picanto

USED PRICES FROM: £5k YEARS: 2017 to date CO2: 106-115g/km FUEL ECONOMY: 54-61mpg (1.25) BEST OPTIO

RIDE AND
HANDLING
YOU SAID “The
steering is responsive,
but very light at low
speed for easy parking,
and at higher speeds
there’s just the right
amount of feel. It also
has a great ride for
such a small car.”

INTERIOR AND
COMFORT
YOU SAID “Although
I suffer from back
problems, I find
the seats are very
comfortable and
supportive. I just
wish that the angle
of the head restraint
could be adjusted.”

66 5March 2025 www.autoexpress.co.uk

 BUYING CARS
MPG AND Richard Dredge
RUNNING COSTS WHAT DO WHAT DON’T
WITH top-10 category placings
YOU SAID “I can fill the tank YOU LIKE? YOU LIKE?
for quality and reliability (sixth), safety
for around £30, and that
features (fourth) and exterior (fifth),
takes me around 400 miles,
as well as for economy and running “It is the best car that I have “It needs better air-con. The
which is great. Insurance is
costs (seventh), it’s no surprise that owned in over 50 years of heater works well, but the
reasonable, but I think the
the Picanto also scoops third place driving. There really is system struggles to keep
road tax is rather expensive
for value, even if it can’t quite manage nothing to improve.” the car cool when it’s hot.”
for such a small car.”
to bag the Kia a top-10 finish overall.
Still, for a car that was launched eight
years ago, 12th place (out of 50) is an
impressive feat, especially when it’s
“All-round visibility is very “The automated manual
one of the smallest cars on sale.
good, thanks to narrow gearbox is not nearly as
Breaking down the sub-category
A-pillars and a reversing smooth as a traditional
scores reveals that the Picanto earns camera that stays clean.” automatic transmission.”
second place for its easy-to-use
controls, and fifth for its responsive
steering. There’s a fourth spot for the
functioning of its safety systems, too.
Visibility and road handling (both 12th) “The very capable “The Bluetooth is unreliable;
point to the Kia’s easy-driving nature. brakes give me peace of there are plenty of threads
Interior quality also ranks 12th, which mind, especially when online about phones that
again is especially commendable driving in heavy traffic.” won’t connect.”
for such a small car with a focus on
economy. On that note, as you would
hope, a fifth place for running costs is
to be expected, and it’s the same for
“For a budget car, albeit “Third gear is too high.
some of the less impressive scores. near the top of the range, There’s lots of acceleration
Predictably, the Picanto doesn’t the audio provides all the in second gear, but this
rank highly for acceleration (40th), features you could need.” drops off going into third.”
while boot capacity came in 42nd.
Owners really don’t like the Picanto’s

Mk3 89.23%
automatic gearbox (when fitted),
hence the 37th place. The same
goes for rear-seat legroom, which
owners voted into 44th place.

ONS: Advanced Driving Assistance Pack (1 and 2 trims only) OVERALL SCORE
Bars show where model finished out of 50 vehicles
in our 2024 new-car survey. The longer the bar the better

PRACTICALITY CATEGORIES YOUR

AND SPACE RATINGS
YOU SAID “For
50 1
such a small car, Engine and gearbox
the Picanto can fit
Exterior
four adults in relative
comfort, while the Interior and comfort
boot is a reasonable Practicality and space
size. There’s also Ride and handling
plenty of seat Safety features
adjustment, with MPG and running costs
loads of headroom
Reliability and
even with the front build quality
seat on its highest
Infotainment,
setting.” connectivity and
electrics
Value
WHY DRIVER POWER IS IMPORTANT
Every year thousands of owners share thoughts, opinion and SCAN THE CODE
experiences of the cars they own. This not only helps potential TO TAKE THE SURVEY
Tell us about your car and you could be in with
buyers, it also helps makers shape the new generation of cars. a chance of winning £100 Amazon voucher

www.autoexpress.co.uk 5 March 2025 67

BUYERS GUIDE Vauxhall Astra Mk8

FROM £15,000 FINDYOUR USED

With sharp looks and VAUXHALLASTRA
If you like what you’ve
handling plus a smart read here, scan the
code to browse our
cabin, the latest Astra stock of used
is a great used choice Vauxhall Astras

