auto express magazine - december 31, 2014 uk

8/10/2019 Auto Express Magazine - December 31, 2014 UK

1/92

EKLY

NEWJ GXE

& MW3SERIES

EXCLUSIVEHEAD-TO-HEAD

31Dec 2014- 6Jan 2015No. 1,351 | 2.80

BRITAINSBIGGEST-SELLINGWEEKLYCARMAGAZINE

www.autoexpress.co.u

k

PORSCHES 5 SERIES

We reveal plans for Pajun super saloo

ll the stats that matter as bold

new rit meets its arch rival

HOT-H TCH

SHOOTOUT

a

FREEWALLCH T

VOLVO XC90Full preview & exclusive pics

TESTEDNew lfa MiT

o QV vs SEATIbiza Cupra vs Peugeot 208 GTi

EXCLUSIVE IMAGE

MWI3S

PPLULUSS

TOUGHESTTEST

w rit meets its arch rival


2/92

Perfect grip

Optimum stabilityMaximum water displacement

Excellent handling performance

TH LXRY O ON YR OR OR AON

VRDSTIN QUATRAC5. TH LA NRAION ALL-AON YR OR ANOPIMI PRORMAN IN ALL WAHR ONIION. 3D GRIP CLAW OR PR RIP AN

ALRAION ON NOW AN I. ENHAN ABILIY AN IMPROV HANLIN ON RY RA.

EXRMLY WAR-RIAN HANK O INNOVAIV FLL SILIA COMPON. GRN EU YR LABL:

BNI POPL, H NVIRONMN AN YOR WALL!


3/92


4/92

S THE FIRST SIGNOFWINTER APPEARS...

BMW WINTER WHEELS AND TYRES.

M KE THIS THE ONETHAT COUNTS.

ecommended retailpriceis correctat time of going to print andmay changewithout noticeA visit to your BMW Centre is the best way to keep up to date.*RRP includes VAT, but excludes fitting. Your BMW Retailer can give you a quote for fitting.

IMPROVED STOPPING ND OPTIMUM GRIPWITH BMW WINTER TYRES.

Dont let winter compromise your driving experience. B MW Winter Tyres improve safety byreducing braking distances considerably in all winter conditions, as well as lasting longer than

normal tyres at lower temperatures, especially below 7C.

Prices for a set of Winter Wheels and Tyres start from just 752 RRP*, so follow the

signs to your local BMW Centre or visit www.bmw.co.uk/winter-tyres to find out more.

www bmw co uk/winter-tyres

BMW WinterTyres

The Ultimate

Driving Machine


5/92www.autoexpress.co.uk 31 December20145

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t


6/926 31 December2014

J GU R

X

vs MW

3 S RI S

To st ryFirst for newsevery week

ITS D-Day in executivecar land.

If the new JaguarXE isto succeed

when it goes on sale in April, theres

nowhere to hide it needs to hit BMWs

class-leading 3 Serieswhere it hurts.

In this crucial part of themarket,

buyersare ledas much by crunchingnumbers astheyare by their eyes and

hearts. So before we get behind the

wheel of anXEprototype atthe end

of January, weve brought together the

twocontenders in an exclusivestudio

shoot to prod, measure andanalyse

every inch (with full specs,opposite),

and helpyou makea fully informed

decisionbetween the two.

Its worth reiterating just how

important the XE is for Jaguar. Its

Indian owner,Tata, has invested 2bn

in brand new technology and facilities

to make JLR a truly modern car company.

A new plant in Wolverhampton hasbeenconstructed to build a range of efficient

new Ingenium engines whichwill power

the XEanda range ofotherJLR cars, and

itsSolihull manufacturing plant now

housesan all-new facility to build the

small Jag. More than3,000jobs in the

UKhave been created off the backof

the XE so failure is not an option.

Fortunately, there areplentyof

potential customersout there.Globally,

thesmall premium market accounts for

1.3million salesannually, and thats

expected to continue growing well into

the end ofthe decade. In the UKin 2013,

BMW sold just under 44,0003 Series,

Mercedes shifted 31,000examplesof

theC-Class andAudi sold 21,000A4s.

A Jaguarexecutive told Auto Express

the company is not looking to topple the

German big three andchasevolume atthecost of residual values. TheXE has

the task of doubling Jags 16,000sales

a year in the UKcurrently,and is seen

bycompany execs asa fourth way for

thenations fleet andprivate buyers,

with the car trading on good looks,

Crucial new Jaguar meets arch rival ahead

of 2015s launch as we reveal all the stats

mesBatchelor [email protected]

JJ

every week

STRIKING LOOKS Sharp newJaguar will certainly stand out on theroad, particularly compared to BMW,which rather fades into background

as its now such a common sight

MEASURING UP Our man Batchelor gets vitalstatistics of XEs boot, and while it trails 3 Series

load bay (left) on capacity, its nearly as long


7/9231December20147

OtisClay

EXCLUSIVE

fine handling andbeingmore

of an exclusive choice.

Idont thinkweneed to flood themarketwithXE, explainedJaguarUK

product planningmanagerDamian

Lawton. Were not tryingto beBMW,

but I think there isroom for a new

challenger.We arenotaimingto beat

the 3 Series in the sales charts.

Climb insideand the XEhas

theedge. Thesteeringwheel and

instrumentbinnacleare pinched from

theF-Type sports car,while thecabin

can bebathed ina variety of colours.

Theres a new,slicker touchscreen

infotainmentsystem andthecabin is

wellscrewed together,although the

Jag trails on interior andbootspace ithas 455 litresto the 320ds480.

Park thecars side-by-side, andthe

XE ismoredistinctive.The BMW isno

frump,but looks a bit dour in fleet-

focused EDBusinesstrim.The Jags

nose appears wide (the XE isnearly

JaguarXEPrestige

2.0 163man (auto)Price: 30,775 (32,525)

Monthly lease cost: 301 (312)

Residualvalue:47%(46%)

Annual taxliability:15%(16%)

Annual fuelcost(12k/20kmiles):

883/1,471 (961/1,602)

Annual roadtax: 0 (20)

Fuelconsumption avg:75mpg (68.9mpg)

CO2 emissions:99g/km(106g/km)

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl diesel

0-62/topspd: 8.4s/132mph(8.2s/132mph)

Peakpower/revs:161bhp/4,000rpm

Peaktorque/revs:380Nm/1,750-2,500rpm

Transmission:6-spdmanual (8-spdauto)

Fuel tank/range:47 litres/773miles(710)Length/wheelbase:4,672mm/2,835mm

Width/height:1,850/1,416mm

Boot capacity/length/width/depth:

455 litres/1,005mm/1,250mm/653mm

Rearleg/shoulderroom:889mm/1,389mm

MW320dE

Businessman (auto)Price:30,175 (31,725)

Monthly leasecost: 338(355)

Residualvalue: 41%(40%)

Annualtax liability:17%(17%)

Annualfuel cost(12k/20kmiles):

961/1,602 (961/1,602)

Annualroad tax:20(20)

Fuelconsumptionavg:68.9mpg(68.9mpg)

CO2 emissions:109g/km(109g/km)

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl diesel

0-62/topspd:8.0s/143mph(7.9s/140mph)

Peakpower/revs:163bhp/4,000rpm

Peaktorque/revs:380Nm/1,750-2,750rpm

Transmission:6-spdmanual (8-spdauto)

Fuel tank/range:57 litres/861miles (861)Length/wheelbase:4,624mm/2,810mm

Width/height: 1,811mm/1,416mm

Boot capacity/length/width/depth:

480 litres/1,007mm/1,397mm/667mm

Rearleg/shoulder room:892mm/1,400mm

IN DETAIL: XE vs 3 Series

SPACE RACE Rear seat leg

and shoulder room are very

closely matched, with BMW

just about having the edge,

but XE is the wider car here,

which should bring benefits


8/92www.autoexpress.co.uk31 ecem er2014

Top story JaguarXE vs BMW 3 Series

40mm wider than the3 Series) andleads

along flatter sides to a sleeker rear end.

In fact, fromthe rear three-quarter theresa shade of Audi A5 to the newcomer.

OurXE was a mid-specPrestige.This

sits between SEandR-Sport versions,

and is predicted to be thebest-selling

trim. It also featured thenew Ingenium

2.0-litrediesel, with 161bhpand 380Nm

of torque. It claims75mpg economy,

meetsEuroVI emissions regulations

and emits just99g/kmof CO2.

