Table of contents for 1866 in Auto Express

PRICING and specifications for the new Skoda Enyaq have been announced, not long after the facelifted version of the popular electric SUV was revealed. The range kicks off at £39,000 for the entry-level 60 in SE L trim. Edition spec will also be available on the Enyaq 60 from £40,100, and the Enyaq 85(which gets a bigger 77kWh battery good for up to 359 miles of range) from £44,300. SportLine specification will only be offered with the dual-motor Enyaq 85x, priced from £48,750. As standard, the base model gets a 13-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple Car Play and Android Auto, a wireless charging pad, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, electric tailgate, rear-view camera and adaptive cruise control. Edition trim adds matrix LED headlights, a massaging driver’s seat, rear window…

CHRYSLER PT CRUISER CABRIOLET Price new: £17,925(2005) Price now: £3,000 Powertrain: 2.4-litre 4-cyl petrol; five-speed manual gearbox Power: 141bhp 0-60mph/top speed: 10.6 secs/121mph SOMETIMES things just don’t work out, despite looking promising, but other times they seem very obviously doomed to failure from the start. The Chrysler PT Cruiser Cabriolet is pretty solidly parked in the latter camp. From the awful seating position to the weird and impractical top-hinged letterbox boot, it wasn’t as good as it should have been. The lacklustre 141bhp 2.4-litre petrol engine was better with a manual gearbox, but this is not a car you enjoy driving. Yes it has looks that still stand out today, but it reeks of exactly what it is: a car built during a rough cost-cutting time for a brand, trying…

RENAULT CLIO 1.0 TCE 90 EVOLUTION LIST PRICE £18,595 POWERTRAIN 1.0-litre 3-cylinder petrol, FWD POWER 89bhp 0-62MPH 12.5 seconds SURPRISINGLY, the Clio’s lease cost undercuts most alternatives with lower list prices, including the Renault’s relations from budget-brand Dacia. It feels like a proper car compared with smaller alternatives, too. The latest facelift has added more style and brought the looks bang up to date, while the interior has also been upgraded. The tech essentials are fitted as standard, too, with two seven-inch screens, plus smartphone links. There is lots of space in the front, and while the rear seats will be a little tight for adults, kids will rarely complain. The boot is where the Clio really lifts itself above the city-car rivals, though: at 391 litres, it’s bigger than…

SKODA KODIAQ 1.5 TSI IV 204 SPORTLINE DSG LIST PRICE £47,135 POWERTRAIN 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol PHEV, FWD POWER 201bhp 0-62MPH 8.4 seconds THE Skoda Kodiaq is one of our favourite big cars and scooped the Best Large SUV award at the 2024 Auto Express New Car Awards. As you’d expect from a family car, it’s spacious and features Skoda’s various 'Simply Clever' design touches to make life easier. Most buyers will be happy with the hybrid-assisted petrol motors, especially the more powerful 201bhp iV version. The cheapest Kodiaq lease deals we could find use this powertrain, starting at £463.51 per month for an SE L trim. But the better-looking SportLine model costs just £23.35 a month more for a car which is £2,500 more expensive on the list price, so that…

HONDA CIVIC  PRICE NEW £22,430 PRICE NOW £2,500 POWERTRAIN 1.8-litre 4-cylinder petrol, FWD POWER 138bhp 0-62MPH 8.9 seconds AFTER seven generations of the Honda Civic looking a little dull, the Mk8 car was something of a revelation. It retained all the engineering excellence and reliability, but added radical styling that still cuts a dash today. If you don’t need to worry about emission zones, then the 2.2-litre i-CDTi is smooth and economical, but it’s rare to find one with a low mileage. Instead we’d seek out a petrol-powered model. The legendary Type R hot hatch is out of our price range but the Si models have some of the same sporty styling, which means the street cred is partly retained, if that matters to you. At the bottom of the…

VOLVO S90  PRICE NEW £47,800 PRICE NOW £18,500 POWERTRAIN 2.0-litre 4-cylinder diesel, AWD POWER 233bhp 0-62MPH 6.7 seconds WHEN choosing a new executive car, the default option is to head to a German brand’s showroom. But in the used market we’d suggest you might find a deal from a less obvious source: Volvo. The Swedish company is best known for its estates and SUVs, but the S90 is a forgotten gem in the big-saloon sector and represents great second-hand value as a result. It’s comfortable, spacious and efficient, with dynamics that encourage you to make the most of the refinement rather than trying to set new lap records. The diesel and PHEV powertrains are the most prevalent and are a popular choice as executive chauffeur cars, so many will have high…