Richard Dredge cruise control, sat-nav, a 360-degree

FOR decades, Vauxhall has camera, dual-zone climate control,
represented affordable, sensible heated seats and 17-inch wheels. On
family motoring. Value has been its top of this, the Ultimate also has blind-
most desirable attribute, because the spot warning, lane-keeping assist, a
company’s designs and the dynamic heated windscreen and a panoramic
abilities of its cars have generally roof, plus a head-up display.
been average at best.
But then along came PSA (later RUNNING COSTS
Stellantis), and Vauxhalls became SERVICES alternate between minor
much sharper. The Astra is a case in and major. Petrol-engined Astras
point, because the Mk8 covered here need to be serviced every 12 months
is one of the most striking cars in its or 12,500 miles, at £336 and £491
segment, with one of the widest respectively. Diesels stretch this to
selections of powertrains. Prices have every 12 months or 20,000 miles, a

USED BUYER’S
gone up, and while some editions of minor costing £344 and major £484,
the Astra are too expensive when while for electric and plug-in hybrids
new, they can represent terrific value it’s every two years or 16,000 miles, at
for money as a used buy. £244 and £454 for minor and major.

Vauxhall Astr
The petrol and diesel engines have
HISTORY a cambelt that has to be replaced
THE Vauxhall Astra Mk8 arrived on every eight years or 120,000 miles;
UK roads in February 2022. The range you’ll pay around £500 for this. Petrol
consisted of a turbocharged 1.2-litre models are the cheapest to insure, in
petrol engine with 109bhp or 128bhp, groups 16-20, while diesels are in CHECKLIST
or a 128bhp 1.5-litre diesel. There was groups 20-22. Hybrids are rated at
also a 177bhp 1.6-litre petrol plug-in 26-28 (31 for the GSe) and electric AUTOMATIC CHOICE ON THE RANGE
hybrid introduced soon after. editions are in groups 25 or 26. While the entry-level petrol The Astra Electric is fitted with a
At first the Astra came only in five- engine came only with a 54kWh battery to give a claimed
door hatchback form, but by August PRICES manual gearbox, the 128bhp range of up to 258 miles. Expect
2022 there was also an estate, sold YOU’RE spoiled for choice if you want edition and the diesel were closer to 200 miles in the real
as the Sports Tourer. The range an Astra Mk8, with hundreds of them available in automatic form. world, though.
expanded in May 2023 with the for sale across the UK. Diesel models
introduction of the GSe (Grand Sport are very unusual and you’ll be doing
Electric) hatch and estate, powered well to bag one for much less than RECALLS ALTERNATIVES
by a 222bhp 1.6-litre plug-in hybrid £18,000. But stick with petrol and SEVEN recalls so far is a bit FOR more than 25 years the Ford
powertrain. A 1.2-litre hybrid model prices start at £15,000 for a 2022 1.2T disappointing. The first came in Focus has done battle with the Astra,
was available from July 2023, GS Line with 40,000 miles on the clock. March 2022 because the door and it’s still as compelling as ever.
followed a month later by the Astra One in five Astras is a Sports Tourer handles might not work properly, Good value, fun to drive and well-
Electric, which also came in Sports and these are priced from £19,000 for refusing to lock. Loose bolts in the equipped, the Focus is also plentiful.
Tourer format from March 2024. a 15,000-mile 1.2T GS on a 23-plate. suspension led to recall two, in The Volkswagen Golf isn’t as brilliant
. Plug-in hybrids are reasonably January 2023, while recall three as it used to be because VW has tried
WHICH SHOULD I BUY? common and start at £19,000, but was five months later because of to be too clever, but it’s still a good
VAUXHALL has been guilty of selling you’ll need around £2,000 more than faulty front seatbelt pretensioners. family car and worth a closer look.
some of the most convoluted and this if you want an Astra Electric. For There were two further Other desirable small family hatches
confusing model ranges over the £21,000 you can find a 73-plate campaigns in 2023: in October include the Peugeot 308, Hyundai
years, but it kept things simple with Ultimate with 15,000 miles. because of handbrake glitches on i30, Mazda 3 and Kia Ceed, along
the Astra which came only in Design, Electric editions, and in December with the Honda Civic, Skoda Scala
GS and Ultimate forms. because the adaptive cruise and SEAT Leon; the more costly Audi
The Design model features LED ONLINE control wasn’t working. There were A3, BMW 1 Series and Mercedes
VALUATION
headlights, a 10-inch touchscreen TOOL two more last year. The first, in A-Class are also worth a look.
with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Head over to our March, was because faulty software Buying an EV? Then check out the
valuation tool to
climate control and 16-inch alloy led to excessive exhaust emissions, Renault Mégane, VW ID.3 and Cupra
check prices on a
wheels. The mid-range GS is the pick specific model. while the latest came in May since Born, plus the Citroen e-C4, Kia Niro
of the bunch and this adds adaptive the E-Call system didn’t work. EV, Hyundai Kona Electric and MG4.

