Table of contents for 1753 in Auto Express

Mk I Dates sold: 1976-1983 THIS is where the Fiesta started, back in 1976. The simple recipe proved superbly successful. Some were even built here in the UK at Ford’s Dagenham plant. Mk II Dates sold: 1983-1989 THE second-generation Fiesta evolved the recipe with smarter styling. A hot XR2 version appeared with the Mk I, but it was with the Mk II that it became an icon. Mk III Dates sold: 1989-1997 THIS generation was a record breaker, achieving the highest yearly sales of any Fiesta, topping more than 1 million units within two years of production. Mk IV Dates sold: 1995-2002 WHILE it wasn’t on sale for quite as long as the Mk II, this is where the Fiesta jumped into the modern era, with lots of tech, a…

@AutoExpress HOT TOPIC Rolls-Royce Spectre FROM: Jon Kingsley THE Rolls-Royces of the 20th century were elegant and beautiful. Since BMW took over, they’ve all been boxy and vulgar. I had hoped a new electric era would mean a new design language, too. Clearly not – the Spectre looks vile! FROM: joamuk LIKE the BMW X7, the Rolls-Royce Spectre has a massive snout, slim running lights and headlights that are hidden in plain sight. The Spectre looks modern, cool and handsome, though, while the X7 looks as though it’s been crashed. Join the debate at www.autoexpress.co.uk ▝ “I saw the test mule on the M40 a while back. It looks hideous and ostentatious. Not for me, even if I could afford it.” Kris Kocsis ▝ “Rolls-Royce is all about refinement and…

WHETHER buyers actually plump for the Range Rover Sport for its extra dynamic edge, or the difference in style compared with the new full-fat Range Rover, this latest Sport redesign isn’t as radical as the one its bigger brother received. Instead, it’s more of a concentrated, focused evolution of the breed, with the brand’s ‘reductionism’ theme being successfully applied to the Sport’s still vast but hunkered-down body. In our opinion, at least. It’s certainly a more luxurious look. Climb inside the beautifully trimmed interior, and the theme continues. Apart from the nasty plastic for the door-top speakers, the cabin is a mix of expensive-feeling materials and textures, while the driving position nicely balances the feeling of commanding vision and being ensconced in a world of privacy. There’s plenty of technology,…

Performance 0-62mph/top speed 7.9 seconds/124mph Running costs 44.8mpg (official) £107 fill-up WHILE the big news when Lexus launched its latest RX large SUV was the addition of a plug-in hybrid powertrain for the first time, in 450h+ form, it’ll still be offered with the more familiar 350h ‘self-charging’ hybrid set-up that we’re testing. Continued refinements to the tech mean the basic recipe hasn’t changed even if the results have, so the RX is powered by a 2.5-litre four-cylinder Atkinson cycle engine that drives the wheels through a CVT automatic gearbox in conjunction with a pair of electric motors that are supplied by a small battery. Many of the components are new, with the car’s hybrid transaxle motor/transmission set-up now more compact and lighter. There’s also a new Power Control Unit.…

MODELTESTED: Citroen C5 Aircross Shine PureTech auto PRICE: £30,155 ENGINE: 1.2-litre 3cyl turbo, 129bhp Running costs 40.2mpg (on test) £87 fill-up/£165 or 34% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 580/1,630 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 10.3 seconds/117mph AT £30,155, the revised Citroen C5 Aircross in Shine trim with the PureTech petrol engine and an eight-speed automatic gearbox is competitively priced in this class. Our test car adds Pearl White paint (£720) and a black roof (£250) raising the total cost to £31,125. Design & engineering WITHIN the family crossover class, the C5 Aircross always held a fairly distinctive spot, and the changes for 2022 aim to keep it fresh against many key rivals, including the Ateca. The styling tweaks align the C5 Aircross with more recent Citroens such as the C4 and…

Citroen C5 Aircross Citroen Connect Nav Key features: Digital driver’s display ONE of the key changes for the facelifted C5 Aircross can be seen on the dashboard. A redesigned fascia holds a 10-inch display (much larger than before), but bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better – or in this case, that there are many relevant changes. That’s because this system runs essentially the same interface as its predecessor. While Citroen has made a point of sticking to physical climate controls with many of its latest releases, the C5 Aircross forces you to fiddle with these settings on screen. The dual-zone temperature readings are also shown on the screen permanently in two wide bars, so even though the display is a match for the Ateca’s size and sharpness, much of that area…

