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Honestjohn Road Test Feed http://www.honestjohn.co.uk All Road Tests Listed Here! en-gb Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:13:23 +0000 Copyright: (C) www.honestjohn.co.uk 15 Porsche 911 2012 Porsche Porsche 911 2012 69245 Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/porsche/porsche-911-2012/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4562392/porsche_911__12_.jpg' align="left" /></a> Despite being around since 1963, the shape of the famous Porsche 911 has changed very little. After all, why change a winning formula? What's surprising is that after all these years there have actually only been three competely new 911 models. That includes the original version which was initially called the 901 but had its name changed after complaints from Peugeot which uses three digit names with a '0' in the middle. True fact. So the launch of the fourth new 911 model is an important milestone for Porsche. Classified as the 991, this model stays true to the classic Porsche design with the instantly recognisable profile, a flat-six 'boxer' engine and a rear-mounted engine. But there are some key difference. It's slightly longer than the outgoing model and has a larger wheelbase too. It's only extended by 100mm but this means more interior space plus improved stability. The roofline is slightly lower too and combined with some sleeker styling touches, such as the thin rear light clusters, it gives the 911 even more road presence than before. The bodyshell is new and around half of it is now aluminium to keep the weight down. It's also more rigid which helps handling plus it's better aerodynamically. Even small details such as the door mirrors have been designed to minimise wind drag. As with the previous 911, this new version gets a spoiler that raises at speed, but now - for the first time - this actually creates downforce for the back wheels whereas previously it just reduced lift. Inside it's all change too, with an interior similar to the Panamera. This means a high centre console that rises up to the dash and lots of switches. It can seem a little button-heavy, but once you know where everything is, it's often easier than a menu-based dial controlled system. The 911 has also moved with the times and now has an electric handbrake plus there's also a touchscreen display and sat nav as standard. As you'd expect from Porsche, the quality is top notch. One of the best features taken from the Panamera is the addition of a high resolution multifunction screen in one of the five instrument cluster dials. You can have the trip computer info there but most usefully, sat nav information. However, the most notable changes come under the skin. The standard Carrera actually gets a smaller engine that before with a 3.4-litre rather than 3.6-litre. It may sound like a backward step but it's actually the opposite. Thanks to some clever work with spanners by Porsche, power has increased over the outgoing engine with 350PS - an increase of 5PS. Torque stays the same at 390Nm. Performance is a smidge better with 0-62mph taking 4.8 seconds with the manual gearbox (it was 4.9 seconds before) but the big wins are in economy. The Carrera now averages a claimed 31.4mpg with CO2 emissions of 212g/km. Mightily impressive for a car with 350PS. And it's a mightily impressive car to drive. Acceleration feels as rapid as the figures suggest and it sounds superb with that trademark Porsche noise reverberating behind you. While power peaks at almost 7500rpm, the good news is that you don't have to drive the 911 fast to enjoy it. It's incredibly civilised and as easy to drive at low speeds as an everyday hatchback. It rides amazingly well for a high performance sports car, the steering is nicely weighted but not too heavy and there's good all round visibility. And when you do want pace the 911 doesn't disappoint. The engine delivers all that power smoothly and there's so much torque in reserve, it pretty much never runs out of power. It's a real delight to drive and has impressive grip, even in the wet, giving you plenty of confidence when accelerating out of corners. It's immense when it comes to stopping too thanks to an uprated braking system taken from the previous 911 Turbo. When it comes to gearboxes Porsche has taken a big step forward. Because the 911 features the first ever seven-speed gearbox. That's not a typo - it does have seven speeds. Admittedly it takes some getting used to at first but basically seventh is just an overdrive gear so you can save it for steady cruising on the motorway. The changes are as positive and slick as you'd expect but surprisingly Porsche expects three quarters of 911 buyers to shun the manual and instead choose the automatic PDK gearbox. The PDK has had a mixed reception since it was introduced in the Porsche range. The double-clutch system seems suited to the likes of the Cayenne and Panamera but traditional 911 fans aren't as keen. Porsche has taken 'feedback' on board and improved the seven-speed PDK for the new 911. It's now faster with more positive shifts plus, like the manual gearbox, it features an automatic start/stop system and a coasting function to help with efficiency. This decouples the engine when you're not on the throttle to save fuel. Whether you'd choose it over the manual is all about personal preference, but it is certainly better than the orginal system and doesn't detract from the enjoyment of driving the 911. For our money we'd stick with the standard gearbox, merely for the involvement factor you get, but if you sit in lots of traffic, then the PDK is a good choice. It also improves economy, with an average figure of 34.4mpg and emissions just 194g/km - amazing given the power it has. The other big change in the 911 is the introduction of a new electro-mechanical steering system. Now usually when we hear those words it fills us with plenty of apprehension as it often means steering that's very artificial. Well the good news is that's not the case with the new Porsche system. It's as responsive as ever with plenty of feedback and natural feel. Phew. Alongside the standard Carrera there's the more powerful Carrera S. It's about £10,000 more and comes with a 3.8-litre engine with 400PS (the old model has 385PS) with 440Nm of torque. Specify it with the PDK gearbox and the optional Sport Chrono Pack which includes launch control, and it will do 0-62mph in just 4.1 seconds. Yet economy is still 32.5mpg (29.7mpg with the manual gearbox). There are of course plenty of options available on the 911, but one worth mentioning is the Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (or PDCC for short). This is an active roll stabilisation system which is available for the first time on the Carrera S. It's all very complicated but basically it reduces body roll when cornering which makes it even easier to drive quickly through bends. The new 911 Coupe is on sale now with the Cabriolet version being launched in March. The current Carrera 4, Carrera 4 S, GTS and Turbo models remain on sale in 2012. http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/porsche/porsche-911-2012/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/porsche/porsche-911-2012/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4562392/porsche_911__12_.jpg' /></a> BMW 3 Series F30 Road Test BMW BMW 3 Series F30 Road Test 69656 Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/bmw/bmw-3-series-f30/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4583115/bmw_f30_2_320d_red_f34.jpg' align="left" /></a> Warning: You are in severe danger of reading a rave review. Not, though, of the first F30 3-Series we drove. This was a 320d 184PS Sport model, list price £29,000, accessorised up to £39,000 (basically to demo to us as many extras as possible). It’s a lovely car with fine, precise handling and a surprisingly good ride on its 225/45 R18 tyres. Quick, as you can see from the figures (0-60 7.2 seconds; top speed 146 mph). Economical (we got 44.8mpg). Low CO2 at 120g/km, so low VED and low BIK. (The 320d Efficient Dynamics is even lower at 109g/km). Nice to drive. Well finished. A feeling of genuine quality rather than a veneer of it. Good ‘Sports’ seats that grip your waist without pinching your back, and a massive range of adjustment. The extra length of the new car is almost all to the benefit of rear seat passengers who now get decent legroom even behind a six-footer. The trunk is a bit bigger at 480 litres (same as an A4 or C Class). The rear seats split fold in three, like an X1, so you could poke skis through the centre while four of you motor off to the slopes. The Dynamic Drive allows you to select Eco Plus, Comfort, Sport or Sport Plus, and for most of our drive we stayed in Sport because it did not come with the penalty of a rock hard ride. Head into a bend too quickly and the front lets go first, so it’s spectacularly easy for a dunderhead to just lift and collect the car, then continue without a nasty scare. All told, about the best a middle manager could hope to be rewarded with by a benevolent company. Certainly a better driver’s car than the equivalent A4 or C Class. So why the hesitancy? Why aren’t you getting two smoking barrels of praise for the best 320 diesel yet? The answer is, because the 328i is so much better. With this car, and its engine, BMW has seemingly pulled off the impossible. It uses a pair of turbos to squeeze 245PS out of a 2.0 litre 4-cylinder engine. And 350Nm torque. That’s a lot. 0-60 in 5.6 seconds. Top speed 155mph. But, coupled to the excellent 8-speed torque converter autobox with paddleshifts, it only emits 147g/km CO2. So it’s in the same tax bracket as some of the best diesels. Yet it’s a joyous petrol engine that just loves to be revved to 6,800rpm, and, because it weighs less than the diesel, it gives the car much more front end bite and the delicious prospect of being able to provoke the rear out of line, if you really want to. That sort of behaviour will earn the penalty of around 28mpg.  But in the UK it would also lose you your licence if indulged in too often. Drive the car normally and you can expect a genuine 40mpg plus, and I reckon, on a regular 300 mile run that I have to make, I could be seeing 43 – 45mpg. I have just two criticisms, that fade in to insignificance against the sheer joy of driving this car. If you set the steering wheel low, it obscures the top of the instruments. But you don’t need to set the wheel that low anyway. And the ‘Modern’ trim of our car (base price £30,000, but £42,000 fully kitted out) might not be to everyone’s taste.  The finish across the dash looks like a bleached and gnarly old piece of driftwood made out of plastic.  I liked it, but I can’t tell you to. In every other respect the car works perfectly. The i-Drive has now become intuitive. The professional satnav gives you a panoramic screen and takes UK 7 digit postcodes. The huge door pockets swallow bottles, video cameras and just about anything you care to dump in them. Behind the wheel, you’re simply happy. It’s the closest you can get to perfection in a medium sized saloon car. And you don’t have to pay a silly price in taxes. More at BMW http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/bmw/bmw-3-series-f30/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/bmw/bmw-3-series-f30/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4583115/bmw_f30_2_320d_red_f34.jpg' /></a> Ford Ranger 2012 Road Test Ford Ford Ranger 2012 Road Test 69515 Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/ford/ford-ranger-2012-test/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4575307/ford_ranger_2012_wild_1_front.jpg' align="left" /></a> Every few years a manufacturer comes up with a new, bigger and better pick-up that suddenly changed the game. In 1992 it was the Isuzu D-Max (and its closely related Chevrolet Colorado ). In 1994 it was the Toyota HiLux Vigo . In 1995 it was the Nissan Navara in the UK and the Mitsubishi L200 Triton in Thailand. Since then, apart from facelifts, we’ve had a bit of a wait. VW made a big song and dance about its Amarock , that’s a nice truck, but underpowered. Isuzu and Chevrolet have been busy with new versions of the D-Max and Chevrolet Colorado , now on the road in Thailand. But the biggest news has been from Ford in the form of the all new Ford Ranger, that is actually completely new from bumper to bumper with not a single part carried over from the old Ranger. It’s colossal.  Previously, at 17’ 2” long the Nissan Navara was the biggest pick-up. But the new Ford Ranger trumps it at 17’ 6” long. A good pick-up such as the last of the old model Isuzu D-Max would take a payload of 1,000kg and pull 3,000kg. The new Ford Ranger takes 1,340kg and pulls 3,300kg. (The double cab carries 1,152kg.) The biggest engine was the (rarely seen) 3.0 V6 diesel in the Navara. The new Ranger beats that with a 3.2 litre 5-cylinder chain cam diesel that pumps out 200PS and 470Nm torque. Yet, in case you’re worried that it’s all a bit too much, there’s also a 150PS 2.2 chain cam diesel with 375Nm torque, and a lead-in 2.2 with 125PS and 320Nm torque. For the UK, apart from the XL 4x2, they’re all selectable four-wheel drive with low range, and most have a sophisticated braking system with ESP, traction control assist, hill descent control and hill launch assist. No limited slip diffs. It’s all done with the braking system. The new Ranger is the only pick up rated five stars by NCAP in its new crash safety system. There are single cab versions, ‘supercabs’, double cabs and chassis cab versions for specialist bodies. Trims start at XL 2WD Single Cab with a 125PS 2.2, from £14,753 + VAT. Rise through the 150PS 4WD XLT Super Cab with 150PS 2.2 from £18,570 + VAT. And top off with the 200PS 4WD Wildtrack Double Cab automatic at £24,278 + VAT. At every price point, for the kit you get, Ford reckons it has the opposition beaten by between £500 and £1,500. To drive, the 3.2 at first feels a bit gruff, but it’s certainly powerful and the 6-speed gearshift that initially feels a little rubbery changes positively. Ride quality is okay, remembering that, like all pick ups the rear end is leaf sprung. Switching to 4WD, which you can do on the move at up to 120kmh, tightens up the handling. 0-60 takes10.1 seconds. Top speed is 109mph. It’s also very relaxed. That 470Nm torque from a lazy 1,500 – 2,750rpm allows a lazy 40mph per 1,000rpm in 6 th . So on the motorway you’ll be cruising at less than 2,000rpm. But the 2.2 150PS is no poor relation. It’s cunningly much lower geared at 32.5mph per 1,000rpm in 6 th , so actually feels much more lively despite a slower 0-60 of 11.5. And a combined mpg of up to 34mpg makes a big difference over 20,000 miles compared with the 29.7mpg of the 3.2. I’d be perfectly happy with a 2.2. Off road, the 4WDs are capable, though would be more so on specialist tyres rather than the road tyres our trucks were fitted with. The lift-off hill descent control, with speed of descent raised or lowered by the cruise control on the steering wheel works well. Hill start assist gives you 2 seconds to get off the brakes and onto the accelerator. Wading depth is 80cm, with the air intake protected high up inside the offside wheel arch. This is a properly designed, working 4x4 pick up. Not much point in digging deep into the spec. You can read that in the specs section. In Thailand where the new Ranger and its Mazda B50 cousin went on the road a couple of months ago, all the other pick up manufacturers are fighting back. Mitsubishi with new engines for the L200. Toyota with a 6-year warranty for the HiLux Vigo. Isuzu/Chevrolet with their new (but not ‘all new’) D-Max and Colorado. But there is little doubt who now makes the biggest and the best pick-up. Or who is going to dominate the pick-up market throughout the World. More at Ford Bangkok Motor Show Launch Video of New Ford Ranger and New Chevrolet Colorado   http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/ford/ford-ranger-2012-test/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/ford/ford-ranger-2012-test/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4575307/ford_ranger_2012_wild_1_front.jpg' /></a> Chevrolet Aveo 1.2 LT Chevrolet Chevrolet Aveo 1.2 LT 69409 Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/chevrolet/chevrolet-aveo-12-lt/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4570607/aveo__19_.jpg' align="left" /></a> Over the past five years Chevrolet has introduced a host of new models and all have been respectable and competent. The Spark is leaps and bounds better than the Matiz and the Cruze is a much more impressive and desirable prospect than a Lacetti. But the one thing the brand has lacked is a small hatchback in the mould of the Fiesta. So the Aveo arrives at the perfect time and like the Cruze and Spark, it’s a much more enticing vehicle than its predecessor. It’s entering a tough market though, with stiff competition from the Hyundai i20 and Kia Rio , as well as market leaders like the Ford Fiesta and Vauxhall Corsa . Luckily though, the Aveo is a decent hatch, and offers a credible alternative for those who want something that’s attractive and represents good value for money. Chevrolet expects the 1.2-litre LT model to be the best seller. Priced at £10,995 it comes with a generous level of standard equipment including air conditioning, alloy wheels, USB and Aux-in, cruise control with speed warning, steering wheel audio controls, Bluetooth, remote central locking and front electric windows. The closest priced Fiesta lacks many of those features and has a less impressive warranty, so it’s a good start for the Chevy on paper. In the metal the Aveo is quite a handsome car, with prominent black headlight and taillight surrounds and modern, angular styling. Unusually for a car in this class, cruise control is standard across the range and it makes motorway journeys much more relaxed. There’s also a speed limiter, but rather than physically cap the cars top speed it plays a warning chime when you exceed the set speed for more than a few seconds. It’s handy for driving in town or in average speed check areas. The cabin is a far cry from the dour grey ocean of cheap plastics offered up in the previous Aveo. A nicely laid out centre console houses easy to operate controls and a motorcycle-inspired digital instrument cluster sits atop the steering column. It’s refreshingly different, but it might not be to all tastes. Some of the plastics are hard and easily scratched though. There’s also an obvious difference in quality between trim levels, with bottoms spec LS models getting lower quality seat upholstery and cheaper plastics on the steering wheel and gear lever. Furthermore, the cheap plastic door handles are only replaced with prettier chrome ones of you choose a top grade LTZ model. Turning the key brings the 1.2-litre four cylinder engine to life in a subdued manner and it’s reasonably refined at idle. The on-paper figures are respectable, with a peak power figure of 86PS, emissions of 111g/km and fuel economy of 60.9mpg on the combined cycle. There are also two 1.3-litre diesels, both of which deliver sub-100g/km of CO2, and a 1.4-litre petrol, which is more suited to long journeys than the 1.2-litre. At low speeds the 1.2-litre engine performs well enough – it’s quiet and happy to chug along at low speeds in a high gear – but if you need to accelerate hard it feels lacklustre, even after changing down a gear. It's also fairly coarse and sounds unpleasant. It’s hard to feel the biting point through the clutch pedal, resulting in some embarrassing over-revving in town until you get used to it. But while the engine might not be the best, the rest of the package is fine. The steering - though a little numb - is well weighted and fairly accurate, plus the suspension is compliant and comfortable both in and out of town. Indeed, it’s quite possible to enjoy a spirited drive in the Aveo, so while it might not be quite as fun as a Suzuki Swift, it will still make you smile. It’s surefooted and stable through corners and never feels like it might do anything untoward. Comfort is genuinely impressive in the Aveo. The steering column is adjustable for height and reach, plus it’s easy to find the ideal position for the supportive seats. Rear legroom isn’t exceptional, but it’s adequate for short journeys and any compromise here is made up for by the boot space, which is generous at 295 litres, expandable to 653 litres with the seats folded. The cabin benefits from numerous cubby holes, with coin holders either side of the stereo, generous door bins and a pair of gloveboxes – one large and one small, the latter of which perfectly accommodates mp3 players and even has a slot for the wire to prevent it being crushed. It might lack the sparkle of some of its rivals and it’ll struggle to pull buyers away from the bestselling Fiesta, but for those seeking a value for money small car with good levels of equipment and low running costs, there’s little to fault with the Aveo, and it’s well worth a test drive.  http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/chevrolet/chevrolet-aveo-12-lt/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/chevrolet/chevrolet-aveo-12-lt/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4570607/aveo__19_.jpg' /></a> Hyundai Veloster Hyundai Hyundai Veloster 69392 Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/hyundai/hyundai-veloster/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4570269/hyundai_veloster__4_.jpg' align="left" /></a> Hyundai's image has changed dramatically over the past few years. While it's still known for value, people are starting to realise that the Korean firm can also make a decent car. The days of the Sonata and Matrix are thankfully long gone and both the design and the quality of Hyundai's latest models are mightily impressive. But one thing it hasn't had for a while is a 'sports' car, not since the Coupe disappeared in 2009. That's where the Veloster comes in. The distinctively styled coupe adds a bit of 'joie de vivre' to the Hyundai range and with a huge advertising campaign supporting its launch in the UK, it's unlikely you'll miss it. The styling really stands out - it seems that the designers at Hyundai have been given free reign to design a coupe that's genuinely different. At the front it has a similar look to the new i40 and forthcoming i30 including a signature LED strip on the headlights. But while it looks good at the front, we're not so convinced by the back. There's a lot going on and it doesn't seem to all work together. While the overall shape is neat, the rear light clusters don't seem to quite suit the car and the sharp lines are ruined by the clumsy-looking boot handle incorporating the Hyundai badge. That said, the centrally placed squared-off exhaust is a nice sporty feature. The Veloster is certainly a colour sensitive design and looks best in strong colours like red. One thing is certain though - there's nothing else on the road like it. What's really unusual about the Veloster is the three-door design. The driver's side has one standard door, but on the passenger side there's a front and a back door. It may seem like a gimmick but it does actually work. It means that the Veloster still looks like a coupe, especially as the rear door has been designed with a 'hidden' door handle. And it makes getting in the back so much easier, especially as the door opens wide. And unlike the MINI Clubman it's on the correct side for us in the UK. There's a surprising amount of space in the back too. The Veloster may not look that big but it's roomy inside and even six-footers will find decent leg room in the rear. Head room isn't so good due to the low roof and the fact the tailgate glass starts so far forward, so weirdly you sit under the rear windscreen. There's a large boot though and despite a high load lip, it will carry plenty of shopping and even the odd suitcase or two. For a coupe that's only four metres long, the Veloster has a surprising amount of space inside. Interior quality is impressive as is the design. It looks smart and is well laid out with everything easy to use. The seven-inch touchscreen system that controls the stereo (and sat nav if you opt for it) comes as standard as does Bluetooth, an iPod input and climate control. The only slight let down is the indicator and wiper column stalks which are a bit dated compared to the rest of the interior. Some of the plastics, such as round the handbrake, could be better too. On the plus side, the driving position is spot on with a low placed seat and plenty of adjustment in the steering, while the seats themselves give plenty of side support. Driving the Veloster is an easy and pleasant experience. The ride is fairly firm which fits with the notion that this is a sportier Hyundai. It's a touch bouncy on bumpy roads but is forgiving enough on rough surfaces while the steering is nicely weighted too. Out on the road the Hyundai corners very tidily and fills you with plenty of confidence on more demanding routes. As is often the case with modern cars, the steering could do wth a little more natural feel, but it's still very responsive and has a suitably sports feel to it. The Veloster is easily the best handling car Hyundai has made to date. Refinement is another big strength with little in the way of unwanted noise, helped by a triple layer sound pad behind the dashboard. The door handles have even been designed to minimise wind noise. There's just one engine in the line-up and it's a 1.6-litre GDi which, despite the name, is actually a petrol (a bit confusing, we know). It's a lightweight all-aluminium engine that develops a healthy 140PS despite the absence of any turbochargers. It's a real revelation in the Veloster and has plenty of get up and go about it despite only a modest 167Nm of torque. It's at its best when you work it a bit harder, but there's still plenty of eagerness at low revs and round town it's nippy away from a standstill. It's helped by an excellent six-speed manual gearbox with a delightfully positive shift, while at motorway speeds it's quiet enough to make long journeys fairly relaxed affairs. It's also efficient for its size with a claimed average of 43.5mpg although emissions of 148g/km are a touch high. There is a Blue Drive version which comes with Intelligent Stop & Go (ISG), low rolling-resistance tyres and an alternator management system. This helps improve economy to 47.9mpg and cuts emissions to 137g/km - one tax band lower. Along with the manual gearbox a new dual clutch automatic complete with steering wheel mounted paddle shifts is available. Called DCT it is Hyundai's first ever twin clutch gearbox and costs an extra £1250. With prices starting at a smidge under £18,000 the Veloster isn't especially cheap on paper, but it comes very well equipped as standard and even the optional extras are sensibly priced. Plus like all Hyundai models, it comes with a five-year warranty as standard. This includes a five-year warranty with no mileage limit, five years roadside assistance and five years of vehicle health checks – free of charge. When you compare the Veloster to the likes of the Vauxhall Astra GTC or the Renault Megane Coupe, the Hyundai stacks up very favourably. It looks and feels like much more of a coupe than either the Astra or the Megane and is on par with both for quality and refinement. The only thing it lacks is a diesel engine, but that's likely to be introduced sooner rather than later. Related models Vauxhall Astra GTC (2011 - ) Attractive exterior styling, stable and enjoyable handling, good level of standard equipment. Renault Megane Coupe (2009 - ) Fine riding and handling and stunning looking coupe just £400 more than the five-door hatch. http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/hyundai/hyundai-veloster/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/hyundai/hyundai-veloster/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4570269/hyundai_veloster__4_.jpg' /></a> Volkswagen CC Volkswagen Volkswagen CC 69213 Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/volkswagen/volkswagen-cc/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4559438/volkswagen_cc__6_.jpg' align="left" /></a> You're unlikely to be fooled by the name or the looks, but just in case, yes the 'new' CC is basically the revamped version of the Passat CC that was launched in 2008. Volkswagen has dropped the Passat part of the name to give it more of an identity of its own, while the design has been updated with the latest Volkswagen family styling. It actually looks a lot like the Phaeton which helps the upmarket image Volkswagen is aiming for. So while it's not strictly new, the CC has been thoroughly updated. It still retains the coupe styling with a low roof, frameless doors and a sleek profile, but is now a bit sharper and squarer. There are also new LED rear lights at the back and a chrome grille at the front. Some would argue it’s not as distinctive as before but that’s a matter of taste. Inside it has been given a revamp with the latest Volkswagen layout including a new steering wheel while impressively all models come with touchscreen sat nav as standard plus DAB digital radio and Bluetooth. Sitting behind the wheel, this feels like a premium motor. But while Volkswagen may want people to think of the CC as a junior Phaeton, the interior is most certainly Passat. That’s not a bad thing though. The finish is top quality and there are some nice interior trims, switches that are pleasant to operate and even an old school clock in the middle of the dash. It’s got hands and everything. In the back it’s particularly spacious with plenty of legroom and decent head space too. As before the boot is 452 litres and so can easily cope with plenty of luggage and shopping. For fans of punctures, you’ll be pleased to know it has a full size alloy spare as standard. Our favourite feature is one that is also used on the Audi A6 Avant. Called Easy Open, this option means you can open the boot just by swinging your foot underneath the back bumper. True, it sounds like a gimmick but if you have arms full of shopping or you’re carrying a heavy box, it’s really useful. Although it is a £525 extra. The cheapest version of the CC comes with a chain cam 1.8 TSI engine but don’t be put off by its small size. What it lacks in capacity it makes up for in power with 160PS and plenty of torque thanks to the fact it’s turbocharged. It’s a very enjoyable engine to drive with real get up and go, but best of all you don’t have to rev it constantly just to get decent pace. It’s also pretty economical with a claimed average of nearly 40mpg. If you’re not planning on doing big miles then it makes a lot of sense. The other petrol is a chain cam 2.0 TSI with 210PS – an engine shared with the Volkswagen Golf GTI among others. As you’d expect it’s good fun and rapid too with a 0-62mph time of 7.6 seconds.  But most people buying a CC are going to go for the trusted 2.0 TDI – an engine found in across the Volkswagen range. It’s available in two versions – one with 140PS and a more powerful 170PS. The lower power version is the most popular and Volkswagen reckons it’ll account for three out of every five CCs sold in the UK. It’s easy to see why as it’s refined, has plenty of pulling power, and is also very efficient to boot. The official average economy figure is 60.1mpg and CO2 emissions are just 125g/km making it the best choice for company car drivers. The 170PS version is noticeably quicker and pulls really well in gear, while economy is still impressive with a claimed 57.6mpg. Emissions are only 129g/km too. But it costs around a £1000 more than the 140PS and in everyday driving there’s really not much difference between the two, so you’re better off saving your money. Both of the TDI models come with BlueMotion Technology which includes an engine start-stop system to help save fuel.  Interesting, on TDI models with the optional DSG automatic gearbox the fuel saving technology includes a free-wheeling mode which disengages the engine from the gearbox when you’re coasting. So if you come off the power on the motorway you’ll notice the rev counter suddenly drops. It feels quite odd and although it’s designed to be unnoticeable, the car does seem to slow down more than you expect, while when you go back on the accelerator, there’s a slight delay before you get power. One good thing that the top TDI 170PS gets, along with the 2.0 TFSI, is a clever system called XDS. This has already been seen on cars like the Skoda Fabia vRS and basically uses the traction control system to mimic a differential. So in a corner it brakes the inside wheel meaning you don’t need as much steering input. The result is sharper handling and better traction too. It’s a very impressive system and one that will doubtless make its way onto more cars. You really notice it on tight bends and makes driving the CC more enjoyable. But the CC is really more about refinement than anything else. It’s civilised on the move and unruffled by rough roads or potholes thank to forgiving suspension. But what impresses most is what there isn’t – noise. Reducing it was a big focus for Volkswagen compared to the Passat CC which is why it comes with a new acoustic film to reduce noise in the cabin while double glazed side windows are an option. So while the change in name is unlikely to fool anyone, this is more than just a case of rebranding. Volkswagen has improved the CC (or Passat CC in old money) in every area, making it feel a more premium product along the way. The 2.0 TDI 140 is the one to go for and with its good looks, spacious interior and strong performance, it’s pretty much all the car you need.   See also Volkswagen Passat CC (2008-2012) Stylish alternative to the standard Passat. Coupe looks with plenty of rear passenger space. Quality improvements. Owners call it "The Passat as it should have looked". http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/volkswagen/volkswagen-cc/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/volkswagen/volkswagen-cc/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4559438/volkswagen_cc__6_.jpg' /></a> Audi A1 Sportback 1.4 TSI Cylinder On Demand Audi Audi A1 Sportback 1.4 TSI Cylinder On Demand 69119 Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/audi/audi-a1-sportback-14-tsi-cylinder-on-demand/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4557171/a1110098.jpg' align="left" /></a> Audi doesn't do plain five-door hatchbacks. It does 'Sportbacks' instead. The five-door versions of the  A3 , A5 and A7 are all sold as 'Sportbacks' and so it continues with the A1. This isn't the Audi A1 five-door, it's the Audi A1 Sportback. It doesn't really matter what it's called, as the A1 Sportback is actually a rather good small five-door car. For a start it makes more sense if you’ve got a young family. Although the legroom remains tight in the back for adults, the additional back doors make fitting and removing a baby seat far easier and there is just enough leg room for the little ones. Headroom is pretty good, too and all cars are five-seat in the UK (elsewhere in Europe there's the option of just four and the three-door A1 is four-seater only). Lengthwise, it's identical to the three-door A1 and there's the same amount of boot space (270 litres with the seats up; 920 with them down), but elsewhere the car is six millimetres taller and wider It marks itself apart from the standard three-door with a £560 mark up, the availability of a new paint colour (Samoa orange), new wheels and an optional “contrast roof” in place of the “roof contrast line” on the A1 three-door. Instead of just having the roof painted in a contrasting colour, with the Sportback, you get the pillars in a different paint, too. Coinciding with the introduction of the Sportback is the availability of a “cylinder on demand” version of its popular 1.4-litre TFSI engine - technology that the A1 has pinched from the larger A8 . Last year it was introduced on Audi V8 engines and now it's being used for the first time a four cylinder engine. Expect to see a lot more of this in the future and not just in Audi cars: Volkswagen, Skoda and SEAT will use it too. In the A1 Sportback it's in 1.4-litre form with 140bhp and offers a potentially cost effective alternative to the 2.0-litre TDI. It works by deactivating the two centre cylinders when the car is cruising to return some seriously impressive figures (on paper at least) for a 140bhp engine: 109g/km CO2 and 60.1mpg.  The only indication the driver has that the car is running in two-cylinder mode is an alert on the dashboard. Otherwise it’s quiet, smooth and indistinguishable from a standard 1.4-litre. The system is claimed to boost economy by around 5pmg when it's travelling at 30mph. Once the driver presses the accelerator, all cylinders come back to life: think of it as stop-start for when the car is running. When running on all four cylinders and combined with the turbo boost, it's a corker to drive. It's light, quick and tackles corners with the kind of agility that you'd expect from some of Audis sportier models. The ride is good and while the steering could do with a bit more feedback, there is an electronic differential to maximise grip when cornering.  It's the most efficient petrol-powered A1 and there are obvious BIK and VED benefits that mean it could - if priced right - make the 2.0-litre diesel redunant for all but the highest of high-mile drivers. The A1 Sportback is on sale this March (though you can order one now) with a wide choice of engines (the Cylinder On Demand 1.4-litre will come later). The cleanest of those is the 104bhp 1.6-litre TDI that you'll find in so many other VW Group cars. It comes in at 99g/km and has an official Combined figure of 74.3mpg. Others include the 85bhp 1.2-litre, costing £13,980, and the range-topping 1.4-litre with 185bhp. A 141bhp 2.0-litre TDI diesel will join the range this Summer. Buyers can also spec the A1 Sportback with an impressive amount of technology again, like the Cylinder On Demand system, taken from the A8 flagship. There's an impressive sat nav system that uses 3D Google maps, a 14-speaker Bose stereo and the latest MMI 3G that can turn the whole car into a wi-fi hotspot (as well as more "mundane" things like connect your phone via Bluetooth).   Related models Audi A1 hatchback Chic and sporty looks plus a classy interior. Enjoyable to drive. Efficient chain cam petrol engines, plenty of scope for personalisation. Well equipped. 99g/km 1.6 TDI from 2011. MINI Countryman The Maxi MINI which was an instant sell out, five seats and a 350-litre boot, new chain cam 1.6 diesel engine, option of diesel automatic 4WD. http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/audi/audi-a1-sportback-14-tsi-cylinder-on-demand/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/audi/audi-a1-sportback-14-tsi-cylinder-on-demand/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4557171/a1110098.jpg' /></a> Kia KIA Optima 2012 Kia KIA Optima 2012 68993 Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/kia/kia-optima-2012/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4538655/kia_optima_2012_t3_f34_2_700.jpg' align="left" /></a> The new KIA Optima is almost the same dimensions as the Skoda Superb : Optima: 4,845mm long x 1,830mm wide x 1,455mm high. Superb: 4,838mm long x 1,817mm wide x 1,462mm high. So in boot and rear legroom stakes they’re neck and neck. You can really stretch out in the backs of both of them. Yet while the Superb adopts an almost Bentley like cabin profile, the Optima is so sleek and uncluttered it looks like a car in a class above. Curiously, the Vauxhall Insigna  is longer, but much more cramped in the rear seat. While the Peugeot 508 , Mondeo  and Hyundai i40  are all a little bit shorter. So, with a 134PS chain-cam 1.7-litre diesel engine, 128g/km VED, EC certified 57.6mpg combined and a price tag starting at £19,595 (same as a Mondeo 1.6 TDCI 115 Edge), a useful rear parking camera and a 7 year 100,000 mile warranty, the KIA Optima is bound to find itself ranked among taxis outside posher suburban stations. Actually, if I were KIA, I’d selectively offer some of the carriage trade a decent discount. Tired commuter steps off the train, tumbles into the first cab and finds himself in unexpected luxury. “What kind of car is this?” he’ll ask. And another sale will be on the way to being made. Company drivers, too, will appreciate the many attractions. That 128g/km isn’t the best for BIK. But, of course, BIK is also based on price and within the Optima’s tight bracket of £19,595 to £24,495 you can have an awful lot of kit. They all have alloy wheels, air conditioning, LED daytime running lights, leather steering wheel cover, Bluetooth with voice recognition and music streaming, steering wheel mounted audio controls, electric windows and mirrors, cruise control and a speed limiter. Ignoring the base spec Optima 1, for a very reasonable £21,695 you can then kit the Optima 2 out two different ways. Both have solar glass with auto defogging, automatically activated wipers, an eight-way adjustable powered driver's seat with memory setting, heated front seats, dual zone auto air conditioning in place of air conditioning, reverse parking camera, iPod connectivity and a premium ‘Supervision’ instrument cluster. Luxe spec includes 18” alloy wheels with 225/45 R18 tyres, a double glass sunroof, grey leather seats and reversing camera screen in the rear view mirror. Tech spec brings you 17” alloy wheels with 215/55 R17 tyres, a 12 speaker infinity sound system, black leather and cloth seats and satellite navigation with a 7” display that doubles up as the reversing camera screen. While the Optima 3 at £24,995 offers a combination of the 2 models with additional features.  It includes a panoramic sunroof, auto light control, Infinity audio system and touch-screen satellite navigation with integrated reversing camera.  Xenon headlamps with automatic levelling, full black leather upholstery, a cool-ventilated driver's front seat, heated rear seats and an automatic parallel parking assist system are unique to the 3. Smart key with start/stop ignition button, stainless steel door scuff plates with front illumination, mood lighting and alloy pedals complete its top-of-the-range spec. An extra £1,500 secures KIA’s own 6-speed automatic transmission with paddleshifts, but a CO2 hike up to 158g/km. Happily, the ‘Intelligent Stop Go’ does its job sensibly rather than annoyingly and can be switched off entirely. Having read some criticism of the way the Optima drove I was a little apprehensive. True, the diesel engine has a slightly reedy sound, lacks low-end torque and is a bit overgeared for punchy performance. You can feel it come on turbo at about 1,900rpm. But you soon get used to the engine characteristics and they didn’t bother me. I was also expecting less front-end bite, but the 225/45 R18s really hung on well and gave a decent amount of feedback. I’d like to have taken it on my favourite 46-mile test route to check it out properly on every type of corner and surface, but unfortunately that was 250 miles away. What was noticeable was the tyre roar. There’s much less of this on the 215/R17s of the Tech spec, and though they don’t cling on quite as long on corners and roundabouts, their combination of relative quietness and better ride quality would make them my choice. On top of which I’d far rather have the satnav of the Tech than the double sunroof and full leather of the Luxe. (Despite the fact the nav does not take 7 digit UK postcodes.) Impressive in both models, though, was the standard of trim and fit and finish. Blame Audi for setting the standard in this respect, but many carmakers have sought to follow and KIA has done a much better job than most. Not only that, pop the bonnet and it rises on a gas strut. No fiddling about with a bent wire prop. Good car then? Definitely. Worthy alternative to the Mondeo , Insigna , 508 and Superb ? For sure. And what about the Hyundai i40 that shares the same drivetrain? An extra 105mm (4”) in length means more legroom in the back of the Optima. And for private buyers, 7 years warranty is two more years peace of mind. More at KIA Link to Magentis/K5 first drive video http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/kia/kia-optima-2012/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/kia/kia-optima-2012/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4538655/kia_optima_2012_t3_f34_2_700.jpg' /></a> Ferrari California Ferrari Ferrari California 68646 Fri, 16 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/ferrari/ferrari-california/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4502299/ferrari_california__3_.jpg' align="left" /></a> What do the Ferrari California and the Volkswagen Polo BlueMotion have in common? No, it’s not they’re both available in red (although they are). It’s that they actually both come with an engine start/stop system to reduced CO2 emissions. Yes, you read that right. It seems obvious in the Polo, after all it’s a small hatch designed to be cheap to run, but surely Ferrari isn’t concerned with efficiency? Well it is actually. The Italian brand says it’s possible to achieve low CO2 emissions while still maintaining Ferrari levels of performance. It’s serious too and in 2007 began an ambitious five-year plan to reduce the CO2 of its cars by 40 per cent. No easy task. Of course, Ferrari is probably the most famous name in automotive history and certainly the most evocative. It has created iconic sports cars and become a by-word for style, desirability and speed. However, high performance rarely means efficiency or economy. But Ferrari thinks it can change that. The California may have been dubbed the ‘baby’ Ferrari when it was launched, but while the California is the cheapest model from the Italian brand at a few grand shy of a mere £150,000, it’s far from being the 'poor' relation in the range. Powered by a V8 engine which drives the rear-wheels, the California is a front-engined grand tourer in the great tradition of Ferrari. It provides all the performance you’d expect along with an incredible sound that’s unlike anything else on the road – both from inside the car and out. On start up there’s a purposeful rumble while at higher revs it really comes alive. The performance figures are certainly impressive. The 4.3-litre engine develops 460PS which means the California can accelerate from 0-62mph in just 3.9 seconds with a claimed top speed of 193mph. And the engine itself is a work of art. No boring grey engine covers here, instead the red-topped V8 sits proudly on show. But the most intriguing part of this engine is the stop/start feature - probably the last thing you’d expect on a Ferrari. Stop/start systems sound straightforward in theory, but some are better than other. And thankfully the Ferrari one is in the better camp. Cleverly it recognises roundabouts and junctions by judging the amount of steering lock. Plus it leaves a slight delay before cutting out, to make sure you’ve actually stopped. This means that it doesn’t instantly have to start up again because you were only stopped for a split second. It takes just 230 milliseconds to fire back into life – which is basically very fast - but unlike starting the car on the ignition, it doesn’t roar into life. Instead it’s more of a muted sound.  Admittedly it takes a little getting used to, mainly because it’s something that’s so unusual on a high performance car, but when you consider the fuel it’s saving, it makes perfect sense. The engine stop/start system isn’t the only efficiency measure of course. A significant part is down to weight.  And with all its knowledge of F1, it’s something Ferrari knows plenty about.  The chassis and bodyshell are both made entirely from aluminium while the California is the most aerodynamically efficient model in the Ferrari line-up. Other changes include a new fuel pump control, redesigned engine cooling fans that use less power and revisions to the gearbox shifts. All these combine to help cut emissions from 299g/km to a more respectable 270g/km. That doesn’t make any difference to the rate of VED on the California – it still sits in the top band M – but the reduction is still an impressive one. Fuel economy also improves – up from 21.9mpg to 24.0mpg. The California gets a new dual-clutch seven-speed gearbox as standard complete with an F1-inspired steering wheel that has paddle shifts. The gearbox is simply superb offering snappy and super-fast shifts with no drop in performance, which lets you exploit all that engine power and torque. With 485Nm there’s effortless pulling power, even at low revs and this really helps at low speeds. It’s impressively smooth and easy to drive in traffic and round town, which isn’t a usual supercar trait. It’s very comfortable too with a surprisingly forgiving ride, yet as you’d expect from a Ferrari, it is sublime in corners with great body control and superb balance although the steering does feel slightly artificial. However, it’s so agile you soon forgive that one minor shortcoming. It may be a grand tourer, but the California is an outstanding car to drive. It certainly gives you a lot confidence from behind the wheel , particularly at higher speeds, yet is easy enough to drive that it won’t intimidate those new to performance machines. The brakes are stunning too. The California is fitted with carbon ceramic brakes which are amazingly effective. They do take a little warming up and there’s not much progression in the pedal, but nothing matches it for stopping power. Inside, the California is everything you’d want it to be. Sporty, upmarket yet purposeful it also feels superbly built and bang up to date. There are some great design features like the metal ‘bridge’ that runs along the central console and houses the controls for the gearbox. The engine start button is on the steering wheel while the instruments cluster is dominated by a large rev counter, yellow-backed in our test car just so it stands out even more. The folding hard top is another highlight and it folds down neatly into the boot in just 14 seconds. With it down there’s actually very little wind turbulence, helped by the wind deflector. The California is actually a 2+2 which means it features two rear seats, although they’re so small they’re really only useful as extra luggage space. The sheer number of personalisation choices and optional extras is immense. Ferrari’s personalisation programme means you have a seemingly endless choice of everything, from interior colours and materials, carbon fibre trims, body styling extras, down to what stitching you have on the door panels and headrests. Few things are cheap of course – if you want the Ferrari shields on the wings as on our test car, it’s an extra £965. In fact our car came to more than £200,000 with everything on it. Is it worth it? Well, once you’ve driven one – the only answer is a big yes. http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/ferrari/ferrari-california/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/ferrari/ferrari-california/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4502299/ferrari_california__3_.jpg' /></a> Land Rover Range Rover Evoque eD4 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque eD4 68642 Fri, 16 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/land-rover/range-rover-evoque-ed4/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4501408/range_rover_evoque_coupe__10_.jpg' align="left" /></a> For all you hardened Land Rover aficionados out there, the mere thought of any Range Rover being driven by just two wheels – and the front ones at that – will be seen as nothing short of sacrilege. But before you get your off-road knickers in a twist, two-wheel drive Land Rovers are nothing new. The Freelander has been offered with this option for some time and how many Evoque owners will actually drive their car somewhere where there’s the slightest chance it may get its tyres dirty? At a guess - not too many. That’s why they’re making the Evoque even more attractive to urbanites by offering an alternative to the four-wheel drive system. At this stage, Land Rovers plans for this version are a little more limited than the rest of the Evoque range. Firstly, there isn’t the choice of engines. It will only be offered with the 2.2-litre diesel engine and only with a six-speed manual gearbox. It's still available as either a five-door or the three-door coupe although the trim levels have been pegged back to just two; the entry-level Pure and the mid-priced Prestige. It’s worth mentioning that the saving by not having four-wheel drive is also reflected in the on-the-road-price - it now starts off at £27,955 for the 5-door Pure rising to £36,630 Prestige.    Crucially, discarding the heavy four-wheel drivetrain makes this particular Evoque more environmentally friendly. Weight is down by 75kgs and CO2 has also been reduced, down to 129g/km. It can now boast an average fuel consumption figure of 57.6mpg too – that’s not far off a Volkswagen Golf 2.0 TDI. But don’t think for one moment that by adopting the green banner this Evoque has lost any of its power to perform. Far from it. From a standing start to 62mph, the time difference between this model and the equivalent diesel four-wheel drive version is measured in fractions of a second (11.2 seconds compared to 10.8 seconds, if you were wondering). When driving on normal road conditions the differences between the two and four-wheel drive models are also negligible. In fact, it actually feels the livelier out of the two, with none of the expectant torque steer which tends to be an inherent problem with front-wheel drive cars. The most surprising thing about this particular Evoque is the more it’s driven, the more apparent it becomes that this car doesn’t consider itself an SUV. Instead it thinks SUVs are a thing of the past - big beasts devoid of any finesse that wallow around like drunken hippos - and it isn’t any of those things.  Obviously, any off-road ambitions are going to be limited. With that said, Land Rover was very keen to show us those limitations don’t have to be restricted to a gravel driveway and gave us an improbable course to negotiate. It was always going to traverse the man-made off-road course – Land Rover would never let this Evoque fail – yet it proved the point that while it may not have the Terrain Response system, unless conditions are particularly harsh the two-wheel drive Evoque shouldn't ever embarrass itself. You certainly don't ever feel as if you’re being short-changed. Sitting inside, you feel as if your sitting in a car which could be the best in the world. As for the engineering, it too is as good as anything the Germans could dream up. But it’s more than all these things; it is completely honest to itself. It is not professing to be anything other than what it is, and if you do need an Evoque to be more workhorse-like then buy the 4x4 version. Anything other than that, then this two-wheel drive Evoque will tick every other box. http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/land-rover/range-rover-evoque-ed4/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/land-rover/range-rover-evoque-ed4/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4501408/range_rover_evoque_coupe__10_.jpg' /></a> Renault Clio Gordini 106 Renault Renault Clio Gordini 106 68551 Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/renault/renault-clio-gordini-106/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4497811/renault_clio_gordini__8_.jpg' align="left" /></a> The Gordini badge may not be that well known, but it can actually trace its origins back to Formula 1 racing the 1950s. In its most recent incarnation it has graced performance Renault models, most recently the Renaultsport Clio, complete with trademark bright blue paintwork and white stripes. Now you'll find the Gordini badge throughout the range and not just on the fastest versions. It’s a sensible move, given the economic climate – buyers want more efficient cars but don’t neccesarily want to sacrifice style – so Clio Gordini buyers can now choose from a 1.6-litre petrol and a 1.5-litre diesel. Both models get a decent level of standard equipment, including 16-inch alloy wheels, climate control, keycard remote entry and start, automatic wipers and headlights plus an array of Gordini stylng extras, including a body kit, Renaultsport kickplates, leather steering wheel and bonnet stripes. It’s a striking looking car and you can’t help but notice it. But unfortunately this good first impression isn't continued inside, with a cabin that is really starting to show its age. The chunky-looking steering wheel boss is ugly and the central stack looks out of date when compared to rivals. The controls for the ventilation are old fashioned and the stereo has strange, fiddly rubber dials that don’t feel particularly hard wearing. On the plus side, the test car had £750 blue leather upholstery, which did a good job of livening up an otherwise uninspiring interior, while the dashboard was covered in a pleasant soft-touch plastic. We tested the 1.5-litre dCi which develops 106bhp. It starts with a clatter, rather than a purr, but it's quick to settle down. It’s a versatile engine, providing maximum torque of 240Nm from low down the rev range at 1750rpm. That means relaxed progress in town. The steering is extremely light at low speeds, making parking and navigating narrow streets very easy, but it weights up at higher speeds, inspiring a little more confidence. Find a nice open road and the diesel engine’s healthy torque provides strong in-gear urge, making for easy overtaking and a quiet motorway cruise. The handling is very good too – the suspension is firm enough to provide stable cornering, yet manages to absorb most lumps and bumps without too much discomfort. At one point the slippery, wet roads on the test route did cause a little slip of the front wheels, but it was taken care of by optional ESC, which costs £315. The official combined cycle economy figure for the dCi 106 is good at 62.8mpg while it sits in VED band B thanks to CO2 emissions of 110g/km. That means an annual car tax bill of £30. But at £14,950 the Clio Gordini 106 is a little bit pricey, so unless you really must have the sporty styling accessories you’d be better off choosing a cheaper model, like the free to tax Expression Eco dCi . Read more about the entire Renault Clio range in our Car-by-Car Review . http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/renault/renault-clio-gordini-106/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/renault/renault-clio-gordini-106/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4497811/renault_clio_gordini__8_.jpg' /></a> Audi A4 Facelift 2012 Audi Audi A4 Facelift 2012 68519 Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/audi/audi-a4-facelift-2012/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4496689/audi_a4_2011__4_.jpg' align="left" /></a> 2011 has seen Audi launch plenty of shiny exciting new models. Cars like the A7 Sportback and the Q3 have helped the brand to fill – and in many cases create – new niches. However, its bread and butter models remain a key part of the line-up and this is certainly the case with the A4 – its best selling range. It’s a hugely important car for Audi and with an all-new BMW 3 Series on the horizon early in 2012, it’s no surprise the A4 range has been given a mid-life upgrade to keep it fresh. The saloon, Avant, allroad and also the performance S4 have all been given an updated look along with improvements to engines which now all come with start/stop as standard. From the outside you’ll be hard pressed to notice much in the way of big changes. The front lights are the main difference with a similar look to the new A6 . The grille is also a slightly different shape (at the top edges) while if you look hard you can see that the front fog lights have been redesigned. The front and rear bumpers are also new. Essentially though, it’s pretty much business as usual, which is no bad thing. Some critics say the A4 is drab, but we think it's a tidy design with a fuss-free look. Admittedly the wheels fitted to the car in our pictures do it few favours, but these won’t be available on cars in the UK. Inside it’s similarly similar. But there are some detailed changes if you look hard. Along with redesigned steering wheel options there are new high-gloss or chrome trims on the dash and centre console. The MMI navigation plus system now has less buttons while the air conditioning controls have been improved too. They may not be huge changes, but they make life with the A4 easier. As always with Audi, the quality is impeccable with a top-class finish and great attention to detail. One new high-tech option is navigation that uses Google Earth images and also creates a wi-fi hotspot so that passengers can use the internet wirelessly on the move. The revised models will arrive in the UK in March 2012 and prices have gone up by around £200 meaning that the entry-level 1.8 TFSI 120ps A4 SE saloon costs £23,625 on the road. The 1.8 TFSI also comes as a more powerful 170PS version and it’s a great engine which performs with real zest. While the TDI diesels may be ideal for long distance drivers, the TFSI units are more fun to drive. The 170PS accelerates from 0-62mph in a sprightly 8.1 seconds, helped by the turbo which boost torque to a healthy 320Nm. It’s surprisingly efficient for a petrol engine too with CO2 emissions of just 134g/km and a claimed average of 49.6mpg. It’s a wonderfully smooth and free revving unit that’s happy to be worked hard and never gets noisy or coarse. There’s no 3.2-litre V6 petrol anymore, so instead the top petrol is the 2.0 TFSI with 211PS – an engine shared with the Volkswagen Golf GTI – and also the only petrol model that’s available with quattro four-wheel drive. However, the 2.0 TDI, in its various outputs, is the one that most people opt for and that starts at £26,555 for the 136PS 2.0 TDIe manual. This model is the cleanest and most fuel efficient model in the range with a claimed average of 65.7mpg and emissions of just 112g/km – an amazingly low CO2 figure for a car of this size and power. To slightly confuse matters there is also a more powerful 2.0 TDIe with 163PS which is almost as frugal – it averages 64.2mpg according to the official figures with CO2 of 115g/km. These two models are the ones that go head to head with the new generation BMW 320d EfficientDynamics, one version of which is powered by a 163ps 2.0-litre diesel engine and emits just 109g/km. But the changes to the Audi 2.0 TDI aren’t just confined to efficiency. There have been tweaks to the engine itself to make it run smoother and it’s now noticeably more refined at low revs, making driving at slow speeds, such as in traffic, much easier. It’s just as good in the mid range with plenty of torque for effortless acceleration and easy overtaking, while on the motorway you rarely have to take it out of sixth gear. The top version of the 2.0 TDI is the 177PS version that is a development of the previous 170PS model. It’s a really great version of this engine helped by the 380Nm of torque that’s available from just 1750rpm so on the motorway at 70mph it’s barely breaking a sweat. The top diesel is the superbly smooth 3.0 TDI which comes in two versions. The 204PS is front-wheel drive while the all singing, all dancing 245PS comes with quattro as standard. It’s effortlessly quick and doesn’t hang about from a standstill with a 0-62mph time of just 5.9 seconds. The under the skin changes in the A4 aren’t just reserved for the engines though. All models get new electromechanical power steering which is another aid to fuel efficiency. It adapts the amount of assistance depending on your speed and has been designed for ‘sporty and direct’ handling according to Audi. It is more responsive than before but it still feels somewhat artificial and not as involving as you’d want it to be. That said, it’s very accurate and inspires plenty of confidence. You can choose Audi Drive Select as an option which lets you vary the throttle response, power steering feel and gear changes (on automatics) across various settings – comfort, auto, dynamic or individual. One new mode is efficiency which is designed for maximum fuel saving. Of course one of the most common criticisms of Audi models – particularly S line versions – is the firm ride quality. It’s something Audi has looked to address, with the improved A4 getting more finely tuned dampers and changes to the rear suspension. We only drive SE models so we’re unable to say what S line models will be like on UK roads, but first impressions are that the A4 is more forgiving than before and deals much better with bumpy roads. While the changes to the A4 are far from revolutionary, they ultimately turn what was an already great all-round car into an even more attractive buy. The A4 exudes quality and is an incredibly comfortable and refined car to live with. Put simply – it’s near faultless. http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/audi/audi-a4-facelift-2012/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/audi/audi-a4-facelift-2012/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4496689/audi_a4_2011__4_.jpg' /></a> Toyota Avensis 2012 Toyota Toyota Avensis 2012 68523 Sat, 10 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/toyota/toyota-avensis-2012/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4496982/toyota_avensis_2012_1_front_700.jpg' align="left" /></a> Launched three years ago, the British built Toyota Avensis is now at the midst of its model life. A time when, to avert any sort of crisis, manufacturers traditionally freshen their cars up. So, the Avensis has had a facelift, with a fashionable, wider, lower grille. Its insides have been given a brushing up (including some brushed aluminium). Its body has been stiffened. Its suspension has been retuned. Its steering has been made a tad quicker. Equipment levels have been increased. And, to sell the car to company accountants, a lower emission chain cam 2.0 D-4D engine has been introduced. 