68 5March 2025 www.autoexpress.co.uk

 IMPROVED BUYING CARS
Both the exterior styling and the interior
quality show a substantial leap over what
you’ll find in previous generations of the
Astra. Touchscreen (below) is intuitive.

INTERIOR
THE Astra’s cabin feels contemporary, and
is quite luxurious in high-spec models. The
choice of materials is good, while the design
is appealing and user-friendly. All models
have a pair of 10-inch digital displays, one
for the touchscreen and the other for the
instrumentation. The graphics are sharp

S GUIDE
and the menus intuitive, while there’s a good
balance of touchscreen and physical controls.
The good news continues where
practicality is concerned, with a reasonably

ra Mk8
roomy cabin, although a bit more rear-seat
legroom wouldn’t go amiss. Boot space is
excellent at 422 litres, or 1,339 litres with the
seats folded down. The estate can stow up
to 597 litres, expandable to 1,643 litres.

SAFE PLACE PEACE OF MIND

When Euro NCAP tested the Astra All Astras come with a three-year or
in 2022, it achieved a four-star 60,000-mile warranty. Vauxhall guarantees
rating, like the Peugeot 308. But that the battery of any electric model will
the Golf, Civic, MG4 and SEAT still hold 70 per cent of its original charge
Leon have all managed five stars. after eight years or 100,000 miles.

THE Mk7 was the last VERDICT

Astra to appear in our
new-car survey; it came THE latest Astra is the most accomplished
an underwhelming 52nd yet in terms of design, safety, refinement,
out of 75 in 2023. In our choice of powertrains and build quality. As
2024 survey its sister a used buy it can also represent excellent
models, the Corsa Mk5, value, especially if you’re buying electric,
Grandland Mk1 and although these are likely to fall the furthest
Mokka Mk2 all appeared in value over the next few years as the
and came 48th, 23rd and supply of ICE models becomes restricted.
34th, out of 50 entries. We still reckon that the petrol models are
ON THE ROAD it’s a bit on the firm side. We’d go Vauxhall finished 26th the sweet spot in the range. The Astra
FORGET Astras of old; this latest for a manual gearbox over an auto, out of 32 in our 2024 is no class leader, but this eighth
edition is refined and enjoyable to though, because the latter isn’t Brands survey, with generation puts up a pretty good fight
drive, if not quite as engaging for as slick as it should be. The Astra owners indifferent about against rivals, and whether you buy
the driver as a Ford Focus. Electric’s 400kg penalty means most things, although a hatchback or an estate, you’re
The handling is rewarding and the it isn’t quite so adept in corners, they did like their cars’ bound to enjoy driving it.
ride quality generally good, even if but it’s still a pretty good steer. low running costs.

www.autoexpress.co.uk 5 March 2025 69

TOP 10 New Volkswagens

10BEST VOLKSWAGENS
ON SALE NOW FROM £21,140 Quality, refinement,
value and style – VW offers the lot

