Table of contents for 1869 in Auto Express

AMERICA and Britain are divided by a common language, the saying goes. And potentially soon by higher tariff barriers. The EU is certainly in the firing line. “They don’t take our cars, they don’t take our farm products, they take almost nothing and we take everything from them. Millions of cars…” President Trump has said. It’s actually 821,000 cars, calculates JATO Dynamics, and 159,000 from the UK (one per cent of annual US sales). Trump’s threat to raise European import duty unless they buy more American cars is intractable. Few could be viably imported and many don’t fit the continent’s use cases. “PRESIDENT TRUMP’S THREATS AREN’T REALLY ABOUT OPENING UP THE EUROPEAN MARKET TO MORE IMPORTS, BUT JUSTIFICATION FOR IMPOSING HIGHER TARIFFS TO REDRESS A TRADE DEFICIT” Ford topped the…

IT’S been 25 years since Volvo introduced the Cross Country badge to its line-up with the V70 XC. In the UK at least, this rugged, off-road-biased trim level petered out to nothing, with none of the brand’s current range being offered in Cross Country guise. But now the name is back and for the first time ever it will feature on an electric car. The EX30 Cross Country might look familiar, because this production car is all but indistinguishable from the prototype model that was revealed alongside the EX30 in 2023. Volvo says that we can expect the Cross Country to join the standard car line-up by the summer, commanding a premium of roughly £1,000 over the conventional Twin Motor Ultra – so expect it to start at around £47,000.…

CITROEN’S all-new C3 Aircross is now available to order with petrol or hybrid power, and a choice of five and seven-seat configurations, alongside an all-electric variant, the e-C3 Aircross. At £21,005 with the pure-petrol engine, the seven-seat version is one of the cheapest seven-seaters you can buy, undercutting its Vauxhall Frontera sibling. While the seven-seat layout is offered on the petrol and hybrid models, it’s not available on the e-C3 Aircross. The starting price of £20,240 gets you into the C3 Aircross powered by a PureTech 100 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine, with 99bhp and 151Nm of torque going through a six-speed manual gearbox. That gives the small Citroen SUV a 0-62mph time of 10.6 seconds and a top speed of 111mph. Fuel efficiency for the PureTech 100 is a claimed 47.1mpg…

ALFA Romeo is on track for a big year, as it gears up to introduce a brand-new Stelvio. This will be the third Alfa SUV in as many years, but unlike the Tonale and Junior, which both run on less sophisticated underpinnings, the Stelvio will take advantage of the Stellantis Group’s new STLA-Large platform, and offer a far more ambitious package as a result. Destined to arrive this summer, the new Stelvio will target premium SUVs such as the Audi Q6 e-tron and Polestar 3 with a dramatic design and cutting-edge powertrains. The STLA-L architecture means it can support battery sizes between 85kWh and 115kWh, with a single or dual-motor layout. It will run on either a 400V or 800V electrical system, and with the largest battery fitted, could see…

CAR buyers have discovered a new trick which is saving them thousands of pounds by signing up for finance deals and then immediately cancelling and paying off the balance, with some benefiting from discounts in excess of £8,000. The recent ZEV mandate has led several manufacturers to offer their cars with unprecedented deposit contributions to entice buyers. For example, Ford is currently offering its Mach-E electric SUV with a staggering £7,500 deposit contribution, Mercedes is offering £6,500 towards a new EQA and Audi is trying to shift the Q4 e-tron with discounts as high as £8,325. It’s not just limited to EVs, either; Nissan is currently giving buyers up to £3,250 towards a new Qashqai. However, while many of these deals are only available to finance customers, with companies recouping…

IT’S a tough job to stand out from the crowd of mid-sized SUVs, but Subaru arguably created this segment and the new Forester strikes a different pose against most rivals. This new, sixth-generation model joins the UK market with a single hybrid-assisted powertrain in three trims. These start with the Limited from £38,995 and rise to £42,995 for the Touring model; a mid-range Field model splits them, at £40,440. Limited trim gets 18-inch wheels, LED headlights, heated and power-adjustable driver and front passenger seats, an 11.6-inch touchscreen display, 360-degree cameras and wireless charging. The Touring adds features such as a panoramic sunroof, larger wheels and heated rear seats. The Forester’s four-cylinder ‘boxer’ petrol engine is linked to a hybrid system and CVT transmission. Between them the new drivetrain helps improve…

