Table of contents for 1763 in Auto Express

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy • Focus-sized family car will be given an SUV-inspired makeover • European cars will be EVs, while Latin America gets ICE versions FIAT is ready for a major renewal as part of the wider Stellantis Group – and the company will make a decisive move in reinforcing its range when it brings a new family-sized Tipo to the market in 2025 The Italian brand is judged by many to be a sleeping giant, and over the past 15 years it has struggled to justify the investment required to keep its line-up of small cars up to date. That will change over the next four years, with models – including a reborn Punto and a pared-back Panda – already designed and locked into a product plan that extends far…

Prices slashed for Tesla Model 3 and Y TESLA has made aggressive cuts to the prices of its Model 3 saloon (above) and Model Y SUV in the UK. It follows news that the firm fell short of 2022 sales targets and the cuts aim to keep Tesla competitive in an increasingly crowded market. The entry-level Model 3 has dropped by £5,500 to £42,990, while the Model Y now starts from £44,990, a £7,000 saving. The biggest reduction is £8,000 on the Model Y Performance, which is now £59,990. Buyers with confirmed orders at the previous higher prices will not be eligible for the discounts. Unmarked camera van hits the streets NORTHAMPTONSHIRE Police has announced the introduction of an unmarked mobile speed camera van in what it claims is a…

GIVEN that Skoda is readying a new Kodiaq SUV (above), it’s no surprise that VW’s sister vehicle, the next-generation Tiguan, is creeping closer to its unveiling, as our spy shot (right) shows. A sleeker front end with a bigger grille and deep front bumper section are obvious from this test car that’s wearing minimal camouflage, which highlights the car will still be available with combustion engines. A plug-in hybrid will feature again in the line-up, but this third-generation Tiguan is expected to run until the 2030 ban on ICE-only cars comes into force. The Tiguan is still based on the firm’s MQB platform, and although its exterior styling is evolutionary, expect to see bigger changes inside for the infotainment when the car is revealed later this year.…

Matt_Robinson@autovia.co.uk @matt_201 FEW brands have managed to change their reputation as comprehensively as Skoda. Once the butt of reliability jokes, the Czech manufacturer has been completely repositioned over the past three decades as a dependable, smart-thinking, practicality-focused company that in many cases makes better versions of cars from parent brand Volkswagen. The transformation has been extraordinary. A real milestone in this campaign of progress came in 2000 when Skoda launched the Octavia RS or ‘Rally Sport’. A performance-focused Skoda seemed an alien concept, even if the company had been responsible for such vehicles many years prior, and possessed a rich motorsport history. Those staffing Auto Express at the time were taken aback by the development, which proved just how far the brand had come. As far as performance cars go,…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk Running costs 21.9mpg (official) £105 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 3.9 seconds/183mph MERCEDES entrusted the development of the new SL to its AMG division – and in most areas, it shows. Despite weighing almost two tonnes and being powered by a familiar 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, the new SL 55 AMG 4MATIC+ is a sharp car to drive on UK roads. One that’s surprisingly hard to fault dynamically, even if it does look a bit awkward compared with its predecessors. It’s also the first-ever SL to be available with four-wheel drive, and features a wealth of other new technical innovations, such as Active Ride Control and rear-wheel steering, plus a hyper-intelligent fresh voice-control system. There’s also a pair of small but just-about-usable rear seats for the first time in an SL,…

HYBRID TECH THE Tonale holds a key advantage over the Volvo when it comes to charging tech. Not only is its battery larger, but at 7.4kW, it charges twice as fast, too. Alfa claims that charging takes two and a half hours, and that roughly tallied with what we found in the real world, although the charge speed roughly halves when the battery climbs over 50 per cent. If you want to hold some charge for later in the journey – if you’ll be driving into a low-emission zone, for example – then a battery hold button near the Alfa’s drive selector makes this simple. The Volvo’s ability to shuffle between electric and petrol drive isn’t as easy to access. Swipe left on the touchscreen, and small keys for a…