RANGE anxiety. Two words which were the bane of every EV driver’s life when the tech was in its infancy. It wasn’t so long ago that we’d grumble about low ranges that made the small, attainable EV little more than a second car at best. But it hasn’t taken long for things to change, with many modestly sized family hatches now capable of going further than 300 miles on a single charge. When it comes to headline figures, the newest addition to the class has the beating of every other option. Based on WLTP data, the Kia EV3 can cover up to 375 miles on a charge. And with battery tech becoming ever-cheaper, it’s possible to snag a model capable of that figure for a fiver less than 36 grand…

Price: From £1,495 Contact: andersen-ev.com ARE you worried that your electric vehicle home charger will clash with your new Porsche? Luckily, Andersen, the premium home charging brand, has your back and is introducing 13 new colours to match the full palette of standard exterior paint options being offered with the new all-electric Macan. While this might seem like a trivial issue, electric car buyers are increasingly demanding more stylish chargers, especially where they can be easily seen on the front or the side of a house. Andersen claims to be the only home charge point provider to offer a fully customisable choice for their unit, with buyers able to choose from different colours or finishes for the fascia and side panels to match their new car or house. To order their…

IT doesn’t feel too long ago that we had to rely on paper maps and road signs to find our way around when we were driving. Now we have an enormous choice of navigation systems to choose from, guiding us by satellites and even telling us how to avoid traffic jams and hold-ups. While the sat-nav systems built into most modern cars will do the job reasonably well, they find it difficult to compete with the software that’s loaded on your smartphone. Their connectivity means the maps are instantly updated with traffic information and road closures, and they can call on search engines to help you find destinations. Some will also use data from other users to help spot congestion and other problems, such as potholes and accidents. “THE SAT-NAVS…

WITHIN three days of Hyundai unveiling the Ioniq 5 in February 2021, the company had received 236,000 expressions of interest, and in just 24 hours the first 3,000 cars had been oversubscribed three times over. Most of this was on the strength of a striking exterior design and a promising spec, but when the first reviews of the car were published, it was clear that the Ioniq 5 had the substance to back up the style. Over the past four years the Ioniq 5’s design has refused to age and the hatch has continued to wow owners as much as it has impressed us; could it be a classic in the making? HISTORY THE Ioniq 5 went on sale in June 2021, with 58kWh or 73kWh battery packs. The former…

DACIA will continue its roll-out of hybrid powertrains through 2025 and beyond, with CEO Denis Le Vot confirming the technology will be “growing more and more in the future” – including the possibility of a plug-in (PHEV) powertrain for the company’s flagship Bigster SUV. In an exclusive interview, Le Vot told Auto Express that his team will continue to utilise all the parts available to them, insisting that parent company Renault has “all the solutions” – from ICE (internal-combustion engines) to hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fully electric. “We recoup the assets developed by the [Renault] Group,”Le Vot told us. “We put them back and make our own soup with the leftovers. We make good business with that for us and for the clients, and we manage, as a whole, the…

HYUNDAI KONA 65KWH LONG RANGE ADVANCE LIST PRICE £38,595 POWERTRAIN 65kWh battery, 1x e-motor, FWD POWER 215bhp 0-62MPH 7.8 seconds WHILE the Kona is available with petrol and hybrid powertrains, it’s the electric version which is the bigger bargain on the leasing market, with a monthly rate of £264.82 and an advance payment of £1,588. That’s £33 per month less than the best deal we could find on the hybrid. Although a pure-electric model might not suit everyone, the Kona’s large battery and strong efficiency will make it easy to live with, giving a 319-mile range. It combines daring looks with excellent comfort and tech levels, plus there is much more space than in the previous version, making it a practical proposition for small families and all their associated clutter.…

