Table of contents for 1770 in Auto Express

@johnmcilroy • Electric SUV used as template for mild and full-hybrid versions HYUNDAI has made huge gains in the electric-car market with its Ioniq 5 model. But the company hasn’t forgotten the more affordable end of the EV spectrum, and it will make a fresh push in that area of the market with the all-new Kona. The B-segment SUV will continue to be offered as a mild hybrid and a full hybrid, alongside a pure-electric version. But it’s the zero-tailpipe-emission edition that led the design process, because Hyundai’s team, led by SangYup Lee, elected to work on the Kona Electric first and then adapt it for the combustion-engined variants. Hyundai says it has listened carefully to feedback from Mk1 Kona owners who requested extra cabin space and a larger load…

@AllieCrooks • New model to take on BMW iX • Fast 18-min charging possible ALFA Romeo is planning to launch a new all-electric SUV flagship in the second half of this decade. In an interview with Auto Express, the Italian brand’s CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato told us: “After 2026, we will go up [in size]; I’m bringing to the market in 2027 an E-segment car [a large saloon] that’s great for North America, that’s great for Europe. We will probably also say, ‘Okay, why not China?’ You know, in a built-up model in 2028.” This ‘built-up model’ is expected to be a fully fledged SUV, which will be pitched into the sector of the market currently occupied by the Audi Q8 e-tron, Mercedes EQS and BMW iX. It will accompany an…

IF you’re after a more comprehensive camping solution than Dacia’s (left), Volkswagen has revealed a new version of its motorhome, called the California Surf. The new addition sits between the current Beach Tour and Ocean models, and costs from £68,234. Based on the T6.1 Transporter van, the California Surf features a 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel engine with 148bhp, and a seven-speed automatic gearbox. Its cabin is kitted out with a gas hob and a stainless-steel sink as part of its kitchen, along with a pop-up canvas roof. Buyers can choose between four and seven-seat configurations, with a bench seat that can be converted into a bed. Coupled with the onboard loft bed, the California Surf can comfortably sleep a family of four, according to Volkswagen.…

@tristan_shale LEASING companies have been accused of overcharging for deals on electric vehicles. According to green transport organisation Transport & Environment (T&E), leasing offers for EVs are 57 per cent more expensive on average than for their equivalent petrol models. For example, leasing an electric Peugeot e-208 costs approximately £509 a month, but the petrol model is offered at £329. The group says that leasing companies typically charge customers for the expected loss in value of a vehicle over a three or four-year lease, with higher prices meaning they expect EVs to lose more of their value. However, T&E says its analysis shows that EVs have similar resale values to diesel and petrol vehicles, so more expensive EV lease deals are “unjustified”. The group analysed 2.7 million used car prices…

@stevefowler “Updates are useful and add functionality for free. The Defender I ran gained what3words and Alexa integration, among other features, and many will have improved the car without me knowing”Steve Fowler Editor-in-chief JAGUAR Land Rover was one of the first vehicle manufacturers to launch over-the-air (OTA) updates for its cars, and it has just celebrated more than three million individual over-the-air software updates since the first was released less than four years ago. More than 700,000 vehicles have benefitted from the updates, with cars dating back to the 2016 model year gaining new functionality and improvements to electrical and technical features. The over-the-air updates can even correct potential failures before they happen. On the new Defender alone, more than 176,000 individual over-the-air updates in 13 different releases have saved…

@AllieCrooks Performance 0-60mph/top speed 4.5 seconds/124mph FROM 2025 Jaguar will be an all-electric brand, underpinned by a range of new products, but that doesn’t mean we should forget Jaguar’s first EV – and neither has the British brand, having treated the I-Pace to a round of updates for the 2024 model year. The biggest adjustments are to the design, but even then, the visual changes to the car are still subtle. They amount to a new, smoothed ‘shield’ grille, ‘blades’ in the lower bumper that are finished in Atlas Grey, a redesigned rear diffuser insert and what Jaguar calls “body-coloured door finishers” as opposed to the black plastic items on the older car. Fundamentally, it was a handsome machine, so Jag hasn’t rocked the boat on this front. The interior…