Darren_Wilson@autovia.co.uk Performance 0-62mph/top speed 10.4 seconds/130mph Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 545/1,640 litres Running costs 41.4mpg (on test) £85 fill-up THE last time I got behind the wheel of a Citroen, it was our e-Berlingo back in June 2022. It took a while for that boxy electric MPV to win me over, although it did. This time it’s been love at first sight, though. The C5 X instantly stands out. It looks different and, in my opinion, lovely and sleek, with lots of swooping lines and great incorporation of the classic chevron design into the front lights. The unusual shape hints at both saloon and estate models, looking sporty without being aggressive. I’m not sure which angle I like best, but it’s fair to say the car has head-turning appeal. The…

Bentley sets gold standard for Batur BENTLEY has pioneered a new manufacturing process for its super-limited Batur: 3D-printed gold. The two-door coupé will feature up to 210g of 18ct yellow gold on key driver touchpoints, such as the stop/start button and drive-mode selector. The gold is sourced from old jewellery, digitally designed and then printed using laser-melting printers, before being finished by hand. All of the gold parts are hallmarked in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter. Android and iOS now covered in key move BMW’s Digital Key can now be shared more easily between devices. The key, which is stored on your smartphone and can replace the need for a physical version, could previously only be shared between phones via Apple iMessage. Now it merely requires a link that can be sent…

ALTHOUGH manufacturers are taking steps to make keyless-entry vehicles more secure, many models remain vulnerable to technically adept thieves. The best way to protect your car is to block signals with a metal cage, and the simplest method is to use a Faraday bag. In effect, this hides the key and its coded information, which could be electronically copied to let a thief drive your car away. It makes sense to always use a Faraday bag when the car is on your driveway or in a garage, but also when you’re away from home, because thieves often operate in car parks. A Faraday bag can also be used to block phone hackers, keep credit cards private or even protect your digital passport. PRODUCT GROUP TEST 18|1|2023 Every week, we extensively…

Search thousands of new and used cars online SO strong is the lure of the SUV class that some drivers want to look as though they’re driving one even if they’re not. The trend to jazz up estate cars and hatchbacks with SUV-inspired styling cues first gathered momentum with premium models such as the Audi A6 Allroad and Volvo V70 Cross Country, but has long since filtered down to smaller models. These days even tiny city cars like the Toyota Aygo X feature beefy off-road styling upgrades. But while many of these niche models do in theory have some improved off-road ability, thanks to small suspension height rises and tough plastic cladding, the gains are so marginal that it would seem foolish to choose one for its trail-blazing qualities. Still,…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk • We sample one-off ID. X hot hatch from the passenger seat • Hits right note for driving fun when compared with GTX models BACK in 2021, then-Volkswagen CEO Ralf Brandstätter revealed in a Linkedin post the brand’s ID. X concept, an all-wheel-drive hot hatch that potentially previewed an ID.3 GTX performance model. Now Auto Express has sampled this very prototype, albeit only from the passenger seat. However, even from the ‘wrong’ side of the car, it was obvious that this machine has real potential, completely transforming the otherwise flat and restrained character of the Volkswagen Group MEB platform. In fact, this 328bhp machine feels a step above VW’s GTX projects – more like an all-electric R alternative than the GTI-equivalent GTX EVs that we’ve sampled in ID.4 and…

Off-road 911 Dakar emulates rally greats FOLLOWING its release late last year, Porsche has added three new heritage liveries to its 911 Dakar range, paying tribute to its ancestors’ rally pedigree. These include a scheme inspired by the 911 S that competed in 1971, the 1974 heritage wrap (above) that references the 2.7 RS driven by Björn Waldegård, and the Martini-inspired design seen on the 911 SC from 1978. Lower m-way speeds part of eco proposal REDUCING the motorway speed limit to 64mph and having car-free Sundays in large cities could reduce fossil fuel dependency, according to proposals from the European Federation for Transport and Environment, which were repeated in an Environmental Audit Committee report. The 10-point plan quoted by the House of Commons select committee also suggested reducing the…

tristan_shale-hester@autovia.co.uk @tristan_shale THE average price of petrol in the UK has fallen to below 150p per litre for the first time in almost a year, while the average price of rapid charging an electric car has soared 58 per cent in eight months. Unleaded now costs an average of 149.67p per litre, according to the AA – the first time it’s been so low since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Diesel remains high, however, at 172.21p per litre. Worse value, though, is the price of electricity for EVs. Figures from RAC Charge Watch reveal the average pay-as-you-go rate at a public rapid charger is now 70.32p/kWh, up from 44.55p in May 2022 and 63.29p in September 2022. The increases have been driven by rising wholesale electricity prices.…