BMW 530E M SPORT LIST PRICE £59,445 POWERTRAIN 2.0-litre 4-cylinder petrol PHEV, RWD POWER 295bhp 0-62MPH 6.3 seconds IF you are a company-car driver and have HMRC peering into your pay packet, you are likely to be looking at tax-efficient executive cars such as the all-electric BMW i5. But private motorists could save a few quid per month on a lease and have a combustion-powered 5 Series instead. Look at the list prices and the difference between the lowliest 520 and the 530e plug-in hybrid is a whopping £8,440, but bizarrely the PHEV is £117 per month cheaper on a lease. That means drivers can have the best of both worlds, plugging in at home or work to get up to 64 miles of electric range, while having the back-up…

VOLKSWAGEN GOLF PRICE NEW £20,015 Price now £4,995 POWERTRAIN 1.6-litre 4-cylinderdiesel, FWD POWER 103bhp 0-62MPH 10.9 seconds THE Volkswagen Golf is the default family car for millions of drivers, simply because it promises a decent package of price, efficiency and quality. While the performance models will get enthusiasts excited, those with the more mundane engines still make brilliant everyday cars. The seventh-generation Golf arrived in 2013 and is arguably the best overall package in the model’s history, and an example with average mileage will just slip into our budget constraints. The petrol-powered choices include the excellent 1.4-litre TSI, with either a manual or VW’s DSG dual-clutch auto. But 2013 was the era of peak-diesel and there is far more choice of TDIs on the used market. If you can steer…

AUDI A8 PRICE NEW £69,385 PRICE NOW £25,500 POWERTRAIN 3.0-litre 6-cylinder diesel, AWD POWER 286bhp 0-62MPH 6.3 seconds AUDI’S flagship A8 saloon is notable in many ways, but the company is probably not so proud that it is one of the fastest-depreciating cars you can buy. Drive one out of the showroom and before you get home, it could be worth £20,000 less than the official list price. While that is bad news for new-car buyers, it means the big Audi is brilliant value as a used model. It has all the quality and equipment you’d expect from a limousine that was designed to go head to head with the best from Mercedes and BMW, with the most advanced technology available. Its lightweight aluminium bodyshell means it is more efficient…

KIA’S purpose-built electric cars are named in multiples of threes, but it doesn’t mean that the new EV3isone third the car of the flagship EV9. While it doesn’t get the 800-volt architecture of the seven-seat SUV (or the EV6 that sits between them), it doesn’t skimp on battery capacity or in-car tech. In terms of price and size, the EV3looks similar to Kia’s existing entry-level electric car, the Niro EV. The Niro will continue in all three of its powertrain forms (hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fully electric), but in the case of the latter, most buyers will find the EV3the more attractive option in most areas except cabin space, where it falls short of the Niro EV. ENGINES & PERFORMANCE 4.2/5 ★ KIA has kept things fairly simple with the…

Kia EV3 4.4/5★ 12.3-INCH TOUCHSCREEN NAVIGATION KEY FEATURE: OVER-THE-AIR UPDATES WHILE the EV3’s infotainment system isn’t as bold or as colourful as its rival’s here, for the most part the layout is logical and easy to work out. The one exception to this rule is the driver-assistance menu, where the sub-menus are scattered around the image of a car, when a simple list would be much easier to figure out. Loading times are reasonable, if not class leading, but for the most part, Kia has taken a sensible approach with the infotainment that shouldn’t irritate too many users. Cupra Born 4.3/5★ CUPRA CONNECT  KEY FEATURE: WIRELESS SMARTPHONE INTEGRATION WE criticised early versions of the Born’s infotainment, and rightly so–initial set-ups had one or two baffling menu structures and we found…

Price: £349 Contact: nextbase.co.uk THE biggest dash-cam brand in the UK, Nextbase, has revealed a new camera, which is designed to be fitted by car dealers when you buy anew or used car. Launched at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the 385GW and 385GWX will be offered as an accessory by Toyota, Lexus, Kia, Hyundai and VW. Available as a single front camera, the 385GW captures footage in 2K resolution, and has a recommended price of £349, including installation. The 385GWX costs £449 and adds a 1080p rear camera to the package. Features include Guardian Mode Lite, which monitors driver location and speed automatically, saving time-stamped, GPS-marked video if triggered by an event. The clips can be accessed on the Nextbase app when the camera is connected to WiFi,…

