Table of contents for 1774 in Auto Express

Alastair_Crooks@autovia.co.uk @AllieCrooks • Brand pairs its most powerful V12 engine with PHEV tech • Combined 1,001bhp output offers 0-62mph time of 2.5 seconds LAMBORGHINI has experimented with mild-hybrid tech in a few special-edition models, but now the firm is fully embracing the kit to assist the iconic V12 engine in its new flagship supercar, the Revuelto. The replacement for the Aventador pays tribute to Lambo’s legendary line of V12 machines, stretching back 57 years to the Miura. The Revuelto’s design looks like an evolution of what’s gone before, but the significant developments come under its skin, with the most powerful V12 in the marque’s history – a 6.5-litre engine with 814bhp and 725Nm of torque – now paired to the firm’s first use of plug-in hybrid power. This PHEV system…

Alastair_Crooks@autovia.co.uk @AllieCrooks FEW car manufacturers have as much off-road pedigree as Jeep, and each year the brand showcases it at the Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah. The firm has announced seven concepts built to entertain the 20,000 enthusiasts who’ll turn up this year. The line-up is led by the Wrangler Magneto 3.0. It’s based on a two-door Wrangler Rubicon, but instead of a petrol V6, there’s a 641bhp electric motor. The Magneto features a three-inch lift kit and huge 40-inch tyres, while the powertrain uses a six-speed manual transmission. Jeep says that this is more for convenience rather than an insight into future EVs with manual gearboxes. Possibly the most eye-catching entrant is the 1978 Jeep Cherokee 4xe. The donor car used to make the concept was in rough…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy “We’re really expecting customers to push the personalisation to extremes with the Spider”GORDON MURRAY Founder & CEO, GMA GORDON Murray has already sold out the T.50 hypercar, his T.50s Niki Lauda track version and the ‘everyday’ T.33 supercar. Now the designer of the legendary McLaren F1 is opening up the last of those models, with the new T.33 Spider. Limited to 100 examples, the Gordon Murray Automotive (GMA) T.33 Spider uses the same basic construction as the T.33. It tips the scales at only 1,108kg – just 18kg more than the coupé – not much for a vehicle that packs a reworked version of the T.50’s 3.9-litre Cosworth-developed V12 engine. It has 609bhp and 451Nm of torque – 75 per cent of which is available from just 2,500rpm.…

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_Robinson@autovia.co.uk @matt_201 Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 570/1,726 litres Performance 0-62mph/top speed 7.4 seconds/136mph IT feels odd to be driving a new car with an all-new inline six-cylinder diesel engine. But Mazda has talked of ‘right-sizing’ for years, so here we are with a completely fresh design of a type of engine rivals have been abandoning in recent launches. The 3.3-litre turbodiesel engine, which will be joined by a 3.0-litre straight-six petrol motor later, is fitted longitudinally in the new CX-60, a mid-size SUV sitting on a fresh, predominantly rear-wheel-drive platform. This car is at the forefront of Mazda’s aims to push further upmarket, and when behind the wheel of our top-of-the-range Takumi-trimmed test car, this is certainly apparent. White Nappa leather seats, white maple-wood trim and a fabric dash covering…

WINNER BMW iX1 1st FOLLOWING in the footsteps of the combustion-powered X1, the electric iX1 has vaulted to the top of the premium-SUV segment. In many ways, it’s an undisputed class leader; performance, handling, in-car tech and build quality are all fabulous. In areas such as efficiency, range, practicality and refinement, it’s still at least a match for the Volvo. If BMW were able to address its one key flaw – ride comfort – then it would definitely score even better than our current four-star rating. ● Strong performance ● Sharp handling ● Stylish, solid cabin ● Class-leading infotainment ● Harsh ride ● Range could be better ● Peak charging speeds INTERESTED? Scan the code for further information RUNNER-UP Volvo C40 2nd THE C40 takes second here, but there’s still plenty of…