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.consumer-ombudsman.org RMIF: 0845 305 4230 Scottish Motor Trade Assoc. 0131 331 5510 Problems with…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy “The Ioniq 5 was never whiny or jerky, but the 6 achieves another level of refinement” Electric motor Power/range 225bhp/338 miles HYUNDAI’S Ioniq 5 is one of the defining cars of the past few years – a vehicle with bold design and tech that marked the Korean brand’s emergence as a real superpower, particularly in the electric-car era. Now the company is aiming to build on that success with the Ioniq 6, a swoopy new saloon that’ll start arriving in dealers by the summer. And we’ve been able to try an early production example on UK roads. The nomenclature might lead you to expect the 6 to be positioned a notch above the 5, but that isn’t quite the case. There is a premium, but it’s a modest…

Richard_Ingram@autovia.co.uk @rsp_ingram Range & charging 250 miles 100kW (10-80% 30 min) Performance 0-62mph/top speed 9.0 seconds/93mph AS DS’s trajectory continues skywards, each model has improved on the one before, with the latest DS 4 proving a credible alternative to premium hatchbacks such as the Audi A3 and Mercedes A-Class. Arguably the most compromised car in the maker’s line-up, therefore, was the DS 3 Crossback. Launched the best part of four years ago, the Nissan Juke-rivalling small SUV was naturally due a facelift. So for 2023, DS’s most affordable car has been given a nip and tuck, with new tech, fresh styling and greater range for the electric version. The Crossback badge is no more and the diesel has been axed, too, as the DS 3 now comes with a choice…

Running costs 41.5mpg (on test) £64 fill-up/£510 or 8% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 385/1,430 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 6.2 seconds/128mph MODELTESTED: Alfa Romeo Tonale PHEV AWD Veloce PRICE: £48,495 POWERTRAIN: 1.3-litre 4cyl petrol, 2x e-motors, 15.5kWh battery, 272bhp ALTHOUGH we’re testing a left-hand-drive Tonale here, its Veloce spec is a close match to what we’ll get in the UK. Before options, it comes to £48,495, but add the Winter Pack (£450), 20-inch alloy wheels (£750) and lustrous Montreal Green paint (£1,500), and this car comes to £51,245. Design & engineering THE Tonale adds a third model to Alfa Romeo’s current line-up and its second SUV. But when Alfa has its excellent Giorgio platform to build on – the reason why both the Giulia and the Stelvio ride and handle…

Alfa Romeo Tonale 10.25-inch touchscreen Key features: Wireless phone charging ONE area where the Tonale feels bang up to date – and has taken a leap forward over the Giulia and Stelvio – is in its infotainment tech. A 10.25-inch touchscreen sits on top of the dash, and in a segment where premium rivals each offer set-ups that are great in their own way, this system doesn’t feel left behind. The graphics are clear and resolution is sharp, it’s fairly responsive to touches, and while it doesn’t load quite as quickly as the Volvo’s system, it’s not bad. There are areas where things could be improved, though. The on-screen keyboard is a little small – we’d like to see it expand to fill the whole screen, rather than just a…

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Richard_Ingram@autovia.co.uk @rsp_ingram Range Official range/max charging 262 miles/150kW DC Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 419/1,328 litres IT seems electric SUVs are everywhere these days – or at least, they are in my part of suburban southwest London. Every corner I turn, I’m confronted by the gentle hum of a battery-electric 4x4, or a green-plated crossover ferrying families from one end of the High Street to the other. So it should come as no surprise that even before I was asked to return the keys to my old electric SUV, a BMW iX3 (Issue 1,761), I found myself immediately eyeing up a similarly practical EV alternative. For the next six months or so, I’ll be running this Volvo XC40 Recharge Plus. As is often the case at the moment, lead times on…