MOST manufacturers will wait for a mid-life facelift before making substantial revisions to a car’s chassis or suspension set-up. Wholesale reworkings such as these require extensive development – not to mention significant cost. But as usual, Mazda likes to do things differently. So, in response to early comfort-related criticisms of its CX-60 SUV, launched in 2022, the firm has made some fairly major changes to the car’s back end. The rear springs have been softened to improve the old model’s firm ride, for example. Not wishing to compromise handling, the engineers have tightened the dampers and revised the stability and traction control systems, too. Early CX-60s were plagued by a set-up that was too bouncy around town, but never truly compliant on the open road. The result was a car…

CAR enthusiasts like you and me are spoiled for choice these days, but there’s one question right now that’s hard to answer: do I go EV and join the migration towards a powertrain that will eventually propel most of our cars, or do I stick with a good old-fashioned combustion engine for the time being? I’m a fan of all good cars, full stop, and in a way I’m not fussed what they’re propelled by so long as they’re quick enough to entertain, sharp enough to excite, practical enough to be usable every day and look good. And to prove this point I’ve just done 6,000 miles in the electric Polestar 2 Performance Pack and, with a couple of surprisingly small caveats, enjoyed every minute of it. But to satisfy…

I LOVE the variety of cars we test at Auto Express; driving multiple models back-to-back not only opens our eyes to new experiences, it allows us to draw meaningful conclusions – and ultimately shapes the cars we recommend weekly. But if you’re buying with your own hard-earned money, sticking with what you know could pay dividends. We understand how tempting it is to try something new – something faster, fancier or more frugal than before – but opting for the same model time and time again has myriad benefits that could save you money. This might sound unimaginative, but experience with a certain make or model will undoubtedly make potential faults easier to spot. For example, your new car might make a noise over a pothole where the old one…

TECH SUPER TEST 10TOPIN-CAR SYSTEMS RATED MUST DOWNLOAD  OUR TOP20 IN-CAR APPS REVEALED TECH SECURITY WHAT DOES YOUR CAR KNOW? THE FUTURE WHAT’S COMING WHEN AND WHY 38-PAGE SECTION ULTIMATE GUIDE TO IN-CAR TECH Tech to make your life easier when you’re behind the wheel TESTED Suzuki Vitara vs Mazda CX-30 Suzuki’s face lifted compact SUV goes head-to-head with Mazda rival DRIVEN First verdict on new Transporter We hit the road in VW’s eagerly awaited rival to Ford Transit…

NEXT year’s Renault Clio will launch the brand’s curvy, new “Latin” look, rebooting the supermini’s sporty, iconic status in a bid to keep it riding high in the small-car sales charts. Our exclusive images preview how the new model could look. Reviving two “legendary icons” – the electric Renault 5 small hatch and 4 SUV – has given the French brand the opportunity to modernise the designs of its “future icons”, Renault Group’s design director Laurens van den Acker told Auto Express. And the Clio – launched 35 years ago, and about to enter its sixth generation – is one of Renault’s three icons, along with the Scenic and Espace, which together popularised the multi-purpose vehicle in Europe. “Our intention is to produce design icons – though that will only…

WE’LL give the Volvo EX30 Cross Country a proper drive in the coming months, but at the car’s reveal in northern Sweden we got an exclusive opportunity to try it out on a frozen lake. It’s safe to say this driving experience isn’t what the typical UK EX30 Cross Country buyer will come across on a daily basis, but fitted with studded tyres and no other modifications, the car gave a good account of itself. The EX30’s keen driving dynamics are just as apparent on the Cross Country version, with responsive if a little uncommunicative steering, mild body roll (despite the extra ride height) and a ride that felt very well sorted. Our only gripe – and again, it’s not something that’ll trouble most buyers – is that the electronic…

 IT’S another embarrassing climb down 100 words for Audi to reverse its all-new naming policy after just one model. UK boss Jose Miguel Aparicio told Auto Express that reverting to the previous, logical badging of an A6 as an A6, regardless of being petrol or electric, “shows that we as a brand are flexible, agile and don’t consider that everything is written in stone”. But it’s an avoidable faux pas. Coming off the back of another recent branding decision, where numbers were assigned to engine outputs, this latest U-turn speaks volumes about Audi’s decision making. Hopefully common sense will prevail from now on.…