119g/km gets it into the £30pa VED band and the 13% BIK bracket (17%-18% for 2012/2013). The TR model, well equipped with 7 digit postcode satnav, has been given a Passat-beating 36.2% three year 60,000 mile residual by CAP. Service intervals have been extended to 12,500 miles. Warranty is 5 years or 100,000 miles. You can imagine the corporate bean-counters clicking their abacuses with glee. But should you, as a company driver, be so happy? Depends how keen a driver you are. Because, although the 2.0 D-4D will eat up the motorway miles comfortably while potentially delivering  55-60mpg, things aren’t quite so hunky dory on a twisting A road. Sadly, it’s like driving a wet blanket. It’s safe, but it’s inert, it understeers early in corners, it’s incapable of giving the driver any sort of reward or pleasure. It’s deeply, boringly dull. The engine isn’t a good companion either. While on paper it appears to have a wide torque band, the torque it actually delivers in that band is so limp wristed a driver has to constantly stir the gearstick. So it isn’t even restful to drive. But the Avensis couldn’t be all bad. I remembered from the original launch back in 2008 that the 1.8i Valvematic petrol model had been a really nice car, especially when mated to Toyota’s Multidrive S CVT paddleshift transmission. So I attempted to convince Diesel Car’s Sue Baker that the “fuel of the devil” might actually redeem the car. In TR trim, the 1.8i Valvematic Multidrive S comes in at £21,565 compared to £21,525 for the 2.0 D-4D. It’s thirstier, it emits more CO2, it’s not as tax efficient, but compared to the purgatory of the 2.0 D-4D it’s a real joy to drive. The lighter weight over its front wheels helps the steering to come alive. The sweet shifting 6-ratio CVT responds pleasantly to the paddles. You feel in total control. Sue readily admitted it is by far the better car. And, whether you buy it now or at 3 years old, the 1.8 Valvematic MTS is the sort of car it makes sense to own. It doesn’t have a diesel particulate filter or a dual mass flywheel or an EGR or a timing belt or a turbo. Any or all of which can lead to tears between the 3 rd and 6 th years of car’s life. It pumps out a healthy 145PS and 180Nm torque. Enough to get it from 0-60 in 10.1 seconds and on to a top speed of 124mph. While emitting 153g/km CO2 and 42.8mpg. Hardly earth shattering, but enough for a family automatic. And, strangely, actually better in some respects than the Avensis 2.2 D-4D 6-speed torque converter automatic that gets to 60 in 9.3, maxes out at 127, emits 165g/km CO2 and does 44.8mpg, yet costs at least £2,310 more. The 2.0 D-4D may come in at 119g/km CO2 and does 62.8mpg EC combined, gets to 60 in 9.4 and tops out at 124. But just isn’t any fun at all. And the £1,000 less 1.8i Valvematic 6-speed manual emits 152g/km, drinks at 43.5mpg, hits 60 in 9.4 and does 124mph. On the figures, the car that company drivers are going to have to endure is undoubtedly the 2.0 D-4D. But buying privately, either new or at 3 years old, the cars to have are the 1.8i Valvematic Multidrive S automatic or 6-speed manual. More at Toyota http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/toyota/toyota-avensis-2012/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/toyota/toyota-avensis-2012/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4496982/toyota_avensis_2012_1_front_700.jpg' /></a> Suzuki Kizashi Suzuki Suzuki Kizashi 67987 Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/suzuki/suzuki-kizashi/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4425412/suzuki_kizashi_1_front_700.jpg' align="left" /></a> ‘Kizashi’ translates from the Japanese to ‘optimism’. A sign, or omen, of good things to come. So is Suzuki being optimistic in hoping to sell 500 examples of this unusual car in the UK? It arrives in January 2012. And since winter also appears to be arriving late this year, that might be a good thing. Because it has selectable ‘intelligent’ four-wheel drive via an electromagnetic coupling. There aren’t many other four wheel drive cars of its size and price range: Audi A4 B8 quattro , Skoda Octavia 4x4 , Skoda Superb 4x4 , Subaru Legacy . And of these, only the Octavia and Superb undercut the Kizashi’s expected £23,000 price. The Kizashi is a bit thirsty at 34mpg combined. And 191g/km CO2 is going to cost £245 a year in VED. There is no diesel planned. Just a 180PS 2.4 petrol four stumping up 230Nm torque and coupled to a six-step JATCO CVT transmission with paddleshifts. Selecting manual shifting by paddle and pressing the four-wheel drive button transforms the car from mundane and understeery with an irritating transmission to decently secure and sporty. It’s never quite a quattro because mid corner undulations can catch it out, but it’s still a decent drive capable of giving pleasure at the cost, I guess, of a hefty increase in fuel consumed. Despite being relatively compact at 4,650mm long, it sports a 461-litre loadspace with cutouts for golf clubs behind the rear wheelarches and 60/40 fold-down rear seatbacks. Inside, there’s room for five and though piggy in the middle won’t appreciate the hard backrest there is at least an indentation in the ceiling to accommodate the tops of back seat passengers heads. Leather seats, cruise control, electric front seats, electric folding mirrors and pleasing, good quality trim are all standard. The car comes on nice looking 18” alloys with 235/45 tyres (in our case Bridgestone Blizzak full winters) and has a space-saver spare rather than an aerosol of glop. But, of course, those low profile tyres do transmit jolts from sharp ridges through to the cabin. There wasn’t any point in Suzuki launching an also-ran front drive manual Kizashi because it wouldn’t have sold except at a heavily discounted loss. But a luxurious compact 5-seater, with selectable four-wheel drive and a 6-step paddleshift to play with certainly fills a niche. And probably will when the snow eventually comes. More at Suzuki http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/suzuki/suzuki-kizashi/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/suzuki/suzuki-kizashi/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4425412/suzuki_kizashi_1_front_700.jpg' /></a> Land Rover Range Rover Sport 3.0 SD HSE Land Rover Range Rover Sport 3.0 SD HSE 67892 Sun, 13 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/land-rover/range-rover-sport-12my/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4419712/lr_rr_sport_12my_front_mud_700.jpg' align="left" /></a> The Range Rover Sport used to have an image problem. It was born in an age when some people were making too much money out of money itself. The consequences of which we are all now suffering. With a supercharged V8 engine, it was Land Rover’s fastest car. And it drank like an alcoholic. Yet, despite its sporty performance on tarmac, it was still as capable off road as a Discovery or a Range Rover . And over the years it has been hugely improved, to the extent that the latest 3.0 V6 diesel makes some kind of sense. With its new eight-speed ZF automatic transmission, it’s certainly a hoot to drive. Far more composed on corners than the taller Range Rover and Discovery 4. And though our car was an HSE, it was optioned onto the smaller 19-inch wheels with 255/55 R19 Pirelli Scorpions. (I would advise anyone buying an HSE to do the same.) To keep tax costs down you have to go for the lower output 211PS V6 diesel at £260 a year. The quicker 256PS version is a wallet busting £445 a year, though if you have £55,995 to spend on one you probably won’t to be too bothered about that extra £185 a year. There’s obviously lots of profit in the Discovery based Range Rover Sport because you get less metal and fewer seats for more money. But it’s a lovely machine to drive and ride in with beautifully accurate, satisfying steering, much quicker lock-to-lock than a Range Rover. To my mind, it steers, rides and handles better than an Audi Q5 , a BMW X5 , a Porsche Cayenne or a VW Touareg . Though some might prefer the outrageous BMW X6 . And, of course, it’s far more capable off road or in snow than any of these big-wheeled, fat-tyred Surrey school run pretenders. The Range Rover Sport may be starting to show its years a bit, and Premier League footballers and their WAGs may shun it in favour of newer models with blingier wheels, but that’s a good thing. You don’t want people thinking you’re one of them. You want them to think you probably have a large farm our country estate prone to becoming snowbound in winter. You need a Discovery 4 for domestic duties and a Range Rover Sport for your longer business trips. 32mpg isn’t brilliant. Nothing like as good as a Jaguar XF or a Jaguar XJ with the same basic diesel engine. But Jags don’t ford rivers, cross fields and drive you to shooting butts. More at Land Rover Full Car by Car Breakdown entry: Range Rover Sport http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/land-rover/range-rover-sport-12my/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/land-rover/range-rover-sport-12my/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4419712/lr_rr_sport_12my_front_mud_700.jpg' /></a> Land Rover Discovery 4 2012 Land Rover Land Rover Discovery 4 2012 67857 Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/land-rover/discovery-4-2012-my/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4418638/landrover_disco_4_f34_loch_700.jpg' align="left" /></a> There’s not much direct competition to the Land Rover Discovery 4. Plenty of lesser 7 seat SUVs offer less room. But only the Mercedes GL and the Toyota Land Cruiser V8 offer as much accommodation to carry seven 6-footers over mountains and across rivers and deserts. As we all know, typically, these cars aren’t used for that. Instead, they spend most if not all of their time on tarmac where ride comfort and handling are more important than their expeditionary capabilities. That’s how machines like the BMW X5 and Audi Q7 have created their own peculiar niche in the market. Land Rover sticks to its guns. It prefers not to sell bling 20-inch wheels and instead equips the Discovery 4, Range Rover Sport and Range Rover as standard with 19-inch wheels and 255/55 R19 Pirelli Scorpion tyres so its cars can still perform brilliantly off road while offering an inspiring and comfortable drive on the road. For 2012, the Discovery 4 gets an 8 speed automatic transmission with paddleshifts first seen in the 2011 Range Rover V8 diesel. And it does like to be rowed along on them. Eight speeds provide closer ratios and a greater overall ratio spread, while the higher overdrive ratio combined with the strong torque of the engines offers better cruising economy. But even in Sport mode, it can bog down unpleasantly on roundabouts, so better to preselect third with the paddles and stay in it. The engines now come with two power outputs: 211PS or 256PS, the lower of which squeaks into the Band K VED bracket at £260 a year. Obviously at 6’ 2” it isn’t going to handle like a Lotus Elise. But neither does it handle like a lorry, or a traditional vague and wallowy big SUV. It’s very nicely controllable, amiable, comfortable, with very little road noise from those excellent Scorpion tyres. You do get a bit of wind noise, but that’s inevitable. The steering is particularly satisfying. Inside it’s as posh as you want it to be according to the trim level you order. The old command shift gearlever is replaced by a Jaguar like rotary knob. And the rotary ‘Terrain response’ selector is supplanted by a small control panel for selecting ride height, low range and centre diff lock. That now offers a couple of extra features: hill start assist and gradient acceleration control that slows the car on a steep descent when Hill Descent Control is not selected. The satnav screen offers a graphic so you can see how the axles are articulating and (quite important in a mudbath) which direction the steered wheels are pointing. You can also view a split screen of the view from five different external cameras and choose which view to watch full screen. As you can see from the video, a Land Rover launch would not be a Land Rover launch without an extensive test of the car’s capabilites. You can see a driver’s eye view of what it and we went through. And this was exactly the same Discovery on the same standard fit Pirelli Scorpion tyres that we were driving on the road. Very impressive indeed. Much less money than a Mercedes GL. More fuel efficient. Pleasant to drive on the road. An extremely complete and satisfying vehicle for anyone living in the country with the need to frequently or occasionally carry 7 people. It actually redefines the term ‘estate car’. If you have a country estate, or if you want people to think you have, the Land Rover Discovery 4 the perfect vehicle for you. More at Land Rover Full car by car Review: Land Rover Discovery 4 http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/land-rover/discovery-4-2012-my/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/land-rover/discovery-4-2012-my/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4418638/landrover_disco_4_f34_loch_700.jpg' /></a> Suzuki Swift Sport Suzuki Suzuki Swift Sport 67744 Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/suzuki/suzuki-swift-sport/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4404616/suzuki_swift_sport__1_.jpg' align="left" /></a> The old Suzuki Swift Sport is a great little car. Affordable, good looking and bags of fun, it's everything a small sporty hatch should be. A real hidden gem, it may not be the fastest or most powerful car of its type around but few alternatives are as enjoyable to drive. However, it's not without its shortcomings - a high revving engine and five-speed gearbox aren't a recipe for relaxing driving plus it's hardly the last word in refinement. Step forward the new Swift Sport - a car Suzuki hopes will appeal to a wider audience. Rather than big sweeping changes, Suzuki has worked to refine every aspect of the Swift Sport for this new generation, making it better to drive but easier to live with everyday. So there's definitely a weight of expectation about the newcomer, especially as we've already seen a great looking concept version . Of course to call the Swift Sport a 'hot hatch' is unfair. It doesn't have the power or pace to be considered alongside the likes of the Corsa VXR or the Renaultsport Clio . But then it doesn't have the price tag either. Costing just £13,500 it's a very strong alternative to models like the Fiat Punto Evo Sporting or the Ford Fiesta Zetec S. First impressions are certainly promising. The new Swift Sport continues with the same styling feel of its predecessor. It's subtle yet there are still neat details evident such as the front fog lights with their fins, a larger honeycomb grille with a black number plate surround while at the back there's the neat diffuser and dual exhaust pipes that were a trademark of the outgoing Swift Sport. Add in a rear roof spoiler, bespoke 17-inch alloy wheels and a lower ride height and you've got a nicely understated yet purposeful looking hatchback. It's a welcome tonic from the current trend for over the top hot hatches. This means you Corsa VXR. The Swift certainly feels more 'grown up' and this is also evident inside. Like the old model the interior quality is very good with a well-screwed together feel, but now the plastics are much nicer to touch and the switches have a higher quality feel to them. It's a little bland for a sporty hatch, we would have expected the odd dash of colour, but there is at least red stitching on the steering wheel and on the sports seats which give plenty of support in corners but are still comfortable in everyday drving. The level of standard equipment is generous and includes plenty of features that would usually be optional extras such as keyless entry and start, Bluetooth, cruise control and automatic air conditioning. It's safe too with eight airbags. But the most notable changes come under the skin. While Suzuki has stuck to a petrol engine with variable valve timing rather than opting for a turbocharged unit, it's been significantly upgraded. The 1.6-litre engine is based on the unit from the old Swift Sport but now has more power with 136PS - an increase of 13PS plus torque has been boosted from 148Nm to 160Nm. Accelerating from 0-62mph (if you really must) takes 8.7 seconds. Impressively, despite these improvements in power, fuel economy hasn't suffered. In fact, it's actually better with a claimed average of 44.1mpg compared to 39.8mpg previously. CO2 emissions are down too at 147g/km. The big difference is the introduction of a six-speed gearbox, replacing the five-speed in the previous Swift Sport. The shift is lighter than before and more positive, but it does lack the snappiness of the old five-speed. However, the benefit comes at higher speeds where the extra gear makes motorway cruising far more relaxing, plus it means better fuel economy too. But the big quesiton is what the new Swift Sport is like to drive. Well the good news is that it's still plenty of fun. As before, the Suzuki's 1.6-litre does need to be worked quite hard to extract the best from it, but it handles incredibly well with great front end grip. It has a longer wheelbase and wider track than before so as a result it's very nimble, giving you confidence through corners. And although the steering could do with a bit more feel - a symptom of most modern cars - it's still very accurate and responsive. Refinement has improved too and the ride quality is a real highlight. It's firm enough to minimise bodyroll in corners yet is smooth and forgiving on uneven road. It's also quiet in the cabin, even at higher speeds, although it's a shame the engine and exhaust are quite muted. A little sporty rasp would have been a nice addition. The new Swift Sport is certainly an improvement over the old model in every area. It's more refined, more comfortable and easier to live with day to day. The handling has also improved as has fuel economy. These changes are certainly welcome, but you can't help feeling that that somewhere along the way it's lost some of its sparkle. The cheeky edge of the old model has diminished, which is a shame. However, that doesn't prevent this from being a great little sporty hatch and a model that will certainly appeal to a wider audience than its predecessor. Read the full Suzuki Swift (2010-) Car-by-Car Review http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/suzuki/suzuki-swift-sport/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/suzuki/suzuki-swift-sport/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4404616/suzuki_swift_sport__1_.jpg' /></a> Audi Q3 2.0 TDI quattro Audi Audi Q3 2.0 TDI quattro 67579 Tue, 08 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/audi/audi-q3-20-tdi-quattro/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4386828/audi_q3__7_.jpg' align="left" /></a> A few years ago Audi didn't even have an SUV - as the Americans like to call them - in its range. It had plenty of 4x4 models thanks to the option of quattro four-wheel drive on standard cars, something which still differentiates it from its big rivals Mercedes-Benz and BMW. However, its first proper 'off-roader' didn't arrive until the big Q7 in 2006 which was soon followed by the Q5 . Now we have the third model in the Q line-up - the Q3. It's a compact size - not much longer than a Vauxhall Astra and ideal for urban driving - but still manages to be spacious inside. When it comes to looks, it's not exactly a big departure from the Audi formula, with a seemingly 'stick to what you know' design, but it does look distinctive, especially from the back with its sleek A1-style rear lights. There are two engine choices in the Q3 line-up - a 2.0 TFSI petrol and a 2.0 TDI diesel - but the power differs depending on what gearbox you go for. The six-speed manual 2.0 TFSI has 170PS while upgrading to the seven-speed S tronic automatic gets you the 211PS version - which is the same engine that powers the Volkswagen Golf GTI (among others). As you'd expect it's the diesel that most people go for, with the Q3 using the very tried and trusted 2.0 TDI unit. The only two-wheel drive variant is powered by this engine and it's also the most economical. With 140PS it performs well with plenty of torque thanks to 320Nm, however the best aspect is fuel consumption at a claimed 54.3mpg along with CO2 emissions of 137g/km. It's a good choice for company car drivers too with a BIK of just 20 per cent and the lowest list price in the Q3 range. But what we're interested in here is the top 2.0 TDI quattro which is expected to be the choice of half of all Q3 buyers. This is the more powerful 170PS version of the engine that's popular across plenty of Audi models and it's certainly got all the right qualities to work well with the Q3. The common rail unit is a touch noisy on start-up but well refined the rest of the time and impressively smooth for a four-cylinder diesel. It comes with a newly developed version of the seven-speed S tronic gearbox as standard (there's no manual option with the more powerful diesel) which is a twin-clutch automatic identical to Volkswagen's DSG. This gearbox hasn't been without its issues though, with plenty of our users finding fault with it. It does seem to work better when fitted to larger engines, yet it's still a good match for the 2.0 TDI helped by the fact the diesel has a maximum of 380Nm of torque which kicks in at just 1750rpm. Seven gears may seem a bit excessive but the S tronic works well as the rapid changes mean you can maximise all that torque at low revs, so it's very responsive when you ask it to perform. The in-gear pulling power makes overtaking straightforward too while 7th gear is ideal for efficient motorway cruising. This is reflected in a claimed fuel economy of 47.9mpg while emissions are 156g/km putting it in VED Band G - currently £165 a year. It can occassionally get caught out if you go straight from the brakes on to the throttle and want instant power, but in everyday driving it performs smoothly so that driving relatively briskly is still be a relaxed experience. Meanwhile, the quattro four-wheel drive system means that there's plenty of traction, something you notice when pulling out of a junction in the wet. During normal driving most of the power goes to the front wheels, but if the rear wheels start to lose grip, the quattro system instantly sends power to the back axle. In fact for what is still an SUV, albeit a compact version, the Q3 handles really well, helped by its lightweight design. Both the bonnet and hatchback are made from aluminium which means it weighs less than 1600kg - around the same as a diesel-powered Ford Mondeo. As a result it's very tidy in corners and even when you start to drive with a bit more enhusiasm, it remains agile. There's also plenty of grip at the front. One slight disappointment is the steering. The Q3 uses a new electromechanical power steering system which is now fitted to the majority of new Audi models. While it's responsive enough, it feels quite artificial and doesn't have much in the way of 'feel'. Compared to other Audi models, the Q3 doesn't give you the same level of confidence in corners. The ride is on the firm side too, although this is always going to be a sacrifice for having minimal bodyroll in corners. It's not uncomfortable but doesn't cope too well with rough road surfaces. The standard suspension can be upgraded to include a damper control system (an extra that's available on top of the optional Audi drive select) which stiffens the shock absorbers in 'dynamic' while the 'comfort' setting makes them more forgiving. This system certainly has its advantages and the more comfortable setting makes the Q3 very smooth. However, the dynamic mode is simply too harsh with the suspension crashing over bumps. It's worth saving your money and sticking to the standard suspension setting which is a better compromise between ride and handling. Elsewhere, it's difficult to find fault with the Q3. The interior quality is impeccable as we've come to expect from Audi and the cabin design is neat with intuitive controls and a smart 6.5-inch colour screen that flips up on the dash top. There's a hint of A1 with a similar stereo system while the small steering wheel and straightforward round instrument dials have a sporty feel to them. The raised driving position means good all round visibility and makes parking in tight spots easier too. There's a reasonable amount of room in the front and plenty of storage, but what's really surprising is how spacious it is in the back considering this is a 'compact' SUV, Okay, so it's no limousine, but two tall adults will find the back more than comfortable with good head room. The boot is a good size with 460 litres of carrying capacity - that's 40 litres more than the BMW X1. There's a small boot lip but the load area itself is usefully wide with vertical sides and no intrusion from the wheel arches. The Q3 is well equipped as standard and comes with plenty of things you'd expect would be extras, such as Bluetooth, the AMI (Audi Music Interface) so that you can connect your iPod or iPhone to the stereo system, dual-zone electronic climate control, parking sensors plus light sensitive lights and rain sensitive wipers. Black wheelarch surrounds and side skirts come as standard, but you can get them colour coded as an optional extra. The Q3 is certainly a viable option as a family car and despite being the smallest model in the Audi Q range, it has many of the qualities of the larger Q5 and Q7. It's well built and economical - especially so with the TDI engine - and surprisingly roomy considering its compact dimensions. Compared to its main competitor - the BMW X1 - it feels higher quality inside and the handling is sharper too, although there's little to choose between them in most other areas. But when it comes to desirability and image, the Q3 just has the edge. More on Audi Q3 http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/audi/audi-q3-20-tdi-quattro/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/audi/audi-q3-20-tdi-quattro/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4386828/audi_q3__7_.jpg' /></a> Nissan Qashqai 1.6-litre dCi Pure Drive Nissan Nissan Qashqai 1.6-litre dCi Pure Drive 67671 Fri, 04 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/nissan/nissan-qashqai-and-qashqaiplus2-16-litre-dci-pure-drive-road-test/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4398281/17.jpg' align="left" /></a> Unusually, I’m kicking off this Nissan Qashqai road test with a quick quiz. Q1: Where was the Nissan Qashqai designed? Q2: Where was the Nissan Qasqai engineered? Q3: Where is the Nissan Qashqai built? Q4: What nationality is the Nissan Qashqai? What may surprise some is that the answers to the first three questions are: Britain, Britain and Britain. The answer to the fourth is more ambiguous. Some will argue that because it’s designed, engineered and built in the UK, Qashqai is British through-and-through, while others will insist that as a Nissan it remains Japanese. Whatever the answer, British buyers have taken the car to their hearts. It’s stylish, comfortable, reliable and makes an outstanding family car, combining the best bits of a family hatch with the commanding stance of an SUV. The Qashqai has also secured jobs and exports at a time when both are crucial to the economy. Last year it contributed the lion’s share of Sunderland’s 400,000 Nissan exports – which is a new record for a British car factory – and there are now more than 140,000 on the road. The factory is currently working three shift and 24 hours a day to keep up with demand. One of the biggest reasons that the Qashqai has been such a hit is that it hasn’t rested on its laurels. Since it first went on sale in 2007 it’s continued to innovate with the addition of new engine and trim options, a +2 seven-seat model in 2008 and a thorough facelift in 2010. January 2012 sees the latest improvement: the addition of a modern clean-burning 1.6-litre dCi diesel engine with a start-stop system and the addition of new technologies including an Around View Camera. There’s just one small drawback - although you can have a 1.6-litre diesel Qashqai now, you’ll have to wait until January before you can get one with Nissan’s stop-start system. It seems that the Japanese Tsunami earlier in 2011 is continuing to cause problems throughout the supply chain. The story on this occasion is that Hitachi has struggled to deliver the parts needed for the start-stop module. The 130PS 1.6-litre diesel is the same one that’s recently been fitted to the Renault Scenic. In the Qashqai it comes in at 118g/km of CO2 which puts it in the same league as the Skoda Yeti Greenline II . It’s a decent effort for a car of this size and means that it falls into Road Tax Band C, which costs a mere £30 per year. Compare that to when the Qashqai launched back in 2007 and you’ll see that VED has fallen considerably. The equivalent diesel option then would have set you back £145 per year in tax. This latest engine is the third diesel in the Qashqai line-up, promising the power and refinement of a 2.0-litre diesel with the economy of a smaller unit. It replaces the manual 2.0-litre (which remains available as an auto only) and slots in above the 1.5-litre dCi (though is actually cleaner and more economical). With an official combined consumption figure of 62.8mpg, it’s 31 per cent more efficient than the old 2.0-litre and 8.5mpg better than the 1.5-litre dCi. It’s been achieved by reducing the weight of the cylinder block and reducing dynamic forces, using alternator regeneration to re-charge the battery, cold-loop low-pressure exhaust gas recirculation, improving engine warming times, using a variable displacement oil pump and, of course, a stop-start system. At start-up, it’s surprisingly quiet and refined, with the usual diesel clatter kept to a minimum. Good insulation helps too. It’s not at its best around town where the combination of a sharp clutch and lack of pulling power in first gear can make it jerky. First gear soon runs through the rev range and provides little in the way of pulling power; you’ll soon find yourself changing up to second. There’s a better spread of power in the other gears and it’s actually possible to pull away from second. Out of town it’s much easier to live with. There’s plenty of grunt for safe overtaking while, in sixth gear, it’ll cruise smoothly and quietly on the motorway. On paper – and in two-wheel drive – it’s capable of 62.8mpg. It’s an impressive figure, though the fly in the ointment is that users of our Real Life Fuel Economy Register tend to find that Nissan engines are between eight and 11mpg too optimistic. That would mean that this engine would be likely to get around 53.4mpg in real-life driving. We’ll wait and see. It’s also the first Qashqai that makes sense for Company Car Choosers , too, should it appear on your company car list. With a P11D price of £24,290 for the Tekna (best-selling spec) and CO2 emissions of 118g/km, it's liable for a 13 per cent BIK charge and will cost a basic rate tax payer £631 a year and a higher rate tax payer £1263. Inside it’s largely business as usual, with a well laid out dashboard and a comfortable and commanding driving position. There is just one addition and that’s the availability of the Around View Camera, initially available on n-tec+ and Tekna specs (every other Qashqai is one of these specs). It’s a smart piece of kit, building on the reversing camera that Nissan has featured on its cars since the 2002 Primera. This evolution offers the option of a bird’s-eye view, which uses cameras placed around the car to show you the view from above. It’s designed to help avoid kerbs and make parking easier. I tried the system with the windows and windscreen blacked out. Relying on the camera alone, I was able to negotiate a slalom course and reverse-park the car again. It’s not quite as effective at night, but does still offer a good view of what’s happening around the car. Qashqai has long been popular with British buyers. The addition of this low CO2 diesel engine gives should now make it more accessible to more people. Review of the full range in our Car-by-Car Review . http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/nissan/nissan-qashqai-and-qashqaiplus2-16-litre-dci-pure-drive-road-test/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/nissan/nissan-qashqai-and-qashqaiplus2-16-litre-dci-pure-drive-road-test/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4398281/17.jpg' /></a> Mazda 3 2012 Facelift Test Mazda Mazda 3 2012 Facelift Test 67650 Wed, 02 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/mazda/mazda-3-2012-fl-test/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4394851/mazda_3_2012_fl_1_front_700.jpg' align="left" /></a> Mid life for a car doesn’t necessarily mean a crisis. More like a re-think. What can we do to make the existing car better? How can we improve its performance? How can we freshen it up for another three years on the market? There wasn’t a lot wrong with the Mazda 3. To the extent that, in the latest JD Power customer satisfaction survey, it was voted more reliable than the VW Golf, by no less than the Germans. In the UK, in status terms, it sits somewhere between a Focus and a Golf. And that’s quite a nice niche to be in. Where there’s a good Mazda dealer it’s very evident by the numbers of Mazda 2s and Mazda 3s on the surrounding roads. They’re good value, but nothing about the car tells the neighbours that you’ve paid less for it than for a Golf, or even than a Focus. Mazda 3 facelift prices start at £14,995, and that’s for a 105PS 1.6 with a chain cam engine, five doors and air-conditioning. Unless you spec it up or go for the 260PS MPS, you can’t spend more than £21,195 and that buys a top spec 185PS 2.2 chain cam diesel with satnav. The facelift consists of minor changes to the front grille and some aerodynamic improvements that bring down the drag coefficient and improve the fuel economy. There’s been some strengthening underneath. Suspension and steering have been re-tuned to give a softer ride, yet more road feel (like my Mazda 5 1.6d TS2). All models are more economical by between 3.5% and 1.5%. Instruments have been made easier to read. There’s now an optional integrated TomTom satnav with Bluetooth. New wheels. New paint finishes. And one new model: a 105PS 1.6 4-speed automatic in place of the 2.0 litre automatic. That pulls it down a tax band and makes it more economical, all for a very reasonable £16,695. It was the facelifted 1.6 TS automatic we tried first. Initial impressions are that it’s a bit frenetic, revving as much as 5,000rpm through the gears without obviously employing kickdown. But actually it drove almost identically to the old shape Mazda 3 1.6 automatic I ran for more than 1,000 miles in Thailand in April. Once you get used to it, it’s very sweet, especially in traffic. And as soon as it settles into top and about 25mph per 1,000rpm it’s relaxed. Next into the 1.6 115 diesel (the only Mazda 3 with a belt cam engine), that shares its engine and 6-speed transmission with ‘my’ Mazda 5 TS2 1.6 diesel. Except it doesn’t share the same gear ratios. Whereas the Mazda 5 gives 30mph per 1,000rpm in 6 th , the Mazda 3 gives 32.5. And this helps it to qualify for Tax Band C of £30 a year. Ride quality, steering feel and handling are almost as good as my Mazda 5. Mazda reckons the new 1.6 diesel will save £26.88 in fuel costs over 12,000 miles at £1.40 a litre. Finally, the 2.2 litre 150PS chain cam diesel, with an engine and transmission that weigh 120kilos more than the 1.6’s. It’s geared even higher: 37.5mph per 1,000rpm in 6 th , and we managed a very creditable 5.8litres per 100 kilometres on the test route (48.7mpg). But the gearchange isn’t as sweet and the power characteristics and gearing don’t let you ‘block change’ to the extent you can in the 1.6. That longer gearing saves £53.76 in fuel costs over 12,000 miles. We didn’t try the 1.6 petrol manual, the 2.0 petrol manual or the 2.2 185 diesel because there wasn’t time. The facelifted and refreshed Mazda 3 arrive in the UK early in 2012 Should you or shouldn’t you? Obviously a lot of private buying decisions are based on the proximity of a decent dealer. So if there is a Mazda dealer in the vicinity, you’re looking for a new family car and you’re open minded enough to break away from Focus, Astra and Golf, give the Mazda 3 a chance of some garage space. http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/mazda/mazda-3-2012-fl-test/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/mazda/mazda-3-2012-fl-test/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4394851/mazda_3_2012_fl_1_front_700.jpg' /></a> Citroen DS5 Citroen Citroen DS5 67158 Fri, 21 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/citroen/citroen-ds5-hybrid-4/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4353982/11106007.jpg' align="left" /></a> We Brits have never taken to large, French cars. It doesn’t matter who’s made them or how good they’ve been, we’ve never bought them in any great number. The list of previous efforts is a roll-call of also-rans and near misses, from the Citroen XM and Renault Vel Satis, through to the Peugeot 607 and the oddball Renault Avantime. But Citroen is giving it another go, adding the DS5 to its ever-expanding DS Line. This time, though, the story should be a little different, as the DS5 has a trick up its sleeve: a diesel-electric hybrid drivetrain. Hybrid 4 debuts in the DS5 and combines the economy of a 2.0-litre diesel engine (which you’ll find in other versions of the DS5) with the zero tailpipe emissions that comes from an 27kW electric motor. It offers 200bhp, four-wheel drive, 74mpg, and an official emissions figure of just 99g/km CO2. Yes, 99g/km. That not only qualifies it for free road tax (astonishing for a vehicle of this size) and London Congestion Charge exemption, but will make it incredibly appealing for company car buyers. It represents an improvement in CO2 over the standard diesel of between 30 and 35 per cent in the city and between 10 and 15 per cent on the open road. The sting in the tail is that as an early adopter you're paying a real premium for that cutting-edge drive-train. Like any latest technology, it doesn't come cheap and at £33,000 some buyers - particularly those living outside London - may decide that they will never see a return on that premium. But there's more to the DS5 than what's on a spreadsheet - the feather in its cap is the interior. It continues the bold styling of DS3 and DS4 and as a result it's unlike anything else on the road. It looks good and is impressively finished, mixing styling cues from the world of aviation with materials that you'd expect to see in high-end luxury cars. The driver sits in a wrap-around cockpit-like position, in a body-hugging seat with a Top Gun-esque head-up display, but the biggest give-away is the way that the switches are laid out. With roof mounted switches for the roof blinds and head-up display plus those for the electric windows and central door locking on the centre console, it’s possible to consider – just for a second – whether you’ll be flying or driving to work. The downside is that it takes a little while to master the controls. The layout of switches have become more standardised in recent years, so you expect things like the window controls to be on the door - but in the DS5 they're not. Doesn't necessarily mean that it's wrong, just different. In producing its most luxurious car ever, Citroen has scoured the globe for some of the best quality materials and finishes that money can buy. That has meant turning to the UK: the machine-turned aluminium is made in Wales by the same firm that produces similar finishes for the well-known luxury makes. The equipment level offered on DS5 is incredibly generous – there’s not a single item that you’ll want for. In addition to that head-up display, there's LED interior lighting throughout, headlights that will automatically dip the main beam, a reversing camera, a lane departure warning system plus keyless entry and start. The only caveat to that is that the DS5 isn’t on sale in the UK until the first quarter of 2012 and at launch there was no UK-specific spec list. Practicality hasn't been forgotten either, with a big boot (468 litres, though it's less in the Hybrid4 to make room for the batteries) and plenty of head and legroom in the back. Sadly it's not all good news. The biggest gripe is the ride quality - a real surprise considering this has always been one of Citroen's strengths. Around town it crashes and bashes its way over potholes and bumps while out on the open road it picks up even slight imperfections - uncomfortable for front and rear passengers alike. The handling is better though, with good turn-in from the steering, excellent levels of grip and well placed pedals. The petrol choice is the 1.6-litre THP with 200bhp – it’s one of the engines that Citroen has co-developed with BMW. It’s a great engine in smaller Citroens (and Peugeots and MINIs), but its character isn’t well suited to the DS5 – especially with the six-speed manual gearbox. It needs to be revved hard to get the best from it and as a result is rather noisy. At lower speeds it’s over eager, races through the rev range and quickly requires a gear changes. It's a great engine in Citroen's hot hatches, but doesn't really suit a luxury tourer like the DS5. That said, most buyers will opt for the smoother 163bhp 2.0-litre diesel. Click to read about the Citroen DS3 and Citroen DS4 . http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/citroen/citroen-ds5-hybrid-4/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/citroen/citroen-ds5-hybrid-4/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4353982/11106007.jpg' /></a> Vauxhall Zafira Tourer Vauxhall Vauxhall Zafira Tourer 67080 Fri, 07 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/vauxhall/vauxhall-zafira-tourer/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4334404/517-vaux-zafira.jpg' align="left" /></a> Britain’s most popular small 7-seater has grown up. The new Zafira Tourer (that complements rather than replaces the old Zafira) is 19 centimetres longer, sits on more sophisticated suspension and can be specified with as much high tech kit as the latest generation Fords. One thing it is not is bland. As well as the sculpted side Vauxhall/Opel brand identity, designer Mark Adams has given it the most distinctive ‘face’ of any MPV anywhere. It’s a brave new look and it works. Inside you’ll still find ‘Flex7’ seating. But instead of the rather clunky centre bench of the old Zafira (that meant removing all centre row child seats to get into the back) it has three separate individually sliding and folding seats. And while they aren’t all the same size, as in the S-Max, the centre seat is almost as big as the others, allowing three child seats side by side, each with their own ISOFIX tethers, that can’t be fitted in the likes of a Grand C-Max or a Mazda 5. Posher versions allow you to reconfigure the centre seatback into a pair of armrests that frees up space to allow the two remaining centre seats to slide further back, giving passengers a limo-like feel. They get a limo-like ride as well. The Insignia derived front suspension and Astra donated cranked rear axle with Watts linkage soak up the bumps even when the car is shod with 19” 40 profile tyres. Handling is pretty good too, especially on models fitted with Vauxhall’s FlexRide adaptive damping system with three settings of ‘Standard’, ‘Tour’ and ‘Sport’. Engines start with a humdrum old belt-cam 140PS 1.8, liven up considerably with the same 140PS 1.4 chain-cam petrol turbo that impressed so much in the Astra, then round off with a trio of 2.0 belt-cam diesels offering 110PS, 130PS or 165PS. Impressively, Vauxhall has managed to get the CO2 of the ECOflex version down to 119g/km, so it sits in the £30 VED band along with Ford’s Grand C-Max 1.6 diesel and Renault’s new Scenic 1.6 chain cam diesel. All the engines apart from the 1.8 come with a standard 6-speed manual transmission, while a 6-speed auto is offered with the 1.4T and the 2.0 163PS diesel. Driver aid packages are pretty much as you’ll find in the latest Focus and Mondeo,. They use a camera system for adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, forward collision alert (if you get too close to the car in front), ‘collision mitigation’ (automatic braking if you get far too close), and traffic sign recognition that warns you of things like stop signs and changes of speed limits. Blind spot alerts in the door mirrors also feature and the satnav screen doubles up as a reversing camera screen. All Zafira Tourers come with standard cruise control. As well as messing about at a German golf course filming, I drove the 2.0CDTI 163 a considerable distance on Bavarian backroads and I’m very please to say the satnav never wrongslotted me once. Vauxhall sees the main opposition as the very slightly longer Ford S-Max, and while the Zafira Tourer isn’t as overtly sporty it is a viable alternative. Especially where comfort, economy and very distinctive looks are the main considerations. http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/vauxhall/vauxhall-zafira-tourer/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/vauxhall/vauxhall-zafira-tourer/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4334404/517-vaux-zafira.jpg' /></a> Audi A6 Avant 3.0 TDI Audi Audi A6 Avant 3.0 TDI 66850 Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/audi/audi-a6-avant-2011/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4327839/audi_a6_avant__8_.jpg' align="left" /></a> There's a strange allure to large estates cars which is hard to explain. By rights, the fact they are bigger and boxier than their four-door equivalents should make them the preserve of dog owners and people who enjoy antiques fairs. Yet that's not the case. The latest crop of premium estates are a sleek and good looking bunch with the Audi A6 Avant leading the way. It's not the most radical design, but the clean lines and unfussy look are very welcome at a time when other brands seem intent on decorating new models in lots of unnecessary chrome trim and strangely placed LED lights. With those quite menacing headlights and that sharp rear end, the A6 has plenty of road presence too. It's equally as tidy inside with a well designed interior that's spacious, comfortable and modern. From the driver's seat it feels like all the key controls are focussed toward you while the high central stack features the controls for Audi's excellent and simple to grasp MMI Navigation system that comes as standard. This includes a 6.5-inch colour display screen which neatly slides out of the dash when you start the car. As we've come to expect from Audi, the quality of the materials used and the standard of the finish are both impeccable. It's a delightful car to travel in and has a luxury feel, helped by the fact it comes with leather upholstery as standard. Add in huge amounts of leg, head and shoulder room and it's easy to see why makes the perfect family car. The front seats, which can be manually adjusted ten ways, have been completely redesigned with an innovative foam filling designed to give optimum support. There are also sport seats and comfort seats as options. The sport seats, which are standard on S line models, have contoured side bolsters and seat cushions that can be adjusted electrically. On long journeys the supportive seats really come into their own and taller drivers will be pleased at the amount of legroom and the well angled off-clutch rest. You won't be surprised to find out that this A6 Avant is more spacious than the old one and the boot is usefully large with a wide tailgate opening, a minimal bootlip and near vertical sides to the load bay. With the rear seats up there is 565 litres of space which is on par with the 5 Series Touring although both lag behind the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate.   In the boot there are lashing eyes, side restraining straps, bag hooks, a double cargo floor, a rail luggage fixing system and a dirt-resistant tray. However, the neatest feature is the optional hands free electric opening boot. All you have to do is make a 'kicking' motion under the back bumper with your foot and sensors will then make the tailgate open. In fact it's so useful, especially when you have hands full of shopping, we wonder why no one has come up with it before This A6 Avant is larger than the old model, yet it's actually lighter thanks to the use of aluminium components and a composite steel-aluminium body that helps reduce overall weight by up to 70kg on certain models. This has benefits for handling but more so for economy. Along with an energy recovery system and start-stop technology on all models, it helps fuel economy improve by almost 20 per cent. The most popular model is the 2.0 TDI which returns a claimed average of 56.5mpg but it's the 3.0 TDI that offers the most choice with three different versions. The V6 is a silkily smooth engine that's tremendously refined and perfectly suits the luxury feel of the A6. The lowest powered version is the 204PS which effectively replaces the 2.7 TDI from the old A6 range and similarly is available with a Multitronic automatic gearbox - a £1500 option if you don't fancy the standard six-speed manual. The Multritronic CVT gearbox has had a mixed reception in the past. The problem with a CVT automatic is that while it's a very smooth and efficient system, it invaribly doesn't work well when you want performance. Usually any downward movement with your right foot is met with a lot of noise and seemingly not much in the way of acceleration. The good news is that Audi has obviously worked hard to develop and improve its Multitronic. As before it has fixed 'ratios' - now numbering eight in total - but the changes between each have been made quicker which helps acceleration feel a bit more meaningful. As a result, the gearbox doesn't sit at high revs for as long and the 'downshifts' are a lot snappier. It even has a sport setting with shorter gear ratios and a manual mode. It's still at its best when it's not rushed and is perfect with the 3.0 TDI engine when it comes to relaxed and effortless cruising. While it's down on power compared to the quattro version (which has 245PS and an extra 100Nm of torque) it feels just as strong in everyday driving and you only really notice the difference if you put your foot to the floor. Of course this model doesn't have four-wheel drive and you'll occassionally notice the difference in traction, for instance when you pull away from a junction quickly. Plus of course in the winter there are the obvious benefits of quattro. But then that's why the Multitronic is more than £4500 cheaper than the 3.0 TDI quattro model. Economy is impressive with a claimed average of 54.3mpg while CO2 emissions are just 136g/km - barely any different from the four-cylinder 2.0 TDI with the same Multitronic gearbox. Eventually there will be three different versions of the V6 offered when the mammoth 3.0 BiTDI joins the range later in 2011. With 313PS and an immense 650Nm of torque, plus a 0-62mph time of just 5.3 seconds, it's even more powerful than the storming BMW 535d. http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/audi/audi-a6-avant-2011/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/audi/audi-a6-avant-2011/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4327839/audi_a6_avant__8_.jpg' /></a> MINI Coupe SD MINI MINI Coupe SD 66774 Mon, 26 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/mini/mini-coupe/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4324914/516-mini-coupe.jpg' align="left" /></a> It looks like a baseball cap on wheels. Whether that’s good or bad depends on its colour scheme as well as on the eyes of the beholder. Racy types may like white or silver with a red cap. But I thought ‘our’ black SD with its silver cap had the most cachet. It certainly attracted a lot of attention on our 1,400 kilometre drive from Innsbruck to Farnborough. It’s only a two seater. But there’s so much room inside that anyone stepping in from an MX-5 might feel themselves in need of a cuddle. Twin glove lockers. A place for your phone in the armrest. Two bottle holders in front of the gearstick. And a bottle shaped holder that’s a bit difficult to reach behind you at the back of the console. Then there’s space behind both driver and passenger for bags, or to recline the seatbacks (try doing that in an MX-5). There’s a through hatch to the boot. And, though BMW tells us there’s 280 litres of bootspace under the very heavy hatch, it looks more than that. We got three of our bags, two MINI cases and nine 6-bottle boxes of wine in there. The hatchback is heavy because it contains the mechanism for a spoiler that rises out of it at 50mph, then sinks back down again at 37mph unless you press the ‘pose’ button to keep it up. Apparently when asked why they fitted this spoiler a MINI engineer replied, “because we had to.” It sticks the back of the car to the road on fast bends. The 2.0 litre SD engine is reasonably relaxed for a grand tour. 3,000 rpm gets you 100, and it tops out at around 135 on the autobahn on the rare occasions when there’s no limit and enough room. It’s also very comfortable. We packed 850 kilometres into a day without a twinge at the end of it. But, once over the border into Belgium, the reasonable profile 195/55 R16 tyres began to roar like a WW2 bomber and didn’t let up on the less than lovely concrete of our own delightful M20. I hate to think what the 205/45 R17s on the John Cooper Works are like. The SD isn’t king of the MINI Coupes for handling because of the weight of the 2.0 diesel engine over the front wheels. In ‘comfort’ mode on the twisty bits, it knows where it wants to go. But switched to Sport it’s much tidier with very little deterioration in ride comfort, so that’s the best way to leave it. There’s not a lot of point in going through the specs here because you can read all of that in the tekky section. But it is worth mentioning that the SD comes in at 115g/km CO2 and that puts it into the £30 tax bracket. Whereas the John Cooper Works is 165g/km and £190 tax a year. You’ll also be pleased to know that cruising at the speed limits and at up to 135 when there weren’t any we still got 50.6 mpg, which is well short of the 65.7 EC combined figure, but still very good for the speeds we were doing. In the UK, reckon on at least 55mpg. We got on well with some of the goodies, too. Especially the satnav that is very easy to programme once you get the hang of it and think laterally. For example, it wouldn’t take us to ‘St Omer’ or ‘St. Omer’ or ‘St-Omer’ or ‘Saint Omer’. But was very happy to guide us to ‘Omer’. (As in Simpson.) Did I like the car? I flew out to Austria not particularly looking forward to it. But by the end of our jaunt I was very fond of the thing. And I don’t remember a car since the Audi R8 that attracted so many looks on a launch. http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/mini/mini-coupe/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/mini/mini-coupe/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4324914/516-mini-coupe.jpg' /></a> Audi A5 Coupe Cabriolet and Sportback Facelift 2011 Audi Audi A5 Coupe Cabriolet and Sportback Facelift 2011 66617 Thu, 22 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/audi/audi-a5-coupe-cabriolet-and-sportback-facelift-2011/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4319959/a5110043.jpg' align="left" /></a> The A5 – in its Coupe, Cabriolet and Sportback forms - has been a smash hit for Audi. It’s stylish, good to drive, well equipped and has some of Audi’s best technology on the options list. Which has meant a lot of head-scratching for its mid-life refresh. On the face of it, there's not much work needed. But this facelift is important. Not only is the A5 range a best-seller in its own right, but these cars are essentially the sexier versions of the more conventional A4. So you can expect the changes here to give a not-so-subtle hint of what we'll see when the A4 and Avant facelifts roll round next year. But that’s for another time. All three models in the A5 line-up benefit from the same nip-and-tucks, so the tweaks apply as much to the Coupe and Cabriolet as to the Sportback. Give the exterior a quick once over and you’ll be hard-pressed to notice that it has changed at all. You may spot that there’s a new LED running light that follows the outline of the main headlight casing to form a wedge shape, but the high gloss single-frame grille, new bumper and extra millimetre in length on all three models are more than likely to pass you by. Changes inside are similarly low-key. The cabin features the same highly-adjustable driving position and a fascia that’s angled towards the driver. As before, it’s easy to use on the move and all the key functions are at your fingertips, but now there are new aluminium finishes, upgraded leather upholstery and – for the first time – three seats in the back of the Sportback. You can, however, still tell that this was a rear made for two. The third middle seat is very tight and only suitable for a small child. Although welcome, these changes essentially just nibble around the edges of what was already a very good car. But there are more significant changes under the bonnet - and in essence, that's what this facelift is all about. Company car drivers in particular will be pleased to hear that there have been significant CO2 savings in the 2.0 TDI and the addition of a new more fuel efficient 3.0 TDI which replaces the old 2.7-litre TDI. The popular 177PS four-cylinder 2.0-litre diesel now comes in at 122g/km CO2 in front-wheel drive form and is capable – on paper at least – of 60.1mpg. Since launch four years ago, emissions of this engine (in Coupe form) have fallen by 12g/km and fuel economy has improved by almost 5mpg. New to A5 is the availability of a refined 204PS 3.0-litre V6 TDI engine, which replaces the discontinued 2.7 TDI. This modern engine is already offered in the A6 and A8 and is not only clean (significantly more so than the old 2.7-litre), but delivers a level or torque that would have been unimaginable just a few years ago. CO2 is now at 129g/km (that's right, just 7g/km higher than the 2.0-litre TDI) and fuel economy is a claimed 57.5mpg. There’s 400Nm (295 lb-ft) of torque available between 1250 and 3500 rpm, making it a relaxed cruiser and punchy when it comes to overtaking. If you’re wondering about the A5’s existing 245PS 3.0-litre TDI powerplant, this continues to be offered and is paired with quattro all-wheel drive as standard. Both of these engines now make much more sense to company car drivers. The 2.0-litre TDI Coupe will cost a higher rate tax payer from £2853, while the new 1.8 TFSI engine comes in at £1798. Both of which are lower than comparable BMW and Mercedes-Benz models. The petrol line-up is bolstered with the addition of a new entry-level engine, the 1.8 TFSI. Like the diesels, it’s designed for low emissions and showcases many of Audi’s latest innovations including control of the valves and their lift, thermal management, advanced fuel injection, turbocharging and the integration of the exhaust manifold. It effectively replaces the 180bhp version of the 2.0-litre TFSI, bringing CO2 down to 134g/km (a 21 per cent reduction) and economy up to 49.6mpg. It’s a pleasant free-revving engine to drive and is actually well suited to the A5, with better performance than you may expect from an entry-level engine. At the other end of the scale, there have been significant changes to the 3.0 TFSI and S5 models. Out goes the naturally aspirated 3.2 V6, which has been replaced by a new 272bhp 3.0-litre V6, which uses a supercharger to compensate for the lower cubic capacity. The 333bhp version of this engine – which currently powers the S5 Sportback and Cabriolet models – will now also feature in the S5 Coupe. So it’s cheerio to the long-serving (and great sounding) 4.2-litre V8, which has been the powerplant behind many of Audi’s high performance S models, and hello to a 20 per cent emissions and fuel consumption saving. Many of the CO2 improvements on these engines have been achieved through changes to the stop-start system and more efficient on-board systems. For example, the electromechanical power steering now conserves power when it’s in a straight-line, as it’s essentially not needed, a move that Audi reckons will save 0.3 litres of fuel per 100km. Prices for the A5 start at £25,540 and orders can be placed for the revised A5 now, with first deliveries expected to start in December. http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/audi/audi-a5-coupe-cabriolet-and-sportback-facelift-2011/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/audi/audi-a5-coupe-cabriolet-and-sportback-facelift-2011/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4319959/a5110043.jpg' /></a> Peugeot 3008 Hybrid 4 Peugeot Peugeot 3008 Hybrid 4 66340 Tue, 06 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/peugeot/peugeot-3008-hybrid-4/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4311003/510-3008-hybrid4.jpg' align="left" /></a> Back in 2009 the Peugeot 3008 was my surprise car of the year. You can read that test here: Peugeot 3008 Road Test . But now we’ve moved on a bit, and Peugeot has made the 3008 its first hybrid. The company looked at the technology of other hybrids, and sought to simplify it. So instead of a two-part front electric motor and alternator the 3008 hybrid4 4 has simply a big in-line alternator. Instead of a petrol engine, it has a diesel engine, on the logical grounds that diesel engines are around 30% more efficient. Instead of a CVT automatic transmission it has Peugeot’s EGC automated manual 6-speed. Instead of a Lithium Ion high voltage battery it has Nickel Metal Hydride high voltage battery located under the loadspace floor. Yet, like a Lexus RX hybrid, it has an electric motor/alternator instead of a rear differential. It also has a high voltage stop/start system, that utilises the rear electric motor, and gearchanges are also assisted by the rear motor. In time, it is possible that using the rear electric motor for start off may enable Peugeot engineers to eliminate 1 st gear. Inside the cabin, the mode switch allows ‘automatic’, which runs the car at its most efficient for the circumstances. ‘EV’ to lock it in electric drive until the hybrid battery runs low, at which point it slips back into automatic. ‘Four wheel drive’, which engages both the front wheel drive diesel engine and the rear wheel drive electric motor together for use on the rough stuff and in snow. And ‘Sport’ which engages both the 163bhp diesel engine and the 37bhp electric motor together (the combined torque of these two is 500Nm.) And holds the diesel engine to higher revs. All this is controlled by a Power Train Management Unit. An inverter controls the torque of the electric motor by regulating the electrical current supplied from the high voltage battery pack. The converter reduces the 200 volts from the high voltage battery pack to 12 volts for the car’s electrical systems The standard version of the 3008 Hybrid4 comes in at 99g/km in the EC tests, so is both UK ‘road tax’ and London Congestion Charge exempt. And in the EC tests it squeezed 74.3 miles out of a gallon. Add more spec, though, and it’s in the £20 tax bracket. Worries of the diesel particulate filter becoming blocked are overcome by the exceptionally efficient manner in which the diesel engine runs, combined with the latest generation Eolys fuel additive system Though you can sometimes catch it out with clumsy driving, the drive is generally very smooth. In Sport mode you have the advantages of 200bhp, 500Nm torque and four wheel drive so the car can be hustled along indecently quickly. Yet in town you can adopt tailpipe emission free electric drive up to 44mph for 3 – 4 miles, depending on how much you have stored in the high power battery. All of this is packaged in the standard 3008 body without obviously losing any luggage space. So you get a 420-litre boot, extendable to 1,500 litres with the seats down, a flat floor, and a drop down tailgate. That’s MPV spaciousness, with the advantage of four-wheel drive and diesel hybrid economy. Pretty much everything in a single car. http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/peugeot/peugeot-3008-hybrid-4/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/peugeot/peugeot-3008-hybrid-4/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4311003/510-3008-hybrid4.jpg' /></a> Volkswagen Tiguan 2.0 TDI SE Volkswagen Volkswagen Tiguan 2.0 TDI SE 66329 Mon, 05 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/volkswagen/volkswagen-tiguan-20-tdi-se/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4310680/tiguan_02.jpg' align="left" /></a> Volkswagen has been enhancing many of the models in its range lately, not only to give the line up more of a recognisable Volkswagen identity but to improve technology, lower emissions and improve fuel economy. The latest model to benefit from a redesign is the Tiguan compact SUV , and from a purely cosmetic standpoint the differences between this model and the outgoing version are plain to see. The headlights are bolder and more angular, and the prominent horizontal grille bars seen on the likes of the Golf and new Passat are present, as are the angular lines in the two-part rear light clusters. The Tiguan is Volkswagens fourth best seller, after the Golf , Polo and Passat . 