SAME CLASS Mustang Mach-E IF a sharp drive is what matters most, then the Ford Mustang Mach-E can go toe to toe with the iX1. This is certainly the case in top-spec GT trim, where it’s really impressive to drive, with great handling and searing straight-line performance. A headline 0-62mph figure of 3.7 seconds means it’s faster than most rivals – other than the Model Y – while a spacious cabin and a neat infotainment system add to its appeal. ● Great performance ● Sharp handling ● Hard ride ● Plain interior design SAME MONEY Range Rover Evoque PHEV PREMIUM SUVs don’t all have electric powertrains at this price. The Evoque P300e’s versatility comes from an e-motor paired with a petrol engine. Together, they give the Evoque straightline performance similar…

Steve_Fowler@autovia.co.uk @stevefowler I’VE always thought there’s been something missing from the luxury car experience. There’s no doubting the quality of materials, the wealth of technology and the sublime drive offered by the finest the automotive world has to offer, but in most cases you still have to go and buy them from a traditional car dealer. And visiting a car dealer is rarely a luxury experience. Land Rover, though, has decided to do things differently, and when we were asked if we wanted to run our current favourite luxury car – the new Range Rover – it came with an invitation to go through the same luxury experience available to owners. That meant a trip into Central London to Stratstone of Mayfair, a Land Rover dealer with a bit of…

THE current hot ticket among car-care producers is ceramic, with seemingly pretty much every category getting a version containing the ingredient. And unlike some other trends, the inclusion of ceramic particles does have some appreciable benefit. They have long been at the heart of the hydrophobic coatings applied to vehicles by professional detailers, and now the technology has filtered down to DIY users. We first tested the latest ceramic coatings in 2020 and this is our first look at the shampoo spin-off. The idea is that you add water-repelling protection as you wash, but we’ve seen other products claiming the same thing and found them to be wanting. Do ceramics make a difference? To find out we took 15 shampoos and washed a grimy car, noting how easily each product passed…

IF you use machine or commercial hand car washes, or your own cleaning regime is less than rigorous, then it’s likely your paintwork has thousands of tiny scratches and swirls, which hide the colour below. To restore that shine you can use a polish, but for heavier damage, a colour restorer is the way to go. For deeper marks, a scratch remover is the next step. Picking a colour restorer is not always easy because they are often called polishes, but our samples are what makers consider their swirl removers. In contrast to our test for scratch removers, where we add marks, we revised this test to focus on the finish and how well each product deals with those tiny marks. A bonnet was sectioned off and our rivals were put…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk VOLVO’S mid-sized SUV has a really mixed bag of results in our 2022 Driver Power new-car survey, with above-average ratings in some areas, but worrying failings in many other categories that drag the car down to 69th out of the 75 cars in the list. On the positive side, the XC60 upholds Volvo’s reputation for safety with a fifth place in the survey for its life-saving features. Owners are also impressed by the smoothness of the gearbox and front-seat comfort. But infotainment is rated worse than in any car in this survey, with connectivity, user-friendliness and the touchscreen all criticised. Reliability is way below the average, too, with 36 per cent of respondents saying they’ve experienced a problem. WE SAY “With a classy interior, excellent build quality and a…

Alex_Ingram@autovia.co.uk @AxleIngram ● Series kicks off over Easter ● Expect intense GT action THE 2023 British GT season kicks off this Easter Monday, with Oulton Park the venue. The Cheshire circuit will be used over its full 2.69-mile international layout, with an undulating, flowing nature that’s fun for the drivers. The narrow track makes overtaking tricky, so there’s a strong chance of plenty of wheel-to-wheel action. Ian Loggie will return for the new season looking to defend his 2022 crown. This year sees a switch from RAM Racing to the 2 Seas Motorsport squad – although he’s still driving a Mercedes-AMG GT3 – and he’ll once again be tough to beat, not least because he’ll be sharing his car with Jules Gounon. The Frenchman has had a stunning start to…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy • M2-specific tuning gives new model a 50bhp power hike • Great-handling chassis is a cracker THIRD is the gear. It’s the one you hold on to, capable of taking you from 10mph all the way to 90mph (or even slightly beyond) – by which point your ears will be fizzing with six-cylinder noise and your grin will fill the space between them. If the new BMW M2 really is to be M division’s ultimate sign-off for pure-petrol power in a compact sports car package, then blimey, they’ve nailed it. Of course, nobody will confirm that this is the case. And there’s bound to be at least a hardcore M2 CSL between now and ‘the end’. But the basic principle probably holds true: just like its rivals Mercedes…