CAR insurance prices have fallen to their lowest level in almost two years, but in a surprising twist it’s the youngest drivers who are benefiting more than their older counterparts. According to data from price comparison website Compare the Market, the average car insurance premium dipped by almost a quarter (23 per cent) annually from £950 in 2023 to £729 in 2024 – a saving of around £220. But this drop in insurance prices is not equal across the board. For example, while premiums for drivers aged over 55 decreased by an average of £62, or around 12 per cent, those under 25 saw an average saving of £425, which equates to a reduction in excess of 20 per cent. It’s worth keeping in mind, though, that insurance premiums for…

THE new Kia EV3 has been crowned Best Family Electric Car and overall 2025 Car of the Year by our sister site DrivingElectric.com. The judges said: “Kia has a reputation for shaking up the EV market and the EV3 does it again.” The EV3 is the baby brother of the seven-seat EV9, which was Driving Electric’s Car of the Year in 2024. The new car sits on the same platform, but is a lot more affordable, with prices from £32,995. Entry-level models have a 58.3kWh battery and a 267-mile range, while other variants have a much larger 81.4kWh battery that offers up to 375 miles on a charge. The reigning Auto Express Car of the Year, the Citroen e-C3, was recognised as Best Value Electric Car, and at the other…

1. Buy at the best time Many car showrooms – the ones owned by dealer groups, not the brand themselves – operate on a quarterly basis, based around the March and September number plate changes. So if you head to a dealership a few weeks to a month before the end of a quarter (in other words at the beginning or middle of February, May, August or November), you might encounter a salesperson desperate to hit their targets and tempt you with a juicy deal. 2. Buy from stock Configuring a car from scratch might feel exciting and allow you to tailor it exactly to your taste, but choosing one from stock is a good way to get a model cheaper and sooner. Many dealerships order models in bulk, and…

“WIN on Sunday, sell on Monday” – the fabled words and mantra of Bob Tasca Sr, a Ford dealer in the sixties and creator of the Mustang Cobra Jet drag racer. It’s a philosophy that resonates with car makers to this day, but in 1972, Robert A Lutz took these American principles, learned during his time at General Motors, and applied them to his new role at BMW. After a pivotal meeting with his fellow board members, Lutz and 34 colleagues founded the BMW Motorsport GmbH subsidiary – and unknowingly prompted the start of a cult of enthusiasts, all worshipping a single letter. More than 50 years on, BMW M (renamed as such in 1993) is undoubtedly one of the most beloved names in the automotive industry. And during those…

SITTING alongside the Explorer in Ford’s range, the Capri adopts a sportier, more rakish look, which in places makes the most subtle nods to its fastback namesake. The slim front grille is flanked by slightly squared-off headlights, plus there’s a thin blacked-out lighting strip at the back, and both hint to the classic Capri, as does the rounded rear quarterlight ahead of the C-pillar – but some might find that the resulting profile has more than a whiff of Polestar 2 about it. From a mechanical standpoint, Ford hasn’t created a ground-up EV like the Mustang Mach-E; instead, the Capri is based on the Volkswagen Group MEB platform. This means that in some areas the Capri feels like a Ford, but in others the VW DNA can be easy to…

WHEN the MG3 was unveiled this time last year, the most eyebrow-raising detail for me was that it had a three-speed automatic transmission. The only other cars I knew that used such things were American muscle cars from the sixties, and those were hardly the pinnacle of automotive engineering at the time, let alone more than half a century later. However, while the concept of a three-speed gearbox sounds old hat, to say the least, it’s part of a thoroughly modern full-hybrid powertrain that has a 134bhp electric motor as the front man. Plus, MG claims this simple set-up is more responsive than the complex CVT gearboxes often used by hybrid cars, including fellow supermini, the Toyota Yaris. So like a lot of things, the proof of the pudding would…

HOTKIT Scalextric Price: from £48 Contact: uk.scalextric.com SCALEXTRIC has revealed its latest sets and models, and they are aimed at adult collectors as much as kids. They include classic Land Rovers, the most famous car from the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC), and models made famous by films and TV shows. The most eagerly anticipated is the Volvo 850 Estate driven by Rickard Rydell in the 1994 BTCC. Scalextric says it is one of its most requested models ever, reflecting its status as a firm fan favourite. Despite never actually winning a race, the legendary racer is arguably the most iconic car in BTCC history. At the other end of the sporty scale are two new versions of the classic Series 1 Land Rover. The first is a recreation of the…

