Saturday, August 31, 2019

Tesla Model 3 vs BMW 3 Series: electric car vs diesel showdown

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2019-08-31 10:00

The new Tesla Model 3 is ruffling feathers in the junior exec class. We put the electric saloon up against the class-leading BMW 3 Series

Tesla Model 3 vs BMW 3 Series - header

Have we reached the point where you’re better off buying an electric car than a conventionally powered alternative? That’s the question we’re aiming to answer by examining every area of these two titans in this Auto Express twin test.

The Tesla Model 3 has been hotly anticipated – and now it’s finally here in right-hand-drive form. There has also been a cut to the car’s list price to coincide with the start of deliveries in the UK, so the Model 3 Standard Range Plus we’re testing here now costs from £36,490.

Best executive cars

That puts the American EV straight in the firing line of what is possibly the iconic junior executive saloon of the past two decades: the BMW 320d. When it comes to conventionally powered machinery, this is the class leader and therefore the one that the Model 3 has to overcome.

Even Tesla’s own boss, Elon Musk, said the Model 3 would take on and beat BMW’s best when it launched, so these two models are a closer comparison than you might think, despite their different methods of propulsion. But is the time right to go all-electric in a car like this? Let’s find out.

Tesla Model 3

Model: Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus
Price:  £36,490
Engine: Single electric motor, 235bhp 
0-60mph:  5.8 seconds
Test economy:  4.3 miles/kWh
CO2:  0g/km
Annual road tax:  £0

A recent price cut to this entry-level Model 3 – the Standard Range Plus – means it’s now more affordable than ever, costing £36,490 after the £3,500 Government grant for electric cars. That’s £1,835 cheaper than the BMW 3 Series here, so the two models are relatively close when it comes to price and spec. 

Design & engineering

The Model 3’s platform is similar to the concept used for Tesla’s larger Model S and Model X EVs, with a steel skateboard’-type chassis that also features some aluminium to help reduce weight. Tesla chose that style of architecture in order to sandwich the Model 3’s 55kWh battery in the car’s floor, so the majority of its 1,611kg is low down. This should help handling and ensure it doesn’t impact the packaging too much.

The Standard Range Plus claims 254 miles between charges from its 55kWh battery (50kWh usable). There’s one electric motor at the rear delivering 235bhp and 375Nm of torque, which is plenty in a car this size and weight. While it’s heavier than the 320d, it also outguns it quite considerably for output.

Although the Model 3 is compatible with Tesla Superchargers,  it’s also the brand’s first model to accept CCS rapid charging, which improves usability by opening the car up to many more charging points. With infrastructure improving and points with up to 150kW being installed in the UK, this helps practicality.

This entry-level Model 3 comes well equipped, with a centrally mounted 15-inch touchscreen that controls all of the car’s functions. There’s no other screen inside the cabin, which gives it a very clean and uncluttered design, but we’d like a head-up display in front of the driver for vital information.

Sat-nav, heated electrically adjustable seats, LED lights, climate and adaptive cruise control, autonomous braking with collision warning, and the marque’s semi-autonomous Autopilot system are included.

It’s fair to say cabin quality hasn’t always been a Tesla strong point, especially when compared with established makers like BMW, but there’s a noticeable step up here in the quality over the firm’s earlier efforts. Yet there are still some areas of iffy build standards, particularly around the two central storage bins.

Driving

Compared with a combustion-engined car, you have to recalibrate your brain and driving style to get the most from an EV. There are two modes for the Tesla’s throttle response: Chill and Standard. In the first of these acceleration is progressive and torque builds smoothly, so it’s relaxing, with plenty of performance in reserve. In Standard the response is much sharper, with huge torque seemingly delivered instantly. It makes the car feel much more alert, and in this setting the 3 is rapid. It sprinted from 0-60mph in 5.8 seconds, 0.8 seconds quicker than the 320d.

With no gearchanges because of the single-speed automatic set-up, progress is smooth and acceleration very strong at low and mid speeds, as our figures from 30-50mph and 50-70mph show. However it loses its edge a little at higher speeds.

It’s not as communicative as the BMW, but there’s plenty of ability. With all that weight low down, the Model 3 grips hard, because particular attention was paid to development of the EV-specific tyres and suspension design to get the car to cling on, despite the battery’s mass.

You don’t get much of a sensation as to how much grip there is, but you can make the car even more agile by adjusting the steering modes; there’s Comfort, Standard and Sport, which ramp up weight and speed so the 3 changes direction more aggressively.