WHEN the first hot hatchbacks emerged, the three letters to catch the eye were GTI. Over the years, the hot hatch evolved, and so did the naming hierarchy. Now, if you want the ultimate performance, you want R – and the two cars here are each part of a long lineage that built the tradition. First up is the new Honda Civic Type R. The fifth generation to make it to the UK gets more power and know-how than any model before it. Here, it’s pitched against the Volkswagen Golf R, in 20 Years form to mark the anniversary of the R brand. The latter has a couple of subtle changes, focused on the powertrain, that make it the most potent Golf R yet. But which R stands for ‘Ruler’,…

ONE thing that this pair illustrates is that the age of the bargain hot hatchback is slipping away. Honda’s representative three-year PCP deal shows that you can get hold of a Civic Type R for £499 per month with a 10,000-mile annual limit – but only if you stump up a hefty deposit of £10,942 to go with it. Still, that makes the Honda more affordable than the Golf on finance. Match that hefty up-front payment with VW finance, and you’ll be looking at spending £584 per month. In other areas, the Volkswagen is the cheaper car to run – but not by enough to overturn that £85 per month disadvantage on finance. At 31mpg, the Golf will be more frugal day to day by 1.8mpg based on our extensive…

HOT HATCHES There is plenty to think about when it comes to these two hot hatchback competitors “I CAN’T argue with VW when it says the 20 Years is the fastest Golf ever, but I reckon the best is further down the Golf range. The GTI Clubsport sacrifices a little power and two driven wheels in favour of a sharper, more enjoyable chassis that retains all the Golf’s plus points.” “THE curtain was drawn on the last Civic Type R with the Edition: a spectacular finale that shed weight and became even more focused thanks to stickier tyres. This new model is so good already that it’s hard to imagine where Honda takes it from here, but I’m excited to see the firm try.” “WITH the latest Type R’s price…

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WITH the cost of electricity at an all-time high, there is a real incentive for electric and plug-in hybrid car owners to seek out cheaper energy sources. That will usually be at home, but drivers might also want to take advantage of sockets at a relative’s house, holiday accommodation or office. That means you’ll need a charge cable that plugs into a conventional three-pin socket. These are not usually supplied with a car, and a dealer will ask £300 or more for the official product. The aftermarket has stepped into the gap and a there’s a new option from the EV Cable Shop. Is it the charge-anywhere solution? We try it against two rivals to find out. The EV Power cable has several advantages over its rivals here, because it…

CLAIMING sixth place overall in our 2022 Driver Power new-car survey is an impressive result for the previous generation of Korean car maker Kia’s hugely successful mid-size crossover. Owners tell us they love the practicality, styling and comfort, both in the front and back of the Sportage. Children are also well catered for, according to the responses, while the technology is easy to use and servicing costs are reasonable. But while the chassis is above average, the driving experience is let down by the car’s engines, and in particular a 59th place for acceleration. Having to work the engine hard to make progress hurts fuel consumption; the Kia is ranked 53rd in this category. WE SAID “The Sportage is a smart, high-quality and spacious compact crossover. It’s more expensive than…

@AxleIngram • Gold livery for customer 963 • Part of 13-strong Hypercar grid NEW regulations have seen an influx of manufacturers joining the top tier of the World Endurance Championship, and with that comes a range of new liveries. The privateer Hertz Team Jota outfit has just revealed what might be one of the most striking and easiest to spot on the grid, with the stunning gold scheme that it will run on its customer Porsche 963 Hypercar. The livery was created by Singer – the same company that produces ‘re-imagined’ classic Porsche 911s – with the gold paintjob chosen to represent the 100th anniversary of the Le Mans 24 Hours this year. In addition to Singer’s input and sponsorship, Hertz Team Jota is also backed by Brady – the…

@stevefowler MINI has revealed a total reinvention of its range over the next couple of years and given Auto Express access to all three new models, under disguise, with boss Stefanie Wurst to talk us through them. First to arrive will be the new Countryman SUV – a car that Wurst tells us has a big job to do. “This will definitely help us out in the US,” she says. “It’s also for people we were losing from the brand.” The new model grows by more than 100mm to just over 4,400mm long, giving much more usable space in the back row and a bigger boot than the outgoing car. It’ll also mark a couple of firsts: it’ll be the first all-electric Countryman – the plug-in hybrid will be consigned…

