Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport 45 marks hot hatch's anniversary
4 HRS AGO - 296bhp hot hatch gets unique styling and 'Race' package to mark 45 years since the original GTI Expand
4 HRS AGO - 296bhp hot hatch gets unique styling and 'Race' package to mark 45 years since the original GTI launched
Volkswagen is celebrating 45 years of its venerable Golf GTI hot hatch with a new commemorative edition of the latest model.
It is the sixth such anniversary model the GTI has received in its lifetime, with Volkswagen having offered a similar conceived limited edition every five years since the Edition 20 in 1996.
Due on sale in the UK in April from slightly less than £40,000, the limited-run GTI Clubsport 45 is marked out with bespoke '45' branding, a contrasting black roof and matching rear wing - which Volkswagen says is a homage to the Mk1 GTI's black plastic rear spoiler.
Bespoke 19in 'Scottsdale' alloy wheels are painted black, with a narrow red pinstripe around the rim in tribute to historic GTI models which wore a similar design for their front grilles.
Being a Clubsport, the special edition boosts output from its 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder up to 296bhp and Collapse
Skoda Octavia vRS
11 HRS AGO - Skoda reprises an understated everyday hero, but is TDI power still of any interest?
Diesel power Expand
11 HRS AGO - Skoda reprises an understated everyday hero, but is TDI power still of any interest?
Diesel power is not, and never has been, the first thing that comes to mind when hot hatchbacks are the subject of discussion.Not that anyone has told Skoda.The marque has long ploughed this particular furrow, and has to some extent made the niche its own with a line of fast, frugal and clandestine products that stretches all the way back to the boxy Fabia vRS supermini of 2003. Yes, the entire vRS sub-brand sprang into life via the black plump.Which is perhaps why, when so many car makers are ditching diesel and heading for the hybrid hills in order to reduce their average fleet emissions, Skoda is reprising its quick TDI Octavia vRS for no less than the fourth time.Admittedly, this latest quick Octavia also comes in petrol and petrol-electric plug-in hybrid forms, both of which have powertrains considerably more powerful than the 2.0-litre TDI we’re testing here, and so bets are most definitely Collapse
Mercedes-Benz: electric C-Class likely to arrive after 2024
19 HRS AGO - An EV equivalent to the C-Class saloon is at least a few years away, according to the company Expand
19 HRS AGO - An EV equivalent to the C-Class saloon is at least a few years away, according to the company COO
Mercedes-Benz chief operating officer Markus Schafer says an electric equivalent to the C-Class executive saloon is unlikely to arrive until at least 2024, and will be built on the firm’s new electric-focused architecture.
The firm is currently expanding its line-up of electric vehicles, which the EQC SUV set to be joined this year by the EQA crossover and EQB small SUV. The EQE and EQS saloons, equivalent to the E-Class and S-Class, are due to be revealed later this year.
While the C-Class and S-Class share the MRA platform, Schafer hinted that a future electric C-Class equivalent would not use the new electric MEA platform that will underpin the EQS - and would instead likely adopt the firm’s new MMA platform.
Asked by Autocar about plans for an EQ saloon equivalent to the C-Class, Schafer said: “This vehicle addresses the current demand we believe is high around the globe from a Collapse
Kia Rio 1.0 T-GDi 48V 2021 UK review
19 HRS AGO - Updated supermini gets new engine with, in its pricier forms, economy-minded Expand
19 HRS AGO - Updated supermini gets new engine with, in its pricier forms, economy-minded accoutrements
"Basically, it’s Kia’s Fiesta” is the way to explain the anonymous shape of the Rio, which remains largely unfamiliar to the public, despite having been sold in the UK since 2005 and twice since reinvented.This is the updated version of the Rio that arrived in 2017. The range opens at around £14,000, but that's with a 1.25-litre naturally aspirated engine that looks on paper like it would be asthmatic and comes in a Rio devoid of much desirable kit.We’re at the other end of the spectrum, where the new 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine – named Smartstream – gains a turbocharger and Kia’s first mild-hybrid system, which, like almost all of them, uses 48V electrics. Collapse
Toyota GR Supra 2.0 2021 video review: are four cylinders enough?