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Q A helping hand with washing I’VE used a sponge to wash my car for years. It came as a part of a car cleaning package, so I thought it was fine to use. I’ve read this isn’t the case and it could cause damage. Is that correct? Rich Emery, E-mail A SPONGES are great at absorbing water, but are poor at drawing in grit and dirt. This means particles remain on the surface and are dragged across the paint, causing tiny scratches. A wash mitt (above) absorbs grit and water and releases particles when rinsed in a bucket. A separate bucket for rinsing or one with a grille to prevent grit being scooped up will provide extra protection. Q Are tyres fit for purpose? THE handbook for my BMW…

FULL marks to Ring for taking a sideways look at DIY lighting when you’ve run out of hands. Rather than strapping the light to your head, with this variation you wear the plastic neck band with two torches attached by strong magnets at each end. This makes them easy to remove. There is plenty of power, with both torches offering a choice of 265 or 130 lumens, and light outputs can be mixed and matched to suit the job. It’s also possible to angle each through 120 degrees via a series of detents. The IK07 impact and IP54 weatherproof ratings are also ideal for car work or use outdoors. The Ring was most at home when directly under a vehicle, but less successful than our test winner during other tasks.…

THE Kuga isn’t a car that provokes strong emotions from its owners, according to our 2022 Driver Power survey. So while it had no results in the bottom 10 of the study in any category, the only top-10 ratings were for smartphone connectivity (ninth) and sat-nav (eighth). However, drivers also told us that the Ford’s visibility and brakes were better than average, too, but they’d like more standard safety features. Other underwhelming scores were for servicing costs, which placed 56th out of the 75 cars ranked in the survey, and a 54th place for quality. This was reflected in the above-average 21.1 per cent of buyers who reported having an issue with their Kuga. WE SAID “Having been injected with some of the dynamic appeal of the original Kuga, this…

IT’S the job of the Department for Transport to assist when people or products need shifting from A to B. But its major focus of late seems to be the embarrassing wheeling in – and out – of ministers and their briefcases. In September, Shapps was ousted. His successor, Trevelyan, got the elbow in October. Mark Harper replaced her a few days ago. So, three Transport Secretaries in eight weeks. Be assured that the real world can’t, and doesn’t, work like this. Only paralysed, unfit-for-purpose Govt. departments do. I doubt that Harper’s lethargic predecessors had enough transport-related knowledge or understanding to pass on to the new man, an accountant by trade. So he needs all the help, advice and suggestions he can get. And that’s why I’m humbly offering a…

@stevefowler • New boss Schäfer reflects on his first 100 days in charge of VW • ID.3 facelift brought forward, with smaller ID models due to follow NEW Volkswagen boss Thomas Schäfer has outlined his vision for the firm after his first 100 days in the job, with a focus on becoming “a love brand again”. The VW exec also revealed at an event in Berlin that the company will launch 10 new models by 2026, including an SUV version of its ID.3 all-electric hatch, as previewed by our exclusive image. “We’re working hard to develop an additional compact SUV based on the ID.3, so that we can also launch a VW product in this fast-growing vehicle segment,” he said. The new ID.3 SUV will share its interior and running…

• Giulia and Stelvio updated • New look and more tech @AllieCrooks IN a bid to keep its Stelvio SUV and Giulia saloon competitive with the likes of premium rivals from BMW and Mercedes, Alfa Romeo has given its sporty mid-size off-roader and saloon models a refresh inside and out. First deliveries of the revised cars will be coming in early 2023. Both the Stelvio and Giulia’s updates focus on extra tech and revised styling, as well as a realigned trim structure to reflect Alfa’s new Tonale compact SUV line-up. The headlight units on the two cars now feature three individual elements – also like the Tonale’s – as well as matrix LED tech, while the ‘Trilobo’ grille has been given a new paint finish on both vehicles. The Stelvio…

Colour is the focus for MINI’s new editions MINI has added three new ‘Edition’ trim levels to its range, focusing on new paint finishes, with the 3dr, 5dr and Convertible models offered in Resolute Edition trim, which comes in Nanuq White, Enigmatic Black and Rebel Green. The MINI Clubman is available in Untold Edition guise (Midnight Black II and Sage Green), while the Countryman (above) gets a new Untamed Edition spec, in Nanuq White and Momentum Grey. Euro 7 regs may not be as harsh as expected THE EU’s upcoming Euro 7 regulations will be far less stringent than expected, according to leaked legislation. Those who have seen the documents claim there will be no change to emissions requirements for petrol cars and vans when the rules are introduced in…