Meanwhile, the320d ED Business

gets an extra 2bhp from its older EuroV

2.0-litreengine, but also packs 380Nm

of torque. It still promises a respectable

68.9mpg and109g/kmemissions, butis

four-tenthsquicker from0-62mph thanthe Jag.Wereexpecting a faceliftedBMW

in the middleof the year thatll boast

better stats, includinga 99g/km version.

Theres a vastnumber of 3 Series

trims to choose from,with ther nge

kicking off at 25,575 for the 316d ES

with a 2.0-litrediesel. XE prices start at

26,995 for the197bhp2.0-litre turbopetrolSE, andacrossthe range Jaguar

charges a few hundred poundsmore

than for theequivalent BMW, although

theBritish cardoes have more modern

engines andshouldhold itsvalue better.

Forexample, theXE pictured here is

predicted to retain 47 per cent of its new

price after three years and30,000miles,

compared to the320d ED Businesss

40 per cent. This isone of the reasons

Jag thinks the XE willperform strongly in

the fleet sector. It sees the car askey to

plans to grow global fleet andbusiness

sales from 17 per cent currently to

around 25 per cent by2020.And on first impressions, theXE

looks like ithas all thecredentials to

topple the3 Series. Wellfind out

for sure when wedrive the cars

ck-to- ck in thespring.

8 31Decem er2014

STILL WORKS WELLTheres nothing wrong with the 3 Series driver-focused cabin,

with its high-grade plastics and top-quality finish. Business edition offers decent kit, too

HEAD-TO-HEADUnder theskin, new Jaguar looks to have

edge withle ner, more modern

diesel engine, although BMW isnt

that far behind. Driver appeal will

be key, so we cant wait to hit road

SPECIAL FEELAs youd expect

from gu r, theres a real sense of

occasion inside the XE, with slick

touchscreen infotainment and top-

quality materials used throughout


9/92


10/92www.autoexpress.co.uk1031 December2014

News VolvoXC90

The flagship of therange will be the T8

Twin Engine plug-in

hybrid, packing 390bhp

MEET Volvossafest model ever

andoneof 2015smost important

newcars the brand new XC90.

We had the chance toexplore it

beyond the confinesofamotor showfor

the first time, andthecompanys design

manager for exterior,AndersGunnarson,

tooktimeout to showusaround it.

Arguably themost important feature

ofthebigSUVis the way itlooks. It

shows off a new design languageand

one thatwill be seenonVolvos for years

to come. We haveworkedhardat

giving it someconfidence, Gunnarson

toldus. We wanted the XC90 to look

strong not onlybecause it isa strong,

Scandinaviancar, butalso because it is

the face of thefuturewave ofVolvos.

ThebigSUVusesVolvosnewSPA

(ScalableProduct Architecture) platformwhich willunderpina range of carsin

thecomingyears estates, saloonsand

even a coup. Its great for a designer

likemetoworkwitha platform that

encourageswellproportioneddesigns,

said Gunnarson. The oldXC90 looked

top-heavy this doesnt and thats

partlydue to theplatform.

UKcustomerswill able to select

from three trim levels Momentum,

R-Design and Inscriptionwhileunder

thebonnetwillbe a choiceof two 2.0-litre

four-cylinder engines. Buyers canopt

for a twin-turboD5222bhpdiesel ora

turboand supercharged316bhppetrol.Theflagship of the range, though,

will be theT8 Twin Enginepetrolplug-in

hybrid. Packing a stonking 390bhp, the

T8 combines the 2.0-litre four-cylinder

petrolengine nd n ele tri motor,

lassy 90 is ready f SUV heralds new era for Volvo UK order books now open OFFICIAL

Touchscreen dominates classy cabin.

Rear seats take adults up to 5ft 6in

and willemitjust64g/kmofCO2,returning a claimed 104.6mpg.

Inside, a new tablet-likenine-inch

touchscreen takes centre stage, and

there areswathesof wood and leather

with hand-craftedhighlights such asa

crystal-glass gearlever on the hybrid.

Theres a massiveamountof space,

too. Volvo claimsthe rearmost seats

will comfortably accommodate adult

passengersup to5ft6in,andwhenall

theseats arefolded theres amassive

1,900-litrecapacityon offer. Safety


@JRRBatchelor

JaJa



Three-cylinder engine News

Nath

anMorgan

r ction

ption in sp ce here ple se

ption sp ce here ple se

ption in sp ce here ple se

Volvo3-cylprototype

QUICK FIXIts taken Volvoless than a yearfrom managementapproval to getthree-cylinderengine prototypeout on test track.We tried it in V40Cross Country andwere impressed

OUR drive was shortand in the

only current prototype, butwith

newinvestment from Chinese

owner, Geely,Volvo is clearly

backon formwhen it comestocreating great engines. Itwas

punchyandenjoyable touse in

our V40Cross Country now

the firmjustneeds tobuild it.

Verdict

FIRST DRIVE New engine shows real potential

NOT content with replacingitsfive,

sixand eight-cylinderengineswith

the2.0four-cylinder thatll be used in

theXC90,Volvohascreated a 1.5-litre

three-cylinderpetrolengine andAuto

Express has drivenanearly prototype.

An in-housecreation,andbasedon

the same500cc-per-cylindermodular

concept as the 2.0-litre four-cylinder

petrol(built on the same line), the

engine went frommanagementapproval to thefirst one running in

48weeks. Its currentlyundergoing

testing, and isslated toappear in the

V40 in the next two years. In time, its

also likely to feature in the S60,V60

andXC60. A three-cylinder dieselwas

considered byVolvo, too, butdeemed

notpremiumenough for itscustomers.

Toavoid the vibrationsassociated

withthree-cylinders,Volvo hastuned

the flywheel andtorsionaldamperto

tryto match therefinementof itslarger

2.0-litre four-cylinder. Andonthemove

theengine is a delight, staying quiet

ata variety of speeds onlyunderhard acceleration andasyounear

the 6,000rpm red line can you hear

thatmuffled three-cylinder thrum.

Volvo isaiming for 95g/kmofCO2in the conventionalthree-cylinder, but

admits theenginecould be adapted

forhybridandplug-in hybriduses to

offer evenmoreeco-friendlymotoring.

Our testwas limited to lapsof a

Swedish trackin a car with studded

tyres, butwewerepleasantlysurprised

athowproduction-readytheengine felt.

Our prototype developedaround

156bhpand wasmore thanwilling to

tackle the tracks slimy tarmacand

steep inclines.Approacha cornerand

thanksto theengines lightness, the

turn-in isdirect. Theres a real senseof

how light the front end is, but our test

was skewedby the way the studdedtyresdancedover the tarmac.

On first impressions, theengine is

a potentialwinner especially if the

economy figures areas lowasVolvo

isaiming for (itassuresus theyll be

class-leading). Volvo justneedsto

beat rivalsand put it into production.


@JRRBatchelor

JaJam

highlightsinclude twoworldfirsts.

A run-off road protection package

tightens seatbeltsandactivatesenergy-

absorbing tech in theseatswhen the

cardetects challenging terrain ahead.

Autobraking cuts in if a driver pulls

out in front of oncoming traffic.

Order books are openand the rangestartsat45,550. R-Design cars get

underway at 49,050, while Inscription

startsat49,950. Theplug-in T8Twin

Engine isaround14,000more than

theentry-level D5models in each trim.

PAGE18:Volvomotor show shock

VolvoV401.53cylprototype

Price: 21,000 (est)

Engine: 1.5-litre 3cyl turbo

Power: 156bhp

Transmission: Six-speedmanual,front-wheeldrive

0-62mph: 8.5seconds (est)

Top speed: 130mph (est)

Economy: 69mpg (est)

CO2: 95g/km (est)

ON SALE 2016 (est)

BOLD STYLING SUV introduces newdesign language for the company which

is to be used on estates, saloons andmaybe a coup over the next few years.

British XC90 deliveries start in summer Lightweight three-cylengine made our testcar feel quite agile


12/92


13/92www.autoexpress.co.uk

AA callouts 2014 News

31December201413

o Finnertyoe_ inner [email protected]

@AE_Consumeroe

Forgetful parents who locked toddlers in cars called the AA 2,410 times in

2014. A host of animals were freed, too, including snakes and guinea pigs

Mondays were the

busiest day for callouts,

with an average of more

than 1,000 extra cases

Automedia

Mer

s new seven-seat SUV spied on test

Newly named GLS takes

over from GL and will

get minor styling tweaks

MERCEDES flagship GL seven-seatSUV

will be rebadged as theGLSfollowing

minor cosmetictweaks and a debut at

heDetroit MotorShow in January.