Golf Prices from £27,760

DON’T be put off by the lukewarm
reviews the eighth-generation
Golf received when it arrived in
2020. It was, indeed, flawed, but
far from a bad car – and the mid-
life Mk8.5 update addressed
several of the early criticisms,
notably with interior interfaces, to
make the current model far more
appealing than it was five years ago.
You still need to fiddle with the
haptic controls a little too much
to operate some regularly used
functions, although the buttons
on the steering wheel make it
significantly less frustrating. Plus a
few cheap-feeling plastics remain.
PROS CONS Yet the Golf continues to be
Vastly improved in-car tech Some ergonomic niggles remain one of the best cars in its class.
BUYTHROUGH
Diverse powertrain range Underwhelming cabin quality AUTO EXPRESS! All the fundamentals are there,
Reassuring ride and handling Road noise on larger wheels Scan the code to from a spacious cabin to a wide
check out the best range of efficient engines, and the
new Golf deals evergreen appeal of that badge.

ID. Buzz Prices from £59,035

CARS, electric or otherwise, don’t
come much more likeable than
the ID. Buzz. It doesn’t matter
that many drivers won’t even
remember the Swinging Sixties
heyday of the original VW bus,
because it’s an image with
enduring appeal, and one the
Buzz taps right into with its funky
styling and bright colour schemes.
It’s more than just a pretty face
too. The interior is versatile, and
the recent addition of a long-
wheelbase variant has given it
the seven-seat option it always
needed. It’s large, but visibility is
great and that takes the sting out
PROS CONS of manoeuvres. Like most VW
Versatile interior space It’s a big vehicle to manoeuvre BUYTHROUGH electric cars, it’s brisk – compared
Responsive powertrain Not as efficient as some rivals AUTO EXPRESS! with the classic VW camper, it’s
LWB version worth extra cost Expensive to buy Scan the code to basically a supercar. An official
view our stock of 293-mile range is more like 200-
new ID. Buzz
250 in the real world, though.

70 5March 2025 www.autoexpress.co.uk

 BUYING CARS
Antony Ingram have to look too far for talent in the offers an electric alternative in its
VOLKSWAGEN is Europe’s best- VW range, from the Golf hatchback ID range, all based on the same MEB
selling car maker and even if you’ve to the flashy ID. Buzz, with its retro- platform (which you’ll also find under
never owned a VW yourself, you’ll futuristic styling and electric power. Audis, Cupras and Skodas, as well as
know someone who has. And the current line-up offers the Ford Explorer and Capri). Here’s
The brand has had its ups and vast choice; for just about every our guide to the best VWs you can
downs over the years, but you never combustion-powered model, VW buy in new-car showrooms today.

ID.7 Prices from £51,580

LIKE the latest Golf, VW’s ID range
of electric cars took a while to get
going. The ID.7 launched in 2023
is our favourite of the brand’s EVs,
taking many of the qualities we
got accustomed to when each
new Passat came around, and
pairing them with practicality,
typical electric-car refinement
and a generous equipment roster.
But it’s not cheap, and a heat
pump isn’t standard, either.
Power isn’t an issue in any ID.7,
with even the basic Pro Match
edition sporting 282bhp and a
6.5-second 0-62mph time. It’s
impressively quiet whether in
PROS CONS town or on the motorway, and
Superb practicality Heat pump only optional while it’s no B-road thriller, it’s
BUYTHROUGH
Impressive refinement More expensive than some rivals AUTO EXPRESS! easy to drive. Space is the main
Advanced safety features Frustrating touch-sensitive controls Scan the code to appeal though; it’s one of those
view the ID.7s you rare cars that can fit tall passengers
can buy right now in both the front and the back.