Price: £239.99 Contact: Sealey.co.uk CRAWLING around underneath your car is pretty difficult, but on bigger 4x4s, vans or pick-ups it can be even more awkward to work in the engine bay. On these taller vehicles you might need to stand on a step and then lean awkwardly across the car, if you are able to reach it at all. Now Sealey has launched a device designed just for this job. The SCRT01 Topside Engine Bay Creeper is like half a step ladder on wheels, with a padded top that makes it possible to lean into a taller engine bay for much longer periods without fatigue. It features multiple adjustments for height and ladder angle. The 60mm-deep foam body pad is covered in heavy-duty, wipe-clean vinyl, and there is a built-in pocket…

IF you want to cut a dash in traffic, then nothing less than a coupé will do. With sleek lines and eye-catching design details, these cars are intended to get their drivers noticed. Yet while style is important, the best coupé models pack plenty of substance too, often proving as good to drive as they are to look at. There are fewer traditional two-door coupés than ever before, but our top 10 proves those left are some of the best ever. Read on as we reveal the most stylish and satisfying coupés. 1 Porsche 911 Prices from £99,800 IS it a sports car or a coupé? In truth, the Porsche 911 is both. Over the past six decades, this legendary rear-engined car has evolved into one of the most desirable machines…

AS well as hinting at a Bigster PHEV (left), Dacia CEO Denis Le Vot has suggested the current Sandero supermini could soon be offered with the hybrid powertrain from the seven-seat Jogger. Given that the two cars are closely related, the implant is relatively straight forward, Auto Express understands. “We try to cook everything on the same platform,” Le Vot told us. “The Jogger, from the front of the car to the B-pillar – it’s exactly the same car [as the Sandero]. With the Jogger we invest only in the back of the car.” Justifying the Dacia line-up, Le Vot said: “In terms of investment, because we’re recuperating so much from the platform of the [Renault] Group, we can make another half-car in a way.” When we asked Le Vot…

THE Nissan Ariya–despite being named Auto Express Car of the Year in 2022 – has never really struck us as a sporty EV. But the Japanese firm has chosen it to reintroduce the hallowed Nismo name to Europe. The Ariya shows off its new-found sporty status with a bodykit comprising a subtle boot spoiler and details such as the Formula E-style fog light in the rear diffuser; the combination of grey and black, plus a red dividing line, is pure Nismo. Inside, there’s a red starter button and Nismo branded seats, although they’re are a bit too plush and not quite supportive enough. Under the skin, two motors combine to produce 429bhp, good for a 0-62mph time of five seconds flat. However, Nissan places much more emphasis on the sprint from…

DS unveiled its No8 EV flagship a few weeks ago, giving us a clearer view of the brand’s aspirations. And now we’ve been given a hint of what’s in store for the rest of the range, thanks to fresh spy shots of theDSNo4. While it looks like a camouflaged version of the current DS 4,this mid-life refresh is set to introduce a new No4 name to DS’ upmarket crossover to align with the No8. This strategy will extend beyond the No8 and No4 in the near future with the DS 7 becoming No7 and the DS 3 being renamed No3. From these images, it’s clear that the No4 will retain the same front-end arrangement as the outgoing DS 4, though the camouflage suggests some minor tweaks for the front bumper.…

SILVERSTONE silverstone.co.uk THE Northamptonshire circuit is known the world over as the home of the British Grand Prix, and has played host to many classic races through the ages. But there’s much more to Silverstone than Formula One, which makes it agreat day out even when the GP isn’t in town. For a start, there’s the opportunity to grapple with the track yourself courtesy of a range of different driving experience packages that allow you behind the wheel of any(or all) of the McLaren 620R, Ferrari F430 Coupé, Aston Martin Vantage and a Formula Single Seater. CARFEST carfest.org IF ever there was an event that does what it says on the tin, it’s CarFest. Created by DJ and former Top Gear presenter Chris Evans in 2012,it’s a no-holds barred celebration…

AFTER a house, a car is likely to be the second most expensive purchase you’ll make, and you’ll typically have to live with your buying decision for quite a while. That’s why test driving a prospective purchase is so important; in the case of a new model it’s your chance to make sure a car fits in with your needs and that you’re happy with what you’re getting for your money. If you’re buying second-hand, test driving a car is your best – and often only – chance of making sure it drives as it should, before paying for it. At Auto Express, we test drive new cars every week in order to provide the verdicts buyers can rely on, so you could say it’s our bread and butter. But…

