5 March 2014 | Volvo S60

THIS WEEK
NEWS
Audi TT Sharper looks and more potent engines 8
Honda Civic Type R Hardcore hatch revealed 12
Volvo Concept Estate Stylish shooting brake 14
Lamborghini Huracán New construction tech 16
Jeep Renegade Baby off-roader here next year 18
Volkswagen T-Roc New baby SUV previewed 20
Skoda VisionC Sleek new liftback due in 2016 22
Jaguar small saloon Styling secrets uncovered 26

COVER TESTED
STORY

40
GMR 600 Aston V8 Vantage Just add water 30
BMW 220d Cooking 2-series impresses 33
Fiat 500 Cult 0.9 TwinAir Baby Fiat updated 35
BMW M235i Manual coupé hits the spot 37
Honda Civic Tourer 1.8 i-VTEC Practical wagon 37

Ford Mondeo, Mk2 Mini, Fiat 500L MultiJet Beats Edition Urbanised 39
Mercedes C-class, Volvo Ford Fiesta 1.0 Zetec Non-turbo triple struggles 39
XC90 and Nissan Qashqai
Volvo S60 D4 ROAD TEST 56
convene to take a bow

COVER COVER
FEATURES
STORY STORY The end of the road Successful cars sign off 40
Eagle Low Drag Coupé Reborn E-type driven 48
Moray Callum interview Ford design chief talks 52

OUR CARS
Jaguar F-type Taking a sideways look at life 66

8 12
Renault Clio RS 200 Dramatics without drama 69
Lancia Delta Integrale Preventative medicine 71
Lighter, sharper third-gen Audi TT revealed Hot new Civic Type R targets 300bhp

EVERY WEEK
Steve Cropley Relishing Honda’s Civic Tourer 25
‘The GMR 600 V8 Vantage Matt Prior A boost for British motorsport 27

is very fast indeed, but Joe Saward F1’s plans for more US success
Your views Electric cars are coming of age
29
64

well mannered, too’

Matt Saunders, p30
Colin Goodwin Applying for a job at Aston
Richard Bremner Isuzu Zen concept revisited 98
65

COVER
STORY DEALS
Used buying guide Audi A3s from £2k 72
James Ruppert Used new modern old cars 76
New vs used VW Amarok or VXR8 Maloo? 79
New cars A-Z All the latest models rated 80
Road test results Autocar’s data archive 93
52 Steve Cropley meets Moray Callum
Classifieds Cars, number plates, services 98

72
56 Volvo S60 D4 road tested
48 Andrew Frankel drives Eagle’s incredible Low Drag Coupé
Audi A3: what to look for, how to buy

5 MARCH 2014 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 5

 THIS WEEK
Issue 6089 | Volume 279 | No 10 Established 1895
I

ON AUTOCAR.CO.UK
THIS WEEK
VIDEO
Geneva motor show
Matt Prior presents this year’s big reveals
Audi’s design spark
has been limited to
concept cars of late

In search of Audi’s
creative mojo
YOU HAVE TO feel for Audi’s design team. As far as
GALLERY
From the
show floor
Every launch,
unveiling and
bodywork and interior looks are concerned, the company new car pictured

has been set on a path of evolution for many years now — so REVIEW BLOG
much so that you know how its next cars will look and feel Vauxhall Ampera Jesse Crosse
Our spotlight falls on Tech secrets of the
even before you’ve clapped eyes on them. the range-extender new Renault Twingo
But that’s no surprise: when you are noted for ruling the
class, or at least being among the best, you will always be
less inclined to seek radical change, especially when the
sales and profit charts keep on edging towards the stars.
That doesn’t mean there’s nothing from Audi to get
excited about, but you have to question the company’s
capacity to deliver knockout blows like the original TT. FIND US AT
The ability is clearly there to amaze, but where’s the autocar.co.uk
appetite for it? Two stunning Quattro concepts, the A2
youtube.com/autocar
electric concept and a radical electric city car concept have
come and gone in recent years. They tantalised but they autocar.co.uk/facebook
never materialised. twitter.com/autocar
Is this the right way to do business? apps.autocar.co.uk
Download our Fast Car and Car Pics apps to your iPad
Ingolstadt’s profits would suggest so.
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OFFICIAL
PICTURES
Sleeker, lighter new TT
Q Harder-edged look for Audi’s all-new coupé Q More powerful engines Q New chassis and
he wraps have finally come
T off the new Audi TT at
the Geneva motor show,
revealing the latest styling
evolution of the company’s
smaller, lighter and more
powerful coupé as it now enters
its third generation.
Pictured here officially for
the first time, the new TT will go
on sale in the UK this autumn.
For its third incarnation, the
8 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 5 MARCH 2014
TT has been given an all-new
exterior design that looks
sleeker while retaining similar
proportions and dimensions
to its predecessor as well
as a comparable silhouette.
The design combines more
precise detailing up front,
crisper feature lines within the
body, a boldly curved roof and
significantly altered rear end.
Described as being new from
the ground up, the latest TT
also receives a sophisticated
and larger 2+2 interior that
features a contemporary
digital instrument panel and
clean-looking dashboard
similar in appearance to that
found in the Audi A3.
On the technical front, there
is a range of more powerful
four-cylinder engines, a fifth-
generation Haldex four-wheel
drive system and — in a move
that Audi technical boss Ulrich
Hackenberg has suggested
makes the TT more fun to
drive than ever before — a new
aluminium-intensive chassis
featuring variable damping
control and a variable-ratio
electromechanical power
steering system.
Central among the stylistic
changes brought to the new
coupé is the adoption of a more
aggressive-looking front end.
This features an angular six-
corner grille, new trapezoidal-
shaped headlights with more
prominent LED internal
graphics, a more heavily
contoured clamshell-style
bonnet and added structure
to the lower section of the
front bumper.
In a move that brings the
 Rear is less rounded;
THIS WEEK
the coupé retains its
liftback-style tailgate

Central among the stylistic

changes is the adoption of a
more aggressive front end

stars at Geneva show

aluminium panels cut weight Q More driver appeal promised Q On sale here this autumn
TT into line with the range-
topping R8, the four-ring Audi
emblem has been moved from
its usual place within the grille
to the bonnet’s leading edge.
Further back, the new
TT retains the prominent
wheelarch flares of its
predecessors but gains larger
wheel housings capable of
accepting larger-diameter
wheels. A defined shoulder
line, referred to by Audi as the
Tornado line, runs the entire
length of the flanks, from the
trailing edge of the headlights
through to the tail-lights.
The glasshouse is similar
in shape to that of the old TT,
but the rear side windows
have been altered to further
emphasise the rear pillars.
Holding true to the three-
door layout of earlier models,
the new TT continues to
feature a liftback-style tailgate.
However, the shape of the rear
end is now less rounded than
before, with a defined lip to the
end of the body, an automatic
spoiler that deploys at speeds
above 75mph and more
angular tail-lights.
Unusually, given increasingly
stringent safety regulations,
the new TT is reduced in size,
albeit only marginally. At
4180mm in length and 1832mm
in width, Audi’s new coupé
is 20mm shorter and 8mm
narrower than its predecessor.
However, its 1353mm height is
the same as before.
Underpinning the new TT
is a bespoke version of the
Volkswagen Group’s MQB
platform. The TT’s wheelbase is
37mm longer than previously,
at 2505mm. This gives the new
model added interior space and
provides the basis for a 13-litre
increase in nominal luggage
capacity, at 305 litres.
As with the second-
generation model, the new TT
relies on hybrid construction to
shed weight. The floorpan uses
a combination of hot-formed
high-strength steel and cast
aluminium to achieve what ◊

5 MARCH 2014 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 9

 THIS WEEK
INSTRUMENT DISPLAY
This digital instrument display
is a 12.3-inch screen and mixes
traditional instrument binnacle
functions with infotainment and
connectivity displays.

DASHBOARD
Siting the infotainment display
on the instrument binnacle has
NEW MMI CONTROLLER freed up the centre console for
The display is controlled by a more sophisticated look.
a new version of Audi’s MMI
system, which has been
redeveloped to allow drivers
to use it like a smartphone.

Δ Audi describes as “optimal”
front-to-rear weight
distribution. Much of the body
— including the bonnet, wings,
roof, doors and tailgate — is
constructed from aluminium.
The result is a 50kg saving in
kerb weight for the entry-level
front-wheel-drive TT, which
weighs a claimed 1230kg.
Audi has confirmed a choice
of three four-cylinder engines
and two gearboxes for the new
TT, all available from the outset
Size is similar to that
of today’s TT but the
wheelbase is longer
of UK sales. Underpinning
the petrol line-up is the
Volkswagen Group’s widely
used turbocharged 2.0-litre
direct-injection unit, which
develops more power and
torque than in the old TT.
This engine uses Audi’s
variable valve lift technology
and a more advanced fuel
injection system than lesser
versions of the same unit. It
delivers 227bhp and 273lb ft
in the initial entry-level front-
wheel-drive TT and 306bhp
and 280lb ft in the four-wheel-
drive quattro-equipped range-
topping TTS version. The TTS
model has a claimed 0-62mph
time of just 4.7sec and a top
speed limited to 155mph.
Also planned is a
turbocharged 2.0-litre
common-rail diesel engine
with 181bhp and 280lb ft in the
front-wheel-drive TT 2.0 TDI.
This model is claimed to return
a combined fuel consumption
figure of 67.3mpg and average
CO2 emissions of just 110g/km.
All three launch models
come with a standard six-speed
manual or optional six-speed
S-tronic dual-clutch automatic
gearbox. Both transmissions
have automatic stop-start. The
TT and TT 2.0 TDI receive front-
wheel drive as standard but can
be specified with the quattro
four-wheel drive system that
comes as standard on the TTS.
GREG KABLE
What other TT
variants are planned?
AS TRADITION
dictates, a TT
roadster will
follow the launch
of the coupé, with
an October reveal at the
Paris motor show already
pencilled in. A successor to
the TT RS is also planned,
complete with a 355bhp
version of the current car’s
335bhp 2.5-litre five-pot
engine, updated to meet
strict EU6 emissions regs.
Most intriguing are
proposed crossover,
shooting brake and rugged
Allroad versions, hinted
at by the Allroad Shooting
Brake concept at the recent
Detroit motor show.
“There is a trend for
crossovers, shooting brakes
and Allroad models, and we
combined the TT with these
concepts,” Audi technical
chief Ulrich Hackenberg
said. “The TT has more
potential now than in its
history. It can be different
concepts and segments. A
more rugged TT definitely
has potential.”
MARK TISSHAW

5 MARCH 2014 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 11

The showroom version
will follow this car’s
design very closely
OFFICIAL PICTURES
Civic Type R is reborn
Geneva show concept previews extreme new Honda Civic Type R with race-derived aerodynamics and a
onda’s iconic Type R
H sub-brand has returned
at the Geneva motor
show with a new Civic
Type R concept car. The
concept, as significant in its
importance as it is dramatic in
appearance, closely previews a
production model that is just a
year away from showrooms.
The car’s extreme
appearance bears out Honda’s
claim that the Type R is not
so much a hot version of a
standard Civic as a road-legal
version of a racing car.
It is more than 30mm
lower than a standard Civic
and distinguished by bulging
wheelarches, a massive front
spoiler and perhaps the most
distinctive rear wing ever to
see service on the back of
12 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 5 MARCH 2014
the hatchback. Only the roof,
front doors and unadorned
rear tailgate are shared with a
regular Civic hatch.
The Type R concept has
been put together over the
past six months by a team of
just three people in Honda’s
Swindon design centre, led
by senior project designer
Masaru Hasegawa.
“This is the most extreme
Type R yet,” he said, “and
the same will be said of the
production version. Its styling
is as much inspired by our new
World Touring Car competitor
as it is based on a basic Civic.”
Hasegawa pointed out
that the car’s menacing
shape has as much to do with
aerodynamic optimisation as
any styling consideration.
“We are in constant touch
Honda has promised that it
with our engineers at the
Nürburgring and in Japan,” he
said. “We have incorporated
their need for a shape
that provides exceptional
will be the fastest hot hatch
downforce with as little drag as
possible as well as the cooling
requirements of both the
ever to lap the Nürburgring
engine and brakes.”
At the front, there is a vast
mesh dam to let cool air into
the engine bay and, on the
bonnet, ducts to let warm
air out. Instead of merely
presenting to the oncoming
airflow in the usual two-
dimensional way, the front
spoiler wraps around the front
of the car and flicks up so that,
at the sides, it stands proud Concept’s bi-plane
of the bodywork, creating a spoiler features
channel for air to flow around integral tail-lights

as a ‘road-legal racer’
rumoured 300bhp; on sale within 12 months
the boundary of the car and
over the front brakes.
The skirt continues down
the sides of the car, eventually
turning into a tunnel to pump
air to the rear discs. Although
the visual theme is continued
into the rear diffuser, the
actual exit for this air is
provided by large slats cut into
those steroidal rear wings.
But it is the rear of the car
that does most to cement the
view that this is no normal
hot hatch, nor even anything
approaching a normal
Type R. A massive bi-plane
rear spoiler incorporates the
tail-lights into side fences,
while below the tailgate there
are deeply grooved channels
of a massive double-element
diffuser, curving around
four stout tailpipes, all of
which are functional.
The Type R will be powered
by a brand-new 2.0-litre
turbocharged motor. Honda
says it is already good for
“over 276bhp” although
privately engineers admit that
it has hit 300bhp, with 300lb
ft of torque at just 2000rpm.
Honda believes that
competition for the Type R will
come not from the Volkswagen
Golf GTI and Ford Focus ST, but
from more extreme models
such as the Golf R and Focus
RS. The firm has already
promised it will be the fastest
hot hatchback ever around
the Nürburgring, becoming
the first to lap it in under eight
minutes in the process.
ANDREW FRANKEL
A history of Honda’s Type Rs
ALTHOUGH THE TYPE R story started with a
Japanese-market NSX back in 1992, the first
Civic to use the Type R name was the sixth-
generation ‘EK9’ Civic in 1997. Featuring
a normally aspirated 1.6-litre engine with
185bhp, it leant heavily on lessons learned
from the Integra Type R and had some very
trick kit, including a helical limited-slip diff
and a seam-welded chassis. Sadly, it was
created for the Japanese market only.
By contrast, the second-generation
(EP3 chassis) was built in Swindon for the
Second-gen Civic Type R was built in the UK
THIS WEEK
How close is the concept
to the real thing?
CLOSE. VERY CLOSE, in fact.
Honda is painfully aware that if
the concept writes a cheque that
the production car can’t cash,
disappointment is sure to follow. It
knows, too, that ‘Type R’ h has been gone too
long, that its credibility as a sporting brand
has become devalued and that it has but one
shot to put that right.
So expect the basic ou outline of what you
see here to stay. The frofront spoiler may be
modified to provide a lilittle more ground
clearance and althoug
although that massive rear
wing will retain its silho
silhouette and twin
elements, they’re still trying to figure out
how to make its incorp
incorporated tail-lights
compliant with homolo
homologation regulations.
The wheelarch exteextensions will stay,
as will the rear diffuse
diffuser, but the 20-inch
rims with their liquoric
liquorice-strip 245/30
tyres are likely to beco
become 19s wearing
rubber that has a little more sidewall in
the interests of ride co
comfort (for the lack
of which the previous Civic Type R was
roundly lambasted) a and practicality.
The vast Brembo brakbrakes behind them are
already signed off for pro
production.
As for the interior, if the show car has one,
Honda is not revealing it y yet. However, senior
project designer Masaru H Hasegawa has said:
“Type R cars are known to be even more
extreme on the inside than the outside. This
one will stay true to that p philosophy.” AF
European market and exported to Japan.
It used a 2.0-litre engine with 197bhp and
a six-speed manual transmission. It stayed
in production for five years and is regarded
as one of the best and most important hot
hatches since the invention of the genre.
The third-gen car was also Swindon-built
but less well received, not least because it
ditched double-wishbone suspension for
struts and a torsion beam rear axle. The
powertrain was effectively carried over from
the previous model. Production ended in 2010.
Third-gen’s suspension was a backward step
5 MARCH 2014 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 13
 Volvo Concept
Estate references
the 1970s 1800 ES

OFFICIAL PICTURES

Volvo previews next estates

Shooting brake-style Concept Estate could inform future V60 and V70; new XC90 due in October
his striking estate car is of buttons and knobs below a Volvo 1800 ES of the early

T the third in a trio of Volvo

concepts pointing towards
the new XC90 SUV, which
is due on sale later this year.
The Volvo Concept Estate
large tablet-style touchscreen
that’s mounted on the centre
console. The touchscreen
controls all major functions
including infotainment and
1970s, and the look could be
adapted for a future V60 or
V70 estate in the firm’s line-up.
The concept uses Volvo’s
new modular SPA platform
Cabins embrace tablet tech

stars at the Geneva motor
show this week, and follows the
acclaimed Concept Coupé from
last autumn’s Frankfurt show
and the Concept XC Coupé
shown at Detroit earlier this
year. The new XC90 is now just
seven months away from its
public debut at the Paris motor
show in October.
Most significant in the
estate concept is its clean and
simple front cabin that offers
a thinly veiled glimpse at the
internal design of a whole new
generation of Volvos.
Switchgear is dramatically
reduced to just one short row
Cabin materials
are inspired by a
Scandinavian home
heating, and is linked to the
digital instrument cluster.
“The basic idea is to organise
controls and information
in a perfectly intuitive and
user-friendly way,” said Volvo
design boss Thomas Ingenlath.
“Everything is exactly where
you’d expect it to be, making
the drive more enjoyable,
efficient and safe.”
The Concept Estate is a
sleek three-door whose basic
design language is carried over
from Ingenlath’s two recent
concepts. The inspiration
for the size and style of the
concept car comes from the
and draws its power from an
unspecified engine chosen
from the company’s new and
efficient Drive-E engine range.
Inside there are four seats,
the rear pair being able to fold
flat into the floor to create
a sizeable loading area.
The interior is inspired by a
Scandinavian living room,
featuring orange seatbelts and
wool carpets alongside natural
wood, leather and metal trims.
A panoramic roof and three-
spoke steering wheel are also
among the Concept Estate’s
design features.
MARK TISSHAW
THE NEW XC90 will feature
a large central touchscreen
to control most interior
functions, as previewed in
the Concept Estate. Only
the buttons for volume,
play/pause, hazard warning
and window heaters are not
touchscreen-controlled.
The touchscreen uses
established tablet gestures
such as swiping and
pinching, and runs software
developed in-house by
Volvo. The portrait screen
displays four stackable tiles,
with navigation at the top
and media, telephone and
climate control beneath.
Touching one of these
Central tablet
replaces most of
the switchgear
tiles brings its wider array of
functions to the foreground,
with select functions for the
other three still visible.
“It is fine for an ordinary
tablet to compete for
your full attention, but a
touchscreen in a car is very
different,” said Volvo design
chief Thomas Ingenlath.
“Information must be clear
and user-friendly, without
turning up the visual volume
so much that you risk losing
focus on the road.”
Further controls are
sited on the steering wheel,
while important driver
information is displayed on
the instrument cluster.

14 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 5 MARCH 2014

 Aygo’s X-theme nose
THIS WEEK
is designed to appeal
to younger buyers

OFFICIAL PICTURES

Radical look for customisable new Toyota Aygo

TOYOTA’S NEW AYGO has
been styled to stand out in the
city car segment regardless
of how its dramatic looks
might polarise opinion,
according to the car’s chief
engineer David Terai.
The car, which joins its
co-developed Peugeot 108
and Citroën C1 siblings at
this week’s Geneva show, is
also aimed at convincing the
“young and urban” market
that it is a car “to have fun in”.
The Japanese car maker
thinks that the Aygo’s
dramatic X-theme nose
design, ‘double-bubble’
roof and sharply drawn side
window graphic will help it to
stand out in a segment that is
much more competitive than
it was when the original Aygo
was launched in 2005. Back
then, there were only five city
car rivals; today there are 20,
according to Toyota.
The Aygo has the highest
individual market share of
any Toyota model and has,
according to its maker, an
impressive track record of
attracting new buyers to
the Toyota brand and then
keeping them in the fold.
At 3.75m in length the new
Aygo is just 25mm longer
than the outgoing model,
and its track is just 8mm
wider. Despite the relatively
small increases in overall
dimensions, Toyota says
driver space has increased
(partly by lowering the
H-point of the front seat,
thereby increasing headroom)
and the cabin feels much more
spacious because the centre
console and screen have been
pushed back by 50mm.
The new city car, which
will be offered in both three
and five-door guises and with
an optional roll-back canvas
roof, will also stand out from
the mainstream by offering
a flexible customisation
programme allowing buyers
to specify the colours of the
nose cone, wing flashes and
rear bumper insert as well as
much of the trim on the centre
console and doors. Buyers
or second owners will also be
able to change or ‘refresh’ the
exterior and interior trim with
relative ease.
The launch engine is a
68bhp, 1.0 three-pot petrol.
HILTON HOLLOWAY

Updated Conti GT Speed is fastest-ever Bentley THE BENTLEY CONTINENTAL
OFFICIAL PICTURE
GT Speed has been updated
for 2014 and is now the firm’s
fastest-ever production car.
With outputs from its
6.0-litre twin-turbocharged
W12 engine pushed to 626bhp
and 605lb ft (up 10bhp and
15lb ft), the GT Speed is now
capable of 206mph in coupé
form, while the convertible has
a new maximum of 203mph.
Bentley has lowered the
car’s chassis and stiffened its
suspension, and has painted
the front splitter, side skirts
and rear diffuser to match
the rest of the exterior. The
Revised Conti GT interior has also been updated
Speed is lower and and boasts new stitching and
stiffer than before colour options.
Elsewhere in the Bentley
range, the Flying Spur is now
available with the twin-turbo
4.0-litre V8 first seen in the
less-powerful Continental GT.
The engine offers 500bhp and
487lb ft of torque, and will
be offered in the Flying Spur
alongside the flagship W12.
Bentley says the Flying
Spur V8 is capable of reaching
62mph in 5.2sec and achieving
a top speed of 183mph. The
V8 is mated to an eight-speed
automatic transmission with
all-wheel drive.
Both the Flying Spur V8
and the new Bentley GT Speed
are on display at this week’s
Geneva motor show. Deliveries
will start in the summer.

UPDATED POLO AT GENEVA BESPOKE AVENTADOR ON SHOW

Volkswagen’s CrossPolo has been updated with An Aventador Roadster at Geneva showcases
a new look, new engines and a revised chassis, Lamborghini’s revised personalisation scheme.
but it won’t come to the UK. It’s joined at Geneva The Ad Personam programme allows complete
by a revised standard Polo, a more powerful customisation including two-tone paint and
BlueGT and a new 94g/km TSI BlueMotion. new interior colours, trims and materials.

5 MARCH 2014 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 15

OFFICIAL PICTURES
Radical tech for Huracán
Lamborghini’s Gallardo successor ushers in new
construction techniques also destined for Audiss
amborghini’s new Huracán
L supercar — which replaces
the 10-year-old Gallardo —
has broken fresh technical
ground thanks to a new type
of hybrid carbonfibre and
aluminium construction.
This new technique will be
used for not just the next-
generation Audi R8 but also
several mainstream Audi
road cars, Autocar can reveal.
The upcoming Q7 is thought
to be the first candidate
for carbonfibre-hybrid
construction.
The Huracán will cost
about £188,000 when it
goes on sale in the second half
of the year after its Geneva
motor show debut this week.
It has been developed in
tandem by Lamborghini and
Audi engineers and features
a rear firewall and centre
tunnel made from a single
carbonfibre moulding.
The rest of the structure —
including the front and rear
subframes, front bulkhead,
suspension components and
much of the skin — is made from
aluminium. The carbonfibre
moulding is both glued and
New Koenigsegg One:1 claimed to exceed 273mph
KOENIGSEGG IS TARGETING
the likes of the McLaren P1 and
Bugatti Veyron with its mighty
new Agera One:1.
The One:1 is so called
because it has a power-to-
weight ratio of 1kg per 1hp; it
weighs 1340kg and produces
1340hp (1322bhp). The power
figure eclipses that of the P1,
Ferrari’s LaFerrari, Porsche’s
918 Spyder and even the
Bugatti Veyron Super Sport.
The new model from the
Swedish supercar firm is
derived from the Agera R and
its 1100bhp twin-turbocharged
FIVE-DOOR MINI DUE THIS YEAR
Mini’s five-door hatchback will be launched in
the UK by the end of the year, company officials
have confirmed. The new-to-the-range Mini
variant is expected to outsell the staple
three-door model by three to one.
16 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 5 MARCH 2014
riveted to the aluminum that
hat
makes up the rest of the
vehicle’s structure.
Audi technical chief Ulrich
Hackenberg told Autocar that
the new structure makes the
ch
hat
e
Huracán more than 50 per
cent stiffer than the outgoing
ng
aluminium-spaceframe
Gallardo and approximately
10 per cent lighter.
Hackenberg also said
that the real advantage of
using carbonfibre in vehicle
construction was to use it
in “monolithic” structures
such as the bulkhead and
centre tunnel. He described
this construction as the
“backbone” of the car and
the part of the structure that
had the biggest influence on
overall body stiffness.
Because the bulkhead and DESIGN
centre tunnel are moulded in The styling of the Huracán
one piece, the construction has been softened in
costs are competitive with comparison with the
using conventional steel Aventador, said design chief
and aluminium stamped Filippo Perini. One of the
panels. Manufacturing the aims of the Huracán project
Huracán’s backbone structure was to make it “easy for the
takes about 30 minutes, road… but very capable on
Hackenberg said. the track”.
HILTON HOLLOWAY
5.0-litre V8 engine. In the
One:1, a claimed top speed of
more than 273mph is quoted.
That would make it the fastest
production road car in the
world, faster than the 270mph
Hennessey Venom GT and
268mph Veyron Super Sport.
Koenigsegg claims that this
top speed is possible thanks
to the One:1’s “high power
and high rpm capability in
combination with strong tyres R’s), active aerodynamics, to boost low-end torque. It a price for the model, but the
and active aero”. active ride height, variable- produces 610kg of downforce company has confirmed that
The One:1 has a lightweight rate suspension, upgraded at 160mph, which is equivalent all examples of the One:1 have
carbonfibre chassis (20 per tyres, a titanium exhaust to that of the P1. already been pre-sold ahead of
cent lighter than the Agera and a variable turbo housing Koenigsegg has not released its Geneva debut.
NEW VEYRON SPECIAL
Bugatti’s latest special edition of the Veyron
commemorates Rembrandt Bugatti, brother of
company founder Ettore and a famous sculptor.
Three examples, based on the Veyron Grand
Sport Vitesse, will be made, at £1.79 million each.