Tiguan Prices from £35,105

THE Tiguan is one of those
accomplished all-rounders that
Volkswagen has always had a
knack for. It wouldn’t feature on
many dream car lists, but it’s a lot
higher on most people’s real-
world shortlists, thanks to its
space, premium feel and wide
choice of powertrains.
VW has made a big push with
plug-in hybrid power on this
generation and it’s got a useful
70 miles of electric range. The
700-plus mpg rating is largely
meaningless, but many drivers
should be able to cover most trips
in EV mode. 35mpg when running
PROS CONS as a regular hybrid is nothing to
Premium-feeling interior Pricey in higher specs BUYTHROUGH write home about, though. The
Responsive chassis Jerky hybrid at low speeds AUTO EXPRESS! cabin design is easy to get on with,
Rapid charging on PHEV PHEV has short petrol range Scan the code if a little light on physical buttons
for our best new like most VWs, but seat space is
Tiguan deals
generous, as is the 652-litre boot.

www.autoexpress.co.uk 5 March 2025 71

TOP 10 New Volkswagens

Polo Prices from £21,140

5
THE Polo is living on borrowed time, with
PROS the model only marked on VW’s calendar
High-quality cabin until 2030. But it’s providing sterling service
Composed ride as one of the most grown-up superminis
Interior space on the market, something it’s done since
1975 – yes, the nameplate is now 50 years
CONS old. Even the current model is getting on,
Not the most fun to drive but for space and quality, it’s still not far
Expensive for a supermini from the top of the class.
Disappointing GTI model The latest car starts at more than
£21,000, although the GTI – one of
BUYTHROUGH vanishingly few hot hatchbacks left in this
AUTO EXPRESS! class feels like good value at a shade over
Scan the code £30k; MINI charges that for a basic electric
to view new Polos Cooper E. True, the GTI could be more fun,
on sale now but the 1.0-litre TSI is peppy and frugal.

Passat Prices from £39,610

7
THE Passat saloon is dead and today’s
PROS model is estate-only, which is curious when
Practical the similar (and slightly cheaper) Skoda
Well equipped Superb is available in both forms. Still, the
PHEV’s electric range Passat is one of few options left for those
who need space but aren’t convinced by
CONS SUVs. And with a minimum of 690 litres of
Price of plug-in hybrid boot capacity (or 530 litres in plug-in eHybrid
Limited engine range form), it certainly has room on its side.
Skoda Superb is cheaper The plug-in model has an impressive
77 miles of electric range, although if you
BUYTHROUGH want diesel, only Skoda can provide that,
AUTO EXPRESS! because the Passat is available as a mild-
Scan the code to hybrid or plug-in hybrid only. All Passats
check out great are refined, relaxing and comfortable to
Passat deals
drive, and they feel high in quality too.

Multivan Prices from £48,375

9
IT might not be as stylish as the all-electric
PROS ID. Buzz, but the Multivan is more useful
Huge interior as a people mover. Because it’s based on
Premium cabin feel the Transporter, the driving experience is
Slick exterior styling more van-like – but vans are pretty good
these days, so it’s not such a problem. The
CONS front four passengers get individual seats
Expensive and there’s a rear bench for three, with
Bumps felt through cabin plenty of room in the high-quality cabin.
2.0 TSI needs working The interior is also a little less odd than
that of the ID. Buzz, which may appeal to
BUYTHROUGH some – as should the choice of plug-in
AUTO EXPRESS! hybrid or pure petrol and diesel engines.
Scan the code to The Multivan is expensive too, but it’s
find the best price also one of the most desirable people
on a Multivan
movers on the market today.

72 5 March 2025 www.autoexpress.co.uk

 BUYING CARS
ID.3 Prices from £30,850
6
YOU can think of the ID.3 as an electric Golf
PROS – and with the e-Golf no longer available,
Decent range that’s effectively the role it serves. It’s
Good refinement another car that had some flaws at launch,
Spacious cabin but VW has ironed these out over time, and
today’s car offers a good blend of range,
CONS refinement and space. It’s particularly
Fiddly infotainment impressive on the latter in fact, with the
Pricey options dedicated MEB platform providing plenty
Not that fun to drive of room for passengers inside.
As with several VWs, we find the
BUYTHROUGH infotainment system fiddly and it could do
AUTO EXPRESS! with more physical buttons. A tight turning
Scan the code circle makes it a doddle to drive in town
to see our great though, while the Pro S version’s 347-mile
ID.3 deals range is highly competitive in this class.