DACIA has transformed its low-cost seven-seat Jogger MPV into a two-berth budget ‘motorhome’, with the addition of the innovative Sleep Pack. The conversion unit takes the place of the Jogger’s third row of seating, and Dacia claims it allows a 190 x 130cm mattress to be folded out behind the front seats in around two minutes. The whole lot can be removed afterwards to allow the third row of seats to be reinstalled. Along with an accompanying tent, it’ll be available to order in late spring. Revealed alongside this new feature for the Jogger is a new Extreme trim level that will be offered on the Sandero Stepway, Duster and Jogger. Prices start from £16,745 for the Stepway, £19,695 for the Duster and £19,445 for the Jogger, and the new…

ABARTH has started taking orders for the ‘Scorpionissima’ launch edition of its first electric 500. The 152bhp city car is now available to pre-order, with prices starting at £38,695. Just 1,949 examples will be produced across Europe – a number chosen as a reference to the year when the Abarth brand was born. Around three quarters of the allocation is said to have already been snapped up, but cheaper (and slightly less well equipped) versions of the 500 will follow in due course. The first UK deliveries of Scorpionissima Abarths are expected in June.…

@AutoExpress HOT TOPIC Public EV charging FROM: Michael Lowe THE ratio of EVs to public chargers simply isn’t good enough. Every car park should have rapid chargers installed and there should be far more 7kW kerbside units for those motorists who don’t have off-street parking. FROM: Paul Edgar LOCAL EV journeys are no problem if you have a home chargepoint. Long trips are harder, because large motorway service stations will only have one or two rapid chargers. There need to be 20 or 30 at each one to cope with demand. Join the debate at www.autoexpress.co.uk ■ “EV charging used to be good value, but not with current energy prices. It needs sorting.” Ronald Verne ■ “Public chargers should be exempt from planning permission. That would speed up the rollout.”…

@tristan_shale TODAY, just about every car brand offers at least one SUV. Of course, there are firms such as Land Rover and Jeep that have their heritage in 4x4 off-roaders, but they now face competition from marques that previously made their name with performance and luxury models. Think of any great performance-car manufacturer – Ferrari, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Lotus – and chances are they’ve pulled the covers off a brand-new SUV in recent years. There is one very famous sports-car firm, however, that’s been in the game a lot longer than that. The Porsche Cayenne Mk1 entered production back in 2002 for the 2003 model year, becoming the first SUV to be produced by the German brand. In the 20 years that followed, the model became a hit and sparked…

@DeanGbsn PLENTY of performance Ford badges have come and gone over the decades, but one that’s been established in recent years is Raptor. Starting with the F-150 Raptor pick-up truck in the US, the label adorns high-performance versions of Ford’s off-road models, and has subsequently appeared on the Bronco SUV and Ranger pick-up. The latter was the first Raptor to arrive officially in the UK, and now a second-generation version has landed on these shores. The last model tested the waters for the Raptor brand, and it proved to be a success. So Ford has raised the ante with this all-new model, which tops the line-up of the new-generation Ranger. While the old truck’s diesel powerplant is still on offer, if you want the full Raptor experience, you need the…

324bhp Powertrain 2.0 litre 4cyl 47 litres Fuel tank £70 fill up 5.4 secs Performance 171mph 410 litres Seats up/down 1,212 litres MODEL TESTED: Honda Civic Type R PRICE: £46,995 POWERTRAIN: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo, 324bhp THE Honda Civic Type R benefits from years of hot-hatch development – but all of that sophistication comes at a price. The new model starts at £46,995 – a massive step over the £31,500 the previous model cost barely five years ago. The signature Championship White paint finish adds £650, bringing the total for our car to £47,645. Tech highlights UNDER the bonnet, the latest Type R gets an evolution of the 2.0-litre turbo used in the previous generation. Gas flow plays a big part in the improvements; the turbocharger gets optimised turbine blades, while…

Honda Civic THE Type R blows the VW away for personality. Honda’s engine is smooth, but sounds angry and relishes being revved. Its turbo also comes on boost more dramatically than in the Golf, which adds to the excitement. The manual gearbox is the finest of any car on sale today. A rev-matching feature performs automated throttle blips to smoothly engage each downshift, but if you’d rather do the work yourself, then the pedals are perfectly positioned for heel-and-toe downshifts. VS Volkswagen Golf OFFICIALLY, the 20 Years is the fastest and most powerful production car VW has ever produced. In reality, the boost is so small beyond the standard R that you’d be hard pushed to notice. A 0-62mph time of 4.6 seconds is 0.1 seconds clear of the standard…