As our latestspypictures show,

he 4x4 issetto get a light refresh at

he front and rearin a bid tokeep it

ompetitiveagainst theall-new Audi Q7.

Newheadlamps, a revised front grillend restyled front and rear bumpers will

make up thebulkof theexterior changes.

While thereare noshots of the interior,

ubtle cosmetic changes to thedash

ndcentreconsole areexpected.

The engine range isalso likelyto be

SNAKES, raccoons,guineapigs

and toddlers have allbeen

escued by the AA from locked

ars during thepast 12months.

Motorists called the recovery

organisation2,410times aftertheydnadvertently locked theirchildren

n the car, and a further 1,014

imesafter trapping their pets, too.

Thebizarre requestsmake up

ust someof the AAs three million

allouts in2014 andAutoExpress

anexclusively revealsome of the

tories behindthe statistics.

Mark Spowage, AA patrolof the

ear, said: Oneof the moreunusual

alloutswegetis to release animals

ccidentallylocked in thecaror when

heydoa Houdini andescape, often

getting stuckbehind thedash.Weve

adeverything although theyre notlwaysgrateful when we getthem out.

Mondays were the busiest day of the

ear,with anaverage ofmore than 1,000

xtra cases per day.The busiest day of

heyear wasMonday24November,

where the AAdealt with14,501

breakdowncases.Thats up from the

carried over,with only twooptions

available to buyers. The245bhp

3.0-litre BlueTEC dieseland scorching

549bhp twin-turbo 5.5-litreV8petrol

shouldreceive minor efficiency and

performance upgrades.However,

thenip and tuckcouldonlyextend

the life ofMercedesSUV byanother

year or soasa completely new

model is expected in 2017.

2014 daily averageof 9,337.The

longest recovery this year took an AA

van ona 615-mile trip fromMorden,

South London toRoss-shire in the

ScottishHighlands.Markadded:

Althougha breakdown is inconvenient,

itmakes the job worthwhile when

wehelppeopleon their way.

s FIVEMOST OMMON

LLOUT ISSUES IN2014

Ourtable showstheproblemspatrolsmost regularlyhadto sort this year

Batteries 427,586

Tyres 373,746

Lights 131,527

Alternator106,857

Clutch 103,229

Data correct up to8 December.Source: AA

2,410

have lockedchild in a

car, while...

1,014

have locked

a pet in car 40,072incidents of

misfuelling

EVE LE : Stories behind the

stats on AAs craziest callouts Kiddiesandanimals

freed fromcabins

Around threemillion

callouts over 12months

SPIED

615mileslongestrecovery



News MINI sports car

on th nBurnon [email protected]

@Jonathan_burn

JonJon

MINI could introduce

the Superleggera as a

flagship replacement for

the Coup and RoadsterLeaked shot from European patent office appears to suggest car will be made

Roadside drug-dr v t sts rollout

MINI sports car mystery deepens

ROADSIDEdrugs testswill be rolledout

across England andWales from 2015 as

partof a crackdown ondrug-driving.

TheGovernmentsaysdrivers wont

know if theyllbe breathalysed,given a

drugstest orbothwhenpolicestopthem.

Groundbreakingnew drugalysers,

recently givenHomeOfficeapproval,will

take salivasamples andanalyse them

immediatelyfor cannabis andcocaine.

Legalhighs arentdetectable yet, though.

At present, officershave to arrest

suspectsand take themto a policestation to undergo time-consuming

blood tests conductedundermedical

supervision. Toavoiddetection,many

would argue theywereunable togive

a blood sampleformedical reasons or

dueto religiousbeliefs wasting time

A PRODUCTION version of the

MINISuperleggeraVision concept

is edgingever closer following the

emergenceof a mysteriousdrawing,

reported tobe filed byMINI at

theEuropeanpatentoffice.

Although thecompany has yet to give

thetwo-seat roadster thego-ahead for

production, thedrawing showswhat

looksto beplansfor a showroommodel.

MINI has deniedanyconnection

with themysterious image,but it

certainly showshowa productionversion of theconcept could look,

with a folding fabricroof,door handles

andrestyledwing mirrors alladded.

Bespoke styling cues from the

originalSuperleggeraVision concept

can still be pickedout, however, such

as thesubtlyembossedbonnet, flared

wheelarches and gaping grille.

Thenews follows theannouncement

fromMINIbossPeterSchwarzenbauer

earlier this year that thebrands range

willbe cutfromeight to five coremodels.

Thecurrent MINI CoupandRoadster

will be axed,while thePaceman also

looks set tobe dropped to cut costsandstreamline theproductportfolio. Its

thoughtMINI could introducetheopen-

topSuperleggera to complement the

andallowing the drugs to leave their

system.With thedrugalyserson the

streets, that loophole hasbeen closed.

The kitswill support the new drug

offence, coming into force inMarch,but

theyllbe in usealmost immediately.

Theannouncementfollowson from

our NoDrink,NoDoubt campaign that

calls ondrivers not to drinkat all if they

plan on getting behind thewheel.

Policingminister Mike Penning said

mostmotorists had the sameviewof

drug-driving as of drink-driving, adding:TheGovernment is determinedto

drive this menacefrom our roads.

Thosewhotake the wheelwhile

under the influenceof drugsputtheir

own livesat risk, plus those of innocent

motoristsand their passengers.

five core modelsasa flagship

replacement forboth theCoup and

Roadster.A MINI insider revealed aproductionmodel isbetween one to two

years away if approvedby theboard.

Likea superhero, each of these cars

has itsownpersonality andunique

capabilities, saidSchwarzenbauer

talking abouthisvision of five coreMINIs.

It is important to find theright balance

between growth andprofitability.

A newCountryman andClubman will

join the three and five-doorhatch, with

a new Convertible alsoset tobe added.

Patent sketch emerges

Hints at production roadster

COOL CONCEPTSuperleggera Visionmade its debut

in Italy last May,

and speculation

has been feverish

since regarding the

possibility of a

production version

NOO

R NKR NK

NO

DOUBT

DIY breathalysers are common, but police are getting roadside drug test kits

OFFICIAL


15/92



News Halfords servicing plan

1631 December2014

X LUSIV

utocentre network

is set to grow from around 300 to 320 and will feature Apple Store-like pods and wifi

Routine servicing work is pretty

much the same. The big difference is

the price the customer has charged

ndyRandallManaging Director of Halfords Autocentre

i

o

a

k

e [email protected]

Autocentre net

Routi

much t

the pri

Andy Ra

New 40m Q for entley

alfords makes bid to muscle

into dealer servicing market

Mega Juke storms inNISSANS Juke NismoRS is available to order now,

pricedfrom21,995. Thatmakes itaround5,000less

than theVW Golf GTI, which italmostmatches forpower.

Thecurrent 19,995 Juke Nismo boasts197bhp.

For theRS, Nissanhas boosted the 1.6 DiG-T petrol

engine to215bhp, while torquealsoincreases to

280Nmforthe front-wheel-drivemanual.The4WDauto

gets the same250Nm asbefore. The Golfhas 217bhp.

ThemanualNismo does 0-62mphin seven

seconds, rising to eight seconds forthe 4WDcar.

Image shows

how BentleySUV could look

and itll be

built at newly

expanded

Crewe HQ

BENTLEYhas announced plans forthe

biggest site development in itshistory,

including a newR&Dcentre, expanding

theCrewe HQaspartofa 40million

investmentprogramme.

The facilitieswillbe home to the new

Bentley V, due in2016,a car whichwill

share a platformwith Audisnew Q7.

TheBentleywas previewedat the

2012 GenevaMotorShow, and is likely

to cost more than 140,000, rivalling

the likesof the long-wheelbase Range

Rover.More detailswill be revealed in2015, but its likelyto offer a choiceof

W12 and V8petrol engines,with the

optionofdieselandhybrid tech, too.

The 11-acre Cheshire-based facility

will house1,300Bentley staff, including

designers,R&Dofficersand technical

HALFORDS is urgingownersof

under-warranty cars to turn their

backs on franchiseddealerworkshops,

which dominate the 10 billion-a-

year automotive aftercare market.

The invitation to consumers to defect

to the Halfords Autocentre network

followsAuto Express latest Driver

Power survey, in which many dealernetworks were severely criticised.

Blockexemption rules mean that

ownersof cars still under manufacturer

warrantiescanhave them serviced at

independent workshops. And Andy

Randall, Managing Director of Halfords

Autocentre, believes that it canoffer that

alternative.Routine servicing workis

prettymuch the same, whether its

carried outby qualified Autocentre

technicians or those employed by

workshops attached to franchised

dealers. The bigdifference is the

price the customer is charged.

