Table of contents for 1831 in Auto Express

Jordan_Katsianis@autovia.co.uk We sample Volvo’s upcoming range-topper from passenger seat Seven-seat EV will initially be sold alongside hybrid XC90 THE Volvo EX90 will have a tough job on its hands when it arrives later this year. The pure-electric seven-seat flagship SUV won’t just look to (eventually) replace the popular XC90, it’ll also act as the champion of the brand’s assault on the electric era. With so much at stake, we popped over to Volvo’s proving grounds near Gothenburg, Sweden, for a rundown on the new model from its creators, and to gather some initial impressions from the passenger seat. The EX90’s design and packaging aren’t a million miles from the XC90’s – and the older car with its hybrid powertrains will still be sold alongside the EV for now – but…

Tom_Jervis@autovia.co.uk @thomaswjervis Six-month probation planned Aim is to reduce fatalities A NEW bill has been introduced to Parliament, calling for the introduction of so-called graduated driving licences (GDLs), which would impose restrictions on new drivers in order to curb what are being described as “often avoidable collisions”. Under the proposed law, newly qualified drivers would, for the first six months, have restrictions on the number of young passengers they are allowed to carry, as well as a zero limit for blood alcohol content. Other constraints may also be implemented, although exemptions would be made for work, medical and emergency situations. Dubbed the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (New Drivers) Bill, and introduced to Parliament by Kim Leadbeater, Labour MP for Batley and Spen, the new proposal is due for a second…

Alastair_Crooks@autovia.co.uk @AllieCrooks AN all-new BMW M5 is just around the corner, and we’ve caught the plug-in saloon testing as it undergoes the final stages of its development. Our latest shots show the car with less camouflage than ever before. By dropping some of its disguise we can see the new car will lift many key features – including its front and rear lights – from the standard 5 Series. The M5 will get a typically understated design, although the four tailpipes at the back confirm this is the hot 5. Other visual changes include more sharply styled bumpers, and bigger, more angular air intakes. The M5 gets a unique set of large alloy wheels, too. A Touring estate model will also be available for the first time in over 15…

Chris_rosamond@autovia.co.uk LATEST sales figures confirm that private buyers are still unconvinced of the merits of battery-powered EVs, with just 15.6 per cent of the total number of EVs sold in April going to retail customers. But at the same time, increasing numbers of used electric cars from company fleets are hitting auctions and dealers, making electric powertrains the fastest growing used-car segment. When it comes to new-car sales, there’s been a 21.9 per cent drop in the proportion of EVs going to private buyers compared with April last year. In contrast, fleet sales drove the new-EV sector forward, as Government incentives on Benefit-in-Kind tax for company cars continued to stimulate demand. As a result of strong corporate sales, EV registrations rose by 10.7 per cent, lifting their April market share…

Legal AA: 0345 850 1130 (m) RAC: 0330 159 1446 (m) Citizens Advice Consumer helpline: 03454 040506 Local Trading Standards Local Citizens Advice Bureau Used car inspections AA: 0800 056 8040 RAC: 0330 159 0720 Technical advice AA: 0370 142 0002 (m) Driving licences DVLA: 0300 790 6801 Car registration/history HPI: 0113 222 2010 AA: 0800 316 3564 DVLA: 0300 790 6802 RAC: 0808 164 1923 Traffic information AA: 0906 888 4322 RAC: 09003 444999 (p) Problems with dealers The Motor Ombudsman: 0345 241 3008 Consumer Ombudsman: www.consumer-ombudsman.org RMIF: 0845 305 4230 Scottish Motor Trade Assoc. 0131 331 5510 Problems with makers The Motor Ombudsman: 0345 241 3008 Financial problems Financial Ombudsman: 0800 023 4567 Safety concerns/recalls www.check-mot.service.gov.uk…

Chris_rosamond@autovia.co.uk WANT to know what the future of car design holds? So do we, and who better to ask than the next generation of car-design professionals, graduating on this 50th-anniversary year of Coventry University’s internationally renowned Automotive and Transport Design BA degree course? The course was set up in the seventies to respond to a need for design talent ready to take up jobs in the car industry. It’s been working closely with industry partners ever since, focusing on traditional skills such as sketching and clay modelling, as well as pioneering modern computer-based design since the eighties and, more recently, tech such as virtual reality. A measure of its success is the number of overseas students attracted to the course, and a roster of past graduates who have ended up…