MISUSE of the Blue Badge parking system reserved for disabled motorists has been confirmed by data compiled by comparison site Comparethemarket. The results of a study show there were 3,559 prosecutions over the last three years for non-badge holders using someone else’s Blue Badge. Survey data also suggested that there is a wider problem with a lack of respect for the initiative, because 31 per cent of 17-24-year-olds would consider using a friend or family member’s badge illegally.…

AS part of its drip-feed of information ahead of a full reveal next week, Volvo has shown us what the dash of its new EX90 flagship will look like. The fascia is dominated by a large, portrait-style central touchscreen running an Android Automotive-based infotainment system. It’s joined by a slim digital dash panel giving a condensed driving data readout with a Tesla-style depiction of the road environment ahead. The dash features a full-width air vent and a speaker pod mounted on the top, possibly hinting at a Bowers & Wilkins stereo. Volvo says the cabin has been designed around an “adding by subtracting” theme.…

@stevefowler • New design direction on way • Focus will be on sustainability CITROEN CEO Vincent Cobée has revealed his vision for the French brand’s future, which includes inspiration from the recently revealed Oli concept in new models, likely to start with the next Citroen C3. Although Cobée was tight-lipped about future product plans, Auto Express expects the C3 to be the next new Citroen, and our exclusive images show how the references from Oli and new corporate logo will look. Auto Express was invited to join Cobée and then-Citroen UK boss Eurig Druce at a business review meeting at the brand’s UK HQ in Coventry, where Cobée outlined how the Oli would influence Citroen’s business – from the cars themselves to how they’re sold. It was clear from our…

@AxleIngram Running costs 55.3mpg (official) £71 fill-up Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 313/1,004 litres BACK in March, Toyota revealed the hot GR Corolla, with the firm’s Gazoo Racing division souping-up the hatch courtesy of a potent 300bhp 1.6-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine backed-up by the brilliant GR Yaris’s four-wheel drive system. This was great news, but our excitement soon deflated when Toyota told us the car wasn’t UK-bound. The reason given was that with the Yaris, the GR86 and the Supra, buyers here had enough fast Toyotas already. Being greedy, we’d have to disagree. But you can still have a Corolla in the UK with GR branding. This is the Corolla GR Sport, a model that aims to take just a hint of the hot hatch’s DNA while retaining the standard car’s…

Running costs 39.0mpg (on test) £82 fill-up/£165 or 35% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 510/1,604 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 9.0 seconds/126mph MODEL TESTED: SEAT Ateca Xperience 1.5 TSI DSG PRICE: £32,210 ENGINE: 1.5-litre 4cyl turbo, 148bhp WE’RE pitching the C5 Aircross against the SEAT Ateca in high-ranking Xperience trim. With the 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine and seven-speed DSG gearbox, it’s priced at £32,210. There are no extras to add; even metallic paint is a no-cost option. Design & engineering MUCH like the C5 Aircross, the Ateca has also recently been treated to a mid-life facelift. The design changes were very subtle, with minor tweaks to the lights and grille; in fact the most obvious way to tell old from new apart is at the back, where the Ateca lettering has…

1st SEAT THE Ateca is such a solid option in this segment, and is a car that manages to get almost everything right without completely dropping the ball in any one area. It offers similar space within a smaller footprint than the Citroen, while it’s more powerful and sharper to drive. Yet, this doesn’t come to the detriment of refinement. Six years on from launch, it’s still a great family car. 2nd CITROEN EVEN though it takes second here, what’s clear is that the C5 Aircross offers buyers a lot of car for the money, and one that offers a unique prospect both in terms of style and the way it behaves on the road. It’s an incredibly close contest between these two SUVs, but the Citroen is ever so slightly let…

@DeanGbsn Running costs 61.4mpg (official) £71 fill-up/£290 road tax IT’S not often that we’re able to see our long-term cars being built, so when we were invited to check out how our new Toyota Corolla Commercial is put together, it seemed too good an opportunity to miss. Not only is the Corolla Commercial built at Toyota Motor Manufacturing in Burnaston, Derbyshire, but the idea of the van version was devised in the UK, too. Bosses saw a gap in the market for a modern version of the Vauxhall Astravan, and this hybrid model fills the brief for business users in need of practical transport that’s not as bulky as a traditional van. It’s based on the Corolla Touring Sports, and comes with Toyota’s 1.8-litre hybrid powertrain in a trim that’s…