90% of the new Tiguans sold are expected to be diesels, and of those the majority will be the 2.0-litre 140PS TDI 4MOTION tested here in SE trim. Emissions are 150g/km and fuel economy is a reasonable 48.7mpg on the combined cycle, helped by BlueMotion technology features like stop/start and battery regeneration. That means road tax is down from £165 for the outgoing model to £130, and you’ll get about five miles further on a gallon of fuel. It’s a willing engine, providing a decent 320Nm of torque from 1,750rpm through to 2,500rpm. In gear acceleration is good, and even on country roads it’s quite easy to settle down and relax without having to stir the gearbox constantly for the best ratio. It’s also quite refined, with very little noise or vibration transmitted to the cabin. The ride quality is impressive. Over extremely rough surfaces it can be a little jittery, but through bends it feels safe and stable, with little in the way of body roll for such a tall vehicle. Despite that fact, potholes, lumps and speed bumps are absorbed easily and comfortably. It’s at ease over grass and along unsurfaced tracks, too, although there was no opportunity to test it in particularly extreme circumstances. There are two-wheel drive variants, but most get 4MOTION four-wheel drive, this model included. It’s not designed for the Paris-Dakar, but should the going get slippery there’s an automatic electronic differential lock to provide extra traction and keep the Tiguan on the move. Should you need a car for more than occasional off-road use, there is an Escape model which has greater ground clearance and more off-road technology. The cabin is very typically Volkswagen, with high quality, sturdy materials that are pleasant on the eye and on the hand – switches, buttons and knobs are satisfying to operate, and the dials and display screens are all well presented and easy to read. The seats and the steering wheel are easy to adjust into a comfortable position and are supportive, and there’s ample space in the rear seats, which are adjustable. The boot is a decent size, too, so both passengers and luggage can be carried with ease. The SE trim level tested benefits from a healthy standard specification, including fatigue detection, dual zone climate control, multi-function steering wheel, high-quality audio with six-CD changer and USB/ AUX-in, park-assist, and Highline multi-function computer, which includes tyre pressure monitor and rain-sensing wipers. The test car also had a touch-screen navigation system, metallic paint, high beam assist and lane assist fitted, all of which are optional. That pushes the price up from £25,645 to £26,969. The range starts at £21,085 for the basic 1.4-litre petrol in S trim, rising to £27,335 for the 2.0-litre diesel with DSG gearbox in Escape trim. The SE grade model tested represents the most sensible buy in the range, with enough standard equipment to satisfy most drivers without the need to tick many options boxes. For those in the market for a small SUV the Tiguan offers a sensible package, particularly in SE trim. It’s refined and comfortable on the road, offers reasonable fuel economy and emissions, and it shouldn’t leave you stranded in the winter. It’s also fairly well priced when compared to rivals like the Ford Kuga and the BMW X1 . http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/volkswagen/volkswagen-tiguan-20-tdi-se/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/volkswagen/volkswagen-tiguan-20-tdi-se/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4310680/tiguan_02.jpg' /></a> Kia KIA Rio 2011 Kia KIA Rio 2011 65915 Sun, 21 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/kia/kia-rio-2011/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4293189/kia_rio_4_1_front_700.jpg' align="left" /></a> Meet KIA’s Fiesta. Those three words are the quickest way I could think of to convey the size of KIA’s new car. It’s actually called the Rio, like its competent but ordinary predecessor. However, it’s anything but ordinary. The Rio is KIA’s most important car to date, and it sets significant standards. Fitted with a special 1.1 litre 3 cylinder turbodiesel engine, it’s the lowest emitting internal combustion engined car in the World. Nothing else beats 85 grams per kilometre CO2 and an EC combined economy of 88.3mpg. VED exempt. London Congestion Charge exempt. If it gets anywhere near 88.3mpg in real life it will cost you hardly anything to run. But the Rio is more than an economy special. Like the Fiesta it’s a range of cars, with a choice of two petrol engines, two diesel engines, an automatic option, and a 3-door version to complement the 5-door in early 2012. Make your mind up about the styling. It carries a flattened version of the distinctive KIA ‘bow tie’ grille. It has a very sporty, even elegant profile. And an interesting hunched rear end with a family resemblance to the Sportage. It’s certainly eyecatching, for all the right reasons. Line it up against a Fiesta, a Polo, an Ibiza, a Corsa, a Mazda 2 and a Honda Jazz and it stands out without creating controversy or causing offence. It’s a big small car inside. Class leading head and legroom in the front. Good quality trim. Excellent fit and finish. And some nice touches, such as two power sockets, so you can run your Tom Tom and charge your phone at the same time. I can’t tell you what the 1.1 diesel is like to drive because it hasn’t arrived yet. All the cars on the launch had 1.4 petrol engines, all were Rio 2 trim spec, and all were red. The steering wheel is fully adjustable. The driver’s seat is height adjustable. So there is plenty of scope for people of all shapes and sizes to get comfortable. The pedals and steering are light, but not overly so. The six-speed gearbox is precise. In 6 th on the motorway the engine is giving 22.5mph for every 1,000 rpm, so it’s higher geared than the bigger KIA cee’d petrol models. The drive is entirely fuss-free. It doesn’t sparkle like a Mazda 2. But there’s absolutely nothing to complain about. Mothers and fathers will be pleased to see three ISOFIX tethers behind the back seat, so three child seats can be properly secured. And there’s also an ISOFIX tether to secure a baby crib to the front passenger seat (Yes, the passenger airbag switches off). Back to that remarkable 1.1 diesel engine, all are under 100g/km CO2, but only the basic ‘1’ spec car without air-conditioning emits 85g/km CO2. Aircon pushes it up to 94g/km and ‘2’ spec to 99g/km. It pulls long gear ratios, by developing maximum torque of 170Nm from 1,500rpm, but offers 120Nm from just 1,000rpm. An unusual technical highlight is that the manifold and integrated turbo housing are one piece. And it adopts the tricks like a decoupling alternator and Intelligent Stop Go. But if you check the specs you will see that all engines apart from the 1.1 EcoDynamics CRDI are over 100 grams a kilometre CO2, with the petrol automatic coming in at 150, so £130pa tax. The 1.4 manual is £95 tax. The 1.25 petrol £30 tax. And the 1.4 diesel £20 tax. KIA expects to sell about 12,000 Rios during 2012. About 10% of the number of Fiestas that will be sold. If the UK was not in the state it is, I’d double that figure. And I’d still not be surprised if the Rio beat its forecasts. After all, why buy a Punto Evo or a Corsa when you can have a much better looking car that drive as least as well and comes with a seven-year warranty. Footnote 7-9-2011: After just under 3 weeks and more than 1,000 miles the Rio is due to go back to KIA on Friday. It continued to impress with its solidity and the thoughtfulness of some of its interior features. Two power sockets. An indentation to take a mobile phone. Lift the base out of the central cupholder and it becomes a smaller diameter can holder. Little things, but all good design. The 6-speed transmission is the best of any small car anywhere in the world. You can even confidently 'block change' from 6th to 3rd when approaching a roundabout. While the steering isn't the greatest, there's nothing wrong with the handling and roadholding at all, and the steering is actually much better when you're ragging it than it is on the motorway. Overall mpg: 45.2mpg on the meter and 41.6mpg calculated brim to brim. More at KIA http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/kia/kia-rio-2011/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/kia/kia-rio-2011/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4293189/kia_rio_4_1_front_700.jpg' /></a> Infiniti M35h hybrid Infiniti Infiniti M35h hybrid 65702 Fri, 12 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/infiniti/infiniti-m35h/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4279972/m35h_011_hires.jpg' align="left" /></a> This unassuming hybrid version of Infiniti's luxury saloon is actually a proud record holder. The M35h is the fastest accelerating hybrid in the world, capable of getting to 62mph in 5.5 seconds. That’s quicker than any Lexus and even comes in below the new Porsche Panamera Hybrid. Not a bad record to bag, considering that this is the first hybrid from Infiniti (and the wider Nissan family) and fitted to the largest saloon in the range. Infiniti’s in-house development of the M35h’s drivetrain has really paid off as it notches up some decent figures where it really matters. The official fuel consumption figure is 40.4mpg (roughly the same as a 2.0-litre petrol hatchback), while CO2 is 162 g/km (placing it in Road Tax Band G). For a big, luxury saloon, these are impressive stats and for buyers they're far more relevant than how quick it'll get to 62mph. What’s notable about the hybrid system that Infiniti has developed is that it uses two clutches and a single electric motor. The first clutch is between the V6 engine and the electric motor. It de-couples when the car is in electric drive and power regeneration modes. This decoupling reduces mechanical drag and boosts the efficiency of the electric motor. It happens in slow-moving traffic and at speed, giving a sensation similar to coasting. The second clutch is on the other side of the electric motor. It is packaged within the transmission where its function replaces that of a conventional torque converter, in effect turning the seven-speed gearbox into an automated manual. It's really on the motorway where this set-up is most evident. In cruising conditions, the electric motor will kick-in and the engine will be disconnected from the petrol engine. At this point, the car is running on electric power alone. It’s eerily quiet as it does so, using energy that’s been captured in the battery under braking and coasting. Put your foot down and it’s quick - there’s no denying that - and feels as quick as its 'quickest hybrid' tag suggests. It gets to 62mph in 5.5 seconds and still has plenty of go left after that for safe overtaking at higher speeds. But it doesn’t like to be pushed if you’re not travelling in a straight line. There’s a lot of bodyroll through corners and the steering (which is electrically powered) just isn’t up to the job of changing direction quickly. It’s not as agile as a BMW 5 Series or an even a larger Audi A8 and feels most at home when it’s pounding the motorway, where it’s quick, comfortable and generally quiet. It’s possible to squeeze out more miles from the car by selecting 'Eco' from a dial on the dash. This dampens the revs and makes the throttle pedal springier (to encourage you to be gentle with it). The sensation through the pedal is odd and can be off-putting. It feels artificial and you’re left with the feeling that you won’t know how it will react to inputs. Thankfully, through the on-board computer, it can be switched off . The powertrain is silky smooth and you don’t notice the electric motor kicking in. But elsewhere, it’s not quite as refined at lower speeds and on rougher roads as you’d expect from a large luxury car. There’s too much tyre noise and too much vibration in the back when compared to something like a Jaguar XJ. But the Infiniti does partly make up for it by laying on an impressive standard equipment list – something that the likes of BMW and Jaguar can’t match without adding thousands to the price tag. As the Hybrid powertrain is incompatible with four-wheel steering, there’s no S spec, as with the petrol and diesel versions. That leaves just GT Premium, the top trim, which comes with a reversing camera, Bose sound system, vented and heated front seats, keyless entry, an electric rear blind, satellite navigation and a heated steering wheel as standard. One major problem with Infiniti remains how visible the brand is to buyers. With just four showrooms (Reading, Birmingham, Central London and Glasgow), plus another two opening later this year (Stockport and Leeds), there’s not much of a dealer network and most people will have to go out of their way to find one. But those who do buy are treated to the kind of service usually reserved for owners of Rolls-Royces and Bentleys, with bespoke service and trailer pick-up from your home for servicing. The good news is that the company is expanding in the UK, with 40 dealers planned to be up and running by 2016. http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/infiniti/infiniti-m35h/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/infiniti/infiniti-m35h/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4279972/m35h_011_hires.jpg' /></a> Chevrolet Orlando 2.0 VCDi 163PS Chevrolet Chevrolet Orlando 2.0 VCDi 163PS 65703 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/chevrolet/chevrolet-orlando-20-vcdi-163ps/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4279992/412242__chevrolet_orlando_018.jpg' align="left" /></a> Chevrolet’s latest efforts, particularly the Cruze, have come a long way since the old Daewoo models disappeared from showrooms. It’s easy to recommend most of the cars they have on sale; they’re practical, reasonably priced and attractively styled. They might lack the sparkle and flair of some rivals, plus they’re hardly the last word in driving entertainment, but as good, honest transport they’re worthy of consideration. It’s a theme that continues with the Orlando, Chevrolet’s seven-seat MPV. From a purely aesthetic perspective many people will find its angular, blocky appearance unattractive, but equally there’ll be plenty who love its pseudo-4x4 looks. The model tested here is a 163PS 2.0-litre VCDi diesel auto in LTZ trim, complete with the exec pack, which adds leather trim to all seven seats and a full colour sat-nav system. This is the top model, and with the Exec Pack goodies it’d set you back £23,215 (as of August 2011), similar to entry-level Ford Galaxy models. There’s plenty of load space when the rearmost seats are folded, so should you need to carry something huge, or require a place to sleep (however unlikely that is...) there’s an abundance of room when the middle row is folded. If you need to carry someone in the rearmost row of seats then folding them out is fairly easy. You will need to move the middle row forward slightly in order to easily unfold the back seats, but once you get the knack it’s really straight forward. The back row is best suited to children, but adults will fit at a push – just don’t take them far. To give the Orlando a good test we carried four adults, one eight-month old baby, one eleven-year old, a picnic, a pram and various assorted baby related stuff over about 70 miles. There wasn’t a single complaint about comfort and there was more than enough torque to pull the heavy load up the motorway with ease. Brakes stood up to the extra weight, too, although they did need a harder push. A nice touch that really came in handy when the car was full was the panoramic rear view mirror, which allows both front seat occupants to see what’s going on in the back seats. It means you don’t need to crane your head around to see what’s happening, useful if you’ve got kids. It’s standard throughout the range. There’s plenty of safety kit to keep the little ones safe too, including six airbags and electronic stability control - which means the Orlando did well in NCAP tests, scoring a full five stars. Whether loaded with passengers and luggage or totally empty the Orlando is a relaxing drive, helped in this case by the smooth automatic gearbox, as well as the standard fit cruise control. The engine is generally subdued and quiet, only rattling when pushed hard for overtaking. Road and wind noise is acceptably quiet, although not exceptionally so. Along with leather upholstery and sat nav, the Exec Pack also adds larger 18-inch wheels and they make the ride a little harsh over larger potholes and bumps. It’s not uncomfortable by any stretch, but it would doubtless ride better on smaller wheels. Much like the Cruze, the Orlando has well weighted steering but it feels insulated, as though much of the unnecessary feedback from the road is being filtered out. For those who like a dynamic drive it feels a little disconnected, but for everyone else it’s acceptable. And let’s face it, cars like this are rarely particularly exciting to drive. In the cabin the controls feel as though they’d suit a regular sized car, with a small steering wheel and intelligently placed buttons and switches - it doesn’t feel like a big van. The fit and finish is also reasonable, although the plastics are unimpressive. Prices start at a very competitive £16,410 for the 1.8-litre petrol LS model, but given its fairly insubstantial torque output, people who carry lots of passengers would be wise to plump up for the 130PS 2.0-litre diesel, which in the same LS trim costs £17,655. Unless you really need leather seats then the Exec Pack is probably a false economy, as is the top-range LTZ trim level. The mid-range LT trim level has all the gear you’d need, including climate control, parking sensors and alloy wheels. Irrespective of what model you pick though, the Orlando is a competent MPV with ample space and reasonable performance. It represents good value for money and it’s unlikely to leave drivers wanting for more when it comes to standard equipment. http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/chevrolet/chevrolet-orlando-20-vcdi-163ps/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/chevrolet/chevrolet-orlando-20-vcdi-163ps/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4279992/412242__chevrolet_orlando_018.jpg' /></a> Audi A1 1.2 TFSI Audi Audi A1 1.2 TFSI 65611 Mon, 08 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/audi/audi-a1-12-tfsi/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4277183/main.jpg' align="left" /></a> Part of the reason people buy large cars, besides the obvious advantage of space, is the quality, stability and refinement they offer. As a rule, smaller cars are built to a price - and that price isn’t necessarily a high one. The finish and sophistication of smaller cars has considerably improved in recent times, but it rarely matches that of a premium executive model. There are exceptions of course – cars like the MINI have been successful and now there's the Audi A1. But as people looks to save money, so the trend for downsizing has increased. Audi has stamped its own brand of quality on the supermini market, allowing buyers to move down in size from the likes of the A3 or A4 but without losing any of the sturdy build and high quality materials. It’s apparent from just looking at the A1 that it’s going to be technically impressive. The headlights, slashed out of the front of the car and high window line give it a purposeful stance and with those signature LED daytime running lights it certainly has a distinctive road presence. Inside the dashboard, door trim, steering wheel, door handles – indeed almost everything, is tactile, sturdy and well put together. If you didn’t look in the rear view mirror and see the back window so close behind you’d be forgiven for thinking you were sitting in a much larger Audi. There are numerous engine options available, but the model tested here has the entry-level 1.2 TFSI petrol which produces a resonable 86PS along with a more impressive 143Nm of torque. That extra torque is owed to a turbocharger and it makes the A1 feel sprightly and quick, even though it’s the lowest power engine available with the A1. It’s quiet at low speeds but makes an enjoyable growl at higher revs, while on the motorway it settles down and is barely noticeable, thanks to impressive refinement. It’s great fun, too. On a country road it’s grippy and agile, but never feels unsettled or dangerous, making it an absolute joy to drive. The more enthusiastic driver might pay a little more for a 1.4-litre engine, but for most the 1.2-litre would be more than enough. It’s not too bad on fuel either; I averaged 43mpg over a variety of roads including motorways and twisty lanes. It’s short of the quoted 55.4mpg combined cycle figure, but that’s expected of most cars. Entry-level A1 models, which are SE trim, get a decent level of equipment including a colour screen infotainment system and stop/start. The Sport model tested here has a few stylish enhancements, including aluminium trim, sports seats, while on the outside there are polished exhausts and larger wheels. Despite the reasonable equipment levels there are various options available. The car we drove had sat nav, a sports styling pack, upgraded audi, and 17-inch wheels, as well as a few other bits and pieces. They pushed the price up from a listed £15,260 to more than £20,000. Besides the expensive options list there are a few problems. Rear legroom is poor at best, and with a tall driver and front seat passenger it’s more or less non-existent, so if you’re planning on carrying rear passengers make sure you take that into account. Secondly, the infotainment system can at first be a little bit of a fiddle. Luckily once you get the hang of what does what it becomes fairly easy. Lastly, the optional 17-inch wheels (standard on top spec S-Line models) are a bit too big for such a small car. They look good, but the low profile tyres make the ride over lumps and bumps a little harsh and make things a bit noisy on the motorway. The smaller wheels would probably be better. Overall the A1 does an excellent job of bringing Audi quality and a premium feel to the small car market. For those who want to downsize without losing any of the technology and creature comforts they’re used to it is the perfect choice, even with the entry-level 1.2-litre engine. http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/audi/audi-a1-12-tfsi/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/audi/audi-a1-12-tfsi/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4277183/main.jpg' /></a> Honda Brio Honda Honda Brio 65570 Fri, 05 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/honda/honda-brio/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4274431/honda_brio_mb_1_front_700.jpg' align="left" /></a> Last year I had the pleasure of being invited to Phuket in Thailand to test drive the new Nissan March/Micra ‘eco car’. An ‘eco car’ in Thailand is classified as one capable of travelling more than 20 kilometres a litre, and benefits from purchase price tax concessions. Since the March/Micra, there have been a few more eco cars. The latest KIA Picanto, for example. And, though they are not sold in Thailand as Eco Cars, the Citroen C1, Peugeot 107, Toyota Aygo, Nissan Pixo and Suzuki Alto would all also qualify. The latest, launched at the Bangkok Motor Show in March and hitting Thai roads this month is the Honda Brio. Instead of a 3-cylinder low friction motor, it runs the standard 90PS 1,198cc single overhead cam 4-cylinder I-VTEC as the base model Jazz, with either a 5-speed manual box or a CVT-7 automatic. It doesn’t have a lot of weight to haul along: just 920 – 950kg (the CVT adds 30 kilos). And consequently the combined fuel economy of the manual is rated at an optimistic 4.5 litres per 100km (63mpg). Long gearing of 25mph per 1,000rpm in 5 th prevents it feeling punchy. But it is very pleasant and very easy to drive. Nice seating position. Height adjustable steering wheel. Lightweight controls. No fake weighting up of the electric power steering. And very compact dimensions that make it excellent in traffic. You can make up your own mind about the looks. I think it’s great. Even the base model that sells for under 400,000 baht in Thailand looks good in profile. Actually better on steel wheels than on alloys. It’s impressively well put together, with very nice quality seating material and trim. The dashboard is simple, yet complete. The steering wheel is pleasantly chunky. The flat floor in the back makes three across a feasible proposition and there are seatbelts for five. There’s not a lot of luggage space under the glass hatch, but enough for a town car, and the rear seatback flops down in one piece onto the rear seat cushions. I’m having to guess the CO2, but figure it must be less than 110g/km, which would put it into the £20 tax bracket in the UK. The CVT-7 would be more than that, but again I guess it would come in under 120g/km, making it the ideal small city and suburban automatic. With the higher ‘V’ spec, that retails in Thailand at 508,000 baht, the equivalent of about £10,500, which is almost exactly the same as the new KIA Picanto 1.2 automatic. But whether Honda can or will bring the Brio to Britain is another matter. EU safety laws preclude the Thais spec cars, and adding the necessary bits and pieces, on top of the unfavourable Sterling exchange rate, could make it a no-no, despite the obvious benefit to Honda’s corporate CO2 rating. That would be a shame, because the Brio is a terrific little car and it could well be that in the not too distant future I will be buying one for someone in Thailand. http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/honda/honda-brio/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/honda/honda-brio/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4274431/honda_brio_mb_1_front_700.jpg' /></a> Volvo S80 DRIVe Volvo Volvo S80 DRIVe 65417 Mon, 01 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/volvo/volvo-s80-drive/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4267180/s80_drive__4_.jpg' align="left" /></a> Everyone wants to be green, which is good news, whether you believe the eco-speak or not. Most car makers now offer low emissions models that are designed not just to benefit the environment but to improve sales. Green cars do more miles to the gallon and fall into lower tax brackets. This means lower running costs, which given the current price of fuel, is a big attraction if you're buying a new car. But being green isn't just the preserve of small hatchbacks and even big, luxury vehicles get the low CO2 treatment now. Volvo’s greenest models are badged DRIVe – pronounced Drive-E - and the newest DRIVe variant is the S80, Volvo’s soberly styled and understated luxury saloon model. The current S80 has been around since 2006, and in its latest upgrade it gets Volvo’s Sensus infotainment system as well as a refreshed D5 diesel engine and the DRIVe engine tested here. The DRIVe engine is a 1.6-litre turbocharged diesel which produces 115PS, with official average fuel economy of 62.8mpg and CO2 emissions of just 119g/km - an amazingly low figure for a big four-door saloon. The low CO2 figure means buyers pay a mere £30 a year for their car tax. More importantly for Volvo - which sells over half of its cars to fleets - it means that the S80 DRIVe falls into the lowest BIK rate for business users. That makes it an appealing company car prospect on paper, but what about on the road? The 1.6-litre engine does look underpowered for such a heavy car, but it produces a reasonable 270Nm of torque, and although the peak torque band is quite narrow (from 1750 – 2500rpm) there is a decent shove when accelerating. Once up to A or B-road speeds the S80 is an extremely easy and relaxing car to drive. It's surefooted through bends, with decent steering that's neither too heavy nor too light. Refinement is good even at high speeds, with a very well insulated cabin. Motorway driving was made easy in this particular model thanks to the adaptive cruise control. This clever system keeps a set distance between you and the car in front, so will brake to maintain the space if the car you're following slows and then accelerates back up to your preset speed. The engine is audible at high revs and there is a little bit of road noise at higher speeds, but generally speaking it’s a serene place to be. Refinement is enhanced by the comfortable seats which are adjustable every which way, as you’d expect from a Volvo, plus there's an elegantly simple dashboard. The steering wheel is comfortable to hold and the manual gearbox smooth and easy to operate. There's no automatic option though - that would hamper economy - but it does seem odd having a manual in a large saloon where automatics are the norm. The quality of fit and finish is good though and our test car had a brushed aluminium dash insert, a high quality soft-touch dashboard and cream leather seats all of which were beautifully solid and well assembled. When it comes to stylish interiors with a minimalist Scandanavian feel, Volvo really gets it right. With its latest refresh the S80 is available with the ‘Sensus’ infotainment system first fitted to the S60 and V60. It’s fairly intuitive to use, although it can be a bit of a fiddle at first. It can be linked to an iPhone app which allows users to control door locks and other functions remotely, as well as locate their car using GPS. The S80 DRIVe is available in ES, SE and SE LUX trim levels, and prices start at £25,245 for the ES, making it the cheapest new S80 available. In terms of CO2 emissions versus price that places it very close to the BMW 316d, a car much smaller than the S80, and that means only badge snobs would be pick the BMW. The S80 makes a very good case for itself thanks to this engine. There are few cars on sale to match its combination of low emissions, low price and luxury interior, making it a sensible choice for company car drivers and private buyers alike. http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/volvo/volvo-s80-drive/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/volvo/volvo-s80-drive/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4267180/s80_drive__4_.jpg' /></a> Mazda BT50 Used Truck Test Mazda Mazda BT50 Used Truck Test 65419 Tue, 26 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/mazda/mazda-bt50-thai/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4267234/mazda_bt50_thai_1_front_700.jpg' align="left" /></a> We tested the current upgrade of the Mazda BT-50 pick up in Croatia in October 2008. Now we’re testing the run-out model in its home territory of Thailand. The model tested is two-wheel drive with Freedom cab, 143PS 2.5 belt cam engine, five-speed transmission and 245/70 R16 tyres. I though I’d take it down to Cha Am on a Sunday, in the company of two friends who just happen to be Royal Thai police undercover cops, frequently involved in drug busts. “Meet us on Sukhumvit at Pra Khanom BTS station at 3.00 o’clock in the morning,” they said. “Avoid the traffic.” Cha Am is 200 kilometres south. And while Bangkok’s main thoroughfares hum and bark with engine sounds all night long, the A4 is largely traffic free at that time. So we made progress, cruising at 120 – 140kmh, rarely exceeding 2,000 – 3,000rpm, and though I still rate the 2.5 I-TEQ in the Isuzu D-Max my favourite pick-up engine, the BT-50’s 2.5 is a pleasant enough companion. It’s surprisingly good to drive in Bangkok traffic, which is either snarled up in what the Thais describe as a ‘rhot tit’ (traffic jam), or freely flowing at up to 80kmh, which is the speed limit in town. That requires a nice slug of mid range acceleration, and the BT-50 has a truckload. It also has very direct and accurate steering on those balloonish 245/70 R16 Michelins. So it slims itself down, threads through gaps and avoids the wasp-like swarms of 125cc motorbikes very nicely. It’s better than a D-Max in that respect. We got to Cha Am as dawn was breaking, and I was shooting on HD both in the Sony and the Flip. This explains the quasi Top Gear mood shots. I got half my film done there and then, before the crowds descended. Demo of the useful Freedom cab rear hinged doors (like the RX-8’s and the first of their kind on a pick-up). Mention of the high 1,219 kilogram load limit (our D-Max is only 1,000kg). 4WD versions can tow 3,000kg. In the early afternoon, a very attractive young lady showed up in a Honda Brio and parked alongside, giving me a chance to see what they looked like on the street. It was completely brand new, still with the protective seat covers. I guess she might have been a Honda salesperson. The Thais have no qualms about employing female car sales people, and they are very effective. 3.30pm. Time to go. We shot the street scenes. I did the wrap up. Then back to Bangkok in much heavier traffic than the outward journey. My police friends had enjoyed Cha Am, finding it friendlier and much cheaper than resorts like Bang Saen and Pattaya, which are, of course, closer to Bangkok. Though the bottle of whiskey they drank on the beach might have had something to do with it. A last minute comfort stop, involving some heavy braking into a fuel station, revealed the limits of the BT-50’s handling prowess. But the tactile controls, good steering and easily modulated brakes saved the day. This is a pick up that, despite the weight and bulk, doesn’t go out of control and turn into railway engine. We eventually got back safely, only for me to sit in yet another Sukhumvit traffic jam for the best part of an hour. Yet even then the BT-50 as a good friend, ambling down to 1,000rpm, and when it got a break, accelerating from 30 to 50 in third very rapidly indeed (for a truck). I got to see a lot more of Sukhumvit the next day returning the truck, because they’d closed the Shell station and valet service at Thong Lo (presumably to build yet another hotel), so I had to double back and use Caltex in order to hand back the BT-50 in at least as good shape as it had been handed to me. Assuming the truck has been brimmed before I took it over, we averaged 35.77mpg, over 249 miles, which is actually better than the EC average despite the traffic jams and the high speed running. I preferred this particular truck on its 245/70 R16 Michelins to the BT-50s we drove in Croatia in 2008. So tyre sensitivity must be part of the equation. Inside, whether in the four-door, 5-seat double cab or the 4-seat Freestyle cab, you’re treated to decent shaped seats, height adjustable steering wheel, instruments that are nice to look at and, by virtue of its umbrella handbrake, a useful double compartment centre storage box. There are can or bottle holders in the door pocket and the centre console ahead of the gearlever, and a fifth can holder in a well on the console behind the gear lever. The new BT-50 is a long time coming. Expect a test about November time. In the meantime, a discounted current shape BT-50 is not to be overlooked. While a second hand BT-50 could be just the truck you need at the right sort of price. For business and commercial towers, all current BT-50s are compatible with digital tacographs. More at Mazda http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/mazda/mazda-bt50-thai/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/mazda/mazda-bt50-thai/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4267234/mazda_bt50_thai_1_front_700.jpg' /></a> Vauxhall Ampera Vauxhall Vauxhall Ampera 65113 Wed, 13 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/vauxhall/vauxhall-ampera-2012/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4255752/506-vaux-amp.jpg' align="left" /></a> Now that it’s climatically correct to switch to an electric car a new form of mental illness has been diagnosed. It’s known as ‘range anxiety’. Will your clean green motor actually get you to your destination? And it certainly won’t if that happens to be 300 miles away. You’ll be forced to stop three or four times (or more) to literally recharge your batteries. Of course, this isn’t a problem if an electric car is used appropriately, which is for short runs in town or in the suburbs where electric motors make far more sense than internal combustion engines. And statistics show that 80% of all car journeys anyway are less than 50 miles. But what about that remaining 20%? This is where anxiety starts to nag. Where the electric car driver watches his dashboard rather than the road, desperately switches off the heating, the air-conditioning and the radio and becomes the head of a crocodile of cars like an electric milk float at the end of its rounds. What if you have an early morning journey to catch a plane, you’ve been charging your car using cheap rate overnight electricity imported from France and there’s a power cut (which seems increasingly likely in years to come). You may be saving the world (though even that is now in doubt), but you won’t be going anywhere. One answer is to get a hybrid (like my dad’s) that is really a means of recuperating lost energy to get the most mileage possible out of fossil fuels. But they don’t go very far on electric power alone. Just a few miles before the power station under the bonnet has to kick in and both drive the car as well as generate more juice for the battery. A better answer is an electric car that also has a petrol engine. The one you see here. The Chevrolet Volt variously rebadged the Vauxhall or Opel Ampera. Unlike a hybrid, this actually has three motors: A 1.4 litre 86PS Ecotec petrol engine. A 150PS electric traction motor. And a generator that doubles up as a 73PS electric motor. They run either alone or in various combinations assisting each other and generating power. But unlike a hybrid, the main motive power comes from the electric traction motor even when the petrol engine is turning the generator. A 316volt 288 cell, liquid cooled lithium ion ‘T’ shaped battery sits in the centre of the car and under the rear seats (which is the safest place for it). After you’ve charged it (from a standard domestic socket) you have a range of between 30 miles at worst and around 50 miles at best. (We managed 48 miles, two-up, without trying to drive ridiculously economically.) As the battery begins to die, the petrol engine starts up, turning the generator that then feeds power into the electric traction motor. At higher speeds, when there’s some charge in the battery, the generator switches to motor mode to assist the traction motor. And at very high speeds, or while climbing mountains, the petrol engine partly powers the generator and partly helps to drive the car through its epicyclic gearbox. The driving experience when the petrol motor is running is a bit like a hybrid, but more so because engine revs have less relationship to the speed the car is actually going. The feel of the car on the road is a bit like the Honda FCX Clarity. You’re aware of the weight of the 195 kilogram battery. But it rides serenely and grips well enough on corners. You can control the modes. ‘Normal’ is as the name implies normal electric drive. ‘Sport’ puts both electric motors in drive mode. While ‘hold’ conserves the battery by switching the petrol engine on so you can be sure of having enough electricity to enter and drive in an emission-free zone. But whatever mode, there’s no lack of grunt. Sixty miles an hour comes up in nine seconds, top speed is a hundred miles an hour and range is 360 miles before you have to put more petrol in. A full battery charge from discharged state takes 4 hours and can be programmed for off peak rates. You get a 20-foot cable with the car. And CO2 emissions with the engine running are just 40 grams per kilometre. Luggage space is a fairly meagre 300 litres, extending to 1,000 litres with the rear seatbacks down. Leg and headroom is fine for four passengers. There’s no centre rear seat because that’s where part of the battery sits. You can buy an Ampera from April 2012, and you’ll benefit from a £5,000 government grant that brings the price down from £33,995 to £28,995. As a company driver, for the first year at least, you’ll pay BIK tax on just 5%, which is BIK on £1,700. Whatever the badging, ‘Volt’ or ‘Ampera’, this Ohmer Simpson of a car takes electric cars somewhere they have never been before. The South of France, for instance. You may have to stop a couple of times to fill up with petrol. But you won’t have to plug it in while you force down an extended menu gastronomique. More at Vauxhall To reserve an Ampera Reserve Ampera http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/vauxhall/vauxhall-ampera-2012/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/vauxhall/vauxhall-ampera-2012/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4255752/506-vaux-amp.jpg' /></a> Nissan Micra DIG-S Nissan Nissan Micra DIG-S 64978 Thu, 07 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/nissan/micra-dig-s/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4249448/nissan_micra_dig_s_1_f34.jpg' align="left" /></a> I had to go to the other side of the World last year to drive one of the first new Micras. That test is here: Nissan Micra 2010 test and video . Not so far this time. Merely Potsdam, near Berlin, which gains its environmentally friendly credentials from a ‘Biosphere’, which is a sort of big greenhouse full of jungle rather than gas. The new Nissan Micra DIG-S gains its environmentally friendly credentials from a supercharger. You are bound to think that cannot possibly be right, so prepare for a rather complicated explanation. This new engine is extremely efficient due to a number of technologies that would make it run like a slug if it were not for the supercharger. The engine is a low friction, direct injection, chain cam 3-cylinder, 1,198cc, actually with 23% less friction then the unsupercharged version running normally and 10% less friction when the supercharger is clutched in. Like Mazda’s forthcoming Skyactiv petrol engine it has a very high compression ratio, in this case 13:1. And it gets around the problem high compression petrol engines have of exhaust gases swirling back by employing the Miller engine cycle that leaves valves partially open on the compression stroke (like Mazda did with the old Xedos 9 V6 supercharged). The result is a CO2 emission of 95g/km in the combined cycle without having to employ an ‘ECO’ switch, an EC certified combined economy figure of 69mpg (pretty much identical to the FIAT 500 TwinAir), acceleration of 0-60 in 11 seconds, and a top speed of 113mph. Like the TwinAir, it also makes quite nice but different whirring noises as if the front end of the car is mowing grass. It’s not as much fun as a TwinAir. It’s all right, but couldn’t be enthusiastically described as “a hoot to drive.” The trade off is that it’s a genuine 5-seater, with belts for five, a proper boot and four doors. And it’s set to come in at a lower price level than today’s generation of small, fuel-efficient diesels. Nissan says £11,000 - £13,000. Unlike the TwinAir, you don’t choose economy with a button, you do it with your right foot. So the potential for that 11 second 0-60 is always there, even though you may be tootling along at 69mpg. It’s geared a little higher than a TwinAir at 25mph per 1,000rpm rather than 23mph, but the pistons don’t try to jump through the bonnet if you select 5 th gear at 30mph. And less gear changing might well prove to make it more economical in the real world. Of course, it also has a variable oil pump, a regenerating alternator and very effective stop-start that never leaves you stopped on the start line. Can we recommend it? The engine is a beautiful piece of engineering. Unlike most small diesels there’s no cambelt to need replacing every 4 years and no diesel particulate filter to clog up. So for anyone seeking economy, and particularly economy on short runs, it makes a very good case for itself. There is also a CVT automatic that’s less efficient at 115g/km (so £30 tax), but slower and 55mpg. http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/nissan/micra-dig-s/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/nissan/micra-dig-s/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4249448/nissan_micra_dig_s_1_f34.jpg' /></a> Jaguar XF 2.2D Jaguar Jaguar XF 2.2D 64719 Tue, 28 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/jaguar/jaguar-xf-22d/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4184212/jag_xf_2.2d_t_f34_700.jpg' align="left" /></a> It had to be done. Jaguar was forced to put a 4-cylinder diesel engine into the XF for four reasons. Audi puts one into its A6, BMW puts one into its 5-Series. Mercedes puts several into its E-Class. And, this year, sales of 3.0 litre diesels have plummeted throughout Europe while sales of ‘executive’ level four cylinder diesels have risen by much more than 3.0 sales have dropped. Sad new world. It’s all about CO2 emissions in the EC’s much-maligned certification tests. If manufacturers don’t get their corporate average CO2 down below 130 grams a kilometre by 2013 then they are going to get fined. On top of that companies that buy or lease cars for their employees, and the employees who drive them, face increasing levels of company and Benefit in Kind tax for running high CO2 cars. Before the XF 2.2D, an employer could not sensibly put an employee into an XF because companies suffer penalties on cars emitting more than 160g/km, and this limit is set to go down year on year. Similarly, employees face paying tax on the Benefit in Kind of their car based on a percentage of the car’s list price that increases according to the amount of CO2 it emits. The XF 2.2D 8-speed automatic emits just 149g/km CO2, same as a Mondeo diesel auto or a BMW F25 X3. So, whereas most middle management couldn’t even look at having a Jaguar in the driveway, now they can. But would they want to? Is the car a colossal disappointment compared with all we’ve come to know and love of the XF 3.0 litre diesel and XFR? Yes and no. It’s about as refined as you can reasonably expect a 4-cylinder diesel ever to be. It’s decently equipped in £30,950 standard SE trim. Gets satnav in £33,950 Luxury trim. And gets all sorts of luxuries, including a suede-like headlining, in the top level £43,050 Portfolio trim we were driving. It lacks the 3.0 litre diesel’s ‘Dynamic’ drive mode. But has a ‘Sport’ transmission setting. And you can paddle your way through the gears to your heart’s content in either standard ‘Drive’ or ‘Sport.’ Though in Sport you get a large digital numeral in the centre of the dash telling you what gear you’re in. You can slop along in drive without touching the paddles and enjoy Jaguar levels of refinement. But if you want to hustle a bit you can hear four cylinder diesel noises coming through and the box needs to change gear quite a lot. So better, then, to paddle it along and select the gears yourself. The lighter front end brings more understeer than I’m used to in an XF, despite the test car’s 20” wheels. (No worries about the wheels and tyres on this occasion because we were driving on billiard table smooth and completely pothole free Southern German roads.) And you can’t always bring the back end round as you can on the bigger engined cars because there isn’t always enough power. So while it’s still an enjoyable drive, and probably beats an A6 or an F10 520D or a Mercedes E250CDI, it’s nothing like as seductive as the 3.0 litre diesel. And the truth of it was, on my drives, the XF2.2D was having to work so hard it swallowed a hefty 9.8 litres per 100 kilometres of diesel compared to the 7.5 litres per 100 kilometres of the more relaxed 3.0 litre diesel. That said, Jaguar did have a man drive the 2.2 diesel 816 miles from Castle Bromwich to Munich on a single tank of fuel at an average of 57mpg. So if you’re middle management and you’ve always wanted a company Jag, go for the XF 2.2 by all means. But if you’re a private buyer, spending your own precious money, far better a mid spec XF 3.0d than a high spec XF 2.2d for the same sort of price. All XFs are comprehensively restyled for the 2012 model year (that starts now, in the same way as American car model years). Ian Callum’s team has tastefully enlarged the grille, made the headiights more eye-shaped using the latest technology, incorporated ‘J-blade’ LED daytime running lights and enlarged the front side grilles of the XFR to make it more of a rear mirror monster. Inside, new, more comfortable seats, black instead of chrome switchgear, better satnav and colour turn-by -urn instructions right in front of the driver enhance the driving experience. The XFR remains a wonderful, fire-breathing dragon of a car, emitting King Kong like noises whenever you stomp on the loud pedal (to mix my metaphors). Yet, though the XFR is still capable of 29mpg, the XF to spend your own money on remains the 275PS 3-litre diesel (that now shares the 8 speed ZF automatic box of the XF 2.2) and continues to be one of the most rewarding cars you can buy to drive every day. More at Jaguar Footnote: Graeme Roberts of just-auto.com has reminded me of something I missed on my test of the Jaguar XF 2.2 diesel, and indeed all 2012 MY Jaguar XFs. The 'J blade' LED Daytime Running Lights incorporated into the headlight lenses automatically dim when the indicators are being used. Can't say if this is a 'first'. But it certainly overcomes criticism that DRLs can mask turn indicators and cause crashes that would not otherwise have happened. http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/jaguar/jaguar-xf-22d/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/jaguar/jaguar-xf-22d/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4184212/jag_xf_2.2d_t_f34_700.jpg' /></a> Jeep Grand Cherokee 2011 Jeep Jeep Grand Cherokee 2011 64635 Thu, 23 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/jeep/jeep-grand-cherokee-2011/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4179583/jeep_grand_cherokee_1_front_700.jpg' align="left" /></a> It’s official. FIAT now owns 51% of Chrysler and has taken control. And this comes at quite a good time for Chrysler Jeep. The slow selling Jeep Cherokee, new just three years ago, has been abandoned. The 7-seater Jeep Commander is no more. The quite good Patriot and quite bad Compass have been replaced by a new Compass with a Mercedes engine that works very well indeed. And now the old Jeep Grand Cherokee has been dumped in favour of an all-new Jeep Grand Cherokee that is really a Jeep remake of the next generation Mercedes ML, sharing the same chassis and drivetrain and pretty much the same engine. So you get a lightweight graphite iron block 2,987cc V6 diesel engine, as in a Mercedes, but reworked slightly and built by VM Motori in Italy. This develops 241PS at 4,000rpm and 550Nm torque from 1,800 – 2,800rpm. It’s bolted to a 5-speed ‘slapshift’ torque converter automatic, then Jeep’s ‘Quadra-Trac II’ transfer case with electric ‘Selec Terrain’ that, as in a Land Rover, allows you to choose what sort of job you want it to do for you. The settings are Sport, Snow, Auto, Sand/Mud and Rock. When fitted with air suspension, selecting rock raises the ride height. There’s also a locking centre diff and low range button, and braking hill descent control. So, properly in the Jeep tradition, the car is a fully-fledged four-wheel drive that also has a useful towing capacity of 3,500 kilograms. It was never going to be an eco car, but emissions of 218g/km put it into the £260 a year tax band rather than the next one up (which is £445). And in the EC tests it averaged a Combined 34.0mpg. The 15’ 10” long body offers comfortable seating for five, a load deck capable of carrying five people’s luggage, and a full size underfloor spare wheel. (A space saver or a can of glop isn’t going to be much use in the middle of a Yorkshire moor.) There are two trim levels: Limited and Overland. The Limited shrugs off potholes and speed humps with standard, sensible 265/60 R18s. The Overland comes on 265/50 R20s and ‘Quadra-Lift’ air suspension, and also includes satnav, rear parking camera, panoramic sunroof and adaptive cruise control. It’s a hefty £7,200 more (the price of a Hyundai i10 1.2 Classic), but it’s worth it. Sadly, the standard model Limited is far from the sharpest kid in the class. While those fat tyres absorb potholes and shrug off kerbs, they don’t do it any favours in the handling department. Turn in is so vague you wear yourself out keeping the car on the road. I think the expression is “it falls off its tyres”. Yes, I know the answer is, “so drive more slowly.” But I don’t want to drive that slowly. I’d better add here that the Limited we drove was the only one available on the day with standard suspension and tyres. All the others were optioned up with the £2,000 ‘Performance Pack’ of 20” wheels with 265/50 tyres, performance brakes and sports suspension. Jeep obviously doesn’t expect to sell many Limiteds on standard suspension. Mid morning, we swapped to the Grand Cherokee Overland and all that was wrong with the Limited suddenly came right. The air suspension gives a softer ride that cushions any shocks felt through the lower profile tyres. The steering sharpens up. The front end bites. Even the engine performance felt both more alert and more relaxed at the same time (if that makes any sense). It out rides any Jaguar or BMW and most Mercedes, yet still offers decent steering feel for confident cornering. Surprisingly, very good indeed. I’d rate it as best all-round of the current crop of big 4x4 SUVs. And £44,000 isn’t too expensive for such a complete car. More impressive was the manner in which the same car we had been driving on the road then coped with an off-road course. All the gizmos that were supposed to work worked well. Centre diff lock and low range, hill descent, ‘Selec Terrain’ switched to ‘Rock’ to raise the suspension. (Happily there were no actual rocks to hurt the 20” rims and tyres.) Often on a car launch you get out of the road cars and into off-road specials fitted with completely different tyres, but not in this case. The Jeep Grand Cherokee did the business in its dinner suit. So verdict, very impressive. It does what a Jeep has been doing for 70 years (five more than Land Rover). Yet it also offers a lovely limo like ride quality coupled with the sharpest handling you could unreasonably ask of a soft riding SUV. http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/jeep/jeep-grand-cherokee-2011/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/jeep/jeep-grand-cherokee-2011/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4179583/jeep_grand_cherokee_1_front_700.jpg' /></a> Porsche Cayman R Porsche Porsche Cayman R 64460 Fri, 17 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/porsche/porsche-cayman-r/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4147717/porsche_cayman_r__14_.jpg' align="left" /></a> Traditionalists will tell you that the 911 is the 'real' Porsche. The iconic rear-engined classic has remained pretty much unchanged in terms of looks since it came along in the early 1960s, inspiring - in one way or another - everything Porsche has designed since. Including the Cayman. The smaller coupe was launched in 2005 as a more affordable, yet equally as enjoyable sports car. But here's the big secret. The Cayman is actually the better car. The mid-engined layout gives it better balance than the 911, so for the uninitiated it's a far more forgiving and less intimidating car to drive. The Cayman flatters where the 911 can slap you in the face. And now Porsche has come up with the ultimate model in the line-up - the Cayman R. Porsche has taken the Cayman and stripped it back, in a similar way to the Boxster Spyder , to produce a car designed purely for driving dynamics. As a result it's 55kg lighter than a Cayman S - helped by the removal of the air conditioning and stereo (although you'll be pleased to know that you can at least have the latter fitted as no-cost options), plus there's a smaller fuel tank and aluminium doors like the 911 Turbo. This lighter weight is combined with more power. The Cayman R uses the same 3.4-litre direct fuel injected flat-six engine as the Cayman S but it's been tuned to produce an extra 10hp - giving it 330hp - although unlike the Boxster Spyder, it doesn't have any extra torque. Not that it particularly needs it. From a standing start it will hit 62mph in just 5.0 seconds while if you opt for the PDK gearbox and Sport Chrono pack, it manages it in an even more impressive 4.7 seconds. Maximum power comes in right at the top of the rev range at 7400rpm (maximum revs are 7500rpm), so you're able to fully exploit the engine and it still has more in reserve. There's no danger of the power dropping off, instead the Cayman R just gets better the harder you work it, helped by plenty of torque with 370Nm at 4750rpm. The sharp and positive manual gearbox is undoubtedly more enjoyable to use (a short shifter is available as an option) but the seven-speed PDK gearbox is a good alternative. The twin-clutch system has been specifically tuned for the R, reacting even more quickly when you put your foot on the accelerator while downshifts are more spontaneous and carried out at higher engine speeds. The PDK is smooth and effortless in standard model, but put it in 'manual' and press the 'Sport Plus' button (if you have the Sport Chrono pack) and you're rewarded with enjoyably aggressive changes which feel more in tune with the performance-focussed Cayman R. It also comes with metal paddle shifts on the steering wheel for changing gear manually. The suspension is lower by 20mm, helping the lower centre of gravity and the R gets special lighter 19-inch alloy wheels (first seen in the Boxster Spyder). Not surprisingly the ride is firm, noticeably firmer than a Cayman S, plus it feels very busy on poor quality