MANUAL
UAL GEARBOX AXED
Theree will not be a manual
gearbox.
box. Just two per cent
of Gallardos
llardos were ordered
with manual gearboxes
and every order
“went
nt up to the board
for approval”,
according
ording to
sources.
urces.
PERFORMANCE
The Huracán has a claimed 0-62mph time
of just 3.2sec, 0-124mph in 9.9sec and a
top speed of “over 200mph”.
ENGINE AND GEARBOX
The all-wheel-drive Huracán is powered
by a new, naturally aspirated 602bhp
5.2-litre V10 mated to a new seven-speed
dual-clutch automatic gearbox. Some 75
per cent of the engine’s 413lb ft of torque is
available from just 1000rpm, a remarkable
result for a non-turbo engine. A dry weight
of 1422kg means that the car weighs
2.33kg per single horsepower.
SWITCHABLE CHASSIS SETTINGS
A three-stage switch to alter the chassis’s
characteristics — called the Anima — is
fitted to the lower part of the steering
wheel and will be an option. It offers
variable-ratio steering, which changes the
a
amount of wheel movement depending on
the chassis setting and speed of the car.
OFFICIAL
PICTURES
Q50 Eau Rouge concept has a 560bhp twin-turbo V6 and could go into production
LEXUS ADDS SPORTY RC COUPÉ
A more aggressive look and adaptive suspension
feature on the new Lexus RC300h F Sport
coupé, revealed at Geneva this week. The petrol-
electric hybrid will sit between the standard
RC300h and RC F when it is launched next year.
THIS WEEK
FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE
The Huracán’s 4x4 drivetrain is
electronically controlled and, in a
steady state, divides the engine’s torque
30/70 in favour of the rear wheels. In extreme
conditions, 100 per cent of the torque can go to
the rear or 50 per cent to the front.
DRIVER ENVIRONMENT
Inside, there’s a configurable
TFT instrument panel (which
allows the whole screen to
be dominated by a sat-nav
map) and a steering wheel
that houses fingertip controls
for the wipers, washers,
high beam and indicators.
Removing the traditional
stalks on the column has
allowed the fitment of
bigger gearshift paddles,
Lamborghini says.
INFINITI Q50 PACKS NISSAN GT-R PUNCH
Infiniti has equipped its Q50 Eau Rouge saloon with
the Nissan GT-R’s twin-turbo 3.8-litre V6 engine.
The all-wheel-drive concept was first seen at the
Detroit show in January before technical details were
confirmed at Geneva this week. It has 560bhp and
442lb ft of torque, an expected 0-60mph time of less
than four seconds and a 180mph top speed.
The Q50 Eau Rouge features an F1-inspired aero pack
and extensive use of carbonfibre. The model is not yet
confirmed for production, but Infiniti is known to be
keen to build it to boost its image.
The firm has also confirmed that the standard Q50
will be offered with a 208bhp, 236lb ft, 2.0-litre turbo
petrol engine from later this year.
NEW BRIT SUPERCAR BY ARASH
British car maker Arash has unveiled its new
mid-engined AF8 supercar. The £165,000 Arash
features a 550bhp V8 and a six-speed manual
gearbox and is capable of 0-60mph in 3.5sec.
The 1200kg car also uses lightweight materials.
5 MARCH 2014 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 17
OFFICIAL
PICTURES

Baby Jeep SUV due 2015

Right-hand-drive versions of the Fiat-based small Jeep will hit the UK before the middle of next year
eep is reviving one of its late this year in European and overall length of 4.2m and to seven-slot vertical grille, high suspension system featuring

J most famous names,

Renegade, for a ground-
breaking B-segment
SUV revealed this week at the
Geneva motor show.
The model, which is based
on Fiat 500L architecture,
wins Jeep an important
advantage over Land Rover,
its main 4x4-specialist rival.
It will be built at Fiat’s Melfi
factory in southern Italy,
alongside Fiat’s own soon-
to-launch 500X SUV. The
Renegade should be on sale
Latin American markets.
Right-hand-drive versions
are planned, but left-hand-
drive markets — Jeep exports
to more than 100 countries
— will be served first. Sources
say deliveries should begin
before the middle of next year.
The new Renegade’s styling
draws heavily on the rugged,
upright look of the traditional
but recently revised Wrangler.
Designers say their aims
were to make the most of
the Renegade’s restricted
emphasise a contrast with the
larger, lower and more family-
orientated Cherokee, also
launched recently.
Despite the Renegade’s
‘abrupt’ rear-end styling and
short overhangs, it has been
extensively tested in the wind
tunnel and has a relatively
drag coefficient of 0.36.
Jeep bosses believe that
buyers may even see a visual
link with the original military
jeep that has inspired all Jeep
design since 1941, aided by the
ground clearance, boxy lines
and upright windscreen.
Despite the classic looks,
the mechanicals are much
more modern. The Renegade
has been configured and
designed for refinement and
quietness in use.
The body’s steel monocoque
structure incorporates 500L
and 500X major components.
However, it uses new
longitudinal members and new
front and rear crossbeams to
carry a new all-independent
MacPherson struts in front
and Chapman struts behind.
The steering uses
electronic power assistance
and disc brakes feature all
round. Engines are mounted
transversely in the nose,
driving either the front wheels
only for urban versions or
all four wheels via one of two
permanent 4x4 systems,
one with a 20:1 crawler gear
intended for especially slow
and tough going.
European buyers are offered

Juke facelift heralds more power for Nismo RS

A MORE POWERFUL Nismo
RS model leads a revitalised
Nissan Juke range, revealed
this week at the Geneva show.
The new Juke Nismo RS
is due early next year. It gets
215bhp from its turbocharged
1.6-litre DIG-T engine, up from
197bhp in the previous Juke
Nismo. Torque is increased
from 184lb ft to 207lb ft.
The engine is coupled to
either a six-speed manual in
front-wheel-drive versions or
a CVT automatic for the all-
wheel-drive range-topper.
Mechanical upgrades include
a new limited-slip differential
and a larger exhaust. Visual
tweaks involve unique front
and rear bumpers and thinner
daytime running lights. The
model also gets Nissan’s new
corporate front end design
featuring a larger V-shaped
grille and more prominent
badging. Inside, Recaro sports
seats feature alongside sporty
pseudo-carbonfibre trim. The Nismo RS (below)
Meanwhile, the regular Juke, has 215bhp; all Jukes
which is due this summer, gets get new grille (inset)
styling that has been refined
rather than overhauled.
Chief among the changes are
indicators integrated into the
door mirrors, updated 18-inch
alloys and a revised front
bumper with new headlights
and the new V-shaped grille.
At the rear, the Juke gets new
lights and a new bumper.
The interior carries over
largely unchanged, but new
personalisation packages
are offered. A false floor has
been added in the boot, which
increases the current 250-litre
space to 350 litres on two-
wheel-drive models.
Also new to the Juke line-up
is the 113bhp, 140lb ft 1.2-litre
DIG-T engine from the new
Qashqai. The rest of the engine
line-up continues unchanged.

18 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 5 MARCH 2014


Steve Cropley
Why this Jeep is different
W
SUDDENLY, JUST ABOUT
everyone has a B-segment
SUV. Renault, Ford,
Peugeot and GM have all
recently joined the club and
Fiat’s 500X is close. Only
Volkswagen has yet to reveal
concrete plans, and it has
concepts (see p20).
But this new Jeep
Renegade is a horse of a
different colour, a proper
off-roader. The others are
drive-to-school off-roaders:
quiet and capable but not
much good when the mud
gets deep. And no one else
seems likely to build one,
barring Land Rover, whose
plans are not yet clear. Jeep
already makes 700,000
vehicles a year, and if it can
build this one well enough, it
looks to be on to a winner.
a choice of three petrol and
two diesel engines. There are
168bhp turbo and 138bhp
non-turbo versions of Fiat’s
1.4-litre 16-valve MultiAir
four plus a normally aspirated
2.4-litre four, dubbed
Tigershark, with 184bhp.
There are three diesels: a
108bhp non-turbo 1.6-litre, a
turbocharged 1.6 with 118bhp
and a 2.0-litre flagship diesel
with 138bhp and 258lb ft.
Four different transmissions
are on offer, depending on
engine choice, ranging from
SsangYong paves way for new compact SUV
SSANGYONG IS POISED to
enter the fast-expanding
compact SUV segment
with a production model
closely previewed by its
new XLV concept at this
week’s Geneva show.
The XLV is a seven-
seater powered by a
1.6-litre diesel engine and
an electric motor hooked
up to a lithium ion battery.
At 4430mm in length,
it is slightly longer than
a Nissan Qashqai. In
production, a shorter
VENOM GT IS WORLD’S FASTEST
The Hennessey Venom GT is the fastest car in
the world after hitting 270.49mph in Florida,
beating the 268mph Bugatti Veyron Super
Sport. At least 30 need to be made before
Guinness World Records will ratify the record.
THIS WEEK
Although not first, Jeep
bosses reckon their timing
is immaculate: worldwide
sales of B-segment SUVs
are tipped to double to about
three million units between
now and 2017. Some of those
buyers will want cars that
can cross muddy, rocky
fields with impunity, and for
the time being there’s only
one choice.
Jeep’s new model is based on Fiat’s 500L; right-hand-drive versions are due next year
Trail Hawk version has the most off-road bias
four-speed and five-speed
manuals to a six-speed dual-
clutch automatic and a nine-
speed conventional automatic.
There will be up to four trim
levels in some markets. The
most eye-catching is the Trail
Hawk version, which is raised
by 30mm, runs off-road biased
17-inch wheels and includes a
tow hook and skidplates. Jeep
experts say the Trail Hawk’s
raised suspension and short
overhangs give it best-in-class
off-road capabilities.
STEVE CROPLEY
The sharply curtailed rear and short overhangs of Jeep’s 4.2m-long Renegade aid its off-road prowess
five-seat version will also with the seventh seat Seven-seat XLV previews
be offered alongside the able to slide between the SsangYong’s all-new look
seven-seater as a rival second and third rows.
more closely matched to The clean, crisp look
the Nissan Juke. of the concept previews
This five-seat version the next generation of
is set to be the staple SsangYong’s design
XLV model offered in the language, which will
UK when sales start in be rolled out on future
the middle of next year. models. The XLV’s interior
Discussions are ongoing at also has a much more
SsangYong about whether upmarket look and feel
or not to launch the seven- than the firm’s current
seat model in the UK. The cars, and is expected to
seating is an innovative be extended to future
2+2+2+1 arrangement, production models.
HYUNDAI IN NEW MODEL BLITZ
Hyundai will launch 22 new models in Europe by
2017. The plans include a new i20 and a right-
hand-drive version of the £35,000 Genesis
executive saloon, set to arrive this year. About a
third of the models have no direct predecessor.
5 MARCH 2014 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 19
 T-Roc concept is much
shorter and lower
than the Tiguan

OFFICIAL PICTURES

VW previews new baby SUV

Compact T-Roc 4x4 concept is tipped to go into production in 2017 as a rival for the Nissan Juke
olkswagen has revealed of Nissan’s Juke, Vauxhall’s Underpinning the T-Roc is

V plans for a new compact

SUV at the Geneva show
with this T-Roc concept.
Seen here in official
sketches ahead of yesterday’s
reveal, the T-Roc is tipped for
production in 2017 in a five-
strong line-up of VW SUVs.
The new model, which will
share underpinnings with the
Audi Q1 that’s due in 2016,
will compete with the likes
Mokka and the Renault Captur.
The targa-roofed T-Roc
features the latest evolution of
VW’s SUV styling DNA, with a
new grille and headlight design
aimed at giving future models
a more dynamic appearance.
At 4179mm long, 1831mm
wide and 1501mm high, it is
247mm shorter, 22mm wider
and a considerable 202mm
lower than the Tiguan.
Volkswagen’s flexible MQB
platform with a 2595mm
wheelbase — 9mm shorter
than that of the Tiguan. Its
19-inch wheels are suspended
by MacPherson struts up front
and a multi-link rear set-up.
A 2.0-litre four-pot diesel
delivers 181bhp and 280lb ft,
driving through a six-speed
dual-clutch automatic gearbox
and an electromechanical

Hazumi concept heralds next year’s new Mazda 2

MAZDA HAS PREVIEWED its
next-gen 2 supermini with a
new concept called Hazumi
at the Geneva motor show.
The new 2 is expected to
make its debut at October’s
Paris motor show before
going on sale early next year.
The Hazumi gets a full
suite of Mazda’s lightweight
and efficient SkyActiv tech,
the Kodo design language
and the firm’s new 1.5-litre
turbodiesel engine with
sub-90g/km CO2 emissions.
Autocar understands
that the concept, despite its
bold look, is a very accurate
preview for the new 2. The
sole changes will be to the
headlights, wheels, door
mirrors and door handles.
The car’s underpinnings
are understood to be on a
new SkyActiv structure
that’s smaller than that seen
een
in the Mazda 3 and larger
models. Economies of scale
ale
for the new platform are
achieved by the 2 being a
global model, and one thatt
will be twinned with and built
alongside a new Toyota Yaris
for some markets.
The Hazumi is 4070mm
long, 1730mm wide and
1450mm high, making it
longer, wider and lower
than the current 2.
The concept’s
interior, which will be
less closely reflected
by the production car,
emphasises connectivity
and craftsmanship. It
includes Mazda’s MZD
Connect system, as seen in
the new Mazda 3.
OFFICIAL PICTURES

20 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 5 MARCH 2014

 THIS WEEK
OFFICIAL PICTURES

Electric MPV from Italdesign

multi-plate clutch four-wheel
drive system with street,
off-road and snow modes.
Simulations point to
0-62mph in 6.9sec and a
131mph top speed in street
mode, when the bulk of
drive is channelled to the
front wheels. In off-road
and snow modes the drive is
apportioned 50/50 front to
rear for added traction.
A similar set-up is
envisaged for more powerful
T-Rocs, with lesser variants
set to use front drive only.
Further off-road highlights
include cameras mounted
within the headlamps and at
the rear, allowing the driver
to monitor terrain via a
centrally mounted screen.
Set to join the T-Roc
later this decade will be
production versions of the
smaller Taigun and larger
CrossBlue concepts, as well
a second-gen Tiguan and the
third-generation Touareg.
GREG KABLE
VOLKSWAGEN-OWNED
design house Italdesign
Giugiaro has unveiled an
innovative six-seat MPV
concept at the Geneva show.
The all-wheel-drive Clipper,
which is based on VW’s
versatile MQB platform, uses
electric power only and offers
a range of up to 335 miles. Two
148bhp electric motors power
the 127mph concept car — one
front-mounted and one rear.
With the absence of a
conventional engine and the
batteries all being stowed
in the floor, almost all of the
car’s footprint is given over to
a spacious interior. There are
three rows of two seats, and
the rearmost two can be folded
flat for a 900-litre load space.
Italdesign has been best
known of late for exotic
concepts such as the luxury
Brivido GT from 2012 and the
Parcour off-road supercar from
2013. The company says the
4534mm-long Clipper, which
is named after a sailing ship, is
a “deliberately not futuristic
car”, where the only exotic
concept-car flourishes are
its front butterfly doors and
rear gullwings.
The four doors open
upwards, and the B-pillars
are mounted into the two
rearmost doors to allow
improved access to the interior.
All six occupants can get into
the car at the same time.
The high-tech interior is
based around a theme of
lightness. The traditionally
dashboard-mounted controls
Clipper concept features
three rows of two seats
are shifted to a floating
tablet set on a console that
can slide between the three
rows of seats — a function
made possible by the electric
architecture’s lack of a bulky
transmission tunnel.
Italdesign has also shown a
sportier Ducati-badged version
of the Clipper at the Geneva
show with altered doors and
C-pillars, plus a new livery.

Open-top McLaren 650S makes debut with coupé

AN EQUALLY POWERFUL
spider version of McLaren’s
new 650S supercar has joined
the fixed-roof version in
making its global debut at the
Geneva motor show.
The 650S Spider sits above
the 12C Spider in McLaren’s
line-up, and shares its 641bhp
twin-turbo V8 engine with the
650S coupé. The 650S Spider
can crack 0-62mph in 3.0sec
and 0-124mph in 8.6sec.
The 0-62mph time matches
the coupé, and the 0-124mph
time is only 0.2sec longer.
The 650S coupé’s 0-124mph
time of 8.4sec, also confirmed
for the first time at Geneva,
eclipses that of the iconic
McLaren F1 by a full second.
The Spider shares all of
its mechanical package and
styling with the 650S coupé,
save for its electric roof. The
roof is not a structural part
of McLaren’s proprietary
carbonfibre MonoCell chassis,
which underpins the 650S,
so it can be removed with no
detriment to all-important
structural rigidity.
The two-piece retractable OFFICIAL
hard-top roof can be raised PICTURES
or lowered at speeds of up
to 19mph. The 650S Spider
weighs 1370kg dry — a 40kg
increase over the 650S coupé.
Pricing for the pair has also
been confirmed at Geneva.
The 650S coupé costs from
£195,250 and the 650S Spider
from £215,250. These prices
are increases of just less than
£20,000 over the 12C coupé
and Spider. Deliveries of the
new 650S models are expected
to start in late spring.

NEW AWARD GOES TO BMW i3 CEE’D GT JOINS THREE-DOOR

The BMW i3 is the inaugural winner of the UK
Car of the Year award. It saw off the Porsche
Cayman, Range Rover Sport, BMW 5-series and
Citroën C4 Grand Picasso in the final round of
judging, with winners picked over 11 categories.
Kia’s five-door Cee’d GT has gone on sale, priced
from £20,495. Joining the three-door model
launched last year, the Cee’d GT gets a 1.6-litre
turbo petrol engine with 201bhp. Revised styling,
stiffer suspension and quicker steering feature.

5 MARCH 2014 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 21

The rear is tipped to
be refined before it
enters production

OFFICIAL PICTURES

Sharp new look for Skodas

VisionC concept previews Skoda’s new design direction and a bold five-door liftback that’s due in 2016
koda has signalled its The new model will be a Many of the VisionC’s it to offer what Skoda calls Lightweight construction

S intent to reach beyond

its existing range of
practical mainstream
offerings with the unveiling
of a sleek concept car that
previews a new five-door
liftback due in 2016.
The VisionC is on display at
this week’s Geneva show and
previews a new model that will
sit between the Octavia and
the Superb in Skoda’s range.
sister car to a similar proposed
offering from parent company
Volkswagen. It is based on the
same MQB platform as the
Octavia, alongside which it is
planned to be built.
The basic silhouette of
the VisionC is expected to be
brought over into production
with little or no change, but the
detailing and rear end will be
further refined.
design cues — including its
bold chromed grille, taut
surfacing treatment, precisely
structured flanks and
triangular theme to its lamps
— will be reflected on other
future Skoda models.
Official dimensions are
yet to be revealed, but Skoda
says the VisionC runs to
about 4700mm in length and
1820mm in width, allowing
“more than sufficient space for
four adults and their luggage”.
The VisionC is tipped to give
Skoda a timely image boost
after the recent expansion of
its line-up with more run-of-
the-mill models. Skoda boss
Winfried Vahland said: “It is
time for a Skoda model that
combines traditional practical
qualities with a bold new
design direction.”
is employed in the concept,
with aluminium used for
the bonnet, front wings and
doors. The shape is also
aerodynamic, with a drag
coefficient of 0.26 quoted.
The VisionC is powered
by the same engine used in
the VW Golf TGI and Audi A3
g-tron. The 108bhp turbo
1.4-litre four-pot engine can
run on petrol or natural gas.

Rolls-Royce Ghost The exterior tweaks

are mild but include
resculpted headlights

receives makeover
ROLLS-ROYCE HAS brought
a revised, Series II version of
its Ghost saloon to the Geneva
motor show ahead of a launch
this summer.
The changes include a
subtly evolved exterior look,
new options and interior
tweaks. The 563bhp V12
engine continues unchanged,
but cornering ability, ride
quality, rear stability and
driver feedback are all
enhanced, according to
Rolls-Royce.
“The customers’ main
message was: ‘Don’t mess
with the shape’,” company
boss Torsten Müller-Ötvös told
Autocar at a preview event of
the new model.
The styling changes are
minimal and include reshaped
front headlights with new
LED daytime running lights,
revised surfacing, including
on the bonnet, and revised
bumpers to give the Ghost
greater visual width and
height. New paint and wheel
options are other additions.
Inside, there are new
seats, complete with greater
electronic adjustment and
increased heating options.
The rear seats are also
revised, with new business and
relaxation positions.
The instruments have been
tweaked slightly, too. New
trims are another addition,
as are two new wood veneers.
Infotainment is enhanced,
aided by on-board wi-fi, a new
10.25-inch multimedia screen
and a touchpad controller for
infotainment. The sat-nav is
also linked to the transmission,
to allow the car to pre-empt
the selection of the right gear. OFFICIAL PICTURES

EVOQUE CORRECTION RETHINK DELAYS LYONHEART K

In our recent test between the Porsche Macan The formerly Jaguar XKR-based Lyonheart K
and Range Rover Evoque, we incorrectly sports car has been delayed by up to a year, as its
stated that the Evoque was a TD4 variant, makers want to use a new platform and engine,
which is not on sale in the UK at present. It likely to be from the F-type. Lyonheart plans to
was, in fact, an SD4. display the car at the 2015 Geneva show.

22 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 5 MARCH 2014

 THIS WEEK
Concept’s silhouette
will make production
virtually unchanged Hyundai rolls out dramatic Confidential
FORD EUROPE TECHNICAL

new sports car design study

A HYUNDAI-BADGED sports
car concept has made its
debut at the Geneva motor
show. The mid-engined, two-
seat PassoCorto has been
designed by the IED design
school in Turin in collaboration
with Hyundai.
Hyundai set students the
brief of designing a car for a
young audience that’s always
connected to the web and
social media. The final result is
the combined effort of IED
OFFICIAL PICTURE
students, headed by lead
Pininfarina designer Luca
Borgogno and Hyundai’s
European design centre.
The PassoCorto is 4100mm
long and 1880mm wide, with
a height of 1160mm and a
wheelbase of 2450mm. It
is powered by a twin-turbo
1.6-litre engine with 262bhp.
The concept’s name means
‘short wheelbase’ in Italian.
The concept features a large
central air intake at the front,
thin LED daytime running light
strips, a creased bonnet and
large side air intakes. At the
rear, the concept tapers to a
point with a single lighting bar
and high-mounted exhausts.
Hyundai has confirmed
that the PassoCorto concept
is purely a design study and
will not become a production
model. The car joins the
firm’s hydrogen-powered
Intrado concept on the Geneva
motor show stand.
boss Joe Bakaj has joined the
chorus of experts demanding
a change to the EU fuel
economy and emissions
test cycle, whose real-world
limitations are increasingly
exposed. “We don’t make the
cycle. We just work with it and
it needs to change,” he said.
Rumours suggest a new global
standard might be law by 2020.
FORD WON’T REVEAL
the exact cost of its mid-life
refresh of the Focus, but senior
execs acknowledge it as one of
the most costly and extensive
that it has ever undertaken.
Costs are multiplied because
the Focus is built at a volume
of over one million a year
in eight global plants, each
requiring new press tools and
plant investments.