Vauxhall upgrades Mokka and Corsa VAUXHALL has updated its Mokka (above) and Corsa models. The SUV gets a new, more efficient 134bhp turbo petrol engine, replacing the previous 128bhp unit. Chrome trim is switched for black on Ultimate versions of the car, which also get front massage seats with powered lumbar support. The upgrades mean the Corsa now has Pedestrian Detection on Design models, while Ultimate editions get the same seating upgrades as the Mokka. Utilities’ work to come under the microscope UTILITY companies that dig up roads will be subjected to a performance-based inspection regime to prevent potholes being left behind or developing, the Government has announced. The street works regime came into force on 1 April 2023 and companies that perform well will be inspected less, and vice…

tristan_shale-hester@autovia.co.uk @tristan_shale ANYONE who’s ever broken down knows it’s an unpleasant – sometimes alarming – experience. Depending on where you are and how far your nearest recovery patrol is, you could spend hours waiting at the side of the road, possibly in foul weather conditions next to a busy highway if you’re particularly unlucky. That’s all before you have to worry about how bad a state your car’s in and how much it will cost to put right. That’s why it’s so important for breakdown companies to be as efficient as possible and innovate to find new ways of rescuing stranded motorists. The RAC is one of the biggest names in the business, and its orange vans are a common sight on roads all around the UK. Having been around…

Performance 0-62mph/top speed 9.0 seconds/93mph Electric motor Power/range 154bhp/250 miles DON’T let the name fool you: this isn’t a new supermini from DS to replace the popular DS 3 of old. It’s an updated, and indeed renamed version of the car formerly known as the DS 3 Crossback, the smallest SUV in the French brand’s line-up. The DS 3 range now consists of two petrol options and this updated E-Tense all-electric version. It’s in the EV that you’ll discover the biggest changes. It looks different thanks to a mid-life nip and tuck, and should also deliver a better day-to-day ownership experience, thanks to an updated electric powertrain that offers more claimed range. Although the SUV-inspired name is no longer, the DS 3 carries over plenty of the chunky crossover design…

SAME CLASS Mercedes EQA 350 TWO years on from its release, the Mercedes EQA remains one of our favourites in this class. Among its strengths over its rivals here is the choice it gives buyers. There are three different power outputs, ranging from the front-wheel-drive, 187bhp EQA 250 to the iX1-rivalling EQA 350 with two motors and 288bhp. Official range figures are largely similar to the BMW’s and Volvo’s, with the 250 capable of a WLTP-certified 324 miles, or as little as 259 miles in the EQA 350 in its highest trim. The infotainment tech is great, although road noise makes it less relaxing over long distances. ● Competitive driving range ● Stylish cabin ● Choice of powertrains ● Dull handling ● Small boot ● Road noise SAME MONEY Tesla…

IF you wash your car weekly and the wheels are in good condition, a soapy mitt could be all you need to keep them sparkling. But a wheel cleaner will be required for those of us who are less proactive. The best will loosen and dissolve the tiny iron particles to the point where a good blast with a pressure washer will remove pretty much all the grime, leaving only a thin film to lift off with a mitt. Other cleaners will require agitating with a brush, so to find those that require the least work, we raided the scrapyard for a pile of neglected wheel trims. The heart of the test was to find out exactly how effective each cleaner was at shifting the bonded-on mess. Each product was applied,…

Steve_Fowler@autovia.co.uk @stevefowle • Petrol and EV models coming • Improved space and comfort THIS time next year, MINI dealers will be preparing themselves for an onslaught of all-new models coming in the space of just 12 months. Before electric and petrol Coopers replace the MINI Hatch range and the five-door electric Aceman turns up, a new Countryman arrives, and we’ve been for a ride in the first all-electric model. The car we’re in has been testing in the south of France and Sweden, and now we’re in snowy Austria alongside Countryman driving dynamics engineer Simon Krüger. Swinging open the passenger door and climbing inside the heavily disguised car, we’re struck by how much more space there is. The car has grown 130mm in length and 60mm in height; it’s easier…