road surfaces where it struggles to iron out bumps. It's not uncomfortable though and you have to remember that this is a Cayman designed for driving pleasure, not comfort. And when it comes to pure driving enjoyment, the Cayman R excels. It has the same incredibly responsive and precise steering as the Cayman with just as much feedback from the front wheels. There's no electro-mechanical steering here - it's a good old rack and pinion system which means you always feel connected to what the car is doing. Porsche has fitted shorter, more rigid springs and customised anti-roll bars on the front and rear axles. In corners it's simply superb with epic amounts of grip at both the front and back, while the relatively long wheelbase means it's very stable and predictable when accelerating out of slow bends. The R also has a rear axle differential lock which helps with traction and stability, especially through winding routes and on circuits. Stopping power is immense too thanks to perforated and internally ventilated brake discs. This Cayman is incredibly rewarding to drive yet forgiving at the same time, so you don't have to be God's gift to motoring to get the best from it. It effortlessly flows from bend to bend with that lovely flat-six engine noise and deep exhaust providing a suitable soundtrack. A sports exhaust is available as an option and although it's not cheap at almost £1500, it does make the Cayman R sound even better, with a lovely deep resonance at start-up, a loud howl under full acceleration. But while this is driver focussed Cayman, that's not to say it's a 'stripped out' racer. True, it does without some of the comforts such as air con and cupholders above the glovebox while instead of door handles there are fabric strips, but it's still a great cabin, with the extra-light sports bucket seats a real highlight. Finished in Alcantara they don't offer much in the way of adjustment - in fact all they do is slide forward and back - but they're so well designed you immediately feel perfectly position behind the wheel. And don't let appearances fool you. The seats may look quite hardcore but are surprisingly comfortable with good support, so that even after long driving stints, you don't ache. However, if you really don't fancy them, standard sports seats are available as a no cost option. The Cayman R also has the central console and strip across the dash painted in the exterior paint colour (reminiscent of the Fiat Coupe) to help it stand out from the standard Cayman range. Oh - and there are no door pockets either. From the outside, the Cayman R is distinguished by the Aerokit sports styling with a fixed rear spoiler in black along with black-framed halogen headlights, contrasting side mirrors and Porsche side-stripes on the doors. A nice retro look that definitely works on the Cayman. It may be more expensive than a Cayman S and yes, it does come with less standard equipment, but the Cayman R is all about emotion. It's such a delight to drive that it makes you realise that the best sports cars keep things simple. It's not laden down with turbochargers and there's no technology for the sake of it. Instead Porsche has produced a wonderfully honed driver's car. It's certainly the purists Cayman. http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/porsche/porsche-cayman-r/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/porsche/porsche-cayman-r/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4147717/porsche_cayman_r__14_.jpg' /></a> Mercedes Benz Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe Mercedes Benz Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe 64045 Mon, 13 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/mercedes-benz/mercedes-benz-c63-amg-coupe/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4005093/c63_amg.jpg' align="left" /></a> There’s always a moment when a little bit more torque would be handy, like when there’s a tourist trundling along at 20mph and you need to get by, or when there’s a large truck bearing down on you and you need to get off the slip road onto the motorway. On these occasions that extra ‘go’ is very useful, which is probably why Mercedes-Benz decided that the £56,665 C63 AMG Coupe should be fitted with a 457bhp 6.2-litre V8, which produces 600Nm of torque. The engine is, of course, the most important aspect of this car. Already available in the C63 saloon and estate, the AMG tuned unit overflows with character. Start the car and it barks at you before settling into a throbbing, low, bass-laden rumble. When on the move at low speeds the C63 Coupe is very easy to drive, thanks to fairly light steering and a seven-speed automatic gearbox. This AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT-7 gearbox has a wet start-off clutch rather than a traditional torque-convertor, which improves fuel economy and reduces shift time. It’s comfy too, with the same interior as the rest of the C-Coupe range, albeit with more supportive but still well-trimmed seats. It’s noticeably firmer than the rest of the range, making speed-bumps and potholes a little bit awkward, although not terribly harsh. The suspension is a three-link front and multilink independent rear set-up, obviously aimed at performance rather than comfort. The brakes can be a little grabby at low speeds, but at higher speeds they’re responsive and linear, inspiring confidence. That’s pretty handy when there’s so much power available. The gearbox has four settings – C, S, S+ and M. The C mode is designed for comfort and efficiency, with earlier up shifts and a softer throttle response. It may well be that Mercedes-Benz wants to improve efficiency, but don’t expect too much: the official combined cycle figure is a measly 23.5mpg. But if you’re considering the C63 Coupe there’s very little chance you’ll be bothered about running costs. That’s especially good news when you get out on the open road, because in S, S+ and M modes the gearbox doesn’t care much about fuel economy, changing up as late as it can and burning extra fuel on the overrun just to make more of that wonderful noise. At high revs the V8 engine makes an utterly intoxicating sound. It’s a brutal, raw growl and on downshifts the exhaust ignites lumps of fuel with an addictive crack. Even on a straight road this car is brilliant fun and many smiles could be had by simply slowing down and speeding up again. On a public road the C63 Coupe can go around bends at the kind of speeds that’ll have you banned from driving quite quickly and providing you’re not a thug with the throttle it’ll be facing the right way when it comes out of the other side of them. The chunky, leather trimmed wheel adequately relays what the front wheels are doing. However, with such a large engine at the front of an already weighty body, a degree of manhandling is required to get what is essentially a rather heavy beast to dance like a racing car. It’s no Lotus Elise. Take it to a race track and chances are that the Audi RS5 and BMW M3 would record faster lap times. But in the C63 Coupe you’d be having more fun. Roll on the throttle a little too early and the rear end will, without doubt, step out of line. At the hands of professional DTM driver Susie Stoddart we were given a demo lap of Circuito Monteblanco and every corner was like a Hollywood chase scene, complete with screeching tyres, smoke, and V8 soundtrack. An optional rear differential-lock is available, too, along with a performance package that ups power to 487bhp – something the majority of buyers are expected to choose. The C63 Coupe is, when all said and done, a big, hilarious toy. It’s not a track day time-setter, it’s not a sensible mode of day-to-day transport. It’s a big, thirsty, loud plaything. The design brief clearly listed fun as the highest priority. http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/mercedes-benz/mercedes-benz-c63-amg-coupe/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/mercedes-benz/mercedes-benz-c63-amg-coupe/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4005093/c63_amg.jpg' /></a> Jaguar XKR-S Jaguar Jaguar XKR-S 64195 Fri, 03 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/jaguar/jaguar-xkr-s/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4136199/jaguar_xkr-s__27_.jpg' align="left" /></a> It's easy to think the XKR-S is just a marketing ploy by Jaguar . After all, the standard XKR isn't exactly short on pace with 510PS on tap from its 5.0-litre V8 engine. So what better way to make an even more exclusive model than by boosting power, sticking on a bodykit and upping the price. Oh and add an 'S' on the end of the name too. But while it's true the XKR-S is considerably more expensive, with an eye-watering list price of £97,000 (about £20k more than the XKR) and more powerful with 550PS from the same supercharged engine, this Jaguar is a very different animal from any other XK. The brand is well known for making powerful and quick motors but agility hasn't always been a strong point. However, the XKR-S changes all that. It's a proper sports car that's good enough to sway even the most committed of Porsche or Aston Martin owners. It's not just about sheer power though. True, the XKR-S is the most powerful production Jaguar ever made with an identical output to the famous Jaguar XJ200 and even more torque with 680Nm. This gives it a 0-62mph time of 4.4 seconds - that's 0.4 of a second faster than the XKR if you're wondering while the limited top speed has also been upped from 155mph to 186mph. But these figures only tell a small part of the story. Compared to the already impressive XKR, the S takes everything up a big notch with more of a focus on agility and dynamics. The Adaptive Dynamics suspension system, which helps control body movement plus pitch and roll, has been changed so there's a bigger range between the softer and firm settings. The result is that while the XKR-S feels noticeably firmer than the XKR, it's still comfortable enough in everyday driving. This is no stripped out track day special. In fact around town and at low speeds, the XKR-S is a very civilised coupe. It's everything you'd expect from a Jaguar with great refinement and smoothness. Apart from the low rumble of the V8 engine, there's little to hint at the performance it's capable of - from behind the wheel at least. The interior isn't particularly different from a standard XK aside from stitching on the leather and new Performance Seats with more side support (especially good around your shoulders). There is a nice finish to the doors too with a sort of carbon-fibre look in the weave though. It's on the outside where the XKR-S really stands out. There's no mistaking this for any other XK thanks to its unshamedly hardcore performance look. At the front it's got a new nose with a deep carbon splitter plus two new vertical fins at the bumper sides to aid aerodynamics. The standard alloy wheels are big 20-inch affairs which come in the matt black you see in our pictures plus chrome silver and gloss black finishes. It also has different front wings while at the back there's a unique bumper, revised rear light clusters and a new bootlid complete with a fixed carbon spoiler. This is one Jaguar with some serious road presence. To cope with the extra power Jaguar has upgraded the suspension, gearbox and steering. The XKR-S sounds immensely good too. Those four exhausts emit a purposeful low roar when you press the engine start button although at low speeds they don't sound that different from an XKR. However, put it into Dynamic Mode and it comes to life with great V8 sound that sounds like a Spitfire at full throttle. The noise is reminiscent of American 60s muscle cars of the Ford Mustang ilk and it's worth a quick prod of the accelerator for the sound alone. Dynamic Mode adjusts the torque delivery and gives faster gear shitfs, while firming the suspension up. It also shows what the XKR-S is really capable of. The handling is simply breathtaking with immense levels of grip, most impressively so at the front. For a big coupe, the XKR-S is amazingly nimble and even if you throw it into a corner a bit too quick, it's very forgiving and will rarely understeer, instead flowing neatly in the direction you point it. Helped by revised front suspension and stiffer springs and dampers. Even with all that torque going through the back wheels the XKR-S never feels unruly and puts its power down without any fuss. If you really push it on a corner-ridden road you can find the DSC traction control starting to intrude a fair bit. But Jaguar has the answer with its Trac DSC. This is bespoke for the XKR-S and allows a bit more slip before it kicks in, so you can make quicker progress and have fun, but still with the stability control safety net there should it all go wrong. The steering has been recalibrated so it's now quicker and more responsive and there's even a bit more feel too. This was one change that came about following feedback from current XK owners who said the steering was too light. So Jaguar has made the steering on the standard XK far more reactive and it's a real highlight in the XKR-S. The chassis is superbly balanced too and makes this Jaguar an absolute joy to drive. Unlike other peformance cars, you don't have to be going like a bat out of hell to enjoy it, you can get just as much reward at relative sedate speeds. The mammonth V8 under the bonnet is a thing of wonder and provides seemingly never-ending acceleration so that the XKR-S will pull superbly in any gear. The power delivery is linear, predictable and smooth while the huge brakes provide great stopping power, instilling plenty of confidence from behind the wheel. It's stormingly fast away from standstill but what is more impressive is the mid-range acceleration from around 50mph. On the motorway it will sit at 70mph without even breaking a sweat while at Autobahn speeds it's supremely refined and incredibly stable. The likes of Porsche may be more recognised for performance coupes, but the XKR-S is right up there with the best the German brand has to offer. Best of all it genuinely has that feelgood factor about it that's not always evident in some of its rivals, believe it or not. This Jaguar is one seriously good car and an absolute riot to drive. And you don't have to sacrifice everyday comfort just for the sake of performance. We're already saving up for one... http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/jaguar/jaguar-xkr-s/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/jaguar/jaguar-xkr-s/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/4136199/jaguar_xkr-s__27_.jpg' /></a> Hyundai i40 Tourer Hyundai Hyundai i40 Tourer 63850 Wed, 18 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/hyundai/hyundai-i40-tourer/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3996489/hyundai_i40_tourer__3_.jpg' align="left" /></a> Hyundai is certainly a brand on the up. In just a few short years it's managed to move away from its associations with 'cheap and cheerful' cars to a position where it's now far better known for making reliable and well engineered vehicles. The impressive ix35 was a big stepping stone, proving that value for money, quality and style can go hand in hand. The crossover is certainly a popular model, so much so that demand is outstripping supply. But making a traditional family car has long been an achilles' heel for Korean brands. Kia does still sell the Magentis (apparently) but the last Hyundai in this market was the anonymously bland Sonata . Ten points if you spot one those in the next week. In an arena dominated by the likes of the Ford Mondeo , you need something very good in order to make an impact. So step up the new Hyundai i40. It’s available as a saloon and a Tourer and it’s the latter which is expected to be considerably more popular in the UK. Styled in Germany and designed specifically for the European market it’s probably the best example of Hyundai’s new ‘fluidic’ styling which can already be seen on the ix35 and ix20 . It’s certainly a good looking car and the Tourer is a world away from a traditional boxy estate with a neat, sleek profile. But that doesn’t mean that interior space has been sacrificed. Far from it. The i40 Tourer is impressively spacious in the back with good head room, even for those over six feet tall. The roof doesn’t slope down too much at the sides either so despite the thick rear pillars, you don’t feel hemmed in sitting in the back. Boot space is another strength. With the seats up there’s 553 litres of luggage space – that’s more than a Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer and folding the seats down is very straightforward with just one handle and a quick push needed. Dropping them increases the overall capacity to 1719 litres and the boot floor itself is wide. There is also a useful Audi-style luggage ‘organiser’. It’s essentially a metal bar that slides up and down the boot floor on rails, so you can stop bags and suitcases moving about the place. In fact, it’s easier to use than the Audi one. But what impresses most with the i40 is the quality of the interior. With each new model, Hyundai manages to improve the feel and design of its interiors as the i40 shows. This may be a pre-production model, but there is still an upmarket look to it with some neat design features while all the plastics you touch have a good quality feel. The only real disappointment is the dated indicator and wiper stalks on the steering column. A shame as something so small could easily be improved. The engine line-up is straightforward with a 1.7-litre diesel (that comes with either 115ps or 136ps) and two petrols – a 1.6-litre and a new 2.0-litre with 177ps. No surprise that the 1.7-litre diesel is expected to be the main seller in the UK but unfortunately the only engine available for us to drive with these pre-production models was the 2.0-litre petrol with the six-speed automatic gearbox. It’s been designed as a high torque engine but on our test drive felt anything but. Admittedly this is not the finished article but the engine felt woefully underpowered and was hampered by the CVT gearbox. It has six stepped ‘ratios’ built in but that doesn’t prevent the engine from spending most of its time at high revs when you accelerate. And it may be a smooth and quiet engine at low speeds, but it makes one hell of a din when you work it. Even on a slight incline – and with my foot to the floor – the i40 really struggled to make decent progress. The gearbox is all over the place too and can never seem to work out what you want from it. So it’ll often not kickdown immediately, then after a few seconds it will go down two gears before shifting straight back up again. There are steering wheel paddles but these aren’t nice to use and rather than a quick ‘flick’ need to be properly pulled towards you before it changes. If we’d have been able to drive a 1.7-litre diesel model with a manual gearbox then we imagine this would have been a very different review. Having driven that engine in the ix35 and the Kia Sportage, we know it has good mid-range torque, is fairly refined and would suit the i40 well thanks to its strong economy. The 1.7-litre diesel with 115ps (fitted with Hyundai’s ISG stop and go engine system) will return a claimed 65.7mpg and emit just 113g/km of CO2 making it a very attractive choice for company car drivers. Factor in the high level of equipment that’s expected to be standard and the i40 makes even more sense. Engine aside, the i40 is refined and rides particularly well. There’s little road or tyre noise on the move and in corners it’s assured if not very exciting or engaging. The steering has a decent level of feel to it and there’s not too much lean in corners either. It doesn’t necessarily sparkle but is very competent nonetheless. Taking the 2.0-litre engine and CVT gearbox out of the equation, the i40 Tourer does show how far Hyundai has come in the past 10 years, particularly in terms of quality, styling and refinement. It’s well built, refined and should be good value. Add in Hyundai’s Five Year Triple Care package (which includes a five-year unlimited warranty, five years of roadside assistance and five years of vehicle health checks) and the i40 looks a winner. http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/hyundai/hyundai-i40-tourer/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/hyundai/hyundai-i40-tourer/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3996489/hyundai_i40_tourer__3_.jpg' /></a> BMW 1 Series M Coupe BMW BMW 1 Series M Coupe 63765 Tue, 17 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/bmw/bmw-1-series-m-coupe/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3994386/b_4520_lr.jpg' align="left" /></a> The BMW 1 Series M Coupe has all the ingredients to become one of the most coveted BMWs of the decade. It's quick, sensationally good to drive and just 450 of them are coming to the UK. It has a legendary heritage to live up to, which probably explains why it's taken the engineers at BMW's M Division so long to apply the M treatment to what is one of the firm's best-selling models. The 1 Series is hardly in its first flush of youth: the hatchback will be replaced towards the end of the year and the Coupe is now approaching its fourth birthday. So this, the M Coupe, is its last hurrah. The starting point for the car is a re-worked 135i, but scratch under the surface and all is not as it seems. Out goes the existing standard chassis components and in come the suspension, brakes, alloy wheels and the differential from the current M3. Power comes from the twin-turbo 3.0-litre straight-six that's used for the Z4 sDrive 35iS rather than the 4.0-litre V8 in the M3. It's an engine that doesn't need to be redlined to 8000rpm to get the best from it with usable power at almost any revs and in any gear. The breath of torque is stunning with 332 lb ft available between just 1500-4500rpm. It means that you have options as to how you unlock the full 340bhp on offer. It will happily sit in sixth at around 1000rpm and, with a dab of the throttle come alive and pull cleanly away for speedy overtaking. Alternatively, work it harder through the gears, and you'll be rewarded with a meaty-sounding exhaust note as the revs increase and scintillating acceleration. Although sensationally quick - 0-62mph is just 4.9 seconds - it never feels hardcore like some of BMW's other M models; it's easy to drive and easy to live with. To cope with the components from the larger M3, the 1 Series M Coupe has had to fill out a little and is more muscular than the standard Coupe with flared arches and 19-inch wheels. It's transformed it into one of the best looking M cars of recent years. At the front there's a large triple-duct air dam to force air into the engine and M3-inspired wing mirrors, while at the back you'll find BMW's M trademark: four large exhausts. You certainly won't be mistaking this for anything else, especially in stand-out orange (it's available in black or white). Fans of a proper manual won't be disappointed - there's no flappy-paddle gearbox for the 1 Series M. It sticks with a conventional six-speed manual gearbox, operated in conjunction with an electronic M differential. Gearchanges are slick, short and precise and the stubby gearlever is a pleasure to use. The ride is, as you'd expect, rather firm, but no unbearably so. At speed it tends to bounce around a little and amplify the bumps in the road, but it's controlled and otherwise retains is composure. At lower speeds and on smoother roads it's suppleness shines through. Inside the cabin is beginning to show its age and is very dark, but remains functional and well designed. The seats are incredibly comfortable and touches - like the Alcantara trimming on the dashboard and orange stitching throughout - highlight that this is an extraordinary BMW. The speedo – which is bespoke for the 1 Series M Coupe – is grey with blue backlighting and goes up to 180.mph So it comes as no surprise that 300 out of the 450 1 Series M Coupes coming to the UK are already spoken for. And that's without most of those buyers getting behind the wheel. Once other potential buyers get a test drive, the remaining 150 are unlikely to hang around for much longer, either. http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/bmw/bmw-1-series-m-coupe/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/bmw/bmw-1-series-m-coupe/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3994386/b_4520_lr.jpg' /></a> Kia KIA Picanto 2011 Road Test Kia KIA Picanto 2011 Road Test 63814 Tue, 17 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/kia/kia-picanto-2011/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3995306/kia_picanto_ii_t1_front_700.jpg' align="left" /></a> We first met the new KIA Picanto at a special pre-Geneva Motor Show unveiling the night before the show. Very promising. A combination of the cute and reliable first Picanto, engines from the super successful Hyundai i10 , and a slightly more substantial ‘big little car’ look. Now (by which I mean June 2011), it’s here. It’s 30mm longer than the i10 at 3,595mm, the same width:1,595mm and 70mm lower at 1,480mm. The car looks particularly good in the colours in which it was presented to us. The Picanto 1 in a creamy baby blue, the Picanto 2 ISG in a deep metallic red, and the Picanto 3 in a fetching shade of Pistachio. Having to film, I only managed to drive the Picanto 2 1.25 with ‘Intelligent Stop Go’, but my experience of the first car was spoiled by its steering. Please bear in mind that these were pre-production cars and sometimes everything is not quite right. But the electric power steering on the first was extremely light at parking speeds, then stiffened up artificially to such an extent I couldn’t tell the exact angle I’d turned them to. And it wasn’t just me. My co-driver felt the same. Later it transpired there had been variations in the software settings of the steering motors, so it\s something quite easily remedied. I only hope the variation does not feed its way into production. Next day I took out another apparently identical car and it was entirely different. Nothing significantly wrong with it within what can normally be achieved with this type of power steering system. Not quite as much ‘feel’ as I’d like, but nothing to complain about. They call it "The small car, grown up." And out on the road the new Picanto does genuinely have the feel of a bigger car. Ride quality as good as a Fiesta on sensible tyres and better than a Mazda 2 . Decent gearing giving 23 – 24mph per 1,000rpm in 5 th , making 70 a reasonably relaxed 3,000rpm cruise. No qualms about the handling or the performance which, with an 11 second 0-60 and a top speed of 106mph, is entirely adequate. The ‘Intelligent Stop Go’ system works intelligently, which means not when there isn’t enough put back into the battery and a quick start which you need it to get out of a road junction. The seats are comfortable. There’s enough head and legroom for four, and seatbelts for five at a pinch, though certainly not for five members of Weightwatchers. The loadspace is greater than the old Picanto , but still isn’t great at just 200 litres. Unlike bigger cars such as the Fiesta and Mazda 2 the 60/40 split rear seats double fold, leaving a flat floor and 605 litres of loadspace to window height. No spare wheel, though. Just a puncture repair kit. A nice feature, and something I forgot to demo in the vid, is electric folding side mirrors that can be folded on the move to get through a narrow gap, like a garage door. Crucially, the 1.0 engine emits just 99 grams per kilometre CO2 and the 1.25 with Intelligent Stop Go only 100 grams/km CO2, so they are both VED exempt and London Congestion Charge exempt (once registered with TfL). Prices are a bit of a hike over a Hyundai i10 , but the Picanto II is arguably a more stylish looking little car. The front-to-back crease line, the neat rear doors and the rear end are particularly attractive. Don’t get me wrong. The Picanto II isn’t instantly trendy like a FIAT 500 TwinAir and it isn’t as much fun to drive. But it does have five seats and five doors, standard Bluetooth on most models, and probably beats the TwinAir on Real Life Fuel Economy . Plus. Of course, KIA’s 7 year transferable warranty. It’s a huge improvement on the original Picanto, yet still appeals to the same buyers and should find a whole lot more. More at  www.kia.co.uk/newpicanto   http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/kia/kia-picanto-2011/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/kia/kia-picanto-2011/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3995306/kia_picanto_ii_t1_front_700.jpg' /></a> Citroen DS4 Citroen Citroen DS4 63589 Mon, 09 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/citroen/citroen-ds4-2011/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3986325/cit_ds4_t1_front_mountain_700.jpg' align="left" /></a> I think it was Matt Prior of Autocar who came up with the term ‘trinkety’. He used it to describe the Citroen C3, Citroen’s fashionable remake of its C3, designed to take on Audi’s A1. ‘Trinkety’ isn’t the same a ‘bling’. Bling is a crude, even obscene display of wealth and tastelessness. 23” wheels on cars and heavy gold chains round their owners necks are a couple of examples. ‘Trinkety’ is jewellery or accessories that are fashionable but have no intrinsic value. ‘Haute Couture’ designer handbags come into this category. With the Citroen DS4, Citroen has taken trinkety a stage further. The interior with stitched leather option looks and feels like the Hermes concession in a department store. This isn’t a disparaging comment. No one defends its brand as forcefully as Hermes. It’s the one designer handbag of which you won’t find a knock-off on display along Sukhumvit in Bangkok because the police come looking for them. The stitched leather interior of the DS4 is classy. The ‘Havana’ brown seat leather is soft and supple. The combination of that and the massage seat option conjures up possibilities best left to the imagination. (This is a family website.) Whereas the DS3 modestly beguiles, then charms with its delightful character, the DS4 is self-consciously stylish and this was very apparent in the presentation, appropriately delivered in a hall of mirrors. We were told the DS4 had been voted ‘The Most Beautiful Car of the Year’. But you cannot tell people that. They have to decide for themselves. You cannot appeal to emotion with a statement or a logical argument. You need to stir their souls. Send prickly feelings down their backs. Instead I, for one, felt left curiously flat. I didn’t know how to react to the car. Then, examining it closely, one our throng discovered that the ‘coupe-like’ rear doors (a straight lift of Walter d’Silva’s design of the Alfa 156) meant that the rear windows could not wind down. To enable this to happen would have spoiled the look. Style had triumphed over substance. And the pointed backs of the doors are sharp enough to cause injury, as I discovered when I clouted myself in the cheek with one. It wasn’t looking good for the good looking DS4. I was seriously wondering how to be positive about the car. And, next day, out on the road, the car itself didn’t help. In theory it should have been a stormer. Intricate alloy wheels with 225/40 R19 tyres. Suspension and steering tweaked over that of the C4. A 200PS 1.6 variable vane turbo engine lifted from the Peugeot RCZ and John Cooper MINI Works. It went well, steered decently and, with very little understeer, the front went where I pointed it. And with 275Nm torque from 1,700 to 4,500rpm, acceleration was okay too. But in trying to achieve “Comfortable Noise Levels” from the exhaust system, all Citroen had managed was an annoying, mournful drone. The car should have surprised and delighted (as the DS3 can do). But it didn’t surprise and delight me. All was not lost, however, because the 160PS 2.0HDI worked rather better. Longer gearing, more torque, and softer 225/45 R18 tyres made the car feel like a more complete package. It’s shorter, wider and taller than the C4, like the Toyota Auris the Suzuki SX4 and (whisper it) the Mini Countryman. The height is to try to grab a bit of the Qashqai market. To lighten the darkness within, there’s a panoramic windscreen extending into the roof, with two stage sunvisors. You can get five inside, though piggy in the middle in the back seat will have to splay his or her legs over a high transmission tunnel. (Citroen denies there will be a four-wheel drive version.) It has coupe looks, providing four doors for four or five occupants, so drivers with kids doesn’t have to break their backs strapping the little monsters into their child seats. The curvy, haunched body is at least interesting, even if “beautiful” is not a word I’d have chosen to describe it. There is a premium feel to the stitched leather interior, if not to the standard cockpit. There is no doubt in my mind it’s a far better looking car than the MINI Countryman. And that, rather then the Audi A3 Sportback, is probably its true competitor. No one will buy it for its sporting heritage, as they might an Alfa Giulietta. But if they’re up for designer handbags, they might well be up for a designer car. More at Citroen http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/citroen/citroen-ds4-2011/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/citroen/citroen-ds4-2011/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3986325/cit_ds4_t1_front_mountain_700.jpg' /></a> Jaguar XJL 3.0 V6 Diesel Jaguar Jaguar XJL 3.0 V6 Diesel 58840 Sun, 24 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/jaguar/jaguar-xjl-30d/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3728485/jag_xjl_test_1_front.jpg' align="left" /></a> Just look at the magnificence of it. If ever there was a car befitting a British prime minister, this is the one. In long wheelbase form, the XJL loses any ungainliness in the rump, just as a taller person does with the same hip measurement as someone less vertical. It’s 17 feet 3 inches long, actually only 5 inches longer than the standard XJ. And all of that is devoted to the comfortable cavern in the back. 32 inches of that length pokes out behind the back wheels. Unlike a Mercedes S Class, this gives enough luggage space to take all the changes of clothing a prime minister may require. It’s a fraction lower than an XF. Standard rear seat accommodation offers individual climate control either side, heated rears seat controls, and two accessory sockets for the necessary notebook computers every prime minister has to lap tap these days. And if the privacy glass isn’t sufficiently obscure, he can hook up the rear window sunscreens. Up front, Jaguar has bent the rules by bending the wood. It curves continuously from the door trims right round the base of the screen, dropping the level of the dash. The touch-screen satnav screen is huge, intuitive to use, takes UK postcodes and doubles up as the screen for a reversing camera. Which, with 17’ 3” to park, you really need. At first, the steering feels too light and floppy, and this has a lot to do with the 20” tyres fitted to the Portfolio version, Jaguar’s major misunderstanding of what the XJ is about. Ministers don’t want to feel every ridge and pothole in the roads they can’t afford to fix. They want to be isolated from them. So anyone buying an XJ for comfort needs to persuade their Jaguar dealer to drop the 275/35 ZR 20 tyres and fit 18s with a higher profile. I understand Jaguar’s reasoning here, to make the XJL grip like a sports car cross-country. And in this it has been entirely successful. The seriously high-speed ride and handling over typical patchy A road surfaces is truly fantastic. But this should not be at the sacrifice of the car’s low-speed ride quality. On the move, the floppy steering tightens up as your speed increases and this limo can certainly lift its skirts. 0-60 comes up in 6 seconds, which is actually quicker than most E-Types. Top speed is limited to 155mph, which is quicker than almost all E-Types. So it shifts a bit. Yet, if you back off and cruise at the legal limit, something quite remarkable happens. 47mpg comes up on the consumption meter. 8 mpg better than the official ‘combined’ economy figure. Our car came with the meter registering 30.8 over the previous 1,000 miles, so I have to assume that was almost all in traffic jams. With a bit of town work our consumption increased to 43.5, and after 400 miles it was down to 43.2mpg. Finally, and filming, the total over 692.3 miles came to 41mpg at an overall average of 58mph. Not bad at all for so much car. The interesting LED instruments have been criticised for illegibility against direct sunlight. And, in truth, ours temporarily packed up for a couple of minutes. But, in Dynamic and Sport modes, they give you a clear display of what gear you’re in when using the paddleshifts. And, when you settle down on the motorway, they settle down too, highlighting only the 60 – 90mph speed range and 1,000 – 2,000rpm on the rev counter. Top gear, by the way, gives about 45mph per 1,000rpm so at 70 you’re cruising at just over 1,500rpm. The total price of this XJ, with extras, such as the TV, came to £70,250. That’s a lot less than an S-Class similarly equipped, and even a loaded-up Audi A7 can easily come to more, never mind an A8. So, even in today’s hard times, a prime minister can justify spending our money on one. But, more to the point, he can be proud to travel in an XJ, because it proves that the UK can build a world-beating limousine that knocks everything else for dead in looks, in performance and in price. Not often I can write something like that. More at Jaguar XJ or Jaguar XJ (2010-) in Car-by-Car Reviews http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/jaguar/jaguar-xjl-30d/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/jaguar/jaguar-xjl-30d/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3728485/jag_xjl_test_1_front.jpg' /></a> Citroen C4 Citroen Citroen C4 58740 Wed, 20 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/citroen/citroen-c4-2011/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3724594/cit_c4_2011_1_f34_1_700.jpg' align="left" /></a> Competition has hotted up in the ‘sub compact’ family hatchback sector. You not only have the regular choice of new Focus, new Astra or new Golf. But there’s also the Alfa Giulietta, Audi A3, BMW 1 Series, Chevrolet Cruze, Citroen C4, FIAT Bravo, Honda Civic, Hyundai i30, KIA cee’d, Mazda 3, Mercedes B Class, Mitsubishi Lancer, Peugeot 308, Renault Megane, SEAT Leon, Skoda Fabia, Subaru Impreza and Toyota Auris. And that’s if you don’t go for an SUV or an MPV instead. Familiarity breeds content so buyers tend to go for makes and models they see a lot of out on the road. Consequently, the lower volume cars slip into a vicious circle. Buyers don’t buy them because they don’t see enough of them. Why, then, should you consider the new Citroen C4 instead of a Focus or a Golf or an Astra, or anything else on the list above? There’s looks. It isn’t a stunner (we’ll have to wait for the DS4 for that). But especially in our car’s silver grey paint it has a chunky look with nicely sculpted sides. It isn’t anonymous like the old C4 5-door. (At which point I’d better mention that there isn’t a 3-door coupe version this time round.) Inside Citroen seduces us with the same perception of quality as the C3 and DS3. It’s Audi-like, but with more glistening chrome, an effect that has aptly been described as “trinketry”. You don’t feel you’re in a cheap car. The seats on the Exclusive version we drove were upholstered in a cloth-like weave flanked by Alcantara and leather. I don’t like sitting on leather, but I don’t mind leather trimmings so these suited me fine. Surprisingly, there’s a button marked ‘S’ on the sides of both driver and passenger seats that switches on a massage to the small of your back that can be very pleasant on a long cross-country journey. Our car had the 2.0 PSA/Ford belt-cam diesel pumping out 150PS at 3,750rpm and 340Nm torque at 2,000rpm (slightly better than BMW’s new 2.0 litre SD engine in the MINI). Improved electronic management means this engine works a lot better than it did in the past and it can now be trickled down to 1,000rpm on the flat without trying to jump through the bonnet. It’s also decently economical. 56.5mpg was achieved in the EC lab tests, and we managed 51.1mpg over the first 440 miles, then 52.2 on Shell Fuelsave over the final 317 miles. When I came to fill up I was pleased to discover that Citroen has adopted a type of Easyfuel filler to prevent drivers from misfuelling. It’s punchy, too. Hugh gearing means 37.5mph per 1,000rpm in 6 th and the engine will haul the car from 70 – 90 very rapidly yet without the catapult effect we used to experience with turbos. The cruise control is intuitive and works well, too. Our car had optional satnav, with a big. Clear 7” screen but no facility to enter a postal code, so gets marked down for that. It least it accepts addresses with reasonable alacrity. It doesn’t double up as the screen for a reversing camera. Ride quality was reasonable within the limitations of 225/45 R17 tyres. These were Michelin Pilot Primacy HPs so were very quiet on some surfaces of motorway, less so on cheaper ‘high grip’ country road surfaces. Nevertheless, the car is an impressive cruiser. Handling is okay and ride quality quite good. It just isn’t in the Focus class and doesn’t ‘flow’ from corner to corner. List pricing is reasonable. Our Exclusive came in at £21,495, which is less than an equivalent Focus Titanium, and that’s before any discounting. Whether to buy a new C4 in preference to a Focus or a Golf really boils down to whether you want to follow the crowd or stand out as being a little bit different. And it should also depend on what sort of deal you ultimately face. If, spec for spec, you can actually get a C4 for £4,000 less than a Golf, then why would you spend £4,000 more on a Golf simply to conform? http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/citroen/citroen-c4-2011/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/citroen/citroen-c4-2011/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3724594/cit_c4_2011_1_f34_1_700.jpg' /></a> MINI Clubman Hampton SD MINI MINI Clubman Hampton SD 58782 Wed, 20 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/mini/mini-clubman-hampton-sd/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3726385/mini_club_ham_sd_1_front_700.jpg' align="left" /></a> MINI R55s and R56s switched from PSA/Ford 1.6 diesel engines to BMW’s own chain cammers last year. Now, in a move that even Cars and Car Conversions could not have foreseen 40 years ago, they are offering a 2.0 litre diesel. This N47 engine pumps out 143PS at 4,000rpm and 305Nm torque at 1,750 – 2,700rpm. Not hugely impressive given the much greater outputs that BMW and Alpina have achieved from 2.0 litre diesels. But more than enough for a MINI. We’re talking here of 0-60 in 8.1 seconds, top speed of 134mph, yet 65.7mpg combined in the EC lab test and the low £30 tax liability of just 115g/km CO2. You can get the engine in every MINI: hatchback , convertible , Clubman and Countryman , and in the Countryman you can also get it combined with four-wheel drive and an automatic transmission. But here we’re killing two birds with one stone (actually, avoiding killing many pairs of pheasants with one car) by driving it in the Hampton, which is BMW’s latest incarnation of the Clubman. And, in the manner of the older R50 MINI Park Lane, the Hampton is rather special. Detailing includes special 17” alloy wheels, a pinstriped effect n the bonnet and mirror pods, black leather with red stitching, ‘Hampton’ pony club rosette badging on the sides, and a MINI 50 badge on the radiator grille (Chilli Pack comes as standard). With the 2.0 SD diesel engine it will set you back a considerable £23,185, and that doesn’t include the satnav. But payback time comes with the low running costs for such impressive performance, the smile it puts on your face, and the likelihood of hanging on to a fair percentage of its purchase price in years to come. It’s a riot to drive. Very punchy in standard mode, but press the Sport button and everything stiffens up very considerably, keeping the nose a lot tighter in corners even when you get your braking wrong. Long wheelbase Mini vans and estates always handled better than Minis anyway, and the R55 is no exception. Couple that to the practicality of the Clubman over a MINI hatch and the Hampton SD is very much my kind of car. The extra rear side door may be on the wrong side for loading kids into the back in the UK, but it’s very handy for chucking stuff like briefcases, umbrellas and raincoats into the back. The twin rear doors on their gas dampers open a bit slowly, but they gape open giving you the best possible access to the loadspace. The rear seats flop down flat when you lean in and pull the tabs, making it a perfect doggy wagon (even though dogs in cars are supposed to be caged). It’s great for anyone into adventure sports that require kit, like scuba diving. And it is actually a five seater. Not for 300 miles, but 20 miles five-up is no problem. The Clubman is actually the worst seller in the MINI range, representing only 7% of MINIs bought. Hatches account for 53%, convertibles 15% and, surprisingly, Countrymen for 24%. But that doesn’t put me off. I like the Clubman Hampton SD for what it is. And that’s a great little car that’s all I need with bags of performance, great handling and exceptionally low running costs. What else can you say all that about? http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/mini/mini-clubman-hampton-sd/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/mini/mini-clubman-hampton-sd/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3726385/mini_club_ham_sd_1_front_700.jpg' /></a> Mazda 3 2004-2008 1.6 auto Used Car Test Mazda Mazda 3 2004-2008 1.6 auto Used Car Test 58373 Sat, 02 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/mazda/mazda-3-16-auto-uct/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3705749/maz_3_uct_1_front_700.jpg' align="left" /></a> We haven’t tested a used car before. But with launches of both the new Mazda BT50 pick-up and the latest Mazda 3 2.0 automatic delayed in Thailand, Mazda Thailand offered me an old shape Mazda 3 1.6 auto, and it struck me that this is precisely the sort of car that a lot of UK used buyers are seeking. 1.6 autos in the £4,000 - £8,000 price bracket aren’t quite like gold dust or hen’s teeth, but demand does hugely exceed supply, and consequent price levels mean that a second hand buyer has to be sure of getting a good one. While the car we drove is still a current model in Thailand, retailing for around the Thai equivalent of £18,000, the same car would be about £8,000 back in Britain So is it a good choice compared to a Focus, Golf, Astra, Corolla, cee’d, i30, Auris or Civic automatic? The first thing in its favour is that under the bonnet you’ll find Mazda’s robust, chain-cam 1.6 MZR 105PS motor that manages a reasonable 145Nm torque at 4,000rpm. No fireball, of course. But buyers of used 1.6 automatics aren’t exactly intending to burn rubber on a race track. Coupled to that is the same 4-speed torque converter autobox you’ll find on a Focus or old-shape Fiesta 1.6 auto. And they make good companions. First out into a Bangkok traffic jam and the combination made an excellent account of itself. You can manually override the shift using the lever the logical way round: forwards to change down and back to change up. (No weird ‘Tiptronic mind games to overcome.) The system is both responsive and driver friendly at the same time. No nasty jerks. No unwanted surges. It just gets on with it. Though I have to emphasise that in Bangkok traffic, left foot braking is not just recommended, it is a life-saver. It certainly saved multiple injuries to a motorbike taxi driver and his fat passenger who U turned around me left to right while I was making a right turn. If I’d been one foot braking they’d have been under the car, after which we’d have all got T-boned by three lanes of no-prisoner-taking lunacy. That sweet drive in traffic translates to a less than exhilarating experience out on the open road. You have to learn to make the most of what you’ve got and drive within its limits. But it’s still best to keep your hand off the lever and let your right foot and the box itself do the work. That way, you and your passengers get a nice, smooth drive and a decent 75mph, 3,000rpm cruise. Not brilliantly fuel-efficient. We only averaged 33mpg on the first leg of our journey (I’ll publish the full figure after I fill up for the last time on Monday or Tuesday**). And with 179g/km – 183g/km CO2 coming out of the exhaust pipe you’ll be asked to fork out £210 - £245 a year in what used to be called ‘road tax’. The steering felt a little light at times. But no complaints about handling and ride quality. The Mazda 3 is 2 nd generation Ford C1 Focus based, which is best in class. So, if you really want to, you can whang it round a fast corner at very impressive speeds without any deviation. The ride quality was also five-star, despite 205/50 R17 tyres that don’t normally help much in this respect. And on top of that, the seats were very comfy too. Mazda gives load capacity as just 300 litres, but it looked more than that to me. And though the rear seatbacks don’t fold completely flat, they do leave a reasonably level load deck. Ours was a facelift Mk I Mazda 3, introduced in the UK in 2006. Outside, the Mazda logo in the grille is slightly bigger. The rather ugly optional slatted grille has been abandoned. The front bumper is restyled. The alloy wheels are a new design. There are some new colours: Carbon Grey mica, Phantom Blue mica, Aurora Blue and Icy Blue mica. (Happily, the best old colour, a very rich solid red, has been kept.) Under the skin, suspension settings had been altered slightly to make the car more responsive, improve ride quality and refinement and reduce noise levels. Other improvements mid 2006 include a keyless card entry system and cruise control on high spec models, an optional 7 speaker Bose sound system and an optional 20GB hard drive sound system capable of storing around 3,000 music tracks. The 1.6 4-speed automatic box was also been slightly improved. As well as looking great outside, the Mazda 3 is nice inside, with bags of head and legroom front and back. The dash is pleasant to behold, with easy to operate controls. The radio has a single CD player. The air-conditioned glovebox is so deep most of your arm disappears inside it reaching to the bottom. The doorpockets have built-in bottle holders. There’s a combined can/bottle holder or oddments bin next to the handbrake lever. And, the armrest cubby between the seats is split-level. So there’s somewhere for everything. The steering wheel adjusts up and down or in and out. The driver’s seat has height adjustment. On UK cars (but nor our Thai spec model) the driver’s seat rake adjustment is by wheel so you can get it just right, while the passenger seat has a release lever so it can be instantly reclined. So, if you’re looking for a used automatic in the £4k - £8k bracket, you don’t want an automated manual (Auris/Civic), and you do want a chain cam engine, the Mazda 3 1.6 auto is well worth seeking out. More at Mazda Car by Car Review with (very few) problem areas: Mazda 3 2004-2009 (The photo of the lake is the view from where we stayed at Ban Khok Si, Sakhon Nakhon.) **Final average fuel economy figure over 966 miles was 32.62mpg. http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/mazda/mazda-3-16-auto-uct/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/mazda/mazda-3-16-auto-uct/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3705749/maz_3_uct_1_front_700.jpg' /></a> Mercedes Benz Mercedes-Benz C-Class C220 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY (2011) Road Test Mercedes Benz Mercedes-Benz C-Class C220 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY (2011) Road Test 57987 Mon, 21 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/mercedes-benz/mercedes-benz-c-class-c220-cdi-blueefficiency-2011-road-test/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3680406/11c177_039.jpg' align="left" /></a> With a brand new BMW 3 Series just around the corner, it’s not a bad time for Mercedes-Benz to unveil a series of belt-and-braces changes to the C-Class. This facelift may not be obvious at first glance, but Mercedes-Benz had made more than 2000 changes and some of them are more substantial than a tweak here and a spec change there (though there are those too..). Many of these revisions will make a real difference to buyers. This is most noticeable in the C220 CDI BlueEFFICENCY. Every model in the updated C-Class range is more powerful and more economical than before, but the C220 CDI is noteworthy as, at a stroke, it’s become all the more appealing to company car buyers. Emissions are now down to a scarecely believable 117g/km, which, although is still more than BMW's 320d EfficientDynamics, is still one of the lowest emitting cars of its size. Company car buyers will find that the C220 CDI falls into the 18 per cent bracket, while private buyers will pay no road tax in the first year and just £20 after that. Part of that reduction is down to the introduction of a stop/start system, which cuts the engine automatically when the car is stationary. It’s one of the best systems of its type: most models with stop-start don’t cut the engine again if you creep forward in slow moving traffic. This one does. Low emissions go hand-in-glove with high official fuel consumption figures. This C-Class is no different, returning a claimed 64.2mpg. The appeal to buyers – whether company or private – doesn’t stop there. Mercedes-Benz has taken nearly all the safety systems used in the E-Class and transferred them seamlessly to its smallest saloon and estate. That means the C-Class is now available with Attention Assist (which alerts the driver if the car thinks a break is needed), Active Bonnet (pops-up to minimise injuries to pedestrians), Intelligent Light System, Adaptive High Beam Assist, Distronic Plus (radar cruise control), Active Lane Keeping Assist and , Active Blind Spot Assist and Speed Limit Assist. Internet connectivity is another addition and is likely to be popular with drivers who spend most of the day on the road and need an on-the-move wireless hotspot. In fact, those considering an E-Class saloon, may want to think about saving themselves a few quid and opting for a C-Class instead. Aside from space, there’s less to differentiate them than ever before. The interior has been E-Classed too. The black-and-white information display in the instrument cluster has been replaced with a full-colour screen that does all the things the E-Class does – like tell you what speed limit you’re in. The plastics are much better, there’s a more integrated look and the buttons and switches have, you’ve guessed it, had an E-Class makeover too. Equipment levels are SE, Elegance and Sport. Even SE is well equipped, again designed to appeal to the company car chooser, with 16-inch seven-spoke alloy wheels, Agility Control suspension, parking guidance, rain-sensing wipers, climate control, leather steering wheel, cruise control and an electric tailgate for the estate. Despite being the cleanest model in the C-Class range, the C220 CDI doesn’t hang about. It gets from 0-60mph in 8.4 seconds and on to a top speed of 144mph. It’s a bit of a revelation when it comes to overtaking, too. With 400Nm of torque on offer it makes light work of slow-moving vehicles up ahead. To make fast progress on A and B road, a bit of downchanging is required to maintain momentum, but the C220 CDI cruises well on the motorway and you’d be hard-pushed to tell that this is an ‘eco’ model. All models have the option of a six-speed manual (with start-stop) a seven-speed 7G-Tronic Plus automatic. The manual gearbox is excellent, giving crisp and clean changes, the seven-speed auto isn’t bad, either, and generally manages to be in the right gear at the right time. A sport button sharpens up the responses for when quicker changes are required. Those looking for low emissions need to choose the manual, as the C220 CDI auto is 125g/km. This facelift means that the C-Class is no longer playing catch-up to the BMW 3 Series and actually now shows it a clean pair of heals in many respects. BMW will need to have something very special up its sleeve to match this latest C-Class. http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/mercedes-benz/mercedes-benz-c-class-c220-cdi-blueefficiency-2011-road-test/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/mercedes-benz/mercedes-benz-c-class-c220-cdi-blueefficiency-2011-road-test/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3680406/11c177_039.jpg' /></a> Lexus CT200h Lexus Lexus CT200h 57946 Sat, 12 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/lexus/lexus-ct200h/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3678078/lexus_ct200h_t1_front_700.jpg' align="left" /></a> A lot of company drivers choose a car without driving it first. They aren’t keen drivers. They don’t brag brake horsepower to their mates in the pub and would never dream of talking torque at a dinner party. To them a car is partly a conveyance for themselves and for their families, chosen partly for that reason. And also a symbol of status. It shows everyone else where they are in the company pecking order. They may not particularly enjoy driving their Audi A3 S Line or their BMW M Sport, especially round corners, and most definitely over potholes, but they regard it as their badge of office. It tells people they are more than a few rungs up the ladder of success. So, deep down, they are not particularly bothered by the logo on the front or the car behind that logo. They have chosen it to conform to a stereotype. And, while paying lip service to environmental concerns by opting for an economical diesel, they still pay a fortune in BIK. But what if a car were to come along that gave them the kudos they crave, that was more luxurious, that was much more environmentally friendly, and that saved them £1,060 in BIK taxes against an Audi A3TDI 140 auto, or £1,500 against a BMW 118d auto over 3 years? (Assumes 40% tax and 5,000 private miles a year.) I can see quite a lot of company drivers deserting the established order and jumping into a Lexus CT200h. “But it’s just a dressed up Prius,” we hear the Clarksonites howl. It isn’t. It shares the Prius drivetrain, but apart from that it’s almost completely different. For a start, it doesn’t start very much. It runs for 40% of an average 40-mile journey in traffic on the electric motor alone, even if you haven’t deliberately selected ‘EV’. And its Atkinson cycle 1.8 litre petrol engine, coupled with energy regeneration on lift-off makes its electricity a lot more cleanly than Ferrybridge Power Station. It does this by virtue of an extremely sophisticated management system that analyses all the power being created, stored and used and doesn’t waste a watt. For example, if cabin temperature drops, it may decide that switching on the driver’s heated seat will keep you warm using less energy than the car’s cabin heater. “Driving pleasure” in a Lexus CT200h takes a completely different meaning from the same words in the pages of ‘Autocar’. In a CT200 it’s all about serenity, especially in traffic. While stop start systems in conventional cars can drive you insane, in the CT200 you just glide away on the electric motor and the engine only starts when it needs to. And, on top of that, with only 94g/km of CO2 coming out of the tailpipe, Boris lets you off your London Congestion Charge of £10 a day (providing you register, of course). “So why not go completely electric?” you may well ask. Get yourself a Leaf, or a Volt, a Fluence EV or an Ampera? There’s a very good reason for that. The Lexus CT200 carries its own petrol fired power station, and at 68.9mpg (same as the FIAT 500 TwinAir, which has almost the same CO2 output), the ten-gallon tank will take you nearly 700 miles, assuming you can restrain yourself sufficiently to achieve the EC figures. I’d hazard a guess that in the CT200 you are much more likely to do so than in the cheeky little TwinAir. And you will be travelling in comparative luxury. So if you appreciate quality, regard luxury as surrounding yourself in comfort and near silence, support the efforts of Greenpeace, do want your status in the world to be obvious and don’t want to be hammered by the taxman, the CT200h is your kind of car. Now that I’ve got used to driving in a calmer, more relaxing manner, it could be mine. More at Lexus http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/lexus/lexus-ct200h/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/lexus/lexus-ct200h/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3678078/lexus_ct200h_t1_front_700.jpg' /></a> Mitsubishi Outlander GX4 2011 Test Mitsubishi Mitsubishi Outlander GX4 2011 Test 57808 Sat, 05 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/mitsubishi/outlander-gx4-2011/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3669142/mits_outlander_gx4_front_700.jpg' align="left" /></a> The Outlander isn’t a car for suburban Surrey. My first few days with it were distinctly underwhelming and I was beginning to wonder if I could recommend it at all. Some of this was irritation with the stupid little rearmost seats that just don’t erect easily and rattle when they’re pushed back into the floor where they belong. Even when up, these are strictly for little kids. No normal size adult should ever be made to suffer them. The load area redeems itself by having quickly tumble-folding centre rear seats and a drop-down tailgate as well as a hatch back. There’s plenty of loadspace. And those centre seats also recline and slide so you don’t have to saw the legs off the kids consigned to the back. But to start to see the qualities of the car you need to take it for a long drive. As we did. 600 miles to Northumberland and back. On the motorway it settles into a controlled 2,000rpm 70mph cruise. Thanks to around 40 miles of 50mph contraflow, the display crept up to 41.9mpg. And it was actually under reading by about 2% compared to the standard I have set over a 300 mile journey. Cross-country, it also redeemed itself very well. You drive it on the torque, which is considerable from 2,000 – 2,500rpm, still usefully there from 1,500rpm, and allows you go trickle along from 1,000rpm. It’s what Rolls Royce used to describe as “adequate”. Perfectly adequate to pull you round a 40mph three-car snake, for example. Handling’s not bad either, despite the high centre of gravity. And ride quality very acceptable, even on 225/55 R18 tyres. Our car was specced up with leather and an all singing, all dancing Rockford Fosgate touch-screen satnav multimedia device that worked well and even offers a re-directs around traffic jams. Sadly, though, it doesn’t take postcodes, so you need a full address before you can key in a destination. There are a couple of other tests on the site, for the original Outlander II and for the