Randall claimshiscustomersenjoy pricesup to

40 per cent lower than those

charged by official dealers.

Yet onlyhighly trained

technicians are employed,

and allwork is guaranteed.

The Autocentre network

not to be confused with

Halfords shops will be

320-strong by the end

of 2015. The plan isfor

professionals.Workon thenewsite is

scheduled to start early theNewYear.WolfgangDrheimer, chairman and

CEO,said:With our newR&D centre,

wewill develop a newgenerationof

Bentleys,which will continue our

commitment of luxury, performance,

qualityand engineeringexcellence.

receptionists and their desks to be

replaced by hosts standing alongside

Apple Store-like pods. Waiting areas will

feature wifi, plus iPads forcustomersto watch their cars being serviced.

And a motoristwho books their car in

for an Autocentre servicecan, free of

charge, ask for it to be collected in the

morning, then returned later in the day.

A National FranchisedDealers

Association spokeswoman said:I think

dealers would step up to this. Franchised

dealers are underpinned by fully trained

technicians with the best level of tools.

PAGE90:ReadRutherfordsview

Autocentre network expands Boss claims prices are lower

Image s owsrofessionals. Workon thenewsite is


17/92



News Porsche Pajun

orsches b by n m

Exclusive images show the

look of striking new Pajun

A PORSCHE insider has confirmed

that a newmid-sizesportssaloon,

believed tobecalledPajun, isin the

developmentandplanning stage. Itsa car thatsbeen rumoured for some

time, but thecompany is finally ready

to expand its line-up to sevenmodels.

Ourexclusive imagesshowhowthe

Pajun (short forPanamera junior) could

look. Our source toldus its more likea

911 witha boot rather thana shrunken

Panamera, but isexpected to resemble

itsbiggerbrother, just as theMacanhas

echoes of theCayenne in itsdesign.

A Porsche spokesmanclaimed the

brand is still deciding on themarketing

strategy for thePajun in termsof pricing

andperformance levels, soweshouldnt

expect tosee a productionmodelon

sale before2018. However, a predicted

entry point of just under 50,000 would

put the car squarely in themix with

theMaseratiGhibli, aswell asmore

powerful BMW5Seriesmodels.

WolfgangHatz, thePorscheboard

member in charge of researchanddevelopment, recently confirmedto

us that the brand isworking ona

completely new platform for the

Panamerawhichoffersa lotof

opportunities for newmodels.

CalledMSB, theplatform ishighly

likely tounderpin thesmaller Pajun.

Hatz also said energy efficiency

is everythingas emissions regulations

get stricter. So the Pajun is likely to get

a rangeof smaller four-cylinder engines

alongside theVWGroups existing

New turbo 458 up anOURspieshave caughtFerrari testing

the458M ahead of its launch nextyear.

The light camouflage reveals that the

turbochargedsupercarwill geta new

exhaust systemwith two instead of the

existing 458s three signaturepipes.A

newbumper isalso expected toboost

aerodynamicsandhigh-speed handling.

Changes at the front are less obvious

thanks to thedisguise, but the458M

could get new headlamps anda lightly

tweaked front end. Theslits behind thelights remain,asdo the flexible rubber

winglets in the front bumper.

Enginedetailswillbe confirmedcloser

to thecars launch, but itsclear Ferrari

will favour theturbo route with thenew

458M.Thecompany hasalready fitted

theCalifornia T witha 552bhp3.8-litre

V8 turbo, and this sameengine is likely

topowerthenew car albeitin a higher

state of tune. Itll replace thecurrent

naturally aspirated4.5-litreV8, andhike

power from 562bhp to650bhp-plus.

However, the torque increaseswould

play havocwiththecurrent carsGetrag

seven-speeddual-clutch gearbox, so its

likelyengineerswill be tweaking this to

copewith theextrahorsepower, too.

Ferrari insiders told us to expect thecarat Marchs GenevaMotorShow,but

it could bedelayed untilFrankfurt in the

autumn if thedevelopment team needs

moretime.As the 458M issetto raise

the bar when it arrives nextyear, Ferrari

clearlywants to getit absolutelyright.

3.0-litreV6TDIdiesel. A V6petrolturbo

with around400bhp is also expected,

asis a plug-in hybrid similar to the

PanameraS E-Hybridsset-up.

Despite thiseco focus, driver-focused

GTS andPajunTurbosupersaloonsare

almostcertain,with the latter set to

offer performance to rival theBMWM5.

Volvos shock motor show KOVOLVOhasannouncedthatitwill no longer attend themajorityof the

worlds leadingmotor shows, such as Frankfurt, Tokyo andParis,as it focuses insteadon improvingits onlinepresence.

TheChinese-owned brand is lookingto cutspending on trade shows,

sportssponsorships andTVadvertising in favourof other marketing.

Salesandmarketing VPAlainVissersaid: Were still a relatively small

playerglobally...Werenot going towinbydoing thesame asothersdo.

wrence Allan [email protected]

Concept Estate

was displayed

at Geneva this

y r

, but Volvo

is set to scale

down motor

show debuts

EXCLUSIVEIMOur images show look of new

Pajun. Its set to get four-cyl,

V6 and hybrid power

Source said its more

911 with a boot thana shrunken PanameraPo

bl ete

Automedia


19/9231December 201419

Porsche PajunNews

r t king sh p

running

est new cars of

2015 previewed

THE JaguarXE, Honda Civic Type R

(above) andVolvo XC90aresome

of the excitingnewcars wewillbe

filming over the next12months. Ifyou cant wait tosee our reviews

and wecan barelywait toproduce

them then the preview video

weve put together of thehottest

newmodelsdue inshowrooms in

2015 shouldwhet your appetite.

Porsche 911 vs

Bentley Conti GT

BENTLEYSContinental GT has

twiceasmany cylindersas the

Porsche911Carrera,anddelivers

more than500bhp to the road

through allfour wheels. Butits

heavier and, as its theprevious-

generation model,older.So which

car isfaster ina straight line?

ON THE ROAD Spies

caught new Ferrari 458 M

on test, and light disguise

at rear cant hide new twin

exhausts, which replace

stacked triple set-up

Ferrari will

favour the turbo

route with the

458 M, using a

version of the

orniaTs V8

Youcan watchany of ourvideos

onyour phone

Simply scan

this QRcode.

AS 2014 comes to a close,werelookingahead to next year witha preview of the hottest new carscoming in2015. Also thisweekatautoexpress.co.uk/vi os,our drag race seriescontinues.

t

[email protected]

@mat_watson

THEnew GT3 RS iscloser toPorsche dealers thanthe Pajun (above), asourspies have caught itontest ahead of a possible revealnext summer. Andits setto be themost extreme roadgoing911ever.

Marking it outfromthe GT3 are a wider trackwith more flared bodywork, plusan aggressivefront splitter and deeper air intakes. At the rearisa huge wing. Like the previous GT3 RS,expecta lightweight, stripped-out interior.The RS will

use theGT3s 3.8-litre flat-six,butwith a powerhike from 469bhptoaround 500bhpanda higherrev limit.That, along with reduced weight, shouldcut the 0-62mph time tobelow3.5 seconds. Itslikely to be offered with the PDKautobox only.

Before we see the GT3 RS,Porsche has twomore stripped-out road racersup itssleevetheCaymanandBoxster GT4models, which areexpected to debut at Marchs GenevaMotorShow.

ES

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Automedia



tchdog

We get behind the stories that affect you

2031 December2014

ADVICEWhat should you do if it happens to you?