Richard_Ingram@autovia.co.uk @rsp_ingram SOME people say all Aston Martins look the same. But while there may be similarities between the various models, there are major differences under the skin – and doubly so with this latest Vantage. A nip and tuck does allow the new car to stand apart from the old one, but beneath the metal sits a new architecture that gives the revised two-seat sports car a significant boost in power and performance. Yet the extra 153bhp and 116Nm (now 656bhp and 800Nm) is only part of the story. This new Vantage has, put simply, undergone more changes than we’re able to list here. There’s a pair of larger turbos, for example, plus reprofiled camshafts and optimised cooling. The transmission has been tuned for faster shifts and greater in-gear…

Alex_Ingram@autovia.co.uk @AxleIngram Electric motor Power/range 641bhp/278 miles Performance 0-62mph/top speed 3.4 seconds/161mph FOLLOWING a first encounter in South Korea and a second in Spain, it’s time to sample Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 N on UK roads. And now the wait is over, our findings from those initial meetings are confirmed: this is a staggeringly good performance car. For two different groups of car people, that will almost certainly come as quite a surprise. The first is those who have already driven the standard Ioniq 5. It’s an excellent car in its own right – one with the talent to be crowned our Car of the Year in 2021 – but while it’s a spacious, efficient and relaxing EV, sharp driving dynamics have never been a stand-out feature. To address this, Hyundai’s…

MODEL TESTED: Swift 1.2 Mild Hybrid Ultra PRICE: £19,799 POWERTRAIN: 1.2-litre 3cyl petrol mild hybrid, 81bhp 81bhp Powertrain 1.2 litre 3cyl 37 litres Fuel tank £55 fill up 12.5 seconds Performance 103mph 265 litres Seats up/down 589 litres AT £19,799, the Swift manages to undercut the MG we’re testing here by £696. That’s not a huge amount, but look at the details and the differences begin to reveal themselves. Tech highlights COMPARED with the seemingly complex powertrain used by the MG, Suzuki has gone for a much simpler approach. There’s no big battery or electric motor here; instead there’s a 12-volt mild-hybrid system, which features an integrated starter-generator unit. It’s not one that adds outright power – it produces just 3.1bhp – but the 60Nm of torque helps to take…

SAME CLASS Renault Clio FROM the moment the fifth-generation Clio was released in 2019, it has been one of the best small cars in the business. Following a Mk4 that fell short of the class leaders, this replacement moved the game on slightly in some areas (ride and handling) and much further in others (interior quality and space) to become an Auto Express favourite. The introduction of a hybrid powertrain added another dimension to the package, and a mid-life facelift last year refined the formula. Among its best strengths is that it feels like one of the poshest cars in its class, yet its prices don’t show it. ● Great to drive● Well equipped● Smart cabin ● Hybrid refinement● So-so performance● Some rivals more spacious SAME MONEY Dacia Sandero FOR…

55 litres Fuel tank £89 fill up 296bhp Powertrain 2.0 litre 4cyl 4.9 secs Performance 155mph 355 litres Seats up/down 1,000 litres PERFORMANCE SUVs are big business right now and Audi has a hot ‘RS’ or ‘S’-badged version of pretty much every SUV it sells. The SQ2 is the smallest of the bunch, but it still comes with a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine (a slightly older iteration of the same motor that the Cupra uses) with 296bhp and 400Nm of torque going to all four wheels in classic Audi quattro fashion through a seven-speed DSG auto gearbox. There’s almost nothing to choose between the two cars in weight (the Audi is 1,610kg and the Cupra is 1,616kg), although the Cupra is larger in every dimension and has a longer wheelbase.…