Peugeot 4007, which now built alongside, in the old Volvo, Mitsubishi and Smart factory at Born in Holland. Just in case they don’t come up at the sides, here are the links: Mitsubishi Outlander 2.0 diesel 2007 Test Peugeot 4007 2.2 diesel 2007 Test With the rearmost seats tucked away there is 589 litres of luggage space to the window line. And the rear end is split between a hatch and a low tailgate, very useful for sitting on at outdoor events, though the hatch does not extend far enough to keep the rain off your legs. The four-wheel drive system is straightforward. You can select 2WD, which gives front drive only, bringing rear drive into play in very extreme conditions, 4WD AUTO which brings rear drive in at a 70/30 split whenever needed to stabilise the vehicle, and 4WD LOCK which provides a lock to the centre diff distributing power 50/50 front and rear at low speed. Selecting Automatic 4WD sharpens up the front-end Audi quattro style. It feels a bit stiffer than a CR-V, without being less comfortable. In any kind of inclement weather it’s worth putting it into Auto 4WD, and only using 2WD for dry motorways, cities and suburbs. The SST ‘auto’ transmission uses two clutches, one to engage the gear in use the other to pre-select the next gear required, which ensures that the gear change takes place instantaneously. This innovative technology saves on CO 2 emissions and massively reduces power loss through the range. With no torque converter, this 6-speed TC-SST gearbox is more efficient than a normal automatic. On the way back from Northumberland, we increased the average consumption to 36.8mpg cross-country, by trying it on auto 4x4 for a while. Then, thanks to 15 miles of 50 limit on the A1, we got it back over 40mpg. And, by the end of the run, involving inevitable Sunday evening M1 traffic jams, the average for a total of 616 miles, including the video shoot, was a very creditable 44.9mpg. That’s actually better than the EC combined figure for the GX4 we were driving. And it’s not very often these days that a road test gets better figures then the EC lab tests. Take that in conjunction with the Outlander’s decent cross-country handling, its ample torque up inclines, its reasonable ride quality, its comfort and the ample space inside and I feel a recommendation coming along. For some purposes, such as towing and high-speed dirt roading, I’d still go for the Santa Fe or the Sorento. But for handling, performance and near sensational fuel economy, if I lived in Northumberland I could go for an Outlander. http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/mitsubishi/outlander-gx4-2011/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/mitsubishi/outlander-gx4-2011/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3669142/mits_outlander_gx4_front_700.jpg' /></a> Toyota Verso S Road Test Toyota Toyota Verso S Road Test 57111 Thu, 17 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/toyota/toyota-verso-s/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3588978/483-toy-verso-s.jpg' align="left" /></a> The old Postman Pat Toyota Yaris Verso is sorely missed. Between 1999 and 2006 it sold 150,000 in Europe alone. Since then, the hole it left in the market has been filled, first by the Honda Jazz, Ford Fusion, Renault Modus and Mitsubishi Colt. Then by the Nissan Note. Then by the Citroen C3 Picasso. And more recently by the KIA Venga and Hyundai ix20 Even FIAT had a good Idea while it lasted. And with increasing numbers of reasonably affluent ‘empty nesters’ wanting high seating and easy entry and egress, the market has grown. So time for Toyota to get back in there with the Verso S, based on the third generation Yaris. There was a Verso of the Yaris II in Japan, called the Ractis, but Toyota GB felt it wasn’t sufficiently different from the Yaris II to justify importing it. The Verso S well and truly is. You get five upright fully belted seats, 60/40 split rear seats that fold with one touch, a lipless rear sill unless you drop the boot floor to give 393 litres of loadspace (336 litres without), an optional CVT-7 automatic transmission and, for the auto, £30 tax. The T-Spirit has even more total bootspace because, instead of a space saver spare, it has a tyrefix kit, and that releases a total of 429 litres. Prices kick off at £13,995 on an introductory offer for the TR, rising to £16,895 for the top T-Spirit with CVT-7, panoramic glass roof and 16” alloys with 185/60 R16 tyres. They all have height-adjustable front seats, multi adjustable steering wheels and, uniquely, a touch screen Bluetooth, information and entertainment system that doubles up as the screen for a reversing camera and, from May 2011, can be enhanced for £500 to become full scale satnav. That should be a worthwhile upgrade because, like Audi’s latest systems, it can be used to access Google Local Search when paired up with a compatible smartphone. To drive, it’s okay given the competition it faces. Ride quality and comfort have obviously been prioritised over pinpoint steering and high speed handling. So don’t expect to see any ‘empty nesters’ taking their Verso S on track days. The 98PS 1,329cc petrol engine offers only 125Nm torque at 4,000rpm, so isn’t very grunty on hills and needs all six ratios of its six speed manual gearbox. Similarly, you need to use the paddles of the CVT-7 to make satisfying progress. Though you can, if you wish, simply leave it in Drive to choose its own ratios. An advantage of this box is that it makes the Verso S the only automatic MPV of its size to fall into the £30 a year tax bracket. (The manual is currently £90 a year to tax.) There is a Verso S 1.4 D-4D diesel but the UK won’t be getting it because for the type of people to whom the car has the most appeal the diesel makes no sense. It would be more expensive to buy, no cheaper to tax than the manual CVT-7 and could suffer diesel particulate filter problems used for repeated short runs from cold starts. Should you buy a Toyota Verso S in preference to the mostly cheaper Nissan Note, Honda Jazz, Hyundai ix20 or KIA Venga? You should certainly consider it and bear in mind that in the standard TR spec you do get a lot of equipment that you don’t get in lower priced examples of its competitors. And, if you plump for the Multidrive S CVT automatic, you benefit from lower tax than the Jazz, and much lower tax than the Note, ix20 or Venga automatics. More at Toyota     http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/toyota/toyota-verso-s/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/toyota/toyota-verso-s/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3588978/483-toy-verso-s.jpg' /></a> Peugeot 508 Road Test Peugeot Peugeot 508 Road Test 56839 Tue, 08 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/peugeot/peugeot-508/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3567775/peug 508sw white side 700.jpg' align="left" /></a> The big news about Peugeot’s big new car is that they’ve got one version down to 109g/km CO2. That doesn’t quite get it into London free of charge (the forthcoming hybrid does), but it means you’ll only be paying £20 a year in VED. Otherwise, the cars are all 150g/km or under, apart from the 204bhp diesel automatic SW. Which means all apart from the 204bhp SW are £125 or less in annual tax. And all, including the 204bhp SW, fall under the 160g/km company write-down limit. It’s an imposing car to encounter. You can easily imagine it in a diplomatic role, or transporting EC Eurocrats from Brussels to Strasbourg and back. (Why should we pay for them to ride in Mercedes?) Comfort is well catered for at all levels. The rear seat is a pleasant place to stretch your legs in comparison to the black hole of a 407, which had zero forward visibility and made me as a passenger sick. The 508 should not be compared to the 407 at all. The 607, maybe. The commodious boot of the saloon takes 545 litres of luggage, and the rear seas fold down allowing the car to take 1,511 litre in two seater mode. The station wagon offers 660 litres, rising to 1,865 litres with the seats down and has a load cover that releases at a touch, a luggage net and a dog guard. (Though, of course, the safest way to transport a dog is in a cage.) The dash, seats, driving position and general ambiance are all fine, on a par with a modern Ford’s, and the satnav screen is sensibly placed where it can be read at a glance. Engines kick off with a 120PS 1.6 chain cam petrol, and a turbocharged 156PS 1.6 chain cam petrol that also see service in Citroens and the MINI Cooper S. Diesels are PSA/Citroen/Ford’s revised 115PS belt cam 1.6, now with 8 valves instead of 16 and described by Peugeot as a ‘112’, which refers it its brake horsepower rather than its PS. Coupled with stop start and PSA’s ‘EGC’ automated manual transmission, it manages to creep under 110g/km CO2 and qualify for just £20 a year annual tax as well as extremely low BIK for a car of its size. An EC certificated ‘combined’ mpg of 58.9 may well translate to more than 50mpg in real life. This is likely to be the UK’s best selling, or rather ‘most leased’ 508. I took one round Alicante’s traffic lightmare and it was fine, either left to change gear by itself, or paddled. Unlike other stop and start systems, this one cuts the engine under braking from 8mph and works down to minus 5 degrees centigrade rather than the plus 3 degrees of other systems. However, like all stop start systems I have driven, you need to keep your foot on the brake pedal for the engine to stay stopped and blind the poor driver behind with your brakelights. If you put it in neutral and pull on the handbrake, the engine starts. Other diesels are a 2.0 litre 140PS 2.0 litre 16v belt cam, a 163PS 2.0 litre 16v belt cam, and a 2.2 litre 204PS 16v belt cam. We drove the top 2.2 litre 204PS diesel with 6-speed torque converter automatic box, paddleshifts, and double wishbone ‘GT’ front suspension like the 407’s. This did make the steering a bit sharper, but didn’t give it any more feel than the conventional McPherson strut style suspension in the THP 156 chain cam petrol model we also tried. To my mind, that was the peach. Good to drive. Just about powerful enough with a nice engine note. Positively grippy at the front and needing to be pushed very hard to break into understeer. At £20,850 for the saloon and £21,875 for the SW it’s reasonably priced before the negotiations start. 150 g/km CO2 keep even the SW in the Band F £125pa tax bracket. And there’s a good chance of 40mpg. In 2012, Peugeot will introduce its ‘Hybrid4’ system to the 508. This combines a 2.0 litre diesel automatic with stop start at the front. And a regenerating electric motor instead of a differential at the back, a bit like Toyota’s system on the Lexus RX 400h/450h. In the 508, combined power is 200PS, with 300Nm torque to the front wheels and 200Nm to the rears. CO2 emissions are under 100g/km, which makes this the largest car so far to be both tax and London Congestion Charge exempt. We’ll first see the same system in the 3008 later this year and it promises to work very well. Interestingly, the bigger, better 508 saloon is 35 kilos lighter than the 407 saloon, while the 508 SW is 47kilos lighter than the 407 SW. And the cd of 26 makes the car very slippery, helping to explain its efficiency. Peugeot only expects to sell 8,500 508s in the UK in a full year, split 50/50 saloon/SW and 80/20 diesel/petrol, though, once the public starts to catch on to the disadvantages of EU5 diesels, I expect a significant move back to petrol. In comparison, Peugeot expects to sell 65,000 of its Wunan built 508 saloons in China in a full year. For car manufacturers, the UK is no longer the ‘Treasure Island’ it used to be. 2nd Acquantance with SR HDI112 FAP diesel Stop and Start with EGC As often happens, a second run in a car can make a big difference to impressions of it. And running through town and country from Birmigham to Coventry certainly changed my opinion of the HDI 112 stop start with EGC. The rule is, take it easy and the changes will be smooth. Once stopped, you can knock it into neutral and get your foot off the brake so you don't blind the driver behind. Then simply moving the lever from N to D re-starts the engine so you can set off again without any fuss. Also, by applying very little throttle you can get amazing fuel economy. We averaged 65mpg on the meter, which is extraordinary for a big 5 seater saloon. More at Peugeot http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/peugeot/peugeot-508/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/peugeot/peugeot-508/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3567775/peug 508sw white side 700.jpg' /></a> SEAT Exeo 2.0 TDI Multitronic 2011 SEAT SEAT Exeo 2.0 TDI Multitronic 2011 56781 Tue, 08 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/seat/seat-exeo-20-tdi-multitronic-2011/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3564849/seat_exeo_multitronic_18.jpg' align="left" /></a> The Exeo has been something of a quiet, but steady hit with buyers since it was launched in 2009. Originally available as a saloon, it was soon joined by a smart ST estate around six months later. Both offer buyers good value for money, a decent drive and an upmarket interior - after all, it is based on the previous generation Audi A4. It hasn't gone unnoticed on this site, either. Comments from owners (and those who have just borrowed an Exeo from someone else...) are generally positive for both the saloon and estate: " I'd recommend it. The engine is VERY refined for a diesel, more refined than the 2.0-litre BMW in my opinion. The car is as well made as you'd expect from what is effectively an Audi "  " Great driving car, quiet and seemingly well built " " Very smooth, well built " " Tried Exeo and liked it. There is a genuine feeling of quality and solidity, and the drive train is fluid. Roadholding and handling are good. Lots of kit as standard and the VW group diesels are streets ahead of the Ford and Mazda ones I've owned " But for all the praise, there's been something missing. Although the Exeo has been available with a good selection of engines, there hasn't been the option of an automatic. So SEAT has taken its 2.0-litre TDI CR diesel engine with 143ps and paired it with a Multitronic CVT gearbox. It's an option that the firm believes will appeal to more than one-in-ten Exeo buyers. With generous SE Tech and Sport Tech specifications, it's primarily designed to appeal to savvier company car buyers looking to trade a little prestige for a lot more value. With 48.7mpg and emisssions of 153g/km, this model is in the 23 per cent BIK tax band. The gearbox that SEAT has chosen isn't the DSG - a version of which is available in everything from a Polo to an A8 - but rather a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) that they call Multitronic. It's another link back to the Exeo's previous life: Multitronic has long been associated with the old Audi A4.  It's not a gearbox that gets the heart racing, but if you're looking for no-nonsense comfort, it's just the job. Unlike more traditional gearboxes, CVTs don't have a fixed number of ratios. They work - as the name suggests - by constantly altering the car's gearing according to the conditions. The benefit of this - in theory at least - is that it's efficient and helps to keep fuel consumption in check. The downside is that it can be noisy, whines and can be unresponsive when you 'kick-down'. As a result, it's not the sort of gearbox that's universally popular and is more suited to long motorway journeys. The Multitronic gearbox always has been a little different to the standard CVT set-up and that's no different with Exeo. For a start, as well as having it in 'drive', there's the option of changing gear as a seven-speed Tiptronic, either by pushing the gear selector across and pushing up and down through the gears, or using finger-tip paddles behind the steering wheel. Although it's a CVT, there are built-in artificial steps to give the driver more control.  Even so, it is still better suited to long motorway trips, where it's relaxed, quiet and hassle-free. Around town, you'll find that it's best left as a CVT automatic, too, while the tiptronic mode is better suited to faster A and B roads, when you need a bit more control to make quicker progress. Most drivers will probably find that they keep it in "D" most of the time and don't bother with the steering wheel paddles, especially if they're regularly doing long trips. The launch of this latest engine and gearbox combination coincides with a mild re-fresh for Exeo. The sear seats have been re-designed to look smarter and more tailored plus give a bit more legroom (44m extra, to be precise), while outside new LED tail lamps give a more distinctive appearance. Read more: SEAT Exeo saloon review / SEAT Exeo ST estate review http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/seat/seat-exeo-20-tdi-multitronic-2011/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/seat/seat-exeo-20-tdi-multitronic-2011/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3564849/seat_exeo_multitronic_18.jpg' /></a> Hyundai i10 Blue Road Test Hyundai Hyundai i10 Blue Road Test 56670 Fri, 04 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/hyundai/hyundai-i10-blue/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3561428/hyu i10 blue 1 front 700.jpg' align="left" /></a> With five doors, five seatbelts, low tax, fun handling and a zesty 1.2 chain cam engine the Hyundai i10 is now very deservingly Britain’s favourite small car. At 23,500 in 2010, it outsold both the FIAT 500 and the Ford Ka. Now it’s had a facelift. And for anyone faced with the purgatory of driving into London every day there’s a new Congestion Charge exempt (and annual tax exempt) ‘Blue’ version that emits just 99 g/kg CO2. And that’s the subject of this test. Under the bonnet, the tiny 998cc three-cylinder 12-valve chain cam engine bravely musters all of 69PS and 94Nm torque. It’s geared at about 21mph per 1,000rpm in 5 th and ratios and torque delivery are such that, unlike the FIAT 500 TwinAir, it feels lively from low revs. It will actually run in 4 th gear at 30mph, though isn’t happy in 5 th . The engine note is more ‘gutsy’ than typical 3 cylinder ‘thrummy’ and is actually quite pleasant. And it’s quiet enough to cruise decently on the motorway where around 3,250rpm gets you 70. Hyundai quotes 67.3mpg in the EC tests versus 61.4mpg for the revised 1.2, so reckon on around 60 for the Blue and around 55 for the 1.2. Top speed is 93mph, with 0-60 in 14.5 seconds, though I have to say it feels quicker than that. Improvements to the 1.2 four-cylinder chain cam engine bring the 1.2 up to 85PS and it’s quite a bit quicker. Top speed 105mph and 0-60 in 11.9. A lower CO2 output of 108g/km pulls it back to VED Band B, which is £20 a year. The trouble is, for the same trim level, the i10 Blue is £400 more than the i10 1.2, so you’d have to be daft to spend £400 more to save £20 a year. But if you need to go into London a lot, spending that extra £400 is going to save you £10 a day in Congestion Charges. Or £50 a week. Or £200 a month. And that’s got to be worthwhile. More at Hyundai Department of Corrections The car video tested was 'fresh off the boat' and because of this there was a paucity of information at the time I shot the video.. But it now transpires that the 'space saver ' spare wheel, is, in fact, a full size spare wheel and only looks tiny because the i10 Blue is on 13" wheels. It is also now apparent that the i10 Blue trim spec is closer to that of the Classic than of the Active, making it £1,000 dearer than the 1.2 equivalent, and requiring 100 trips into Central London to break even on the Congestion Charge. http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/hyundai/hyundai-i10-blue/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/hyundai/hyundai-i10-blue/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3561428/hyu i10 blue 1 front 700.jpg' /></a> Ford Focus 2011 Road Test Ford Ford Focus 2011 Road Test 56551 Sat, 29 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/ford/ford-focus-2011/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3554733/ford focus 2011 front sunset 700.jpg' align="left" /></a> We loved the first Ford Focus, we liked the facelift 2 nd generation Focus and we raved about the new Ford C-Max.   So why, while at last two Car of the Year judges were raving about the new Focus did ‘Autocar’ surprise itself by coming out a bit lukewarm after testing it against the Astra and the Golf.   Partly steering ‘feel’ (though the Golf on test had completely different tyres). And I’d have to add maybe luggage space.   For example, a boot shrunk from 385 litres to 277 litres if you opt for a full size spare wheel (316 litres if you go for a space saver or tyrefit kit), and down from 1,245 litres to 1,062 litres loaded to the ceiling. The rear boot alone is 93 litres smaller than an Astra’s and 73 litres less than a Golf’s. It’s only a 20 litres bigger than a Nissan Juke’s. Yet kerb weights are up a hefty 78kilos for the base version (8 kilos more than I weigh). So what have the stylists been playing at?   Well they have made it more slippery, they have achieved much better average C02 figures and significantly improved average fuel economy. And if you want more space you can, of course, opt for the Focus estate, or the C-Max or Grand C-Max, of course.   Every new Focus emits under 140g/km CO2, so is good news for company drivers and private buyers alike. All the 1.6 petrol versions, including the 150PS Ecoboost turbo (a 140mph car) are just £110 a year to tax, as are the 2.0 diesel Powershift automatics. The 2.0 manual diesels pump out 129g/km so are £90 tax, and the new 8 valve 1.6 diesels qualify for just £20 annual tax.   Theoretical EC certificated fuel economy figures are equally impressive. And for anyone wanting to avoid London Congestion Charges a 1.0 litre 3 cylinder Ecoboost turbo petrol engine is on the way that emits less than 100g/km.   The Focus is a truly global car, looking the same and having the same powertrains wherever it will be sold, though not necessarily the same power outputs. On this launch we could only drive the 1.6 Ecoboost petrol with 180PS that will come to the UK later this year, and the 2.0 litre 163PS diesel with Powershift transmission that we will be getting right from the start.   It rained in Spain quite a lot and the sensationally twisty test route really put the Focus new ‘torque vectoring’ system to the test. This is a trick differential that combined with ESP stops the car slipping without (annoyingly) cutting engine power. It works a treat. I think the reason why Autocar found for the Golf rather than the Focus in the dry is that all the launch cars were on low rolling resistance 215/50 WR17 Michelin Pilot Primacy HPs, while the Golf was on 225/45 WR17 tyres. On our test we were glad of the excellent wet weather performance of the Michelins. The new electric steering does take a bit of getting used to, more so in the 2.0 diesel than in the 1.6 Ecoboost, but once we did, we did we were fine with it. The softer suspension also helped the car to grip in corner so wet some of them were virtually flooded.   With its heavier engine and transmission, the 2.0TDCI Powershift wasn’t quite so much fun, but wasn’t far off, though the means of holding gears by buttons on the shifter was nothing like as effective as paddles behind the steering wheel. If you want an automatic, though, it’s the obvious choice, and a private buyer won’t pay any more annual tax for it than he would for the 1.6 petrol models.   A new optional feature offered on the Focus range for £750 is the Driver Assistance Pack. This consists of a camera mounted behind the central rear view mirror that watches the road ahead and warns you of any circular road signs, including speed limits.   At low speeds it also watched the road ahead and at under 15kmh will actually stop the car before it hits the car in front or a pedestrian. And yes, I believe in it sufficiently to put it to the test in the video with myself posing as the pedestrian.   That’s not all, though. The system also watches out for any sign of driver fatigue and warns the driver, if the car starts to cross a white line the steering wheel shakes and if you stray out of your lane on a motorway without signalling the system will automatically guide the car back into the lane.   Finally, the pack includes a Blind Spot Information System that flashes a yellow warning light in the mirrors if anything comes up behind you into your blind spot.   So quite a lot of useful, gimmick free kit for your £750 and well worth the extra expense.   Prices are up a bit on the previous Focus, that, incidentally, continues in production in Valencia until the autumn. But every new Focus comes with around £1,000 worth of extra lit, including a Thatcham Category 1 alarm, DAB radio, voice activated Bluetooth for your phone, ISOFIX tethers for the outer two rear seats and adjustable lumbar support for the driver.   Finally, anyone who remembers Ford interiors of 10 – 15 years ago needs to raise their expectations. The dials, knobs, fit, finish and ambiance of the interior now rivals anything from Volkswagen and even from Audi.   Whether a Golf can be “so much better to drive than the new Focus,” judge for yourself from our video. I’d be amazed to see a Golf doing that.     More at Ford   http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/ford/ford-focus-2011/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/ford/ford-focus-2011/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3554733/ford focus 2011 front sunset 700.jpg' /></a> Audi A6 (2011) 2.0 TDI Road Test Audi Audi A6 (2011) 2.0 TDI Road Test 56472 Thu, 27 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/audi/audi-a6-2011-20-tdi-road-test/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3550168/a6h100001.jpg' align="left" /></a> You name it and in the past couple of years Audi has probably launched it. Five and seven-seat SUVs? Check. Porsche-rivalling supercar in coupe and spyder bodystyles? Yep. MINI -bashing small hatch? It's in showrooms now. And with each new launch, the Audi brand has been stretched in a slightly different direction, broadening its appeal and picking up new types of buyers. The range now covers almost every price point from the A1 supermini at £13,420 to the £121,970 R8 supercar.  But now it's back to basics, with an Audi staple: the A6 saloon. It's a model that can trace its roots back to the Audi 100 of 1970, with more than seven million sold. At first glance, the latest generation isn't a radical departure from the old car, first launched in 2004. But this is an all new car and, like the A7 Sportback that was launched in late 2010, it has a longitudinally mounted engine with a driveshaft along the side of the transmission and drive brought forward to a differential situated between the engine and transmission. But the biggest change is what this means for those who are thinking of choosing the A6 as a company car. Over the past couple of years, the old A6 - which is after all almost seven years old - started to lose ground to the leaner and greener Mercedes-Benz E-Class and BMW 5 Series . So the two diesels - a 177bhp 2.0-litre and 204bhp 3.0-litre TDI - not only look attractive to company car buyers, they're actually top of the class when it comes to benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax for this type of car. The £30,000 2.0-litre TDI leads the way, emitting just 129g/km of CO2. Even a few years ago, a figure that low in a car of this size would have been unthinkable. That means it falls into the 18 per cent band and a higher rate tax payer will pay £2166 in BIK tax.  What has helped the drop in CO2 is that this A6 is partially constructed from aluminium, making it lighter than ever. It weighs in at 1575 kg, undercutting the 520d by 140kg and the E220 CDI by 160kg. It means that the A6 2.0-litre TDI now has an identical CO2 figure as the BMW 520d. That's not all they have in common. Both have identical predicted future residual values, with each retaining around 36 per cent after three years/60,000 miles. Although if you're a private buyer, that still means waving goodbye to the best part of £20,000 - whichever car you choose. Another reason that CO2 has dropped is that the A6 now has a series of technologies to conserve energy and encourage the driver to be more efficient. Later in the year there will be a hybrid model based on the 2.0-litre TFSI petrol engine coupled to an electric motor. It's claimed to return up to 45.6mpg, be capable of zero-emissions urban driving and offer 245bhp.. The accountant's favourite - the front-wheel drive 2.0-litre TDI - is a miser on paper, but surprisingly enjoyable on the road and a noticeable improvement on the old car. Far from being underpowered, as you may expect from a small engine in such a large car, it always feels capable - even when you're overtaking slow-moving traffic. The standard steel spring suspension will suit most buyers and manages to combine comfort with decent body control over a variety of surfaces. S-line models get a lowered version of this suspension, which means crisper handling but at the expense of comfort. Every A6 now comes with 'Drive Select', selected through the MMI interface. This allows the driver to fine-tune the accelerator and steering wheel responses. Comfort mode makes the A6 a lot more laid-back, while Dynamic sharpens everything up.  Visually, this A6 is far more sophisticated than the model it replaces and there's a real attention to detail. At the front you get the LED headamps that are fast becoming Audi's trademark, but these have been tuned to minimise the dazzling effects on oncoming drivers. Inside, it's almost identical to the A7, with high quality materials, great fit and finish and a stunning level of attention to detail. It's comfortable too, with supportive, highly adjustable seats and an incredibly quiet cabin. In the back, there's enough space for two adults to sit very comfortably, with more head, shoulder and leg room than before. There's also an incredible range of optional extras. Even by Audi's usual standard, the list is long. Highlights and new features include the ability to turn the car into a WLAN hot-spot for working on the move; an infra-red camera to spot dangers in the road at night; sat nav with Google maps integration; Bang and Olufsen stereo; Active Lane Assist (kicks-in if you stray out of a lane on a motorway); a self-park function and a head-up display. http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/audi/audi-a6-2011-20-tdi-road-test/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/audi/audi-a6-2011-20-tdi-road-test/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3550168/a6h100001.jpg' /></a> Fiat FIAT 500 Long Term Test Fiat FIAT 500 Long Term Test 56352 Mon, 24 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/fiat/fiat-500-long-term/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3545851/fiat 500 roo front 700.jpg' align="left" /></a> Date: 21 January 2011     Driver; Honest John   Current mileage: 11,820 miles   Actual economy: 48.8mpg   Total costs: £368 (two annual services) + £70 VED     First 6 months   My company bought the car for me in March 2008 for £9,470, including side bump strips and Italian Tricolor side stripes and because it’s 119g/km was immediately able to write down 100% of the purchase price. (This allowance changed from April 2008.) Because it’s 119g/km CO2, I pay tax on 10% of that, so tax on £947 at 40% is £378.80. I pay for my own personal fuel.   Dealer Kevin at Parkway FIAT threw in a set of mats, a perfume diffuser and Tricolour key fobs. No discount either from FIAT or from Kevin. Dealer margin a mere 3%, plus a further 3% if the customer filled in a customer satisfaction form positively after 6 months.   Since I was away in Thailand I didn’t actually pick the car up until April 2011 and it was immaculately presented. That’s very important. A new car should feel new. Kevin paired up my Nokia phone to the car’s standard Blue & Me hands free and I was off.   First impressions were the same bouncy ride and overlight steering as on the launch. But the car is so cute I forgave it for not driving as well as it looks. I gave the car the nickname ‘Noo Lek’, which means ‘little mouse’ in Thai.   From the start, I decided to put it on a diet of Shell V-Power petrol, the same as I’d have used if I were filling up a Ferrari rather than a 69PS 1.2 FIAT.   Nothing whatsoever went wrong. The only incident was when something fell onto the glass sunroof from such a great height that it actually pulverised the glass at the point where it struck. Could have been something from a plane (I live under one of the Heathrow holding patterns). Happily, FIAT replaced the roof under warranty without question and Parkway did a perfect, undetectable repair that has never leaked.   Use for the first year was strictly 2 nd car because I had a Focus ECOnetic long-termer from Ford at the time. Fuel economy over the first 1,343 miles was 47.86mpg.   2 nd 6 months   In November 2008 I got the chance to drive the new 500 based Ford Ka. And was naturally intrigued to see what Ford had done to improve the car’s ride quality. My car’s suspension is pure Panda. A pair of struts at the front and a cheap twist beam rear axle.   This wasn’t good enough for Ford, who inserted an anti roll bar into the twist beam, considerably softened the rear suspension and installed some trick progressive rear dampers. These tweaks not only sharpen the car’s steering and stop the back end hopping across the road on bumps, they improve its ride quality enormously. So when was FIAT going to adopt the Ford improvements?   Winter came and went with Noo Lek under a tarp for 5 weeks over Christmas.   Then, In February 2009, I got the chance to drive the 500 Abarth. No stupid super light ‘City’ mode for the steering in that. Instead the dash button sharpens the whole car up. Underneath it has the Ka suspension, worked on by FIAT’s Abarth division. And on standard 16” wheels with glue-like 195/45 Pirelli P-Zero Neros it’s a hoot to drive. A real Jack Russell Terrier of a car. Don’t, however, make the mistake of taking up FIAT’s very generous offer of 17” wheels with 205/40 P-Zero Neros. They completely destroy the character of the car, robbing it of steering ‘feel’ and fun factor all in the name of a few fractions of a second off your lap times.   By the first service in April 2009, Noo Lek had still only done 1,980 miles, at an average of 48.68mpg.   3 rd 6 months   Ford took its Focus back in May 2009, so Noo Lek got pressed into a bit more work.   One assignment was a run down to Poole Harbour in June 2009 to test the FIAT 500C convertible. And surprise, surprise, under the car were the same suspension improvements as applied to the Ka and the Abarth 500.   The 500C I drove most was the 1.3 Multijet, which went better than MINI Cooper diesel and was much more fun. I did my sums, but too early for a swap. FIAT assured me that the suspension improvements were “coming” for the rest of the 500 range, but they didn’t actually feed their way through until 2010 production.   Still absolutely no problems at all with Noo Lek, who got a long run first to Stratford upon Avon for the Peugeot 3008 launch, then on to Manchester for the launch of the 2010 model KAI cee’d.   That meant quite of lot of motorway miles on which even a 500 on the original suspension is surprisingly comfortable. A lot of it is due to the excellent front seats, but it also pulls quite a high top gear at about 23mph per 1,000rpm. The cee’d 1.6 petrol was noticeably lower geared on the motorway and a much less successful cruiser.   By 15 th October 2009 the miles were up to 5,497 and the fuel economy sitting at 48.24mpg.   4 th 6 months   Another winter meant a full 6 weeks under the tarp. I cam back from Thailand to find Noo Lek buried in snow and the next day a Nissan Cube arrived so I didn’t have to dig him out until a week later.   Life remained uneventful with me developing an appreciation of some of the 500’s thoughtful features. For example, when you wash/wipe the screen you get three wipes, then the wipers settle down for 10 seconds, then give the screen one more wipe to catch the inevitable dribble. How many much more expensive cars do that for you?   2 nd year service was much dearer than the first because it includes a fresh set of plugs, a pollen filter and a brake fluid change. Again, the job was done while I waited at Parkway.   By April 2010 the odo was sitting at 7,044 miles and the mpg at 48.7.   5 th 6 months   In June I was invited to a Renault Eco 2 presentation in Paris, part of which was an economy-driving lesson in Paris traffic.   So I started applying some of the economy driving techniques to Noo Lek, and over 120 miles managed to average 64.2mpg.   The trouble is, Eco driving is not only slow, it’s dangerous. You have to avoid braking and accelerating as much as possible so can find yourself whacking across roundabouts and cutting things a bit fine.   So enough of that. I’d proved a point and could get back to normal. By October 2010 the odo was sitting at 9,742 miles and the mpg at 49.13.   Last 4 months   A visit to Autoglym earned Noo Lek a full professional valet in the hands of Nigel, plus some useful tips to me to keep his paintwork in good shape. Autoglym High Definition wax is definitely the way to go, but it’s a wax, not a polish, so you have to clean the surface perfectly before you use it.   At the end of October the chance for another comparison came up. This time with the super low CO2 FIAT 500 TwinAir that offers 85PS and 145Nm torque from just 875cc, together with no VED and no London Congestion Charge by virtue of its 95g/km CO2 output. Under the new rules that also qualify it for full first year company write down. So I was definitely primed for a part-ex.   However, though the TwinAir is almost as much fun to drive as the Abarth 500, its real world fuel economy of 68mpg is probably pie in the sky. I got a mere 34mpg, against the 54mpg the computer in Noo Lek was showing. Now filming singlehandedly means a lot of stop starts and is very fuel inefficient. But everyone else I spoke to on the launch had got the same, and when Autocar tested it properly the average was only 35.7mpg.   I suspect the real reason is that though the TwinAir develops bags of torque above 1,900rpm, it’s got nothing much beneath it. Press the economy button and maximum torque is actually less then my 500 1.2’s. That means that while I can trickle my 500 at 30mph in 5 th on V-Power no problem at all, if I tried that in the TwinAir the engine felt like it was going to jump through the bonnet. 30mph needs third. And that’s why its economy in town is so bad.   I suspect on a 600 mile run it’s going to be better because the engine is smaller, it’s more efficient and the overall gearing is the same as the 500 1.2. So that’s something to put to FIAT to try.   By December I’d got the use of a garage, so Noo Lek was snugly ensconced in it before the really bad weather hit. But a family tragedy dragged me back from Thailand and with no other car available I had to make two 600 mile round trips to Northumberland.   As I mentioned before, that kind of distance is no problem in the 500. I stepped out at both ends both times without a twinge, and the last run was non-stop because even doing 300 miles in 5 hours a 500 doesn’t require a refill.   And even the slightly quicker pace hasn’t harmed the fuel economy. At 11,750 miles it’s now sitting at 48.83mpg.   I’ve run FIATs and Alfas before. More fool me, you may think. But more relevant than anything else during my 34-month tenure of RO08 DZJ is that nothing whatsoever has gone wrong with it. Not a single thing. Not even the Blue & Me hands free phone system.   How may Volkswagen owners can say that?         2008/08 FIAT 500 1.2 Lounge   Good points   Great looks, wonderful retro styling inside and out, combined with high tech Blue & Me. Completely non-threatening to other drivers. Excellent fuel economy, Sensible non-dazzling separate DRLs that auto dim when headlights are used.       And not so good points...   Feel-free steering made worse by pressing the ‘City’ button. Bouncy suspension. Tendency to hop across the road if it hits a bump on a roundabout (all cured from 2010 model year). Rear seats don’t double fold. No ball of fire, of course.     Other Reports:   Original Road Test 500 1.2 Lounge and Multijet   /road-tests/fiat/fiat-500-road-test/   Road Test Abarth 500   /road-tests/abarth/abarth-500-road-test/   Road Test 500C Multijet   /road-tests/fiat/fiat-500c-road-test/   Road Test 500 TwinAir   /road-tests/fiat/fiat-500-twinair/     http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/fiat/fiat-500-long-term/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/fiat/fiat-500-long-term/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3545851/fiat 500 roo front 700.jpg' /></a> Mazda 5 1.6 diesel Road Test Mazda Mazda 5 1.6 diesel Road Test 56288 Thu, 20 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/mazda/mazda-5-16d/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3542059/maz 5 1.6d 1 etna f34 700.jpg' align="left" /></a> The 2 nd generation Mazda 5 was launched last year, a little before the new Ford C-Max and Grand C-Max, some features of which it shares.   Engines were a chain cam 115ps 1.8 petrol and a 150ps 2.0 petrol. But the engine the car was waiting for was Mazda’s development of the belt cam, alloy block Ford/PSA 1,560cc diesel.   Mazda has effectively taken this engine to bits and re-engineered it with a simplified, low friction 8 valve single overhead cam cylinder head, an EGR cooler cold start bypass, piezo high pressure injectors, low compression ratio for low NOX output, a variable geometry turbo and a fast warm catalyst to speed up particulate combustion.   The new engine puts out 115PS, and 270Nm torque from 1,750rpm. Very significantly, with its new 6-speed transmission, it’s a huge 120 kilos lighter than the old 2.0 litre engine and gearbox. And, in the stylish new 2 nd generation Mazda 5 bodyshell, it pulls 0-60 in 13.5 seconds, top out at 111mph, delivers 54mpg on the EC combines cycle and emits an environmentally friendly 138g/km CO2.   The performance figures don’t read very impressively, but the useful torque output means that this big car doesn’t feel underpowered. And I’d trade a small loss of performance anyway for its excellent economy and low CO2 figures.   Driving it, the biggest difference from the old Mazda 5 diesel is its agility at the front end. Removing that 120 kilos from under the bonnet (actually more weight than me and my wife put together) has given it much more bite at the front end, and much less understeer. It doesn’t have the same steering ‘feel’ as the Ford Grand C-Max, but it certainly hangs on very tidily through bends never giving any cause for alarm. At least it does on the standard TS2 spec 205/55 R16 tyres, which also imbue it with excellent ride quality.   Now, of course, this is a compact 7-seater with sliding side doors that is more likely to be bought for the purpose of ferrying children to school than taken on the special stages of a rally. And as a school bus, carrying 6 kids, it excels.   As before, the centre rear seat can be stowed under the cushion of the left hand side rear seat, an idea stolen and developed by Ford for the new Ford Grand C-Max. Except Ford took it a stage further, enabling the entire centre seat to be stowed under the right side rear seat. In the Mazda you have to fold the centre rear seatback sideways. Yet it still allows room for kids to climb in and get to the rearmost seats without disturbing smaller children strapped into ISOFIXes on the centre outer seats.   However, where the ‘Sport’ version of the Mazda 5 puts one over on the Grand C-Max is that its siding side doors can be opened and closed electrically, either by the keyfob or by a button on the dash. Young mums have told me this is a boon because it enables them to be sure that the kids in the back are safely locked in without having to leave the driver’s seat. That feature alone has often led to a purchase decision in favour of an MPV fitted with it.   So, Mazda 5 or Ford Grand C-Max? It’s true that the Grand C-Max has better steering feel and will appeal more to keen drivers. But mums are going to want those electric sliding side doors.   If I were Mazda I’d introduce them as an option on the lower spec TS2 rather than restricting them to the more expensive Sport.   But you get so much more with the Sport for £1,300 more, including leather and 17” alloys that a significant number of buyers are likely to plump for that version anyway.   More at Mazda     http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/mazda/mazda-5-16d/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/mazda/mazda-5-16d/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3542059/maz 5 1.6d 1 etna f34 700.jpg' /></a> Citroen Nemo Romahome R10 Solo Citroen Citroen Nemo Romahome R10 Solo 55977 Sun, 09 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/citroen/citroen-romahome-r10/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3527351/cit roma solo f34 2 700.jpg' align="left" /></a> By Martin Gurdon.   When Honest John asked me to try the single berth Romahome R10 Solo motor caravan, I confess to approaching it as a bit of a joke.   The idea of a motor home for one seemed non-specifically funny, and the use I’d be putting it to had plenty of comic potential.   I keep chickens –stick with me on this one because it is relevant- and ages ago wrote a book about them, promoting it with bookshop talks, which often involved bringing one of my flock.   Fast forward seven years and I’m still flogging the book, still doing the talk, but for reasons too complicated to explain, often do this at Women’s Institute conferences –the WI is a big organisation of people who read stuff, and only a very silly freelance writer ignores a healthy, sustained market.   So when HJ heard I was heading from Kent to a big WI ‘do’ in Haverfordwest with one of my flock, he thought this would make an ideal test for the tiny Romahome. The fact that I was doing this in the wintertime would add to the entertainment value of the exercise.   The R10 does look quite funny. It’s based on the tiny Citroen Nemo panel van, which is short, upright, and has the contours of a giant sugar cube, a chunky nose and lamp clusters which give it a slightly started look.   No matter. It’s a very space efficient; Romahome has been turning bigger vans into motor home for decades, and has gone about doing the same to this one with thoroughness.   There’s a proper mains electrical hook-up outside. Open the sliding side door and you’ll find a neat, combined sink unit and twin burner hob. Directly behind the driver’s seat is a box containing the unforgettably named Porta Potti, a chemical loo that looks identical to the one I had when living on a houseboat in the 1980s, and would make its presence felt if an R10 owner drove off having forgotten to empty it.   There’s a circular floor recess to hold an easily mountable table, and a crescent-shaped seat, with a locker containing, cables for the external electrics. This can be folded out, the front passenger seat backrest pushed forward, and the cushions used to make a bed long enough for someone whose about six foot three.   The Solo is topped off with a folding, roof. As these things go, it’s simple to raise and lower, although this requires careful prodding and pulling of the soft plastic side sections.   In the summer this would help keep the R10 cool, but since everything can be reached sitting down, I didn’t need to make use of it.   There are plenty of interior lights, and an R10 Soloist can hide from the outside world by means of neatly folding blinds which are held in place with fiddly pop fasteners and bits of Velcro glued, rather crudely, to interior window frames.   These jarred with the neat way the rest of the conversion had been carried out.   One thing the R10 lacked was concealed storage space. Cupboards are filled with gas and water bottles, forcing you to put luggage grips, shopping, etc, on the floor and in full view –a nuisance if you planned using the Solo as a regular car.   With the chicken installed in a slightly Heath Robinson-looking arrangement involving a folding dog cage and cat carry case, and enough luggage for a weekend away, there wasn’t going to be enough room for me to sleep in the van (and I wasn’t about to put the hen outside in fox-filled rural Wales, cage or not).   Since my wife was coming along for the ride, we decided to semi-cheat, stay in a Welsh bed and breakfast, then I’d camp in the Solo when we got back, so Honest would get the story he wanted, but with the order of events slightly re-arranged.     The R10 feels lively. It’s powered by a 1.4 diesel engine, mated to a slightly notchy five-speed gearbox with a dash-mounted lever.   Around town the little engine is gruff, which is hardly surprising, but it’s not unpleasant, but at motorway speeds it really shuts up.   On paper performance sounds awful, with an 18.2 0-62 and 94mph top speed, but in reality it feels perfectly sprightly.   The Solo will cruise at 80mph plus in fifth with the engine turning over at around 3,000rpm, and although there aren’t huge reserves of torque, there’s enough to make progress relaxing.   On a busy Friday night which involved avoiding a grid-locked M25, then putting up with a sluggish M4 into Wales, then on to a series of fast A roads, the Solo proved a far better cruising vehicle than its Postman Pat looks would suggest.   At speed it’s not especially quiet though. A mix of ambient noise –think road roar, some wind noise, etc- meant cranking up the radio.   The Porta Potti box at kidney-level made for an upright driving position, and the flat passenger seat is smaller than the driver’s, but we arrived in Wales remarkably unfrazzled, and worked out that the Solo had been returning 45-mpg plus.   How does it handle? Tidily, in an understeery sort of way, with a fair amount of roll, and the ride is jiggly, but not harsh.   We were less enamoured by its one airbag, lack of anti lock brakes or sat nav.   Despite this, 650 miles and one WI conference later we were back home and oddly taken with the little Solo.     Having parked it in our back garden, put up the blinds and set up the bed, I wished my wife adieu, and headed into the night.   Although the bed looked uncomfortable and knobbly, it wasn’t and I did sleep, although forgetting to turn on the heater –there’s an auxiliary battery- meant waking up was a chilly experience.   I ended up rather liking the R10, and can see the point of it. It really does work as a small motor caravan, although from £23,000, what it offers doesn’t come cheap.   Many of us are living longer, often remaining active well into old age, but might very well experience this part of our lives alone, thanks to divorce, widowhood, etc.   Romahome sells a lot of these conversions to oldies, fishermen, and even people who travel for work but have grown allergic to Premier Inns.   There’s a definite market for this little vehicle.   I came to the R10 expecting to have a laugh, but now see that, in a good way, it’s beyond a joke.   More at  www.romahome.com  and  www.citroen.co.uk   http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/citroen/citroen-romahome-r10/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/citroen/citroen-romahome-r10/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3527351/cit roma solo f34 2 700.jpg' /></a> Honda Jazz 2011 and hybrid road test Honda Honda Jazz 2011 and hybrid road test 55664 Fri, 10 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/honda/jazz-2011-and-hybrid/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3514337/hon jazz hybrid uk 1 f34 700.jpg' align="left" /></a> This is a tale of two Jazz. Because, in launching the Jazz hybrid, Honda has take the opportunity to revert to a CVT automatic transmission for the standard petrol propelled Jazz. Of the old Jazz, 40% were CVT automatics. Of the current Jazz, 30% are i-SHIFTS. Who knows how many potential Jazz sales have been lost through the i-SHIFT? Probably about 20%. The 2011 Jazz not only gets its CVT-7 back, it also gains a torque converter instead of an electromechanical clutch. This makes drive take up smoother, banishing completely the sort of lurching effect drivers could experience with the i-SHIFT if they stamped on the accelerator too hard. And, having failed to certify the i-SHIFT at less than 121g/km and drop it into the £30 tax bracket, Honda has actually made the CVT-7 perform slightly better, though it’s still £90 tax. All 2011 Jazz are, apart from the Jazz hybrid. The Jazz hybrid doesn’t quite get into the London Congestion Charge busting CO2 bracket, It’s actually 104g/km CO2. But, being a hybrid, it qualifies for a £10 reduction in Band B tax, so, at only £10 a year to tax, most suburban drivers aren’t going to worry too much. That’s where both the Jazz and the Jazz hybrid are most at home. They hybrid offers all the practicality of the standard Jazz, with rear seats that fold completely flat in one single movement offering cavernous space inside. As well as that, they have the ‘magic’ squabs that fold upwards, creating space in the centre of the car for a wheelchair, for example. And now they also recline slightly for greater comfort on a long drive. What the Jazz hybrid can’t offer is the rear underfloor space of the standard Jazz, because its compact but heavy Nickel-Metal Hydride battery has to go somewhere, and the best place for it is under the floor between the rear wheels. Both cars ride slightly softer than the 2008 – 2010 Jazz because suspension and damper rates have been altered. But to avoid the occasional jiggling sensation entirely it’s best to opt for 15” wheels with 175/65 tyres rather than 16” wheels with 185/55 tyres. (Another reason is that 185/55 R16 is an odd size, not easy to find and not generally discounted.) The 1.4 CVT-7 tootles along very nicely within its limitations, offering impressive levels of grip and no drama at all driven the way most buyers are likely to drive it. With its electric motor assisted engine, the Jazz hybrid offers more power on hills and a slightly flatter stance. The weight of the battery between the rear wheels feels like having two passengers, a very large dog or a bag of cement in the back. The 1.4 CVT-7 is certificated at 51.4mpg combined and the Jazz hybrid at 62.8mpg combines, giving the hybrid a theoretical 11.4mpg advantage. In reality, reckon on 50mpg v/s 60mpg, though that will depend on how and where you drive the car. Lift off and in some circumstances the system will revert to electric power only, closing the petrol engine valves but keeping it running without using any fuel. And being a petrol hybrid makes the Jazz hybrid much more suitable for short runs from cold than any diesel automatic fitted with a diesel particulate filter, which, in fact, means all new diesel cars from January 2011 onwards. Whereas Jazz buyers in countries like Thailand are mostly young, under 30, some even under 20, in the UK the average age of Jazz buyers is 62. With its versatile folding seats, easy drive and safe rather than exciting handling, it is the perfect retirement car. Now, with luxuries like cruise control, optional satnav and even leather seats, it can be specced up with the amenities of a much larger car while retaining the running costs of a small one. So it’s perfect for downsizing. The cruise control on the steering wheel is particularly easy to operate. Honda only expects to sell around 3,000 Jazz hybrids, at prices from £16,000 to £18,000. It will sell a lot more Jazz, and though the CVT comes in at £14,500 to £16,000, Jazz prices for the basic 1.2 manual start at £11,225. So the projected estimate of 27,000 may well be exceeded. At least, now with a hybrid on offer, a top spec with satnav and leather, and no more i-SHFTS, there’s nothing holding it back. More at Honda http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/honda/jazz-2011-and-hybrid/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/honda/jazz-2011-and-hybrid/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3514337/hon jazz hybrid uk 1 f34 700.jpg' /></a> Peugeot RCZ Road Test Peugeot Peugeot RCZ Road Test 55608 Sun, 05 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/peugeot/peugeot-rcz/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3510249/peug rcz side 700.jpg' align="left" /></a> JUST when you thought you knew your friends well, you find that you don’t know them at all. There I was, with three golf buddies I’ve known for years, and however good I told them that the Peugeot RCZ is, however brilliant it undeniably is, they weren’t having it. What on earth could possibly be wrong with one of the finest handling and best looking cars anyone could ever want? It was the badge, that’s all it was. Yep, they all turned out to be idiots. Now my three friends run an ancient Vauxhall Frontera, a VW Golf and a rotting Renault Scenic, hardly cars to attract even a passing glance in the golf club car park. Yet here they were, moaning about the badge. I doubt they could have collectively bought the car of their dreams even if they put all their savings together. Oh, and that had to be at least a Porsche or maybe a Ferrari. My moronic mates couldn’t recognise a decent car even if it ran over them. “It’s not an Audi, is it.” “This is the golf club. I wouldn’t want to turn up in a Peugeot. I’d rather be seen getting out of a BMW.” And so it went on. Nothing I could say could convince these pathetic fools that the Peugeot RCZ is not just the best car that the French firm have ever made, it’s also been voted best car of 2010 by a stack of motoring mags, and still has a lot more gongs waiting to be picked up. Peugeot, of course, are part of the giant PSA group, which also includes Citroën. Both firms have been involved in a joint venture with BMW to make a new 1.6-litre petrol engine which now also features in the MINI and in the brilliant Citroën DS3. Two versions of this amazing engine feature in the RCZ and I’ve driven both. First off, there was a 156bhp motor in the GT badged car which, considering that the RCZ weighs around the same as a Ford Focus, means it’s not short on power. This little beauty is good for 133mph and 0-62mph (100kph) in 8.3 seconds. Given the RCZ’s unbelievable handling that should provide enough fun to keep you grinning until petrol engines are banished to the dustbin of history. However, for those who like a little more meat on their loved ones there’s also a 200bhp version called the THP 200. It is, of course, absolutely brilliant. To be honest the RCZ feels like it could handle a hell of a lot more power, but 0-62mph in 7.6 seconds and a top speed of 146mph is just fine, thank you very much. In fact, given Britain’s obsession with speed cameras and the cops’ love of picking on easy targets like speeding drivers rather than the yobs who blight our lives, what’s the point of wanting anything quicker? So, in either form the RCZ is a hugely desirable motor, but there’s a lot more to it than that. Peugeot and Citroën have made huge steps recently in making their cars not just good to drive, but good to be in . The RCZ, with its gorgeous silver instruments, with faint honeycombe patterns, silver cabin trim and, on the THP 200bhp, leather seats as standard, is positively a very posh car to be in. The boot, for a car of this size, is massive and I’m convinced that once Peugeot find a way around making a “double bubble” roof that will also fold away, we’ll see a convertible. My son liked it so much he wouldn’t let me drive, and made me crouch in its toddler-sized back seats for a half-an-hour trip to the designer shops while his girlfriend bossed the passenger seat . Given people’s obsession with badges these days I was delighted to hear him say: “Who gives a damn about the badge, dad? This is a fantastic car.” Well said, lad. More at  www.Peugeot.co.uk/rcz   http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/peugeot/peugeot-rcz/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/peugeot/peugeot-rcz/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3510249/peug rcz side 700.jpg' /></a> Chevrolet Orlando Road Test Chevrolet Chevrolet Orlando Road Test 55429 Wed, 01 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/chevrolet/chevrolet-orlando/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3505183/chev orlando 1t front 700.jpg' align="left" /></a> Another day, another 7-seater MPV.   The Orlando is part of Chevrolet’s gap filling programme in order to have vehicles covering 60% of the European market by 2015. Like a phoenix risen from the ashes of the old GM, the company is now in good shape and doing well. Why Orlando? Because that’s where Disneyland is and because the name is better known by most sub teens than Chicago and probably even New York. It’s synonymous with family fun, so very attractive for a 7-seater MPV. The Orlando is not a rebodied Zafira. It’s on the newer GM Delta platform shared with the Chevrolet Cruze and Vauxhall/Opel Astra, stretched 233mm to an overall length of 4,652mm. That’s 202mm shy of the new Alhambra, 178mm shorter than a Ford Galaxy, but 62mm longer than a Citroen Grand Picasso, 88mm longer than a Renault Grand Scenic, 113mm longer than a Peugeot 5008, 132mm longer than Ford’s Grand C-Max and 212mm longer than a Toyota Verso. This translates to a reasonable amount of legroom in the rearmost seats for sub teen children, and adults for short distances, but the centre row does not slide so rear legroom cannot be shared out. At least access to the rearmost seats is good, with both sides of the 60/40 split centre bench double-folding. And each of the seats fold flat in a single action to quickly offer a flat load deck. Load capacity is 92 litres all seats up, 454 litres with rearmost seats folded and 1,487 litres all seats folded and filled to the ceiling. The rear load sill is thoughtfully protected with a plastic cover. Practical features on all versions include a panoramic back seat mirror so drivers can see what the kids are up to, a nifty cubby hidden behind the stereo fascia for hiding iPods and the like, and four 12v power sockets. All Orlandos get aircon and electric windows and mirrors. Powertrains comprise a belt cam 140PS 1.8 litre petrol engine with 5-speed manual transmission, a vastly better chain cam 130PS 2.0 diesel with 6-speed manual, and a 163PS 2.0 diesel with either 6-speed manual transmission or a 6-speed torque converter automatic. CO2 emissions of both diesel manuals is 159g/km so just inside the UK company write-down limit, but at 186g/km the automatic is way over, so that’s most likely to find friends among private buyers, Motability customers and taxi firms. The reasonable price levels of the LS and LT manual diesels help keep company driver BIK levels in check. The chain cam diesel is quite an amiable thing, providing sufficient torque to run from 800rpm and actually pull from 1,000rpm. None of that wait-for-it then sudden catapult effect. At 120kmh (75mph) the automatic only turns over 1,500rpm and the manual about 1,700rpm. Handling isn’t what people buy this sort of car for (unless they buy a Ford Grand C-Max). It’s adequate, but no more than that, and ride quality deteriorates markedly on the top spec 18” alloys with 235/45 R18 tyres. On the base model’s 215/60 R16s the ride is better, though understeer obviously occurs earlier. The additional attraction of the Orlando is Chevrolet’s Five Year Promise of five year’s manufacturer warranty, five years servicing, five years roadside assistance, five years MoT test warranty and five years of annual checks. With a cam chain holding the diesel engine together, it should offer better long term reliability than a belt cammer and no £500 sting every 5 years or so to change the cambelt, so that’s another positive. While the amiable, low revving nature of the diesel engine might make it more economical in real life than the certification figures suggest, especially on motorways. So if you need a reasonably priced 7 seat family car the Orlando should definitely be on your list, and possibly right at the top of it. More at Chevrolet . http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/chevrolet/chevrolet-orlando/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/chevrolet/chevrolet-orlando/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3505183/chev orlando 1t front 700.jpg' /></a> BMW X3 F25 BMW BMW X3 F25 55247 Mon, 29 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/bmw/bmw-x3-f25/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3501347/bmw f25 x3 t 1 front 700.jpg' align="left" /></a> The original E83 BMW X3 came under fire for not only not being an X5, but rubbing its poverty-level spec in the buyer’s face.   