Golf R Prices from £44,535

8
THE likes of Audi and Mercedes now sell
PROS cars which have eclipsed the Golf R’s
Engaging to drive capabilities, but few models offer more
Brutal performance accessible performance than VW’s range-
Configurable set-up topper. With 328bhp and all-wheel drive,
it’s effortlessly capable yet retains all of the
CONS virtues (and indeed some of the foibles) of
High price a regular Golf family hatch – or estate.
Rear passenger space Without the spectacular finance deals
Expensive options offered on the previous Golf R, the new
model isn’t as common as the predecessor
BUYTHROUGH from which it is derived, but it can shuffle
AUTO EXPRESS! power around brilliantly to maintain grip
Scan the code and balance in corners, while adjustable
if you want to dampers make it surprisingly adept on the
buy a Golf R UK’s bumpy roads, too.

T-Roc Prices from £29,045

10
BEING based on the Golf, you’d expect the
PROS T-Roc to be a strong contender in its class
Comfortable – rivals include the Toyota C-HR, Mazda
Decent space CX-30 and BMW X1 – and it is. The T-Roc
Lots of safety technology focuses on delivering a relaxed, comfortable
drive while providing space for the whole
CONS family, without taking up loads of room on
Fiddly climate control the road or requiring big, thirsty engines.
Hesitancy at low revs VW couldn’t resist offering a 296bhp
No hybrid or EV model T-Roc R performance variant, although it’s
hard to imagine who it’s for. The rest of the
BUYTHROUGH brisk but frugal engines make more sense,
AUTO EXPRESS! and the company hasn’t ditched diesel in
Scan the code to its family SUV yet, with a 56.4mpg 2.0 TDI
view the T-Rocs in the range. The older-style cabin is more
on sale right now
intuitive than those in the latest VWs, too.

www.autoexpress.co.uk 5 March 2025 73

NEWCAR PRICES
ROAD TAX: When a car is first registered, its first year’s road tax
is included in the price. This is emissions-based, and adds
anything from zero on electric cars to £2,745 for vehicles emitting
over255g/kmofCO2.After12months,it’stheowner’sresponsibility
to tax their vehicle, and the rate depends on the fuel used:

Vehicles below £40,000 EURO NCAP RATING:

HOW OUR GUIDE WORKS Electric vehicle:

Alternative fuel:
£0
£180
Atthestartofeach
modelisitsEuroNCAP
crashtestsafetyrating
PERFORMANCE: This is the manufacturer’s INSURANCE: Group rating as quoted WILL IT FIT? Is your garage big enough? Petrol/diesel: £190
(ifavailable).The
claimed acceleration time for a car, and is by the Association of British Insurers. Our measurements show the length and Alternative fuels include hybrids,
maximumscoreisfive
measured from 0-60mph or 0-62mph Warranty: Next to each manufacturer’s name widthof each model, but remember estate plug-in hybrids, bi-ethanol and LPG fuels.
stars,althoughthetest
(0-100km/h), in seconds. is the basic warranty period in months and and performance variants may be bigger. Vehicles Over £40,000 hasbeenmadetougher
miles for the mechanicals, corrosion and Electric vehicle: £0 overtheyears,soratings
ECONOMY/EMISSIONS/RANGE: paintwork. EVs and hybrids will have DRIVER POWER POSITION: Alternative fuel: £590 aren’tcomparable
Combined WLTP economy in miles per gallon, dedicated battery cover. Auto Express’s survey canvasses results Petrol/diesel: £600 betweenvehicles.
emissions in grams per kilometre of CO2 and from tens of thousands of motorists. After five years, vehicles costing more
maximum claimed range for EVs. Figures are LIST PRICE: This is the on-the-road figure Models are ratedby drivers, then ranked than £40,000 revert to the lower rates.
achieved in the latest WLTP tests, but will vary and includes VAT, delivery to dealer, the first against others onsale in the UK. Pick-up trucks: The models listed here
according to equipment and are unlikely to be 12 months’ of emissions-based road tax, The lower the number, the higher pay a flat rate of road tax, at £345 per year.
representative of everyday efficiency. number plates and first registration. the score a model achieved.