SE

STUDY

uyers dism yed t problem on new c r andt m kers sluggish response

CATCHINGa red light ataclear junctioncanbe very

frustrating andoften setsthetone fora miserablejourney.Imagine, then, traffic signals

beingturnedoff outside rush

hour, helping vehiclestoflowthroughempty streets.Thats theproposalwhich

ToryMP SirGregKnight(left)put forward aspartof anideatocutback onqueues andcongestion. AnMPinterestedinassistingmotorists?Iknow, mostunlikely, isnt it?Part-timesignalsarealready

inuse intheUK often atbusyroundaboutsbutis it feasibletoswitchoff othersignalswhentheyre notneeded?

bviously , thesafety

implicationsneedto beconsidered turningoff trafficlightsat junctionsthatarebusyatalltimesisntbeneficial atall.Insomeplaces, though, theupsideof a switch-off ishuge.Asidefrom improvingtraffic

flow, therewouldbea positiveenvironmental impact.Electricityusagewouldreduce,plus carswouldspend less timeidling, cuttingemissions.Its beendone inother

countriesin EuropeandNorthAmerica, sowhynothere, too?

adly , theresponse fromtheGovernmentabout a seeminglysensible ideawas, asusual,lessthanencouraging.Ministerssaid theylllookinto it,but eventhis tentativestepisntlikely tohappenuntilafternextyearsGeneralElection,as politiciansdown toolsandprepare tosavetheir jobs. In themeantime,were left stuckat thelights.

oFinnertydea toswitchoff traff iclightshas realmerit,

but wont happen soon

Two-day-old udi 1

in brake fault shockCall to switch signalsoff to cut traffic jams

Imagine turningoff traffic signalsoutside rush hour,easing congestion

Warning lights f lashed

up on the A1s dashboard

just two days after delivery

WHEN rejecting a car, it can often be

hard to prove the fault was there at the

time of manufacture andthatitsnot fit

for purpose the two key points for

achieving a successful rejection.

But forSteven McCormackand his

daughter Fiona, it wassimple there

were problems with her Audi A1 just two

days after they picked it up from Audi

Kings Lynn in Norfolk. Little proof wasneeded because as soon as the warning

lightscame on,Steven, of Richmond,

N Yorks, returned the car to his dealer,

AudiTeesside, to get it checked out.

It spenttwo weeks in the garage

before it wasfinally decided that there

was an issue with the ABS control unit.

Unfortunately, staff couldnt find a fix.

Steven demanded a replacement car

free of faultshavingspent thousandson

thenew Audi, butdidnt get anywhere.

He contacted Auto Express and told

us:The customer service is rubbish.

I dont expectto havea new car that

needs a major repair after two days.

Its been an absolute nightmare.

With no dispute over the car being

under warranty or thefault developing

due to driving style, we felt Audi should

be doing all it could to compensate the

McCormacks. So,we contacted Audi

and a spokesman confirmed it had

provided a courtesy car for Fiona and

was trying to source a newA1, too.

A few weeks later, Audi confirmedit had been successful. The spokesman

added: By way of an apology, Audi will

replace Miss McCormacks A1 with a

new model, upgraded toS line

specification to compensate for

the inconvenience caused.

Thiswasnt the end of the story,

though, as we spoke to Steven, who

said hed agreed to stump up extra for

the upgrade. We pushed Audi further

and it confirmed there wasno charge.

Steven said: Mydaughter is delighted.

Audi appreciated the disappointment

and hasrecovered the situation.

THEMcCormackscase for rejectingtheir carandgetting a replacementwas oneof

thestrongestweve had. Theywereable toprovethe A1wasnt fitfor purpose and

hada manufacturing fault.Audialso agreedit couldnt be fixed.If youcan provethis,

buta makerwontbudge, contactMotor Codesor theAuto ExpressWatchdog team.

A MINISTER hascalledfor the

Governmentto consider turning off

some traffic signalsin a bid tocut

queuesat non-rushhour times.

Conservative MP for EastYorkshire,

SirGreg Knight, urged theGovernment

to follow theleadof othercountries andturn offcertain signalsto prevent

thousandsofmotoristsbeing stuckin

traffic jamsfor no reasonwhatsoever.

Knightasked transportminister John

Hayes,whosebriefincludesnational

roads: Are youaware that thousands

ofmotorists travellingat non-rushhour

times often find themselves stuckin a

traffic jamat traffic lights forno reason

whatsoever?Hayes said there were no

plans to implementthe idea, but that

theGovernmentwould look intoit. [email protected]

@AE_Consumer

Joe Finnerty



Join the debate at www.autoexpress.co.ukDRIVING DOCTORPaul Ripleywww.drd.uk.com @drpaulripley

Inbox What do you think?Contact Chris Ebbs

[email protected] @AutoExpressWriteto: Watchdog/Letters,Auto Express, Dennis Publishing,30 Cleveland Street, London W1T 4JD

river left stranded

by cancelled deposit

HOT TOPICEuro NCAP test changes

Its time to raise the

UK driving age to 18Hot - lass should be

called Silver Arrows

FROM:Shaun34 CREATING a two-tier scoring system(Issue 1,347) will make crash

testing far too complex. Euro NCAP tests should be about how well cars protectoccupants in the eventof a crash, not how good they are at avoiding them.

These safety systems may be great when the cars arenew, butwhat happens

a few years down the line? What happens when the third, fourth or even fifth

owner hasskimped on servicing, and is driving on worn brakeswith cheaptyres?

Autonomous braking is reliant on the serviceability of the brakes and tyres,

so you cant say its a five-star car if itsnot working to its maximum level.

FROM:Norman Hawkes IVEread a great

deal recently about how to reduce

accidents among young drivers. But

what Ive never seen is the suggestion

we fall in line with the rest of Europe and

raise the minimum age for driving cars

to 18. Why has no one suggested this

so far? Surely its a no-brainer and

would reduce accidents straight away.

FROM:Mike Spencer I AGREEwith AMG

boss Tobias Moers (Issue 1,347) that an

uprated, street fighter version of the

A45 AMG should not be called Black

Series. What about the Mercedes-AMG

A45 Silver Arrows instead? That works

for me, particularly after the F1 finale

in Abu Dhabi. A new city car for world

champ Lewis Hamilton, perhaps?

FROM:Dean Lock I REALLY love the

modern interior ofthe new Mazda 2

(Issue 1,345). I hope that Ford takes

note and modernisesthe Fiestas

interior soon. Mazda has proven that

itcanbe done ona small car atthe

same price point. So get on it, Ford

and then I can justifyspending my

hard-earned money on a FiestaST.

FROM:David Hutchins IN addition to the

Driving Doctors comments on night

driving (Issue 1,345), I recently found

out from my optician that if you wear

glasses with reactive lenses that

darken in sunlight, they are now

considered unsafe for night driving.

The yellow tinted over-glasses are

also not considered safe, either.

Mazda 2 is showing

Fiesta the way aheadKnowyour glasses

for night-time driving

Its too complex. What

would have been wrong

with just going from five

stars, to six and then

seven? PeteRichardson

People will pay

attention as long as its

simple to understand,

otherwise consumers

will lose interest.Nicko

This move to tiered

rankings suggests that

safety is becoming a

privilege of wealthy

car owners.Trellis

Under new

NCAP rules,

only cars

with kit like

autobrake

will be able to

get five stars

DOyou knowthe basicsof traffic

signs?What shapearewarning signs?

What about those that give usorders?

Andwhyaresomedifferent colours?If you dont knowthe answers to these

simplequestions, youd fail thedriving

theory test. Andif the answerwas no

to any of the above, taketimeto refresh

yourmind.Traffic signs giveusvaluable

information that allowsus to drive safely

andplan forwhat will happenahead.

TOPTIP: If usedproperly, traffic signsenhanceyour safetyand awareness.

DVLA CASHES IN ON DRIVERS

THEDVLA hasmade nearly22million inthepast four-and-a-half yearsselling

drivers details to parking enforcement

firms.The incomehas risenannually, with

the agencyset tomake7.3m thisyear.

This information includesdrivers

namesandaddresses,aswell asvehicle

details, and isoftenused bycompanies

to issueandcollect fines.Approved

companiesarecharged2.50 a time

but the DVLAclaims that it doesnt

makea profit on the service.

Reader left with big loan and no car as deposit is cancelled

ONCE youve secured a

deal on a car,you often leave

a deposit with a view to pay

he full amount later.Mark

Parkin, from Barnsley, S Yorks,

paid 450 for a Mitsubishi

200 Warrior at franchised

dealer Montys, in Sheffield.

He hoped to pay the rest

after selling hisexisting car

and sorting a loan. But justdays after doing both, he

eceived hisdeposit back in

he post with no explanation.

He called Montys and was

old the L200 had been sold

at auction. A gearbox issue

had been found and it was

decided it wasnt suitable for

private sale. Mark said: Im

ow left with loan repayments

and Ive sold my other car.

We contacted Mitsubishi,

which said it couldnt help

because it was a dispute

between dealer and customer.A spokeswoman told us:

The sales agent did not

ommunicate the decision

oMr Parkinas hewason

annual leave at the time.

Montys has written to Mr

Parkin and apologised for

ot notifying him earlier.

Marksaid he would be

aking the case further, and

may pursue losses through

he small claims court.

Dealer returned deposit on L200, but

didnt keep buyer properly informed

Joe Finnerty

ContactsHE followingprovide helpwith

motoring problems.Someervices are free, others chargefeeor operate on premium-

ate lines (p), while some offerdvicefor members only (m).