A range of petrol and

diesel engines from the
Octavia line-up are tipped to
be offered on the production
version. The line-up is
expected to be topped by
a four-wheel-drive model
powered by a new 280bhp
turbocharged 2.0-litre
petrol engine. This will MORE THAN A doubling of
form the basis of a revised The PassoCorto is SUV sales is vital to Mercedes-
line of vRS models. powered by a 262bhp Benz’s ambition of claiming
GREG KABLE twin-turbo 1.6 engine back luxury sales leadership
from BMW and Audi by 2020.
Mercedes is aiming for more
than 800,000 SUV sales, with
VAUXHALL TURNS UP HEAT FOR 137MPH ADAM S the new GLA crossover and
MLC and GLC ‘coupé’ models
Vauxhall has created a potent 137mph S version of its Adam city set to play a key role.
car for this week’s Geneva motor show. The Adam S is described
as being “close to production” rather than a concept. It has a WOLFGANG DURHEIMER’S
exile from front-line car
turbocharged 1.4-litre petrol engine that develops 148bhp and industry management may
162lb ft. Those outputs are 49bhp and 66lb ft increases on the soon be over. The former
Bentley and Bugatti boss
non-turbo 1.4 Adam on which the Adam S is based. and Audi technical chief is
Other features of the Adam S include large VXR performance currently Volkswagen Group
brakes, sports suspension, 18-inch motorsport boss, but a more
senior role is on the cards
alloy wheels shod in 225/35 as soon as differences with
R18 tyres and a subtle rival execs inside Audi can be
patched up. Behind-the-scenes
body kit, including a political in-fighting is said
rear spoiler. Inside, to be the main reason he was
sidelined by Audi last year.
there are Recaro
sports seats and a AUDI’S NEW DESIGN boss,
‘Red ‘n’ Roll’ theme, Marc Lichte, has appointed
Andreas Mindt to head up
with red trim and exterior design. The two
leather upholstery. worked at VW on the Golf Mk7,
among other recent models.

ONE-PIECE BODIES ON THE WAY UK CANS THE INSIGHT AND CR-Z

German engineering firm EDAG has showcased Honda’s Insight and CR-Z hybrid models have
its vision for a new car body construction been axed in the UK. Production of both cars,
technique at the Geneva show. The new process which share a platform, is tipped to come to an
would allow the firm to build bodies in one piece end soon in Japan. Poor sales are understood
in a style reminiscent of laser printing. to be behind the move.

5 MARCH 2014 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 23

 THIS WEEK

Steve Cropley
A week in cars

Becoming an estate has made Honda’s Civic great

Brooklands Double
Twelve is in June.
Steve will be there UK car firms are going all out to keep interest up

MONDAY getting used to if you’ve spent Hyundai’s UK chairman,

Isn’t it interesting how
converting a familiar saloon
or hatch into an estate gives it
new gravitas? It happened with
the Jaguar XF and Vauxhall
Insignia, and now I realise that
it has happened in spades with
the Honda Civic. Not only is
the new Civic Tourer a car with
impressive and versatile load
space, but its looks are also so
changed and so eye-grabbingly
modern that people approach
you in the street wanting
to know what it is. Really
effective Japanese styling jobs
can be hard to find, but this is
indisputably one of them.
It’s not just the looks, either.
Honda’s new 118bhp 1.6-litre
Came away amazed at the
torquey performance from
the tiny two-stroke triple
changing the law to make the
closure of public roads easier
for motorsport events is
remarkable and unexpectedly
good news. Our motorsport
bodies have been asking for this
for years. Rob Jones, acting chief
executive of the Motor Sports
Association, calls it a “once-in-a-
lifetime opportunity”.
A reasonably simple change
concours, sprint and driving
tests they stage in mid-June.
This year, only pre-war cars get
to do the sprint on Mercedes-
Benz World’s handling track,
but later cars can still succeed if
they excel in the concours and
driving tests. I’m determined to
have a go. There’s a special class
for Ford Mustangs (the marque
is 50 years old) and it might
your life depending on engine
braking. Simmy’s car has
just been resprayed and has a
box-fresh engine, and he swears
he won’t be parting with it.
Sensible decision.
SUNDAY
Weekend rags are stuffed
with huge car ads, for what
seems an obvious reason:
new-registration numbers are
with us this month. Suzuki
even took pages two and three
of The Times.
However, I suspect there
might be more to their strategy
than simple metal-moving.
Tony Whitehorn, was telling
us recently that even his own
spectacular sales gains would
be lower this year, because
whereas car companies had
been seeing the UK as “an
opportunity market” and were
prepared to use incentives to
keep the wheels turning fast,
Europe’s improving car demand
means our market is now less
the darling than it was. It strikes
me that many UK MDs (most
of them less successful than
Whitehorn) know all about this
and are going flat out for decent
business in the year’s richest
selling month.

F-type’s appeal is set in stone

diesel engine is creamy and
torquey from ground level, and
the short-throw gearchange
makes me think of my fondly
remembered NSX long-termer.
The ride is flat and supple in
Comfort mode and fuel economy
is amazingly good. It’s a sizeable
car, but anyone can get 50mpg.
And you can get all the Tourer
you want for £25k, which
doesn’t seem out of the way.
WEDNESDAY
The government’s shock
announcement that it is to hold
a public consultation about
to the law would allow local
authorities to close public roads
more easily, clearing the way
for rallies, parades, trials and
hillclimbs. If you reckon this is
good news, please signify your
support by first visiting the
MSA at msauk.org (for help
with what to say) then heading
to the consultation site at
http://bit.ly/1mHgBq3. You’ll
be helping to change history.
THURSDAY
To Brooklands to enjoy their
preview for the Double Twelve,
that quixotic combination of
even be possible to smuggle our
508,000-mile Volkswagen Golf
TDI on to the entry list with a bit
of begging and blarney.
FRIDAY
Joyous drive in a teardrop-
shaped 1961 Saab owned by
Autocar contributor John
Simister, who let me behind the
wheel on Silverstone’s perimeter
roads. Came away amazed at
the torquey performance from
the tiny two-stroke triple, with
only three gears to make it go.
Steering and brakes are great,
but the freewheel takes some
The launch of Jaguar’s
se,
F-type coupé draws clo
and I’ll be in Spain in a
couple of weeks’ time to
re
take a proper drive. The
will be lots to find out,
but I’m pretty certain
d
that there will be no nee
to wor ry for the coupé’ s
bodily strength. The
convertible already
feels like its chassis is
made of granite.

steve.cropley@autocar.co.uk @StvCr

5 MARCH 2014 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 25

Jaguar’s small saloon
has a low nose and a
stubby rear end

SPY SHOTS
JAGUAR SMALL SALOON

Distinctive looks for baby Jag

hese spy shots of Jaguar’s and bonnet line, with the grille Ralf Speth said last year a more alluring design than any by avoiding being aloof and by

T much-anticipated small
saloon, which is now less
than 12 months from the
showroom, reveal its unusual
proportions for the first time.
The biggest surprise is what
appears to be a very short rear
deck and a steeply sloping rear
screen. The result is a shape
that is closer to a fastback
design than it is to that of a
conventional three-box saloon.
At the front, the heavy
disguise doesn’t hide a low nose
and headlights sited closer
to the ground than on rival
compact premium saloons.
It is understood that the
new car has a sophisticated
aluminium suspension
set-up, which is designed
to help the new Jaguar out-
handle the BMW 3-series and
finally establish Jaguar as a
contender in the mainstream
premium car market by way of
its driving dynamics.
Jaguar Land Rover CEO
that the new car must be
“extraordinary” if it is to have
any chance of sales success.
“Our rivals have incredible
design, incredible cars to
drive and incredible strength,”
he said. “We must create
something that can rival that,
which means our product must
be extraordinary.”
Jaguar boss Adrian Hallmark
added that the new model must
be better to drive, feature more
advanced technology and have
of its premium rivals.
“The key has been getting
the F-type at the heart of our
range,” said Hallmark. “It
is the purest expression of
everything Jaguar is about.
Now we must apply that to
forthcoming cars, including
the baby saloon. We believe
that at the end of the scale
Jaguar will sell in, which is
traditionally the higher price
point of the market, we can win
customers by being distinctive,
standing for something that is a
little bit different.”
The baby Jaguar is expected
to evolve into a full line-up
of body styles, including an
estate, coupé and convertible.
Jaguar is also developing a
crossover in tandem with the
new saloon, with the styling
and capability focused more
on on-road dynamics than off-
road capability. It is likely to be
launched in 2016 or 2017.
MARK TISSHAW

Alfa 4C convertible addresses coupé’s criticisms THE ALFA ROMEO 4C Spider
has been unveiled in prototype
form at the Geneva show. The
canvas-roofed convertible,
which also features new
headlight, wheel and exhaust
designs, is set to go into
production early next year.
Alfa says the Spider has
gained just 60kg over the
coupé thanks to the use of
carbonfibre rollover hoops,
spoilers and windscreen frame,
4C Spider prototype
while the aerodynamics have
also features new
been developed to minimise
headlights and wheels
roof-down turbulence.
The new dual-stage
exhaust, which uses titanium
and carbonfibre tailpipes, has
been developed by motorcycle
exhaust specialist Akrapovic.
It features an electrically
operated valve that can
improve performance and
enhance the exhaust note at
the push of a button.
The cosmetic changes focus
on areas of the coupé that have
drawn criticism. It is not clear,
however, if the carbonfibre
clamshell headlights and
milled aluminium wheels are
set for production on either
the Spider or the coupé.
The 4C Spider is otherwise
identical to the coupé. It is
powered by a turbocharged
1.7-litre, four-cylinder petrol
engine driving the rear wheels
via a six-speed dual-clutch
automatic gearbox.
Alfa says 0-62mph takes
4.5sec and the car’s top speed
is “in excess of 155mph” — the
same as the coupé. Weight
distribution also remains the
same at 40 per cent front, 60
per cent rear.

SAY HELLO TO THE CELERIO LOTUS FOCUSES ON KERS TECH

Suzuki’s European-spec version of its new
Celerio city car is being displayed at the Geneva
motor show this week. The 3.6m-long model will
replace both the Splash and Alto when it goes on
sale later this year.
A consortium of British technology firms,
including Lotus, is developing a flywheel KERS
system. The technology, set to be developed on
an Evora, is said to dramatically improve power
and torque while also reducing CO2 emissions.

26 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 5 MARCH 2014


Giulietta Quadrifoglio
Verde has a Focus
ST-rivalling 237bhp
Giulietta gets 4C’s
potent four-pot
ALFA ROMEO HAS equipped
the Giulietta with the
powerful turbocharged
engine from its 4C sports
car to create a new range-
topping Quadrifoglio Verde
model. The car is due on sale
in the UK in May following its
debut this week in Geneva.
The turbocharged 1.7-litre
four-cylinder petrol engine,
known as 1750 Turbo Petrol,
produces 237bhp, enabling
the Quadrifoglio Verde to hit
62mph in just 6.6sec.
The lightweight
aluminium engine produces
its peak power at 6000rpm
and develops 258lb ft
between 2100rpm and
4000rpm, with 80 per cent
of the total torque output
offered from 1800rpm.
The front wheels are
driven through a six-speed
TCT dual-clutch automatic
Fresh engine tech
for all-new Twingo
RENAULT HAS CONFIRMED engine details for its new Twingo city
car, which makes its debut at the Geneva motor show this week
ahead of UK sales in the autumn.
The new Twingo, which switches from a front-engined, front-
wheel-drive format to a rear-engined, rear-wheel-drive layout,
is offered with two three-cylinder petrol engines, both newly
developed for the car. The first is a modified version of the existing
TCe 90, inclined at 49deg to provide luggage space above. The
unit is equipped with a small, low-inertia turbocharger combined
with a water-cooled intercooler. The TCe 90 produces 89bhp and
100lb ft and is equipped with stop-start as standard.
Also available is
an all-new, naturally
aspirated 998cc
SCe 70 producing
69bhp and 67lb ft. It
is available with and
without stop-start.
Both engines will
be equipped with
five-speed manual
gearboxes at launch.
transmission, also taken
from the 4C.
Other features of the
Ford Focus ST-rivalling hot
hatch include large exhaust
tailpipes, 320mm Brembo
brake discs, 18-inch alloys
and a bespoke body kit.
A special launch edition
of the Giulietta Quadrifoglio
Verde will be limited to 500
units and will come with
special carbonfibre exterior
enhancements, including
the spoilers and air dams,
and bespoke 18-inch alloys.
Alfa has also revised the
Mito Quadrifoglio Verde
for the Geneva motor
show. The car’s 168bhp
1.4-litre MultiAir engine
is now hooked up to Alfa’s
six-speed TCT dual-clutch
gearbox, replacing the
current manual gearbox and
improving the performance.
Matt Prior
Tester’s notes Coming to a road near you…
nevitably, the headlines
I are about a London Grand
Prix. But there’s more to
the government’s latest
consultation – about allowing
closed-road motorsport events
to take place in mainland Britain
– than a fly-by of Buckingham
Palace. An awful lot more.
Steve Cropley has already
mentioned this in his column,
but it’s worth looking at in more
detail. Throughout mainland
Europe, closed-road motor
racing is relatively common.
But although it’s possible for a
British local authority to close a
road for an event, only an Act of
Parliament can actually suspend
that road’s laws. If they aren’t
suspended, any cars taking part
have to be registered and taxed,
while speed limits and so on are
retained. Racing or competing
on the road remains illegal.
The only three car events
covered by Acts of Parliament
are the Jim Clark Rally, the Mull
Rally and the Brighton Speed
Trials. And it’s those events,
matt.prior@autocar.co.uk
A small law
change would
bring about a
democratic
redistribution of
motorsport fever
rather than a London Grand
Prix, that give you a taste of what
the consultation, for which the
Motor Sports Association has
campaigned for years, is about.
A law change would mean
an Act of Parliament would no
longer be needed to suspend
traffic laws, thus allowing MPs
to focus on better things (like
maintaining their moats) and
enabling local authorities to
sanction motorsport events. By
and large, these wouldn’t be
in city centres (although those
could be magnificent, too), but
Between-the-
houses racing
could get simpler
5 MARCH 2014 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 27
THIS WEEK
on quiet country roads and in
regions where local fans are
starved of opportunities to
compete and spectate.
Not without justification,
Britain sees itself as the world
capital of motorsport. The
industry employs 41,000 people
and earns £9 billion a year for
the UK. But at the moment a
local festival couldn’t host an
autotest or a kart race in a town
square. A small law change
would bring about nothing less
than a democratic redistribution
of motorsport fever.
As Steve says on p25,
the more responses to the
consultation the better, before
it closes on 10 April. It’s no
exaggeration to say it’s a once-
in-a-generation opportunity.
QThe other week I was asked
“when did all the *%&@s
migrate from BMWs to Audis?”
It wasn’t a particularly serious
question and I didn’t attempt
to give a particularly serious
answer, but now I’m thinking I
should have avoided the issue.
Not because anybody is
cross about it. No. It’s because,
although I am no great believer
in fate or karma, when, last
week, a car drove into the house
I’m trying to buy, there was a
certain inevitability about the
fact that the offending vehicle
was a BMW 3-series.
Apparently, then, the more
accurate answer to the question
is: “As yet, they haven’t.”
@matty_prior
 THIS WEEK

Joe Saward
Unearthing the juiciest stories from the world of Formula 1
U
Hamilton was quick F1 could return to
in testing and looks the Long Beach
good for season start street circuit in LA

Haas is rumoured
to be involved in
a US F1 team bid

East and West bid for F1 places

ith the new season just Beach is the biggest street race There has been a lot of team obviously has more value office. He is keen to use the

W days away from the

first event in Australia,
the Formula 1 world
is trying to figure out which
teams will be in the running
for victory in Melbourne.
Winter testing reveals that the
Mercedes-powered teams have
done almost twice as much
mileage as the rival Ferrari and
Renault teams – which has to be
a huge advantage.
While this has all been going
on, there have been a couple
of interesting developments,
with the city council in Long
Beach, California, discussing
whether to hold a competitive
tender for the right to run
the Long Beach Grand Prix.
Council documents indicate
that the parties concerned are
the current promoter, which
runs the IndyCar race, and
the Formula One group. Long
in the US, and getting F1 into
the Los Angeles metropolitan
area would be a major victory.
It would no doubt help to boost
interest in a similar event in
New York, too.
F1’s desire to make more of
an impact in the US might also
help to explain why the FIA has
delayed its decision to name a
12th team for 2015. This means
that it will not be possible for
any team to be up and running
next year, so any new team will
now have to start in 2016.
Getting F1 into the Los
Angeles metropolitan area
would be a major victory
publicity about Nascar team
owner Gene Haas bidding with
a project involving Ferrari and
Dallara. A second bid came
from Romania. This was clearly
serious, as the bid came with
government guarantees and
the country’s Minister of Youth
and Sport, Nicolae Banicioiu,
turned up at the pitch to the FIA
last week to make the point. One
might speculate that the second
bid came as a surprise to the
FIA and that this is the primary
cause for the delay, because a US
to F1 than a Romanian project,
but the federation could not
declare the US bid as the winner
if the Romanians were more
advanced in their planning.
It is fair to say that the whole
process was far too rushed,
with the FIA first calling
for bids only in December. It
was clear from the schedule
announced that any potential
candidate would have to have
infrastructure and staff in place
in order to have any chance of
starting a team for 2015. The
impression at the time was,
therefore, that the FIA must be
aware that there was a bidder.
Getting the process done
quickly would thus mean as
little hassle as possible.
The Romanian bid has the
backing of Prime Minister
Victor Ponta, who was a rally
co-driver before he took
team to boost the country’s
automotive industry, which
is doing well. It appears that a
private consortium approached
Romanian expatriate Colin
Kolles, who has run several F1
teams, and asked for his help,
and the presentation of the
team involved Kolles’s Kodewa
team and the Holzer firm in
Germany. This partnership did
a decent job producing cars for
the HRT team until the Spanish
owners stopped paying and the
team went out of business.
F1 rules state that there
can be 13 teams, so one would
expect both bids to be accepted
for 2016. New teams have not
been able to make much of an
impression recently, but testing
of the new generation of cars
suggests that Marussia and
Caterham are more competitive
than they have been.

PORSCHE PAINTS ITS WAGON WOOD TO RACE TOYOTA AVENSIS

This is the fully liveried Porsche 919 Hybrid Le
Mans racer. It is powered by a newly developed
turbocharged 2.0-litre V4 direct-injection petrol
engine. The unit is supported by an electric
motor mounted within the front axle.
The winner of last year’s Dunlop BTCC second
division, Lea Wood, will race a Toyota Avensis in
the series this season. The Jack Sears Trophy
winner will race an Avensis run by his family
operation under the Houseman Racing banner.

joe.saward@autocar.co.uk @joesaward
LAT

5 MARCH 2014 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 29

FIRST DRIVES
This week’s new cars
GMR 600 Aston Martin
V8 Vantage
24.2.14, Surrey Tuning firm offers
a supercharger conversion for the
V8 Vantage with the promise
of V12 Vantage performance
FIRST VERDICT
Clever aftermarket conversion
breathes new life into older Astons
AAAAB
SO GOOD
QV12-grade performance
QUndemanding driveability
QV8-level running costs
NO GOOD
QTwo-seat-only cabin
QRemembering to refill
the water tank
TESTER’S NOTE
A used V8 Vantage
with optional sports
suspension should
be controlled enough
for the extra bhp. MS
30 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 5 MARCH 2014
ASTON MARTIN’S NEW V12 has developed a low-impact, low- cylinders and ensuring more efficient,
Vantage S is a fantastic piece of kit. pressure supercharger installation stable combustion (see panel, right).
Huge, raw performance is just one of with a twist: a proprietary water Heane has done 50,000 miles in his
its strong suits. Still, I can’t help but injection system. Running with just engineering prototype, which just
wonder what would happen if I lined
up next to one of those excellent V12s
in Graham Heane’s eight-year-old
6.5psi of boost pressure and a leaner
fuel-to-air mixture than standard, the
4.3-litre GMR 600 Vantage trumps
happens to be his daily driver. “We
wanted a reliable, driveable solution
suitable for everyday use,” Heane
V8 Vantage 4.3. Aston’s 0-60mph even the new V12 S for power. The says. “After every second fill of fuel,
claim for the last V12 Vantage was conversion on newer 4.7-litre engines you just lift the bonnet and refill the
4.1sec. For the current one, it’s 3.7sec. puts peak power above 600bhp. injection system’s 4.5-litre water
This V8 will do it in 3.6sec; less on an The water injection system works tank. And because the water acts as
absolutely perfect run. by cooling the mixture entering the an anti-detonant, we can run much
All of Aston’s V12 Vantage S press
cars were ‘busy’ the day we got a drive
in Heane’s GMR 600 V8 Vantage. But
I strongly suspect that Aston’s official
mega-Vantage would need its launch
control, its fast-acting paddleshift
gearbox and just about every other
trick it could muster to keep its nose
out in front. Assuming it was ever in
front in the first place.
Former aero engineer Heane,
owner of engineering specialist GMR
Design, has been working on an
engine conversion for Aston’s early
4.3-litre V8 Vantage since 2010 and The cabin remains totally standard, apart from a warning light on the steering column
 QUICK FACTS
PRICE £20,000 (PLUS CAR)
ON SALE NOW

The modified Aston gathers speed at a dramatic pace, especially near its rev limit; the exhaust has a harder edge and is louder, too

The fitment of a supercharger and water injection system enables the 4.3-litre V8 to develop 573bhp; fuel economy improves, too

Just add water

GMR’s water injection system is similar in principle to the ones used
on WW2 Spitfires. It injects water at high pressure into the V8’s intake
plenum, which cools the compressed air from the supercharger to
near atmospheric levels. That creates a much denser mixture for the
engine and a more efficient burn, without the need to inject extra fuel
to ward off irregular combustion. The system is governed by GMR’s
own ECU, as is the V8. When the water runs out, the ECU disables the GMR 600 ASTON MARTIN V8 VANTAGE
supercharger, and a light on the steering column tells you to top up Price £20,000 (engine
the tank — with H2O and, if it’s cold, 10 per cent methylated spirit to conversion only)
Water needs topping up every other fuel fill-up
act as antifreeze. Call GMR on 01823 663555 or go to gmr-uk.co.uk 0-62mph 3.6sec
Top speed na
Economy 26mpg (est)
leaner fuelling than Aston itself does, and with a harder edge but still an aftermarket suspension overhaul. CO2 na
so economy actually improves.” cultured and tuneful. Especially over Heane will finalise the dealer Kerb weight 1600kg (est)
Automotive voodoo at work. the last 1500rpm before the 7300rpm network for the GMR 600 very soon Engine V8, 4282cc, supercharged,
The GMR 600 has a hint of softness red line, where the engine retains and will begin satisfying orders petrol with water injection
in its throttle pedal response below the same pleasing elasticity of the later this spring. He should expect Installation Front, longitudinal, RWD
3000rpm, but above 3500rpm the standard, naturally aspirated tune. plenty of interest from canny British Power 573bhp at 7300rpm
V8 is developing peak torque and The net result is a car that’s very sports car fans looking to make their
MANUFACTURER’S CLAIMED FIGURES

Torque 445lb ft at 3500rpm

behaves itself very well indeed, in
smart proportion to your inputs.
GMR doesn’t change the V8’s
standard exhaust downstream of the
catalytic converters, but it sounds like
a different system all right – louder
fast indeed, but well mannered, too. own £50,000 used alternative to a Gearbox 6-spd manual
Heane recommends that you upgrade Vantage V12 S. Few people have, in Fuel tank 80 litres
the factory brakes on your Vantage our experience, managed to make an Boot 300 litres
after you’ve had the engine overhaul aftermarket tune-up such a fiendishly Wheels 19in, alloy
but doesn’t offer a carbonfibre-rich attractive, grown-up prospect. Tyres 235/40 R19 (f), 275/35 R19 (r)
bodykit to accompany his work, nor MATT SAUNDERS