WE are used to being able to track everything from parcels to trains using apps on our phones, but electronic tags are still something mainly reserved for high-end cars. The cost of the technology keeps falling, however, making it a sensible option for anyone who wants to keep an eye on their vehicle’s location when it’s parked or being driven by someone else. Most of the trackers we have tried previously need to be wired into the car to provide power, but two newcomers have big batteries (and SIM cards) that allow them to be used away from a power source, making them much easier to fit and perfect for classics in storage or trailers. The Copenhagen Gemstone has a claimed battery life of six years and can be used…

THE EcoSport is a now off-sale Ford model that just made it into this year’s Driver Power new-car survey. It gave a good showing thanks to excellent rankings for its exterior styling and quality, which were 13th and 12th, while owners also liked the navigation systems (eighth), the touchscreen displays (17th) and the smartphone connectivity (16th). Overall, the EcoSport ranked 11th for its infotainment, which is impressive for a car that was launched more than a decade ago, even if it has been updated along the way. Insurance costs take ninth place and servicing is 24th, while 20th place for value for money is another feather in the Ford’s cap. It rates even higher when it comes to driving pleasure (18th), and a ranking of ninth for reliability is even…

ELECTRIC-car batteries are bigger and better than ever, allowing the longest-range electric cars to cover hundreds of miles with ease – making range anxiety a thing of the past. The figures shown here are derived from the official WLTP efficiency test, which is designed to be more representative of the range drivers will actually achieve in the real world than the old NEDC test. While the actual real-word range of these EVs will depend on a variety of factors including driving style, road conditions and weather, the figures are a good guide to what you can expect. 1. Mercedes EQS from £99,835 THE longest-range electric car currently on sale in the UK is the Mercedes EQS, the three-pointed star’s zero-emissions alternative to its own S-Class executive limousine. Its deeply impressive maximum…

AUDI has confirmed that it will return to a simpler naming structure for its range this year, instead of giving its petrol, diesel and hybrid models odd numbers and applying even ones to its EVs. The change reverses the company’s plan to differentiate its vehicles based on their powertrain, and a car’s nomenclature will now be determined by its size and segment, as had been the case previously. This fresh system will kick off with the new Audi A6 on 4 March, when the model will be revealed with the same name as its all-electric A6 e-tron sibling. Before now, Audi had been expected to name the ICE-powered A6 the A7, following on from what it had done with the new Audi A5, which replaced the previous-generation A4. Marco Schubert,…

PRICES and specifications for the DS No8 have been confirmed, with the flagship model officially now on sale in the UK. The base car costs £50,790 in Pallas trim, with a 73.7kWh battery and front-wheel drive. Opting for the 97.2kWh battery adds £3,900 to the price, and boosts the range to 466 miles. Pallas cars get 3D connected navigation, as well as wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – all operable through a 16-inch screen. There’s keyless entry and start, wireless smartphone charging, heated seats, a heated steering wheel and dual-zone climate control, as well as acoustic glass and ambient lighting. Top-spec Etoile trim is £4,000 more than Pallas, but brings a different grille design, pixel-LED lights, 360-degree cameras and a digital rear-view mirror. It also adds the firm’s DS…

THE UK’s stagnating economy is causing pain for drivers at the pumps, because fuel prices have risen for the fourth month in a row, exacerbated by a weakening of the pound. But the imposition of tariffs by US President Donald Trump has resulted in a softening in oil prices, which could eventually have a positive impact on the cost of petrol and diesel. The price of petrol increased by two pence per litre to £1.37 in January, while diesel rose by roughly three pence per litre to £1.46, making them four and six pence more expensive respectively than last October. To fill an average family car (with a 55-litre tank) with petrol, drivers are paying £2 more than four months ago, at an average of £76.44 per fill-up. An identically…

THE Vauxhall Corsa Yes Edition was introduced last year to cut the starting price of the supermini range. It also made the Corsa Electric one of the 10 cheapest EVs in the UK, but not anymore, because prices have increased for 2025. The petrol Corsa Yes Edition was available from £18,505 but is now priced from £18,995, while the Corsa Electric Yes Edition has gone up from £26,895 to £27,495. An extra perk for EV customers is Vauxhall’s new ‘Electric All In’ package. This bundles together eight years of comprehensive roadside assistance, £500 credit towards an Ohme home wallbox charger or to be spent at public chargers, and 10,000 miles’ worth of free home charging if you switch to the Intelligent Octopus GO home energy tariff, which is aimed at…