Legal

AA: 0906 010 1300 (p)RAC: 0870 5533 533 (m)Which?: 01992 822 800Consumer Direct:0845 404 0506Local Trading StandardsLocal CitizensAdvice Bureau

Used car inspections

AA: 0800 085 3007RAC: 0800 085 2529

Technical advice

AA: 0870 606 1619 (m)

Driving licences

DVLA: 0300 790 6801

Car registration/history

HPI: 01722 422422AA: 0800 316 3564DVLA: 0300 790 6802RAC: 0800 975 5867

Traffic informationAA: 09003 401100 (p)RAC:09003 444999 (p)

Problems with dealersMotor Codes:0800 692 0825RMIF: 0845 839 9205 (m)Scottish Motor TradeAssociation:0131 331 5510

Problems with makersMotorCodes: 08006920825

Financial problems

Financial Ombudsman:0800 023 4567

Safety concerns/recalls

Vehicle and OperatorServices Agency (VOSA):0117 954 3300


22/922231 December2014

nsi estoryA dif ferent take on the world of motoring

k r

the road to

READYFORACTION X-raid uses MINI All4 Racing for the 2015 Dakar lly, with NaniRoma (pictured far right with co-driver Michel Prin) hoping for a second consecutive win

ur man joins the X-Raid akar Rally team on its boot campOur man joins the X-Raid Dakar Rally team on its boot camp

in tenerife, as it prepares for 2015s instalment of one ofin tenerife, as it prepares for 2015s instalment of one of

the most demanding races in the world of motorsportthe most demanding races in the world of motorsport



nry Willis [email protected]

@WineryHills

TEAM BONDING From the DakarRally stars to the support crew, every

member of the outfit takes part in the

demanding exercises... as did our man Willis

THEphysical rigours of theDakarRally arealmost

unparalleled inmotorsport.Entrants are faced

withcoveringup to500miles a day more than5,000

n total over13days in Januaryacrossvarious types

of terrain.The demanding eventis now held in the

eat andhostilityofSouthAmerica each year, so its

ital that theparticipantsmaintainpeak fitness levels.

To see justhow hard the drivershave toworkto

tay in shape,weheaded toTenerife tocatch upwith

heX-raid team,which is using theCanaryIslandsastraining base in thebuild-up to2015sDakar Rally

whichkicks offnextweek inBuenosAires, Argentina.

With warmweather andundulating, savage

andscapes, the tourist trapmakes for the ideal

preparation grounddue to its relatively close

proximity to the teamsGermany base.Most of

X-raids resourcesare kept at their Frankfurt HQ,

includingthe race-tunedMINI All4 Racingcars and

equipment that will cross theAtlantic tohelp drivers

tackle theDakar. Membersof theX-raid outfitare

stationedallover theworld,butTenerife acts asa

remotebase, where a variety of activities await the

team andeveryone isencouraged toget involved.

Frommaindriver, Nani Roma who won 2014s

Dakar Rally to chiefoverseer andboss,Sven

Quandt, right down to travelling mechanicsand

supportcrew, everymemberof the group chips inand

takespart in thephysically demandingyet team

morale-boosting tasks, ranging frommountain bikingtodancing.We wentalong tosee what it involves.

Upearly on the first activityday,weweredriven

high up tooneof Tenerifes lofty vantage points for

a morning of cycling.Only a short distanceseparated

us fromMount Teide a dormant volcano and the

highest point inSpain and aswe spotted snowon

thepeak, it emphasised thebitingcold andthin

air thatweweregoing toencounter thatday.

Bikes weredishedout toeverymember of the

team,andthree different routeswere served

depending on each riders level of cycling ability.

A shorter20km (12-mile) version was selected

fornovices, 35km (22miles)awaited intermediates

and anelite few including Roma opted for

the60km (37-mile) off-roadmega ride.

I chose the 20kmroute and found the ridenot

toophysically demanding, butquite technical with

an emphasis onhandling that wouldprove a useful

pointer to theexpertvehicle control that driverswillsoonbeputting touse inSouth America.And itwasnt

just a fitness test italsotuned teamwork, asa pre-

designedroute had beendrawn on toa map,and all

threeteamswereresponsible for theirownnavigation.

For Roma, thisis a small part of keeping in shape

for the exertion thathell faceat the wheel ofhis MINI

We spotted snow on the top of MountTeide, emphasising the biting cold and

thin air that we were going to encounter


24/92www.autoexpress.co.uk2431 December 2014

Inside story

As the end drew nearer and I beganto feel a little weary, it was clear

to me just how much the Dakar Rallyracers put their bodies through

Dakar car. For me, physical training began in August,

and fromthen onwe gohard, hesaid.I doquitea

lotof road cycling, mountain biking, running and

even cross-countryskiing to keepfit. Occasionally,

I go swimming because its a non-impactsport.

Whats as important to Roma, though, is that he

knows andcan relyon the team around him come

the beginning of the race. Around now [at the endof November], we startto wrap everything up on the

physical side, because its important to focus on team

building which is whywere here, he explained.

Upon finishing, we headed to TenerifeTop Training

a training facility open only to sports teamsand

used by some of Englands leading football clubs.

An evening of dancing ensued at a nearby dance

school, much to the amusement,and occasional

embarrassment, of the team. What looked like a

bit of fun was muchmore than that, too.Thiswas

another exercise that demanded high fitness

levelsand provided even more team bonding.

Allthe time the team spendstogether is valuable

as, excluding the four or five races they enter each

year, theyre together for only28 days. One weekof

that is spent on theSpanish island,so organisers

were keen to packin as manyactivities as possible

which meant that everyone was heaved out of bed

early the next morning to go rock climbing.

Again, Tenerife was the perfect host for thisday of

physical exertion. No man-made climbing walls were

needed as natural gorgesand rock faces made for theperfectsetting. Just like the biking, this required on-

the-spot thinking, as team members hadto pick out

fixing pointsand where to secure ropes before relying

on their ownjudgement to scale the surfaces.

Thefollowing day,and with the odd strain and

pain, it wastime to becomeacquainted with nature

once more in a day of hiking up anddownthe islands

spectacular landscape. Taking in even moreofTenerife,

the typical warmer climeswere scrapped in favour of

returning to high altitude formore multi-mile exercise.

Before the trip wound down, the team squeezed in

some sailing. Leaving the cold mountain heights and

soaking up theTenerife sunin thesea, theX-raid outfit

built up relationships and gotto know one another

furtherwhile working together to steer andsail a boat.Astheend drewnearer and I began tofeel a little

weary from the physical exertions, it wasclear to

me justhow muchthe Dakar Rally racers put their

bodies through. Butwhat wasmore apparent is just

how muchthe team around them does and how

important the internal trust and relationships are.

MORALE BOOSTWhile activities

such as sailing,

hiking and mountain

climbing are a

physical test, they

succeed in bringing

team closer together

History of TH WORL SMOST GRUELLING RACETHEDakar Rallybegan life asan endurance

race back in1979, going from Paris,

France, allthe way toDakar,Senegal,

byland. The dash toAfrica had its last

outing in2007due tosecurity fears in

Mauritania, which bordersSenegal, and

lies inbetween the startand end points.

Asmuchas the rally could haveskirtedaroundMauritania, itwasdecidedbest to

missa year in2008. The Dakar Rally was

then reborn in2009, but on the other side

of theAtlantic, inSouthAmerica, and its

been held on thecontinentever since.

Countries such asArgentinaandPeru

best replicatethe Africanterrainwith

sand dunesandother testing conditions.

In Dakars inauguralyear,only heavily

adapted rally cars entered as they

were the onlyones that could cope

with theelementsandgroundsurfaces.

But in 1980,motorbike andtruck

categorieswere addedandhave remained

since. Main X-raiddriverNaniRomahaswonboth carandmotorbike events.

Therace isntwithout itscontroversy,

andit is thought thataround60people

have lost their lives asa direct result

of theDakarRally most of them

participants,butalsosome spectators, too.


25/92

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26/922631 December2014

risEbbs [email protected]

REGRESE R HREG RESEARCHBuying a plate is

simple enough at a

DVLA auction, and

many celebrities,

such as Tamara

Ecclestone, have

taken the plunge.