WINNER Honda Civic Type R ALL of the incremental improvements over its predecessor have raised the already-brilliant Civic Type R to another level again. Slightly faster, slightly sharper and slightly more playful than before, the fact that it looks a little less wild than the version it replaced might be the biggest deal-maker. That it’s also impressively spacious inside a very fine cabin is merely a bonus. It’s expensive, but you’ll still be hard pressed to find anything that can match this level of excitement at twice the price. 1st • Frantic engine• Brilliant chassis• Superb manual gearbox • Road noise• Small range• So-so infotainment INTERESTED? Scan the code for further information RUNNER-UP VW Golf R 20 Years IT’S the runner up here, but the VW Golf R 20 Years…

SAME CLASS Audi RS 3 Sportback LONG waiting lists mean that Audi has stopped taking orders for the new RS 3, but there’s plenty to be found on the used market, with three or four-yearold Mk3 cars costing a similar amount to the Civic and Golf. For the cash, you’re getting a car that behaves with a similar level of civility to the Golf, but has a superbly characterful 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbocharged engine. With roughly 400bhp on tap, the RS 3 is phenomenally quick, too. • Five-cylinder engine• Everyday usability • A little heavy• Underwhelming cabin SAME MONEY Mégane Trophy R THERE are two ways to make a hot hatch more thrilling. One is to add power; the other is to trim weight. The Renaultsport Mégane Trophy R took the…

Running costs 32.2mpg (on test) £85 fill-up Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 545/1,640 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 10.4 seconds/130mph “I’d mostly been driving around South London while enjoying the head-turning hatchback’s warm, enveloping interior” AFTER nearly three months testing our Citroen C5 X, it’s fair to say that I’m still smitten. In fact, my initial draft of this report sounded so positive that it read like I’d switched into car sales. That was until I did some last-minute MPG number crunching. In my first report I’d mostly been driving around South London while enjoying the head-turning hatchback’s warm, enveloping interior. With a surprising level of comfort and bags of tech to play with, all was good. However, I needed to get away and add in some proper motorway mileage. That chance…

Make a splash with new colours for XM BMW’S bold XM hyper-SUV will be available with a new array of paint finishes when deliveries start later this year. All BMW Individual paints are applied in a separate process from the regular production line and offer a more exclusive finish for XM customers. Fresh colours include Urban Green, Petrol Mica metallic, Anglesey Green metallic and Sepia metallic; a range of bold shades that should make this £145,000-plus SUV stand out. The paints will be available to order from April. VW’s ID. Buzz gets Hankook EV tyres VOLKSWAGEN will fit EV-specific Hankook tyres to its ID. Buzz electric van. The VW will wear Ventus S1 evo3 EV tyres that are specially developed for the high-load and low-rolling resistance demands of electric vehicles.…

Charging Around Clive Wilkinson (Eye Books, eye-books.com) Price: £9.99 Rating: THIS pithy and entertaining travelogue is written from the perspective of a driver contending with a low-range EV and England’s at-times-inadequate charging infrastructure. The author’s previous book tells of the joy of crossing the world on a container ship, but this volume sees nonworking chargers and other hazards threaten every leg. Austin-Healey Sprite: The Complete Story Malcolm Thorne (Crowood Press, crowood.com) Price: £30 Rating: THE full tale of one of the UK’s most recognisable and best two-seat roadsters: the Sprite. This highly successful car is covered here from genesis to its successors, in lots of detail and backed up with plenty of period photos. We like the useful section on buying and restoring a Sprite today, while there are rally…

Running costs 46-47mpg (Fox 1.2) £74 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 17.5 seconds/92mph CO2/tax 139-163g/km £165-£220 WHEN the Volkswagen Fox replaced the Lupo in 2006, some mourned the demise of the latter. While the Lupo had been built in Europe (Germany and Belgium), the Fox was constructed in Brazil and Argentina as an economy car, and it showed. The Fox wasn’t poorly made, but it lacked character because it was aimed at those who just wanted cheap transport, and it was built down to a price. That made no difference for many, who were reassured by the VW badge. It didn’t matter to them that there were better city cars around because the Fox was roomy, reasonably refined and generally reliable. A decade after its demise, the Fox is still worth…