No chance of BMW making the same mistake with the new F25 X3.   Not only has it grown up and, with one exception, been given the sort of ambiance you expect for £30k, it has also become socially responsible.   No massively powerful petrol versions, no monster 3.0 litre diesels. Instead, all you can have for the time being is a 184PS 380Nm torque 2.0-litre 4-cylinder diesel that emits just 149g/km CO2 with a 6-speed manual, or 147g/km CO2 with a new 8 speed automatic. It’s also certified to crack the 50mpg combined barrier, but possibly best to take that with a pinch of road salt.   The new X3 is a little bit longer, a little bit higher and a little bit wider. Inside, it’s cavern-like with head and legroom in the back for seven footers and a decent 550-litre load capacity with all seats up. It’s also very comfortable with excellent ride quality, despite the 18” wheels with 245/50 R18 Pirelli Scottozero 2 runflat winter tyres on our car (17s with 225/60s are standard).   You get Nevada leather trim as standard, which you didn’t get with the old X3, and a starter list price £115 lower than the E83. You also get two-zone climate control air conditioning, iDrive controller and colour display.   But, as soon as you hit the options list, as with other German prestige marques, the bill starts rising alarmingly. It’s a bit like going for a fixed price menu at one of Ramsay’s restaurants, then going mad with the wine.   Our car had £9,210 worth of extra kit on it. I guess the Chateau Lafite Rothschild was £2,840 for a winter tyre package involving a repeat set of 18” alloy wheels with winter tyres.   While the Chateau d’Yquem had to be £2,165 for the ‘Business Advanced Media Package’.   And for your £2,165 you get a partially blanked out dashboard that forever reminds you that you should have paid an extra £300 to get the ‘Professional Advanced Media Package’ with panoramic screen.   Don’t go bonkers with the bits, though, and it’s actually quite good value, comparing favourably with an Audi Q5 and actually not much more than a high spec Honda CR-V, Nissan X-Trail or LandRover Freelander II.   And, of course, no CR-V or X-Trail or Freelander II diesel will get you from 0-60 in 8.3 seconds, on to 130mph, yet still sip fuel at around 40mpg. I have to write, “around 40mpg” because over the 1,400 kilometres we drove it, through blizzards, stuck in snowbound traffic jams and also bounding down the autobahns at a 100mph cruise, we averaged 37mpg. I reckon, in the summer, driving normally, I’d probably get 40 – 45mpg. Also worth noting is that despite gearing that allows 100mph cruising at 3,000rpm, it was happy to amble along at 1,000rpm.   More good news is BIK tax on just 21% of the price including extras, and this doesn’t rise as steeply as some others in coming years. The residual value is calculated at 43% of list after 3 years and 60,000 miles.   Handling is good, the car is impressively stable even at 130mph, which we only did once because it’s not a good idea on snow tyres even at 3 degrees centigrade.   The cruise control was brilliant. On the steering wheel in plain sight, easy to operate and very responsive (Audi designers please take note). One of the best I’ve ever used.   Over the weekend 26 th to 28 th November, we did 1,371 kilometres in our F25 X3 manual, through sleet, blizzards, deep snow, slush as well as completely clear autobahns, and we did it without a twinge or a moment’s anxiety.   That tells me a family could too. And makes me wonder if in today’s conditions, the new, fuel-frugal yet fast F25 X3 isn’t the best grand tourer you can buy.   Better even than the 5 Series Gran Turismo?   More at BMW   http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/bmw/bmw-x3-f25/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/bmw/bmw-x3-f25/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3501347/bmw f25 x3 t 1 front 700.jpg' /></a> Infiniti M30d Infiniti Infiniti M30d 55223 Mon, 29 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/infiniti/infiniti-m30d-/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3499863/infiniti m30d gt premium (2).jpg' align="left" /></a> Infiniti is probably the premium car maker you've never heard of. Unless you spend a lot of time over the the US. Across the pond the make is as well known as BMW and Mercedes-Benz are in the UK, but it probably has more in common with fellow Japanese brand Lexus . In the same way Lexus is the upmarket make from Toyota , so Nissan has Infiniti as its prestige marque. But don't have any illusions that this is some sort of rebadged Primera. The new M model is Infiniti's competitor in the very tough executive car market which is dominated by the likes of the BMW 5 Series and Audi A6. And it's a market where image is key - and where what you drive says plenty about you. In terms of looks the Infiniti M manages to looks fairly distinctive without being over the top in your face or just plain ugly. Without any trademark design features (like BMWs kidney grille) Infiniti is still inventing itself to a certain extent and while the M isn't as bold as the rather brash FX, it's still a stylish saloon that looks as upmarket as a Jaguar XF when parked alongside. It's also a substantial car and at five metres long is longer than other executive saloon - in fact it's knocking on the door of luxury four-doors like the BMW 7 Series. This is good news for cabin space with loads of leg and head room in the back, even for six-footers while the seats are incredibly comfortable and supportive - ideal for long journeys if you're lucky enough to have a driver. The quality of the interior is very good indeed and there's definitely a real attention to detail with some neat touches like the tradtional clock in the centre of the dash. As well as the problems of increasing recognition and awareness of the Infiniti name, the brand has also been hampered by the lack of a diesel engine. Up until now the only powerplant available in any Infiniti has been the 3.7-litre V6 petrol borrowed from the Nissan 370Z. It's a very smooth and powerful engine, but economy is not its strong point - the M37 for instance averages a claimed 27.7mpg and that's if you drive like Miss Daisy. Put your right boot down and it'll quickly drop to the early to mid 20s. But Infiniti's achilles' heel is no more with the launch of a new 3.0-litre V6 diesel which has already gone into the EX and FX models. It's proved impressive in the two SUVs but it's in the four-door M saloon where it was always going to be a key choice, especially with company car drivers. On paper it looks good with 238PS and more importantly 550Nm of torque which means plenty of pulling power through the gears. Accelerating from 0-62mph takes just 6.9 seconds and it's effortless with very little noise from the engine. In fact refinement is a real strength of the M30d. The engine is quiet on start-up and never gets noisy, even if you rev it hard - which there's no need too. The seven-speed automatic gearbox which is standard on all M models is smooth shifting and responds pretty quickly to demands for acceleration, although it's not as responsive as the eight-speed auto that you get in the latest BMW 5 Series. Economy and CO2 emissions could be better too. While a claimed 37.7mpg and 199g/km is a considerable improvement on the petrol M37, it's not as good as rivals. Not to harp on about the BMW 5 Series again but it is the best executive saloon around in nearly all departments. As the 530d automatic model shows. Compared to the M30d it's marginally more powerful, quicker from 0-62mph (by more than half a second) and more efficient too with claimed fuel economy of 46.3mpg and crucially for company car drivers, CO2 emissions of 160g/km. And in terms of driving, the M30d is a tale of two cars. Standard models feel too soft in corners and quiet wallowy on bumpy roads. But go for the S and S Premium models and you get the impressive 4-Wheel Active Steer system and sports suspension. This transforms the car with much sharper and composed handling, making the M feel the equal of anything out there - including the 5 Series. It's just a shame that all models don't come with it as standard. So is it better than the competition? Well you really need to go for models with the 4-Wheel Active Steer system and sports suspension and the price goes up accordingly with S models costing upwards of £40k - that's more than most of the competition. Where the M30d does well is with standard equipment. It comes really well kitted out with an array of features that are optional extras on competitor cars. So while rival motors may be cheaper as standard, by the time you've added on the essential extras (which most buyers do), the Infiniti will actually work out better value. http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/infiniti/infiniti-m30d-/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/infiniti/infiniti-m30d-/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3499863/infiniti m30d gt premium (2).jpg' /></a> Audi A7 Road Test Audi Audi A7 Road Test 55124 Tue, 23 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/audi/audi-a7/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3495859/audi a7 uk 1 front 700.jpg' align="left" /></a> As you can see for yourself the Audi A7 Sportback is yet another stunning looking car And it’s as important as the Audi A5 was when it was launched as a precursor to the A4 B8, because underneath the A7 is the next Audi A6. That means a longitudinally mounted engine with a driveshaft along the side of the transmission and drive brought forward to a differential situated between the engine and transmission. Though launched with a thundering V8, the A5 has endured an economy of scale with the V8 replaced by a more economical 300 horsepower chain-cam turbocharged V6. And that engine now features in the A7 Sportback, sending its power to all four wheels via a twin clutch 7-speed ‘S tronic’ transmission. The A7 also gets the redoubtable chain-cam V6TDI from the A5 and from the old A6, now brought up to pace with 245PS. (Don’t worry, I’m not going to translate that into 241.75bhp or whatever.) That engine also comes in a lower state of tune, sending its 204 horsepower to the front wheels rather than all four via an 8-ratio Multitronic CVT transmission. It’s also the cheapest in the A7 launch line-up at a “mere” £43,755. Compare that to the 240PS Jaguar XF 3.0TD Luxury that, even with its price adjusted to 20% VAT, comes in at   £35,632. The 2.8TFSI shares the same power output, but has less torque and puts it all down to the tarmac via the same all-wheel-drive quattro drivetrain as the 3.0V6s, which makes it slightly more expensive at £45,220. (Jaguar XF 3.0 V6 petrol models start at £30,066 at 20% VAT.) At risk of labouring the price issue a bit, which I have to because readers have already brought it up, you won’t get much change out of £50,000 for either petrol or diesel 3.0 V6 quattros, and without going totally mad over the options you could easily spend £60,000. Audi tries to take the sting out of this by quoting a CAP Monitor 3 year residuals of 38% of list for the 3.0V6 TDI quattro. But that might means accepting a £19,000 trade in for a car you spent £60,000 buying. The Audi A7 obviously makes much more sense new as a company car and, emitting just 139g/km in the EU tests, the 204PS 3.0V6 TDI Multitronic has an exceptionally low BIK rate for this class of car. The punchier 245PS 3.0V6 TDI quattro S tronic comes in at 158g/km, below the vital 160g/km company tax barrier, and putting it ahead of all Jaguar XFs in the company carpark. Part of the key to this is lightness. Suspension components, doors, bonnets and hatchbacks are aluminium, keeping weight down to a relatively trim 1,695 to 1,770 kilograms. Surprise and delight features include an optional ‘High’ mobile phone Bluetooth kit that accesses Google maps, turning the satnav into a satellite photograph of the landscape you are driving through. But if you pair your mobile to the car, you have to pay for the connection so this gets expensive. The alternative is to put a dedicated local rate SIM card in the system itself, but one of us who then tried to pair his mobile with the car found that he couldn’t. Rear seat head and legroom for two passengers is generous, auguring well for the forthcoming new A6. Boot space is a decent 535 litres and looks long enough to take golf bags lengthwise. Now on to the all-important question, “what’s it like to drive?” I can’t tell you about the 3.0V6TDI Multitronic because none were available to us. We were only able to drive the 3.0V6 TDI and 3.0V6 TFSI quattro S tronics, heavily optioned up with Sport suspension and 19” alloys, plus lots of other kit. Both cars were extremely easy to drive in ‘normal’ mode, except when reversing. The strakes on the bonnet enable you to position the car extremely well, as we had to do driving wide RHDs on the right hand side of some very narrow roads. Knock the selector over to S and you can avail yourself of the neat gearchange paddles, which follow the wheel, and decide for yourself when it’s going to hold a gear or change. At speed, left foot braking into turns then powering round them from the apex tucks the front end into the corner nicely in the manner of a good quattro. Not quite as well as in an S3, but the A7 is a bigger, wider car, so you have to confine this activity to corners you can clearly see through.   Plonk along in full auto mode and it just blandly gets on with it showing a tendency to understeer, especially if you are a right foot braker and over-brake. On the motorway, cruise control with a speed limiter works well enough once you get used to it, but wasn’t very helpful in Spain where the 120kmh limit switches to 100kmh at every junction. The diesel engine is more vocal and has more torque, but the 300 horsepower 3.0V6TFSI is sweet as a nut and if the car were ever needed to ferry VIPs at high speeds in relative silence it would have to be the obvious choice. That said, it’s over the company tax threshold at 190g/km and uses more fuel so very few company drivers are likely to find themselves behind the wheel of one and at higher depreciation than the TDIV6 quattro a private owner would need to be very keen indeed to put in an order for one. Does the A7 get the thumbs up? As a company drive, the diesels definitely do, offering a sportier drive than the BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo in a completely different kind of car. And watch that options list. It’s all too easy to spend a lot of money that increase your tax bill and that your company will never get back. More at Audi http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/audi/audi-a7/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/audi/audi-a7/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3495859/audi a7 uk 1 front 700.jpg' /></a> Honda CR-Z Road test Honda Honda CR-Z Road test 54679 Fri, 05 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/honda/honda-cr-z/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3478279/hon crz t 1 front 700.jpg' align="left" /></a> The Honda CRZ is a curious car that rewards greater acquaintance.   It doesn’t immediately endear itself to you for various reasons.   The steering feels a bid dead, the view out isn’t brilliant, the rearward view is bisected by a horizontal hatch frame and you have to drive it by the windscreen because you can’t see anything else.   Yet after half a day spent filming single-handedly (a necessarily brutal process) its charms became more evident.     The race is on between everywhere I left my camera by the roadside, running back to the car to drive it past the camera, then getting back to the camera before someone steals it.   This can mean physical sprints, hard braking, sudden 3-point turns and all sorts of sadism that separates the decent cars from the duds.   If I warm to a car after that, I know it’s a good car.   And, by the time I’d filmed my film and said my bit, I’d discovered qualities that weren’t apparent on first acquaintance.   The more I drove it, the sportier it felt.   Though the Honda CRZ is a hybrid, the system doesn’t work like in a Prius or an Insight.   It has a manual six-speed transmission and three drive modes: Sport, Normal and Econ. There is no option to drive purely on the electric motor at any speed.   It’s geared at around 25mph per 1,000rpm in 6 th . But the engine and electric motor work together to deliver maximum torque at 1,500rpm and, of course, because the motor is electric, it delivers its maximum torque from zero rpm. This fills in the gap, allowing the car to be driven from around 1,000rpm and from around 25mph in 6 th gear and is the reason why it can be very economical around town.   The default setting is Normal, which gives the car a reasonably sporty but not quite sportscar ‘feel’. Press Econ and it dumbs down to provide maximum economy, but least enjoyment. Press Sport and it sharpens up considerably, responding to the steering wheel and accelerator with much greater alacrity than it does on Normal, though, of course, using more fuel.   Whatever mode you’re in, stop, take it out of gear, lift the clutch and the engine stops. It starts again, usually instantly, when you press the clutch.   Handling isn’t quite the “go-kart” experience promised. It’s flat, but stiction in the steering robs it of the feedback it should have. It’s not bad, though, and you can feel your way to the road surface when giving the car some serious stick. Anyone wanting more can get in touch with Eibach for its £150 suspension kit that drops the car a bit lower, apparently without affecting ride comfort.   The dash is the best I’ve ever confronted in any car at any price. Every switch and button is clearly visible, logical in its function and exactly where your fingers can readily find it. The central rev counter and digital speedo are directly in your line of sight.   Perfect. Whoever designed that can now retire on a fat pension because his work cannot be topped.   The front seats are comfy enough. The rears are strictly for midgets or small children and acknowledging this come with Isofix tethers. The passenger seat is also mum friendly with a keyswitch to deactivate the airbag when using a rear facing baby seat.   I’m now going to take the car to Brighton to compete in the futurecar challenge, then on Sunday I’ll drive it to Northumberland and back.   That will give a fair assessment of its real world economy. I’ll add the results as soon as I have them, on Sunday night.     800 miles further acquaintance with not one, but two CR-Zs taught me a lot more.   For a start that bar that bisects the back window also neatly blots out the headlights of cars directly behind, which helps greatly on a crowded motorway at night.   My first night-time journey of the weekend was down to Brighton to take part in the Futurecar economy run from Brighton to London. Unfortunately the route took us through Croydon, Streatham and Brixton on a Saturday, which entailed one of Britain’s worst weekend traffic jams. So our average economy was brought down to 52.89 mpg.   How would it do on a 630 mile journey to and from Northumberland?   What at first appears to be cruise control with a mind of its own actually turns out to be very intelligent. Instead of simply maintaining a fixed speed,   it keeps approximately to that speed. And since motorways like the M1 undulate quite a lot, this enables the hybrid system to regenerate on descents, then reward you with the assistance of the electric motor up ascents so it doesn’t use fuel the way cruise control normally does.   I had it in ‘Econ’ mode most of the time, but when switched to ‘normal’ this effect was even more pronounced.   Economy by the time I turned off the A1 was just over 50mpg. But on the ups and downs of 45 miles of favourite road, I was able to improve the average by one mile per gallon. The technique was to leave it in Econ most of the time, regenerate as much as possible on the descents (in gear braking regenerates the most), then use the regenerated torque in ‘Normal’ or ‘Sport’ to simply romp up the ascents.   The centre of the speedo glows green when driving economically, turquoise when driving less than economically and red when you're ragging it.   Huge fun, especially because you're both having your cake and eating it.   By the time I got back to Weybridge, a total of 611.9 miles was showing an average of 52.6mpg on the meter.   Brims to brims over a mileage corrected 676 miles needed 13.53 gallons, so that works out at 50mpg. One mpg better than I got from a Prius II over 6 months use.   Not bad for a car that puts more style and fun into a hybrid than anything else.   More at Honda     http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/honda/honda-cr-z/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/honda/honda-cr-z/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3478279/hon crz t 1 front 700.jpg' /></a> Vauxhall Astra Sport Tourer Road Test Vauxhall Vauxhall Astra Sport Tourer Road Test 54406 Fri, 29 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/vauxhall/vauxhall-astra-st/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3471008/vaux astra st 2 side 700.jpg' align="left" /></a> The new Vauxhall Astra Sport Tourer is a particularly clever piece of design.   The design brief was to create a workhorse, as the Astra estate has always been. But not to make it look like a workhorse.   That was achieved by careful tapering of the rearmost side windows, while at the same time curving the roof up and over a crease, to trick the eye into seeing a sloping, coupe-like roofline though it is, in fact, quite high.   Clever design and engineering didn’t stop there.   The rear hatch opening had to be capable of taking a 900-litre box, which means a regular straight-sided aperture. Yet that has to be concealed by the hatch and spoiler that blended in with the rest of the car. This meant a special design of rear hinge to give a slight cantilever effect, and it works brilliantly. The rear hatch opens to well above head height (for most people) and incorporates proper grab handles to bring it back down.   Inside the load area there is room for 500 litres all seats up, 1,000 litres with rear seats folded, 1,550 litres loaded to the roof. And the regularly shaped area will take a square-sided 900-litre box.   It all works very well indeed. It’s even very easy to get in and out of the rear seats. The only sacrifice is that it could, perhaps, have done with an inch or so more legroom. Anyone sitting in the back behind a tall driver will find their knees rubbing the back of the front seat.   Up front it’s pure new Astra with a good-looking, decent quality dash and all controls neatly to hand. Though a plastic steering wheel on the £19,375 1.7CDTI 110 Exclusiv felt a bit cheapskate.   Ride is excellent for the class of car. No bumping or jarring on our entire test drive. But handling isn’t as inspired as I remember the 1.4 140 Turbo Exclusiv hatch on Welsh roads. There’s nothing actually wrong. It just lacks any kind of sporting edge. It bites into corners, but you don’t feel it biting. At least it doesn’t snap back.   There’s a colossal range of engines. 1.4 100PS petrol, 1.6 115PS petrol with manual or automatic transmission. 1.4 140PS turbo (which would be my choice). Then no less than four diesels: A 1.3 with 95PS and 109g/km, so £20 tax, a 1.7 with 110PS and 110g/km, which is what we were driving. The 1,7 with 125PS. And a 3.0 litre diesel with 160PS, the most power available in the car.   Prices start at £16,575, which is £500 less than the old Astra estate for a lot more equipment. For full equipment lists see the specs section.   Options include satnav, DAB radios, orthopaedic front seats, ‘FlexFold’ rear seats that allow them to be folded by pulling a switch in the side of the boot, Mazda 6 style, and a useful, double folding loadliner that protects load floor, seatbacks and the rear load sill.   All are built at Ellesmere Port on the Mersey, whether Vauxhall or LHD Opel badged, so the UK is exporting Astra Sport Tourers, which is helpful to the economy.   GM and Ellesmere Port have survived and now flourish, which is not what the cynics were predicting 18 months ago.   More at Vauxhall   http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/vauxhall/vauxhall-astra-st/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/vauxhall/vauxhall-astra-st/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3471008/vaux astra st 2 side 700.jpg' /></a> Fiat FIAT 500 TwinAir Road Test Fiat FIAT 500 TwinAir Road Test 54257 Tue, 26 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/fiat/fiat-500-twinair/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3465527/fiat 500 twinair 1 front 700.jpg' align="left" /></a> I’ve driven the future. And it’s probably my future, too, because I’m thinking of buying one. The FIAT 500 TwinAir is the greatest leap forward in engine technology for 20 years. A team of FIAT engineers led by Giovani Mastrangelo have taken FIAT’s MultiAir valve operation and applied it to an all-new 875cc twin cylinder turbocharged engine. The result is a very useful 85PS from just 875cc. But, far more relevantly in our ECO conscious age, is that this extraordinary petrol engine emits just 95g/km CO2. The lowest emissions of any petrol engine anywhere in the World. ‘Free’ annual road tax and, now confirmed from 4 th January 2010, no London Congestion Charge are just two of the benefits. 68.9mpg combined (70.6mpg combined for the Dualogic automated manual) are another. Even being realistic, this corresponds to better than 60mpg in everyday use. And on top of that, the engine has enormous character. It’s basically the engine the FIAT 500 was waiting for. Generating very little friction, it revs extremely freely, but the electro-hydraulic inlet valves prevent it from over-revving. It has a characterful noise, a bit like the original two-cylinder Honda N600 of the 1960s. But it’s much more powerful. Sixty miles an hour comes up in 10.7 seconds compared to the 12.6 seconds of the 69PS 500 1.2. Top speed is 108mph instead of 99. And, of course, the car has the suspension improvements developed by Ford for the Ka, then refined by FIAT for the 500 Abarth and 500C before becoming standard across the 500 range from 2010 model year. Together they transform the 500 from a car you forgive because of its looks into a really fun drive with excellent ride quality. Happily, gone is the super-light ‘City’ steering assistance mode, which I can’t believe anyone ever used because it turned already lifeless steering into a completely feel-free zone. The TwinAir has great steering that puts you fully in touch with how the front wheels are gripping and what’s happening at the back. In place of the ‘City’ switch, the TwinAir has an ‘Eco’ button, that cuts engine torque and hence aids economy. And it’s in the area of torque that I needed to re-learn how to drive a 500. Running on Shell V-Power, my 1.2 is very sweet at low revs, happy to run at 30mph in 5 th , corresponding to around 1,300rpm. The TwinAir is geared the same and, though its maximum torque of 145Nm at 1,900rpm is much greater, there’s nothing much there below that, so you need 4 th in a 30. At speed, though, the engine smoothes out beautifully and is very happy to cruise quietly at 60mph. The big difference between it and the 1.2 is that, if you want to accelerate from 60, instead of slowly gathering pace, you can quickly get up to 70 and illegal speeds above that. Soon there will be more TwinAir developments: a 65PS version without a turbo, and a 105PS turbo that will render the 100PS 500 1.4 completely redundant. The 65PS and 85PS versions will also find their way under the bonnets of next year’s new FIAT Pandas. In the meantime, though, the FIAT 500 MultiAir gives you your cake and lets you eat it. It’s fun to drive, characterful, yet extremely economical and so low in CO2, it’s tax and Congestion Charge free. London is going to be full of them.   Economical - with the truth The EC Certification Tests for the FIAT 500 TwinAir give it 95g/km CO2 (so free annual tax and no London Congestion Charge). But this also translates to a combined fuel economy figure of 68.9mpg, and no one seems to have come anywhere near achieving this. I got 35mpg while filming it, ‘Autocar’ got 35.8, the boys at Top Gear got 38, George Fowler of The Star got 42 having fun and 62 driving it as economically as possible. So what’s the truth? My own 500 1.2 has averaged 48.83mpg over 11,750 miles. That isn’t the consumption meter reading (it resets every 2,000 miles anyway). It’s the fuel log of total fuel used over 11,750 miles. Over Christmas and New Year I made two 600 mile journeys in it and the average over them was 46.91mpg. So I wondered if the 500 TwinAir would beat it. Over the same journey. In similar conditions. Averaging the same speeds of around 58mph (300 miles in just over five hours). And today I found out. After the first 300 miles the meter said 49.4mpg. After the second 300 miles, that had fallen to 48.3mpg. Taking the total 610 miles covered and dividing them by the 12.7 gallons of fuel used, it averaged 48.03mpg. Not shamefully short of the meter reading. And a little bit better than my 1.2. Obviously the EC Certified figures were achieved in ‘Eco’ mode in which the TwinAir actually develops less power and torque than the old 1.2. The problem is, with the Eco mode switched of,f the 500 TwinAir is a hoot to drive. Almost as good as the 500 Abarth. Which is why testers trying the car for a few hours or for a week on FIAT’s petrol only get 35mpg on the consumption meter. And why, by judicious use of the Eco mode, I got 48. But on the motorway, what sane driver wouldn’t leave it in Eco as much as possible? Why deliberately use more fuel than you have to in order to average pretty much the same speeds? Okay, you do find inclines you didn’t know existed, but it’s not that bad and if you lose too much speed you can always switch Eco off momentarily. M1 Southbound on a Sunday South of Leicester? You're lucky to do 60 and the fastest lane is the nearside. There are 17 miles of 50mph contraflow befoee you get to Luton. So why do you need to be in anything other then Eco? 85 miles of my runs were cross-country, over my favourite road that has every kind of corner (apart from hairpins, every kind of incline and every kind of surface ranging from racetrack smooth to rally stage rough. Today, part of the route was washed out as well. The roads became rivers of muddy water that the surrounding fields could not absorb. That showed up the biggest difference between my 2008 500 and the current car with its vastly improved, much softer rear suspension. Instead of hopping round corners, the TwinAir simply gripped, almost as well as an Alfa Mito set to ‘All Weather’. It was really that good. If you have to drive into London regularly and want something that’s stylish as well as fun, and very low on BIK, a FIAT 500 TwinAir is the only obvious choice. Everything else that’s Congestion Charge exempt is a hybrid or a diesel, or is the Toyota IQ or the Hyundai i10 Blue. Happily, though you won’t ever get anything like the EC combined mpg figure, you will do a lot better than 35mpg. Even on a 600 mile run.   Website:  FIAT     http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/fiat/fiat-500-twinair/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/fiat/fiat-500-twinair/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3465527/fiat 500 twinair 1 front 700.jpg' /></a> Mazda 2 1.5 Automatic Mazda Mazda 2 1.5 Automatic 54110 Sun, 17 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/mazda/mazda-2-auto/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3460273/maz 2 auto 2 f34 700.jpg' align="left" /></a> When I originally tested the Mazda 2 three years ago, I loved it. Especially the 1.3TS2 that seemed to have a perfect blend of performance, handling, gearing and economy for a small hatchback. I found the Fiesta less characterful in comparison, even driven on exactly the same roads in Italy a year later. The Mazda2 originally came with a 75PS chain cam 1.3, an 86PS chain cam 1.3, a 103PS 1.5 with slightly shorter gearing, and a 1.4 68PS diesel. Since then the range expanded, to include a 90PS 1.6 diesel. But the UK never got the 1.5 4-speed ‘Activematic’ automatic, which is the subject of this test in Thailand. All too often a small automatic either comes as an automated manual or as a CVT with all the fun of driving it extracted like an unpleasant encounter with a dentist. So what I wanted to find out here was if a small automatic can deliver the two pedal job and still provide some enjoyment. The Mazda2 has just had a facelift and a general revamp. All engines are brought up to EU5, which has meant a slight power decrease for the petrols and a 5PS increase for the 1.6 diesel. The 1.3s are now 119g/km, so band C £30 VED. The 1.6 diesel is now 110g/km, so Band B £20 VED. And the 1.5 automatic is being introduced to the UK at 146g/km, which raises the VED to band E and £125. These cars should be arriving in the UK in November. The 1.5 engine of the Mazda 2 automatic puts out 102PS, which is 8PS short of the Toyota Yaris/Vios 1.5 and 18PS short of the Honda Jazz/City 1.5. So Mazda has made up for that with the gearing. 4 th (top) gear of the Mazda2 auto works out at about 23 – 24mph per 1,000rpm against about 28mph/1,000rpm for the Vios, and the penalty of that is a brim to brim of 36.35mpg v/s 43 from the Vios. Still not bad, though, for a small, perky automatic while carrying four people and their luggage and being driven at between 70 and 80mph. Like the Yaris/Vios (and like the Fiesta/Focus/Fusion 1.6 auto), there’s a button on the gearshift lever to lock out 4 th . There’s also a ‘Sport’ position for the lever that holds 1 st and 2 nd longer and keeps it in 3 rd . And 2 nd is surprisingly long. If you’re stuck behind a truck and want to overtake from anything up to about 50mph the box drops down to 2 nd at the slightest prod of the pedal. Though I still reckon a keen driver will get the most thrills from a 1.3TS2 manual, the Mazda2 1.5 auto doesn’t leave him or her locked out of the fun fair. It’s less refined than a Ford Fiesta, and the 195/45 x 16 tyres feel ridges in the road. But at speed, for a small hatchback, it’s delightful. Somewhere between a Suzuki Swift and a MINI Cooper in the pleasure it gives. In the looks department, the front can be confused with a Fiesta, but the deeply sculpted sides, the cutaway side windows and much more coupe-like rear distinguish the Mazda 2. I think it’s a great looking little car. And those deep side windows give excellent visibility through large door mirrors. Inside, you’re not struggling for space. There’s plenty of head and legroom for four, and five at a pinch. There’s a decent amount of bootspace, with a spacesaver spare under the floor (of our car, at least). But the rear seat backrests do no more than split-fold forward, like a Fiesta’s, so this is no mini pantechnicon like a Jazz or a Note. And if you’re expecting the disco dash of a Fiesta you’ll be disappointed. It’s a fully built in radio/CD MP3 player with an aux-in socket and a proper display, but it doesn’t look like a mobile phone. The big test of the car was something like 500 miles in a day, driving through appalling weather without a twinge. But out alone on almost completely clear, decently surfaced, dry roads I could really have some fun trying to find its limits and not quite getting there. Very often cars don’t drive as well as they look, yet that isn’t the case with the Mazda2. It goes and handles as well as it looks, and, hand on heart, you can’t say that, for many other small automatics. Aftermath This test was uploaded on Sunday 17 th October, after which we had to get the car back to Bangkok (Krung Thep) from a village called Bang Khok Si in Sakhon Nakhon province. All went well, until we hit the devastating ‘nam tuam’ floods west of Korat (Nakhon Ratchasima). That meant a diversion back up Highway 2 to Highway 205, which itself was flooded. To make our way round that we took the 2067 to Nong Sung, then along a minor road to Non Thai where we rejoined the 205, thanks to Fon Promi’s excellent understanding of Thai directions and maps. We then had to battle through occasional very heavy rain and minor flooding to Chai Badan in Chayaphum, and profuse thanks here to the initiative of a sensible police traffic officer who escorted a convoy of buses, trucks and cars including ours through the twisting mountain pass in treacherous conditions, keeping our speed down to a sensible 60 – 80kmh and making sure we all got through. South of Chai Badan, the 205 was again flooded, so we had to switch to the handily parallel Highway 21 down to Saraburi where we merely needed to wade through about a foot of floodwater to get back onto Highway 2 to Bangkok. Despite 800 kilometres and 10 hours solid driving I still stepped out of the car twinge-free, which says a lot for the seats. Altogether, over about 1,800 kilometres including rain and flood, we averaged a still creditable 36.06mpg with no trouble. That finally came after refilling the car and having it valeted to return to Mazda’s Lake Rachada offices when I got stopped by a cop on Sukhumvit shakedown duty just one kilometre from Mazda’s office. So, good cop, bad cop, but the bad cop didn’t push his luck. 4-5-2011 Footnote: On a sunny day in Surrey on UK spec 185/55 R15 tyres a Mazda 2 1.5TS2 Activematic averaged 44.6mpg over 18 miles, from a cold start. More at Mazda http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/mazda/mazda-2-auto/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/mazda/mazda-2-auto/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3460273/maz 2 auto 2 f34 700.jpg' /></a> Ford C-MAX and Grand C-MAX 2010 Road Test Ford Ford C-MAX and Grand C-MAX 2010 Road Test 53474 Wed, 22 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/ford/ford-c-max-2010/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3434485/ford c-max 1 2011 both 700.jpg' align="left" /></a> I summed up the video with words to the effect, “if the new Ford C Max is this good, it makes me wonder how good the new Focus going to be?”   Unlike the previous version, the new C-Max is two cars in one: a 5-seater, and a 7-seater.   Significantly, they are the first Fords in the World on a new ‘C segment’ platform that will eventually form the basis of ten different models, of which no less than 2,000,000 a year are planned to be made.   So, actually, it had to be good. Yet even drivers used to the fluid manner in which modern Fords like the Mondeo and S-Max seem to flow from corner to corner were surprised by quite how well this relatively tall and boxy ‘Multi Activity Vehicle’ goes, rides and handles.   It’s soft and supple on its 215/50 R17 tyres, yet steers remarkably accurately, resists both understeer and oversteer to remarkably high levels, and imposes no significant effort on the driver.   The 5-seater is almost as easy to get in and out of as the original C-Max, yet now has small bolsters on the sides of the seats that impede this process slightly. Happily, though, the fact it is designed to be either a 5 or 7-seater has not impinged on the roominess in the front.   Behind, the narrow centre rear seat still folds forwards and the two outer rears can be slid diagonally six inches back to offer more legroom at the expense of luggage space. Leave them where they are and there’s a very useful 475 litres of luggage space if you don’t specify the optional space-saver spare, and 432 litres if you do.   The 7-seater Grand C-Max is exactly the same in the front and only changes from the driver’s door pillar backwards. The two rear side doors slide, and the centre rear seats initially look much the same. But flip the right-hand squab forwards and you can quickly fold the centre seatback down, then hinge the whole thing over into the base of the right-hand seat.   That then makes it a 6-seater, but the advantage of this is the same as you see in many 7-seaters parked outside schools waiting to pick children up. While ISOFIX tethered child seats can remain in place on the outer seats, the older offspring can nip through between them to take their places in the back.   There’s not a lot of space for them there, but this can be increased by sliding the centre seats forward, and it’s enough at a pinch. From memory, about the same as in a Toyota Verso.   Of course, there has to be a compromise, and there’s almost no room at all behind the rearmost seats. Just 90 litres maximum, assuming you opt for the Tyrefit kit rather than the spacesaver. But if you’re only carrying five, you can flip one of the rearmost seats down to create luggage space next to the rearmost passenger.   Flip all the seats down and there’s between 1,684 litres and 1,742 litres of loadspace up to the roof.   Ford sees the Grand C-Max as a car for young families with one, two, or three children and the occasional need to carry a couple of their friends. By the time the kids reach their teenage years it will probably be time to move up to an S-Max or Galaxy (or Sharan or Alhambra). But the convenience of the short length and the wonderfully agile way the car drives makes it a better bet than a family battlewagon for the first ten years or so.   And the car has what designer Martin Smith describes as a “premium feel”. By which he means a higher quality of ambiance. The piano black Sony DAB radio/CD player with intuitive controls is particularly nice.   In total, the new C-Max and Grand-C-Max come in no less than 24 different engine, transmission and body combinations. Sensibly, Ford of Britain won’t initially be inflicting all of them on us unless sufficient numbers start clamouring for more.   We’ll get base 1.6s with 105 or 125PS, 1.6 TDCI 115s, 1.6 Ecoboost 150s, and 2.0TDCI 140s with either 6-speed manual or 6-speed Powershift transmissions.   The C-Max 1.6TDCI creeps in under 120g/km, so is £30 tax, the Grand C-Max 1.6TDCI is under 130g/km, so £90 tax. While the 2.0 TDCI manuals are under 140g/km, and the 2.0TDCI Powershift is under 150g//km in the C-Max, but slightly over in the Grand C-Max. Still under the vital 160g/km for company cars, though. Petrols, too, all come in under 160g/km, whether 105PS, 125PS, 150PS or 180PS. In 2011 or 2012, there will also be an all new, ultra low emission 1.0 litre 3-cylinder Ecoboost petrol engine that Ford will be hoping to get under the magic 100g/km CO2.   This is the first appearance of the 1.6 Ecoboost in a Ford. The new engine employs both direct injection and turbocharging to provide very useful pulling power at low rpm, good economy, relatively low CO2 for a petrol engine, and the ability to rev if required. The low down torque was very welcome, similar to PSA’s 1.6THP 150, making it an extremely sweet and agreeable engine to drive.   We also got our hands on a 2.0TDCI Powershift in the Grand C-Max body and this proved to be surprisingly sublime. You expect a hot hatchback to turn in and hang on through a long corner. You don’t expect a mini MPV to, yet the Grand C-Max does, not only putting cars like the Scenic, Zafira and Verso to shame, but also the best of the current crop of ‘C segment’ hatchbacks, including the present benchmark Focus. Ford puts this down to detailed tuning of the ‘control blade’ suspension and a new ‘torque vectoring differential’, which uses the brakes to give the effect of a limited slip diff.   That’s why, when the new Focus lands on our shores early next year, it’s likely to be sensational.   For the new C-Max Ford has improved general specification levels. You can see what you get on the different versions in the specs section. There are also some useful options and option packs.   Worth mentioning here are the cruise control with speed limiter, BLIS Blind Spot Eliminating Mirrors, rear parking camera, park assist (which self parks the car for you in a tight space), electric tailgate, adjustable rear seat watching mirror, driver controlled rear child locks, hill start assist, Tyre Pressure Monitoring System, piano black Sony DAB radio/CD, Easyfuel misfuel prevention, and of course, seatback picnic tables. The new electric power steering has no separate settings for comfort, normal and sport, but, with fewer turns lock to lock and a nicer feel, doesn’t need them.   More at Ford     http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/ford/ford-c-max-2010/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/ford/ford-c-max-2010/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3434485/ford c-max 1 2011 both 700.jpg' /></a> SEAT Alhambra II 2010 SEAT SEAT Alhambra II 2010 53147 Wed, 15 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/seat/alhambra-2010/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3422735/seat alhambra ii red 1 f34 red 700.jpg' align="left" /></a> This is really two tests in one. Because just about anything I write about the new SEAT Alhambra will almost equally apply to the new VW Sharan. There is, of course, a price difference. A slight weight difference. A possible difference in noise levels. But they are really the same vehicle with some minor styling differenced and different badges. SEAT represents the best value for money. VW stands for more status, and maybe a slightly higher residual from the higher base price when you come to sell. The outstanding feature of both is the accommodation. They both have five separate seats in the back. The centre three seats slide as well as fold and all three have ISOFIX tethers. You can order integrated child seats for the outer two in the centre row, which may well see around 1,000 Alhambras on the Addison Lee London fleet. All five seats fold flat very easily. But what’s particularly good is the way the outer centre seats singlehandedly cantilever forward very easily to afford access to the rearmost seats. And, having sat for about 60 miles in those rearmost seats without a twinge, I can testify to their comfort. They beat those in the Galaxy, which was obviously the bench mark they had to beat. SEAT also made a big thing about CO2 emissions. The 5 seater Alhambra ECOmotive 2.0TDI 140 comes in at 143g/km, which is lower than any other full size MPV. But by the time SEAT adds another couple of seats, which it will be doing for all Alhambras imported to the UK, that rises to 146g/km. Yet even adding the DSG twin shaft, twin clutch automatic transmission to 2.0TDI 140, it’s still 149g/km, comfortably under the 150g/km band limit. While the 2.0TDI 170 DSG is 154g/km. Less than the Galaxy 2.0TDCI 163 Powershift at 159g/km, but still in the same tax bracket. They do this by virtue of regenerative alternators and a traffic engine stop/start system. And to keep nitrous oxide emissions cleaner than clean, the diesels have a   ‘add blue’ system to the catalytic converters. There is also a 1.4 chain cam supercharged and turbocharged petrol engine that develops 150PS and 240Nm torque. Every new Alhambra bound for the UK comes with alloy wheels, three-zone climate control, Bluetooth phone connectivity and an 8-speaker radio, CD and MP3 player, and electric parking brake with ‘autohold’ for hills. Slightly annoyingly, if you use the electric parking brake to hold the car in traffic, the stop start system does not cur the engine. It only does that if you hold the car on the footbrake, possibly to the annoyance of the driver behind. They are all 4,850mm long, 1,900mm wide and with a long 2,919mm wheelbase that explains the excellent rearmost seat ride comfort. Load space is 267 litres all seats up, 809 litres under the load cover using five seats, and 2,297 litres with all rear seats folded flat. Because there is no room for a spare wheel, SEAT has adopted a Type Pressure Monitoring System, but instead of runflat tyres has gone for a tyre sealant inside the tyre carcasses to seal small punctures. The first time a car manufacturer has tried this. Extras include satnav that doubles up as the screen for a rear parking camera, a ‘park assist’ system that steers the car for you into a parking space, oncoming headlight sensing Xenon headlights, and an integrated electrically released towhook that appears under the rear valence at the touch of a button and then only has to be locked into place. Towing limits are 1,800kg for the 1.4 Twincharger manual and an impressive 2,200kg for the diesels whether manual or DSG. Top spec SE Lux versions have a huge panoramic glass sunroof, with an electric blind and also a front section that opens. Out on the road, the new Alhambra is almost spectacularly easy to drive with decent handling and good front-end grip. With the 6 speed DSG you can leave it in Drive, sharpen it up with the ‘Sport’ setting, of flip the lever over to allow full driver control by means of the steering wheel paddleshifts. I’m very pleased to report back that this DSG was in no way obstructive as DSGs have been to me in the past. Even quick three point turns were accomplished without any hesitation. And there wasn’t a trace of the dreaded interference when nosing out of a junction. This one felt as good as Ford/Getrag’s Powershift. The (so far) manual only 1.4 Twincharger chain cam petrol doesn’t have the grunt of the diesels, but doesn’t have the coarseness either. It’s more than adequate about town, though loses out to the diesels on the motorway. Prices won’t be revealed until closer to the November 2011 UK sale date, but are estimated to start at around £21,000 and end at just under £30,000. So, finally, some four years after Ford came up with its new Galaxy and S-Max, VAG has delivered a new Alhambra and Sharan. Don’t buy any of the three until you’ve tried them all. More at SEAT http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/seat/alhambra-2010/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/seat/alhambra-2010/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3422735/seat alhambra ii red 1 f34 red 700.jpg' /></a> Peugeot iON Road Test Peugeot Peugeot iON Road Test 53046 Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/peugeot/peugeot-ion/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3418585/peug ion f34 700.jpg' align="left" /></a> I can accept and even make some of the arguments for an electric car. I did not expect to be charmed by one. After all, the Peugeot iON is very closely related to the Mitsubishi i-MIEV, a car that made headlines for originally being offered for sale at a staggering £38,000. (This was reduced by a government grant of £5,000, then slashed by a further £10,000, yet it still looks like a Perodua Kenari for Mercedes C Class money.) But I went into this open minded. Listened to the presentation, understood the way the car was to be ‘sold’, then had a home movie to make. That explains the sums up front. You can’t ‘buy’ a Peugeot iON. You have to lease one, for four years, at £415 a month plus VAT. ‘Plus VAT’ is the stinger because from January when you can actually get one, it jacks up the monthly rental to £498. Even the fact that electricity for 20,000 miles will only cost £416 compared with £3,446 to fuel a 30mpg car doesn’t take the sting out of that. However, the car is also London Congestion Tax exempt and qualifies for free parking in many London boroughs. So, for Central London dwellers and workers commuting into town from not far away, the sums also start to add up. Particularly if they can park at a recharging point. Lessees also benefit from Peugeot CONNECT, a GPS system that notifies a central computer if they break down and sends out a man with some spanners and a battery charger. And they automatically become members of Peugeot’s Mu Mobility service from which they can hire a petrol or diesel engined car for long journeys, a van for moving stuff around, a scooter or a bicycle. Nevertheless, Peugeot is expecting 90% of its customers to be local authorities, government agencies and companies seeking to boost their green credentials. The batteries offer roughly a 90mile maximum range in cities, without using the aircon. In slow, 10mph traffic this halves to 45 miles pr 5 hours. And cruising at 115kmh (72mph) you should also get 45 miles. But be warned. Using the heater can absorb 45% of the battery charge and using the aircon up to 25%. In my own test I did about 45 miles of mixed motoring: everything from motorway at 65mph to country roads at 50mph and industrial estates and villages and, according to the dial, only appeared to use about 30% of the charge. Home recharging through a special 16amp fuse takes 6 hours to charge the battery fully. At Quickcharge roadside of filling station powerpoints, the battery can be charged 20% in 5 minutes. 50% takes 15 minutes, which might just be enough to get you home. 80% takes 30 minutes. The car is 3,474mm (11’ 5”) long. And a mere 1,470mm (4’ 10”) wide, so easily nips through narrow gaps and, possibly more importantly, can be parked in a standard garage and allow the driver to easily get out. The turning circles is just 4,500mm (14’ 9”). Though the doors feel thin and tinny, inside it’s well appointed with a classy ‘piano black’ plastic dash, decent upright seats, an abundance of airbags and plenty of headroom. There’s space for shopping bags behind the back seats, and the seatbacks can be folded flat to leave a high load deck. It’s immediately fun to drive with a very sprightly get up and go. The official 0-60 is 15 seconds, but with no gears to go through it feels much faster than that and 20mph to 40 takes a mere 4 seconds. Top speed is an electrifying 81mph. You don’t expect a tall and narrow car to handle well, but like the curiously addictive Daihatsu Move of many years ago, the centre of gravity is very low, mostly below floor level. So with a reasonably light driver is can be hustled through corners and around roundabouts with gusto. (Though things might not be quite the same with four heavy torsos aboard.) There’s nothing wrong with the ride quality either because the villages I encountered had every kind of traffic calming measure known to the French, including humps, speed cushions, flower pot chicanes and cobbles. The best bit was I brought the car back with a smile on my face. And even though hardly any private buyers will stump up the necessary, I can recommend it. For 5,000 urban and suburban miles a year, including lots of short runs from cold starts, I can’t think of anything better. And if you need to visit Uncle Angus in Inverness, you can always use Mu by Peugeot to hire a bigger petrol or diesel powered car. For prices , specs and performance details please click the tabs.   More at Peugeot     http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/peugeot/peugeot-ion/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/peugeot/peugeot-ion/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3418585/peug ion f34 700.jpg' /></a> Ford Mondeo 2011 Ford Ford Mondeo 2011 52999 Tue, 07 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/ford/ford-mondeo-2011/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3417397/mondeo.jpg' align="left" /></a> Ford Mondeos have been getting a lot better this year. First, there was a Spring 2010 revamp when the car acquired a 203PS 2.0 SCTI turbo petrol engine, a 163PS 2.0 diesel and the option of sensational Powershift twin clutch ‘automatic’ transmissions. Now Ford has now given it a facelift and three more new engines. These are, in descending order, a 240PS 2.0SCTI petrol turbo, a 200PS 2.2 litre diesel and, coming in November a 160PS 1.6SCTI that has the virtue of emitting low enough CO2 to qualify for the same 19% BIK as the 139g/km 2.0 litre diesels. That’s not quite how I said it on the video, due to Ford keeping details of the new 1.6SCTI close to its chest during the presentation. It will emit more than 139g/km, but because of the 3% diesel penalty, the BIK hit will be the same. Actually, the 1.6SCTI is the same variable valve timing direct injection engine that Volvo is buying from Ford for the S60 and V60. It seems that the wick can be turned to 150PS, 160PS or 180PS with relative ease. Ford calculates that, for a 2.0TDCI 140 diesel or a 1.6SCTI 160 petrol to Zetec spec with a P11D value of £19,730, a 20% taxpayer would pay £62 a month and a 40 percenter £125 a month. The same whether in a hatchback or wagon body. (The 4-door saloon was dropped as part of the Spring revamp) The 200PS 2.2TDCI is a faster car, getting to 60 in under 8 seconds and running up to over 140mph, but at 159g/km you pay a higher price in BIK. While the 240PS 2.0SCTI Powershift auto is a true 150mph car with a 7.3 second 0-60, but a CO2 of 179g/km. Suggested list prices of these two in Titanium X Sport spec, with maximum kit, are £27,145 for the 2.2TDCI 200 and £27,045 for the 2.0SCTI 240 Powershift when they arrive in November, though this may change. You can add £250 for extremely high quality Windsor Nappa Leather instead of standard very nice Alcantara suede. And a further £1,100 for the capacious wagon body. The ‘Kinetic’ re-styling at the front results in a larger lower grille, a smaller upper grille and neat horizontal LED DRLs above the foglamps. There’s more of a family resemblance to the S-Max and Fiesta now. Inside, there’s a redesigned centre console, clearer instruments, LED interior lights, nicer plastics and fabrics and some new driver aids. Blind Spot Information System has been imported from Volvo to warn of overtaking (or undertaking cars). You can switch on a lane departure warning system that shakes the wheel if you start to stray out of lane at over 60kmh. A driver alert systems assesses your state of fatigue and warns you to take a break. Auto high bean headlights stay on high beam unless the headlights of an approaching car or the tail tights of a car you are catching are detected. They also auto-dip in built up areas. Cruise control can now be ordered with a speed limiter for those endless UK motorway 50mph contra-flows. The driver can lock the rear windows and doors to keep children safe in the back. The two outer rear seats have Isofix tethers. There are several stages of audio and satnav, the highest grade of which is DAB, hooks up to an iPod via Bluetooth and doubles up as a reversing camera. Altogether there are 1,365 changes from the original 2007 Mondeo. To drive, it’s the same accomplished fine handling car that puts a certain German high ticket model to shame. There are three suspension settings: comfort, normal and sport, all of which give a markedly different feel to the car, from soft and comfortable, even on 205/35 R18 tyres, to very sharp indeed at the front. In the 2.0SCTI 240 Powershift we drove there were no paddleshifts, as in the S-Max 2.0SCTI 203. But at least the stick respects physics and works the right way round: forward to change down and back to change up. The way it has been of Fords and Mazdas for at least 5 years. And it’s a very pleasant car to drive. Leave it in auto in town. Switch over to S and manual override and it holds the revs a bit longer in each gear even if you leave it to get on with the job automatically. Or nudge your way though the gears and hold it in the right one through a bend. It’s astonishingly smooth as well, for a 4 cylinder. And though that price puts it up among Audis, BMWs and Mercedes, it’s only up against the base models of those cars. And that’s before a discount. Seriously, though, Ford doesn’t expect the 2.0SCTI 240 to be a big seller. It’s the range topper, with everything else below it benefiting from the halo effect. The 2.2TDCI 200 we drove next is likely to do better, both among proprietors of small companies, in larger company carparks at sales managership level (because it’s better than a 320d Touring or an A4 2.0TDI Avant), and for anyone who needs to do a bit of towing. Why spend more money of more BIK on a Volvo V70? Why indeed. Gearing, incidentally, worked out at 37.5mph per 1,000rpm in 6 th , so even when we maxed it on the autobahn to 225kmh (141mph) it wasn’t garfing down too much of the black stuff. We didn’t get to drive the new 1.6SCTI 160 because there aren’t any yet. Volvo is introducing that engine to the market and Ford is watching carefully to check for any bugs. But we expect to bring you our impressions of that within a couple of months. Meanwhile you won’t go far wrong with a 2.0TDCI 115, 140 or 163 in the new suit of clothes, which is where a lot of the company market is anyway. But if you run your own cars, and keep them for a while, and are worried about dual mass flywheels and diesel particulate filters, I’d guess that the 1.6SCTI 160 will be worth waiting for. I'm not going to nick someone else's words, but I am going to quote them, because I think John Simister writing for 'Autocar' summed it up better than anyone else: "Where the Mondeo really scores is in its accurate, intuitive steering, its progressive brakes and its great mix of stability and agility. There's a natural flow that's not always evident in its German rivals. Worth sacrificing the prestige badge for, we'd say." http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/ford/ford-mondeo-2011/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/ford/ford-mondeo-2011/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3417397/mondeo.jpg' /></a> MINI Countryman Road Test MINI MINI Countryman Road Test 52753 Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/mini/countryman/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3409969/mini count t2 f34 700.jpg' align="left" /></a> Sold out!   