SMART is gearing up to launch the second model of its reborn era – confusingly called #3 – and the company has issued a preview ahead of the expected reveal at the Shanghai Motor Show later this month. The image shows that the #3 is a likely rival for the Volkswagen ID.4. It’s slightly larger than the #1, but should get many of the same underpinnings, including its Geely-sourced SEA platform and motor set-ups with up to 422bhp.…

Matt_Robinson@autovia.co.uk @matt_201 • Spacious family car driven • Official range of 434 miles THE next member of Volkswagen’s electric ID. line-up is nearly here. The ‘fastback’ ID.7 will be revealed in full later this spring, but we’ve already tried a prototype that’s at least 90-per cent finished. The new 15-inch screen in the middle is mostly a step forward from the displays found in current ID. models. It’s responsive, the graphics look crisp and pleasing to the eye, and it’s big enough to have room for permanent climate controls. Space is the theme in the ID.7, with a large boot and plenty of cabin storage. Even with the driver’s seat set in a comfortable position, there’s a tremendous amount of rear legroom, and there’s good headroom, too, despite the car’s…

New electric SUV claims 440-mile range FISKER is claiming class-leading range for the top-spec ‘Extreme’ version of its forthcoming Ocean SUV (above). The company – a rebirth of the brand founded by former Aston Martin designer Henrik Fisker – says that its Tesla Model Y rival will manage 440 miles between recharges when equipped with the ‘Hyper Range’ battery. The firm hasn’t provided details of the battery’s capacity, but it’s believed to be around 100kWh. Drivers face up to new keyless-entry system GENESIS is rolling out face-recognition technology to its GV60 electric SUV. The system should make the vehicle the first in Europe that owners can access with nothing more than a friendly smile. The car can store biometric data that allows it to ‘recognise’ the face of its owner,…

Contact Tristan Shale-Hester mail@autoexpress.co.uk @AutoExpress HOT TOPIC Ford Explorer EV FROM: Christopher Brindle LITTLE wonder the Focus is dead. Ask any ‘ordinary’ parent with two or three children what they would have on a £300-per-month lease. An SUV is a no-brainer for school runs, cricket, ballet, drama, dance club, etc. FROM: Iain Young REALLY? The once-dominant Ford Motor Company, which brought us so many seventies, eighties and nineties classics, is reduced to making an anonymous, amorphous, overpriced and unoriginal SUV, begging from the VW parts bin. Join the debate at www.autoexpress.co.uk ■ “If you took the Ford badges off, it would look like a Chinese-copycat Citroen C4.” Julian Thompson ■ “Looks just like Kia’s latest SUV. Are all new cars designed with a rule and a set square?” Peter Johns…

Jordan_Katsianis@autovia.co.uk @jordankatsianis Electric motor 90kWh battery (usable) 170kW DC charging Performance 0-62mph/top speed 6.6 seconds/130mph Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 520/1,675 litres MERCEDES isn’t holding back on its electrification push. And this is the brand’s latest arrival: the EQE SUV. As the jacked-up stablemate of the EQE saloon, the new offering is a large all-electric SUV based on a bespoke platform called EVA-2. The car’s underpinnings are shared with the EQE and EQS saloons, as well as the new EQS SUV, and for now it’s only offered with a dual-motor powertrain, with either 288bhp, as we’re driving here, or 402bhp in the top-spec EQE 500. The two motors draw power from a 90kWh (usable) lithium-ion battery pack, unlocking an impressive 285-340 miles of WLTP range. The EQE SUV is capable of…

Alastair_Crooks@autovia.co.uk @AllieCrooks “The Swace is at its best in city driving, with light steering and a responsive hybrid powertrain” YOU can look at badge engineering in two ways. Some see the results as shameless ‘copy and paste’ reproductions of another brand’s models, with little to no originality and creativity. Others might view cars like the Suzuki Swace as a practical, efficient, perfectly acceptable family car that just happens to be virtually identical to the Toyota Corolla Touring Sports, but for less. Either way, Toyota’s recent upgrades for its version haven’t gone unnoticed, so here’s the 2023 edition of Suzuki’s hybrid estate. Gone are the old SZ-T and SZ5 trim levels. Motion and top-spec Ultra now make up the range, and we’re driving the latter here. Motion costs from £28,999 and…