Spurs kicks off F1 youth academy FORMULA One has announced a 15-year strategic partnership with Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. The main feature of the deal will see two nationalstandard kart tracks built beneath the South Stand of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (above), with the indoor circuits running electric karts. The agreement will also enable the two organisations to form an academy program which is aiming to create apprenticeship and career opportunities for young people in North London, in an effort to increase diversity and inclusion in Formula 1. Both Formula 1 and Tottenham will also create educational activities for schools, to encourage young people to get into motorsport. “The organisations will form an academy program to create apprenticeship and career opportunities for young people in F1”…

HYUNDAI is already committed to further generations of its conventionally powered small hatchbacks, the firm’s European boss has revealed. Both Europe and the UK have looming bans on the sales of combustion-engined vehicles, but Hyundai Europe President & CEO Michael Cole (pictured below) said that new versions of the i10, i20 and i30 are all in the pipeline. “For now, those cars are all still in our plan – even for the next generation,” Cole told us. Hyundai’s preference for short model cycles could mean a new i10 by 2024, a fresh i20 in 2025 and an overhauled i30 up first, perhaps as early as this year. That would conceivably take all three of the cars through to the end of the decade. However, Cole admitted that Hyundai is already…

Black Edition launched as VW SUV offers start THE Volkswagen Tiguan is now available to order in Black Edition specification, with prices starting from £37,325 for the 1.5 TSI 150. A 2.0 TDI 150 model is also available, while the 4MOTION 187bhp petrol and all-wheel-drive diesels will be available in time. The launch of the new trim is part of a Volkswagen SUV promotion that sees the firm offer a £1,750 finance contribution and two years’ free servicing until 13 March. The incentives are available on the T-Cross, Taigo, T-Roc and Tiguan. OTA software updates for recent Kia models KIA has enabled over-the-air software update capability on its MY22 cars and onwards. Available for all models equipped with Kia Connect, it means customer cars will now receive map and other…

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…

“The breadth of dynamic ability the Ferrari contains is thoroughly spectacular” IT’S the car they said they’d never make at Maranello. Yet here it is, Ferrari’s brand-new SUV – all 715bhp, £313,000 and 2.2 tonnes of it. Except, according to Ferrari, the Purosangue isn’t an SUV at all. Instead it’s a “four-seater, four-door sports car” that just so happens to be four-wheel drive and has a centre of gravity several inches higher than any other Ferrari in history. It also has a hatchback tailgate opening in place of a traditional boot, two back seats, and although its rear doors do open rather intriguingly – they hinge forwards, not backwards, to give a “uniquely welcoming entry experience”, according to their designers – the packaging isn’t great. The boot, for instance, is…

@AxleIngram Electric motor Power/range 619bhp/348 miles Performance 0-62mph/top speed 3.8 seconds/155mph OF all the cars best suited to an electric powertrain, a luxury SUV has to be right at the top. Qualities like smoothness, refinement and comfort are all high on the agenda, and with so much space for large battery packs, it’s possible to extract decent range without sacrificing practicality. The BMW iX has already proven that it can deliver all this in xDrive40 and xDrive50 editions, but the M60 is what happens when you want a bit more sportiness. It’s significant in terms of what to expect from fast BMWs in future, too; with the i4 M50, it’s one of M Division’s first stabs at an EV. The specs all sound very promising on paper. The M60’s body…

328bhp Powertrain 2.0 litre 4cyl 55 litres Fuel tank £82 fill up 4.6 secs Performance 168mph 341 litres Seats up/down 1,233 litres MODEL TESTED: Volkswagen Golf R 20 Years PRICE: £48,250 POWERTRAIN: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo, 328bhp WITH a starting price of £48,250, the Golf is already at a £1,255 price disadvantage against the Civic. It’s easy to bump up the Volkswagen’s price much further, too, and a host of extras lift the total of the car that you see here to £51,077. Tech highlights THE heart of the 20 Years is VW’s 2.0-litre turbocharged EA888 four-cylinder engine. With 328bhp, it’s 13bhp ahead of the standard R. Peak torque is the same 420Nm as in the Civic, but it arrives at 2,100rpm, 500rpm sooner than in the Honda. Tailing off at…