1 DAY AGO - With four-pot power instead of six, does Toyota's sporty GT get better or worse? We've been Expand
1 DAY AGO - With four-pot power instead of six, does Toyota's sporty GT get better or worse? We've been finding out
This is the new 2021 Toyota Supra 2.0. Cheaper and less powerful than the 3.0-litre (obviously), it’s an entry-level Supra that has four rather than six cylinders. Gulp. Is that enough for a muscly grand touring sports car?
The Supra 2.0 has 254bhp, which is good for a 0-62mph time of 5.2sec and a limited top speed of 155mph. The price is £45,995 rather than the 3.0’s other side of £50,000.
The main good news though is that it’s almost 100kg lighter than the bigger-engined Supra, at 1395kg. And a lighter car is usually good for vehicle handling. Is that the case here? Or does a coupe like the Supra really need six cylinders?
READ MORE
New entry-level Toyota GR Supra 2.0 launched in UK
Toyota GR Supra 2.0 2021 UK review
Toyota GR Supra 2020 long-term review Collapse
Mercedes-Benz EQC 2021 long-term review
1 DAY AGO - Our new luxury EV will get us there in style – so long as we don’t forget to charge it
Why we’re Expand
1 DAY AGO - Our new luxury EV will get us there in style – so long as we don’t forget to charge it
Why we’re running it: The EQC won our EV SUV mega-test 12 months ago, but is it an Audi, Jaguar and Tesla beater in everyday life?
Month 4 - Month 3 - Month 2 - Month 1 - Specs
Life with a Mercedes-Benz EQC: Month 4
The best part of EV ownership? - 17 February 2020
A lot is written on the inconvenience of public charging but not enough on the ease of driving home, plugging in, going to bed and waking up with a full ‘tank’. It’s six months since I’ve visited a fuel station, and I haven’t missed the time loss or mucky hands one bit. There are pros and cons to EVs, but if you’re lucky enough to have a drive, this is a definite plus.
Mileage: 2309
Back to the top
Feeling toasty comes at a hefty price, even if you can charge for free - 10 February 2021
Yes, it has been cold lately, with frost a regular fixture and the occasional flurry of snow paralysing the roads even in these locked-down Collapse
Decision on future of Vauxhall's Ellesmere Port plant imminent
1 DAY AGO - Vauxhall Ellesmere Port
Stellantis bosses in talks with UK government over long-term future of Expand
1 DAY AGO - Vauxhall Ellesmere Port
Stellantis bosses in talks with UK government over long-term future of the plant, currently home to the Astra
A decision on the future of Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port plant is due imminently, according to reports, following talks between Stellantis bosses and the UK government.
The future of the factory, which currently employs around 1000 people, has been in question for some time. The current Astra is built at the facility, but Vauxhall’s parent company Stellantis has yet to decide if the next-generation version of the hatch will be built there.
Stellantis boss Carlos Tavares recently said that the UK ban on most non-zero emission cars from 2030 onwards “could destroy the business model” of the facility, adding that the site’s future could depend “on the UK government’s willingness to protect some level of its automotive industry.”
According to the BBC, Stellantis representatives have met with business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng three times in the last six Collapse
Aston Martin sales down 42% in 2020 as a result of pandemic
1 DAY AGO - British firm ran down dealer stock to minimise Covid impact; strong DBX demand leads Expand
1 DAY AGO - British firm ran down dealer stock to minimise Covid impact; strong DBX demand leads recovery
Aston Martin sales dropped 42% in 2020 as a result of the pandemic, but strong demand for the new DBX SUV sparked a recovery in the final quarter.
The British firm counted 4150 retail sales across the year, down 32% on 2019, and wholesale volume - sales of cars to dealers - dropped 42% to 3394.