MINI has had so many pre-orders for its new Countryman that it can’t supply a fresh order until next year. But that might be just as well, because the model I reckon will become the most desirable will not be available until March 2011. That is the MINI Cooper Countryman diesel automatic with four-wheel drive. The specification ‘wish list’ of many of my readers. True you can get a diesel Yeti with DSG auto and four-wheel drive, but that's about it. There's an automatic four-wheel drive Juke, but it isn’t diesel.  The closest aside from that is a Nissan Qashqai diesel automatic four-wheel drive, but that’s more of an SUV than a car. The MINI diesel also gets BMW’s own 1,598cc chain cam N47 diesel engine, the same as fitted to the 116d. (Actually, all MINI diesels now get this engine, returning BMW to all-chain-cam engines throughout all its ranges.) The engine comes with 90bhp in the One or 112bhp in the Cooper, and 215Nm or 270Nm torque from 1,750rpm. Petrol engines, all also 1,598cc, are 98bhp in the One, 122bhp in the Cooper and, with the benefit of a turbo, 185bhp in the Cooper S. Torque is 155Nm, 160Nm and 240 to 260Nm on overboost in the S. Standard tyre sizes are 205/60 R16, 205/55 R17, with the inevitable option of 225/40 R19s, which we were not invited to try. Both the Cooper D ALL4 and Cooper S ALL4 were on 205/55 R17s, but the stiffer suspension of the S gave it a much crashier ride over speed humps. The ALL4 four-wheel drive system is fully automated, normally giving drive to the front, but adding the rear when necessary or when the ‘Dynamic’ drive setting it selected. When left to its own devices it can, if necessary, direct all drive to the rear wheels. That’s pretty much what the average driver wants in a car, so when he or she encounters difficult conditions the car just gets on with it without the driver having to remember any complicated instructions. And it works well. The car can make ascents it would not be able to negotiate in two wheel drive alone, and with the DSC switched fully off so it did not interfere, it was capable and fully controllable in mudbath conditions. Though the Cooper S is obviously the most powerful for press-on drivers, I think the obvious choice for most will be the Cooper diesel. It’s powerful and torquey enough, comes in at 115g/km, so £30 tax, and even with 4WD is only 129g/km, like the Toyota Urban Cruiser. I guess the ALL4 automatic, arriving in March 2011, will be a bit more, probably 140-150g/km, but that’s the least price you have to pay for this type of drivetrain. Can you get the family inside? I like the interior. You don’t have to glance across to the dinnerplate sized central speedo because your road speed is also displayed digitally in the centre of the line-of sight rev counter. The driver’s seat and steering wheel are fully adjustable in all directions and because the rev counter and speedo move with the wheel you never obscure them. The (optional) satnav screen is in the middle of the speedo. Out back, standard Countrymen come with sliding seat squabs split 60/40 and folding backrests split, like the X1, 40/20/40, making best used of the space available. There’s lots of headroom (the Countryman is actually 10mm taller than the X1), and the back seats are easy to get in and out of. Four seats, rather then 5 are optional, but bring the benefit of an extended centre rail system that carries accessories, which can be electrically powered from it. Useful extras include a bike rack that fits onto special chassis legs at the rear and which allows the tailgate to be opened while bikes are on the rack. There’s also a full range of top boxes that fit onto the standard strengthened roof rails. It’s one of the first medium cars to come with DAB radios as standard, as well as standard Bluetooth. And BMW is taking the Countryman rallying. It will participate in 5 – 6 events in the 2011 World Rally Championship to develop the car. Then participate fully in the 2012 championship. Should you buy one? Well the fact is a lot of people already have, without even seeing the car. 3-year residuals are quoted at 45% - 48%, which reduces cost of ownership over three years and leads to relatively low leasing rates. BMW regards it as an alternative to the Qashqai. I’d say it’s more of a rival to the Juke, the Yeti and the Toyota Urban Cruiser. But it offers enough to choose it for sensible reasons rather than just because it’s a MINI. http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/mini/countryman/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/mini/countryman/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3409969/mini count t2 f34 700.jpg' /></a> Nissan Juke Road Test Nissan Nissan Juke Road Test 49071 Sat, 10 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/nissan/juke/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3297970/nis juke t white a front 700.jpg' align="left" /></a> The first pictures of the Nissan Juke were in a really nice metallic red. With its distinctly odd arrangement of lights it has the appearance of an insect. I couldn’t work out how to look it in the eye, but I immediately knew I liked it. Yet again, Nissan is redefining what a car should be and what it should look like. Dropping its ‘D’ sector saloon/hatch/estate, the Primera was entirely logical because it wasn’t selling. Replacing it with a jacked up urban warrior of a family car called the Qashqai wasn’t off the wall either, with Britain gradually becoming infested with a cratermass of potholes and a rash of speed humps built from the tarmac that should have been used to fill the holes. Nissan calls this ‘urbanproofing’. No point, thought Nissan, in building yet another sportscar for this sort of driving environment. What the public wants and needs is a sort of miniature Dakar racer. Hence the Juke: four door coupe from the waist up; hump and hole riding SUV from the waist down. It’s priced right. From £12,795 for the base model Visia, that still comes with a 117PS 1.6 petrol engine, 16” alloy wheels and aircon/ To £19,995 for the top spec 190PS 1.6 turbo petrol with 17” wheels, CVT automatic transmission and four wheel drive. It’s up against Alfa MiTos, Audi A1s, MINIs, FIAT 500Cs, Abarth 500s, Citroen DS3s, Ford Fiestas, KIA Souls, Mazda MX-5s, Nissan Cubes, Peugeot 207CCs, Renault Winds, Skoda Yetis, Toyota Urban Cruisers, Vauxhall Tigras and the expensive new MINI Countryman. Not a specific type of car, but a group of ‘lifestyle’ cars in a fickle market that could go any way on a whim just because someone likes the car. In some ways it wins because it’s a full four-seater. In other ways it loses because you can’t open the roof (but you still get a lot of rays on your face and forearms through the screen). Like Alfa Romeo’s DNA, Nissan’s ‘Dynamic Control System’ on Acenta spec up gives you three buttons on the dash to choose ‘Normal, Sport, or Eco’ driving modes, and these make a big difference to the way the top 190PS CVT 4WD behaves. In ‘Normal’ and in ‘Eco’, to put it mildly, it doesn’t feel that quick. It’s very pleasant, easy and mild mannered to drive, but not a sportscar at all and you wonder what happened to those 190PS. It rides very nicely, goes round corners decently enough and, though there aren’t any paddleshifters, you can select which of the six selectable CVT ratios you want to hold it in. Press ‘Sport’, however, and, while it doesn’t suddenly turn into a Formula 1 car, it does perk up considerably. Acceleration is slightly masked by the CVT effect so you don’t get any kick in the back sensation on upward changes. But it does increase its velocity fairly rapidly and, without trying hard, we saw an impressively stable 200kmh (125mph) on an unrestricted section of autobahn. The top 1.6DiG Tekna CVT 4WD is actually built in Oppama, Japan, not in the UK, and comes with niceties such as a full sized spare wheel (you couldn’t put an odd sized wheel on the Torque Vectoring 4WD system). One possible downside is its 175g/km CO2, which takes it off company car lists, though the 2WD manual 1.6 DiG 190 just squeaks in at 159g/km) The other Jukes will be built at Sunderland, from the second week in August. The factory will close down for the last week of July and the first week of August while the Micra production lines are switched over to Juke. Then production will ramp up from mid August to get enough cars built for the September 24 th launch date. Nissan ambitiously expects to sell 20,000 Jukes in its first full year of production, which will be 2011. And I can see that happening. A plague of Jukes is about to descend on the landscape, devouring young mums and their offspring and raising eyebrows wherever they go. Expect an unfamiliar looking car to start becoming very familiar indeed. More at Nissan   http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/nissan/juke/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/nissan/juke/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3297970/nis juke t white a front 700.jpg' /></a> Renault Wind Road Test Renault Renault Wind Road Test 48715 Fri, 02 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/renault/renault-wind/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3285681/ren wind t a front 700.jpg' align="left" /></a> Despite the ever presence of the Mazda MX5, Peugeot’s 206 and 207CC and Vauxhall’s Tigra, the demise of the last generation Honda CR-X left a gap in the market for small two-seat roadsters that weren’t necessarily all-out sportscars. So Renault has filled it, with the Wind. You can choose an economical, low CO2 and low tax 1.2 100PS turbo, or a much sportier, higher CO2 and higher tax 1.6 VVT with 133PS. The price gap between the two engines is £900, which also happens to be the price gap between the two trim levels. So £15,500 buys the decently equipped 1.2 100PS turbo in Dynamique trim, £16,400 buys the 133PS 1.6 in Dynamique trim, or the 1.2 100PS turbo in Dynamique S trim, while £17,300 buys the 133PS 1.6 Dynamique S. A further £900 puts you into the ‘Collection’ limited edition versions of either. All share quite a clever one-piece electric ‘flip top’ that takes 12 seconds to open and park itself inside the boot lid. So when you open the 270 litre boot there’s no roof in the way of your luggage and you can get quite a lot in there without having to worry about the top and your bags arguing about the space. The cabin is a lot roomier than an MX-5’s, the seats go back further and there’s more length behind to recline the backrests. It’s also no consolation for a lady when she wants somewhere to put her handbag. The lack of a centre armrest cubby means she can stow it safely behind the handbrake. Try that in an MX-5. We drove the 1.2 100P turbo first and initially it didn’t feel remotely sporty. The steering was light and the promised low speed torque was notably absent. (Though, talking to everyone else on the launch, it transpired that we may well have had a faulty pre-production car.) At the French Autoroute speed limits of 110 and 130kmh we were well aware of the lack of a roof over our heads. And the curious flyscreen contraption between the seat backs, while depriving the mirror of a rear view, did not entirely eliminate it. However, removing the flyscreen created a vortex that made the buffeting far worse. But, it’s an open top car and we were getting a suntan, so we didn’t worry too much. Until we reached the mountains. There, a combination of over-active ABS and an engine that can’t have been delivering its power and torque the way it’s supposed to rather took the edge off the experience. Don’t get me wrong. Power and torque can only have been down a bit. But often, having braked for a tight corner we couldn’t see round, the 1.2 turbo felt reluctant to pull out of the bend. The next day, we tried the 1.6 133PS VVT and, as the French might say. “C’est la difference entre la crai y le fromage.” With exactly the same gearing (21.7mph/1,000rpm in 5 th ), the 1.6 felt gutsy enough to pull through corners, round uphill hairpins and was a thoroughly joyful little car. In theory, the 145Nm torque of the 1.2 turbo at 3,000rpm should have been a fair match for the 160Nm torque of the 1.6 at 4,400rpm. But in our cars this just wasn’t the case. The 1.6 was the sports car. The 1.2 was the hairdresser’s car. Yet that wasn’t the experience of literally everyone else on the launch. To a man (and to a woman), they all preferred the 1.2 turbo. So the only conclusion we could draw was that there had to have been something slightly wrong with ours. Of course, you can’t sensibly have the 1.6 as a company car. 165g/km CO2 is above the company write-down limit and lands you in the wrong kind of Benefit in Kind. It also puts it into the £180 a year VED bracket. Whereas the 145g/km of the 1.2 turbo is company write-down acceptable, BIK friendly and, if you buy the car yourself, will only cost you £125 a year in tax. Both our cars rode extraordinarily well for 205/40 R17 tyres. Which, coupled with the gummy grip at the front, was very impressive. So was the complete lack of body flexing (sometimes called “scuttle shake”). No worrying rattles at all. But the Wind is not easy to see out of. You get virtually no over the shoulder view, and with the flyscreen in place you can’t see directly behind, so you have to rely on the door mirrors. The screen pillars are very thick, too, and the window ledges too high to rest your arms on. That said, £15,500 gets you a cute, very well equipped little mobile solarium that opens up in 12 seconds flat and isn’t likely to start leaking like some of the multi-piece folding hard tops. A lot of people will be getting suntans this summer without having to fry themselves on a sunbed. More at Renault Wind Website     http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/renault/renault-wind/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/renault/renault-wind/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3285681/ren wind t a front 700.jpg' /></a> Mitsubishi ASX Road Test Mitsubishi Mitsubishi ASX Road Test 48372 Sat, 26 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/mitsubishi/mitsubishi-asx/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3272391/mits asx a t front 700.jpg' align="left" /></a> This the car that will do for Mitsubishi what the Qashqai did for Nissan.   The Qashqai was already facing stiff competition from the Hyundai ix35 and the new KIA Shortage (both of which we have driven).   But the ASX deals with the elephant in the room rather better than any of these cars.   Of course, most of us would prefer a chunky SUV to a standard hatchback. We need one these days just to cope with the state of our roads, infested with speed cushions and booby trapped with potholes.   We just can’t afford to run them.   So what did clever Mitsubishi do about that, then? It created the first diesel engine in the world with variable valve timing. This allows the engine to run at much lower revs than a diesel usually can, with massive benefits in economy.   And on top of that, Mitsubishi applied more “Intelligent Mobility”, in the form of auto stop-go, so while you’re idling your time away at the traffic lights your engine isn’t idling your fuel away.   And they adopted some of the other tricks, such as a regenerative alternator that recharges the battery on engine overrun rather than steals power on acceleration.   The result, for the ASX 1.8 diesel, is an official combined economy of 51.4mpg. And, when we put this to the test on a mixed run from Bristol to Cheddar Gorge and back, combining every type of road from city centre to hilly, narrow lanes, we averaged 55.1mpg over 42 miles.   Since I don’t normally better an official figure on a test drive (I didn’t even when really trying to with the Polo 1.2TSI) I reckon that’s a fair result, easily achievable by anyone.   So what’s it actually like to drive?   It’s easy to get comfortable with Mitsubishi’s first multi-adjustable steering wheel as well as height adjustable driver’s seat. It’s a sweet engine to drive because it pulls from very low revs. The six gears slot well and ‘block change’ neatly, 4 th to 6 th for example.   Gun it past 2,000rpm and the 300Nm torque comes in strongly, so the grunt’s there if you need it in an emergency. Obviously it’s not a sports car and you can feel the gravitational forces if you try to treat it like one. But decent, honest steering and a reluctance to let go at the front will keep you out of trouble at the sort of speeds most drivers are comfortable with.   Later, we’ll see a 1.6 petrol version at prices from a low £14,995 that still creeps in at an extraordinarily low 138g/km CO2 and offers 47.1mpg combined.   In the same trim as the car we drove, the 1.6 petrol lists at £16,799, and Mitsubishi wisely predicts that this will be the best seller.   The car we drove lists at £18,549, so that’s quite a jump just to get the diesel. And four-wheel drive adds a further £1,500 to the price, which might be necessary for country folk, but definitely isn’t for townies.   Mitsubishi reckons that only 15% of ASX buyers will go for 4WD. So the only major criticism of the car is that all buyers sacrifice luggage space to make room in the floorpan for a rear diff that will only be bought by 15%.   Not a big worry, then.   The fact that it out economises any other significant competitor (except, perhaps, the Toyota Urban Cruiser) does it for me.   More at www.mitsubishi-cars.co.uk   (Video Drive uploading 29 th /30 th June)   http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/mitsubishi/mitsubishi-asx/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/mitsubishi/mitsubishi-asx/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3272391/mits asx a t front 700.jpg' /></a> Renault Eco Driving Lesson Renault Renault Eco Driving Lesson 48364 Sat, 26 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/renault/renault-clio-eco/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3272151/447-ren-eco.jpg' align="left" /></a> No text, video only http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/renault/renault-clio-eco/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/renault/renault-clio-eco/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3272151/447-ren-eco.jpg' /></a> Alfa Romeo Giulietta Road Test Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo Giulietta Road Test 48243 Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/alfa-romeo/alfa-giulietta/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3266476/alfa giulietta t front 700.jpg' align="left" /></a> This year is Alfa Romeo’s centenary. That’s right, the first car by Anonima Lombarda Fabrica Automobili of Milan was a 24HP model built in 1910. And, with a glorious past including the first World Motor Racing Championship in 1925, the first ten cars across the line in the 1933 Mille Miglia and the first two Formula One Word Championships in 1950 and 1951, it’s fitting that Alfa Romeo should be the featured Marque at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. Alfa is using the occasion to launch its much awaited new Giulietta that isn’t intended as much to storm the huge ‘C sector’ as to sell to the select few seduced by the marque’s exotic past, the good looks of the car itself, and its industry leading high tech Multi Air engines. They’re looking at about 6,000 cars a year compared to around 120,000 Ford Focus. Alfa’s past in the UK isn’t as much chequered flag as chequered. We couldn’t even get the original 1,300cc twin-cam Giuliettas of the early 1950s, and if we really wanted one we had to pay a fortune. Some Alfas have been breathtakingly beautiful. Some have been immensely charismatic. Most have been seriously rust prone. A GT Junior I owned in the 1970s was all three. Since the 70s, you could rely on the company to pull something stunning out of the hat occasionally. But more often than not the cars were frustratingly flawed in some way or other and were more likely to be bought by ‘The man Who Loved Women’ than the man who loved cars or the junior brand managers seeking to impress. Women weren’t impressed at all, though I do remember one screaming in the back seat of my GT Junior as we went through the Worcester Park underpass on the A3 at 115 miles an hour. The Walter d’Silva designed Alfa Romeo 156 was a rare success for a while. I remember asking, “what would you rather see when you opened the door of your garage: a BMW E36 3-Series, or an Alfa 156?” The 2.5V6 with its police alert spoiler was a real hooligan of a car. Sadly, the gorgeous 159 hasn’t sold in the same numbers. What it gained in looks and handling, it lost in charisma from having to use too many bits and pieces from the General Motors parts bin. The Brera’s like a woman with a huge nose who looks devastatingly beautiful from some angles, but merely devastating from the side. Then along came the MiTo that’s actually more original Giulietta coupe in looks than the Giulietta and is both pretty and cute enough to appeal to women who might otherwise have bought a MINI. That’s doing very well, despite a jumped start with the pre Multi Air engines. But women don’t worry about things like that. But you can’t sensibly get a young family into a MiTo unless the kids have a penchant for potholing and don’t mind being confined to a black hole in the back. The still lovely 147 was getting a bit long in the tooth and didn’t tell the neighbours that you were more MacBook Pro than Windows 95. So now we have the Giulietta, in five trim levels, with five different engines and technology that out-techs anyone else. For a mildly eye-watering £16,995, you can have the base model 1.4 120PS turbo in Turismo trim with steel wheels, but hardly anyone will. The range really starts with the £19,495 1.4 170PS Multi Air Lusso we drove first. This comes on tidy alloys with comfortable 205/55 R16 tyres, selectable DNA drive characteristics and all the usual bits, though a space saver spare is an £80 extra. Unlike Alfas of the past (and continental cars in general) the cabin bonnet catch is UK driver’s side and the bonnet raises itself on gas struts. Under the bonnet the engine is nicely presented in red, with the turbo and its watercooled plumbing at the front. The seat and steering wheel are multi-adjustable, but the wheel can obscure the speedo, which is calibrated only in 20mph increments. (If the needle is pointing straight up you’re doing 100 and are in danger of losing your licence.) Of course you get FIAT/Alfa’s Blue&Me system with USB and Bluetooth hands-free worked by voice command or from the steering wheel and which has now worked faultlessly for me in my FIAT 500 for 27 months. The Multi Air engine isn’t rorty or snorty. It’s simply highly efficient, able to pull quietly from low revs and not use much fuel. With the DNA set to ‘Normal’, it feels as normal as a car can feel. Not sporty. Not egging you on. Just getting on with the job and going round corners more than decently. Push the DNA switch forwards and you immediately get a nudge from the car as if to say, “okay, I’m limbered up and ready. Now let’s go for it.” The whole thing feels more alert, with sharper throttle response and handling, and you can then start to enjoy yourself. It’s safe, too, in five star NCAP terms, with a class best highest score of 87%. A few minor criticisms. There’s not a lot of legroom in the back seat behind a tall driver. And, curiously, the seatbelt stalks foul the thumbscrews for adjusting the rake of the backrests. On, then, to the 1750, the name of which harks back to the glorious Alfa Romeo 1750s of the 1930s. This is the hot one, actually 1,742cc and pumping out a serious 235PS with 340Nm torque. And it goes a bit, taking corners impressively quickly, though feeling a little fidgety at low speed on its 225/40 R18 tyres. It rides quite well though, except over sharp ridges, and I couldn’t help comparing it with the SEAT Leon Cupra I’d been driving about a month before. In the Leon I found it hard to get used to the sharpness of the brakes at low speed (a consequence of their excellent at high speed). In the Alfa I felt the opposite. The brakes seemed too soft to me, though for others I spoke to they had been fine so it may have been just that car. I didn’t drive the diesels. Only so much you can do in one morning. They are a 105PS FIAT Group 1.6 previously seen in the Bravo, the main advantage of which is 114g/km CO2 and consequently low tax. So you can have a car that looks like the Giulietta with modest running costs. Or a 170PS 2.0 litre diesel with 320Nm torque that comes in at 124g/km and that we have previously seen capable of 55mpg in the Vauxhall Insignia. But I wouldn’t have a Giulietta diesel. I’d go for the 170PS 1.4 Multiair Lusso, because that’s an Alfa that moves technology on to the next phase. And, while actually playing quite safe, makes your neighbours who stuck with Golfs, A3s and BMWs look distinctly unadventurous.     http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/alfa-romeo/alfa-giulietta/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/alfa-romeo/alfa-giulietta/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3266476/alfa giulietta t front 700.jpg' /></a> Volkswagen VW Polo 1.2TSI Road Test Volkswagen VW Polo 1.2TSI Road Test 47942 Tue, 15 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/volkswagen/vw-polo-12tsi/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3243130/vw polo 1.2tsi a1 f34 700.jpg' align="left" /></a> The much anticipated and long awaited VW Polo 1.2TSI 105 is finally here. Along with a Golf Mk IV 1.2TSI 105, a Skoda Yeti 1.2TSI 105 and various other VAG cars, the list of which will soon include a VW Touran 1.2TSI 105. So is it a miraculous new engine offering petrol performance with diesel economy? Pop the bonnet and you wonder. You can see VW’s Germanic attention to detail in the neat way the coolant pipes run to the water cooled turbo. Like the 1.4TSI, it's chain cam, not belt. But it has four cylinders, not three, so lacks the advantage of 20% less friction. It runs nicely, though. The figures of 105PS at 5,000rpm and 175Nm torque from 1,550rpm to 4,400rpm don’t tell the whole story. To get really good economy an engine has to be capable of pulling from very low revs, and this one does, extremely sweetly. I can’t tell you how much of that 175Nm gets delivered at 1,000rpm, but, in the manner of Rolls Royce in the 1950s, I can tell you it’s “sufficient.” And this is amply demonstrated in the video. There’s none of that bottomless chasm you can experience in a diesel engine that leaves you up the creek without a paddle at very low revs. And, while no fire breather, this engine is sweet. Though, curiously, if you gun it, you can feel the torque come in at about 1,600rpm like an old school turbodiesel. It’s a Volkswagen, so feels very well put together, nicely finished and thoughtfully designed in some respects, like the lens your side of the door mirror that tells you that you’ve left the indicators on. A clever bit of design that costs nothing yet offers an appreciable benefit. The boots seems a bit shallow, but then you lift the floor and it virtually doubles in size. And the floor neatly clips open so it doesn’t come down on your arms just as you’re loading a tray of eggs. Lift the second floor and, surprise surprise, a full-sized spare wheel. While everyone else is saving money by making spare wheels extra cost extras, VW simply gives you what you want without having to ask. They do charge a fair bit for this latest Polo, though. £15,310, to be precise. Which is £300 more than the SEAT Ibiza FR with a 1.4 150PS Twincharger engine and DSG automatic gearbox. But the burning question (if you haven’t yet watched the video) is quite how economical did the Polo 1.2TSI turn out to be? Well. Driving as economically as I could, following lessons learned in Paris on 7 th June, I managed 47.4mpg before I ruined my average by ascending a steep hill. In contrast, I later drove the VW Golf VI fitted with the same engine (that comes in not much dearer at £16,565) and checked the readout which told me that over 265 miles with Uncle Tom Cobley and all behind the wheel, it had averaged 41.4mpg. That suggests mid 40s potential even for the much heavier Golf. Then, driving back in my puny FIAT 500 1.2 petrol, continuing to apply the Paris lessons, I watched my average over 950 miles rise to 54.5mpg. So petrol can do it. Not quite as well as a good diesel, but in a much nicer way. http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/volkswagen/vw-polo-12tsi/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/volkswagen/vw-polo-12tsi/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3243130/vw polo 1.2tsi a1 f34 700.jpg' /></a> Nissan 370Z Roadster Road Test Nissan Nissan 370Z Roadster Road Test 47850 Thu, 10 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/nissan/nissan-370z-roadster/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3237318/nis 370z front nok 700.jpg' align="left" /></a> It should have been the perfect week.   Memories of the Cotswolds in a Sunset Orange 350Z Roadster in June 2006.   The latest technology. Improvements all round. 31 extra PS.   And sunshine again, most of the time.   Yet Nissan’s latest 370Z roadster somehow just didn’t do it for me.   True, the top down and the 7-speed autobox made London traffic jams seem like sunbathing on a beach.   The box slips in and out of neutral without having to press the footbrake. The handbrake lever is just where I want it. Even the indicator stalk works with a pleasing, oily precision. The seats are good.   However….   You may have read elsewhere of the ride quality on optional 19” wheels as fitted the test car, the rears of which are painted with a narrow strip of rubber 275/35 x 19. There is very little quality to the ride. It isn’t as jarring as an Audi TT Sport on 19” wheels. Nor as bad as an SLK 280 with 19” rears. And on the billboard smooth surfaces it’s designed for, you don’t even notice the problem.   But show it a pot-holed, speed cushion festooned English suburban street and I can guarantee you’re going to spill your take-away coffee, even if it’s tucked into one of the bottle-shaped door bins. It made my FIAT 500 (which is pretty bad) feel like a balloon tyred limo in comparison.   Then there’s the small problem of seeing out, particularly if you are sized more like Hammond than Clarkson. You sit low and the large door mirror completely obscures cars coming at you from your right. So you learn to move your head about a lot.   Reversing is best accomplished with the roof down because otherwise it’s like trying to manoeuvre a front door looking back through the letterbox.   The roof takes about 30 seconds to rise or stow, and leaves you to put the side windows up afterwards.   At least the cabin is quite roomy, with plenty of elbowroom. But, as in an MX5, rearward seat travel is restricted by the bulkhead. Even I was up against it with the backrest slightly reclined. Tall people with long legs are forced to sit upright in order to get the seat back far enough for their legs.   The boot is small and shallow, and, like the old 350Z roadster has a sticker instructing you how to insert your golf clubs into it. That’s just your clubs. Forget anyone else’s.   Of course, using the paddleshifts, acceleration is fairly awesome and it takes practise not to hit the limiter. Traction is controlled, though, so you don’t make a smoking start and even when the torque is really hitting the tarmac it doesn’t step out of line much on a wet and dry surface. When it does it does, it’s as easy to deal with as the old 350Z was.   You’re not going to do that much, though, are you? Like me, you’ll probably just leave it in Drive and pootle through suburbia with half an eye on the instant consumption meter.   Start it up from cold for short runs to the shops and you’ll go through fuel as fast as a dragster does. But stick to the limits and you’ll do all right. Feathering my way down the A3 into Roehampton I kept it over 40mpg, which is fairly remarkable for such a meaty machine. I guess on a 300 mile motorway run I could average 35 before destroying that figure on the first stretch of clear open A or B road.   In the end, I found this a Jekyll and Hyde car, with a Dr Jekyll transmission and the heart and soul of Mr Hyde. I think I’d have been less confused about it making the effort to shift gears myself.   Because that’s what a car like this should be all about.   They’ve namby pambied it for non-drivers and for the Americans.   It’s a hairy-chested sportscar that’ had its chest shaved.   So my advice is stick to the manual. And order it on standard 18” wheels.   http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/nissan/nissan-370z-roadster/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/nissan/nissan-370z-roadster/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3237318/nis 370z front nok 700.jpg' /></a> Kia KIA Borrego FCEV Test Kia KIA Borrego FCEV Test 47363 Sun, 30 May 2010 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/kia/kia-fcev/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3178726/kia borrego fcev front 700.jpg' align="left" /></a> Eventually, fossil and biofuels will either run out, be too expensive to exploit or be insufficient for World needs. No one knows when, but the smart money is on being prepared for this. And while hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) may not be the future for everyone (because everyone won’t be able to afford them), they are, at least, a future for mass and individual mobility. Hyundai/KIA began its research into FCEVs in year 2000. Now, its $60 million Eco-Tech Research Institute at Mabuk in Gyong-Gi province, South Korea under Dr Sae Hoon Kim has not only worked through a series of prototypes, it has one production ready and intends to build 1,000 in 2012. Hydrogen fuel can be obtained as a by-product of chemical production, from waste heat from nuclear power generation, and from wind and solar power. Germany has the capability to produce enough to power 750,000 vehicles a year. Korea can power 500,000 vehicles a year. And obviously the sooner these vehicles are on the road, the longer fossil fuels and biofuels will last for other vehicles. Compared to petrol cars at 16%, plug in electric cars at 21% and hybrids at 26%, the wheel-to-wheel efficiency of a Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle is 42%. This is because, unlike a piston engine that can only utilise the forces of an explosion in one direction, a hydrogen fuel cell harnesses all the power produced. In the case of the KIA Borrego, this fuel is stored in a super capacitor battery, from which it is fed to an electric motor. Extensive testing indicate a fuel cell service life of around 10 years, with the cell then operating to around 80% of peak performance. So still functional, but not as efficient as when new. KIA is proposing a 10-year drivetrain guarantee. The problems of cold starts in temperatures as low as minus 20 degrees centigrade have now been conquered by preconditioning systems. Crash tests have shown the tanks to be safer than CNG tanks. The only obstacles are cost, which eventually has to be brought down to around £40,000. And infrastructure to create sufficient network of hydrogen refuelling stations for a vehicle to be viable. Estimated pre-tax cost of sufficient hydrogen to travel 430 miles is about £20. And of course, an FCEV emits zero CO2. The KIA Borrego FCEV certainly drove well, with rapid acceleration, almost total silence, and comfortable ride quality. To drive, it’s at least the equal of the Honda FCX Clarity. Maintenance is relatively simple, even DIY, involving no more than replacing the demineraliser to cool the fuel cell and the air filter, preferably on an annual basis. There is no engine oil, nor engine oil filter to change. We should all be grateful to companies like Hyundai/KIA, Honda, Renault-Nissan, Ford, Opel, Toyota and Mercedes Benz for pushing ahead with the development of production ready FCEVs even though the World is not quite ready for them. Because if they hadn’t, then quite a lot of public and personal transport might have no future at all. KIA Borrego FCEV Type:   Fuel Cell + 450 volt Supercapacitor Fuel Cell Output:   154 horsepower (115kW) Additional Power Output:   134 horsepower Supercapacitor (100kW) Traction Motor Output:   147 horsepower (110kW) Dimensions:   4,879mm x 1,915mm x 1,811mm Curb Weight:   2,250kg Max. Speed:   100 mph Zero to 60 mph Acceleration:   12.8 seconds Max. Distance:   430 miles with three tanks Fuel economy:   56 mpg       http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/kia/kia-fcev/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/kia/kia-fcev/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3178726/kia borrego fcev front 700.jpg' /></a> Volkswagen VW Danbury T2 Camper Volkswagen VW Danbury T2 Camper 47618 Sat, 29 May 2010 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/volkswagen/vw-t2-camper/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3177992/442-vw-t2.jpg' align="left" /></a> By Martin Gurdon. That old pub car bore’s adage; ‘why did they ever stop making the ....?’ (insert name of favourite, long-defunct motor here) doesn’t apply to Volkswagen’s famous, rear-engined Type 2 ‘Bay Window’ van, because it still does. Launched in 1967, German production stopped way back in 1979, but the model kept going in South America, and it’s still alive and well and rolling off a Brazilian assembly line, although looming air bag and anti lock brake legislation might kill it off by 2012. The Type 2’s extended Indian Summer has seen it make a re-appearance in Britain, thanks to an enterprising business based near Bristol, which imports these vans and turns them into motor homes (and usually switches them to right hand drive). Cleverly, it bought the old Danbury name, as Danbury was famous for turning European Type 2s into campers during the 1970s, and leagues of people who either grew up with the originals, or would like to experience their qualities in something that isn’t thirty-plus years old, are beating a path to Danbury’s door. It claims to be filling about fifty orders a month. With prices ranging from £22,999 to £35,495 (although adding options can massively increase what you pay), these people are getting a unique slice of motoring history, with all the good, and less good aspect that this implies. One bit of good news is that these vehicles seem to be decently made, with good fit and finish, and many of the design details people fondly remember, from the round quarterlight knobs to the ribbed armrests/door pulls, and scattered ‘pull me’ switches are much as before, although there are more of them now, because the heating system has been changed, and the vans no longer have screen vents, instead both windscreen and rear window have built in heater elements. The pedals still hinge from the floor, the handbrake remains a pull-and-twist umbrella job, and the driving position is still comfortably bus like, although the original, rather nice instrument pod has been replaced by a slightly fussy ‘what the butler saw’ arrangement of dials and warning lights. Turn the ignition key and instead of the familiar, flatulent clatter of a flat-four air cooled engine, there’s a non-descript, watercooled throb. Thanks to emission and noise laws Type 2s now have in line, 1,400cc watercooled engines found in VW’s Fox supermini. These fit surprisingly neatly under the rear engine cowl, and access for servicing seems good. If the engine is new, the four-speed gearbox is not, and it’s still worked by a willowy lever that feels vague but always seems to select the right gear. A fifth gear might have made sustained cruising a bit more relaxed, and at a comfortable 60mph, the van is fairly nosy but not especially strained, although it perhaps lacks the go-on-forever torque of the original in 1.7 and 2.0 litre forms. Danbury reckons it can be tortured to a little over 80mph, but doesn’t even bother with a 0-62 figure, although searching the internet revealed 22.2 seconds, which seems credible. We suspect it will return about 30mpg, and is capable of running on biofuel –many Brazilians power their cars and vans on alcohol extracted from sugar cane. A lot of people who loathed the old Beetle’s sometimes twitchy handling liked the Type 2, because the driver and front passenger sat over the front axle, compensating for the vehicle’s tail heavy weight distribution, and aside from some cross wind wander, the van’s neutral handling won praise. This feature remains, but the example we drove, with big alloy wheels and lowered suspension (near £2,000 options), had a somewhat crashy ride, lacking the easy going, nodding dog quality of old, so perhaps softer springs, slimmer tyres and steel wheels would suit it better. Danbury has launched a rather clever power steering conversion using an electric unit from a Ford Fiesta. This makes the T2 very light to steer, and painless to park, but it feels rather dead, and there doesn’t seem to be a huge amount of self-centering. Adding £3,499 to the standard price, it’s also eye-wateringly expensive. For driver and passengers alike the T2 does retain a certain charm. Even the long-travel pedals, which require substantial shoves to make it go and stop, are part of the fun of driving it. The other interesting thing is that by modern standards it feels quite small. The one we tried was a Classic, which sits in the middle of a quite complex range of models. The conversion itself is well made and nicely thought out, unpretentious and easy to use. The fridge loads from the front, and the cooker provides a grill and decent sized oven. We found the hefty fold away bed simple to operate, likewise the manual pop up roof –but again this is a £1,995 option. You can spend a lot of money on versions with built in plasma screens and other lifestyle gear, but we reckoned the Classic, with right-hand-drive prices starting at £29,599, had everything most people would need. What every T2 lacks is modern safety gear. Born before anti lock brakes and airbags, it naturally doesn’t have them, and there’s no escaping that even with a spare wheel bolted to its nose, only a thin sheet of tin separates driver and front passenger from the outside world. Logically, it’s hard to justify owning a T2 when it’s possible to buy camper vans that are decades younger and have all the advantages forty years of engineering progress, but logic really isn’t the thing here. You’d buy this vehicle as an indulgence, in much the same way you’d shell out on a big touring motorcycle or a classic car. People love the T2, and desire it because of what it is and the nostalgia it represents. For them, nothing else will do.   Available now.   Grades and equipment specifications These vehicles are sold with a vast range of options. It’s worth reading the small print of Danbury’s website, because some items you might expect to be standard, like pop up roofs, aren’t, and add considerably to the price.   Key features of the standard Amigo include:- Servo assisted front disc brakes Cab heater Removable kitchen unit with 1 ring hob, manually pumped water and bowl Under bed storage locker Large comfortable metal framed ‘rock and roll’ style rear seat which converts easily into a double bed (domestic King-size) Vinyl upholstery Carries five people forward facing with seat belts (optional seven seater version) Rear rubber matting Volkswagen factory fitted immobiliser   Picknicker grade adds the following items:- Metal framed ‘rock and roll’ style rear seat which converts into a double bed Underbed storage and assorted storage cupboards Two gas burner hob & grill (optional gas oven Rio only) VW Golf- style reclining front seats 12v Cool box   Classic grade adds the following items:-   12v fridge/freezer CD Radio and 4 speakers Heated front and rear windscreens 240v Mains hook up and charging system Camping leisure battery Anti-corrosion treatment (under seal) Wood effect lino flooring     SE grade adds the following items:-   Leather seat upholstery (colour choice) Lowered suspension and choice of alloy wheels Front ‘retro’ wooden roof rack Chrome bumpers, mirrors and headlamp rims Front dummy wheel cover Rear parking sensors   ENGINE/TRANSMISSION (1,390cc)   four cylinder petrol four-speed manual: 78 bhp (79PS) 91Nm torque @2,750rpm   DIMENSIONS Length: 4,890mm (16ft) Width (mirrors folded): 1,811mm (5.11”) Height: 1,995mm (6.10” (roof lowered)) Kerb weight: N/A Payload 780kg Fuel tank 40litres Turning circle N/A Steering lock to lock. 3.5 turns (est)     PERFORMANCE, FUEL CONSUMPTION AND CO2 EMISSIONS     0-62 22.2 seconds; top speed 81mph, economy 30 mpg (combined (est)) CO2 emissions 144g/km (est).   CONSIDER AGAINST A well maintained or restored original, air-cooled Type 2 (prices from about £5,000).   Prices Amigo                          £22,999 Picknicker                    £24,699, Classic,                         £28,599, SE,                                £34,499.   More at http://www.danburymotorcaravans.com/models/volkswagen-t2/   http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/volkswagen/vw-t2-camper/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/volkswagen/vw-t2-camper/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3177992/442-vw-t2.jpg' /></a> Volkswagen VW T5 California Camper Test and Video Volkswagen VW T5 California Camper Test and Video 47619 Sat, 29 May 2010 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/volkswagen/vw-t5-california/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3226663/vw t6 california clifftop 700.jpg' align="left" /></a> By Martin Gurdon. Back in the now dimly remembered ear of ‘Cool Britannia,’ purveyors of motor caravans desperately tried proving that their products weren’t terminally naff. Fast forward fifteen or so years and they’re still at it. Although many of their offerings remain trimmed with materials and finishes that seem to mix Travelodge and Moulin Rouge, the publicity that accompanies them often goes on about the hip, happening, lifestyle opportunities they will, allegedly, open up. Perhaps van makers should stop apologising, and embrace the Middle English territory which is rightly theirs, and the generations of people with happy memories tied up with their products. The nearest thing to a trendy camper probably wears a VW badge and has a rear engine (visit our Danbury road test and video to see how you can buy one of these design classics new), but the people who built those famous vehicles also makes a camper version of its current, rather good T6 Transporter van. The   Transporter has just been given a facelift, with new, Golf-like front lamp clusters and revised engines, majoring on a range of four-cylinder, 2.0 litre diesels that take over from well-liked, 2.5 litre five-cylinder motors, but beat them comfortably in terms of performance, economy and emissions. The new ones are Euro 5 compliant, and VW reckons are about 20 per cent more efficient overall. Oddly, VW’s very German camper is called the California, and its clever, minimalist interior, with its subdued wood effect surfaces, alloy table and designer folding chairs, owes more to IKEA than MFI. It’s also been designed and built in house, which VW claim makes it unique. Potential rivals are van conversions from independent coach builders. This gave the California’s creators access to a Cecil B. DeMille-scale research and development operation, second-to-none knowledge of all the safely and other laws that govern new vehicle designs, and of course the thing is screwed together on VW’s own assembly line using bespoke parts. A cursory glance round the interior reveals a lack of sharp edges, and kitchen and storage units made from veneered light alloys that save weight and will absorb impact in an accident. The California’s designers clearly had a ball finding clever ways to create storage spaces and cubby holes, and the systems that swivel the front seats, and turn the rear bench into a bed are simple and neat. There’s a powerful auxiliary heater, and plenty of ‘that’s clever’ features, from the way the stainless cooker top and sink are formed from a single pressing, to myriad concealed lights. That heater is worked by a multi function control that sits above the rear view mirror and also actuates the electric raising roof. This rises like a giant bellows and makes the California a true four-birth van. Lowering it takes practice, and careful study of the rather stern instructions. It needs to expel a lot of air, so windows need to be opened, and if a stop/start approach isn’t adopted it seems to get is stays in a knot and won’t close properly, thanks to bits of canvas going out of shape. Familiarity would probably make it easy to use, but I managed to provide neighbours on a Sussex campsite plenty of harmless amusement trying to make it behave. My wife and our dog came too, and although the latter quickly grew to love this exotic wheeled kennel, the former did not. Both the dog and I slept soundly, but my partner found the bed ‘bloody uncomfortable,’ which wasn’t my experience, but then I’m an insensitive bloke. Neither of us were enamoured with the California’s cooking and refrigeration arrangements. Accessing the top loading fridge always seemed to involve shifting stuff from its lid, and where was the oven and grill? The California costs £37k plus, and provides just two gas rings. Perhaps VW expect the well-heeled empty nesters who are likely to buy something like this to eat out most nights. If they’re driving to those restaurants, the journey will be no pain at all. Our van’s 1,968cc, 177bhp engine was smooth and refined, and provided a pleasing stream of torquey power from low revs. Ours was mated to a seven-speed DSG, twin clutch transmission. I’ve sometimes found this two pedal auto/manual override system slightly flaccid in other VWs and Audis, but in the California it worked like a charm, and really suited the vehicle. For those who prefer changing gear conventionally, a six speed transmission is also available. The high seating position offered the endless amusement of peering over walls, and generally being nosy. The steering is pleasantly direct, if a bit low geared at parking speeds –manoeuvring this big vehicle can sometimes bit a little involved- and although our example had alloy wheels and low profile tyres, it rode surprisingly comfortably. For the record, any driver wanting to get the cutlery to make a bid for freedom by cornering hard, will find the top-heavy California rolls a fair bit, but handles well, something helped by its neat, space-saving independent rear suspension. Despite having an optional, retractable shop-style awning attached to one side, the California was surprisingly free of wind noise, and overall made for a very pleasant travelling companion. VW claims you could use it as a daily driver, which is true, but the California’s bulk might become irksome after a time. Better to have it as a long-lived, weekend plaything and holiday companion, as long as you camp close to some nice restaurants or eat more salad.             PRICES 140PS TDi                              £36,965, 180PS BiTDi                        £41,865, 180PD BiTDi DSG                            £43,515, 4Motion                                  £44,465.   California SE DSG equipment specifications 80 litre fuel tank with secure flap Body coloured bumpers, exterior mirrors and protective side moulding Chrome trim on radiator grille Clear glass headlights Covered sliding door guide Insulating double glazed glass in living area (except sliding window) Jack and tool kit Mirrors: convex on passenger’s side, aspherical with outer wide angle section on driver’s side Pop-up aluminium roof (electro-hydraulically activated) with 2 attachment rails for roof luggage rack system (roof load max 50 kg), exterior mounted stay arm, self-furling bellows and 3 zip vents   Right side sliding door   Roof load rack preparation   Self supporting and galvanised full steel body Tailgate, double glazed Tinted cab windows Towing eyes, front screw-in and rear fixed to body 2 silicone-damped grab handles above cab doors and grab handle at ‘A’ pillar, left   2 storage compartments in driver and passenger door, lower holds 1.5 litre bottle   2 sun visors, folding and pivoted with vanity mirror and document pocket   Blackout for night use on windscreen and cab doors   Carpet floor covering   Centre console   ‘Crete’ fabric seat covers   Dash mounted gear lever   Drinks holder   Driver and passenger swivelling seats with lumbar support and armrests   Fabric push-on frame insert to shade door window   Front floor mats   Hook on lower dash on front passenger side   Interior entry steps, illuminated   Interior light and two reading lamps in overhead console, with switch-off delay Leather covered steering wheel, handbrake grip and manual gear knob   Lockable glove compartment   Open storage compartment in dash panel including mobile phone holder   Storage compartments in dash panel beneath outer air vents   Storage compartments in outer side of driver and passenger seats   Storage net on lower dash passenger side   Storage pockets on front seat backrests 2 folding chairs (stored in tailgate)   Clothes cupboard and storage compartment, rear left   Cooler ‘Waeco’: 42 litre capacity, cooling system compression unit   Draw curtains for side windows, rear left   Drinks holder   Flexible worktop (attached to kitchen cabinet, adjustable) Floor with plastic safety cover Flourescent light and 5 LED spotlights, switched individually   Folding table (stored in sliding door)   Fresh water container, approx 30 litres: filling outside vehicle, rear left, with access for cleaning; with electric pump   Gas cooker: 2 burners, burner power approx 1000W/1800W, power from 2.8kg gas cylinder (not supplied), energy consumption rated approx 140g/hr   Interior entry step with automatic illumination switch-off   Kitchen unit: sink/cooker combination with height adjustable safety cover, sink: stainless steel with height adjustable single tap (with switch for water pump) and removable washing-up bowl, drawer for cutlery, storage space with 2 sliding doors   Light in luggage compartment (tailgate activated)   Reclining bench/bed, adjustable and tilting: backrest adjustable to 3 positions, folding, articulated and adjustable headrests, storage compartment under bench seat, removeable integrated seat belts, sleeping area 114 x 200cm, together with bed cushions Roof bed (120 x 200cm) with gas-spring supported pivoting mechanism: ventilation windows in sides (closable) on left and right, mosquito net, comfort slatted frame, foamed plastic padding (55mm), insertable child safety net and flexible halogen lamp   Safety tank valve: gas pressure regulator, shut-off valve for gas feed   Sliding windows with flyscreens   Waste water tank: protected against freezing in passenger compartment, capacity approx 30 litres 4 12V sockets in living area Air conditioning dashboard, manually controlled, with dust and pollen filter   Electric windows, front   Electrically adjustable, heated and folding exterior mirrors   Heated front seats   Heated washer jets, front   Instrument illumination, dimmable   Instrument panel includes: brake fluid level, brake pad wear indicator, coolant temperature display, digital clock, fuel gauge, rev counter, trip computer, speedometer with total mileage and trip counter, warning lamps for handbrake applied and door/tailgate opening, windscreen washer fluid level indicator   Parking heater with radio remote control   RCD 310 Radio/CD player with 8 speakers and AUX-IN socket   Remote central locking with deadlocking and internal locking button, 2 remote keys supplied   Separately controlled heating system for living area   Side sliding door with power latching   Steering column, height and rake adjustable   Tailgate with power latching Vented moulded trim above side windows in passenger compartment Warning buzzer for lights left on Windscreen wiper with 2-speed operation and variable intermittent delay Roof bed (120 x 200cm) with gas-spring supported pivoting mechanism: ventilation windows in sides (closable) on left and right, mosquito net, comfort slatted frame, foamed plastic padding (55mm), insertable child safety net and flexible halogen lamp Safety tank valve: gas pressure regulator, shut-off valve for gas feed Sliding windows with flyscreens Waste water tank: protected against freezing in passenger compartment, capacity approx 30 litres   2 reversing lights 3rd brake light ABS: Anti-lock Braking System   Airbag for driver and passenger with passenger airbag deactivation   Airbags, side and front curtain   Anti-theft protection: alarm with interior and tow away protection, deactivation switch for both functions on ‘B’ pillar, breaksafe steering wheel lock, electronic immobiliser, locking wheel bolts   Childlock on sliding door   Dual tone horn   EBC: Engine Braking Control (not with 4MOTION ® )   EBD: Electronic Brakeforce Distribution   EDL: Electronic Differential Lock   ESP: Electronic Stabilisation Programme including Active Rollover Protection (ARP), brake assist system, maximum brake support, prefill and Rain Brake Support   First aid bag and warning triangle Fog lights, rear and front with cornering lights Halogen main headlights with daytime running function   Headlight range control   Head restraints, height and tilt adjustable for all seats Hill hold control Rear view mirror anti-dazzle function   Seat belts, 3 point inertia reel integrated into rear seats   Seat belts, 3 point with height adjustment and tensioners for front seats   Side mounted indicators TCS: Traction Control System   12V system   12V to 230V adapter (in kitchen cupboard)   230V system with battery charger   AC inverter with 230V socket   Alternator 180Ah   Batteries: 72Ah, 2 auxiliary batteries (maintenance free) with cut-off relay for powering living area (cooler etc.)   Battery charger (current and voltage regulated)   Central electronic system with waking alarm function in cab above interior mirror for control and status check of: battery charge level, battery capacity, cooler (digital temperature setting), outside temperature, fresh water supply (3 settings), waste water level (3 levels), charger display, activation of electric pop-up roof, parking heater display and control   Charging via alternator or battery charger   Circuit breaker (FI/LS 0.001/13A)   Cooler: power consumption – approx 50W @ 100% on-time, average on-time approx 30%, running noise under 35dB (A), classification *** (to -18°), operation electric 12V   Earthed mains socket in living area   Fuses for power consuming devices in living area Supply via CEE outlet on outer side, rear left   ENGINES/TRANSMISSIONS 1,968cc, four-cylinder diesel six-speed manual/seven-speed DSG: 140PS (138BHP) 340Nm torque @1,750-2,500rpm (BiTurbo 180PS (177BHP) 400Nm torque @1,500-2,000rpm) DIMENSIONS Length: 4,892mm (16.4”) Height: 1,995mm (6.5”) Width: 1,905mm (6.2” (not including raised roof?) Weight: 3,000kg Fuel tank 80litres Turning circle 11.9m Steering lock to lock. 3.3 turns     PERFORMANCE, FUEL CONSUMPTION AND CO2 EMISSIONS   140PS 2.0 TDil 6sp man : 0-62 15.7 seconds; top speed 106mph, economy 36.7 mpg (combined) CO2 emissions 203g/km. 180 PS 2.0 BiTDi 6sp man: 0-62 12.4 seconds; top speed 117mph, economy 36.2 mpg (combined) CO2 emissions 205g/km. 180 PS 2.0 BiTDi DSG: 0-62 12.4 seconds; top speed 117mph, economy 34.9 mpg (combined) CO2 emissions 214g/km. 180 PS 2.0 BiTDi 4Motion: TBC.     CONSIDER AGAINST Wentworth RV T5 conversion Danbury Active/Royale/Surf T5 conversion Jerba Tiree T5 conversion Bilbo’s Motorhomes T5 conversion Rainbow Conversions T5. More at VW California   http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/volkswagen/vw-t5-california/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/volkswagen/vw-t5-california/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3226663/vw t6 california clifftop 700.jpg' /></a> Kia KIA Sportage 2010 Video Test Kia KIA Sportage 2010 Video Test 47362 Wed, 26 May 2010 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/kia/kia-sportage-2010/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3174417/445-kia-sport.jpg' align="left" /></a> "Cute and chunky" are probably the best words to describe KIA's new Sportage SUV, a direct alternative to Nissan's hugely popular Qashqai. Underneath, it's exactly the same as the Hyundai ix35, and cars for the UK are even built on the same production line at KIA's factory in Slovakia. We weren't in Slovakia, though. We were in Korea, testing the car at Hyundai/KIA's Namyang R&D centre because, despite the fact that the new Sportage is on the road in Korea, our main reason for being there was to visit the R&D centre. To drive, it's very similar to the Hyundai ix35, which is no big surprise. Not that I cold tell very much driving up and down a runway talking to camera trying to get a video made in the five minutes total I had with the car. It comes on 16", 17" or 18" bling wheels with progressively less rubber between the rims and the road. I can't recommend the 18s for the UK, which, thanks to 13 years of labour misappropriation of road maintenance funds into traffic harming measures, now has some of the worst roads in the developed road. The seat and driving position were instantly comfortable. The dash is designed to hold built-in satnav in the right place (a relatively new feature in Korean cars). It's easy to get in and out of. Comfortable in the back. And while the rear seats don't cantilever fold in the manner of the old Sportage, there's plenty of luggage space and (hopefully) a full size ally spare under the load deck. The full Eurospec tells you most of what you need to know. The new twin turbo 1.7 litre diesel engine will feel a lot more lively than 115PS implies because it won't have the lack of torque at low revs that bedevils too many diesel engines. It's also very economical, and by next year, KIA hopes to get the CO2 down to 125g/km, which will even beat the 4WD Toyota Urban Cruiser and the 2WD Nissan Qashqai 1.5 diesel. Though like most Qashqais on the roads, the lowest CO2 Sportages will be two-wheel drive rather than four-wheel drive. You can't have everything. Impressively, though, as in the ix35, the forthcoming petrol 1.6 litre ‘Gamma' GDI engine comes in at under 150g/km CO2 and the ‘R' type 2.0 litre diesel is 147g/km. So that's three chunky Sportage SUVs under £150g/km that saves first year registration tax and keeps the VED down in years to come. KIA's own crash tests at Namyang lead it to fully expects a 5 star NCAP rating, though this will not be announced until November. Full road test of a UK spec Sportage with UK road impressions coming soon.           TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS / EUROPE New Kia Sportage Body & Chassis Five-door, five-seater compact SUV, with all-steel unitary construction bodyshell.   