Got a query? products@autoexpress.co.uk What do I need? THE minimum is a wheel cleaner, a brush or mitt, and access to water. Our favourite cleaner is Bilt-Hamber’s auto wheel, which is supplied with a small brush. For something a bit more effective, our test winner is Halfords’ Large Alloy brush, although to get the best results, a selection is good, including one that will get through the spokes and clean the inner part of the wheel. For the ultimate clean, use a jack and axle stands to support the car, remove the wheel and gain access to all parts of it. Pop it on to a decent bucket covered in a drying towel to make cleaning easy and cut the risk of damaging the finish. As with so many jobs,…

ADVANCES in battery and LED tech have seen rapid changes in the world of work lights, but Clarke’s latest release has something of an old-school feel to it. The blade design, with its long strip LED, has been around for some years, but does it still deserve a place in your tool box? We grabbed our current test winner from Philips to find out. We measured and assessed each unit’s main beam and torch brightness, plus we checked mounting options, power-saving modes and runtime at maximum brightness. We also factored in moisture and impact protection, weight and price from online sources. The new Clarke PL5R may have dated looks, but its performance was a real surprise here, thanks to its impressive, long-lasting beam and compact design. While the result couldn’t…

Chris_Rosamond@autovia.co.uk OWNERS told us there’s a lot to like about Citroen’s supermini in last year’s Driver Power new-car survey. The C3 scored above average in several categories, including value for money and the quality of its exterior materials. Drivers appreciated the reasonable servicing costs, too, and rated the engine sound as 12th best in the entire survey. The highest ranking was a ninth place for Citroen’s famous ability to absorb bumps in the road, contributing to a 19th position for the overall ride and handling. But not all the C3 feedback was positive. A below-average rating for practicality and boot capacity was a surprise, while 50th place for reliability was way below average. WE SAID “The Citroen C3 used to be an also-ran in the supermini class, but the current…

THE best and most enlightening month of my motoring 2022 just came and went, courtesy of Volkswagen. So which of the circa 20 cars in VW’s line-up did I drive during this period? Er, none. Because I’ve overdosed on Polos, Golfs, ID.3s, ID.4s and the like, these days it’s the models from VW Commercial Vehicles that increasingly float my boat. I’m talking here about workhorses that are small enough to fit into regular parking bays, but large enough to carry people, bulky loads and/or serve as makeshift motorhomes-cum-mobile offices. So enter the T7 Multivan eHybrid, the ID. Buzz Pro Electric and the ID. Buzz Cargo Commerce Plus Electric. On the BestCarsoftheYear.com stand at The British Motor Show last summer, the T7 Multivan proved to be one of the most popular…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk • New Type R has been optimised, but costs £12k more than old one • Mk11 Civic is likely to be last hurrah for pure-petrol hot hatchback LET’S start with the elephant in the room – the new Honda Civic Type R costs £46,995. While it gets more kit than the base-spec version of its predecessor, that’s still more than a £12,000 hike compared with the price of the entry-level model when it went off sale. Opt for the £3,265 Carbon Pack, the £1,110 Illumination Pack and a paint job (there’s only one standard colour available) at £650, and the new Civic Type R is a £52,020 car. But while this puts it very much at the premium end of the hot-hatchback market, rivalling four-wheel-drive, circa-400bhp monsters such as…