As a result, annual revenue declined to £611.8m from £980.5m year-on-year, and Aston Martin made an operating loss of £323m - though this includes £98m of "adjusting operating items, largely the impairment of capitalisedR&D due to technology and cycle plan changes".
This breaking news story is being updated.
READ MORE
Aston Martin to launch 10 new derivatives in two years, says boss
The car industry now: Aston Martin's future
Aston Martin to offer combustion engines beyond 2030 Collapse
New Land Rover Defender V8 gets 525bhp and bespoke styling
1 DAY AGO - Long-awaited range-topper arrives with dynamic enhancements including yaw control and variable Expand
1 DAY AGO - Long-awaited range-topper arrives with dynamic enhancements including yaw control and variable dampers
The long-awaited V8 version of the new Land Rover Defender brings "a new layer of driver appeal" to the reborn 4x4 alongside a series of updates for the model range.
The 5.0-litre supercharged 'AJ' V8 engine - familiar from performance-focused models including the Range Rover Sport and Jaguar F-Type and now produced in-house by JLR - endows the 4x4 with 525bhp and 461lb ft, making it the most powerful Defender yet to reach series-production.
It's also comfortably the fastest, hitting 62mph from rest in just 5.2sec and topping out at 149mph in short-wheelbase, three-door 90 guise.
Priced from £98,505 for the 90 and £101,150 for the larger, five-door 110, the new addition to the range is marked out visually by its quad-exit exhaust, grey 22in alloy wheels and blue front brake callipers, while a bespoke tune for the induction and exhaust systems should help to tell the V8 apart from Collapse
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Mazda CX-30 2021 long-term review
6 HRS AGO - If any firm can make a Nissan Qashqai rival exciting, surely it’s Mazda? Let’s find out
Why we’re Expand
6 HRS AGO - If any firm can make a Nissan Qashqai rival exciting, surely it’s Mazda? Let’s find out
Why we’re running it: To see if the CX-30’s sleek style and driver-focused dynamics make it stand out in the congested family SUV class
Month 2 - Month 1 - Specs
Life with a Mazda CX-30: Month 2
It blends in with all those crossovers… but it drives like no other - 24 February 2020
There’s nothing like standing out in a crowd, right? Believe the adverts and choosing a compact crossover will mark you out as an adventure-seeking individual who won’t be bound by convention; yet as the picture above shows, the reality is rather more humdrum. Swing into almost any suburban parking space today and it’s virtually guaranteed that you will be slotting into a line of SUV-tinged family hatchbacks, none of them having tackled anything more terrifying than the school run.
Yet the more time I spend with our Mazda CX-30, the more I’m reminded why these things are so damned popular. The marginally raised ride Collapse
Buy them before we do: second-hand picks for 26 February
13 HRS AGO - It was the hottest of hot hatches when it arrived in 2013, and the Mercedes A Class AMG still has Expand
13 HRS AGO - It was the hottest of hot hatches when it arrived in 2013, and the Mercedes A Class AMG still has fire as a used example
When new in 2013, this example of the hottest of hot hatches (at least until the Audi RS3 landed in 2015) cost around £42,000, but today, seven years and 95,000 miles later, it could be on our driveway for £15,990. It is being advertised by a private seller and has a trade value of around £11,650, so there’s surely a bit of haggling to be done.
Doubtless the seller will point to the car’s full Mercedes-Benz service history. That deserves a big tick, but we’d go through the invoices, checking all majors and minors have been done, the air con has been regassed and the brake fluid and coolant have been changed. The seller is bound to indicate, too, the car’s AMG sports exhaust, two-owner history and, from the pictures, unblemished condition. The mileage is apparently largely motorway as well. All reasons for the seller to dig their heels in, but the fact is that very Collapse
Opinion: Lapland's Arctic Rally could be a WRC season highlight
19 HRS AGO - Cancelled Rally Sweden steps aside for Finland, ensuring drivers will need to pack their snow Expand
19 HRS AGO - Cancelled Rally Sweden steps aside for Finland, ensuring drivers will need to pack their snow shovels
Christmas has come extra early for the World Rally Championship (WRC). Because this weekend’s round starts in Rovaniemi, northern Finland: the home of Joulupukki, who you might know as Santa Claus.