Porsche 75th Anniversary Randy Leffingwell (Motorbooks, quartoknows.co.uk) Price: £45 Rating: THIS isn’t the first history of Porsche but it’s a particularly good-looking one. It’s up-to-date, featuring Porsche’s most modern offerings, and there’s enough detail on each model to leave you fulfilled without being a total info dump. A really good buy. Max Hoffman: Million Dollar Middleman Myles Kornblatt (Veloce Publishing, veloce.co.uk) Price: £30 Rating: AN interesting if slightly brief account of the activities of this vehicle importer – through Hoffman’s dealerships the US had access to BMW, Jaguar, Mercedes and Porsche. A highly interesting character. The book’s well-produced and an interesting read, too. Asphalt 9: Legends Available for: iOS, Android Price: Free Rating: OUR past criticisms of Asphalt games hold true with Legends. It’s flashy, but it’s less of a…

Performance 0-62mph/top speed 10.4 seconds/96mph Running costs 67-68mpg (0.9T 90) £46 fill-up CO2/tax 0-97g/km £0 WAS there ever a car as brilliant – but as flawed – as the Smart ForTwo? With its funky design, snug two-seater cabin and diminutive dimensions, the ForTwo really is in a class of its own. Introduced in 1999, the original Smart ForTwo (called the City Coupé) tried to launch a revolution in urban transport, but high prices and a below-par driving experience put off many potential buyers. The Mk2 of 2007 was better but still not good enough, but the third take on the formula addressed one of the key failings of its predecessors: the driving experience. Still costly to buy and compromised with its two-seater layout, the ForTwo has been a hard sell…

• Fiesta production to end by June next year • Cologne plant will become manufacturing hub for EVs “We will introduce three new electric passenger vehicles and four new electric commercial vehicles in Europe by 2024. EV production in Cologne will reach 1.2 million in six years”MARTIN SANDER President Ford of Europe FORD is saying farewell to the Fiesta after the brand confirmed it will axe the iconic supermini from its line-up, with production scheduled to end in June 2023. Ford of Europe President Martin Sander said: “We are accelerating our efforts to go all-in on electrification, with our passenger vehicles being fully electric by 2030 – and all vehicles across our portfolio by 2035. As we get ready to transition to an electric future, we will discontinue production of…

FOLLOWING its announcement that it will axe the Fiesta to focus on electric cars and more profitable SUVs (see Page 10), Ford has given us a hint of what its updated Kuga model will look like. The clue comes with the unveiling of a facelifted version of its US-market Escape off-roader. The American Escape is the car we know as the Kuga in Europe. The facelifted model features a wide-mouthed grille and slimmer headlights connected by a full-width LED strip, which is also likely to align with the brand’s new styling direction for its first MEB-based EV crossover, due next year. In a similar fashion to the updated Fiesta and Focus models, the new Kuga will wear a large Ford badge in the centre of its grille. Expect Vignale trim…

• Scheme targets 20mph streets • Fines, but no points for offenders @tristan_shale COUNCIL-issued speeding fines are to be piloted under a new scheme. Wandsworth Borough Council in southwest London will use cameras to monitor two roads – Wimbledon Park Road and Priory Lane – both of which have been subject to complaints from local residents about excessive speeding. For the initial period of the scheme, drivers who break the 20mph limit on these roads will be sent warning letters. Further into the pilot, speeding drivers will be issued with fines of £130, reduced to £65 if paid within 14 days. Crucially, it will be penalty charge notices that are issued, rather than fixed penalty notices. This means that, although speeding drivers can be fined, they will not receive penalty…

@AllieCrooks TOYOTA is taking on Tesla’s Model 3 with a new electric saloon, the bZ3. And although its second bZ-badged model is earmarked for sale in China, it precedes the launch of a second bZ model for Europe. bZ stands for ‘beyond Zero’, and was a badge introduced by Toyota on 11 concept EV models nearly a year ago. The bZ4X SUV was the first production variant to go on sale here earlier this year, and its follow-up is expected to be a new compact SUV. As with the bZ4X, the production bZ3 looks almost identical to the bZ SDN concept it’s based on, as well as sharing as elements from the bZ4X. The lower portion of the front bumper differs slightly from the concept, but the full-width LED light…

THE following provide help with motoring problems. Some services are free, others charge a fee or operate on premium-rate lines (p), while some offer advice for members only (m) 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.consumerombudsman.org RMIF: 0845 305 4230 Scottish Motor Trade Assoc. 0131 331 5510 Problems with…