5 MARCH 2014 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 31

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QUICK FACTS
PRICE £25,865
ON SALE NOW
BMW 220d SE
26.2.14, Malaga, Spain Volume-selling diesel understudy to the superb M235i arrives
THANKS TO THE wonder that is the
FIRST VERDICT M235i, BMW has already succeeded
Much of what makes BMW good in lodging the new 2-series high in
has been bottled in the 2-series our performance coupé reckoning.
AAAAB
Now, with the choice cut already dealt
with, it’s the turn of the all-important
range-filler to impress.
As it does practically everywhere
SO GOOD else in BMW’s line-up, the 2.0-litre
QDynamite chassis diesel engine will make up the bulk of
QComfy, well controlled ride sales as the 2-series locks horns with
QFirst-rate interior the other economy-minded coupés,
QPunchy delivery including the Audi TT, Peugeot RCZ
and Volkswagen Scirocco.
Given the competition, it’s worth
NO GOOD mentioning that this new model is
QUnrefined engine not blessed with particularly striking
QRivals more striking looks. It continues the form of its
predecessor, the 1-series Coupé, with
a scaled-down take on BMW’s typical
TESTER’S NOTE high shoulders, low glasshouse and
No concerns about short overhangs. It’s 11cm longer than
boot space here: at the current 1-series, but on standard
390 litres, it’s 78 17in wheels it looks staidly dignified
litres bigger than a rather than go-getter handsome.
VW Scirocco’s. NC Inside, it’s a direct carry-over from
the hatchback, making it snugly
Snug, classy cabin is carried over from the 1-series hatchback; familar BMW silhouette lends a dignified but conservative look
superior to most rivals and perhaps
a little more generous in the back
than some (BMW claims 21mm of
extra legroom over the last coupé),
although that won’t comfort either
the knees or brow of taller passengers.
Ultimately, there will be six engines
to choose from – three diesel, three
petrol, all familiar from other BMWs.
The 220d’s four-cylinder motor yields
181bhp with noisy gusto, delivering
0-62mph in 7.2sec and 58.9mpg via a
six-speed manual gearbox.
But those impressive figures are
merely the backdrop to the 2-series’
wonderfully composed and capable
chassis. The concern that driving a
220d in the wake of an M235i would
be underwhelming is immediately
quashed; in fact, many of the same
accolades apply. The car’s sense of
balance (50 per cent front, 50 per cent
rear weight distribution, of course),
meaty communication of front-end
grip and backside adjustability and
unfettered clarity of feeling rear-
driven at all speeds all register.
FIRST DRIVE
Body control isn’t quite as honed,
but there’s a rolling civility quite
beyond its rivals, with the various
driving modes and optional adaptive
dampers priming for B-roads as
neatly as they pacify on motorways.
Perhaps even more so than
the M235i, the 220d feels like a
recognisably condensed 3-series; not
in a smaller, more limited way, but as
an intimate, nimble package stripped
of any extraneousness.
Sounds enticing? It is. But BMW
hasn’t lost sight of the reason for
all this clever range differentiation.
There’s no poverty ES grade, meaning
prices start at £24,265, for the 218d
SE. The jump from a new three-door
120d SE to our test car’s starting
price is almost £2500, which will be
enough to provoke pause in some.
But not us. The 2-series is even less
like an expensive 1-series than its
forerunner was. BMW hasn’t just
bolted on a nameplate here, it has
neatly honed itself a proper coupé.
NIC CACKETT
BMW 220D SE
Price £25,865
0-62mph 7.2sec
Top speed 143mph
Economy 58.9mpg (combined)
CO2 125g/km
MANUFACTURER’S CLAIMED FIGURES
Kerb weight 1450kg
Engine 4 cyls, 1995cc, turbodiesel
Power 181bhp at 4000rpm
Torque 280lb ft at 1750-2750rpm
Gearbox 6-spd manual
5 MARCH 2014 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 33

QUICK FACTS
PRICE £15,000 (EST)
ON SALE APRIL
Fiat 500 0.9 TwinAir 105 Cult
13.2.14, Balocco, Italy New range-topping spec meets a more powerful two-cylinder engine
THE MODERN FIAT 500 is seven
FIRST VERDICT years old, but the genial hatch’s
More potent TwinAir engine appeal isn’t waning – its European
entertains but it has shortcomings market share last year was as healthy
AAABC as it was in 2008. Little surprise, then,
that this revised 2014 model does little
to change the winning aesthetics.
New alloy wheel designs, upholstery
SO GOOD choices and paintwork shades are the
QBarmy when you want fun only range-wide tweaks.
QSettled when you don’t Instead, Fiat has chosen to
QExtensive standard equipment spruce things up via a new flagship
trim level, called Cult, and a more
NO GOOD powerful, 104bhp version of the
0.9-litre TwinAir turbo for an extra
QConservative rev limiter £700 or so over the 84bhp version.
QSome antiquated cabin elements UK spec is pending but, based on
QConcerns over urban economy the Italian market, Cult embellishes
the plushest existing trim (Lounge)
for a premium of about £1500 with
TESTER’S NOTE gloss black or chrome door mirror
If I were 20 years caps, 16-inch alloy wheels, rear
younger, I’d keep parking sensors and leather seats.
the engine but pick Also included are climate control
sporty S trim rather and a new 7.0-inch TFT screen that
than Cult. RW replaces the analogue dials in the
cowled instrument binnacle.
The 500’s analogue dials are ditched for a new 7.0-inch TFT screen; extra power highlights the TwinAir’s joys and irritations
The interior remains largely
pleasing, although the dull window
and mirror switches look increasingly
incongruous and there’s plenty of
scratchy black plastic beyond the
coloured dashboard swage and
Bakelite-alike centre console. The
high-set seats are firm and hug the
thighs but the tobacco leather’s printed
detailing looks cheap up close.
The 10.sec 0-62mph sprint takes
1.0sec less than in the 84bhp TwinAir
and the 67.3mpg combined economy
isn’t far off the lesser version’s
70.6mpg. Real-world figures could
be considerably worse if past TwinAir
experience rings true, but CO2
remains below the 101g/km mark.
The extra horses magnify the
TwinAir’s ability to both entertain and
frustrate. Sprint off the line and you’ll
likely smash into the rev limiter much
sooner than expected in first and
second gears as the ECU calls time at
around 5750rpm. The limit is raised
to 6000rpm thereafter, but third-gear
overtaking often tests it nonetheless.
FIRST DRIVE
Wringing the little engine’s neck
on a twisty road is great sport,
with the twin-pot gasping like a
possessed squeezebox as the digital
boost gauge bounces like a graphic
equaliser on the TFT screen. But
every upshift drops you into a torque
pit as the half-second turbo lag and
slightly obtrusive gearshift take their
toll. The helm also stiffens a little
under acceleration, making it feel
unnaturally heavy off-centre, and
turn-in is more loping than darting.
The beefed-up brakes, meanwhile, are
strong and easily modulated.
You need not thrash the engine,
though, for this iteration is more
tractable than the other, and in
leisurely driving it’s refined and well
mannered, particularly in default Eco
mode when it dials down to 97bhp and
89lb ft. The ride is comfort-orientated
but composed, which, combined with
the charismatic powertrain, could
tempt junior thrill-seekers away from
the overly firm 500 Abarth.
RICHARD WEBBER
FIAT 500 0.9 TWINAIR 105 CULT
Price £15,000 (est)
0-62mph 10.0sec
Top speed 117mph
Economy 67.3mpg (combined)
CO2 99g/km
MANUFACTURER’S CLAIMED FIGURES
Kerb weight 940kg
Engine 2 cyls, 875cc, turbo, petrol
Power 104bhp at 5500rpm
Torque 107lb ft at 2000rpm
Gearbox 6-spd manual
5 MARCH 2014 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 35

QUICK FACTS
PRICE £34,250
ON SALE NOW
BMW M235i
FIRST VERDICT
UK-spec M235i doesn’t disappoint on
foreign roads. We already want one
AAAAB
THE M235i WE got all light-headed
about last month was a left-hooker
with the optional eight-speed
automatic gearbox. This time around,
although still abroad, we get a correct-
hand-drive model with the six-speed
QUICK FACTS
PRICE £24,850
ON SALE NOW
Honda Civic Tourer 1.8 i-VTEC SR
FIRST VERDICT
Big, clever cargo space and deft
suspension create a real contender
AAAAC
THE NEW CIVIC estate is rather
easier on the eye than its hatchback
sister car, no doubt aided by the
floating roof design above the rear
window. What’s unique about this car
compared to classmates, though, is its
clever and voluminous interior.
manual to try. It’s marginally slower
(by 0.2sec to 62mph), 2.3mpg less
economical and 13g/km dirtier on
measured CO2. But it’s also £1650
cheaper. And still magnificent. It
speaks of the M235i’s all-pervading
sense of completeness that the choice
of gearbox doesn’t drastically matter.
The DCT auto’s blink-quick shifts
do make the car seem markedly
quicker when you’re tying it on and
inevitably smoother when you’re not,
As with the hatchback, the Tourer’s
fuel tank has been moved from the
rear of the car to beneath the front
seats. That helps clear room for a very
clever loading bay: there are 117 litres
of under-floor stowage alone, with
the rear seats flipping up like cinema
chairs to create a mini loading area.
Honda claims a class-leading 624
litres of seats-in-place space, and
considering Volkswagen’s Golf offers
605 litres and Ford’s Focus manages
just 476, it’s probably not wrong.
FIRST DRIVE
Manual ’box saves £1650 over DCT auto
A verdict on the ride must wait, but
on the patchy spots Spain provided,
on £515 adaptive dampers, the M235i
never relinquished composure, even
under load. For now, the conclusion
remains: this is a small sports coupé
of rare quality. At £34,250, it’s priced
between the Toyota GT86 and
Porsche Cayman – five-star cars both,
and wholly appropriate bookends.
NIC CACKETT
BMW M235I
but clutch-pedal punctuation of the
M235i’s progress isn’t necessarily a
Price
0-62mph
£34,250
5.0sec
bad thing. Mechanical interaction Top speed 155mph
suits this car’s old-fashioned rear- Economy 34.9mpg (combined)
drive appeal. The M235i’s size,
respectable kerb weight, adhesive
CO2 189g/km
MANUFACTURER’S CLAIMED FIGURES
Kerb weight 1530kg
agility and on-demand hooliganism Engine 6 cyls, 2979cc, twin-
mean there is plenty of neck scruff to turbocharged, petrol
get a hold of, and if your inclination is Power 322bhp at 5800-6000rpm
to go up the road with hot hatch-style Torque 332lb ft at 1300-4500rpm
abandon then the manual ’box is best, Gearbox 6-spd manual
despite its occasionally notchiness.
Capacious, flexible loadspace impresses
Japanese firm assumes that’s where
the bulk of the suspension’s work
takes place in a load lugger. The
resulting ride is a revelation, the Civic
seemingly flattening out the bumps
and lumps of Britain’s road network.
There are estates on the market that
have better cabins, a better breadth of
engine choices and which are more
economical. But if practicality and
sheer carrying capacity are what you
need, then the Honda reigns supreme.
GARY LORD
With no 2.2-litre i-DTEC offered in
the Tourer, this 140bhp 1.8-litre petrol
HONDA CIVIC TOURER 1.8 I-VTEC SR
unit is the most powerful option Price £24,850
available. It’s a brisk enough engine, 0-62mph 9.6sec
but peak power appears pretty high in
the rev range, so to get the best results
Top speed
Economy
130mph
44.1mpg (combined)
you really have to thrash it.
MANUFACTURER’S CLAIMED FIGURES
CO2 149g/km
But what’s noticeable about this Kerb weight 1280kg
new estate on the UK’s challenging Engine 4 cyls, 1798cc, petrol
asphalt is the ride. This SR-spec Power 140bhp at 6500rpm
model comes replete with Honda’s Torque 128lb ft at 4300rpm
Adaptive Damper System, which Gearbox 6-spd manual
functions just on the rear as the
5 MARCH 2014 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 37

Fiat 500L 1.6 MultiJet Beats Edition
FIRST VERDICT
Better for its new engines, urbanesque
styling and entertainment upgrades
AAACC
A FIAT 500 crossover is due at year’s
end, but until it’s here, the 500L Beats
Edition is the closest thing that Fiat
makes to a Mini Countryman Cooper
SD. It’s the new flagship of the 500L
range and should cost about £1600
QUICK FACTS
PRICE £13,995
ON SALE NOW
Ford Fiesta 1.0 Zetec 5dr
FIRST VERDICT
Entry-level three-pot Fiesta loses its
turbo along with some of its appeal
AAABC
FORD IS ON to something good
with its 1.0T EcoBoost technology,
and it is in the Fiesta that the turbo
triple shines brightest. However, as
a cheaper way in to three-cylinder
ownership, Ford has decided to
remove the turbo from its EcoBoost
more than the jacked-up, ruggedised
500L Trekking upon which it is based.
The Beats Edition sports a choice
of two-tone black and grey exterior
colour schemes, a host of black
bodywork tack-ons, dark 17-inch alloy
wheels and red brake calipers. The
palette theme continues inside, where
there are smart, firm and supportive
seats finished in black fabric and faux
leather. A mouthy seven-speaker, 520-
watt sound system from Beats Audio
engine and offer the Fiesta in
normally aspirated form. Thus, the
engine loses 20bhp and 48lb ft over
the lesser of the two EcoBoost Fiestas
but it is claimed to match the 99bhp
1.0T EcoBoost for economy and CO2.
If you’re familiar with Ford’s turbo
three-pot, you may want to prepare to
be disappointed. With its 79bhp not
appearing until 6300rpm and 77lb ft
arriving at 4100rpm, the engine
needs to be revved to keep pace with
anything other than sedate traffic. On
FIRST DRIVE
QUICK FACTS
PRICE £21,690 (EST)
ON SALE MARCH
Dashboard colours echo exterior trim
However, they are never hushed and
sometimes plain loud. The £22,240
Countryman Cooper SD offers a
sharper drive, but many will prefer the
Fiat’s more relaxed gait.
The 110kg-lighter, slightly nimbler
1.4 T-Jet needs revs but is much
more orderly. It should cost about
£1000 less and for many its middling
40.9mpg will be worth swallowing.
RICHARD WEBBER
FIAT 500L 1.6 MULTIJET 120
justifies the car’s nameplate and
BEATS EDITION
there’s dual-zone climate control. Price £21,690 (est)
Four engines are offered: a 0.9-litre 0-62mph 10.7sec
TwinAir and 1.6 MultiJet turbodiesel Top speed 117mph
four-pot (both 104bhp) and two
118bhp options (new to all 500Ls) in
Economy 61.4mpg (combined)
MANUFACTURER’S CLAIMED FIGURES
CO2 120g/km
the form of a 1.4 T-Jet turbo four and a Kerb weight 1445kg
beefier version of the 1.6 MultiJet. Engine 4 cyls, 1598cc, turbodiesel
The 118bhp diesel is 0.6sec quicker Power 118bhp at 3750rpm
to 62mph than the 104bhp version Torque 236lb ft at 1750rpm
and feels it, pulling strongly from Gearbox 6-spd manual
2000rpm after a moment’s lag.
Triple lacks refinement minus its turbo
That splits the difference between the
£500 cheaper (and relatively old-tech)
1.25 Zetec four-pot and the £500 more
expensive 1.0T EcoBoost.
If you like the character of this
entry-level triple and don’t plan on
driving too far, too often, you may
well be content. But don’t try the 1.0T
EcoBoost if you can’t afford the extra
£500, because nothing less will do
once you’ve sampled its zesty charm.
TIM DICKSON
top of that, without the muffling effect
of a turbo, quite a bit more engine
FORD FIESTA 1.0 ZETEC 5DR
noise finds its way into the cabin. Price £13,995
Otherwise, it’s business as usual, 0-62mph 14.9sec
which means a fantastically well
resolved ride, fine steering and a
Top speed
Economy
103mph
65.7mpg (combined)
wonderfully composed chassis.
MANUFACTURER’S CLAIMED FIGURES
CO2 99g/km
This car is offered as a cheap way Kerb weight 1045kg
into three-pot ownership, but it’s only Engine 3 cyls, 999cc, petrol
available with mid-level Zetec and Power 79bhp at 6300rpm
posh Titanium trims. As it is, you’ll Torque 77lb ft at 4100rpm
pay £13,995 in Zetec trim and five- Gearbox 5-spd manual
door guise, or £13,395 as a three-door.
5 MARCH 2014 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 39
END OF T
Precious few cars retain their
original merits by the time a
replacement model arrives.
Mark Tisshaw, Matt Prior
and Matt Burt say goodbye
to five that most definitely do
PHOTOGRAPHY STUART PRICE
ORDNANCE SURVEY MEDIA 057/14
© CROWN COPYRIGHT 2014

40 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 26 SEPTEMBER 2012

HE ROAD

26 SEPTEMBER 2012 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 41


oming up with a replacement
C for a car is easy, right? The
design and engineering
teams fix any glaring
inadequacies with the
current model, make it more
powerful and more efficient, improve
the dynamics, create a plusher
interior with more toys, and make it
look better. Job done.
With most marques following these
rules, there are very few bad cars
around these days. But a good car
does not necessarily make a successful
one, which is why the replacement
process is in fact far from simple.
For a car to be successful, it needs
something its rivals cannot match; a
quality that’s hard to define. That’s
the case with the cars assembled here.
The Nissan Qashqai, Mercedes
C-class, Volvo XC90, Mini and Ford
Mondeo are all due to be – or have just
been – replaced for this year. Each
car in its current generation has also
been a considerable success thanks to
having that extra something.
Indeed, despite their age, the
Qashqai, C-class and Mini were still
among the UK’s top 10 best-sellers
right up to the end of their lives.
It’s as many as 11 years since we
first tested some of these stalwarts,
in which time they’ve been honed,
refined and developed. They are
worthy of a final big drive – to the end
of the road at Land’s End, fittingly.
Nissan Qashqai
Four stars. That’s what we awarded
the Qashqai when it was launched,
but back then its wide influence was
still unknown. At the approximate
length of a Volkswagen Golf but the
approximate price of a Ford Mondeo,
the Qashqai took some adapting to.
Nissan knew which way the wind
was blowing, though. But perhaps
even it was a touch surprised by
the rate at which buyers took to the
new model. Considered ‘niche’ at
the beginning, the Qashqai is now a
crossover vehicle that’s built in three
flat-out shifts that make Sunderland a
more prolific producer of cars than all
of Italy. Some niche.
The Qashqai is still pleasing today,
as it goes, even though we’ve now
driven the new version. The ‘old’ one
42 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 5 MARCH 2014
It’s the end of the road
for our five stalwarts but
they’re far from Scilly
still has some moves. It steers with
responsiveness and accuracy, and
rides well, too. I collected it at stupid
o’clock in the morning from Autocar
Towers and tooled down the M3 in
easy, unhurried, stress-free fashion.
It’s plain to see now why crossovers
make so much sense. They’re the
‘right’ height for sliding into. Visibility
is good. The driving position is
relaxed and, because they have
sensible wheels rather than massive
alloys with low-profile rubber, they
ride well. They’re the closest thing
we’ve got to that generation of comfy,
loping French family cars.
If anything felt old about this
Qashqai, it was some of the interior
touches and, perhaps, the refinement
of the donkey. But that could be
because we’ve already driven the
latest one, which answers both of
those criticisms. And fixes plenty of
other things. It won’t surprise anyone
to find the latest one keeping three
shifts going at the plant. MP
Mercedes-Benz C-class
The BMW 3-series must really get
on the nerves of the good folk at
Stuttgart. When this C-class was
launched in 2007, it was bettered only
by the day’s 3-series as a complete all-
round executive saloon.
Seven years on, just as it is about to
be replaced, it is still only bettered by
the current 3-series as a complete all-
round executive saloon.
While it’s never quite led its class,
we’ve always understood a C-class
being chosen over a 3-series. All the
things we loved about the W204
C-class when it first launched are
still there to love now: the solid build
quality, the silky refinement of the six-
cylinder models in particular and the
engaging dynamics.
Our C350 CDI test car is perhaps,
C63 AMGs aside, our favourite
variant, and it really shined when
stretching its legs on the route to
Lands End. Oh, and did I mention
that solid feel and superb refinement?
Likewise, our long drive showed
off those traits that have preserved
the C-class’s status as a bridesmaid,
namely the bland interior with
controls that lack intuition and the
occasionally fussy ride. ◊ Ageing Mondeo’s blend of mile-munching ability and enjoyable handling still appeal
 Stalwarts sign off | Comparison

THE C-CLASS AND

MINI WERE STILL
B E S T-S E L L E R S L AT E
IN THEIR LIVES

Mini and Qashqai are both British-built A high-riding hatch idea was a leap in 2007… …but the iconoclastic Qashqai also won plauditsfor its friendly driving manners

5 MARCH 2014 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 43

 
 
 
 
 


 
   
  

 

     

    


  

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 Stalwarts sign off | Comparison
And let’s be honest, it’s not exactly
the most glamorous car, is it? Back
in January of last year, we ran a story
on the upcoming replacement and
in it there was a telling quote from a
factory insider on how the C-class is
perceived by Mercedes. “We want to
make it no longer a car driven by your
grandad,” they told us. Harsh, but fair.
As with the Mini and Qashqai, we
know what’s in store for the upcoming
C-class. A stylish exterior for starters,
and, just for good measure, a truly
exquisite interior that would not look
out of place in an S-class.
On the dynamic front, a multitude
of chassis set-up choices will be
offered in order to tackle complaints
about the ride, including a segment-
first air suspension option.
So if I’ve got this right the new
C-class will be a car for grandad and
W E A LWAY S U N D E R S T O O D
grandson alike to enjoy, and one
that Mercedes hopes – and expects –
will finally give a bloody nose to the
CHOOSING A C-CLASS
3-series in the process. MT

Mini
For me, the Mini exudes ‘Britishness’,
OVER A 3-SERIES
even without the in-yer-face Union
Flag wrap our car rocked up in. This
revived brand has effortlessly woven
itself back into the nation’s psyche by
dint of producing thoroughly decent
cars within these shores.
Since apearing in 2006, this
second-generation Mini has had a
seismic impact and provided a launch
pad for enormous brand expansion.
Some of the variants evoked reactions
not dissimilar to those prompted by
another British institution, Marmite,
but it’s hard to argue with the sales.
The Cooper model here perfectly
encapsulates the magic of the brand.
Underneath the glitz and baubles,
there are peppy dynamics to enjoy,
although at times, perhaps, the
Cooper is a bit too full-on. As we point
our convoy in the direction of the
West Country, I feel like relaxing into
a steady stroll, but the Mini wants to
continue playing. It’s like an excited
terrier, all perky engine, slightly firm
ride and ultra-responsive steering.
By the time we reach our digs at
spectacular Sennen Cove, I’m longing
for the benevolence of the Mondeo
I’ve just chased down the A30.
Other aspects of the Mk2 Mini are
as infuriating as a truculent teenager.
Where the hell are the buttons to open
the windows? And who in their right
mind refers to the centre console’s
analogue speedo?
But it’s hard to stay mad at the Mini
for long. Time and again its joie de
vivre wins you over, forcing a broad
smile onto your face whenever you
find the right road, which today is a
short but rewarding unmarked route
across the moors.
In 2006 our road test suggested
the Mini Mk2 had grown-up, but
we worried that it might have been
at the cost of some character. But on
reflection, I’m not sure that turned ◊ Drab, unintuitive cabin will be transformed for the next C-class Slog to Land’s End had the Mini’s driver longing for a Mondeo

5 MARCH 2014 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 45

 Our retirees gather
for one last natter
on the seafront

Δ out to be the case; it seems

character is a more enduring quality,
and one that BMW’s boffins are
experts at distilling. MB