Just outside Rovaniemi is the Santa Claus Village – still open every day, with Santa and his elves having managed to escape furlough. In fact, in this frozen corner of Lapland with its scant population, life carries on much the same as usual.
‘Usual’ here also means 16-hour nights and daytime highs of minus 15deg C or so – although it gets a lot colder. Minus 30deg C isn’t uncommon. On my only previous visit many years ago, some of the stages were actually cancelled because it was deemed too dangerous for marshals to be outside for any length of time.
Among the mandatory equipment for all crews to carry on the Arctic Rally Finland is a snow shovel and warm clothing. They might also want Collapse
New 2022 BMW M2 coupé spotted for the first time
1 DAY AGO - Rear-drive 420bhp M2 will pave the way for an M2 Gran Coupé and fiery full-fat M 1 Series
BMW is Expand
1 DAY AGO - Rear-drive 420bhp M2 will pave the way for an M2 Gran Coupé and fiery full-fat M 1 Series
BMW is developing a new rear-wheel-drive M2 performance coupé, as part of a future compact M car line-up that will include a four-wheel-drive M2 Gran Coupé and a 1 Series with more than 400bhp.
Spotted for the first time bearing similar cab-backward proportions to today's car, the second-generation M2 coupé, which takes the internal codename G87, is scheduled to go on sale in the UK in 2022. It will bring with it a detuned version of BMW M’s latest six-cylinder petrol engine, sourced from the new M3 and M4.
Despite the heavy camouflage of this newly spotted prototype, it looks as if the M2 will feature angular front end styling influenced more by the Z4 and M8 than the controversially big-grilled M3 and M4. Flared arches, big performance wheels and a quad-exit exhaust will be the most obvious visual differentiators from the standard 2 Series, but upsized air intakes and aero-enhancing trim Collapse
Hyundai Kona 1.6 T-GDi Hybrid 2021 UK review
1 DAY AGO - Hyundai's popular Kona has been facelifted - is it enough to keep it competitive in the cut-throat Expand
1 DAY AGO - Hyundai's popular Kona has been facelifted - is it enough to keep it competitive in the cut-throat crossover market?
If any car symbolises how far Hyundai has come in the last few years, it’s the Kona. Not only does it sell well for them (the aim is for 17,000 in the UK this year, which would make it the firm’s second best-selling car), but it’s also got nearly the full gamut of powerplant offerings to cover any customer’s needs. Petrol mild-hybrid, hybrid and electric - there’s even a hot ‘N’ version coming. Europeans also get diesel versions, but Hyundai sold so few here it doesn’t bother anymore.The car has recently been facelifted and this time we’re trying out the hybrid version of that surgery. It’s not the most radical design overhaul but if you enjoy playing ‘spot-the-facelift’, you should know that the narrow DRLs are even narrower (if that was possible), while there’s more plastic cladding around the nose and the front fog lights are more rounded and less blocky. The rear Collapse
Aston Martin could cut bespoke V6 engine from future plans
1 DAY AGO - Hybridised six-cylinder unit was set to debut in Valhalla, but AMG partnership could make it Expand
1 DAY AGO - Hybridised six-cylinder unit was set to debut in Valhalla, but AMG partnership could make it redundant
Aston Martin is likely to end development of its bespoke V6 hybrid powertrain in favour of Mercedes-AMG-sourced units for its future models.
Aston Martin CEO Tobias Moers said in an investor call today that new technical partner Mercedes-Benz is offering to supply the British firm with powertrain components for a "reasonable cost" and suggested that the arrangement could change the shape of its future product strategy.
The mid-engined Valhalla supercar, previewed by a concept at the 2019 Geneva motor show and due for launch in 2023, is being heavily revised as a result, with a new version set to be shown in the next four months. Its electrified V6, developed in-house by Aston Martin with the aim of "rapidly" rolling it out across the line-up, looks to have now been rendered redundant.