But selling is a

trickier business

and its important

to do your research

initials and nameplatestend to sell pretty easily,as its likely that someonewith the same name as you isafter a personalised plate

Rex

Inside storyextra

w1ll5Karona7d

beck5Ache7se

G TTINGGETTINGP RSONRSON

S LLING P RSON Lised PL T can be an extremely luSELLING A PERSONALised PLATE can be an extremely luc

PERSONALISED numberplates are

bigbusiness. In fact, theirestimated

worth in the UK in2012was 2.3billion,

and inNovember2014, the plate 25 O

sold fora record-breaking518,000at

a DriverandVehicleLicensingAgency

(DVLA) auction.With allthatmoney

available, could it be the right time

tocash inonyour own investment?

The first part of the process isgetting

a valuation foryour plate beware,

though, as this isnt an exact science.

Plates area reallyhard thing tovalue.

Evenafter 30years ofdoing it, wecould

get fiveor six peoplewhomight value

onedifferently, r transfers.co.uks John

Dohertytold us. Thepriceswould be in

a similar ballpark, but slightlydifferent.

Essentially, a plate isworthwhat

someone iswilling topay for it.Remember,every platehas a particular

audience, andwhatsvaluabletoyou

might not be to the nextperson. Generic

initialsandnameplates tend to sell

prettyeasily, as its likely that someone

else in the countryhas the samename

asyouand isafter a personalisedplate.

PopularityOne thingwell lookat is thepopularity

of the nameand initialsona plate. You

couldhave something like 8 JJJ, which

looksgood, buthowmany peoplehave

theinitials JJJ? Doherty added. Its also

worthseeingwhatelse ison themarket.If there are 20or30similar plates, then

thevaluation is going tobe less.

The speed ofa sale can vary, too.

Funny phrasesmay bea littleharder to

moveon, astheywont be toeveryones

taste, while plates that aredifficult to

decipherwill take even longer to sell.

We never givea guideline onhow

long itwilltake to sell a plate, but if

they arepopular initials andnamesand

there is amarket, they will goquicker.

However,wordsandcomical phrases

thatpeoplehavecomeupwith

notsomuch,explainedDoherty.

Whathedoesagree on, though, isthat ifyou are looking to sell a plate,

therearentmany places that youcan

go. The options forsellers arevery

limited, andthats theproblem. The

DVLAsells newlypublishedplates, but

forsecond-hand ones, youneedtogo

through a dealeror put anad out so,

theres verylittle choice, Dohertysaid.

To help you get themostfor your

plate,Auto Express has rundown the

topoptions forselling, togetherwith the

pros andconsofeachmethod(far right).


27/9231December201427

ejayzpo5hn

S1Dinorom4n

iantvroveu

att ive business. eres how you c n c sh inive business. Heres how you can cash in

TH OPTIONS FOR

SELLING YOUR PLATE

Specialist companiesONE of the easiest ways to sell your plate is

to take it to a specialist company, such as

regtransfers.co.u ,nationalnumbers.co.uk

orbritishcarregstrations.co.u , which will

advertise your plate and look for a buyer.

However, this method does have its

flaws. Youll have to pay, as companiesoften charge a fee for selling the plate,

plus theres no definitive way of

knowing the valuation youre

given is what the plate is worth.

Auction websitesANOTHER way of selling your plate is through

an auction site like eBay. This way you can

put a reserve on your item to ensure that

youre getting what you think its worth.

As with anything on this kind of

website, though, getting the right buyer

is often down to luck. Choosing to take

your plate to an auction means youwont be able to guarantee a sale

or that the plate will get anywhere

near your reserve price, either.

Private saleIF youre not keen on relying on other firms

or websites to shift your plate and you

dont want to pass on part of the earnings,

you can always advertise it yourself.

Therell be an initial outlay for advertising,

whether its online at sites like Gumtree or

in local ads, but this is likely to be lower

than the cost of using other methods. The

main issue is that people may not see

the ad, and therefore youre unlikely to

get the same volume of prospective buyers.

uying a

personalised plateBUYING a personalised plate is more

straightforward than selling one, and

theres money to be made in the long

run, too, as Doherty explains: There is

an investment value. If you buy wisely,

you can end up making a good profit.

To get your hands on one, the first

place to look is the DVLA. It holdsnumerous auctions throughout the year,

where they sell newly published plates,

although these tend to be relevant to the

plate changes for March and September.

For other plates, you can go to auction

sites, dealers or look for private ads.

Of course, youllneed to find the ones

that arerelevant to you andwhatyou

are after, which will be more difficult.

Dealers, on the other hand, offer a

search facility on their websites, so you

can find ones that workwithyourname

or initials. After that,itsup toyou to bid

the price you think the plateis worth.

If youre successful in buyingyourplate of choice, youll need to inform

the DVLA using the V750 certificate

of entitlement or V778 retention

document along with your V5C.


28/92www.autoexpress.co.uk2831 December 2014

ewc rs

Visit autoexpress.co.ukfor the latest new cars and drives

MERCEDESB200

B-Classgets a facelift

to keep it competitive

against Active Tourer.

30

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introducebytheendof2017

FIRST UKDRIVE Supermini is stylishand spacious, but not much fun to drive

In such a conservativelystyled sect

r

, the 20

sdesign is bold enoughto really stand out

HYUNDAISmodel line-up is topped

andtailed with brilliance.Welove

the Santa Feand the i10, and now its

time for the restof the range to catch

up.Themission startswith thehugely

importantnew i20supermini, whichhasto challenge thebrilliantVW Polo and

Ford Fiesta, aswell asnewcomers such

as theVauxhall CorsaandMazda 2.

Theall-newmodel is a bigdeparture

from the outgoing i20 in terms of

design, practicality anddesirability

all havebeen improved tohelp

widen itscustomer base andmake

thecara genuine classcontender.

Visually, thenewcomer is very

different from itspredecessor, giving the

i20 a welcome doseof style. In sucha

conservative sector, itsboldenough

to reallystandout, with raked-back

LEDheadlamps, Hyundais trademarkhexagonal grille and a blacked-out

C-pillar the standout features.

Whatsnot sonew istheenginerange.

All of the i20s units havebeencarried

over from itspredecessor, albeitwith

minor efficiency tweaks to bring them in

line with Euro VI emissions regulations.

Wetried the99bhp1.4-litrepetrol

engine, which is capable of returning

51.4mpg nothing towrite home about

when compared to rivals. Next to

thesimilarlypriced60.1mpg Polo

with its89bhp1.2-litrepetrolengine,

the i20 looks tobe ratherbehind the

times,and this is highlighted further

by its 127g/km CO2 figure the

VWisfar cleaner at just107g/km.

Performance is prettymediocre, too.

Unlike turbocharged rivals, you reallyhave to extend the engine toget

anythingout of it, and even then

theres not a great dealonoffer.

You wont findmoreperformance

elsewhere in theengine range,with a

smaller and lesser-powered1.25-litre

petrolanda pair of sluggish diesel

units being your only options. Next year,

a much needed1.0-litre three-cylinder

turbowill arriveandalready it looks

likely tobe the pickof the range.

The ride isalsoa bit ofa mixed bag.

Its generally OK, but a bit bumpy

andoccasionallyuncomfortableat

lower speeds, particularly whentravelling aroundtown. Its betteron

themotorway, butnever feels quite

assettled as thePolo,whichseems

oddconsidering comfort-enhancing

featureswere oneofHyundaisfocal

pointswhen developing thenewmodel.

Dont think that thetrade-off is

nimble handling, either. The steering

isnicelyweighted andresponsive

enough, but its nowhere near as

muchfun asa Fiestas orMazda 2s.

Its notallbad news, though, especially

when it comes tomore practical

matters. Hyundai has deliveredon

its promise of providingclass-leading

interior space, asthe newmodel is

longer, lower andwider than its

predecessor,and isnowthe

largest superminion themarket.

Whether in the front or rear, theres

masses of headroom,while the24mm

thathas beenadded to the width ofthe car means three adults can sit

prettycomfortably in theback.

A 326-litreboot is31 litres larger than

before and one of themostspacious in

itsclass.The cleverpackaging also

means the rearseats can be folded

completely flat, freeingup1,042litres.

Build quality is strong, but, in spite

ofa decentkit count, the lackof

a smart, integrated touchscreenand

navigation system,which supermini

buyershave becomeaccustomed to

andrivalsoffer, couldputpeopleoff.

Hyundai will offer a factory-fit option

for lessthan1,000onPremium andPremiumSEmodelsfromnext year.

As a class first,Hyundai has also

introduceda full-length panoramic

roofon the i20. It doesimpacton

headroom,butgiven theamountof

spaceonoffer, its barelynoticeable.