Volvo XC90
It’s 2003. The congestion charge hits
London, the M6 Toll opens. Concorde
has its last flight. Roman Abramovich
buys Chelsea FC. And Volvo weighs
into the big SUV fight with the XC90.
Hard to imagine it now, but the
Swedes were a little late to that
particular scrap. But boy did they
make amends, with our road testers
proclaiming the then-new seven-seat Volvo’s XC90 was late to the large SUV party, but won four and a half road test stars
SUV as ‘the best car the manufacturer
has ever made’.
These days, the XC90 – for years
Volvo’s best-seller – doesn’t create
quite as much of a buzz. By modern
standards, its shape looks cut from
old-school cloth. Yet as each of us
takes a turn in the eagle’s nest that
doubles as the high-mounted driver’s
seat, we unanimously come away
impressed by how fresh it feels.
Dynamically, the XC90 doesn’t
match German-built rivals, but that
isn’t necessarily a black mark. It feels
built to withstand the demands of
large families and long journeys. And Mini’s dinner plate speedo irks us Mondeo’s rear cabin is a comfortable spot
it’s comfortable, providing you don’t
try to squeeze fully grown adults into That experience set the tone for still nothing wrong with the way it wouldn’t be fair, because the only
the two third-row seats. this car. It was then a solid cruising drives. Its ride is pliant, but it still common thread between the five
Given that we’d chosen a rain- machine with brilliant steering for a controls its body movements deftly, assembled models is that they’ve
lashed day to visit the seaside, the big family car, particularly around the and the solid steering is crisp when stood the test of time.
sure-footed SUV came into its own straight-ahead. It speared contributor you add turns to the equation, too. Such a conclusion, however,
on the puddle-strewn A30. The Colin Goodwin and I through France Will the next-generation ‘One Ford’ confirms that the fundamentals were
rambunctious diesel five-pot and and Spain, touching Portugal and Mondeo reach the same heights? Ford right from the very start, laying the
sluggish automatic gearbox felt back to Italy, all but non-stop; one will have to be careful to manage the foundations for a long innings.
weathered like the barnacle-clad hull kipped while the other drove. compromises that inevitably come We’ve already driven the Mini and
of a Cornish fishing boat, but that’ll It was brilliant at the job. A lot of from it being built for the world, not Nissan Qashqai that supersede the
change when the next-generation cars would be too tiring, or so thirsty just Europe. (The previous-gen Kuga cars you see here, and eagerly await
XC90 receives its new engines and you stopped too often, or would is a more satisfying drive than the our first acquaintances with the next
fresh underpinnings. demand constant motorway steering latest one, I think.) This Mondeo feels C-class, Mondeo and XC90.
If that new model turns out to have correction. Not the Mondeo. It was like it was built to tackle a 3-series, As we touched on at the start,
even half the longevity of the current quiet, relaxed and damnably capable, not a Toyota Camry. Hopefully the walking the tightrope between
one, it’ll be a triumph. MB with leggy gearing and exceptional next one will, too. And hopefully it’ll conservative evolution and risky
refinement. It had such a solid-feeling be just comfortable to kip in. MP reinvention can be a daunting
Ford Mondeo interior that only a few weeks after challenge for a manufacturer seeking
If this is my last drive of the current that drive it gave a BMW 3-series a In with the new to follow up a big-selling model.
Mondeo, then the fact it’s a long trip is fright in a twin test. Ordinarily this is the point of a multi- If, deep into the next decade, we
quite fitting. I still remember my first Even now, it still feels good; car test where we’d start championing convene once more on the rugged
drive in one, too: same colour, similar touching the class lead despite its age. the victor and pointing out why its Cornish coast with these vehicles’
trim, similar diesel engine. And, Interior tweaks have allowed it to keep rivals didn’t quite pass muster. successors, we’ll know the success
similarly, it was a long stint. pace with newer rivals, while there’s We’ve refrained here – it simply story has continued unabated. L

46 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 5 MARCH 2014

 T H E F U N DA M E N TA L S
OF THESE FIVE
CARS WERE RIGHT
F R O M T H E S TA R T

THEN AND NOW

Nissan Qashqai Mini Mercedes-Benz C-class Volvo XC90 Ford Mondeo
TESTED 21.2.07 TESTED 29.11.06 TESTED 20.6.07 TESTED 19.2.03 TESTED 13.6.07
AAAAC AAAAC AAAAC AAAAB AAAAC

On sale in the UK 2007-2014
Sold 250,000
What we said then ‘A capable,
likeable and interesting
hatchback that offers
a refreshingly different
approach to family
transport.’
What we say now A huge-
selling game-changer that
offered buyers a package
they didn’t even realise
they wanted.
On sale in the UK 2006-2014
Sold 210,125
What we said then ‘Still a
stylish small car and now
quite well rounded with it.
But it’s a pity that a little
of the previous model’s
character has been lost.’
What we say now The car
that sent Mini’s comeback
into hyperdrive, spawning
myriad derivatives and
broadening its appeal.
On sale in the UK 2007-present
Sold 160,737 (to December 2013)
What we said then ‘The C-class
may not be the car that
takes Mercedes past
BMW in this segment,
but do not doubt that it
is closing fast.’
What we say now Set aside
the elephant in the room
that is the 3-series and the
Merc remains competent,
if long in the tooth.
On sale in the UK 2003-present
Sold 53,832 (to December 2013)
What we said then ‘Volvo has
created the definitive 4x4.
It’s the best SUV on sale
and probably the best
car that Volvo has ever
produced.’
What we say now The elder
statesman of the British
car market looks slightly
dated but is pleasingly
practical.
On sale in the UK 2007-present
Sold 192,245 (to January 2014)
What we said then ‘Against
direct competition it is
an easy winner. If it was
more stylish, it would be
plausible against premium
offerings, too.’
What we say now Set a new
benchmark for everyday
family saloons, and
updates have kept it
relevant.

5 MARCH 2014 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 47

TA K I NG
FLIGHT
Eagle’s stunning Low Drag Coupé recreates
an ultra-slippery E-type racer from the 1960s.
Andrew Frankel drives the one-off creation
PHOTOGRAPHY STUART PRICE
ustin Hawkins, the famously falsetto
J lead singer of The Darkness, once
described his band’s music as “rock,
with the benefit of hindsight”. And
you’d go a long way before finding
a better description of how Eagle
reinvents the E-type for the modern era.
Its latest creation, however, is something
else again, a car so special even in the
rarefied world of Eagle E-types that to date
just one has been built, and if there is to be
another, it would be 18 months, 6000 man
hours and approximately £650,000 after it
was ordered before its owner would stand a
chance of taking delivery.
Look at it. When I first saw it, parked
on the apron of the test track, I couldn’t
hold back the laughter. Great chortling
gusts kept bubbling up from within me.
See a Ferrari 250 GTO and you might sigh
at its beauty but you won’t laugh because
you know already what to expect. It is the
surprise, the fact that the Low Drag Coupé
is so unexpectedly, so comically beautiful,
that keeps me laughing.
Low Drag Coupé? When the E-type was
launched in 1961, its shape was ineffably
beautiful but not exactly shaped for racing.
Happily, it was also so popular that Jaguar
didn’t need racing to publicise it. However,
that didn’t stop Jaguar aerodynamicist
Malcolm Sayer penning a track-friendly
shape designed as much to reduce lift as
lower drag, and it didn’t stop privateers
racing lightweight E-types equipped with
‘Low Drag Coupé’ bodywork. Sadly, by then
the 250 GTO was in its pomp and if either
company or customers clutched dreams of
returning Jaguar to its halcyon racing days
of the 1960s, the car’s lack of competitiveness
soon disabused them of that notion.
Doesn’t really matter today, does it? Not
when I’m now getting embarrassed by my
giggles, as I walk around trying to find
something about it I don’t like. Paul Brace,
Eagle’s general manager, points out that
he’d prefer a higher profile on the front tyres
but then they’d foul the arches. And he’s
right. But that’s about it.
If it has a problem, it is that it’s likely
to be seen as a souped-up E-type with all
the clunkiness and inconvenience that
implies. It is nothing of the sort. It is based
on an E-type but only insofar as the project
started life as a 1965 Series I coupé, some of
which still exists in the car you see on these ◊
A small extension to
the wheelbase has
improved legroom
Drive | Eagle Low Drag Coupé
Δ pages. But that’s not unlike saying you’re based
on the child that emerged from your mother’s
womb. The DNA is there, but not much else.
Eagle built up this car around a new chassis
with a two-inch extension in the wheelbase to
provide additional legroom and installed in the
nose its own take on the classic Jaguar twin-cam
straight six motor. Bored but mainly stroked out to
a massive 4.7 litres (very nearly double the smallest
capacity at which it can be found in a Jaguar) and
fitted with fuel injection and an aluminium block,
its internals are made by Crosthwaite & Gardner,
the same people who build brand-new pre-war
Auto Unions for Audi. The gearbox has an Eagle
alloy case and Eagle five-speed internals, although
the bell housing at least is Jaguar’s. At the back, an
aluminium limited-slip differential is fitted.
The suspension is Jaguar’s but modified to
Eagle’s own specification to feature an adjustable
front anti-roll bar and adjustable Ohlins dampers
made specifically for this car along with bespoke
rates for its torsion bar springs. AP Racing
provides the ventilated, perforated discs.
Given this level of specification, I was expecting
a brutal monster. And that was before I heard of
the engine’s 345bhp and an extraordinary kerb
weight of just 1038kg, which is probably what an
Alfa Romeo 4C weighs once filled with fluids and
a driver but the Eagle has more than 100bhp extra.
Even now, with limited traction
and that slow shift, it feels as
fast as a modern Aston Martin
But unlike a 4C, the Low Drag Coupé’s weight
includes such civilising influences as climate
control, power steering and a fully trimmed cabin
that includes thick, comfortable chairs. When it
reverses off the truck, I’m amazed by how quiet it
is. The engine note is deep, cultured and classically
English straight six, but it doesn’t shout about it.
The driving position is pure E-type, short in
the leg despite the extra section in the wheelbase,
but generous for the head of even its 6ft 4in driver.
Snug is the word. Then there’s that dashboard
– apparently all E-type, too, with that pair of
large clocks in front and the rest spread in single
disciplined file across the centre console. The
switches are the same as well, but not their labels.
One even says ‘climate’.
First gear engages with a solid, mechanical
thunk. The car may weigh only a tonne but this
transmission feels strong enough to change the
rotation of the earth. Good. The clutch is heavy but
gentle. There’s no hop or stagger as we draw away
– it’s all elegant: E-type elegant.
But this isn’t. As the test track opens out and
the individual throttle bodies open up, the Eagle
takes wing and flies. No E-type ever went like
this, at least not with just 1500rpm on the clock.
The roar becomes a snarl and we’re surging on a
supercharged wave of torque, handily without the
need for a supercharger. Thunk, thunk, thunk.
The gears come and go, each engaged with such
deft fluency that my passenger would think I’d
been doing this for years, not knowing the class of
the driveline is actually doing it all. The engine is
running in so I use only 4500rpm, but that’s just
50 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 5 MARCH 2014
500rpm short of the red line and all you’ll ever need.
Even now, with limited traction and that slick but
slow shift, it feels as fast as a fast modern Aston.
Would I have chosen power steering? Probably
not: with that alloy engine and alloy panels,
there’s not much weight over the nose but I still
marvel at the lucidity of all the messages that it
sends to me through that wooden-rimmed Nardi
wheel, the only item of equipment that doesn’t look
born to be in a E-type.
On modern rubber and with the dampers doing
their finest, there’s grip of a kind that no owner
of a normal E-type would recognise. But when
it’s finally exhausted, correctly it’s the front that
slides first. There’s a little too much understeer,
and although the car will tighten its line nicely on
lift-off, oversteer needs provoking. I mention this It accelerates hard, hitting 60mph in about 4.5sec
to Paul who simply says “hang on” and dives under
the car to wind another 10 clicks on to the rear
Ohlins. “Try that.” So we do and, at once, there’s a
little less understeer and it no longer needs to be
kicked into a drift: a small lift and a smaller prod
and it slides beautifully. One notch off the front roll
bar would probably balance it completely, but this
car is so new that Eagle has not yet had time to set it
up. But that’s the thing: ask me how it handles and
I’ll ask you how you want it to handle. I’d set mine
to drift, drift and drift some more.
But others would far sooner waft, and this is the
Despite hidden modernity, it feels like an E-type inside
Eagle’s real secret. It may look shaped by the wind
and probably needs something like a Porsche 911 Quality of Eagle’s finishing bears detailed inspection
Turbo to drop it in a straight line, but if you just
want to park it in fifth and cruise, that’s just fine
by the Low Drag Coupé. The ride is remarkable,
and even at the 120mph or so that it’ll show on any
short straight, it’s quiet enough for conversation.
Not that you’d want to talk, or even have
company. Eagle says that this is a car that two
people can use for touring Europe or the West
Coast and I’m sure they could. For me, however,
it is a car in which to be entirely alone with your
thoughts, that engine, the gearshift and its supple,
indulgent and sensitive chassis.
Don’t ask if it’s worth the £650,000 or so that its
Aluminium bodywork helps keep the weight to 1038kg
owner will pay for it because to him it is and as it’s
the only one, his is the only opinion that counts.
If customers want them, Eagle will make
more, although Paul’s eyes roll at the prospect of
freeing the time and staff even to make a couple,
so don’t expect production to amount to more
than a handful at most.
Knowing Eagle and its standards, this was a
car that I had expected to like. But in fact I found
myself adoring it and, as I wound my way home, I
wondered why. I concluded that it was the E-type
they’d have made at the time if only they’d known
how. It’s not less of a Jaguar or less of an E-type for
all its myriad modifications, but more: more of the
essential spirit of the car with less of the rubbishy
inexactitude that to one extent or another pollutes
the experience of driving any old car.
An E-type with the benefit of hindsight? Every
The gearbox has Eagle five-speed internals and is a joy
sweeping, snarling, gorgeous inch of it. L
 If you think it looks
beautiful, you should
hear how it sounds

EAGLE E-TYPE LOW DRAG COUPÉ

Price £650,000 (approx)
0-60mph 4.5sec (approx)
Economy na
CO2 na
Kerb weight 1038kg
Engine 6 cyls in line, 4700cc, petrol
Installation Front, longitudinal,
rear-wheel drive
Power 345bhp at 4800rpm
Torque 360lb ft at 3600rpm
Gearbox 5-spd manual
Wheels 7.0Jx16in (f), 8.0Jx16in (r)
Tyres 225/55 YR 16 (f),
235/60 YR 16 (r)

There’s a good level

of feedback through
that Nardi wooden rim
 One mission is to
reinvigorate buyers’
interest in Lincoln

‘IF YOU’VE y first impression of Moray

GOT A FRESH M Callum, Ford’s new global

head of design, is that he
would rather think than
talk. It’s not that he’s
obstructive or unfriendly –
far from it – but when I pose my first
question, there’s an initial hesitation
before his quietly delivered answer

IDEA, LET
begins, as if he’s surprised that
someone would want to know.
Now you have the big job, I venture,
what’s the first thing that you want
to change? This is not the world’s
most incisive opening question
but Callum meets it seriously,
speaking quietly and quickly in his
mellow Scottish accent. He speaks

ME SEE IT’
Moray Callum has recently become global head of design
at Ford — and having landed the top job, he isn’t about to
let the grass grow under his feet, as Steve Cropley hears
in enjoyable colloquialisms but
scrupulously avoids overstatement
apart from the odd, self-deprecating
aside, which, I am soon to learn, is
very much his style.
Although this is Callum’s second
stint at Ford, starting in 2006, we don’t
know one another well. His previous
gig as head of design for North and
South American products has put
him rather outside the European
orbit, although it has lately given him
responsibility for recent interesting

Moray is “very proud’
of his brother Ian,
Jaguar’s design boss
products such as the latest Mustang
sports car and F150 pick-up, plus the
Lincoln luxury marque.
“Ford design is in good health,”
he begins. “It’s well aligned globally,
which is a decent achievement for
a company whose outposts played
their own tune for so long. That’s a
tribute to my predecessor, J Mays.
But nowadays, we really do speak the
same language, so I don’t need any
instant hit-list of changes.
“However, as soon as you achieve
a consolidated design language,
something people say is good, you
need to start thinking about the
future. Ford has never been keen
on replicating what it has and has
often used design to reinvigorate
the brand. So I suppose my first
challenge is to get our design
language to a point where the right
people say, yes, we see it has moved
on, and it looks great.”
The current Ford ‘look’ has three
or four years before it needs to
start changing, Callum estimates,
rejecting suggestions that having an
international design language limits
the creativity of his designers. “My
message to them is this: if you’ve
got a fresh idea, let me see it,” he
says. “Nothing says we have to be
stagnant. We’re always looking for
ideas. It’s how we’ll decide where
we’re going next.”
Callum has been designing cars for
a living since the early 1980s, when
he graduated from London’s Royal
College of Art and joined Chrysler,
then PSA (Peugeot-Citroën), then
Ghia, then Ford. He first came to
notice in 1989 as designer of the Ghia
Via concept (below right), where his
manager was his brother Ian, now
Jaguar’s design director (“I suspect
he wanted to fire me”). Soon after,
Moray created the Lagonda Vignale
concept, a car revealed at the NEC
in Birmingham in 1993, on the same
stand as Ian’s new Aston Martin DB7.
Worldwide prominence reached
Moray in 2001 when he was selected
to lead a design revolution at
Mazda, then a Ford affiliate
and his last port of call before
rejoining the Blue Oval in
2006. His designs for the
Mazda MX-5, RX-8 and
original 2 and 3 still have
special resonance among
aficionados.
“I learned a lot at Mazda. I wasn’t a
Mazda-type designer when I arrived.
The company made more exuberant,
more exaggerated cars than I was
used to designing but I soon learned
that you needed to use the marque
values to guide you to what a car had
to be. The first Mazda 3 was about
30 per cent done when I arrived, and
finishing that helped me understand
how to edit designs rather than
changing them completely. I learned
as much as some of the people who
worked for me.”
For all our talk of Ford’s future,
I suggest to Callum that it is surely
Ford’s glorious past
that must have
informed him
about
Moray Callum | Interview
The latest F150 is one
of the highlights of
Callum’s recent work
Callum says the
Mustang was about
balancing old and new
his two most important recent
projects: last year’s unveiling of a
new 50th anniversary Mustang,
and then the launch two months
ago of a revised F150 pick-up, Ford’s
700,000-units-a-year cash cow. He
partly agrees but reckons no one
should doubt that these are new cars
“The Mustang was one of the
easiest jobs, in a sense, and also one
of the toughest. You don’t have to sit
down with your designers and work
on a design brief for a Mustang. You
just send them away to sketch cars.
Ideas come almost by default.”
Callum hasn’t heard, so I tell him
about a ◊
 DESIGNING,
DIFFERENCE
A N D TA S T E
Moray Callum believes the
view of car company bosses
that great design is a key
buying inducement has
never been stronger. “Count
how many people tell you at
a motor show that design’s
a key motivator, and that’s
why they’re the best at it,”
he suggests. “It’ll be a lot of
names. The fact that design
sells is a secret we can’t
keep any more.
“There’s a much stronger
demand from managements
for different designs now,
not just merely good-looking
ones. The challenge for us is
to make these cars look right,
not just different.
“One thing designers don’t
talk enough about is taste.
I don’t believe the person in
my position needs to be the
most creative in the building,
but he does need to control
the taste of what we do. Doing
‘DESIGN SELLS.
something competent but
different isn’t as hard as you
might think, but someone has
to decide if it’s actually the
T H AT ’S A S EC R E T
right thing for our company
and product line-up.” WE CAN’T KEEP
ANY MORE’
Δ recent conversation with company You’ve got to ask, though, Callum have to get it right. I’ve always said
chairman Bill Ford, who revealed that explains. These are the people you we need to get invited to the party
he owns more than a dozen Mustang most want to buy the next model. rather than gate-crashing it. And we
models, most of them the first off the For an F150, the disciplines are haven’t been invited yet…
line. It can’t be easy replacing the different. Owners know the ropes. “Since we sold the Premier
favourite model of the man whose They’re interested in the best and Automotive marques, I believe
name is on the hubcaps. Only later latest, and know model changes Lincoln has had the right level
do I hear that Callum, who has a are to be expected. The trick is to of attention, but the sort of
considerable collection of post-war create a design – and especially an improvements we want don’t happen
American ‘cruisers’ himself, recently interior – that is cleverly modular, so overnight. You’ve got to learn what
bought a ’67 Mustang Fastback. it can work both in an entry model at premium customers’ priorities are.
“After the sketches, the nub of the less than $20,000 and in a $70,000 We’re good at mainstream cars, even
Mustang job is to get the editing right. luxury version. You absolutely expensive mainstream cars. But we
As Mazda design boss, Callum created the RX8
How much Mustang do you keep in, cannot afford to get it wrong: Ford have to learn more about premium
and how much new car do you allow? has been America’s best-selling customers, who are different again.”
That’s quite a hard decision. So is truck maker for decades. You don’t Although everyone must ask,
coping with the many opinions that want to be the one whose new design Moray Callum has no problem
come your way while you’re doing a throws it all away. chatting about the prominence
car like the Mustang. Everyone loves What about Lincoln? Ford’s of his brother Ian at Jaguar. He
the car, and it’s a real privilege to be remaining luxury brand (following rather enjoys it (“I’m very proud
able to do one, but you get quite a lot the sale a few years ago of one-time of him”) but has “absolutely no
of ‘it’s not quite there yet’. Premier Automotive Group marques idea” what special circumstance
“That’s fine as long as people Jaguar, Land Rover, Aston Martin caused the two Scottish brothers to
don’t start telling you how to get and Volvo) is not even doing as well become design leaders of the global
there. Another difficult part is as Cadillac, which itself is no express automotive business. “I’m four years
consulting existing owners about train. One of Callum’s responsibilities younger than Ian,” Moray says,
what they want the new model to be is to get Lincoln right. “We’re going “and grew up loving cars like he
like, because they don’t really want a to China,” he volunteers, “which will did. We pressed our noses against
He also oversaw the 3 and learned a lot from it lot to change.” help. But for other markets, we do the same dealership windows. But

54 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 5 MARCH 2014

 Callum: “We have to Moray’s brother and Jaguar design
learn more about
premium customers”
boss Ian Callum gave the 2006 XK
a grille inspired byJag’s past…
M O R AY C A L L U M ’ S C V

Moray Callum, 56, Ford’s new vice

…but some were quick to point out
the similarities with the grille that
Moray had put on the 2000 Taurus
president of design, is the younger
brother of Ian Callum, Jaguar’s
director of design. Both were born
and educated in Dumfries, Scotland.
Ian went to Glasgow College of
Art but Moray, “always a bit more
academic”, toyed with becoming
a vet before a brief flirtation
with architecture led to studying
product design at Napier University.
A car lover from his early days, he
had “discovered” car design by the
time he graduated and followed his
brother to London’s Royal College
of Art to do a postgraduate degree
in transport design.

In 1982, Moray Callum won a

studentship with Chrysler in the
UK, then PSA (Peugeot-Citroën)
Lagonda Vignale
was a concept car in France. In 1988, he moved to
unveiled in 1993 the Ghia design studio in Turin,
where he created the Ghia Via
concept for Ford and the Lagonda
Vignale concept for Aston Martin.
The Vignale was displayed at the
Birmingham motor show, beside the
new Aston DB7, designed under the
leadership of his brother, who was
working at TWR in Oxfordshire.

In 1995, Moray Callum was hired

he was always going to be the car
designer, so I imagined myself doing
something else.
“I love animals and for a while I
wanted to be a vet. But I spent a day
on a farm and found it too smelly.
Then I wandered in to architecture
and wandered out again.” Eventually,
Callum opted to study product design
at Napier University in Edinburgh
before joining the Royal College
of Art’s postgraduate course in
automotive design, as his brother had
done a few years before.
by Ford and moved to Dearborn,
Michigan. His facelift of the 2000
Ford Taurus had a grille style
Are there any difficulties because (pundits mischievously claim)
he and his brother have similar jobs? very similar to that adopted by
“Not at all,” Moray says. “It’s all very his brother for the Jaguar XK of
nice, really. We travel around the Callum says that right
world, usually to the same places. now, Ford design 2006. Moray had moved to Mazda
We tend to talk about things we like. is “in good health” by then, to lead a group redesign,
I suppose if we were before rejoining Ford again later in
working for more
competitive brands,
the decade. Since then, he has risen
it might be difficult, consistently through the ranks and
but I doubt it. We was appointed vice president of
both grew up design in January.
loving Jaguar, and
we both still do.” L

5 MARCH 2014 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 55

 ROAD TEST No 5155 on’t worry: the introduction

D of an all-new Volvo S60

has not passed you by. The
manufacturer’s business saloon

Volvo S60
An all-new diesel engine aims to give this S60 class-leading stats
is less of the story here than what
powers it. Volvo’s decision to sweep
away the eight engine configurations
that it currently uses and replace
them with a single four-cylinder
architecture (sub-divided into diesel
and petrol variants) is intriguing –
MODEL TESTED D4 SE NAV and worthy, we think, of a closer look.
Strategically, it means that the
O Price £29,395 O Power 178bhp O Torque 295lb ft O 0-60mph 7.6sec comparatively small Swedish (and
O Fuel economy 45.8mpg O CO2 emissions 99g/km O 70-0mph 53.4m O Skidpan 0.92g Chinese-owned) firm, which has
always claimed to represent an

WE LIKE Exceptional new engine Q Pliant ride QComfortable seats and easy control layout
PHOTOGRAPHY STUART PRICE

OThe door mirrors are one of
the more subtle detail changes.
Blind-spot monitoring now works
via radar, not cameras, allowing
the housing to look neater.
OHeadlight styling is supposed to make
the car “more determined looking”. Our
test model had optional Active High Beam
Control xenons, which blank out the main
beams around traffic up ahead.
OThe upper grille is wider and cleaner-
looking than before and features this
radar transceiver in high-gloss black so
that it’s less conspicuous. The ‘iron mark’
Volvo grille is larger.
OMost of the styling changes to the
valances are intended to lend visual
width. The new lower grille on the front
does exactly that. Daytime running
lights are integrated nicely.