ONCE the preserve of professional detailers, snow foam is now hugely popular with DIY car cleaners. It works in the same way as soaking pots and pans before you wash them, softening and loosening dirt so it can be blasted away by a pressure washer. It makes cleaning a car easier, but also means you are less likely to damage your paint by swirling grit over the surface with a sponge. This year we tried more snow foams than ever, testing 21 products. Each snow foam was awarded points based on its cleaning performance, ease of use, foaming ability and clinging action during our evaluation. We then worked out the cost of a wash using the concentrations suggested by the instructions and scored them on value. Our winners offered the…

THE days of trailing leads across the workshop to get household bulbs held in wire cages providing some light under the bonnet or car are gone, but the LED cordless revolution has brought its own problems. The advances in tech have spawned all manner of designs, from lights little bigger than a marker pen to units designed to illuminate an entire garage. So which is the clear favourite to shine the light on your car repairs and maintenance? We charged 10 lamps of all shapes and sizes to find out. Light output and runtime were key, but we checked how easy it was to get illumination where you want it under the bonnet. Charging options were evaluated, plus we expected to see battery-state indicators. Life in the workshop can be…

WINNER Nextbase iQ Price: £349.99-£449.99 (64GB SD card included) Contact: nextbase.com ONCE in a while, a company launches a new product that changes an entire market and makes all its rivals seem obsolete. The most obvious example is how Apple turned the mobile-phone business on its head. We think that the Nextbase iQ will do the same with the dash-cam market, which is why we have named it the Auto Express Product of the Year for 2024. The big difference over other cameras is its connectivity and AI tech, making it safer, more secure, and generally more useful. The conventional SD memory card stores all the footage from the front, driver-facing and rear-view cameras, but it is backed up by cloud storage fed through the iQ’s built-in mobile data connection. This…

Performance 0-62mph/top speed 7.8 seconds/152mph Running costs 48-62mpg (40 TDI) £96 fill-up CO2/tax 117-152g/km £180 AUDI has spent around four decades or so in the UK carefully honing and expanding its product range, building a reputation for making some of the most hi-tech and sophisticated cars around. Whether you want a supermini or a V10-powered-supercar, Audi has the answer, while its SUV options are especially plentiful. But some buyers prefer something that’s more traditional, and it’s for them that Audi still offers executive cars such as the A6, which marks its 30th birthday this year. Previously sold as the 100, Audi’s large executive saloon and Avant estate were rebranded A6 in 1994, and the model is still in production today. More luxurious and sophisticated than ever, the fifth-generation A6 is…

LUXURY British car maker Bentley has revealed new details of its V8 ‘Ultra Performance Hybrid’ powertrain. It’s set to supersede the company’s iconic W12, which will end production in June. The new plug-in hybrid V8 will be even more powerful than the outgoing 12-cylinder engine, and its torque output of more than 1,000Nm will be delivered “over a wider plateau”, according to the brand. The firm says the new powertrain will be the “most dynamic, responsive and efficient system in Bentley’s history” and will befit a “new generation of daily supercars”. The Crewe-based business says the unit will be capable of running on electric power for 50 miles, with an official CO2 figure of less than 50g/km. Bentley’s ‘Beyond 100’ strategy will see every one of its models offered as a hybrid.…

Tom_Jervis@autovia.co.uk @thomaswjervis SWITCH on the TV and you won’t have to wait too long to see an advert featuring a car that looks straight out of Blade Runner and a contemporary logo apparently comprising a ‘K’ and backwards ‘N’. Is this the latest EV arrival from China, or is it yet another hip American start-up? Actually the latest marketing campaign is from Kia, a marque that’s currently undergoing one of the most comprehensive rebranding schemes we’ve seen in years. Kia’s shift towards becoming a desirable and (dare we say it) premium brand has been gaining momentum recently, spearheaded by the launch of its ‘EV’ electric-car range. This is soon to be bolstered further by the EV5 family SUV and EV3 compact crossover – two exciting-looking models aiming to target popular,…

Paul_Barker@autovia.co.uk “Its hefty 116kWh battery gives it an official range of 285 miles, which is 2.5 miles per kWh” THE Mercedes G-Class has always been something of an unwieldy and divisive beast. You either love it or just really don’t see the point, especially when the price tag comes up in conversation. All of those qualities are amplified with the new electric G-Wagon. Some fans of the AMG version that dominates the sales mix in the UK may jump the fence and hate the fact that there’s a fully electric version. But for other fans of the big, square off-roader, the EV will seem achingly cool. This electric G 580 with EQ Technology, to give it the full title, has an official range of 285 miles from its hefty 116kWh…