ASTON Martin will launch its first electric car before the end of the decade, pushing back its EV plans to focus on hybrids and electrified powertrains. Despite the delay, development is ongoing, with CEO Adrian Hallmark suggesting the firm is trying to make its first electric car – expected to be a large, DBX-sized SUV – feel like a Le Mans race car. A couple of years ago, Aston’s executive chairman Lawrence Stroll revealed the company was working on its own platform, but also confirmed that Aston would use battery and motor technology from American EV firm Lucid. Setbacks and dwindling market demand mean Aston will push back the reveal of its first EV to 2026 at the earliest. But now Hallmark, who became CEO last September, has told Auto…

“BYD is promising a generous standard equipment list on the Atto 2, particularly when it comes to technology” BYD was the fastest-growing car brand in the UK last year, although that’s hardly surprising when you remember the Chinese giant only started selling cars here in 2023 and initially offered only the Atto 3 family SUV. Now, however, it has a diverse line-up of five electrified models, which will expand once again when the all-new, all-electric BYD Atto 2 compact SUV lands on our shores. The timing couldn’t be better – or worse, depending on how you look at it – because a new wave of compact electric SUVs has just arrived, including the value-focused Citroen e-C3 Aircross and Vauxhall Frontera siblings, the funky MINI Aceman and the excellent Skoda Elroq…

THIS is the A290, Alpine’s second model for the modern era, and there’s an awful lot for the electric hot hatch to live up to. The French firm’s first offering, the A110, is a sublime coupé which delivers a feeling of purity and driving thrills like few other cars on sale today. It’s no surprise, then, that Alpine is keen to stress that this newcomer aims to recapture that DNA. Helping Alpine’s cause from the outset is that the A290 comes from great stock, because it’s closely related to the new Renault 5, a brilliant car in its own right. Look beyond the head-turning design – which is even beefier than the 5’s, thanks to flared arches enclosing 19-inch wheels, cross-shaped headlight signatures and many Alpine badges – and it’s…

COMPARED with other brands in the Volkswagen Group, Cupra has turned up pretty late to the all-electric SUV party. While VW, Skoda and Audi have offered a car in this class for some time, SEAT’s sporty offshoot has had to make do with just the Born hatchback until now, with the arrival of the Tavascan. Among its rivals is Ford, an external brand that bought in the VW Group’s MEB architecture to create a pair of EVs of its own, the Explorer and Capri. Still, given the patchy reception to some of those earlier MEB cars when they arrived, it has provided Cupra with time to learn from previous shortcomings and create a more rounded package – at least in some areas. ENGINES & PERFORMANCE THE Tavascan’s powertrains are impressive,…

RENAULT SCENIC THE Scenic EV piled on the miles in January, but to counteract the toll that the cold weather inevitably took on range, I took to driving the car more in its Eco setting. This tones down the throttle response, limits power to the climate control and steadfastly refuses to let the Scenic exceed 70mph, unless you give the accelerator pedal the kind of stomp you’d usually reserve for a tarantula hurtling across your kitchen floor. These are all sensible measures, and the dulled responses even help mask the Scenic’s shortage of front-end grip, which manifests itself when pulling out of junctions or braking firmly on greasy roads. In terms of actual efficiency, a full charge of the 87kWh battery is typically giving me a fairly reliable indicated range…

THE most cost-effective way to maintain your car’s tyre pressures is with a foot pump. For around £20 – and often a fair bit less – you can keep tabs on the pressures and top them up when needed. Inflators powered by their own batteries or the car’s 12V socket are less effort, but tyres usually only need to be topped up by a few psi, so a foot pump will not put too much strain on the legs. Powered compressors are also more expensive, especially cordless units. With a foot pump in the boot, you can check and adjust pressures to maximise the car’s braking, cornering, fuel economy and tyre life – and all for the price of a round of coffees. So which is the puff daddy to…

‘AFFORDABILITY’ was the word I probably used more than any other last year. And I make no apologies for that, because no matter how strong a new car is in terms of build quality, safety, efficiency and driver/passenger appeal, it’ll fall at the first hurdle if it’s overpriced and therefore beyond the financial reach of the consumers it was designed for. Such a vehicle, dogged by an ill-thought-out, inappropriately high price tag, doesn’t face anything as dramatic as a sudden-death withdrawal from the market where – surprise, surprise – it failed to attract enough orders from potential buyers. Instead, the model’s RRP has to be significantly and embarrassingly reduced. This discredits the manufacturer for initially getting its pricing policy so wrong. And such self-inflicted shenanigans distort and confuse resale values.…