56 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 5 MARCH 2014

alternative to the big premium
German manufacturers, must now
fight its corner without the prestige
– and profit – derived from larger
engines. If Volvo did not have much of
a stake there to lose, it has chosen to
bet the farm on overcoming its rivals
in an extraordinarily competitive class.
The four-cylinder turbodiesel
is now the backbone of European
sales, and the individual units that
are its vertebrae are now fiendishly
fast, refined and cheap to run. Volvo
claims, in a stroke, to have advanced
beyond any of them. Masterstroke or
megaflop? Read on to find the answer.
DESIGN AND ENGINEERING
AAAAB
Along with several siblings, and
following the arrival of new styling
boss Thomas Ingenlath at Volvo in
2012, the S60 got a big mid-life facelift
last year. The styling changes, clearly
intended to give the car a bit more
visual muscle next to fresher German
opposition, consisted mainly of
stronger horizontal body creases and
larger features.
Our SE-spec test car isn’t as bold ◊
HISTORY
Volvo has a proud history
of building petrol engines,
but its experience with
diesels — beyond the heavy-
duty industrial kind built by
Volvo Powertrain — is more
recent. For two decades
before the millennium,
it was content to licence
Volkswagen Group engines S80 gave Volkswagen Group diesels a Volvo swansong
for use in its cars — right up
to the five-cylinder 2.5-litre TDI that was offered with early S80s. This practice
was halted in 2001 by the 2.4-litre five-cylinder diesel developed by Volvo itself
— one of the units now made obsolete by its four-cylinder replacement.

WE DON’T LIKE Little here for the enthusiast Q Iffy digital radio reception QClumsy multimedia interface

ONew tailpipe design, integrated in
the rear bumper, hints at the engine
overhaul up front. The exhaust itself,
visible inside this housing, expands
by 25mm in length when hot.
ONew D4 engine lays waste to Volvo’s
derivative hierarchy: it consumes less
diesel and emits less CO2 than the D3
or D2, and it’s also faster-accelerating
than the old D5 in manual form.
OThe gently curved rear pillars
and oversized tail-lights are
unchanged. Good news, because
they make the rear three-quarter
aspect the S60’s most alluring.
OIt wouldn’t be a facelift without new alloy
wheel designs. The S60’s new optional
19-inchers share a tyre profile with the 18s, so
there’s no compromise on ride comfort. These
17s are standard fit with SE and SE Lux.

5 MARCH 2014 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 57

ON THE INSIDE
O There’s an unobtrusive storage cubby behind
here. The centre stack itself is tactile and shortcut
buttons make for great ease of use. Heating,
ventilation and air-con controls are excellent.

O Keyless go (part of the £700 O This is the digital instrument screen set to Elegance
Security pack) is all very well, but mode. It’s easy to read, but we prefer Performance
some of us still like a slot to keep the mode, which moves the rev counter to the middle dial
key in. Volvo is happy to oblige. and places a digital speed read-out in its centre.

COMMUNICATIONS which you can update twice a year

Bluetooth is easy to pair up to your
phone, call quality is good and the
menu makes navigating your call lists
simple. The seven-inch multimedia
display isn’t touch-sensitive, so
your inputs have to go through the
rotary knob in the top right quadrant
of the centre stack. It’s easy once
you’re familiar with the logic —
probably easier and just as fast as a
touchscreen system on the move.
NAVIGATION
The Sensus Navigation system
comes with full European mapping,
for free. The seven-inch display isn’t
stunning, but it’s as big as it needs
to be and maps are detailed enough.
Programming would be quicker at a
standstill via a touchscreen. Voice
control makes menu navigation easier
and less distracting on the move.
ENTERTAINMENT
You get DAB radio and internet radio
as standard. DAB reception isn’t
great and, in our experience, internet
radio reception was equally mixed.
The audio system seems powerful
and crisp, though.

58 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 5 MARCH 2014

Δ as the R-Design models, which sub-£30k S60, it produces 178bhp
get an even more widely altered and 295lb ft of torque, emits 99g/km
look. It struck most testers as neat of CO2 and allows for sub-7.0sec
and pleasant enough, but not quite 0-60mph and 70mpg-plus claims.
as appealing – and certainly not as Almost all of which statistics are
distinctive – as the outgoing S60. not just mighty impressive for a four-
The 2014-model-year facelift also cylinder diesel compact executive
brought some key interior revisions, saloon – they’re unequalled.
including a new multimedia system,
new seats and new instruments – all INTERIOR
of which we’ll come to. Among the
new safety highlights added to the AAAAC
options list, and fitted to our test
car, are the ‘permanent high-beam’ Time has been kind to the S60’s cabin,
camera-based active headlights. as was always likely. Volvo continues
That lot would all be window to resist the influence of many short-
dressing without the headline lived trends in premium car interior
addition: Volvo’s Drive-E 1969cc design, preferring instead to focus
all-aluminium twin-turbocharged on systems and features intended
common-rail diesel engine. It’s no to make your motoring experience
exaggeration to say that this engine better, rather than distracting you
could be the saviour of Volvo’s from the business of driving.
European fortunes. Along with its You’ll find no MMI-style rotary
petrol counterpart, it has been in controller here, no fingertip touchpad,
development since 2008. It will no head-up display and no widescreen
feature throughout the firm’s model multimedia screen. It has few of the OThe standard seats in the SE model are comfortable, large and adjustable.
ranges and eventually replace every more garish styling touches that have Driving position isn’t as high as Volvo’s usual mark. R-Design gets sports seats.
other oil-burner. It has been designed infiltrated the cockpits of various
with hybrid applications in mind and BMWs, Audis and Mercedes of late.
will be adapted for power outputs The S60 is instead characterised by
between 118bhp and 227bhp. In this simple, effective design flourishes, ◊

HOW BIG IS IT?

0.28
1020m m min
m max

m
900m
900m

n
mi
1484mm

min x m ax
380 litres
mm ma 0m m
830 0mm 60 30mm
111 9

Typical rear
legroom 750mm
943mm 2776mm 916mm
62% 4635mm 39%
38%

VISIBILITY TEST
It’s clear to the front
and there are
sensors all round, as
well as city braking ONot the most appealing aspect of the S60. The amount of headroom available
and blind-spot in the rear is a bit tight for taller adults and legroom is only average for the class.
Turning circle: 11.3m

sensors.
1865mm

1588mm 1585mm
HEADLIGHTS
Headlights are
excellent on both
dipped and high
beam.

WHEEL AND PEDAL ALIGNMENT

The broad seat is in front of a straight
and true pedal layout. 125mm Length 970-1800mm
Width 1080-1270mm
110mm

Height 500mm

OThe boot is just under 400 litres with the rear seats up. Foldable rear seats and
an optional folding front passenger seat make it easy to carry long loads, though.
Centre

5 MARCH 2014 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 59

ON THE ROAD
T3 Δ such as the sweep of satin chrome
Track notes trim that neatly makes a highlight of
the interior door handles. Substantial,
DRY CIRCUIT T6 tactile but tastefully underplayed
Volvo S60 D4 T2 T5 T7 materials also feature, as does a
1min 24.0sec pragmatic emphasis on comfort and
BMW 320d Sport (2012) ease of use. An Audi devotee might
1min 21.3sec T1 label the button-filled alphanumeric
A tidy performance on T4 Start/finish control console a wasted opportunity
the dry circuit, given that to declutter but a Volvo buyer would
S60 was on winter tyres. value the straightforward simplicity of
Don’t worry about the operation that it brings. And so do we.
time. Just know that it OThere’s good traction on We’re less convinced by the S60’s
handles direction changes the way out of the hairpin, second-row headroom, which remains
well, is always safe and is O Brakes resisted fade for just under three laps, even with stability control a bit tight, and by some features –
sometimes rewarding. so they should be okay on the road. switched off. such as the displaced central air vent
and the storage cubby hidden behind
the centre stack – that you’d describe
WET CIRCUIT O Turning into T1 on the brakes as either quirky or strange, depending
Volvo S60 D4 eliminates understeer and even on how charitable you were feeling.
1min 14.9sec induces a little oversteer. T5 T6 For the most part, though, this is a very
BMW 320d Sport (2012) pleasant, smart and practical space.
1min 15.0sec T7 The S60’s standard cloth seats are
T3
You’d expect a car large, broadly adjustable, supportive
developed for Swedish and very comfortable. The new
winters to be good in T4 T8 digital instrument display is clear
low-grip conditions, and and features Elegance, Eco and
so it is. The S60 is well OTraction is okay but limited, we Performance display modes.
balanced, with brilliantly T2 T1 suspect, by winter tyres operating
judged stability control. Start/finish above their preferred temperature. PERFORMANCE
AAAAB
ACCELERATION 12deg C, mostly dry
Volvo S60 D4 This is where the S60 faces its
Standing quarter mile 16.1sec at 90.2mph, standing km 29.0sec at 112.1mph, 30-70mph 6.9sec, 30-70mph in fourth 9.4sec biggest test. Hitherto, the stand-out
30mph 40 50mph 60mph 70mph 80mph 90mph 100mph 110mph powertrain in this class has lived in
2.9s 4.1s 5.8s 7.6s 9.8s 12.7s 15.8s 20.4s 25.9s the nose of BMW’s 320d, a car that we
0 5s 10s 15s 20s 25s figured for its full road test in 2012.
BMW 320d Sport (2012) The BMW recorded a 0-60mph
Standing quarter mile 16.0sec at 88.3mph, standing km 29.2sec at 112.1mph, 30-70mph 7.4sec, 30-70mph in fourth 10.8sec sprint of 7.7sec, its engine intruded
30mph 40 50mph 60mph 70mph 80mph 90mph 100mph 110mph into the cabin to the tune of 48dB
2.6s 3.9s 5.8s 7.7s 10.0s 13.2s 16.6s 20.9s 27.8s at idle and 68dB at 70mph, and it
0 5s 10s 15s 20s 25s returned 56.8mpg on an extended
touring run, and 41.6mpg overall.
The D4 motor in the S60 betters
BRAKING 60-0mph: 3.00sec the BMW not just in part, but in every
30mph-0 50mph-0 70mph-0 single respect. Here is a car that can
DRY 9.9m 27.5m 53.4m
reach 60mph in 7.6sec despite average
0 10m 20m 30m 40m 50m 60m 70m
conditions and being hampered
WET 15.3m 39.2m 71.3m
by the not insignificant fact that it
30mph-0 50mph-0 70mph-0
is front-driven. Meanwhile, it idles

On the limit

Search through a couple of
sub-menus and you’ll find the option
to disable the S60’s stability control.
Partially, at least. And the fact that
you’re required to dig deep, rather
than it being a single button on the
dashboard, tells you much of what
you need to know about the S60’s
handling: that Volvo does not expect
you to be troubling its envelope often.
Nonetheless, the S60 is a tidy drive.
Its steers pleasingly but with a little
squish and dives only moderately
under braking (and with tyres better
suited to the conditions, it might have
been better at both). Then it turns
with the sort of response that you’d
expect from a 1600kg car with 60 per
cent of its weight over the front axle.
In the dry, then, the tendency is to
understeer, in lower–speed corners
at least. Leave the stability control
engaged and it’ll cut in quickly but
subtly, shortly after understeer has
begun. Disengage it and it’ll do the
same, only with the thresholds set
that little bit higher. In both cases, it
cuts in and out cleanly.

60 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 5 MARCH 2014

more quietly (47dB) and rolls along a
motorway more quietly (64dB), not all
of which will be down to the engine,
of course, but it’s of significance. This
Volvo also backed up its 99g/km and
74.3mpg official figure (which no
car gets close to in the real world) by
returning near as damnit 60mpg on
our motorway-replicating touring
route and an overall test average
comfortably in the mid-40s. Driven
carefully, and mainly on motorways,
typically you’d see more than 50mpg.
Added to this, response is fine.
There’s a little lag at low revs but it’s
no more severe than any rivals’ and it
spins cleanly and smoothly through to
5000rpm – although, as is typical for a
turbodiesel, the last 1000rpm is barely
worth bothering with.
Mated to this excellent engine here
is a six-speed manual transmission,
whose ratios are tall but whose shift
action is acceptably easy. It doesn’t
snick through with precision but is
plenty good enough to slip into the
background without you noticing it,
which is all you can ask of gearshifts
in a car like this.
Less impressive was the braking
performance of our test car – unusual
because we’ve never encountered an
issue before with the way Volvos stop.
However, the ambient temperature
was a moderate 12deg C and the
S60 arrived shod with winter tyres,
which, operating above their comfort
zone, probably explains why they
wanted 71m to stop the S60 from
70mph in the wet and a (slightly more
competitive) 53m in the dry. The
result, we suspect, says more about
the fitting of winter tyres than it does
about the S60 in general.
RIDE AND HANDLING
AAABC
If you want dynamism from a car in
this class, the chances are that you
Under the skin
O Denso common-rail fuel
injection system can operate at
up to 2500bar. Most systems
peak at less than 2000.
don’t head to a Volvo dealer for a
test drive. And despite this being a
magazine aimed at car enthusiasts,
the Volvo’s attitude is fine by us,
because although it doesn’t have a
dynamic demeanour that you would
describe as ‘sporting’, it’s quite a
pleasing steer.
The ride, on 50-profile, modestly
wide winter tyres, is compliant, and
although there’s a little looseness of
body control as a result, never would
you class it as an untidy handler.
The steering is precise and
accurate and, at 2.8 turns lock to lock,
quite fast enough, and all of those
things combined – plus well judged
control weights – make the S60 a
ridiculously easy car in which to drive
long distances without it tiring you
out. Throw in low noise levels and
excellent seats and you have what is,
quite possibly, the best car in the class
for covering vast mileages in one hit.
Is it ever fun? At times. Its handling
is always front-led and shorter of
agility than a BMW 3-series or the
outgoing Mercedes C-class, but we
found it as entertaining as a cooking
Audi A4, which it also out-rides. It
is thoroughly fit for its purpose and
there is much to admire about that.
O The D4 engine features two
turbochargers from Borg-Warner —
one small and one large.
An S60 D4 forte is
making long-haul
driving stress-free
Inevitably, factoring in bigger
BUYING AND OWNING wheels, more kit, prettier external
features and a better appointed
AAAAB interior does even out the scales –
the SE Nav car tested, weighed
For some drivers, particularly those down with options, was a fairly
with benefit-in-kind tax in mind, inconceivable £35,995 – and,
any subjective assessment of the objectively, the S60 isn’t a match for
new engine must pale next to a rigid the 320d’s handling finesse or its air
appraisal of the numbers’ spread. of sophistication. But that’s measured
Judged through this narrow prism, on our broad and highly discerning
the S60 is in a class of one. No other scale, which won’t necessarily be
premium saloon emits less than shared by the market. ◊
100g/km without the expensive help
of hybrid tech. Equally, no other close DEPRECIATION
rival can quote a combined claim
35
of 74.3mpg. In our hands, the S60 Volvo S60 D4
achieved 45.8mpg overall. 30
Volvo’s challenge is all the more
serious for its sudden determination 25
to compete aggressively on price. The BMW 320d
Value (£1000s)
20
S60’s four original trim levels were
arguably priced too closely to its 15
German rivals to conquer much of the
capitulated sales ground. Now, in a 10 Mercedes-Benz C220 CDI
guess-who-it’s-for Business Edition
5
trim and with the new four-cylinder
engine, the car is over £5k cheaper 0
than a 320d SE. That model misses New 1 year 2 years 3 years 4 years
out on some desirable items, but the O Our experts say there’s little to
essentials (DAB tuner, climate control choose between the D4 and a 320d
and cruise control) are included. three years out. Volvo buyers rejoice.
AN INJECTION OF CLEVER TECHNOLOGY
From its numerous water pumps to its parallel twin turbochargers,
there’s plenty of interesting innovation behind the class-leading
statistics that Volvo’s Drive-E diesel produces. But the engine’s single
most interesting feature is its high-pressure common-rail i-ART
injection system, supplied and developed in collaboration with Denso.
The ‘i-ART’ stands for intelligent accuracy refinement technology.
Most similar injection systems are moderated, via the ECU, using
pressure sensors located in the injection rails, but i-ART has
individual pressure sensors for each cylinder. It’s therefore capable of
much wider and more subtle combustion control than rival systems,
injecting fuel at up to 2500bar, through up to nine individual
injections per cycle, when necessary — but normally operating
with just three or four.
The upshot is that the ECU can keep much more precise and
discrete control of every individual injection phase, and every
induction and subsequent combustion stroke, that the engine
makes. In turn this creates more power, as well as a two per cent
improvement in fuel economy all on its own.
5 MARCH 2014 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 61
DATA LOG
VOLVO S60 D4 SE NAV TECHNICAL LAYOUT
On-the-road price £29,395 The new four-cylinder engine sits transversely beneath the bonnet, driving the front wheels via a six-speed manual
Price as tested £35,995 transmission. The body is a steel monocoque with MacPherson struts at the front and a multi-link set-up at the rear.
Value after 3yrs/36k miles £13,675
Contract hire pcm £417.49
Cost per mile 51p
Insurance/typical quote 27/£741

EQUIPMENT CHECKLIST
Climate control Q
Cruise control Q
Split-folding rear seats Q
Folding front passenger seat Q
8-speaker audio system with DAB
radio, Bluetooth, USB and aux-in input Q
Sensus Connect sat-nav, voice control, 68 litres
7in colour display, internet browser Q
‘Dynamic’ chassis Q
Driver Support Pack (inc. collision
warning with full auto-brake,
adaptive cruise, lane keeping assist,
active headlights, blind spot info) £1900
Winter pack & Active Bending Lights £1500
Security pack £700
Metallic paint £625
Park Assist Pilot £525
Active TFT display £350
Heated steering wheel £200 ENGINE POWER & TORQUE CHASSIS & BODY
Options in bold fitted to test car Installation Front, transverse, Construction Steel monocoque
350 350
Q = Standard na = not available front-wheel drive 295lb ft at Weight/as tested 1580kg/1620kg
Type 4 cyls in line, 1969cc, 1750-2500rpm Drag coefficient 0.28
300 300
RANGE AT A GLANCE twin-turbo, diesel Wheels 7.5Jx17in
ENGINES POWER FROM Made of Aluminium block and head 250 250 Tyres 215/50 R17,
1.6T T3 148bhp £20,550 Bore/stroke 82.0mm/93.2mm Continental
Power output (bhp)

178bhp at

Torque (lb ft)

2.0T Drive-E T6 302bhp £38,100 Compression ratio 15.8:1 200 4250rpm 200 ContiWinterContact
1.6D D2 113bhp £21,295 Valve gear 4 per cyl Spare Repair kit
150 150
2.0D D3 134bhp £21,945 Power 178bhp at 4250rpm
2.0D Drive-E D4 178bhp £23,195 Torque 295lb ft at 1750-2500rpm
100 100
TRANSMISSION
2.4D D5 212bhp £32,645 Red line 5000rpm Type 6-spd manual
Power to weight 113bhp per tonne 50 50 Ratios/mph per 1000rpm
TRANSMISSIONS Torque to weight 187lb ft per tonne 1st 3.58/5.6 2nd 2.05/9.8 3rd 1.27/15.8
Engine (rpm)
6-spd manual Q Specific output 91bhp per litre 0 0 4th 0.84/23.9 5th 0.62/32.4 6th 0.51/39.4
0 2000 4000 6000
8-spd automatic (D4 only) £1550 Final drive ratio 3.77

ECONOMY SUSPENSION BRAKES SAFETY

TEST Average 45.8mpg Front MacPherson struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar Front 300mm ventilated discs ABS, EBA, EBD, DSTC
Touring 59.1mpg Rear Multi-link, coil springs, anti-roll bar Rear 302mm solid discs Euro NCAP crash rating Not tested
Track 20.8mpg Anti-lock Standard with EBD and brake assist
CLAIMED Urban 65.7mpg STEERING EMISSIONS & TAX
Extra-urban 78.5mpg Type Electro-mechanical, speed-sensitive CABIN NOISE CO2 emissions 99g/km
Combined 74.3mpg rack and pinion Idle 47dB Max revs in third gear 71dB Tax at 20/40% pcm £69/£137
Turns lock to lock 2.8 30mph 57dB 50mph 61dB 70mph 64dB
Tank size 68 litres Turning circle 11.3m
Test range 685 miles

ACCELERATION ACCELERATION IN GEAR MAX SPEEDS IN GEAR

MPH
0-30
0-40
0-50
0-60
0-70
TIME (sec)
2.9
4.1
5.8
7.6
9.8
MPH

30-50
40-60
50-70
60-80
2nd
20-40 2.2
-
-
-
-
3rd
3.3
3.1
3.3
3.9
-
4th
6.7
4.6
4.6
4.8
5.2
5th
-
9.0
7.0
6.9
7.2
6th
-
-
10.7
9.2
9.3
28mph 79mph 143mph
5000rpm 5000rpm 4413rpm

1 3 5
£432
What this S60 will save a 40 per cent
taxpayer in benefit-in-kind tax each year,
0-80 12.7 70-90 - - 5.9 7.7 10.2 versus the equivalent manual Audi A4.
0-90 15.8 80-100 - - 6.9 8.8 11.4
0-100
0-110
0-120
0-130
0-140
0-150
20.4
25.9
-
-
-
-
90-110
100-120 -
110-130
120-140 -
130-150 -
140-160 -
-

-
-
-
-
-
-
-
9.4
-
-
-
-
-
10.4
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
2 4
49mph 120mph 143mph*
5000rpm 5000rpm 3630rpm
6

*claimed
4.0%
The S60’s improvement in our touring
economy test over the BMW 320d tested
0-160 - RPM in 6th @ 70/80mph = 1777/2031 in 2012. That’s 2.3mpg. But a win is a win.
THE SMALL PRINT Power-to-weight and torque-to-weight figures are calculated using manufacturer’s claimed kerb weight. © 2014, Haymarket
Media Group Ltd. Test results may not be reproduced without editor’s written permission. For information on the S60, contact Volvo Car UK
Ltd, Scandinavia House, Norreys Drive, Maidenhead SL6 4FJ (01628 422522, volvocars.com/uk). Cost-per-mile figures calculated over three
years/36,000 miles, including depreciation and maintenance but not insurance; Lex Autolease (0800 389 3690). Insurance quote covers
ROAD TEST
35-year-old professional male with clean licence and full no-claims bonus living in Swindon. Quote from Liverpool Victoria (0800 066 5161,
lv.com). Contract hire figure based on a three-year lease/36,000-mile contract including maintenance; Wessex Fleet Solutions (01722 322888). Read all of our road tests autocar.co.uk

62 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 5 MARCH 2014

 ROAD TEST No 5155
Volvo S60
TESTERS’ NOTES

MATT
PRIOR
Still not a fan

AUTOCAR VERDICT AAAAC of electric

parking
brakes, but the twin
Outstanding powerplant lifts this competent and capable junior exec cupholders on the
console and a big cubby
between the seats make
a compelling argument
against a manual lever.

MATT
SAUNDERS
The boot has a
flip-up divider
with an elastic
strap to keep shopping
secure. I would rather
that there was a spare
wheel in there, too, mind.

SPEC ADVICE
Resist the temptation to
have an R-Design spec
and don’t be afraid to try
an auto, since it doesn’t
hamstring economy
too much. SE Lux is the
trim to go for, giving you
t’s unusual for us to road test a car whose stand-out feature is not a new body or structure leather upholstery and

I but solely what sits beneath its bonnet. However, the S60 is an exception that, as it turns out,
has proved worthy in every way imaginable: it’s more frugal, quicker and quieter than the
previous stand-out powertrain in this class, which is a cracking result for this new engine and
bodes remarkably well for Volvo’s upcoming powerplants.
It’s mated to a car that remains as likeable as ever. Small updates since its launch have
plenty to play with.

JOBS FOR
THE FACELIFT
O Better DAB radio
reception, please,
O Make the multimedia
controls more intuitive.
maintained the S60’s competitiveness, and although it’s far from the most dynamically O Offer the space-saver
rewarding car in the class, it’s a remarkably easy one with which to rub along. Given that’s what spare wheel as a no-cost
most company car drivers want, the S60 – with low noise levels, comfortable seats, agreeable option: that’d be a classic
practical Volvo touch.
dynamics and, now, a world-class engine – makes a compelling case for itself.