Alex_Ingram@autovia.co.uk @AxleIngram THIS is the new Peugeot E-3008, and it’s our first chance to get behind the wheel, in the UK, of what is the brand’s most significant new model in years. There’s lots riding on it. Firstly because of the competitive class that it wades into. All-electric models such as the Skoda Enyaq, Tesla Model Y and Renault Scenic E-Tech are all fighting for class supremacy. The 3008 also launches with a hybrid powertrain (a PHEV will follow) so you can count the Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage and Nissan Qashqai as rivals, too. But even more significant is the fact this is a car that will set the stall for many future Peugeots, as well as other cars in the huge Stellantis empire. That’s because the E-3008 is the…

ONCE all of the figures have been added up, one thing is clear: these two cars are among the cheapest to run in the entire supermini segment. Their low asking prices mean that, based on the PCP finance deals that the overwhelming majority of UK buyers go for, the pair are outstanding value for money. Take the MG3: on a three-year deal with a £5,000 deposit and a 10,000-mile annual limit, even this top-spec Trophy model comes to £206 per month. Compare that with its nearest full-hybrid rival, the Renault Clio, and it undercuts that car (which is great value itself by class standards) by roughly £35 a month. The Swift is cheaper still, with this Ultra trim costing a fraction over £200 per month. However, the MG is offering…

SUPERMINIS These two cars are great, but there are numerous very strong alternatives, both new and used “ELECTRIC cars are smoother, quieter and quicker than their internal-combustion counterparts, so to base the MG3’s hybrid system around that – using the petrol engine as little more than a range extender – is an approach that more firms should consider.” “THE MG3 is ideal for those not quite ready to make the jump to an EV, but there are many electric models going on sale soon – and existing EVs getting discounted more by the month – that come close to the MG’s price. Take the electric version of the new Citroen C3 (above), for example.” “MG has released this car at the perfect moment. Not only has the Ford Fiesta departed…

Paul_Barker@autovia.co.uk Performance 0-62mph/top speed 10.2 seconds/90mph Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 1,121/2,205 litres A BANK holiday weekend jaunt to the south coast gave me a first chance to spend some time with the Volkswagen ID. Buzz since inheriting custodianship of this distinctive lime-yellow machine. Although I personally prefer the orange or blue two-tone paint options, it is at least summer-y, and seems to bring a little perk to people’s mood as they see it. Because you’re not flying under the radar in an ID. Buzz, lime yellow or otherwise. I genuinely had a “nice motor, mister” from a young lad while we were down at the seaside, which was a first. And the car’s usually parked within sight of my kitchen window, where I’ve watched as it’s turned into something of…

YOU might have a glossy shine on your car’s paintwork and gleaming wheels, but over time rubber and plastic trim parts will fade and dry out until they become dull and grey. Which is why a plastic and trim treatment should become part of your car-clean routine. This will return your bumpers to black and restore rubbers. But some of the cheaper products will only last until it rains, leaving your car looking a streaky mess. Others will need reapplying after every time you wash the car. We tried 19 treatments, applying them to a grey and dull bumper. This was left open to the elements for three months and washed with a basic detergent once a fortnight. We noted the initial improvement in appearance, but the products had to…

EVEN the most pampered car will end up being scratched. Whether it’s from undergrowth on country lanes, shopping trolleys, or buttons and belts brushing the bodywork, your paint will soon pick up blemishes. Simply cleaning your car is likely to create tiny swirls as you move dirt around on your sponge. While deeper damage will need a touch-up, minor flaws in paint can be fixed with a bit of elbow grease and a scratch remover. These are mildly abrasive, gently removing the paint or lacquer around the scrape, making the finish level and restoring the shine. We tested 18 products by marking an old bonnet with a craft knife, wire wool and a plastic trim-removal tool. We then applied the scratch removers using a set amount of pressure to simulate…