THIS is our best look yet at the updated Porsche 911, snapped by our spy photographers in Cabriolet and coupé forms. The pictures reveal that the new model will have vertical active aero slats in its front intakes, positioned behind the three horizontal strakes, while a fresh lower rear bumper with different air outlets is likely. This has fuelled rumours that the base model of the forthcoming 992.2-generation car could be powered by a naturally aspirated flat-six engine that’s related to the 4.0-litre unit used in the brand’s 718 Boxster and Cayman GTS models. Porsche will also usher in self-charging hybrid power to help keep weight down versus a PHEV. Porsche boss Oliver Blume previously described the new petrol-electric set-up as “very sporty”.…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy • Hybrid model joins line-up • Up to 373 miles of range MAZDA has been without one of its iconic rotary engines in its line-up since the RX-8 sports car was axed in 2010. But now the Japanese firm is bringing back the technology as part of a novel plug-in range-extender set-up in its MX-30. The new edition is called the MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV, and it features an electric motor that drives the front wheels, a relatively small battery and an 830cc, single-rotor petrol engine that keeps the energy level topped up when required. Battery capacity stands at 17.8kWh – enough, Mazda claims, for the car to travel 53 miles without needing any petrol assistance. But when the electricity runs out, or the system requires more energy for…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk @AutoExpress HOT TOPIC Fisker Pear FROM: PetrilloZbornak THIS car is supposed to be innovative, but I don’t see much innovation in what is essentially a fairly large and expensive electric vehicle. We already have plenty of those on offer – let’s have some actual innovation, please. FROM: Ian Barnard I’M not sure it looks the part, but in all honesty I care more about the practicalities and the driving experience. At around £25,000, it’ll be more affordable than many electric cars. We need more examples like this that can trickle on to the used market. Join the debate at www.autoexpress.co.uk ■ “Interesting car. It looks a bit like a Kia Soul. However, it has a terrible name.” Tony Kalniev ■ “It will probably be great in a city, but…

Matt_Robinson@autovia.co.uk @matt_20 Range & charging 222 miles 100kW (20-80% 30mins) Performance 0-62mph/top speed 10.0 seconds/93mph CITROEN describes the new e-C4 X as “a design that combines the elegant silhouette of a fastback with the modern look of an SUV”. That sounds an awful lot like the brand’s e-C4 hatchback has been given a compromised, style-over-substance makeover. But that’s not the case. Boot space is up, and quite significantly, from 380 litres to 510. That’s because while turning the e-C4 into a fastback, Citroen has stretched the car by 240mm. It’s all as per a normal C4 up to the B-pillars but diverts from that point. The cabin roofline already sloped quite heavily, so there was no need to change it to go with the new look. However, while there is…

thomas_jervis@autovia.co.uk SOMETIMES, it’s easy to know when a relationship is on the wane: you start to see the person less and less, and wonder whether someone else could ever provide the excitement you once thought only they could. For many, this is how we feel about our connection with the beloved manual handbrake. As we embrace this new, digital age, manufacturers are routinely swapping traditional levers for minimalist electrical switches. While these do help remove clutter from a car’s centre console, they aren’t as involving as their analogue cousins and don’t allow you to engage in any kind of hooliganism such as handbrake turns. With this in mind, Abarth invited us to say a fond farewell to the manual handbrake in the most fitting way: a stunt driving day at…

Running costs 36.9mpg (on test) 73 fill-up/£510 or 14% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 452/1,281 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 7.3 seconds/112mph MODELTESTED: Volvo XC40 T5 Recharge Ultimate PRICE: £51,605 POWERTRAIN: 1.5-litre 3cyl petrol, 1x e-motor, 10.7kWh battery, 258bhp THE XC40 we’re testing against the Tonale here is in top-spec Ultimate trim. All paint options are no cost on this trim level, so the added extras are the wool-blend upholstery (£825) and a spare wheel (£150), bringing our test car to £52,580 Design & engineering VOLVO’S Compact Modular Architecture underpins the XC40, and here it holds an advantage over the Alfa Romeo; not only is it able to run mild and plug-in hybrid powertrains, but there’s a fully electric option, too. So no matter what type of driving suits you best,…