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

TOP 5
MAKE BMW MERCEDES-BENZ VOLVO AUDI VOLKSWAGEN
Model 320d SE Business Media C220 CDI Executive SE S60 D4 SE Nav A4 2.0 TDI 177 SE Technik CC 2.0 TDI 177 GT BMT
Price £29,400 £28,970 £29,395 £28,900 £29,395
Power 181bhp at 4000rpm 168bhp at 3000-4200rpm 178bhp at 4250rpm 175bhp at 4200rpm 175bhp at 4200rpm
Torque 280lb ft at 1750-2750rpm 295lb ft at 1400-2800rpm 295lb ft at 1750-2500rpm 280lb ft at 1750-2500rpm 280lb ft at 1750rpm
0-60mph 7.7sec 8.1sec (claimed, to 62mph) 7.6sec 8.2sec (claimed, to 62mph) 8.4sec (claimed, to 62mph)
Top speed (claimed) 146mph 144mph 143mph 143mph 141mph
Fuel economy (combined) 61.4mpg 68.9mpg 74.3mpg 61.4mpg 58.9mpg
Kerb weight (claimed) 1495kg 1600kg 1580kg 1480kg 1565kg
CO2/tax band 120g/km, 18 per cent 109g/km, 16 per cent 99g/km, 14 per cent 120g/km, 18 per cent 125g/km, 20 per cent
As close to the perfect compact Still very appealing, even in old A good car becomes a proper More mobile office pod than Handsome, posh Passat isn’t
exec as makes no difference. age. Comfy and easy to use. contender. Refined, economical, anything else. Classy, great to quite as competitive as it once
Verdicts on every Frugal and fine-handling. Cheap to lease at the moment. albeit a bit ordinary to drive. spend time in, but lacks soul. was. First among alternatives.
new car, p80 +++++ ++++C ++++C +++BC +++BC

5 MARCH 2014 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 63

YOUR VIEWS
LETTER OF THE WEEK
CELL RESEARCH
I’m very impressed with your growing
enthusiasm for electric cars, particularly
range extenders such as the BMW i3 you
road tested in your 22 January issue.
As you strongly recommend, the
range extender is almost essential for
most potential i3 buyers. But it could also
FUELLISH THINGS
Come on guys, it isn’t 1 April yet, is
it? Your 12 February issue contained
reports on an Audi running on seawater
and a tilting Mercedes-Benz.
Talk about a double take.
Dusty Miller
Upper Layham, Suffolk
TO THE POWER OF NINE
I have read with interest recent letters
about nine-speed automatic gearboxes.
Modern trucks have about 14bhp per
tonne and 44-tonne gross train weights.
This enables them to travel at their
legal EU speed limit of 90kph (56mph)
at 1800rpm on a level piece of road and
achieve about 10mpg.
A truck’s four-speed gearbox usually
64 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 5 MARCH 2014
Write to Autocar, Teddington Studios, Broom Road,
Teddington TW11 9BE or email autocar@haymarket.com
be summarised as the ‘10 per cent’ option:
plus 10 per cent on cost and weight over
the electric-only i3, minus 10 per cent on
0-62mph performance.
This ‘10 per cent scenario’ seems a
very reasonable compromise at this
point in time. An even more desirable
has a splitter for overdrive and a low
range for hill starts. Four times two
times two equals 16 speeds.
Cars with about 100bhp per tonne
have nine-speed automatics for the same
reason that city traders earn more than
£500,000: because they can!
Terry Laremore
Wimbledon
CRISIS, WHAT CRISIS?
In Joe Saward’s recent article on the
Renault F1 engine troubles during
pre-season testing, the word ‘issue’
appears seven times, and the word
‘problem’ eight times. I bet Mark Webber
is having a giggle.
Andrew Stronach
Via email
The Jag and Aston,
despite appearances,
are brand new models
next stage could be a fuel cell range
extender. Cost is obviously the big issue,,
but aiming for a small unit might be the
way in and make this the ‘must-have’
option for electric cars.
Mr F Pain
Whitstable, Kent
Renault has had ‘issues’ with its F1 engine
STRAPPED IN
I really enjoyed Steve Sutcliffe’s
brilliant piece on the Jaguar XKR-S
versus the Aston Martin V12 Vantage
S (‘Something to shout about’, 29
January), but I have a question.
Steve twice mentioned the Jaguar’s
‘cumbersome’ four-point harness
being hard to live with day to day,
but the accompanying photo shows a
standard three-point seatbelt hanging
next to the seat. Did he just not spot the
conventional belt in all the excitement?
Neil Grocock
Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire
The photo showed the passenger seat,
which retains the standard belt option.
The driver only gets the full harness — SS
HOW NEW IS NEW?
I am a lover of cars, Autocar and of my
homeland, and if there is a chance to
applaud British achievement in any
sector then I am at the front of the
WIN
Letter of the week wins a selection
of car care products from
Car-Skin worth over £65.
pro-valets.co.uk
flag-waving queue. However, when my
Autocar lands on the doormat proudly
announcing a head-to-head between the
‘Extreme new Jag’ and the ‘New Aston
V12’, my heart sinks a little and I find
myself wondering if the definition of the
word ‘new’ has been tinkered with while
I wasn’t looking.
While I am a devoted buyer and
owner of British cars and all in favour of
supporting our home-grown (or at least
home-assembled) marques, aren’t these
two variants rather long in the tooth to
be worthy of front-page headlines? I
presume it was a quiet week. I hope
future issues are busier, lest we all have
to praise Aston Martin/Jaguar for
changing a bulb wattage in their
headlights and announcing the |
arrival of an ‘all-new DB9’.
MAC Fitzpatrick
Warwickshire
Although the base cars might be
established, the derivatives tested
were both relatively fresh and therefore
worthy of assessment — MB
JUST BOOTIFUL
I read the review of the new Porsche
Macan Turbo (First drives, 12 February)
because I have put down a deposit on
a new S Diesel version of the SUV.
Under one of the pictures you say that
the boot has 40 litres more than an Audi
Q5, but on another bit it states the Q5
has 40 litres more. Not that it matters,

Goodwin’s Email to the management
Dear Ulrich,
To: Ulrich Bez, non-executive chairman, Aston Martin
Subject: Your successor
I BELIEVE THAT Aston Martin is
having a bit of trouble finding a new
CEO and that a couple of experienced
industry execs were offered the job
but turned it down. I can’t imagine
who would do such a thing. I’d
understand if the job had come up
before the engine agreement with
Mercedes-Benz was drawn up, but
now that the problem of how to source
a new generation of powertrains has
been solved, the elephant has been
released from the room.
Perhaps the applicants didn’t think
the money was good enough. Perhaps,
but the perks can’t be inconsiderable.
Smoking around in an Aston for
one. Anyway, if you still haven’t got
anyone sorted, I’d like to put myself
forward. I haven’t been for a job
interview since 1987 so I’m likely to
be a bit rusty and my suit dates from
around the same time, but then Aston
Martin should appreciate patina.
The CV might be more of a
challenge than the dress code, but
then you don’t want to know that I
GOT ANY SUGGESTIONS? Contact Colin at colin.goodwin@autocar.co.uk
Ariel excelled in
Stephen’s ‘mystery
shopper’ exercise
but which one is it?
Also, the article said there is a Diesel,
an S Diesel and a Turbo – surely it should
have read S (petrol), S Diesel and Turbo?
Adam Carnall
Via email
You’re right on both counts Adam. The
Audi Q5’s boot is 540 litres, with the
Macan’s at 500 litres — MB
BRAVO BEETLE
I would like to have a new Volkswagen
Beetle to complement my 1969 model,
but they are too expensive. How about
a smaller Beetle based on the Up/Citigo/
Mii chassis? It could be cheaper and
Colin would fit
right in here,
don’t you think?
spent the summer of 1979 working on
a farm with a cross-dressing judge and
several stoned graduates. It might be
better to focus on my recent career.
You do pick up an amazing amount
just watching from the sidelines,
especially watching others’ mistakes.
For example, Jaguar, until Tata came
along, was probably the worst-managed
car company of recent years. The
X-type was a blunder and so was not
building a Boxster rival. I saw all this
undercut the price of the Fiat 500.
The same goes for Mini. How
about a model that’s more similar to
the size of the original car, but which can
still accommodate four people?
Grant Pyke
Via email
MIDAS TOUCH
I enjoyed your article on Mini’s greatest
hits (5 February), but where was the
successor to the Mini Marcos, the Mini-
based Midas, created by Harold Dermott
and Richard Oakes? Amazingly, it’s still
available, albeit with Metro components.
I wonder if new BMW Mini components,
LETTERS
NEXT
WEEK
INSIDE THE MAGAZINE
On sale 12 March
happening and knew it was madness.
Oh, and then there was the Jaguar
F1 nonsense. I can’t imagine I’d have
done a worse job of it than that.
Anyway, I’m available for an FIRST VERDICT
interview. One thing though, I can’t Mercedes-Benz C-class
work Fridays. If the weather’s good We get behind the wheel of the
that’s the day I like to go flying. new high-tech, high-luxury saloon.
Yours sincerely,
C Goodwin
such as a three-cylinder engine, could be
made to fit? With about 800kg to haul, it
could be interesting. DRIVING LESSONS
Donald MacKay How to drift like Ken Block
Inverness Sutters climbs alongside the king
of drifts for some up-close tuition.
ARIEL’S GREAT RECEPTION
I recently had an afternoon on the
phone calling various sports car
manufacturers. I am looking for a fun,
fast car, perhaps to do some track-days,
although I’m a bit of a novice, so phoned
some main dealers and various smaller
UK manufacturers for information.
The response was pretty mediocre.
The afternoon went as follows: one
answerphone (Lotus dealer), one call INSIGHT
back that never happened (Porsche), one F1 season preview
not answered at all (BAC) and what felt Can Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes
like disinterest from others make the most of their test pace?
The reason for writing is to highlight
a ray of bright light, which was a call
to Ariel about an Atom. I got straight
through to someone who knew what
they were talking about and who
knowledgeably discussed my wishes
CONTENTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE
in detail and with enthusiasm.
It’s nice to know that there are still
old-fashioned levels of service as well as
people who are genuinely interested in
what they do and what customers want. NEWS, OPINION, PICTURES
It looks as though I’ll be joining the Geneva motor show
Atom family later this year. I can’t wait. All the biggest stories and hot new
Stephen Vincent models fresh from the show floor.
Via email
5 MARCH 2014 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 65
OUR CARS
A week in the life of Autocar’s fleet
Jaguar F-type
MILEAGE | 14,407 Winter-friendly options are
earning their keep just now, but we may regret
not having fitted wipers to the side windows
ideways Challenge is back. At least,
S it will be, on these pages in a few
weeks. It’ll be a bit like the old days
where we name a most sideways
driver, but also a most sideways car. And
you don’t plan a feature like that without
a Jaguar involved.
So even though the last time that we
planned a track feature with this Jaguar
the engine detonated itself and needed
replacing (Jaguar now tells us that there
is no way of knowing what broke, but all
indication at the time pointed to a head
gasket), the long-term F-type has been
getting sideways. And that’s something
at which it is extremely adept.
You’d expect nothing else, I suppose.
The front-engine, rear-drive layout and
claimed 50 per cent front, 50 per cent
rear weight balance is the kind of set-up
66 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 5 MARCH 2014
AUDI
RS4
Allan Muir
CITROEN
C4 PICASSO
Stuart Milne
DACIA
SANDERO
Jim Holder
FORD
FIESTA ST
Gary Lord
JAGUAR
F-TYPE
Matt Prior
KIA
PROCEE’D
Richard Bremner
MAZDA
6
Lewis Kingston
MERCEDES
A45 AMG
Steve Sutcliffe
from which sideways dreams are made,
The F-type’s engine gives itself a little rev
especially when you factor in the V6 S’s
mechanical limited-slip differential.
The base V6 model has an open
differential, and the more powerful V8 S
has an electronically controlled diff that
on start-up with its exhaust in angriest
mode, thus announcing itself to the world
takes a fraction longer to hook up (and
would add about 15kg to the rear of this starting to look a touch worn. We’re smeary when you try to clean it, and if
car, thus affecting the balance). The going to try Dunlops next (also original it’s dirty, it can look a touch flat.
V6 S, then, sits in the Goldilocks zone. equipment) and see how we get on. Trouble is, with an F, there isn’t a
More detail later in March when the The drifting is the sort of activity, on huge choice of colours, Of the 12 on
feature runs, but I will tell you that the type of surface, that makes cars offer, seven are along the greyscale:
the F-type went out, and returned, absolutely filthy, so the F has since one white, one silver, two greys and
from Oulton Park’s rally stages with been lovingly washed by yours truly, three different blacks. Then there are
everything intact. whereupon I concluded that I think I was three reds/orange, one green (British
Thanks to a diligent surface choice, right about this colour: I’m happy with it racing) and only one blue (this one). A
even using the F as a guinea pig while and it looks excellent when clean and in pity, I think. The coupé is the same, too;
we were setting-up our data-logging bright sunshine (some hope), where the although on the online configurator, at
hardware, the Pirelli tyres have come strong metallic content shines through. least, it suits the dark blue rather less to
away intact. Even so, the rears are But like many dark colours, it can get my eyes. It wants a racier colour.
 OUR CARS
MERCEDES MG MORGAN RANGE ROVER RENAULT RENAULT SKODA TOYOTA VAUXHALL BMW LANCIA LAND ROVER MAZDA PORSCHE

USED CARS
CLS SHOOTING 6 PLUS 8 TDV6 CLIO ZOE OCTAVIA AURIS ADAM 728i DELTA DEFENDER MX-5 911 TURBO
BRAKE INTEGRALE

Andrew Frankel Steve Cropley Jim Holder Steve Cropley Darren Moss Jim Holder Hilton Holloway Matt Burt Mark Tisshaw James Ruppert Lewis Kingston Matt Prior Lewis Kingston Jesse Crosse

V6 S was an ideal
participant in our
Sideways Challenge

EXHAUST
I like the crackle on start-up, even
if I am going to have to move
house to enjoy it guilt-free.

ALLOY WHEELS
Not the easiest to clean, but I think
these Turbine alloys are some of the
best-looking wheels in the world.

No, there’s no dual-zone climate control but the seats and the steering wheel are heated
HOOD IN OPERATION
The hood operates up to 30mph so
you can drop it in urban areas on a
whim to hear the ’zorst. Excellent.

LOVE IT
LOATHE IT
Sideways Challenge
hasn’t helped; next
up we’ll try Dunlops

The current iffy weather has brought
a couple of things to the fore: heated
seats and a heated steering wheel.
Normally, I’m a fan of an Alcantara-
trimmed wheel and would pick one
over any other finish, but the ability to
keep your hands toasty of a morning
is a godsend. Slightly confusingly,
meanwhile, the cabin features two
temperature dials even though dual-
zone climate control is an (unfitted)
£350 option. The heated seat control is
on the same dials, so the interior temp
gauges just both read the same. This
winter-friendly F-type also has a heated
windscreen, specifying which at £1350
is part of a visibility pack that includes
auto headlights and wipers. Throw all
of those things together, though, and
you’ve a car that is welcoming even on
the coldest and greyest of mornings.
Less welcoming for neighbours,
mind, because the engine gives itself a
little rev on start-up with its exhaust in
angriest mode, thus announcing its
awakening to the world. It’s a nice touch,
but I wish it were switchable, or bright
enough to realise that, if you’re starting
it at 5.30am, not everyone in the vicinity
wants to know about it. An industry
colleague raised a decent point the other
day, too: these revvy start-up rituals are
all very well, but for those of us instructed
not to rev cars until the oil has circulated
a bit, is it bad for the engine?
I suspect that the revs don’t rise high
enough to give any great concern — I
will make a note the next time that I do a
cold start of how many revs are applied
— but it’s an interesting point. (Requiring
a third engine would be careless.)
Anyway, for now, all is well. Does
the Jaguar go sideways? Yes, quite a AUTO GEARLEVER
long way. Full details in a few weeks.
matt.prior@autocar.co.uk LOATHE IT
You must have your foot on the
brake and pull the trigger to select
drive. One or the other would do it.
Jaguar F-type V6 S
Price £67,500 Price as tested £77,265 Options
Metallic paint £700, 20in turbine wheel £1000,
contrast stitch seats £2445, Meridian sound
system £1700, camel carpet £350, heated
steering wheel £250, configurable dynamic
mode £400, heated seats £350, heated
windscreen £250, auto dim/fold mirrors with
puddle lights £450, xenon headlights £615 AUTO ENGINE STOP
Mileage 14,407 Economy 27.6mpg Still catches me out. I go to switch
Faults Engine replacement (fixed under it off but it has already turned itself
warranty) Expenses None off and I fire it up again…

5 MARCH 2014 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 67


Renault Clio RS 200
Mileage | 9128 Would vital, early rush-hour business highlight its strengths or its flaws?
ou might remember my colleague
Y Hilton Holloway referring to our
Renault Clio RS 200 as “the
ultimate urban supercar” a few
weeks back. Until now, I’ve not been sold
on the idea. How can the Clio, with its
oft-slow auto transmission and lunging
throttle response, possibly be a better
car about town than other hot hatches,
our own Ford Fiesta ST included?
I’ll admit, right now, to being a convert
in favour of the Clio. Last week, I was
involved in some amateur dramatics
at a local theatre, meaning that I had
to sprint to the venue from Autocar’s
Teddington offices just minutes before
the rush-hour traffic began.
Strangely, this is where the Clio
came into its own, dodging and weaving
through the free-flowing urban traffic
and laying down all 197bhp from its
Morgan Plus 8
Mileage 11,617
You’ll have noticed that it has been
raining of late. Quite a lot. You may
also have noticed the Morgan’s fabric
roof arrangement. Bitter experience
is telling me that these two things are
only compatible if you align the roof’s
sealing system very carefully.
The dials are easy to read at a glance and those paddle shifters come in very handy
If you don’t, you are liable to open
the door and find a large puddle where
you’d normally find a door sill. This
manifests itself most often on the
passenger side — and, I suspect, within
that statement lies the root of both the
problem and, probably, the solution.
To make the door weather-proof,
The Clio RS 200
doesn’t play to its
strengths in traffic
you see, requires a familiarity with
the dark arts of Morgan. For other
car makers, such a ritual would be
considered ridiculous. For a car such
as this, it is unquestionably charming…
right up until the point where you plant
your backside in the puddle.
To close the door correctly, you must
align the first fabric lip, then the partially
opened door, and then the second fabric
lip. Sounds simple, but all this must be
done with the door slightly ajar. You
then need to firmly shut the door while
balancing the fabric lips, and taking care
not to shut your fingers in the door.
Do it several times and it soon
becomes second nature. Do it only
occasionally — as passengers are prone
to doing — and you’ll fluff it and pay the
price, either in the form of sore fingers
at the time or the appearance of a small
in-car lake the next day. Or, as one of
the Autocar clan attempted, at the cost
of sticking a rag in the window surround
to catch incoming water as you drive
along, thinking (incorrectly) that there
was a fault. This is neither an elegant way
OUR CARS
RS button unlocks this car’s potential
1.6-litre turbocharged engine. Although
the Clio feels lumbered down in stop-
start traffic, it’s a different car entirely
when the roads are clear. With the engine
finally given some breathing space, it
flew along the back roads to the theatre.
The EDC transmission’s oddly judged
ratios continue to baffle me, but I’m at
least learning when to switch to manual
mode and use the column-mounted
paddle shifts to take over.
Plus there’s the Renaultsport button
on the centre console. Press it and the
real potential of the Clio is realised. Its
throttle response seems sharper, its
soundtrack louder. Arguably, the Clio
in RS mode is how the car should
come as standard.
The overly firm ride occasionally
meant avoiding the larger speed humps
and potholes, but a combination of quick
and accurate steering, decent brakes
and plentiful power meant that the Clio
got me to the theatre on time all week.
When I did arrive, just as the rush-hour
traffic started to build, the Clio continued
to receive admiring glances from the rest
of the cast. Say what you like about its
styling and colour, but to me this is still
a cool car to be seen in. Perhaps ‘urban
supercar’ is the right way to describe the
Clio RS 200 after all.
darren.moss@autocar.co.uk
Renault Clio RS 200 Turbo EDC Lux
Price £19,995 Price as tested £22,055
Economy 34.6mpg Faults None
Expenses None Last seen 5.2.14
to travel nor a particularly pleasant
one, as the rag opened up a gap and
allowed cold air to rush in, too.
Still, you live and you learn. And
if you learn, you gain access to a
privileged club. You’re not just a
Morgan owner — you’re one who
knows how to open and close a
Plus 8’s door in the correct fashion.
jim.holder @ autocar.co.uk
Morgan Plus 8
Price £85,200 Price as tested £91,722
Economy tbc Faults Recurring engine
warning light, roof popper adrift twice
Expenses None Last seen 25.12.13
Ditch that: just close the door properly
5 MARCH 2014 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 69
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Lancia Delta Integrale
Mileage | 101,761 The Integrale gets a hefty and timely dose of anti-corrosion treatment
here’s nothing like a good bit
T of preventative maintenance,
especially if you’re running a car
like a Lancia. With my intention
being to use the Integrale all year round,
it was vital to ensure that it was suitably
protected. If I didn’t care for it now,
while the roads were at their worst,
there was the chance that I could set
myself up for a costly rust-related fall
later down the line.
The Lancia has survived for this long,
so one winter probably wouldn’t actually
change its condition that dramatically.
However, I wanted to err on the side of
caution, for my sanity’s sake.
Fortunately, my Integrale had already
proven to be watertight. Repeated hefty
downpours and being sat static for days
at a time had revealed no unpleasantly
damp carpets or ominous drips. That
meant corrosion wouldn’t start from
the inside, at least. Underneath, on the
other hand, some of the old anti-rust
protection had degraded — and there was
light surface rust in places.
As time was of the essence, and
because I figured that it’d cost a fair
chunk to buy the materials and tools
to do it myself, I set out to find a
company to deal with it. My search led
me to Rustbuster, based in the UK’s
Rustproofing took six and a half hours and cost £360
The Delta was mostly rust-free underneath and the treatment should keep it that way
longest village, Deeping St Nicholas,
Lincolnshire. They used products I liked
and quoted £360 to comprehensively
winterise my Lancia. It sounded a
reasonable price, so I booked the car in.
You might think that it seems a bit
expensive for some scrubbing and
spraying, but the process was much
more involved than that. First, they
steam-cleaned the Lancia with a
treatment that drew out any road salt,
and then dried it with infrared heaters.
The wheels and plastic
underbody guards were then
removed, allowing for proper
inspection of the underside.
This revealed that the
Integrale was remarkably
clean underneath and not
hiding anything unpleasant.
Consequently, they could
move straight on to stripping
away any old coatings
before treating all the
exposed surfaces with a rust
converter. This would stop
the chemical processes that
turns good metal into bad.
Next, the car’s chassis cavities were
comprehensively injected with anti-
corrosion wax, ensuring that the inner
structure was properly protected. The
underside was then thoroughly sprayed
with a similar wax, sealing the Lancia’s
exposed underbelly and giving it a smart,
uniform appearance.
The trim and wheels were then
refitted and the car given a final once-
over and wax. The process took six and
a half hours from start to finish. For
peace of mind alone, it was well worth
the time and expense.
It was also pointed out to me that the
treatment could be beneficial to modern
cars. Reputedly, rust can still be a problem
after several years on the road. If you’re
looking to maintain your car to the best
standard, it might be worth considering.
lewis.kingston@autocar.co.uk
Lancia Delta HF Integrale 8v
Price (1988) £15,862 Price now £6200
Options Sports exhaust, upgraded silicone hoses
Economy 19.5mpg Faults Minor engine oil leak
Expenses £360 for rustproofing Last seen 5.2.14
OUR CARS
THE LOG BOOK
Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG
Mileage 9900 Last seen 5.2.14
The A45 has been attacked twice in
the past few weeks. The first was by
a clumsily opened door, I presume,
which resulted in a small dent on the
right rear wheelarch, and the second
was by a stone that clouted the
windscreen and caused a great big
crack. Both will be fixed as soon as
the car comes back from Mercedes,
complete with new aero kit in situ. SS
Vauxhall Adam
Mileage 7981 Last seen 12.2.14
The Adam is not just customisable at
the point of purchase. You can keep
on tweaking the design. So I’ve been
flicking through the Adam accessory
brochure to see what I can do to my
car, the choices ranging from a new
set of colourful alloys to some racing
stripes, via a VXR bodykit and even a
whole new colour for the dashboard
fascia. Decisions, decisions. MT
Mazda 6
Mileage 17,702 Last seen 12.2.14
On the left, the Mazda 6. On the right,
the Infiniti Q50. At least, I thought,
that’s what someone might think if
you covered up the grilles. Japanese
designers seem to have hit on what
they perceive as a popular look in
Europe. Consequently, these saloons
look remarkably similar. Given the
Infiniti’s average road test result and
£32k price, I’ll stick with the 6. SP
5 MARCH 2014 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 71
 DEALS
ENGINE
The A3 came with everything from
a 1.6-litre petrol to a 3.2-litre V6.
The diesels — 1.9 and 2.0 TDI — were
TRANSMISSION
Bargain new
and used motors

There are lots of horror stories about the

the most popular. The 1.9 TDI is the
more robust unit, but the 2.0 TDI’s
performance is significantly better.
dual-clutch automatics, but they’re not
as unreliable as internet forums suggest.
CHASSIS
Little goes wrong with suspension,
but any wandering or instability
under acceleration or braking
Keep it serviced — oil changes every 40k points to worn front suspension
miles. Any issues with the mechatronic bushes or problems with the front
unit can be repaired for as little as £100. wishbones. It’s cheap to fix, though.