THEY’LL never admit it, but DS remains a frustratingly long-term game for the Stellantis group management. It was always going to be tough to crack the German hold over the premium market; now the more level EV playing field means the Chinese are trying to get in on the act too. Olivier François clearly has the backing of Stellantis boss Carlos Tavares – and STLA Large could be the ideal toolkit for a halo model. But the tech could be the easy bit; successfully mixing design cues from the original DS 19 with modern needs and trends will be the real challenge. The original DS was a standout car because it was bold for its time, not retro. François and his team must be very careful not to fall into…

Paul.Barker@carwow.co.uk VW CEO Thomas Schäfer says it will be confirmed in the summer Company has re-evaluated touchscreen systems after backlash VOLKSWAGEN will firm up plans for development of a new £20,000 small electric car this summer, with the budget EV potentially on the road within the next three years, VW brand CEO, Thomas Schäfer, told Auto Express at the Financial Times Future of the Car Summit in London. If rubber-stamped in the coming months, the car will get an official range of around 200 miles, and would also provide the basis for important spin-off models for both Skoda and the somewhat neglected SEAT brand. The new baby EV will follow on from a production version of the ID. 2 all concept, which is due in 2026 at a price of…

FORD could resort to limiting sales of new petrol cars in the UK, as it struggles to meet the electric-car sales targets laid down in the Government’s ZEV mandate. Speaking from the FT Future Car Summit, Ford’s European boss of its ‘Model e’ electric car division, Martin Sander, said, “We can’t push EVs into the market against demand. We’re not going to pay penalties. We are not going to sell EVs at huge losses just to buy compliance. The only alternative is to take our shipments of [engine-powered] vehicles to the UK down, and sell these vehicles somewhere else”. Introduced at the start of this year, the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate requires manufacturers to ensure that 22 per cent of overall sales are battery-powered in 2024, or face fines…

New Skoda Octavia range starts at £27k SKODA has revealed prices and specs for the facelifted Octavia; the brand’s most popular model (above) starts from £26,775 and is on sale now. Entry-level SE Technology trim has a new 13-inch infotainment display and Virtual Cockpit digital instrument cluster. Other kit includes 16-inch wheels, LED lights, heated seats, sat-nav, plus Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. SE L and Sportline models also feature, alongside a creatively named ‘First Edition’ car. Beginning of the end for EQ-badged Mercs MERCEDES will drop the EQ branding from its range of electric cars in the coming years, starting with the all-new G 580 (driven on Page 22). “EQ is the technical lead – future electric Mercedes won’t be EQ,” said product manager Tobi Mantele. The manufacturer is…

Alastair_Crooks@autovia.co.uk @AllieCrooks Defender gets a sprinkling of extra luxury and a new diesel engine Now comes with a greater level of comfort, according to Land Rover THE Land Rover Defender is one of the most capable off-road vehicles you can buy, but its manufacturer thinks it can also cater to more luxury-focused customers, with a round of classy updates. Alongside the additional options is a new diesel engine and a special ‘Sedona Edition’, based on the Defender 110. Available for one model year only, the Sedona Edition’s red paint (above) is inspired by the city of the same name in Arizona, America. This car also gets the ‘Extended Black Pack’ with black badging, plus black finishes for the grille, skid plates and 22-inch alloy wheels. Elsewhere, an optional bonnet decal…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk @AutoExpress YOUR VIEWS This week’s letters Stuck-on screens simply aren’t safe! FROM: Chas Lewin ONE of my main gripes is the practice of ‘sticking’ an iPad on top of the dash, which looks like an afterthought. It’s ugly and a hard thing to hit in an accident – not very safety conscious. You don’t need all that information while you drive – it’s more like a distraction! Dark car interiors are claustrophobic FROM: John Rason WHY is it that manufacturers selling their vehicles in the UK only appear to offer black or dark-coloured interiors? It seems that only their home-market vehicles get more exciting colour options. I feel all of this only makes the cabin feel more claustrophobic. Or is it just me? Ferryis (nautical) miles ahead of train…