ALFA ROMEO 1st THE Tonale has its flaws, but it stands up well against one of the stronger contenders in the class. It’s quick, handles well, and has slick in-car tech. However, this victory does come with a caveat. You need to get the right trim to get decent value for money, and the PHEV powertrain we have here is a much better option than the mild hybrid. Still, there’s plenty to recommend it. VOLVO 2nd THE XC40 has its strengths, such as a more spacious cabin and a better ride than the Tonale, but it has to settle for second primarily because it’s not as effective as a plug-in hybrid. It can’t go as far on battery power and takes longer to recharge, too. The petrol engine isn’t that efficient, but…

Dawn_Grant@autovia.co.uk Running costs 50.4mpg (official) £78 fill-up Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 422/1,389 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 9.7 seconds/130mph THERE’S nothing quite like a major road trip to get you settled into a new car – be it your own purchase or a long-term test car. The first few miles around home are easy pickings for a box-fresh arrival, after all, whereas a journey over several hundred miles can really help you to pick out strengths and weaknesses. That’s certainly been the case with my latest Auto Express fleet car, the Vauxhall Astra. Here’s a model that has made its name racking up millions of miles over the length and breadth of the UK, so it seemed entirely fair to deny the car much of a settling-in period and immediately point…

“Revamped range includes a likely replacement for our test winner” NEW PRODUCT Clarke tool storage and compressors Price: £298.80 (CBB312C 12-drawer chest) Contact: machinemart.co.uk IF your tools have outgrown your collection of bags and boxes, Clarke has revamped its range of chests and cabinets to help you get them organised. The line-up includes a likely replacement for our current test winner, the CBB209B HD, which is on an end-of-line sale for a few pounds less than when we tested it in 2019. While there’s no direct nine-drawer replacement, Clarke has added the CBB312C. It boasts 12 drawers – nine small ones that are ideal for keeping tools separate, plus three full-width trays, with two 49mm deep and one 64mm. All have a 35kg capacity. The unit costs £298.80. For those with…

Audi R8: The autobiography of R8-405 Ian Wagstaff (Porter Press, porterpress.co.uk) Price: £69 Rating: AS ever with this series of coffee-table books, the highlight is the last chapter, which has full-page, high-quality photos from a dedicated studio shoot of the model. Endurance-racing fans will enjoy this, because it focuses on the first of a breed of car that dominated the sport for more than 10 years. It’s the usual high-quality affair from this publisher. Fast Lady: The Extraordinary Adventures of Miss Dorothy Levitt Michael W Barton (Butterfield Press, butterfieldpress.co.uk) Price: £40 Rating: THIS book is published to coincide with the centenary of this remarkable woman’s death. Dorothy Levitt was a racing driver, motorboat racer, aviator and established the world land-speed record for women. It’s a really interesting read and while…

Search thousands of new and used cars online CO2/tax 154-196g/km £165 Running costs 36-37mpg (1.5T) £95 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 9.7 seconds/127mph MITSUBISHI was actually ahead of the curve when it came to offering SUVs and go-anywhere vehicles, because as early as the seventies, it was making pick-ups and SUVs, often with four-wheel drive. But the focus back then was on utility rather than luxury, and as buyers started to adopt SUVs in big numbers, Mitsubishi was left behind. Models such as the Shogun, Shogun Sport and Shogun Pinin were capable enough, but outdated next to rivals with a better driving experience and more cabin comfort. The Eclipse Cross was a step in the right direction, yet within a couple of years of its launch, Mitsubishi left the UK new-car…

Alex_Ingram@autovia.co.uk @AxleIngram ∙ Season starts this weekend ∙ Line-up changes for 2023 THE 2023 World Rally Championship kicks off this weekend with its traditional opening event, the Monte Carlo Rally. This year sees the drivers cover 13 rounds, with the series concluding in Japan on 19 November. However, some famous events aren’t present; the likes of Rally New Zealand, Rally de Catalunya and Wales Rally GB are all missing for various reasons. The off-season has seen plenty of personnel changes, with Hyundai becoming the centre of attention. For starters, ex-Renault Sport F1 boss Cyril Abiteboul has taken the reins. “I am relishing the opportunity to join Hyundai Motorsport as Team Principal,” he said. “I am looking forward to immersing myself into the rallying community and discovering more about this spectacular…