After making its debut in the Valhalla, the Aston Martin V6 was set to replace AMG's 4.0-litre Collapse
Aston Martin plots Mercedes powertrain for revised Valhalla
1 DAY AGO - Aston Martin Valhalla concept
New version of Valhalla to be shown in coming months; DBX PHEV Expand
1 DAY AGO - Aston Martin Valhalla concept
New version of Valhalla to be shown in coming months; DBX PHEV could use 700bhp AMG set-up
Aston Martin is "not in a rush" to decide which powertrain components it will take from stakeholder Mercedes-Benz, according to CEO Tobias Moers.
As part of a new technical partnership between the two brands, stemming from Mercedes' 20% stake in the British firm, Aston has access to a range of combustion, hybrid and electric powertrains for use in its own vehicles.
But speaking to investors following the reveal of Aston's 2020 financial results, Moers said a final decision has not been taken on which of the German company's platforms and drive units it will use. He did, however, add that "everything is a reasonable cost situation", suggesting nothing is off limits.
The Valhalla mid-engined supercar remains on the cards for a launch in the second half of 2023, but Moers said the company is "re-assessing" the model, and it will now "probably have a different Collapse
First drive: 2021 Skoda Fabia prototype review
1 DAY AGO - A comprehensive rework of Skoda’s popular compact hatchback with the sort of driving traits and Expand
1 DAY AGO - A comprehensive rework of Skoda’s popular compact hatchback with the sort of driving traits and features that promise to place it at the sharp end of its class
The car you see here beneath the digitally themed camouflage is the fourth-generation Skoda Fabia. Although it is still six months away from a planned UK launch, we can confirm that it is very much a new car, right down to its platform – the same MQB A0 structure used by its Volkswagen Group siblings, the Volkswagen Polo and Seat Ibiza.
The new platform replaces the structure used by the third-generation Fabia launched in 2014 – the PQ26. It is in essence a complete reset for Skoda’s most affordable model, now that the Citigo has been retired from the Czech car maker’s line-up.
The adoption of a new platform is only the start of a wide range of changes, though.
The Fabia also receives a number of other key developments, including greater structural rigidity, a revised range of engines and a more advanced electronics Collapse
Racing lines: Alonso's Alpine climb gets more daunting
1 DAY AGO - Why a broken jaw might be the least of the Spaniard’s problems
Twenty years ago, on 16 March Expand
1 DAY AGO - Why a broken jaw might be the least of the Spaniard’s problems
Twenty years ago, on 16 March 2001, French endurance racing veteran Bob Wollek was cycling back from Sebring 12 Hours practice when he was hit by a van and killed. For the 57-year-old to lose his life in such a senseless manner was unspeakably cruel, especially having survived a lifetime of racing, first on skis and then through four decades of motorsport.
Wollek’s tragedy immediately sprung to mind this month when news first filtered through that Fernando Alonso had been knocked from his bicycle during a training ride in Switzerland. The 39-yearold Spaniard collided with a car outside a supermarket car park and sustained a fractured jaw. Nasty and painful, but a fortunate escape in the context of Brilliant Bob’s dreadful fate.
More than a pain in the jaw
Alonso just can’t help making headlines, and we can expect many more from him during a 2021 season in which he will make a dramatic return to Formula 1 with Alpine – Collapse
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MPs launch review into safety of smart motorways
7 HRS AGO - Transport Committee to investigate risks and benefits of controversial roads
Members of Expand
7 HRS AGO - Transport Committee to investigate risks and benefits of controversial roads
Members of Parliament have launched a new investigation into the safety of smart motorways, after they were labelled an “ongoing risk of future deaths” by a coroner.
The inquiry has been launched by the Transport Committee following reports that there were 14 fatalities on stretches of smart motorway in 2019, up from 11 the previous year and five in 2017.