74 5March2025 www.autoexpress.co.uk
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NEW CAR
PRICES

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NEW CAR
PRICES

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NEW CAR
PRICES

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 ONLINE
VALUATION
TOOL
Head over to our
valuation tool to check
prices on a specific model.

www.autoexpress.co.uk 5 March 2025 81

BACKCHAT Mike Rutherford

GOODBYE and good riddance to the lousy

winter. Bring on the lighter, less dangerous
“IFYOU HAVE A CHILD
days and evenings, when we can better spot and deal OR GRANDCHILD
with increasingly common potholes and kerbside
cameras, plus wretched no-notice road closures.
STRUGGLING TO
Also important is that parents, grandparents, DECIDE ON A CAREER,
aunts and uncles should be comforted by the fact that
more usable daylight hours mean safer bike lanes,
YOU COULD DO FAR
pedestrian crossings and pavements for youngsters, WORSE THAN STEER
THEM TOWARDS A
NEXTWEEK
many of whom will be revising for and sitting
important, potentially life-changing exams.
In years gone by, when some teens achieved decent JOB IN OR AROUND
results, a comfortably off elderly relative would
generously reward them with driving lessons. And AUTOMOTIVE”
why not? Being a trained, qualified driver (even if
ON SALE Weds 12 Mar
you can’t yet afford a car) means you’re blessed with
a skill for life and a qualification that’ll be a real asset when applying for jobs. REVEALED
If driving is your passion, perhaps consider a reasonably well paid career at the wheel
of a taxi or limo, LCV or HGV, bus or coach, or for the elite few, a WRC or F1 car. Remember,
world champs Colin McRae and Lewis Hamilton were regular, working-class lads.
Others might prefer careers at vehicle or engine-manufacturing plants or back offices,
engineering centres, design studios, vehicle import HQs, franchised dealerships… you
name it. Such places would love to sign up new people keen to earn while they learn.
The Volkswagen Group – with its Audi, Bentley, Cupra, Lamborghini, Porsche, SEAT,
Skoda and VW marques – is the car empire with the greatest sales success in Britain. Not Wraps come off
only is it currently inviting the young, and not-so-young, to investigate and perhaps Volkswagen ID.1
apply for places on its apprenticeship programmes here, it’s urging candidates to
First pictures and all you need to
“choose your brand, start your journey”. Bentley goes further, saying “applications are know about VW’s bold £17k EV
open to everyone, from school or college leavers to those looking for a change of career”.
Arch-rival Rolls-Royce says it’s now welcoming new apprentices to its ‘Future Talent’
programmes and urges those successfully completing formal education to apply. The DRIVEN
huge Stellantis family, plus Kia, Suzuki and others, are making similar promises to
near-future apprentices. And it’s worth me reminding everyone that apprenticeships
are for all-comers – young people, older folk or those somewhere in between.
As for those caring, loving relatives with wise heads? If you have a daughter or son,
granddaughter or grandson, niece or nephew struggling to decide on a career path, you
could do much worse than steer them towards apprenticeships or jobs in and around the
automotive sector and its massive network of support businesses.
I’m talking about a rapidly changing, genuinely exciting UK We’re at the wheel
industry with a £93 billion turnover annually and employing
over 800,000 people. What’s not to like? of Audi’s new Q5
Does latest Mk3 SUV “make the good

MIKE
better”, as Audi claims? We reveal all

TESTED

RUTHERFORD
facebook.com/autoexpress @autoexpress

MOTORING’S
MOST OUTSPOKEN New Jaecoo 7
COLUMNISTAND vs Skoda Kamiq
FOUNDING MEMBER Striking SUV from fresh Chinese brand
OFAUTO EXPRESS sets sights on established all-rounder

www.autoexpress.co.uk
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