VOLVO has a fairly unique approach to delivering its car to customers, with a 36-month subscription deal aiming to make things as simple as possible. Service costs, wear-and-tear items and Vehicle Excise Duty are all covered within the monthly fee. At the end of the three-year deal, you just hand the car back. But is it worth it? To give a comparison, we’ve pitched it against BMW iX1 lease deals. A three-year contract with a 10,000-mile annual limit and a six-month up-front payment (which translates to £4,116) comes to £686 for the iX1. That’s lower than the Volvo’s £809 per month figure, but the Volvo agreement requires no up-front payment. Multiply the numbers over three years, and the Volvo is slightly more than the BMW, with a total cost of…

SMALL ELECTRIC SUVs These electric models offer cutting-edge EV tech, but there are alternatives out there Sean Carson Associate editor “IF you only cover small mileages, it might be worth looking at a combustion version of the X1 instead. The petrol xDrive23i is still quick and handles even better than the EV. And while it won’t be as cheap to run, in equivalent xLine spec it costs nearly £14,000 less.” John McIlroy Deputy editor “VOLVO isn’t standing still with the C40, and changes are due later this year. Single-motor models will switch from front to rear-wheel drive, while power and torque will go up 7bhp and 90Nm respectively. Along with software tweaks, it means WLTP range will rise by 16 miles, to 316 miles.” Dawn Grant Picture editor “IT seems…

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products@autoexpress.co.uk EVEN for those drivers who were keen to keep their cars sparkling in recent months, the winter’s snow, high winds and heavy rain have provided little opportunity to shift the grime. As the weather improves, there’s no excuse not to rid your car of that winter dirt ready for those short breaks and weekends away. But you still don’t want to waste your time or energy, so over the next eight pages we review the pick of the products to clean and protect your car. We have our first test of ceramic washes, which aim to do two jobs in one. Grimy alloys usually need extra care, and we have the best wheel cleaners to get your rims sparkling. We’ve also got the best solutions for preparing your paintwork…

WHEN cleaning interior fabrics, there’s a balance to be drawn between scrubbing hard enough to remove marks and stains, and sufficiently gently to avoid damage, because unlike with leather trim, which has a ‘painted’ coating, you work directly on the fibres. The need to avoid fluffing up the surface where tough stains have to be removed makes investing in an effective cleaner key. And you don’t have to spend much, because top performers can be had for well under a tenner. Many marks can be removed by an all-purpose cleaner (APC), but our test focused on more specialised products, including foams. To find our favourites, we sourced a tired carpet, and added felt tip and make-up on top of the usual ballpoint ink, butter and ground-in chocolate. Each cleaner was used…

TOYOTA Gazoo Racing UK will expand its presence in the 2023 British Touring Car Championship by fielding three cars. It’s looking to improve on its eighth-place finish in the teams’ championship in 2022, and it has started by retaining its two drivers from last year, Rory Butcher and Ricky Collard. Butcher had a strong 2022 on the way to fifth in the championship, with nine podiums including a win, a second and a third in a single weekend at Silverstone. Collard returned to the championship in 2022 after three seasons away, with a season-best result of fourth at Snetterton. “Butcher and Collard are joined by George Gamble, who had a strong debut season with Ciceley Motorsport in 2022” The pair are joined by George Gamble, who had a strong debut…

WHAT happens when dozens of experienced, free-thinking and fiercely independent car designers, engineers, automotive industry titans, stars from F1 and TV, journalists and other media pros have to name their three best cars of the year? Unpredictably, much agonising and controlled mayhem break out, that’s what. This I know because one bloke each year chases down these world-renowned judges, before getting them to identify their world champion new cars. And that is me because, for my sins, I’m head tea boy and chair of the judging panel at bestcarsoftheyear.com. Initially, the judges have more questions than answers. Do cars have to be below a certain price? Built in large volumes? Sold on more than one continent? Classed as cars (rather than quadricycles or car-derived vans)? No, no, no, and no…