FORD EXPLORER 210KW SELECT 52KWH LIST PRICE £39,875 POWERTRAIN 52kWh battery, 1xe-motor, RWD POWER 168bhp 0-62MPH 8.7 seconds IT might be fresh out of the factory, but Ford is already keen to do deals on the new all-electric Explorer. The cheapest example we could find on the mid-range family SUV was £338.72 per month for the entry-level Select model with the smaller 52kWh battery. The Explorer is based on the same MEB platform as the Volkswagen ID.4 and ID.5, but we think the Ford has the edge in terms of driving dynamics. It also has a more interesting cabin, with better infotainment and innovations such as a sliding screen that turns into a locker. The 52kWh battery gives a reasonable range of 233 miles, which should be plenty for most motorists.…

FORD FIESTA ST  PRICE NEW £19,065 PRICE NOW £6,495 POWERTRAIN 1.6-litre 4-cylinder petrol, FWD POWER 180bhp 0-62MPH 6.9 seconds ALMOST every modern Fiesta is great fun to drive, even when powered by the lowliest engine. But there is always something extra special about a fast Ford, and the Mk7 Fiesta ST will some day be seen as one of the all-time greats. The good news is that you can now buy one for less than £6,500,and it should be cheap to run. The ST uses a 1.6-litre turbocharged engine to produce 180bhp, giving the little Ford a 0-62mph time of 6.9 seconds. That is quick enough, but isn’t going to win any Top Trumps battles these days. Where the ST really shines, though, is in the way it handles, with…

ESSENTIALS Kia EV3 GT-Line S Price: £35,995 Powertrain: 1x e-motor, 81.4kWh battery, 201bhp 0-62mph: 7.9 seconds Test efficiency: 3.3 miles/kWh Test range: 269 miles Annual VED: £0 Cupra Born VZ Price: £41,795 Powertrain: 1x e-motor, 84kWh battery, 321bhp 0-62mph: 5.7 seconds Test efficiency: 3.3 miles/kWh Test range: 261 miles Annual VED: £0…

IT’S tricky to stand out in a class filled with so many competitive alternatives, but the Cupra Born has managed to find a smart little niche for itself. While so many of the Born’s rivals try to boost their appeal with chunky SUV design cues (thanks to the floor-mounted battery packs of electric cars, the shift to a taller, boxier shape is an obvious design choice), the Cupra takes things in the other direction by offering a sharp and sporty look. It rides on the Volkswagen Group’s MEB platform that’s specifically designed for EVs, and the overall proportions are determined by the fact that there is no need to package a bulky internal-combustion engine up front. The bonnet is short, which enables the wheelbase and the cabin to be stretched…

WINNER Kia EV3 ANY driver who has previously been hesitant about buying an EV because of concerns over range anxiety should give the EV3 serious consideration. Its 300-mile real-world range is excellent for the money, and should reassure even those drivers who are most cautious of switching to electrification. For those already converted to electric, Kia’s latest has so much to admire; it’s comfortable, has a big boot, and should be easy to live with – especially thanks to its warranty package. It’s the most compelling EV Kia produces, and by extension one of the best on sale today. INTERESTED? Scan the code for further further information RUNNER-UP Cupra Born ALMOST four years after the Cupra Born went on sale, it has now become the car that we’d argue it…

HOW OUR GUIDE WORKS PERFORMANCE: This is the manufacturer’s claimed acceleration time for a car, and is measured from 0-60mph or 0-62mph (0-100km/h), in seconds. ECONOMY/EMISSIONS/RANGE: Combined WLTP economy in miles per gallon, emissions in grams per kilometre of CO2 and maximum claimed range for EVs. Figures are achieved in the latest WLTP tests, but will vary according to equipment and are unlikely to be representative of everyday efficiency. INSURANCE: Group rating as quoted by the Association of British Insurers. Warranty: Next to each manufacturer’s name is the basic warranty period in months and miles for the mechanicals, corrosion and paintwork. EVs and hybrids will have dedicated battery cover. LIST PRICE: This is the on-the-road figure and includes VAT, delivery to dealer, the first 12 months’ of emissions-based road tax,…