Smart motorways were first introduced in England in 2002, using technology to control speeds in order to manage flow and increase capacity on certain sections of road. Three different types are now used, including 'all lane running' (ALR) motorways, introduced in 2014, which allow the hard shoulder to be permanently used by all drivers.
A coroner recently referred Highways England to the Crown Prosecution Service to consider whether corporate manslaughter charges should be brought following the death of a woman on a stretch of the M1 in South Yorkshire in Collapse
UK car production falls 27.3% in January 2021
19 HRS AGO - Figures from the SMMT reveal the sharpest first-month drop in more than a decade
UK car Expand
19 HRS AGO - Figures from the SMMT reveal the sharpest first-month drop in more than a decade
UK car production fell 27.3% last month, making it the industry’s worst January output since 2009, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
Just 86,052 vehicles were produced in the UK last month – 32,262 fewer than in January 2020, representing the most severe fall for over a decade.
Manufacturing for both the domestic market and for overseas markets fell heavily in the month. However, allegedly as a result of ongoing Brexit complications, it was exports that took the biggest hit, falling 29.1% to 69,360 units. Domestic production dropped by 18.3% to 16,692 units.
Shipments to the major EU, US and Asian markets were particularly badly hit, falling by 26.2%, 34.5% and 36.1%, respectively.
The SMMT cited a combination of global supply chain issues, difficulty adapting to new post-Brexit trading legislation and the ongoing effects of the pandemic - and Collapse
Matt Prior: Consistent brilliance sets Porsche apart
19 HRS AGO - The Porsche 956 is an incredible machine with a lasting legacy - does any manufacturer have the Expand
19 HRS AGO - The Porsche 956 is an incredible machine with a lasting legacy - does any manufacturer have the German brand's consistency?
Quite a busy week at work, so naturally I’ve watched In-Car 956 twice after a friend discovered that it can be streamed on Amazon Prime.
It’s the first time in years I’ve seen this sort-of documentary, which is basically five-time Le Mans winner Derek Bell (three wins at the time of filming in 1983-84) hosting hot laps of the world’s great race tracks from the inside of his Porsche 956, back when on-board cameras were novel.
So novel, in fact, that when we see the camera at one point, it’s clearly a huge contraption bolted next to Bell, peering through the windscreen like a courtside camera at Wimbledon and looking distinctly like something you wouldn’t want to find yourself sharing a cabin with during an off.
Regardless, Bell laps exceptionally fast, passes plenty of other cars and isn’t overtaken by much bar Jacky Ickx and Stefan Bellof in other 956s that Collapse
Vauxhall: talks on Ellesmere Port plant 'productive but not conclusive
1 DAY AGO - Vauxhall Ellesmere Port
Stellantis bosses are in talks with the UK government over agreement to Expand
1 DAY AGO - Vauxhall Ellesmere Port
Stellantis bosses are in talks with the UK government over agreement to secure the long-term future of the plant, currently home to the Astra
Vauxhall boss Michael Lohscheller says that talks with the UK government to secure the future of the firm's Ellesmere Port plant has been "productive but not conclusive" - and has hinted that government support will be key to a final decision.
The future of the factory, which currently employs around 1000 people, has been in question for some time. The current Astra is built at the facility, but Vauxhall parent company Stellantis has yet to decide if the next-generation version of the hatch will be built there.
Stellantis boss Carlos Tavares recently said the UK ban on most non-zero-emission cars from 2030 onwards “could destroy the business model” of the facility, adding that the site’s future could depend “on the UK government’s willingness to protect some level of its automotive industry”.
Stellantis Collapse
Peugeot revives historic logo in bold rebranding move
1 DAY AGO - 1960s-style lion emblem, as featured on retro e-Legend concept, arrives ahead of new 308 Expand
1 DAY AGO - 1960s-style lion emblem, as featured on retro e-Legend concept, arrives ahead of new 308 launch
Peugeot has revealed a completely new logo inspired by its heritage as it gears up to launch the new 308 and embarks on a shift upmarket.