@matt_201 THE Audi TT is not long for this world. The car as we know and love it – a svelte, style-conscious coupé – will die off following a looming transformation into a coupé-style crossover around the time of the original model’s 25th birthday. Yes, the Mk1 TT really is almost a quarter of a century old. And yet, looking at the 1999 example in front of me (part of Audi UK’s heritage fleet), you wouldn’t know it. This is still a fabulous car to behold, with its curvaceous, minimalistic design – said to be inspired by the German Bauhaus movement – ageing amazingly well. Stepping around the back, there’s something missing – a spoiler, which leads us to a tricky subject that must be broached when talking about this…

@ashrafoncars Running costs 36.7mpg (official) £83 fill-up Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 343/1,233 litres SINCE the Mk4 Golf R32 launched 20 years ago, Volkswagen’s string of devastatingly quick, four-wheel-drive hot hatchbacks have set the tone for extracting sports car-baiting performance from humble beginnings. And now, to commemorate the first Golf to wear the R badge two decades ago, VW has built the Golf R 20 Years. Taking the Mk8 Golf R as a base, the 20 Years aims to inject more character into the package, potentially unlocking an extra sparkle to fight the world’s best hot hatchbacks. And there are many contenders on that list, with a new Honda Civic Type R about to join the fray, too. With a two-tier rear spoiler, 19-inch alloys and a hunkered-down stance, the 20…

DESIGN THE best Citroens always have unusual design details with a practical purpose, and the C5 Aircross still has those. The ‘Airbumps’ along the car’s flanks not only look distinctive – some versions are available with coloured highlights to make them stand out even more – but are also designed to protect the paintwork from small parking dings and errant shopping trolleys in supermarket car parks. While the Citroen is all about soft curves, the SEAT uses plenty of angular lines. The Ateca’s headlights certainly add a distinctive look; the LED units have a triangular daytime running signature that means, even from quite a distance, it’s impossible to mistake it for anything other than a SEAT. Silver trims are used on the lower edge of the front and rear bumpers…

Practicality Boot (front/rear) 96/100 litres Running costs 34.1mpg (on test) £74 fill-up “You need to remove the engine cover to check the fluid levels, which is quite a faff” AS the miles continue to accrue beneath our A110 GT’s unblemished (thank heavens) 18-inch ‘Legende’ black diamond-cut alloys, I continue to fall in love with it. So far, I’ve racked up more than 4,000 miles in the Alpine on a wide variety of UK roads, and sometimes on tracks. Its breadth of appeal continues to blow me away, pretty much on a daily basis. Yet there are one or two niggles beginning to creep in, some of which are more relevant than others. It proves that no matter how lovely you think a car might be on a day-to-day basis, it’s…

Saddle up for limited-edition Alpine bike ALPINE has teamed up with Lapierre for a limited-edition cycle. Called the Aircode DRS Alpine (above), the bike is constructed from three kinds of unidirectional carbon fibre and is finished in Alpine colours, with a Matte Racing Blue frame and Deep Black emblems. It’s fitted with “the best components on the market” to ensure it performs as well as it looks. Limited to just 110 units worldwide, it costs 9,000 Euros (around £7,800) and a list of retailers can be found at lapierrebikes.com. Pirelli performance tyre for Lambo Urus THE latest Pirelli tyre to be approved for OEM supply on the Lamborghini Urus Performante hyper-SUV (driven in Issue 1,751) is the P Zero Trofeo R. It’s the most performance-orientated Pirelli SUV tyre yet –…

WINTER will expose weakness in any battery. The cold weather slows down the chemical reactions inside the cells, while your car will demand more power to start the engine and demist the windows. If you are only doing short journeys or not using the car often, the battery might not have a chance to be recharged by the engine, and eventually you’ll need a top-up or a jump start – usually at the most inconvenient time. In previous tests we found some solar chargers were barely worth the effort, but the technology is improving all the time, and prices are coming down. So, which of the panels we tested is good enough to prevent the dreaded ‘click’ when you turn the key? How we tested them WE connected the chargers…

@AxleIngram ● Alfa leaves at end of 2023 ● Engine development under way IT’S been one of the worst-kept secrets in Formula One, but now it’s official: Audi has confirmed its entry into the sport. The 13-time Le Mans 24 Hours-winning manufacturer will have high ambitions for its first foray into the top flight of motorsport – and will participate as a fully fledged manufacturer team. This process will see Audi acquire a stake in the Sauber team from the 2026 season onwards. But unlike the current Alfa Romeo tie-in – a sponsorship deal that will wind down at the end of 2023 – Audi will be bringing with it huge technical backing. More than three years before its entry into the sport, a new facility called Audi Formula Racing…