AUDI A3 (8P) FROM £2000

Quality will out

Audi’s premium allure makes the A3 a smart used buy — and prices start at £2k. Kyle Fortune reports

quality hatch that leads its class: A3’s styling has stood the car in good TDI. The more powerful, and complex, Petrol engines aren’t free from issues,

A that’s what Autocar said in June

2003 when Audi’s latest A3 was
tested. Generic, rather safe styling
aside, Audi’s hatchback impressed and
promised buyers excellent residual
values to offset its slightly higher price.
Back then, you could have expected
to keep 60 per cent of its value after
three years although now, some 11 years
after its initial launch, the A3 can be
picked up for the price that a leather
interior, xenon headlights and 17-inch
alloy wheels would have cost you from
the options list when new. That’s about
£2000, so this Audi represents a lot
of premium-badged hatchback for not
much money.
Audi’s conservative approach to the
stead today. The earliest examples
might have entered their second decade,
but the A3’s shape still looks fresh and
classy. The interiors stand up to a fair bit
of abuse, too, and that famed Audi build
quality means that everything should
still work, even after all this time.
Mechanically, they’ve proven sound.
Kamil Kaluzny, chief mechanic at
audi-specialists.co.uk (01223 654500),
says that very little goes wrong with
them. Keep up with routine maintenance
— a 10,000-mile/annual service costs
£170 and a 20,000-mile service about
£340 —and it should be reliable.
Kaluzny says the 1.9-litre TDI is
bomb-proof although he prefers the
performance on offer from the 2.0
engine does bring more problems with
it, however. The high-pressure injection
system is prone to fouling with engine oil
which gets in via the fuel pressure pump.
A a replacement costs £240 before
fitting. The 2.0 TDI’s turbo can fail, too,
and the valves in the manifold can stick
open, causing overboosting and pttting
the car in limp-home mode. If oil does get
into the fuel system, it can also block the
injectors — and the fuel system is tricky
to clean once oil has got into it.
Despite the horror stories, however,
Kaluzny is quick to point out that
although the 2.0 TDI does occasionally
suffer from such problems, there are lots
of them and not all are affected. It’s still
the engine he’d choose.
either. The heads are prone to sooting
up with deposits, causing valves to
stick open, misfiring and poor running.
Kaluzny suggests that cheaper fuels are
the culprit and says that it’s a relatively
straightforward fix, requiring a few
hours’ labour removing, cleaning and
refitting the manifolds.
With both the petrols and diesels,
Kaluzny recommends occasional use
of a good-quality fuel additive/cleaner.
He says that all A3s will benefit from
this, as well as some occasional hard use
and longer runs to get the engine up to
optimum temperature, in order to keep
it running well.
The A3 range is extensive. The three-
door hatch was introduced in 2003

72 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 5 MARCH 2014

 USED CAR EXPERT NEW CAR EXPERT DATA EXPERT

USED BUYING GUIDE

James Ruppert Lewis Kingston Nic Cackett
Which secondhand examples New VW Amarok or used Our data custodian keeps his
of modern takes on old classics Vauxhall VXR8 Maloo? Keep eye on the new car line-ups
take our man’s fancy? p76 on trucking for £32k p79 and Top Five rankings p80

CABIN
Hard wearing and well built, with no
real areas of concern. Any missing
digital pixels on the console and
instrument displays can be easily
repaired by specialist companies,
with prices starting at about £60.

The A3’s cabin is

standing the test
of time very well

What to look out for

WHEELS, TYRES
AND BODYWORK
The bodywork should be free of
blemishes. Any corrosion points
to poor accident damage repairs.
Check bumpers for any cracks or
scrapes from parking knocks. Alloy
wheels are cheap to refurbish.
The earliest examples have entered
their second decade, but the A3’s
shape still looks fresh and classy
and the five-door Sportback arrived
a year after. There’s also a cabriolet,
quattro four-wheel-drive models and
range-topping S3 and RS3 models. (A
separate used buying guide for the S3
was published in Autocar on 30 October
2013.) Taking those S and RS range-
toppers and the cabriolet out of the mix
leaves 70,931 three-door hatchbacks
to choose from and 158,940 five-door
Sportbacks in the UK — Audi’s hatchback
is evidently a popular one. That does
cover a production run that lastet from
2003 until 2013, the A3 getting a fairly
BRAKES
They should need nothing more than
routine servicing and replacement.
A set of front brake pads costs about
£100 fitted. Add new front discs and
you’ll pay just over double that. Rear
pads are £100 fitted, and new rear
discs and pads cost £170.
extensive facelift in 2008, with revisions
to the powertrains increasing economy
and reducing emissions.
Quattro four-wheel-drives are
relatively rare and require additional
servicing. The Haldex coupling needs
an oil and filter change every 40,000
miles at a cost of about £120. Those with
the optional DSG dual-clutch automatic
transmission require oil and filter
changes at the same interval at a sightly
dearer £150 or so. A cambelt change
on a petrol costs £400, and it’s £500
on a diesel engine. It’s worthwhile ◊
Any misfiring or hesitation in acceleration with the petrol
engines can be a result of coking up of the valves — usually
caused by cheap fuel. It can be cleaned, although it requires the
manifolds to be removed to do so.
Steering racks can fail. If the steering is heavy or inconsistent in
its weighting, have it checked out. If it fails, every warning light
on the dashboard will light up, too.
Listen for any hissing or siren-like sounds when driving the 2.0
TDI. If you hear any, it’s related to either the turbo or sticking
flaps in the manifold. Any excess boost will cause it to shut down
to limp-home mode.
Check that the air conditioning works well — many people skimp
on regular servicing. A recharge for it costs about £45. It’s also
worth a deodorise and bacteria purge occasionally, at about
£35, to have it working perfectly.
If the ABS light stays on, there’s a fault with the brake pressure
sensor. It’s a known problem on Volkswagen Group models and a
relatively straightforward fix. The parts cost £144 and it should
take about two and a half hours to fit.
Some 2.0 TDI
engines can be
problematic

5 MARCH 2014 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 73

 DEALS

USED BUYING GUIDE

The A3 handles
in a tidy and ONES WE FOUND
safe manner

Price £2250 (2003, 211,000 miles)

A3 2.0 TDI SE with high mileage but
full service history. Aftermarket
stereo and sat-nav system. Good
condition throughout, HPI clear, six
months’ tax and 12 months’ MOT.
Call 07780 966885

Head to autocar.co.uk
for more used car
buying advice
Δ spending an extra £50 at the time of
their fitting to replace the water pump.
The rare 3.2-litre V6 will cost you
more on servicing, and its more
prodigious thirst will add to your daily
running costs. It sounds good, but it’ll
wear through brakes quicker, too, so the
2.0-litre turbocharged petrol is a better
all-round proposition if you’re after a
fast A3 that’s not a diesel or one of the S
or RS models. Sport versions came with
stiffer suspension, which does little for
the ride comfort, so the SE models are
a more desirable purchase if you value
less compromised suspension.
Electrical problems are unusual,
although the engine’s two fans do
sometimes cause problems. One drives
air for the engine’s radiator and the
other cools the compressor and pump
for the air-con. The controller for the
fans can fail, leading to the smaller
air-con one not operating and the main
fan remaining on. If the fan’s running
a lot and the battery is going flat, it’s
worth investigating. Other known faults
Price £2699 (2002, 96,543 miles)
Blue A3 Sportback with a 2.0 FSI
petrol engine in Sport trim. Part-
leather interior, climate control,
include a problematic brake pressure
manual ’box, sports front seats and
sensor, which causes the ABS warning
full service history. MOT until April.
light to glow in the instrument binnacle.
Call 07841 429243
It’s common across Volkswagen Group
cars and will cost about £400 to repair.
Buy the latest and most
comprehensively maintained car that
you can find and it should serve you
well. Plentiful choice means that you
can afford to be picky, too. The A3 is
an attractive used buy that’s decent to
drive and prestigious. Indeed, it could
Price £2995 (2004, 155,000 miles)
just be the best £2000 you spend. L
Silver 2.0 TDI Sport manual
three-door. HPI clear, three months’

What we said then Test date | 4.6.03

warranty and full service history.
Electronic climate control and alloy
Look beyond the staid appearance and you will find a capable, comfortable and classy hatch wheels. Good condition throughout.
Call 07970 686809
Design and engineering
‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’ Those words must have
rung around the A3 design office during the new car’s
conception. The horizontally split grille and the headlight
shape reference the A4. The A3 uses the same platform
as the Mk5 Volkswagen Golf.

Interior
For many, the appeal of the A3 lies in its well crafted
cabin. Bury yourself in the low-mounted driver’s seat
and a generic Volkswagen Group binnacle faces you.
However, apart from the four TT-style air vents, the bland
dashboard doesn’t distinguish itself from cheaper brands in
the group, although the quality is impressive.
Performance
Although our 0-60mph of 9.2sec and top speed of 121mph are
nothing special and beaten by the BMW 320d and Volkswagen
Golf TDI 150, the in-gear times show where the A3 TDI excels:
a 50-70mph time in top gear of 9.1sec and fourth gear of
5.6sec make full use of the engine’s maximum torque.
Ride and handling
Audi’s engineers have benchmarked the Ford Focus’s chassis
for the A3. The ride is better than the old A3’s and the set-up
makes a decent fist of filtering out intrusions at speed. But
it still can’t rival the Ford’s terrific compliance or damper
control. Understeer is a safe and dominant trait, but it is
throttle adjustable as speed rises.
Price £2995 (2005, 124,000 miles)
A3 2.0 T FSI quattro Sport with a full
Audi dealer service history, three
months’ warranty and an MOT until
July. Black cloth interior and 17-inch
alloys also feature.
Buying and owning Call 0208 366 0094
Our touring figure of 54.1mpg compares well with Audi’s
51.4mpg on the combined cycle. Even during our strenuous
figuring session, the A3 returned an impressive 21.1mpg.
Overall fuel consumption for our test car was 37.3mpg.
Verdict
A quality hatch that leads the class.
AUDI A3 (8P) Price £3695 (2004, 89,000 miles)
Silver A3 2.0 TDI Sport. Light grey
Years produced 2003-2013 (facelifted 2008) Total made 229,871
cloth interior, air-con, electric windows
Price £19,180 Engine 4 cyls in line, 1968cc turbodiesel Power 138bhp at
and 17-inch alloy wheels. Immaculate
4000rpm Torque 236lb ft at 1750-2500rpm 0-60mph 9.2sec
bodywork. Tax and MOT until October.
0-100mph 28.6sec Top speed 121mph Fuel economy 37.3mpg
Call 07565 600277

5 MARCH 2014 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 75

 James Ruppert Used car bargains

It’s time to light

the retro rocket
Fancy a retro car on the cheap? There’s plenty of choice here from £695

hen you buy things that are old, if you want to attract

W
you usually pay less for them.
That’s the whole point of used
cars. But when there are brand-
new old-looking cars, you end up paying
the full price, which is sometimes a
premium one. A good job, then, that even
retro cars get old and end up costing a
bit less. Yes, it’s time for a retro used car
retrospective on how to look cool and/or
ridiculous behind the wheel.
One of the first of the backward-
looking cars was the new Volkswagen
Beetle. That was ages ago, though, so
you can now buy a tidy-enough 2.0-litre
example of these rebodied Golfs for
well under a grand. There are also sub-
£1k 1.6s, which are painfully slow, but
The PT Cruiser
looks quite
distinctive and
is comfortably
The PT Cruiser
attention on the cheap, is an easy-going
an old new Beetle works 1930s throwback
every time.
Estate agents love
Minis, don’t they? This
unloved trade with a
penchant for the cute
car has been flogging
us well appointed
abodes since 2001. So
strip away the logos
and that should leave
behind a fairly cheap
One, shouldn’t it? Only
trouble is that the
depreciation curve has
been appropriately mini, which is why 1930s pastiche that was the PT Cruiser. The Japanese have always got the
it’s a struggle to get anything below Actually, it looks quite distinctive whole retro thing spot on and have built
£1500. So we’ll forget about those now and is comfortably below £1000. some reassuringly bonkers models
for the time being. We’ll also skip past
Fiat because we covered the 500
For that, you’ll get an early 2000s
2.0 Touring or Limited. It is practical,
that arrive here as private imports only.
A Nissan Figaro may only be a flashy,
recently, but note that the entry point distinctive and easy to live with. convertible, automatic Micra, but it has
is still £4000-plus.
Talking of Fiat brings to mind its
Then there’s the 300C, another one
of Chrysler’s gangster-style creations
many fans. It also costs only £3000 to
£4000 to look utterly ridiculous/cool*.
supersized brand Chrysler. Chrysler has
been going down the recreation route
and generally reckoned to be a slab-
sided alternative reality recreation of a
(*Delete as appropriate.)

below £1000 with mixed results for some time. In Bentley. Those cost about £4000, which For more used car advice, go to
jamesruppert.com
the beginning, there was the confusing buys a 2006 car with a 3.5 V6 petrol.

Three that caught my eye

High-spec Beetle is a bargain
This 2000-plate Volkswagen Beetle will cost
you less than the equivalent Golf. It has covered
126,000 miles, features the desirable 2.0-litre
petrol engine and comes with air-con and heated
leather seats. The dealer wants just £695 for it.
Call 07967 729569
Modern Mini for less than £2k
There are a lot of used Minis for about two grand,
but most have issues or a moon-and-back mileage.
This 2001 Mini Cooper, however, has 94,321 miles,
no mentioned problems and an MOT until August.
It looks presentable and is up for £1885 at a dealer.
Call 07970 470989
For £4450, it’s not a Bentley
Chrysler’s 300C isn’t short of presence. Ignoring
those with tasteless Bentley badges and grilles,
you should be able to track down a usable one for
less than £5k. This tidy 2006 V6 diesel has done
almost 150k miles and is up for £4450 at a dealer.
Call 07947 413161

76 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 5 MARCH 2014

 DEALS

USED CARS
Don’t like those? Try these…

Nissan’s pint-size Pao has retro appeal

IF YOU’RE AFTER something
distinctive yet easy to live with, then
you could consider the Nissan Pao.
Launched in 1989, the Pao was a
retro-look spin-off from the popular
first-gen Micra. Power came from a
51bhp 1.0-litre four-pot and buyers
could opt for either a three-speed
auto or five-speed manual.
Besides being cheap to run, the
Volkswagen retro-inspired Nissan is moderately
Beetles can be practical. It can seat five adults (at
had for £1000
a push) and has lots of neat storage
solutions, a small footprint and a
tight turning circle.
Mechanical parts are cheap and
easy to find, and any decent garage
should be able to take care of it.
They’re not exactly commonplace,
though, so it might take some time
to track down a decent example.
You’ll see usable models around for
upwards of £2500. Really clean Paos
seem to command about £5000.

Smart Jag saloon for under £2000

And another thing… JAGUAR’S S-TYPE SALOON didn’t
receive rave reviews following its
A quick trawl of the web revealed
a particularly smart-looking 1999
I SEE THAT accessory firm Randstad is urging workshops not launch but now, with depreciation model with only 49,000 miles on the
to fall foul of the law by removing diesel particulate filters having taken its full effect, it’s a clock. It had the preferable 3.0-litre
(DPFs), but instead to revive blocked DPFs with the new worthy contender for those seeking V6 petrol engine, coupled to a five-
TerraClean cleaning a comfortable saloon with retro- speed manual ’box. Comes with a long
inspired looks. MOT and tax, too, all for £1795. For
tool. So now there’s an a luxury Jaguar saloon with
option when confronted climate control and electric
with a DPF issue: ask seats, and excellent on-road
your garage if they manners, that’s a great deal.
Electrical faults tend to be
can clean it. It could be
the real bone of contention with
a cost-effective way the S-type, so test everything
out of a potentially to make sure it works properly.
expensive problem. Parts are readily available,
Worth thinking about. though. Make sure you get a
history check on any cheap one.

CAUGHT IN THE CLASSIFIEDS More quality used cars and cherished numbers on p95 | To advertise here, call 020 8267 5706

JAGUAR B EACHAM E-TYPE 4.2 V8 SC
1971/K 3,880 miles Ice Pearl White Automatic
£145,000
01252 894790 / 07530 405122
WWW.RACINGGREENCARS.COM
JAGUAR MK II 3.8L Coombs Recreation with
Overdrive. 1959 Indigo Blue Manual.
£39,995
01252 894790 / 07530 405122
WWW.RACINGGREENCARS.COM
TVR TUSCAN 4.0L S S PEED S IX
2003/03 22,000 miles, Mystic Black Pearl.
£26,995
01252 894790 / 07530 405122
WWW.RACINGGREENCARS.COM
TVR G RIFFITH 500 SE N UMBER 32 OF 100
2001/Y, 21,200 miles, Reflex Purple.
£34,995
01252 894790 / 07530 405122
WWW.RACINGGREENCARS.COM

5 MARCH 2014 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 77

 DEALS

NEW VS USED
Lewis Kingston New vs used

NEW: £32,549 USED: £32,394

Power 178bhp Torque 310lb ft 0-62mph 11.3sec Top speed 108mph Economy 35.3 mpg Power 425bhp Torque 406lb ft 0-62mph 4.9sec Top speed 155mph Economy 21.0mpg

Volkswagen Amarok Vauxhall VXR8 Maloo

Range-topping twin-turbo diesel-powered pick-up or rip-roaring V8 curiosity?
WHAT IS IT?
Volkswagen’s rival to the likes of the Toyota Hilux and Nissan A lairy rear-drive two-seat pick-up based on Holden’s Ute and
Navara. Launched in 2010, it has proved popular thanks to its blend powered by a Chevrolet V8. The Maloo might look like a pick-up,
of usability, refinement, interior quality and perceived reliability. For but it’ll be rare to see it being used as one. We unearthed a 2009
many, these help to justify the cost difference. For £32,549, you’ll 20k-mile manual Holden-badged one in excellent condition at a
get the Amarok flagship, the 2.0-litre BiTDI auto in Highline trim. dealer for just over £32k. New, it would have set you back £50k.

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE?

Effortlessly easy, even though it’s a big pick-up. On the road, it performs in
a very car-like fashion, with predictable handling, precise steering and decent
brakes. The ride quality isn’t as good as, say, a Land Rover Freelander’s, but it’s
impressive for a pick-up. The 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel engine provides plenty of
punch. Permanent four-wheel drive and good ground clearance aid off-roading.
The Maloo’s high-performance 7.0-litre V8 from the Corvette Z06 delivers
a sledgehammer blow if you so much as look at the throttle. Performance
is blistering as a result, while the handling is accurate and responsive. The
ride is controlled but very firm and the steering lacks any real feel. A gentle
touch is required for the best results.

WHAT’S IT LIKE INSIDE?

The Amarok is a typical Volkswagen inside, with a high standard of build
quality and comparatively upmarket materials. There’s room for five
adults and a substantial load bay out back. Standard kit is extensive, too,
and includes dual-zone climate control, cruise control, front and rear
parking sensors and heated front seats.
You’ll find a straightforward and comparatively well presented cabin. It’s
sensibly laid out, finished to an adequate standard and comfortable. Big
electrically adjustable seats hold you in place and the driving position is free
from vices. You get plenty of kit as well, including climate control and cruise
control. The rear load bay has a solid cover that’s lifted by gas struts.

WHERE’S MY MONEY GOING?

Into a modern pick-up that’ll prove practical and
easy to live with. If you’re after something that can fulfil
everyday duties as well as work requirements, this will
be just the ticket. Reliability should be good. Drive it
gently and it should average over 30mpg.
You’re buying a tough, reliable and well proven pick-up that
will turn heads. Mechanically, you’ll have nothing to worry
about. Likewise, servicing will prove inexpensive but you
might go through tyres at a fair rate. The only real catch is
that it might take a long time to resell.

WHY SHOULD I BUY ONE?

In range-topping trim, the Amarok is an expensive proposition but it’s a versatile,
capable and well equipped bit of kit. If you want something that can lug loads and
tick several other boxes in one hit, it’s one of the best choices out there. Just be
mindful that you could buy a nearly new Toyota Hilux for more than £10,000 less
and that the difference in purchase price will pay for a lot of fuel and servicing.
Because you want something fast, entertaining and radically different, and you
occasionally need to move the odd short ladder or two. The Maloo is easy to drive,
too, despite the power on offer, and masses of fun. It might not have the off-road
ability, capacious cabin or decent load bay of the Amarok but it’s also not just
another pick-up. Don’t expect bank-account pleasing fuel economy, though.

AND THE WINNER IS… USED

Let’s face it: there’s no sensible way to justify the Maloo. It’s not practical and hoovers
up fuel. The Amarok is far more capable. It goes off road, is easy to drive in inclement
conditions, carries more gear, costs less to run and seats more than just two.

WHICH WOULD YOU CHOOSE? Let us know at autocar.co.uk/facebook

5 MARCH 2014 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 79


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CONCEPT TO COMPLETION
Richard Bremner
THEY WERE THE FUTURE, ONCE
T
No 105 Isuzu Zen
This blend of van and 4x4 promised a mobile space for quiet contemplation
nything, anywhere, anytime and
“A anyone.” No, not the words of a
Martini advert but the mantra
mouthed by the designers of the
Isuzu Zen. Their mission? To create
a blend of the four-wheel-drives and
light commercial vehicles that were
Isuzu’s main products back in 2001.
The Zen’s creators took their inspiration
from Japanese culture and industrial
architecture, a fusion that must have
arrested more than few show-goers at the
Tokyo 2001 event where it was unveiled,
for the Zen was a decidedly original take
on your flat-flanked delivery van.
You could see the architectural
resonance in the Zen’s startlingly bluff,
freight-train nose, vertically stacked
headlights and clean-cut rear end, but
its most striking feature, apart from that
shield-like grille, was an arcing array of
side windows splayed like the sections
of a Japanese Ogi fan. The Japanese
influences were even more evident
inside, where the Zen’s quartet of super-
thin sandwich seats folded into the floor
and, rather more impressively, into the
dashboard in the case of the forward
pair. That left you with a very large, flat
floor, surfaced with Japanese tatami
mats. The idea was that your Zen could
double as a soothingly simple Japanese
room, presumably in which anyone could
do anything, anywhere and at any time.
Although not if you wanted to be furtive
about it, what with all that glass.
In a way, the Zen personified Isuzu’s
long-lived product planning troubles,
the company never being quite sure
what it should be making. It grew
out of a 1916 joint venture between a
Got an opinion? Email us at autocar@haymarket.com
98 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 5 MARCH 2014
Distinctly Japanese interior featured Ogi-fan-like windows and tatami floor mats
The Zen’s creators
took inspiration from
Japanese culture and
industrial architecture
Tokyo shipbuilding company and a gas
and electrical business from the same
city. Their first car was a licence-built
Wolseley A9, which emerged in 1922.
Trucks followed, and there was another
British link with its licenced building of
the Hillman Minx in 1953.
But Isuzu is essentially a truck
manufacturer, with some one-time
and occasionally very successful forays
into four-wheel-drive terrain, too. Its
best-known models in the UK were
the Giugiaro-designed Piazza coupé of
the 1980s, the Trooper (a Land Rover
Discovery rival) and the Frontera
off-roader, which was actually a
Vauxhall, Isuzu once being part-owned
by General Motors. The company gave
up on cars in 1993, and eventually four-
wheel-drives, too, but it was still making
them when the Zen appeared in 2001.
Back then, the most striking of its
off-roaders was the Vehicross, a motor
show concept turned production model.
It was the work of British designer Simon
Cox, so the news that the Zen had also
been designed by a Birmingham-based
team that included Briton Geoff Gardiner
(who would go on to design Ford’s
S-Max) led some to wonder whether the
Zen would also see showroom floors.
But it never made it and, sadly, failed
to have any visible influence on Isuzu’s
showroom machinery, either. The Zen
has aged better than many concepts from
this era, but you’ll find little evidence of
its existence on the web today.
NEXT WEEK Lancia Stratos HF Zero
The original car magazine, published
since 1895 ‘in the interests of the
mechanically propelled road carriage’
EDITORIAL
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EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS
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Senior contributing editors Richard Bremner, Colin Goodwin
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ZZZSHIFFRXN
Chief executive Kevin Costello
Haymarket is certified by BSI to
environmental standard IS014001