Hyundai i20

on th [email protected]

@Jonathan_burn

JonJonat

Performance is mediocre

1.4 engine needs to

be worked hard


29/9231December201429

OtisClay

VW POLO GTI

DoesDSGtransmission

hamper the funfactor

on juniorhothatch?

TESLA MODEL S

Whyopting for entry-

level 60kWhwont

leaveyoushortchanged.

AUDIA1 1.4 TFSI

Turbo engine proves

tobe a goodfitfor

premium supermini.

ELECTRICMPV

Nissanse-NV200

Combi offers space

andeco credentials.

33 35 36 38

Interior ist y ,

with headroom

a real plus, and

rear seats are

very spacious.The 16-inch

alloys make for

an occasionally

bumpy ride

THE new Hyundai i20is a goodcar

in a marketwhere justbeing good

isnt quite enough. Interior room is

itsstrongestsuit, as rear seat and

boot spacearevery impressive,

whilequalityand a strongkit count

also appeal.But rivalsaremore

comfortable, moreengaging to

drive and, crucially, moreefficient.A new,greener 1.0-litre turbo

three-cylinderpetrol engine

willarrive nextyear, andit

cant come soon enough.

PRACTICALITYi20 is one of themost practical superminis around. The

326-litre boot is larger than Ford Focuss,

while wide rear bench can fit three adults

EQUIPMENT Lack of integratedtouchscreen is disappointing, but

one will be offered on Premium and

Premium SE models. Bluetooth and

air-con do come as standard, though

Verdict

Essentials

Hyundai i20Price: 14,325

Engine: 1.4-litre4cylpetrol

Power: 99bhp

Transmission: Six-speedmanual,front-wheeldrive

0-62mph: 11.6 seconds

Top speed: 114mph

Economy: 51.3mpg

CO2: 127g/km

ON SALE Now


30/92



Mercedes B-Class New cars

Essentials

Verdict

nt bumper nd he dlights re

new, plus grille iswider. Diesel isethargic, but dash has quality feel

PRACTICALITYThere are no changes

to the boot space for the facelifted B-Class.

The 486-litre luggage area still eclipses the

Ford C-MAXs 471-litre capacity, and when

you fold the rear seats the Mercedes

load bay expands to 1,545 litres

REAR SEATSSpecify the Easy

Vario package from the options list

and you get 60:40 split-folding rear

seats that slide back and forth,

allowing you to sacrifice legroom

for more boot space and vice-versa

THEtweaks help theB-Class

keep upwith newer rivals. An

evenmore efficientB180 CDI

Eco model isavailable,with

CO2 emissions of 95g/km,

but thisB200CDI isthepick

of therange,with just enoughpower tomakedriving it fun.

Ultimately theB-Class is about

practicality, though, and in that

respect its asgood asever.

MercedesB200CDISportPrice: 25,695

Engine: 2.1-litre4cyl turbodiesel

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 300Nm

Transmission: Seven-speedauto,front-wheeldrive


Top speed: 130mph

Economy: 70.6mpg

CO2: 107g/km

ON SALE Now

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32/92


33/92

w cars

31December201433

VolkswagenPoloGTIFIRSTDRIVEWe see if DSG auto box detracts from hot hatch fun

WHILE the updatedVolkswagen

PoloGTI isnow available witha

manualbox asdriven in Issue 1,349,heres still a seven-speedDSG auto for

hosewho liketo givetheir left foota rest.

Aswith themanual, power comesfrom

new1.8-litre turbo producing189bhp

nd 320Nmof torque.TheDSGmodel

smarginally slower than themanual;

t trailsby two-tenths from 0-62mph,

aking6.9seconds, although on the

oad youd behard-pressed tonotice.

TheDSG comeswith steeringwheel

paddles, and the transmissiondelivers

quickshiftsin manualmode. Letthe

lectronicsdo thework andtheseven-

peed boxmanages tobe in the right

gear at the right time. At fullthrottle thexhaust emits a distinctiveupshift rasp,

urtherenhancedby theoptionalSport

packwhichhas a special speaker to

pump extra enginenoise into thecabin.

Claimed DSG economy is 47.9mpg,

ompared to47.1mpg for themanual

VWPoloGTI5drDSGPrice: 20,725

Engine: 1.8-litre4cyl turbo

Power: 189bhp

Transmission: Seven-spd twin-clutchauto, front-wheel drive


Top speed: 142mph

Economy: 47.9mpg

CO2: 139g/km

ON SALE Now

STYLING Among the upgrades arethis subtle roofspo l r , a red stripe

across front grille, a more aggressive

front bumper and deeper side sills

WHEELS These 17-inch alloys arestandard, while the XDS+ electronic

diff brakes the inside front wheel to

boost traction and reduce understeer

EQUIPMENT Touchscreen is fit tedas standard, while options include

two-stage adaptive dampers, LED

headlights and a sports button

BYoffering manualandDSG

boxes,plus three and five-door

options, thePoloGTIhas allits

rivalscovered. If youmust have

anautohothatch,theDSGis a far

betteroptionthanRenaultsports

twin-clutch Clio. It delivers rapidgearshifts, andis great touse in

manualmode, although theGTI

lacks that last degreeofdriving

fun tomake it a clear class leader.

car these figures are better than

those for theRenaultsportClio auto,

which returns 44.8mpg and144g/km.In corners, thestandardXDS+

electronic diff gives theGTI fargreater

ability thanmost of itssuperminihot

hatch rivals, with plentyof front-endgrip

andminimal understeer. Theres little

body roll, butwhile thesuspension is

stiff its in nowayuncomfortablewhen

youre taking it easy, and the hot Polo is

asaccomplishedas thebiggerGolf GTI

when it comes to cruisingcomfort.

Aswith themanual car,plentyof

design tweaks help theGTI stand out

from thestandard Polo. Thehoneycomb

grillewithredpinstripes, bigger bumpers

and17-inch alloysare identical to themanuals,while inside theonly change

is a differentgear selector andpaddles

behind thesteering wheel.The tartan

clothandredstitching on thesteering

wheel andgear gaitergive the shrunken

Golf GTI look tomatch itsperformance.

Box delivers slick shifts, and Polo grips

hard in bends; cabin full of GTI touches

Essentials

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buildit

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[email protected]


34/92


35/9231December201435

TeslaModel S 60kWh New cars

TeslaModelS60kWhFIRST DRIVE Entry-level electric exec still delivers huge 298bhp

PeteGibson

UNTILTeslasModel X arrives next

year, and theall-electric3 Seriesival appears in 2017, the60kWh

ersion of its Model S isthe entry point

nto ownership. At 50,335 after the

Government grant, it costs19,000

ess than the flagship P85+. So,what

does the base Model S missout on?

Well,notmuch. Themain difference

esbeneath its floor, witha lesspowerful

298bhpelectric motor (the flagship

boasts410bhp) anda smaller battery

pack, dropping the range from 310

miles to a still impressive 215miles.

Performance will rival a Porsche

Boxster.You dont even have to fumble

bout with keys or starterbuttons, asheModel S detects your presence and

urns itselfon.Simply selectdrive,

gentlysqueeze thethrottle andtheTesla

wiftly glidesaway. Floor it andyoullget

TeslaModelS60kWhPrice: 50,335 (after5,000

Government grant)

Engine: Electric motor

Power: 298bhp

Transmission: Single-speed,

rear-wheel drive0-62mph: 5.9seconds

Top speed: 120mph

Range: 215 miles

ON SALE Now

PRACTICALITYAs theres notransmission tunnel, the Model S

feels incredibly spacious inside

especially for those in the back

RANGE The 298bhp versionmakes do with a 215-mile electric

range, but in the real world that

figure is more like 160 miles

EQUIPMENT All of the Teslasfunctions are controlled via the huge

17-inch, iPad-style touchscreen that

comes as standard on all models

THEModelSs refinement,

performanceand practicality

always impress. A more forgiving

set-upandaccessiblepricepoint

make this 60kWh version amore

obtainable real-world prospectthanthe flagship.Butonly

withamore comprehensive

recharginginfrastructurewill

it be describedas faultless.

from 0-62mph in 5.9 seconds,but it

feels infinitely quicker as theres no

delay whatsoever in thepower delivery.

Perhaps even more impressive is the

Teslas overtakingability. Its perfect

for joining a motorway or passing

dawdling motorists, with the instanthitof torquepropelling youforward.

Ease offand theModel S transforms

itself into an effortlessly compliantand

relaxing cruiser. The60kWh car comes

Well equipped cabin lives up to Model

Ss billing as

auto express magazine - december 31, 2014 uk

Documents