PART of Kia’s rebrand will be its burgeoning range of electric cars. Spearheaded by the EV9 (main pic), it’ll be bolstered by cheaper models such as the EV3; teased this week, the new car will be unveiled on 23 May. A small SUV designed to rival the Volvo EX30 and MINI Aceman, the boxy, bluff-fronted crossover will most likely utilise the firm’s E-GMP platform, with batteries capable of returning 300 miles of range. The scaled-down EV9 is expected to start from close to £30,000 and Kia says the EV3 “will accelerate the EV transition, providing a more accessible solution for customers considering the switch to electric mobility”.…

Paul_Barker@autovia.co.uk WHILE the whole Mercedes G-Class line-up has had a mid-life refresh, it’s the G 63 that is the main support act to the all-new electric G-Class. Because while there’s a new G 500 petrol engine, and a very sensible G 450 d that’s been given an extra 37bhp to take it up to 362bhp, the range-topping Mercedes-AMG G 63 also gets a clever new suspension system that should bring a huge step up in on-road ability. All G-Class models, including the AMG, get a series of minor updates to welcome the model’s mid-life status, including some very minor cladding to help airflow and some new wheel designs. But it’s nothing you’re going to spot unless they’re parked side by side. There’s also a 20bhp increase in power thanks to…

Alastair_Crooks@autovia.co.uk @AllieCrooks SAY the words ‘Smart Car’ and most people will think of the cleverly packaged, tiny two-seaters that Smart made for more than two decades – up until the ForTwo’s demise earlier this year. Now, the company has shifted onto bigger (and what it hopes will be better) things. The brand’s new focus on all-electric cars started with the #1, and that’s now been joined by the #3. We drove the maker’s second model in Majorca last year and we were pretty impressed, especially after the slightly disappointing #1. Something that’s always tricky to grasp is how cars will look here on UK roads, let alone how they’ll drive on them. Whether you like the #3’s curvy, somewhat blobby design, is down to personal preference, but there’s no arguing…

MODEL TESTED: Hybrid+ Trophy PRICE: £20,495 POWERTRAIN: 1.5-litre 4cyl petrol hybrid, 191bhp 191bhp Powertrain 1.5 litre 4cyl 36 litres Fuel tank £54 fill up 8.0 seconds Performance 106mph 293 litres Seats up/down 983 litres THE MG3 Hybrid+ is more expensive than the car it replaces, with the base SE costing £18,495 and this top-spec Trophy commanding a £2k premium. But even before you drive it, the on-paper changes start to justify the price hike. Tech highlights THE previous MG3 is very cheap (it’s still available until stocks run out), but not particularly cheerful – the likes of the Dacia Sandero and Citroen C3 are much better options. But this all-new model competes in a different area of the class. The leap up in tech is vast, and nowhere is that…

WINNER 1st MG3 THE MG3 has the talent to overcome the Suzuki Swift in this contest, but in reality, it wouldn’t have mattered which supermini it was paired up with – the newcomer would have come out on top regardless. Its performance is class leading, while the ride, handling, efficiency and equipment levels are all a match for cars that cost thousands of pounds more to buy. And it’s that value angle which makes the MG3 such a strong prospect; it’s an area of the new-car market where that counts for more than in any other. INTERESTED? Scan the code for further information ● Class-leading performance● Ride and handling● Refinement● Bargain price ● Occasionally laggy hybrid● Artificial steering feel ● No steering reach adjustment● Patchy interior quality RUNNER-UP 2nd Suzuki…

SAME CLASS Skoda Fabia IN many ways the Fabia still holds an edge over rivals – even those as talented as the MG3 and the Clio. A higher list price than some of its competition pegs it back, but that issue fades away on the used market. Around £13,000 will get you behind the wheel of the latest Mk4 Fabia with a 1.0-litre TSI petrol engine and in SE trim. In terms of interior space, boot capacity and ride comfort, little else in the supermini class can match it. ● Class-leading practicality● Comfort ● No hybrid option● Rivals are more fun to drive SAME MONEY Toyota Corolla FOR the same cash as these two superminis, it’s possible to get a used car from the class above. And if its hybrid…