The design is familiar from 2018's retro-styled e-Legend concept, and features a 2-dimensional interpretation of the brand's trademark lion emblem, emblazoned on a shield-shaped background.
It has been shown following Peugeot's recent integration into the new Stellantis auto giant, but CEO Linda Jackson said it had been in development "since before we even started thinking about Stellantis".
The new emblem will first appear in Peugeot's promotional and sales material before being rolled out to production vehicles, likely starting with the reinvented 308 hatchback, which is due to be revealed in the coming months.
READ MORE
New Peugeot 308 due in 2022 with radical design overhaul
Peugeot e-2008 2021 long-term review
Peugeot mulls range expansion for Collapse
Porsche 911 Carrera 2021 long-term review
1 DAY AGO - Our base 911 is shorn of frills but isn’t short on appeal. It’s time to have some fun
Why we ran Expand
1 DAY AGO - Our base 911 is shorn of frills but isn’t short on appeal. It’s time to have some fun
Why we ran it: Because this is the world’s most famous sports car in its purest form. How much 911 do you really need?
Month 3 - Month 2 - Month 1 - Prices and specs
Life with a Porsche 911: Month 3
Is the entry-level 911 Carrera the best all-round sports car that money can buy, as we suspected? - 3 February 2020
The Porsche 911 feels like a car that you know so well, but spend any time in one and, as the saying goes, you feel like you hardly know it at all.
You know it’s fun, but you don’t realise how fun, or how it can spark life into even the most mundane and shortest of drives. You know it’s usable and surprisingly practical, but not that it’s usable for a family of four with a dog and some bags. And you know how well crafted and engineered it is, but you don’t realise just how great the attention to detail is and how many Easter eggs you will uncover months after taking delivery.
This was a Collapse
2021 Volkswagen Tiguan R: 316bhp SUV on sale from £45,915
1 DAY AGO - Golf R-engined crossover arrives with overhauled suspension and torque-vectoring all-wheel drive Expand
1 DAY AGO - Golf R-engined crossover arrives with overhauled suspension and torque-vectoring all-wheel drive system
Volkswagen has opened order books for the Tiguan R, the latest and most powerful variant of its updated Tiguan SUV, with prices starting from £45,915.
The range-topping Tiguan R joins the larger Touareg R as part of the performance division’s rapidly expanding line-up. It uses the fourth-generation EA888 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine found in the Golf R, which produces 316bhp and takes it from 0-62mph in a claimed 4.9sec, then on to a top speed of 155mph.
As usual, this four-cylinder unit is mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, four-wheel drive and VW's Dynamic Chassis Control system.
The Tiguan R also benefits from a similar torque-vectoring function in its four-wheel drive system as the Arteon R. This can vary drive between the front and rear axles as well as the left and right rear wheels.
UK cars will ride on 21in alloy wheels and sit 10mm lower than any other Collapse
Nearly new buying guide: Jaguar E-Pace
1 DAY AGO - Bargain hunters should prick up their ears, for the reasons
With the imminent arrival of the Expand
1 DAY AGO - Bargain hunters should prick up their ears, for the reasons
With the imminent arrival of the refreshed E-Pace, now is a good time to revisit the smallest SUV in the Jaguar range, because while everyone’s distracted by revised infotainment and new plug-in hybrid technology, the canny used car buyer can look into what they could save on the outgoing version featured here.
Under the stubby bonnet of the E-Pace is either a 2.0-litre petrol or a 2.0-litre diesel engine, both available in varying states of tune. The petrol line-up encompasses 198bhp, 245bhp and 295bhp versions and the diesel units can be had in 148bhp, 178bhp and 236bhp forms.
All E-Paces come with dual-zone climate control, cruise control, front and rear parking sensors and LED headlights, but S trim adds leather seats (electrically adjustable in the front) and a more sophisticated infotainment system. Pricier SE and HSE models add bigger wheels, a wider range of electric seat adjustments and increasingly more safety Collapse
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