Choice of four transversely-mounted diesel and gasoline engines driving the front (2WD) or front and rear wheels (AWD) via a five-speed or six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission – depending on model. Engines DIESEL 2.0-litre / 136 ps Diesel   [ Available from launch ] Name / Type ‘R2.0’ / DOHC, four-cylinder in line, with single VGT Capacity 2.0-litres, 1995 cc Max power 136 ps (100.0 kW) @ 4000 rpm Max torque 304 Nm (32.6 kg.m) @ 1800-2500 rpm Fuel system CRDi, common-rail, high pressure, direct injection Turbo system Variable geometry turbocharger (VGT) Emissions class Euro 5 1.7-litre / 115 ps Diesel   [ Available from late 2010 ] Name / Type ‘U2’ / DOHC, four-cylinder in line, with single VGT Capacity 1.7-litres, 1685 cc Max power 115 ps (84.5 kW) @ 4000 rpm Max torque 255 Nm (26.0 kg.m) @ 1800-2500 rpm Fuel system CRDi, common-rail, high pressure, direct injection Turbo system Variable geometry turbocharger (VGT) Emissions class Euro 5   PETROL 2.0-litre / 163 ps Gasoline   [ Available from launch ] Name / Type ‘Theta II’ / DOHC, four-cylinder in line, with dual CVVT Capacity 2.0-litres, 1998 cc Max power 163 ps (120.0 kW) @ 6200 rpm Max torque 194 Nm (19.8 kg.m) @ 4600 rpm Fuel system Multi-point injection Emissions class Euro 5   1.6-litre / 140 ps Gasoline   [ Available from late 2010 ] Name / Type ‘Theta II’ / DOHC, four-cylinder in line, with dual CVVT Capacity 1.6-litres, 1591 cc Max power 140 ps (103.0 kW) @ 6200 rpm Max torque 166 Nm (17.0 kg.m) @ 4500 rpm Fuel system Multi-point injection Emissions class Euro 5   Transmissions 2.0D 1.7D 2.0G 1.6G Manual   6-sp 6-sp 5-sp 6-sp Automatic   6-sp ---- 6-sp ----   Drivetrains 2.0D MT/AT 1.7D MT 2.0G MT/AT 1.6G MT 2WD S / ---- S S / S S AWD    S / S ---- S / S ---- S = available as standard   2WD Delivers 100% of torque to the front wheels.   Safety aided by electronic Traction Control, ABS anti-lock braking and (optional) ESC with Downhill Brake Control and Hill-start Assist Control. AWD Full-time on demand electronically controlled single ratio (High) system delivers 100% of torque to front wheels during normal road driving.   Manually selected ‘Lock Mode’ splits torque 50/50 between front/rear axles for enhanced stability during slippery conditions (up to 40 km/h). Suspension & Damping Front Fully independent by subframe-mounted MacPherson Struts, with coil springs and gas-filled shock absorbers. Anti-roll stabiliser bar. Rear Fully independent by subframe-mounted multi-links, coil springs and gas-filled ASD shock absorbers. Steering Type MDPS, electric power-assisted rack and pinion Overall ratio 15.9:1 Gearing 2.96 turns lock-to-lock Turning circle 10.58 metres Brakes Power Single 11 -inch booster (LHD) Tandem 8- & 9-inch booster (RHD) Front    300 x 28 mm ventilated discs Rear 262 x 10 mm (2WD) / 284 x 10 mm (AWD) solid discs Parking brake Hand operated lever ABS 4-channel anti-lock system with EBD BAS Boosts braking power during emergency stops DBC Downhill brake control maintains 8 km/h speed during descents Wheels & Tyres Standard   Alloy 16 in x 6.5J 215/70 R16 tyres Options Alloy 17 in x 6.5J 225/60 R17 tyres   Alloy 18 in x 6.5J 235/55 R18 tyres Spare (Standard) Tyre mobility kit Spare (Option) Full size alloy wheel and tyre DIMENSIONS Exterior (mm) Overall length 4440 Overall width* 1855 Overall height 1635** Wheelbase 2640 Front track 1614 Rear track 1615 Front overhang 890 Rear overhang   910 Ground clearance   172   * excluding door mirrors / ** excluding roof rack Interior (mm) Front Rear Headroom   992   977 Legroom 1051     963 Shoulder room 1440   1400 Hip room 1364   1246   Capacities   (all models) Fuel tank    55 litres Luggage (VDA)   564 litres (behind rear seats) 1353 litres (behind front seats, rear seats folded)   Off-road Capabilities Approach angle 22.7 degrees Departure angle 28.2 degrees Ramp over angle 17.7 degrees Roll over angle 45.0 degrees Max climb angle 44.19 degrees   Weights (kg) 2.0D MT/AT 2.0G MT/AT All-wheel drive Kerb weight (min.) 1525 / 1601 1450 / 1469 Gross weight 2140 / 2140 2030 / 2030 Towing (max) kg* 2000 / 1600 2000 / 1600   2-wheel drive Kerb weight (min.) 1458 / ---- 1380 / 1397 Gross weight 2090 / ---- 1980 / 1980 Towing (max) kg* 2000 / 1600 2000 / 1600   Performance 2.0D MT/AT 2.0G MT/AT All-wheel drive Top speed / kph 181 / 180 182 / 180 0-to-100 kph / sec 11.3 / 12.1 10.7 / 11.2   2-wheel drive Top speed / kph 182 / 182 184 / 182 0-to-100 kph / sec 10.8 / 11.9 10.4 / 10.6   Fuel Economy (litres/100 km)** 2.0D MT/AT 2.0G MT/AT All-wheel drive Combined cycle   5.7 / ----   7.6 / 8.2 CO2 g/km 149 / ---- 181 / 195   2-wheel drive Combined cycle   5.5 / ---- 7.5 / 7.9 CO2 g/km 147 / ---- 177 / 187   *trailer with brakes **fuel consumption and CO2 data, manufacture’s estimated figures       http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/kia/kia-sportage-2010/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/kia/kia-sportage-2010/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3174417/445-kia-sport.jpg' /></a> Kia KIA Magentis 2011 Model First Drive Kia KIA Magentis 2011 Model First Drive 47361 Tue, 25 May 2010 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/kia/kia-magentis-iii/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3173041/444-kia-magentis.jpg' align="left" /></a> It isn’t easy making a 3-minute video of a new car at an R&D facility in 5 minutes flat. Particularly when security demands the removal of any speck in the background that could be a disguised top-secret prototype and leaves you with less than a minute of footage. Also a little peculiar when the model is already in production (we went to see it being built) and in a showroom near you throughout Korea. In fairness, KIA’s purpose of our visit was not to make video tests of its new cars, but to familiarise us with its entire R&D operation. Which is extremely impressive, and includes a $45 million wind tunnel as well as a factory at Hwasung that employs 13,000 people and turns out 600,000 cars a year. And that’s just one of its factories. The new K5 Magentis is a ‘D’ sector car (like the Mondeo, Insignia and Passat), but moves the game on from previous Magentis. It’s striking to look at, attractive inside and manages the double whammy of being both powerful and eco friendly. 4,845mm long by 1,830mm wide by 1,455mm high, KIA actually pitches it against the Toyota Camry rather than cars like the Mondeo. The two engines Britain will get are a 2.0 litre petrol injected MPI, and its new, chain cam U2 twin turbo VGT that develops an unimpressive 115PS, but drives like a much more powerful car with exceptionally low emissions that KIA expects to get down to 125g/km by the time it goes on sale in the UK. It’s available in various levels of trim, with wheel and tyre sizes from 205/70 R15, through 205/65 R16 to 245/45R18. It will have LED Daytime running lights, optional Xenon high beam headlights, optional panoramic sunroof, optional ventilated seats, an electric parking brake and a rear view camera. It’s an extremely handsome car, with the same ‘new face’ of KIA as seen on the new Sorento and new Sportage (of which more elsewhere). That’s all for now. More as we get more information. http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/kia/kia-magentis-iii/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/kia/kia-magentis-iii/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3173041/444-kia-magentis.jpg' /></a> Toyota Auris Hybrid Road Test Toyota Toyota Auris Hybrid Road Test 47583 Wed, 19 May 2010 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/toyota/toyota-auris-hybrid/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3164835/toy auris hybrid f34 1 700.jpg' align="left" /></a> To be honest, since my first road test back in January 2007 the Toyota Auris has hardly set the market for family hatchbacks alight. Toyota has been shifting around 11,000 a year, which is less than a tenth of the number Ford sells of the Focus. Auris virtues include a high roofline, comfortable seats, easy entry and egress and its ‘Built in Britain’ credential. But whether manual or automated manual, the 1.6 was too low geared and the 2.0 litre diesel both noisy and pedestrian. The hot T180 was actually a pretty good long distance car, but sold in hundreds rather than thousands. So now the Toyota Auris has had some mid-life refreshment. The 124PS 1.6 is replaced by an excellent new 132PS Valvematic. The diesel is reduced to a 100PS 1.4. The mainstream model is a low emission 1.33. And now Toyota has extracted the drivetrain from its Prius to bring us a hybrid version. Actually, two hybrid versions. One in T4 spec on 15” alloys with 195/65 tyres. The other a T-Spirit on 17” wheels with 215/45 R17 tyres (a £250 option on the T4). On 15” wheels it’s certificated at a remarkable 89g/km CO2 and 74.3mpg. On 17” wheels those figures fall to 93g/km and 70.6mpg. Still comfortably qualifying it for zero VED, zero London Congestion Tax and just 10% BIK of its £18,950, £19,200 or £20,700 price. (You pay tax on £1,895, £1,920 on 17” wheels or £2,070, so I foresee a rush of company diesel drivers wanting to replace their oil burners with an Auris Hybrid Synergy Drive. Performance of both is 0-60 in 11 seconds and a top speed of 112mph. The 98PS of its Atkinson Cycle 1.8 petrol engine is supplemented by an electric motor that puts of 60kW compared to the 10kW of the Honda insight. Combined maximum power is 136PS. Not that you’ll use it all very much. The car’s forte is traffic where its inbuilt stop start system its ability to run in electric EV mode and where it regenerates best earned us 3.8 litres/100km (74.3mpg). You won’t get that all the time, of course. Cruising on the motorway it can drop to around 55mpg, and up hills to about 45mpg. I reckon the average owner will see 60mpg whether he plumps for the 15” or 17” wheels. It may surprise you to read that despite the theoretical benefits of the 15s, I’d plump for the 17s. These transform the car from stodgy and uninspiring handling to sharp enough to be almost sporty. More importantly for economy driving, they help you keep your speed up round corners, which, of course, aids economy by reducing deceleration and acceleration. Some potential buyers may be put off by worries of reliability of the hybrid drivetrain and batteries. To combat this, Toyota warrants the batteries for 8 years or 100,000 miles. This suite low mileage retired owners, but high mileage drivers need not worry. Toyota is now seeing Prius II models on taxi fleets reaching 300,000 – 400,000 miles with very little trouble. Prius warranty claims are actually five times lower than for Corollas that are one of the best in all the surveys. On top of that, the drivetrain has less moving parts. No alternator or starter motor, the functions of which are both carried out by the electric motor. A very simple epicyclic CVT transmission with no belts and pulleys that give no trouble at all. Regenerative braking increases brake pad life to around 60,000 miles on average. I see three potential groups of buyers for the Toyota Auris hybrid. One is London Congestion Charge commuters. If you have to drive in and out of London every day, it’s ideal. The second is company car drivers, who pay less in benefit in kind tax for a Toyota Auris hybrid than for a diesel of near equivalent performance and economy. And the third is retired couples whose us of a car is mainly short runs from cold stars with the occasional longer run thrown in. No point in starting up a diesel car with a particulate filter for that sport of use because the filter will rapidly clog. Far better a hybrid that runs electrically at first, then quietly starts with minimum pollution as and when it has to. Toyota has come up with the near ideal car for them. And on top of that it’s built in Britain, at Burnaston in Derbyshire. 7-5-2011: Liked the car so much we bought one. At least my dad did. Ex Toyota press fleet T-Spirit with Nav Pack and pearl white paint. I did the 300 mile run up to Northumberland to deliver it and managed 62.3mpg and a reasonable average speed, whihc proves 60mpg + is easily achieved. More at Toyota http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/toyota/toyota-auris-hybrid/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/toyota/toyota-auris-hybrid/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3164835/toy auris hybrid f34 1 700.jpg' /></a> Mazda 6 2010 Facelift Road Test Mazda Mazda 6 2010 Facelift Road Test 47397 Thu, 06 May 2010 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/mazda/mazda-6-2010/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3144557/440-maz-610.jpg' align="left" /></a> Two and a half years might seem a little soon for a mid life crisis. But that’s how long the current shape Mazda 6 has been gracing our roads and Mazda nevertheless thought it time to refresh its Mondeo competitor.   It’s not a huge facelift. A bit of Botox and cosmetic surgeon’s scalpel at the front. Some new colours such as the vibrant (and very striking) copper red of our test car.   Additional kit. Suspension improvements. And lower emission all-chain-cam engines to take back some of April’s rise in BIK taxes. The 2.0 litre petrol engine now pumps out an extra six PS and delivers it more flexibly while at the same time emitting just 159g/km CO2, which puts it in the 20% BIK bracket and essentially keeps it under the 160g/km limit for company tax. Though unfortunately the station wagon is 1g/km over that limit and the new 5-speed automatic version lets loose 178g/km. Diesels too are all lower emission. The 129PS is 138g/km while the 163PS and 180PS are 142g/km. Station wagons are all 143g/km. The 180 is actually down 5PS but uses a smaller turbo that gives more torque at lower rpm and can now trickle down to 1,400rpm quite comfortably. Among the total of 400 modifications across the range are better steering feedback, improved aerodynamics, greater ride comfort accomplished by a remapped EPS ECU and revised bushes, mounting points and damper rates. The 17” and 18” alloy wheels are now 8% - 10% lighter saving a total of four kilograms from the unsprung weight and further improving steering feedback, ride and stability.   A tyre pressure monitoring system allows the optional fitting of runflat tyres. There’s a hill start assist that holds the car on an incline without the driver having to co-ordinate parking brake, accelerator and clutch. Adaptive (swivelling) headlights are optional. And if you brake hard the hazards flash to warn drivers behind you. We drove both the 155PS petrol model and the 180PS 2.2 diesel, the latter in excellent station wagon configuration that is actually slightly more commodious than a Mondeo estate. The ‘Karakuri’ features of flip catches to drop the rear seats are carried over, together with a luggage cover that rises with the hatchback. But if you want to load the back to the ceiling the luggage cover and bar containing the dog guard are fairly fiddly to remove and not a job for ladies with nails. Handling as, as Mazda suggests, excellent. Top of the class. Better even than a Mondeo. The Mazda 6 station wagon is a ‘sport tourer’ with some meaning the words. Prices of the new range start at £16,990, rising to £23,345. 1.8i 5-speed manual hatchback: 0-60 11.3 seconds; top speed 121 mph; combined economy 43.5mpg; CO2 emissions 155g/km 2.0i 6-speed manual hatchback: 0-60 10.0 seconds; top speed 134 mph; combined economy 40.9mpg; CO2 emissions 159g/km 2.0i 5-speed automatic hatchback: 0-60 10.9 seconds; top speed 128 mph; combined economy 37.2mpg; CO2 emissions 176g/km 2.5i 6-speed manual hatchback: 0-60 8.1 seconds; top speed 137mph; combined economy 34.9mpg; CO2 emissions 192g/km 2.2 129PS diesel 6-speed manual hatchback: 0-60 10.6 seconds; top speed 121 mph; combined economy 54.3mpg; CO2 emissions 138g/km 2.2 163PS diesel 6-speed manual hatchback: 0-60 8.9 seconds; top speed 132 mph; combined economy 52.3mpg; CO2 emissions 142g/km 2.2 180PS diesel 6-speed manual hatchback: 0-60 8.4 seconds; top speed 135 mph; combined economy 52.3mpg; CO2 emissions 142g/km 2.2 180PS diesel 6-speed manual estate: 0-60 8.9 seconds; top speed 131 mph; combined economy 52.3mpg; CO2 emissions 143g/km http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/mazda/mazda-6-2010/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/mazda/mazda-6-2010/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3144557/440-maz-610.jpg' /></a> Citroen DS3 1.6 THP Citroen Citroen DS3 1.6 THP 47240 Sat, 01 May 2010 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/citroen/citroen-ds3-hj-road-test/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3110222/439-cit-ds3.jpg' align="left" /></a> The Citroen DS3 has given rise to a new word: “Trinketry”. No other car has seen so much effort devoted to this new found automotive art, of turning a car into a piece of jewellery. In the DS3 trinketry is everywhere: The vertical banks of LED DRLs either side of its snout, the diamond cut wheels, the extraordinary B-Pillar, the chrome side strakes, the way the rear privacy glass blends into the roof, the scalloped tail lights, and most of all the styled DS3 badge on the back. And, of course, there’s more inside. Dials that light up and dance when you turn the key. Neatly installed satnav. Comfortable Alcantara suede upholstery. A coloured panel in front of the passenger. Alloy pedals. Even a key that has to be inserted the right way up for the fob to hang neatly. But all this eye candy would be wasted if the car was a dog to drive. Happily, it isn’t. Mine came fitted with an old man’s best friend: PSA’s chain cam 1.6 THP 150 that I drove for 6 months under the bonnet of a Peugeot 207, and which also finds its way into MINI Coopers. In the DS3 it comes connected to something my 207 desperately needed: a six speed gearbox with a nice, sensible set of ratios that give you 30mph per 1,000rpm in top instead of the 21mph or so I suffered in 5 th in the Peugeot. That means an easily achievable 40 – 45mpg on the motorway, while the pleasant character of the engine at both ends of the rev range can also be enjoyed. It’s docile and tractable in traffic, and smooth at high revs. A lot smoother, I felt, than the similarly powered turbo-supercharged 1.4 in the SEAT Ibiza I was driving last week. You don’t feel the harshness of the low profile 17” tyres quite as much as on the Ibiza FR. And a 630 mile drive confirmed that it's an excellent drive, combining punchy, flexible engine, 6 ideal gear ratios, very good handling and grip and a particularly tidy front-end, less prone to understeer than many FWD set ups. It's not in the same class as a RenaultSport Megane 250, but it delivers the goods. And it had the best cruise control I have ever used. Just leave it on and you can quickly set it and adjust your speed up or down 1mph at a time by the two finger buttons behind the steering wheel. Over 630 miles, 130 of them quick cross country, it gave 44 miles to the gallon. So, no worries. The DS3 is the kind of car I’d have like a shot because it combines performance, economy, handling and looks. If you want more economy, you can always go for the diesel, with 90 or 100PS, and soon there will also be one that emits just 99g/km, which means no annual VED to pay. For the THP 150 you’ll be asked for £155. But I’d pay every year that just for the sheer joy of the way it drove. http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/citroen/citroen-ds3-hj-road-test/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/citroen/citroen-ds3-hj-road-test/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3110222/439-cit-ds3.jpg' /></a> Vauxhall Meriva 2010 Road Test Vauxhall Vauxhall Meriva 2010 Road Test 47593 Wed, 28 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/vauxhall/vauxhall-meriva-2010/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3107759/vaux meriva 2010 doors 700.jpg' align="left" /></a> Now and again a new car comes as a complete surprise.  I expect it to have certain qualities. I don’t expect to be bowled over by its brilliance in areas where that type of car is rarely better than mundane. So I won’t hold back. The new Vauxhall Meriva isn’t just an excellent small family MPV. It’s sensationally good to drive. Controversially (and to get people talking about the car), GM Europe has gone for rear-hinged rear doors. What used to be called ‘suicide doors’, but they are also fitted to the Rolls Royce Phantom and I haven’t heard of any DIY deaths as a result. (Actually the doors have various locking systems that make death by door impossible to achieve.) They aren’t just a gimmick. Both they and the front doors open extra wide (with four separate click-stops) and facilitate very easy entry and egress. Inside the new Vauxhall Meriva, befitting its raised status to “a class above” the old Meriva, you’ll find the same high-end dashboard and instruments as in an Insignia or new Astra. There’s a curious arrangement of parallel sliding cupholders, knick-nack trays and armrests between the front seats that on our car weren’t complete because it was pre-production. They’re also working on a compatible USB port and early new Merivas will come only with an Aux-in socket. But the rest of the Meriva was all present and correct. Fold the Meriva's narrow centre rear seat flat and you can slide the rear seats back diagonally, as in a C-Max, to provide more legroom. You can also fold the seats flat for carrying luggage. Load capacities are 400 litres just the boot, 920 litres to waist height with all rear seats folded, and 1,500 litres to the roof with all rear seats folded. There’s a well for a spare wheel under the load floor, but you have to pay an extra £105 for a space saver, otherwise all you get is an inflation kit, which, as we all know, won’t inflate a shredded tyre. The Meriva offers lots of stowage spaces. Ample power points. And a neat pair of grooves into which the load cover can be slid when carrying tall stuff (or a dog) in the back. Engine range at launch comprises a 100PS 1.4 petrol, a 120PS 1.4 petrol turbo and a 140PS 1.4 petrol turbo, all chain cam. Diesels at launch are a 75PS FIAT 1.3 and a 100PS GM 1.7, the latter connected to the road via a 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission. CO2s are 144g/km, 143 g/km, 156g/km, 129g/km and 168g/km respectively. Combined mpgs are 46.3, 46.3, 42.2, 57.6 and 44.1. Later for the Meriva there will be a 95PS EcoFlex 1.3 diesel that should get under 121g/km and a 130PS 1.7 diesel with a 6-speed manual box. Meriva performance varies from 0-60 in 10 seconds for the 1.4 140 turbo down to 16.6 for the 75PS 1.3 diesel. Top speeds from 122 down to 99mph. Prices start at £12,995 for the entry level Meriva Expression with the 100PS 1.4 petrol engine to £21,255 for the 100PS 1.7 diesel automatic. The car I drove, which seemed to me to be the best overall spec, was a 1.4 140PS turbo with ‘Exclusiv’ trim at £18,140. The big surprise was the way the Meriva drove. The 225/45 R17 tyres just gripped and gripped, while the ‘tuned flow rate’ electro hydraulic steering gave an impression of very natural feedback. (This is a completely different steering system from the all electric set up in the old Meriva, by the way, that was prone to burning out its motor when forced onto maximum lock too often.) So, the new Meriva is a reasonably priced, practical, versatile small family MPV that handles in a very safe and sporty manner and also offers excellent ride quality. Quite a lot of cars in one. More at Vauxhall Prices: Expression 1.4 16v VVTI 100PS £12,995 S 1.4 16v VVTI 100PS £15,495 S 1.4 16v VVTI 100PS (a/c) £15,995 S 1.4 16v VVTI Turbo 120PS £16,215 S 1.4 16v VVTI Turbo 120PS (a/c) £16,715 S 1.3CDTI 16v £16,875 S 1.3CDTI 16v (a/c) £17,375 S 1.7CDTI 16v auto £19,325 S 1.7CDTI 16v auto (a/c) £19,825 Exclusiv 1.4 16v VVTI 100PS (a/c) £16,650   Exclusiv 1.4 16v VVTI Turbo 120PS (a/c) £17,365 Exclusiv 1.4 16v VVTI Turbo 140PS (a/c) £18,140 Exclusiv 1.3CDTI 16v (a/c) £18,025 Exclusiv 1.7CDTI 16v auto (a/c) £20,475 SE 1.4 16v VVTI 100PS (a/c) £17,430 SE 1.4 16v VVTI Turbo 120PS (a/c) £18,145 SE 1.4 16v VVTI Turbo 140PS (a/c) £18,920   SE 1.7CDTI 16v auto (a/c) £21,255     Equipment Summary Exterior Exp’ion S Exclusiv SE Body-coloured door handles and bumpers S S S S Tinted windows S S S S Daytime running lights S S S S Remote door locking with immobilizer S S S S Powered, heated, manual-folding door mirrors S S S S Follow-me-home lights S S S S Adaptive Forward Lighting (Halogen)     O O Front fog lamps     O S Park Assist, front and rear   O O O 15-inch steel wheels S S     16-inch steel wheels     S   16-inch alloys wheels       S Flex-Fix bike carrier       O O Panoramic sunroof with electric-powered blind       O Interior Exp’ion S Exclusiv SE Telescopic & tilt adjustable steering wheel S S S S Height-adjustable driver’s seat S S S S Electrically-powered front windows S S S S Electrically-powered rear windows       S Electronic Park Brake S S S S Steering wheel controls   P S S Front centre console floor tray S S S S FlexRail console with tray/cupholder     S S FlexRail console, tray/cupholder, armrest storage     O S Puddle lights in B-pillar base S S S S 12-volt outlet, centre stack S S S S 12-volt outlet, rear of centre console     S S 12-volt outlet, boot     O O Reading lights, front and rear     S S Ambient light in centre stack illuminating console     S S Ambient cabin lighting       S FlexSpace seating configuration S S S S Graphic information display   S S S Air conditioning with particulate filter   O S S Electronic Climate Control (ECC), dual zone     O O Radio CD300, adds TID, 4 speakers & Aux-in S       Radio CD400, adds GID, 7 speakers, USB, Aux-in   S S S CD500 Nav, adds flash memory, CID, USB, UHP     O O Univ. Hands-free Phone, Bluetooth, voice control   O O O Board computer, check control, speed warning       S TopTec stain resistant fabric (light Cocoa only)         S Ergonomic front seats     O O Cruise control   P S S Embedded hands free phone with Bluetooth & voice control     O O   ·       S = Standard    O = Option   P = Part of Bluetooth hands free kit More efficient 1.4-litre petrol variants replace larger engines Petrol Line Up 1.4 1.4 Turbo 1.4 Turbo Displacement (cm 3 ) 1398 1364 1364 Maximum Output (PS at RPM) 100 at 6000 120 at 4800 - 6000 140 at 4900 - 6000 Maximum Torque (Nm at rpm) 130 at 4000 175 at 1750 – 4800 200 at 1850 – 4900 Acceleration 0 – 62mph (sec.) 13.9 11.5 10.3 Fuel consumption combined (mpg) 46.3 46.3 42.2 CO 2 emissions (g/km) 144 143 156     Two diesel engines at launch; two to follow in summer 2010 Diesel line Up 1.3 CDTi 1.7 CDTi Displacement (cm 3 ) 1248 1686 Maximum Output (PS at RPM) 75 at 4000 100 at 4000 Maximum Torque (Nm at rpm) 180 at 1750 - 2500 260 at 1700 - 2550 Acceleration 0 – 62mph (sec.) 16.9 13.9 Fuel consumption combined (mpg) 57.6 44.1 CO 2 emissions (g/km) 129 168     NEW VAUXHALL MERIVA TECHNICAL DATA Petrol engines   1.4 1.4 Turbo (120PS) 1.4 Turbo (140PS) Emissions standard compliance   Euro 5 Euro 5 Euro 5 Number of cylinders / valves per cylinder   4/4 4/4 4/4 Displacement cm³ 1398 1364 1364 Bore x stroke Mm 73.4 x 82.6 72.5 x 82.6 72.5 x 82.6 Max. output PS 100 120 140   at rpm 6000 4800 – 6000 4900 – 6000 Max. torque Nm 130 175 200   at rpm 4000 1750 – 4800 1850 – 4900 Compression ratio   10.5 : 1 9.5 : 1 9.5 : 1 Transmissions         5-speed manual   l l – 6-speed manual   – – l Trailer load in kg         Unbraked   670 680 680 Braked at 10% gradient   850 1150 1300 Braked at 12% gradient   750 1050 1200           Diesel engines   1.3 CDTI   (75PS) 1.7 CDTI (100PS)   Emissions standard compliance   Euro 5 Euro 5   Number of cylinders /valves per cylinder   4/4 4/4   Displacement in cm³ 1248 1686   Bore x stroke Mm 69.6 x 82.0 79.0 x 86.0   Max. output PS 75 100     at rpm 4000 4000   Max. torque Nm 180 260     at rpm 1750 – 2500 1700 – 2550   Compression ratio   16.8 : 1 18.0 : 1   Transmissions         5-speed manual   l –   6-speed automatic   – l     Trailer load in kg         Unbraked   710 740   Braked at 10% gradient   1100 -   Braked at 12% gradient   1000 1200     Driving performance, fuel consumption and emissions     Performance   Fuel Consumption (mpg) 2   CO 2   Maximum speed. mph Acceleration 0 – 62mph in seconds Urban Extra-urban Combined Emissions in g/km (combined) 1.4 .(100PS) 110 13.9 35.8 55.4 46.3 144 1.4 Turbo (120PS) 117 11.5 35.3 56.5 46.3 143 1.4 Turbo (140PS) 122 10.3 32.1 52.3 42.2 156 1.3 CDTI (75PS) 99 16.9 47.9 65.7 57.6 129 1.7 CDTI (100PS) 106 13.9 32.8 55.4 44.1 168 2 Data according to 1999/100/EC   Car dimensions in mm   Length 4288 Width mirrors retracted / extended 1812/1992 Height 1615 Wheelbase 2644 Track, front 1488 Track, rear 1509 Turning clearance in m   Wall-to-wall 11.48 Kerb to kerb 11.06 Luggage compartment dimensions in mm   Floor length to rear seat backs 815 Floor length with rear seat backs folded down 1642 Width at wheelarches 1038 Maximum width 1052 Height of sill 669 Height boot-lid opening 791 Width at waistline 1038 – 1086 Luggage compartment capacity (l) according to ECIE   Luggage compartment to top of rear seat backs 400 With rear seat backs folded forward, up to top of front seat backs 920 With rear seat backs folded forward, up to roof 1500 Weight and axle load in kg   Kerb weight incl. driver (according to 70/156/EC) from 1360 Gross vehicle weight 1890 Payload 530 Maximum axle load, front / rear 985/950   Maximum roof load 60   Fuel tank capacity (in liters) 54   http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/vauxhall/vauxhall-meriva-2010/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/vauxhall/vauxhall-meriva-2010/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3107759/vaux meriva 2010 doors 700.jpg' /></a> Nissan Micra Video Tested in Phuket Nissan Nissan Micra Video Tested in Phuket 47466 Sun, 25 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/nissan/nissan-micra-k13/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3106118/437-nis-micra.jpg' align="left" /></a> It might seem a bit odd to be reading a ‘first drive’ of a car you won’t be able to buy in the UK until November, and which in UK spec will be considerably different. But this is an all-new car, with nothing carried over from any previous model. All new engine. All-new CVT transmission. All-new body and structure. All-new suspension. It’s the first of the next generation of ‘eco cars’, offering excellent economy, low emissions, and an astonishing amount of interior space for a standard ‘B’ class car. Much more than inside a Fiesta, Mazda2, Suzuki Swift or Polo. For ultimate efficiency and economy, three pistons create 20% less friction than four, so that’s what the 1.2 litre HR 12 engine has, with a new type of balancer system. It produces 80PS and 108NM torque, emits 115g/km CO2 and offers 62.77mpg combined with manual transmission, or 125g/km and 54.32mpg with the CVT. Nissan has also developed a supercharged, direct injection version of the same engine operating on the Miller Cycle and fitted with start/stop. That engine puts out 99PS, 148g/km torque, emits just 95g/km CO2 and delivers an astounding 70.6mpg combined. (With the CVT, the figures are 113g/km and 58.8mpg combined.) [In the video I got the PS and the CO2 the wrong way round.] So, no point in a diesel. No dual mass flywheels of diesel particulate filter to worry about. And, with diesel fuel prices rising disproportionately higher than petrol whenever the price of crude oil gets manipulated up, you can see Nissan’s reasoning. The CVT is a new type with a torque converter clutch, smaller pulleys and a “sub planetary gear”. This creates less friction, does not stir the oil as much and provides a high top gear ratio of about 50kmh per 1,000rpm (31mph). The 5-speed manual offers about 21mph per 1,000rpm. The body has a long wheelbase with compact suspension and a new fuel tank design giving better legroom front and rear. It’s tall at the back with funnelled shoulders and roof leading into a rear spoiler and this offers both excellent rear headroom and a low drag factor of Cd 0.31. Visibility generally is very good. The car will be built in Bangkok, Thailand, Chennai, India and Guandou, China and has been on sale in Thailand since its launch at the Bangkok Motor Show on 26 th March. That’s why we were in Thailand, testing the Thai version. There, the Thai government has very sensibly instituted an ‘ECO’ car programme, where ‘all-new’ cars emitting less than 120g/km CO2 and with a substantial proportion of local content are taxed at 17% VAT instead of the standard 25% for small cars. The new Micra is the first of this type of car and sells at from 375,000 baht (£7,978) for a basic stripped-out version with no a/c, no ABS, to 537,000 baht (£11,426) for the top VL CVT version. These prices seem high in UK terms, but it’s because Sterling has plummeted from a high of 75baht to £1 down to 47baht to £1, so, despite its troubles, Thailand is obviously doing something better than Britain. This is the 4 th generation of March/Micra. The first March/Micra K10 was 1982-1992, the second K11 (‘Mr Blobby’ Micra) was 1992-2002, the third K12 (UK current) was 2002-2010. But the K13 will differ quite considerably when it reaches Britain. The Thai version sits higher and stiffer tyres to cope with roads that, in the countryside, can be even more potholed than Britain’s. It has no front or rear anti-roll bars that the UK version will have. The damping force is harder so ride and handling aren’t as good as the UK version’s will be. The UK will also get bigger brakes, differently tuned steering and different final drive ratios. And the UK will benefit from options including a parking space measuring system, Nissan Connect satnav, climate control, drive computer, auto folding door mirrors and a passenger seat that turns into a padded cubby for lone drivers to toss things like mobile phones and handbags without them getting damaged. So, given all that, handling impressions of the Thai version are misleading. However, it was very comfortable and spectacularly easy to drive. Just about anyone could step straight in, make decent progress and park the car competently. It has a very tight turning radius of 4.5 metres (9 metres kerb to kerb). The driving experience was nothing to get excited about, but neither was there any reason to be over critical. Particularly bearing in mind that the car will have a much more ‘sporty’ feel when it reached Britain. Worth noting, though, was that the CVT auto responds best to a light right foot. Plant your foot hard to overtake something and, despite the revs rising to 6,000, your progress dos not increase markedly. Lift slightly, though, and you find a ratio where it is much happier to lift its skirts, and you get past the truck. Your right foot soon learns its lesson and becomes trained to help it find that very relaxed top ratio of about 31mph per 1,000rpm. The innocuous exterior is refreshed by some terrific colours including a vibrant pistachio green and a sensational sunset orange. And while the shape itself may appear a little bland, as explained, everything is for a reason. No need to worry about what will happen at the Sunderland factory once production of the Micra leaves. That will then switch to producing the Leaf electric car for Europe and the funky new Juke. In the coming months, as production starts in Chennai, India and UK specifications are finalised you can expect a first full road test of the UK spec Micra. And, hopefully, a test of the supercharged 99PS version that potentially offer the best of all worlds in a small car. http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/nissan/nissan-micra-k13/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/nissan/nissan-micra-k13/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3106118/437-nis-micra.jpg' /></a> SEAT Ibiza FR Twin Test SEAT SEAT Ibiza FR Twin Test 47523 Wed, 21 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/seat/seat-ibiza-fr/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3102847/seat ibiza cr fr front 700.jpg' align="left" /></a> This is quite an opportune twin-test.  It compares the new SEAT Ibiza 2.0 143 FR TDI CR, with the 1.4 150 TSI Twincharger DSG launched last year.  There’s a big price difference between the two cars: £16,495 for the diesel, £14,995 for the petrol that has the added benefit of a 7 speed DSG with paddleshifts. You can get a 5-door version of the 143 CR.  The 143 CR does 0-60in 8 seconds, 130mph, emits 123g/km CO2 in RHD form and offers 62.7mpg. It gives about 37mph per 1,000rpm in 6 th . The 150 TSI DSG does 0-60 in 7.3 seconds. 132mph, emits 128g/km and offers 44.8mpg. It’s geared at about 30mph per 1,000rpm in 7 th .  Which works best?  The orange car in the photos and the video was the 143 CR, and a very pleasant companion, trickling down to 1,000rpm by virtue of its piezo injectors and seeming to provide a useful combination of ride quality, front end grip and steering feel.  The yellow car was altogether lighter and took a bit more getting used to with its 7 speed DSG. Seven is a lot of gears if you are controlling them manually with the paddles, so can get a bit tiresome. I soon threw in the towel and reverted to fully automatic mode in which the car was as alert as I really wanted it to be.  I had expected it to handle better than the 143CR by virtue of its lighter engine. But this wasn’t quite the case. If anything, the 150 TSI was a tad too light at the front, though obviously less likely to wear its tyres.  But what I really liked about this was the sheer sophistication of its engine.  Chain cam (the 2.0CR remains belt), supercharged at the lower end of the rev range, turbocharged at the upper end. So a very efficiently managed engine, a pleasure to drive, and never any worries about Diesel Particulate Filters getting clogged up. 42mpg on a motorway run, too, a reasonable 2.8mpg short of the official combined figure. Both cars shared the same excellent seats, slightly better shaped for me than the sports seats in the Leon Cupra I handed back today.  Hand on heart, the 1.4 TSI Twincharger is nothing like as exciting to drive as the Leon Cupra could be, but of the two Ibiza FRs it would be my choice.  But it I lived in a country area and did a high mileage of 15,000 – 20,000 a year, I would have to go for the greater economy potential of the 2.0 143 CR.  But I’d do my sums.  Is the greater economy worth paying £1,500 more for and losing the benefits of the 7-speed DSG?     http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/seat/seat-ibiza-fr/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/seat/seat-ibiza-fr/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3102847/seat ibiza cr fr front 700.jpg' /></a> SEAT Leon Cupra 240 Road Test SEAT SEAT Leon Cupra 240 Road Test 47522 Mon, 19 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/seat/seat-leon-cupra/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3094358/seat leon cupra 59 a front 700.jpg' align="left" /></a> My first impression of the SEAT Leon Cupra 240 was disappointment. The steering felt too light. The brakes felt over servoed. But perhaps a run from Weybridge to The NEC wasn’t going to show it in its best light anyway. What it did allow was a fuel economy check. 34.4mpg. Not bad at all compared to the official combined figure of 34.0. And the cruise control worked very effectively, though the lever is hidden behind the steering wheel. As in the old shape Leon 20VT Sport I once owned, gearing is 25mph per 1,000rpm in 6 th , which makes for a relaxed cruise. Emissions are 190g/km, putting it in the £235pa VED bracket. It wasn’t until I got time to film it that the car started to show its true character. I had, meanwhile, gone into the menu and restored the factory settings, in case that made any difference. I found that as soon as I gave it some beans the steering weighted up, the front end gripped, the gearshift was fantastic. To get all that power down the Cupra has an electronic system that mimics a mechanical limited slip diff and does it very well, without being too intrusive. You still get a chirp from the tyres on full throttle upshifts from 1 st to 2 nd . Surprisingly, even on 225/40 R18 tyres, ride quality is still quite good and it doesn’t mind speed cushions. You get a space saver spare rather than a can of puncture repair glop. And the car has a TPMS system so you could fit runflats. Thanks to Walter d’Silva, it’s definitely a looker. Particularly in the pistachio green that had my Thai housekeepr enraptured and begging for photos of her with the car to put in her ‘Hi-5’. (Please excuse those. It’s a Thai thing.) The Cupra 240’s price of £21,000 puts it slap bang up against the Mazda 3 MPS where it falls short on equipment (no standard satnav), but outhandles the Japanese car and seems much better at putting its power down. And, of course, you get more motor for your money than you do with a Golf GTI 5-door, so if you need a 5-door hatch for around £20,000 you won’t do better. On the way, there is a 265PS Cupra R that gets to 60 in under six and sits on 235/35 R19 tyres. However, the ultimate hot hatch this side of a Focus RS remains the three-door Renaultsport Megane 250. Not because it outpowers the others, but because its clever, offset hub front suspension gets the power down best and gives it by far the sweetest handling.   http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/seat/seat-leon-cupra/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/seat/seat-leon-cupra/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3094358/seat leon cupra 59 a front 700.jpg' /></a> BMW 5-Series F-10 BMW BMW 5-Series F-10 47206 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/bmw/bmw-f10-5-series/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3068719/bmw f10 front mountain.jpg' align="left" /></a> Every 7 years we get a new Mercedes E Class, new BMW 5 Series and new Audi A6. In that order. The W212 E Class arrived last year. So now it’s the turn of the F10 5-Series. (BMW ran out of E numbers with the current 3 Series.) The new A6 arrives in 2011. The first UK F10s, that go on sale on 20 th March, will all be SE spec, which includes the luxury of Dakota leather upholstery, BMW Professional Radio/CD, Bluetooth hands-free phone preparation, Dynamic Stability Control, front and rear pictogram Park Distance Control, Cruise Control and Climate Control air-conditioning. They haven’t quite got the 520dSE under 130g/km, which would have been a near miracle. It comes in at 132g/km. But what they have done is managed to certify both the 204PS 525dSE and the 245PS 530dSE at 160g/km, which is absolutely crucial for company write down purposes. This means that a company driver can be in a large saloon that does 0-60 in 6 seconds and goes on to a speed limited 155 without suffering the over 160g/km company write down penalty. Prices start at £28,165 for the 184PS 520dSE, rising through £37,100 for the 535dSE to £50,520 for the 407PS, 0-60 in 4.8 seconds 550iSE 4.4 litre V8. Lesser petrol engines are a 204PS ‘523i’, a 258PS ‘528i’ and a 306PS ‘530i’, that get to 60 in 7.3, 6.3 and 5.7 seconds and emit 177, 182 and 192g/km CO2. Depending on model, you can spec your F10 5-Series up with an 8 speed standard or ‘Sport’ automatic transmission, integral active steering, surround view camera system, head-up speed display, night vision with pedestrian recognition, lane departure warning, lane change warning and speed limit info. Further goodies include BMW’s ‘Professional’ multimedia package comprising hard disc navigation with a wonderful panoramic screen at £1,960. A ‘Dynamic’ package of 19” alloy wheels, sports seats, anthracite headlining, sport leather a steering wheel and high gloss exterior trim. And a ‘Visibility’ pack of adaptive headlights, high beam assist and headlight wash. Steering is now fully electric, not electro hydraulic, and if you specify active steering you get rear wheels that steer the opposite direction to the fronts to get you neatly through tight turns in town, but which steer the same way as the fronts for added stability on fast corners. Standard F10s come on 17” non-runflat tyres with an inflation kit in the boot that may be able to inflate a punctured tyre but won’t be much help with a shredded one. Optional 18” and 19” wheels come with the latest generation runflats. The first car we drove, a specced up 530dSE with about £10,000 of extras worked really well. It combined gutsy performance from 550Nm torque with lovely feel-through steering, great handling and excellent ride quality from the new style runflats. A company director may now be told his firm’s car has to be 160g/km or less, and that is no hardship at all with the 530dSE. He’ll get all the performance and handling he craves, while there won’t be any complaints from his passengers about the hard ride. He’ll also find he can sit three adults across the back seat in reasonable comfort, with plenty of headroom for six footers. So, a very well liked car, and just as well as 90% of 5-Series sales are diesels and in its first full year BMW hopes to sell an ambitious 15,000 F10 5-Series. Our second ride was in a loaded-to-the-gills 306PS 535i petrol turbo that came with a full £14,000 worth of extra kit, including active steering and adaptive damping. That gives the driver a lot more choice of how he wants the car to behave: Comfortably, normally, in a sporting manner or in ‘Sport +’, which switches off the DSC and allows lurid tail slides. The ‘Sport’ 8-speed automatic comes with paddleshifts enabling the driver to select and hold the gear he wants for a particular corner. So more scope for fun and hearing the sonorous straight six transform into a hard-edged, almost solid-liftered howl at high revs. An awe-inspiring sound. And the wider, lower profiled 19” tyres definitely grip longer on the bends. But the price to pay is a more fidgety ride at low speed, even in comfort mode. You still get great steering. That doesn’t lose its feel like some other wide tyred BMWs of the recent past. But the 535i is a car for a more hard core enthusiast, buying it for himself, whatever the wife says, or unconcerned of its effect on his company’s balance sheet and his Benefit in Kind tax bill. The obvious F10 to go for is the 530d 8-speed auto on 18” wheels. It’s more sporting and more fun to drive than a W212 E-Class. And it rides better than a Jaguar XF on 19” wheels. Now that’s a hard choice to make for similar money: an XF 3.0d 275 against a 530d 245. Unfortunately, like the E350CDI, the Jag comes in way over the 160g/km CO2 limit. So I suspect that quite a lot of those who might have gone for the Jag will be told by their financial directors they have to have a 530d instead. Not as good for the image, perhaps. And not quite such an exciting drive. But with better ride quality, lovely steering, excellent handling, good looks and the halo of 160g/km CO2. BMW 520dSE manual £28,165, 132g/km, 56.5mpg com BMW 525dSE manual £33,095, 162g/km (auto 160g/km), 45.6mpg com BMW 530dSE manual £37,100, 166g/km (auto 160g/km), 44.8mpg com BMW 523iSE manual £31,235, 177g/km, 37.2mpg com BMW 528iSE manual £32,915, 182g/km, 36.2mpg com BMW 535iSE manual £37,900, 199g/km, 33.2mpg com BMW 550iSE 8-speed auto £50,520, 243g/km, 27.2mpg com http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/bmw/bmw-f10-5-series/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/bmw/bmw-f10-5-series/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3068719/bmw f10 front mountain.jpg' /></a> Renault Trafic Phase III 9-seater Renault Renault Trafic Phase III 9-seater 47506 Sat, 13 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/renault/trafic-phase-iii-2010/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3066402/ren trafic bus f34 700.jpg' align="left" /></a> The Trafic is Renault’s familiar mid-size van, also badged Nissan Primastar and Vauxhall Vivaro and the best selling van of its size in Europe with more than 1.1 million on the roads. It has been refreshed from June 2010 with Renault’s 2.0 chain cam 2.0 dCi diesel engine, improved suspension, new dashboard and new equipment including Renault’s excellent £450 optional built-in Carminat TomTom satnav. Front-drive only, it comes in lengths of 4,782mm and 5,182mm and a width of 1,904mm, plus mirrors. Heights are 1,969mm or 2,464mm. Capacities are from 5 cubic metres to 8.3 cubic metres. The vans are available as single or double cab ‘kombi’ versions with 3.2 or 4.1 cubic metres of loadspace behind the back seats. Or as 8 or 9 seater buses with 1.2 or 2.2 cubic metres loadspace behind the third row of seats, depending on body length. Engines are Renault’s 1,996cc chain cam diesel, EU4 only, with 90PS or 115PS and 240Nm or 290Nm torque, or the old 150PS 2.5 litre diesel. These come with a standard 6-speed manual transmission or, interestingly, a ‘robotised’ version of the transmission offering an automated clutch and two pedal control. Standard figures for the 2.0dCi 90 are top speed 88mph,  0-60 18.5 seconds, 195g/km CO2 and 7.4 litres/100km combined. For the 2.0dCi 115 these translate to top speed 100mph, 0-60 14.5 seconds, 195g/km CO2 and 7.4 litres/100km combined. Performance is the same for the robotised manual, but CO2 comes down to 192g/km and economy goes up to 7.3 litres/100km. Naturally, these figures are affected by going for a higher roof or longer body length, as they were in the long body 9-seater bus version with robotised gearbox I tried. In its case CO2 was up to 199g/km and fuel economy down to 7.5 litres/100km. The robotised shift works well once you get used to it and is obviously a boon for town driving. The Trafic bus handles decently enough. The new dashboard brings the option of integrated Carminat TomTom satnav, Bluetooth connectivity and cruise control with speed limiter. By March 2010, Renault had 14.8% of the total EU market for light commercial vehicles, compared with 11.8% for Citroen and 11.6% for FIAT, and sold a total of 206,000 LCVs in 2009. It now offers 400 ‘one stop shop’ Renault Pro+ LCV dealerships throughout Europe. On sale from June 2010. All Renault vans carry a 3 year, 100,000 mile warranty in the UK. More, and current prices, at www.renault.co.uk     http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/renault/trafic-phase-iii-2010/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/renault/trafic-phase-iii-2010/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3066402/ren trafic bus f34 700.jpg' /></a> Renault Master 2010 dCi 150 LWB Renault Renault Master 2010 dCi 150 LWB 47507 Sat, 13 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/renault/renault-master-2010/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3066514/ren master 150 f34 700.jpg' align="left" /></a> ”Sorry, we don’t do vans,” I’ve been telling people.   Rather too frequently. So we thought we’d better start.   The new Master, available from May 2010, is Renault’s big white van. Or, in our case, big yellow van. It comes in lengths of 5,048mm, 5,548mm, 6,198mm with front wheel drive. And 6,198mm and 6,848mm with rear wheel drive. All are the same width of 2,070mm, or 2,470mm including the essential huge door mirrors.   Heights are from 2,303mm to 2,749mm with front wheel drive and 2,549mm to 2,815mm with rear wheel drive.   Capacities are from 8 cubic metres to 14.8 cubic metres front wheel drive and from 12.4 cubic metres to 17 cubic metres rear wheel drive.   Or as much as 22 cubic metres with a Luton style box body. So that last one is quite a big van.   Maximum payloads get complicated, though obviously if you need to carry really heavy loads you will need the rear wheel drive 3.5 tonne and 4.5 tonne chassis.   Engines are the same basic new 2,298cc 4 cylinder diesel with outputs of 100PS, 125PS or 150PS and torque of 285Nm, 310Nm and 350Nm. You can get the dCi 100 and dCi 125 as EU4, all as EU5 with a manual 6 speed transmissions and the 125 and 150 with robotised autoclutch 6 speed transmissions. Two different rear axle ratios are offered on the RWD chassis.   You can also decide whether you want twin sliding side doors, single sliding side door or no side doors aft of the cab. You can have a crew van version with rear seats. You can order bus versions. You can order chassis/cabs. You can have pick-ups and tippers.   Most Masters are built to order according to the spec the customer needs. And obviously fuel economy and performance will depend on the spec, the weights carried and the sort of work the vehicle is put to. Combined fuel economy is 33mpg at best, and CO2 187g/km upwards, but pointless including all the specs in a road test when you can access them at (Renault vans URL).   Renault approved coachbuilders offer a variety of vehicles based on the Master front wheel drive or rear wheel drive chassis, including horseboxes, ambulances, cherry picker vans, buses, vehicles adapted for carrying the disabled, refrigerated vans, you name it. Towing capacity is up to 3 tonnes.   In the UK all are covered by a 3 year 100,000 mile warranty.   We first drove a 6,848mm standard roof rear wheel drive 3.5 tonne version with a loadspace of 14.9 metres. The engine was the 150PS version of the 2.3 chain cam diesel with a 6 speed manual transmission. CO2 was certified at 249g/km and fuel economy at 9.4 litres per 100km.   Stepping inside the cab was quite a surprise. The centre passenger seatback folds down to become a table with cupholders and a swivel top for operating a laptop computer from the driver’s seat. A clipbard springs out neatly from the dash. There are dashtop storage compartments. Carminat TomTom remote control satnav with an overhead screen. Cruise control with a speed limiter. Options include a suspended driver’s seat capable of taking weights from 50kg to 130kg. Cornering lights are available. The option of a Renault Keycard is extremely helpful for drivers making deliveries not having to worry about locking and unlocking the van. You can even specify a reversing camera with screen in the back of the driver’s sunvisor.   For such a big vehicle it was surprisingly light and easy to handle. And very rugged. Part of the route was up an unmade road over a hill, which the twin rear wheels took in their stride.   Later we drove a 6,198mm 125PS front drive version of the van that seemed to have a bit more ‘bite’ at the front end but otherwise drove in a very similar manner.   Master prices start at £20,795 for a front wheel drive 100PS Freeway van with a load volume of 10.3 cubic metres and a payload of 1,415kg. They rise to £27,245 for the rear wheel drive 150PS MML35TW that features in our test and £29,945 for the crew van version. All prices plus VAT at 17.5%, of course.   By March 2010, Renault had 14.8% of the total EU market for light commercial vehicles, compared with 11.8% for Citroen and 11.6% for FIAT, and sold a total of 206,000 LCVs in 2009.   It now offers 400 ‘one stop shop’ Renault Pro+ LCV dealerships throughout Europe.   All Renault vans carry a 3 year, 100,000 mile warranty in the UK.    More at www.renault.co.uk     http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/renault/renault-master-2010/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/renault/renault-master-2010/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3066514/ren master 150 f34 700.jpg' /></a> Renault Kangoo Express Maxi Renault Renault Kangoo Express Maxi 47508 Sat, 13 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/renault/renault-kangoo-maxi/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3066142/ren kan max com side 700.jpg' align="left" /></a> The Renault Kangoo Express now comes in three lengths, or will from June 2010.   These are ‘Compact’, at 3,928mm, normal, at 4,213mm, and now ‘Maxi’, at 4,597mm.   You might ask why?   The answer is that the ‘Compact’ is much more manoeuvrable in town and more easily parked by, for instance, a courier delivering small packages and files.   The standard length competes directly against the Citroen Berlingo and Peugeot Partner, offering one thing they currently don’t: a four speed, torque converter automatic. And, if specified with rear seats (either as a panel van for VAT purposes, or as a windowed MPV), these have a simple cantilever that enables them to be folded very quickly and easily. Another advantage over the Berlingo and Partner is that instead of adding the extra length behind the back wheels, Renault adds it to the wheelbase, which makes the Kangoo Maxi both better looking and more stable.   The main engine options for all three are Renault’s well used, belt cam 1.5dCi with outputs of 85PS or 105PS and torque of 200Nm at 1,900rpm or 240Nm at 2,000rpm. EU5 versions with diesel particulate filters and outputs of 90PS and 110PS will be available by the end of 2010.   The version I took out was a windowed Maxi ‘combi’ with 66/33 split folding rear seats. This would be special order in the UK, but you can get a VAT friendly van version with rear seats and a very clever moveable rear load guard that shifts to protect either all five passengers or just the driver and front passenger.   Maximum load length at floor level is 2,210mm to the backs of the two front seats, or 1,328mm to the backs of the rear seats. The two seater version can be ordered with an optional folding passenger seat enabling extremely long loads up to 2,886mm (9 feet) such as ladders and kayaks to be accommodated inside.   That makes it ideal for surfers, plumbers, cyclists, joiners, decorators or anyone who needs to carry long loads and may occasionally need to transport 3 or 4 people and a long load, or 5 people and a lot of kit.   The rear opening height is 1,190mm, width 1,219mm at floor level and 1,141mm at the top, with 1,149mm between the rear wheel arches. Access to the rear is by twin side hinged doors with stay releases to get them completely out of the way for forklift loading as palette into the back   The long wheelbase gives it surefooted handling. The 6 speed manual gearbox gives you about 28mph per 1,000rmp in 6 th . It can be specified with cruise control together with speed limiter. And the 105PS version I drove came in at 146g/km CO2 with a combined economy of 51.4mpg. Performance figures are 0-60 in a respectable 12.7 seconds and a top speed of 105mph.   Go for the 85PS version and the figures are 140g/km, 53.3mpg combined, 0-60 in 15.5 seconds and a top speed of 98. The extra length means a turning circle of 11.9 metres between kerbs.   A special version with drop down rear floor and swivel out, lifting passenger seat will also be available for the disabled.   Prices, exact UK spec and options will be announced closer to the UK sale date.   All Renault vans come with a 3-year, 100,000 warranty in the UK.   More at www.renault.co.uk http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/renault/renault-kangoo-maxi/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/renault/renault-kangoo-maxi/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3066142/ren kan max com side 700.jpg' /></a> Alfa Romeo Alfa MiTo MultiAir Alfa Romeo Alfa MiTo MultiAir 47166 Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0000 <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/alfa-romeo/alfa-mito-multiair/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3062737/alfa mito multi f34 2 700.jpg' align="left" /></a> We’ve done the MiTo before. Last January, actually. Then again in the summer because the weather was so bad first time round I couldn’t make a proper film. But since then the MiTo has acquired a pair of new engines that are vitally important for Alfa, for FIAT, and perhaps, without exaggeration, for the World. They are called MultiAir. And what this means is a new and completely different way of getting more air into an engine than was previously possible. More air means better combustion, which in turn means more power, better fuel economy and lower emissions. That’s actually 12% more power, 10% better fuel economy, 11% less CO2, with the beneficial side effects of 15% more torque (or ‘pulling power’) at low revs and 50% less ‘turbo lag’. As Massimo Fulfaro explained, electro hydraulic solenoids control the opening and closing of the intake vales, constantly keeping the throttle body open. Unlike mechanical variable valve timing, it’s completely failsafe because if it fails the valves close, so the pistons can’t hit them. And that’s just the engine. The 170PS MiTo Cloverleaf also gets active suspension. Four sensors monitor the suspension at the front strut tops and the hubs, while a firth sensor monitors the rear suspension, constantly assessing what type of road surface the car is being driven on and what demands the driver is making of the car. They then optimise the way the car responds by means of electronically controlled dampers. So this is a very sophisticated car. And, as with all Alfa Romeo MiTos you still get ‘DNA’ which enables you to tailor the car’s driving characteristics. You can choose ‘Dynamic’ for a more sporting drive, ‘Normal’ for suburban and town driving, and ‘All Weather’ for maximum safety, especially in low grip conditions. We had it in ‘All Weather’ mode, and to me it felt as if each tyre was made of glue. The levels of grip for a front wheel drive car were truly astonishing. But, more than that, it seemed to have acquired some communication skills that previous MiTos felt to me to have lacked. Even though grip levels were amazing, you could feel exactly the point they ran out and you needed to make a minor adjustment to stay on the road. Very fast, very safe, very confidence inspiring. On standard 215/45 R17 tyres it even rides well on broken surfaces. Truly great. Philippe Krief, the chassis engineer responsible, deserves the Italian equivalent of a knighthood. On top of that the 170PS MultiAir is a joyful engine. Responsive, yet   tractable. 0-60 in 7.3 seconds and a top end of 136mph is pretty good for a 1.4 watercooled turbo. And the price of £17,895,isn’t silly either for such a complete package. Blue & Me and the usual, now reliable, Alfa/FIAT sophistications are all there. Pair your phone to the car and it automatically turns the car into your phone whenever you start up. You don’t get standard satnav, though. In comparison, the £1,760 cheaper MiTo MultiAir 135 Veloce is relatively, though not totally, disappointing. You get the benefit of a MultiAir engine, very low 129g/km CO2 and an excellent 50.4mpg combined (the 170 Cloverleaf pumps out 139g/km and does 47.1mpg combined). It’s just as flexible as the 170. But you only get five gears instead of six. And no active suspension, so it rides and handles pretty much the same as the original MiTos of a year ago. Which isn’t bad. But isn’t sensational, like the Cloverleaf in ‘All Weather’ mode. Coming soon, there will be an option for the 135 called ‘TCT’, that stands for ‘Twin Clutch Transmission’ and the description reads as if it uses the same technology as VAG’s DSG / S-tronic and Ford/Getrag’s Powershift. FIAT’s Dualogic semi-automatic is already the best semi-auto,, so the TCT should be good too and brings with it the benefit of slightly better economy and lower CO2 than the 135’s standard 5-speed manual. But the car for me remains the 170 Cloverleaf. It’s not an Alfa like Alfas used to be (and I’ve owned a few Alfas). Instead, it offers exciting new technology that really works. And that’s my kind of car.     http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/alfa-romeo/alfa-mito-multiair/ <a href='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/alfa-romeo/alfa-mito-multiair/'><img src='http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/file/width/110/media/3062737/alfa mito multi f34 2 700.jpg' /></a>