55 litres Fuel tank £89 fill up 306bhp Powertrain 2.0 litre 4cyl 4.9 secs Performance 155mph 420 litres Seats up/down NA litres CUPRA really set its stall out with the Formentor – the brand’s first bespoke car. While the Cupra name certainly has plenty of cachet to it as SEAT’s performance sub-brand for over 20 years, the Formentor simply had to be excellent to ensure the brand hit the ground running. Using tried-and-tested mechanicals from the current Volkswagen Golf R, the Cupra was always going to impress behind the wheel, despite its raised ride height and crossover body. To put it bluntly, the Formentor VZN drives like a lifted Golf R – because that’s what it is. The steering has a good weight and gives you a reliable connection to…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy Electric car Official range/charging 239 miles/100kW Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 355/1,053 litres THEY say you’re not really part of the Jeep family until someone gives you a rubber duck. But as my six months with the Jeep Avenger near their conclusion, I have to admit that I’ve been forced to source my own bathtime buddy. This is a pity, because I feel more affinity with the Jeep brand than ever. It’s driving me quackers. The story goes that a kindly Jeep owner from Ontario, Canada, started the ‘ducking’ movement when she placed a rubber duck on a Jeep she came across in a car park. It’s about a connection, a bond – a mutual respect and love of one of America’s most iconic brands. These days it’s not…

LEATHER upholstery might seem a more practical alternative than cloth, because drinks spills and muddy dog paw prints can be easily wiped away. But the hide is a natural material that needs to be treated with care. Traditional detergents will dry out the leather, leaving it looking tired and leading to cracking. A dedicated leather cleaner will be designed to gently lift the dirt out of the hide without removing any of the protective oils. It will also condition the leather to leave it looking smooth and feeling supple. We tested 20 products on an offcut of automotive leather, with individual sections marked with soot, ink, make-up and grease. Following the makers’ instructions, we checked if the dirt was removed and how much effort was needed, while also assessing the…

DIY car enthusiasts can’t afford to be without a cordless drill, especially as current battery tech makes their performance on a par with corded tools. Each of our test units comes with at least one battery, the size of which is denoted in Ah (amp hours). The larger the figure, the longer the drill will run. We charged each drill before running it at top speed for five minutes. We also logged the noise of each unit in dB. The lower the figure the better, because constant high levels can be very tiring. Then we drove screws into a piece of timber to test each product’s available torque and settings. Next, we drilled holes in steel and aluminium. Finally, five minutes of wire brushing the rust from an old sheet…

“Even the simplest job is done better with a torque wrench – and it needn’t break the bank” A TORQUE wrench is a tool box essential because even the simplest job is done better and more safely with one. If you go as far as tackling suspension or engine work, you’ll need to make sure fasteners are tightened correctly to not only prevent them coming undone, but also stop damage through using too much force. And a torque wrench won’t break the bank, given that usable tools are available for less than £40. With help from Draper’s quality assurance department, we found the one that should be in your tool kit. We rated accuracy based on the BS EN ISO 6789 standard, which takes readings at 20, 60 and 100…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk NOTHING can hold a candle to Dacia’s super-satisfying Duster SUV for good value, and the model also has an impressive range of scores across the running costs category. It’s ranked fifth overall for fuel economy, ninth for servicing and 10th for other costs, such as insurance – enough for an impressive seventh place in this category. Even more impressive is the Duster’s second place for its infotainment, which includes a top ranking for connectivity. The next-best category scores are 19th for the engine and gearbox, a 21st place for reliability and 22nd for practicality and boot space. The safety features and interior are the Duster’s worst category results, at 55th and 53rd respectively. WE SAID “The Duster stays true to the company’s principle of offering good-value motoring. It’s not…

Motoring’s most outspoken and opinionated columnist sounds off IF May 2024 continues as feverishly as it started, there’s a danger it’ll become the maddest month for motor cars, motorists and motoring. Not that mad necessarily means bad, right? Despite the tumultuous nature of May’s first week, it had its marvellous moments, too – including yet more positive noises about the Chinese and Koreans bringing all-new, affordable, accessible pure-EVs to the UK. Likely inclusions: the BYD Seagull that would need to be priced well under £15,000; the baby Land Rover-like Hyundai Casper that could weigh in sub £20,000; plus its sister micro-SUV, the Kia EV1, which should be a quarter of the price of the EV9 that tops out at a hefty £79,000. These are globally significant pure EVs residing in…