SAME CLASS Mercedes-AMG A 45 S HAVING around 320bhp in a 2.0-litre turbocharged hot hatch might seem extreme already, but the Mercedes-AMG A 45 S delivers a staggering 415bhp from its 1,991cc motor – that’s enough for a supercar-baiting 0-62mph time of 3.9 seconds. But it’s much more than a five-door dragster; the chassis has genuine agility, adjustability and feel to complement its incredible pace. It runs the Civic close for engagement, yet has a similar level of civility to the Golf, and adds a tech-laden cabin into the bargain. At £63,140, it’s a step up in price, but look no further if you want the most powerful hatch around. • Mind-blowing power• Hardcore chassis• Great in-car tech • Thirsty• Road noise• Less roomy than rivals SAME MONEY Alpine A110…

Running costs 28.4mpg (test) £102 fill-up Practicality Boot (seats up) 485 litres “It gave me a chance to weigh up the V8 monster against the plug-in hybrid” JOHN Prescott has never really lived down his nickname of ‘Two Jags’ – so I hope I’ll be forgiven for giving our F-Pace a send-off by placing it alongside its rather more potent SVR stablemate. In my defence, the two cars were only together for a day; the SVR was booked in to take on the new BMW M3 Touring in a test (issue 1,769), and the showdown gave me a brief chance to weigh up the 5.0-litre V8 monster against the plug-in hybrid version that I’ve been running during its final couple of months on our fleet. The F-Pace has impressed me…

Got a query? products@autoexpress.co.uk WHATIS Aquaplaning? Don’t lose your grip AQUAPLANING (or hydroplaning) is when a tyre rides up on top of standing water on a road. At that moment, almost all grip is lost and it will not return until the car slows sufficiently for the tyre to cut through the water and regain contact with the road. You may have seen pictures of our aquaplaning tests with long stretches of deep water and think this is not relevant to your driving. But you’d be wrong, because the moment your car seemingly jumps as it crosses a stream of water on a wet road is aquaplaning. The loss of grip may be short, but as the car skips, the cornering force is momentarily reduced to almost nothing. You can…

NEW PRODUCT EV Power Type 2 to 3-pin Charging Cable Price: £249 (5m), £297 (10m), £349 (15m) Maximum kW: 2.4kW Rating: Contact: evcableshop.co.uk THE longest of the three EV Power models available is 15 metres, which is almost the width of two tennis courts. The other unique advantage is its tough build. Its IP67 rating means the cable and control box can be immersed in puddles and driven over without breaking. The box has a clear LCD screen that shows the output and power being used. A button switches between six and 13 Amps, which allows owners to make the most of the output from solar panels without taking expensive top-up energy flow from the grid. There is also a delay timer, so the charge can be started when cheaper overnight…

DRIVERS who want a small but stylish car that’s also practical and engaging to drive aren’t necessarily spoiled for choice. There are some worthy contenders that will get the job done, but if you’re sold on the unique style and brand values of the latest MINI, you may well end up wondering whether its estate-like Clubman model could fill the space on your drive. With its extended rear luggage area and a vertically split tailgate, plus four doors for passengers, the Clubman usefully fills the gap between the regular MINI hatch and its slightly more pumped-up Countryman sibling. The latter has even more interior space and a traditional hatchback, but its higher ride height and greater weight mean it handles less keenly. So does the Clubman cut it as a fun-to-drive…

FOR most undemanding car enthusiasts, the first week of March was time for a little, long-overdue celebration. Spring arrived and, with it, lighter, warmer driving conditions. So, goodbye and good riddance to snow and ice until winter. Hopefully. As working from home becomes the norm – not just a pandemic-related quick fix – for millions of workers, big, greedy towns and cities are less able to rip off workers with excessive parking fees, fines and other scams. Another little positive is that petrol – still the fuel used by the vast majority of motorists in Britain – seems to be settling down below the £1.50-per-litre mark. In a modest, almost worthless car capable of achieving around 40mpg (and remember, millions can) that’s a fuel cost of 17p per mile, which…