The regenerative braking is good, too, slowing the car at a predictable rate and recouping energy to increase potential range. It has on and off modes, but we’d leave it on, because it allows the one-pedal driving that has come define the EV experience.

While the car rides relatively well on its 18-inch alloys, it can feel a little less forgiving than we’d like on bumpier surfaces, but it settles down at higher speed.

Practicality

Charging is a big issue for EVs, but the Model 3 is flexible. Supercharger use costs 24p per kWh (you get 400kWh free every year) to add around 170 miles of range in 30 minutes.

But it’s the first Tesla to accept CCS rapid charging. A 50kW feed will take just under 50 minutes to give an 80 per cent top-up, while a 100kW charge drops the time to around 25 minutes. A 7.4kW wallbox feed means a full overnight charge at home takes around eight hours, adding to the car’s flexibility. 

Ownership

The Model 3 scored the highest ever safety assist rating at 94 per cent, under Euro NCAP’s latest regime, helping it to receive a full five-star rating, along with autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise and Autopilot.

Tesla topped our Driver Power 2016 satisfaction poll, but hasn’t ranked since. With lots of tech shared with other Teslas, the Model 3 should be reliable. 

Running costs

Your energy costs for an average year’s motoring (12,000 miles) will depend on how much you use public charging points.

Signed up to a home electricity tariff of 12.5p per kWh, you’ll spend roughly £350 on electricity a year, or just under 3p per mile. That’s cheap motoring, even compared with the frugal 320d. It’s unlikely this figure will go much beyond £500, even with public charging.

Given the Model 3’s zero emissions, it attracts the lowest 16 per cent Benefit-in-Kind company car tax. It’s cheaper than the BMW too, so will cost high-rate earners £2,332 per year, compared with £4,567 per annum for the 320d, due to its 30 per cent BiK rate.

Testers’ notes: “Over-the-air updates can unlock extra features throughout the car’s lifetime, so it’s possible that your Model 3 could improve as it ages; not many conventional cars can claim that.”

BMW 3 Series

Model: BMW 320d M Sport Sport Auto 
Price:  £38,325
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl diesel, 187bhp 
0-60mph:  6.6 seconds
Test economy:  53.3mpg/11.7mpl 
CO2:  113g/km
Annual road tax:  £145

For decades the diesel compact executive saloon has been the go-to choice for those wanting to balance luxury, decent performance and handling, cruising refinement, technology, plus practicality – but is that still the case today? We test the £38,325 320d M Sport to find out.

Design & engineering

This seventh-generation 3 Series is now competing with electric cars, highlighting just how far tech has moved on. The BMW has kept pace, though, with an all-new platform underneath here, the latest infotainment,  engine revisions and some clever suspension tech.

That architecture is based on BMW’s CLAR platform. As in the Tesla, four-wheel drive is available, but you don’t have to opt for a performance version to get it.

Engine tweaks over its predecessor improve the 3 Series’ refinement and response. The set-up includes a small turbocharger for better response and a larger one to boost power at higher revs.

The 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel produces 187bhp and 400Nm of torque, and is linked to an eight-speed automatic gearbox, so the recipe is relatively conventional compared with the Tesla’s.

Its new dampers employ ‘lift dependent technology,’ which means when the car is unloaded, light and therefore doesn’t sit too far through the suspension’s stroke, the damping forces are lighter. When the BMW is loaded and heavier, sitting lower, the damping is tauter to improve body control.

M Sport trim comes with parking sensors, a reversing camera, autonomous braking, climate, cruise, heated leather seats and a digital dash, so it matches the Model 3’s kit. It adds Apple CarPlay, too.

BMW’s semi-autonomous driving system is extra, but it exceeds the Tesla for quality. The materials are superior, and the 3 Series’ cabin feels better built. Yet these cars must cover so many bases that this isn’t the full story, and one of those is how they drive.

Driving

Here the 3 Series delivers. It’s not quite as quick as the Tesla to 60mph, because it took 6.6 seconds, but given it’s down on power and torque, and has gearchanges that punctuate acceleration, that’s a good result.

Our flexibility tests aren’t directly comparable due to the difference in transmissions. In the Tesla you simply plant your foot and go, making it extremely easy to drive, but in the BMW it’s not so swift.

The German car’s box is one of the best automatic transmissions on sale, though, and responds well to inputs from the accelerator, kicking down swiftly and shifting up smoothly. Pick manual mode, leave it in gear and the 3 Series delivers as much flexibility and easy pulling power as you’d need from an ICE car.

The BMW’s engine is refined, too, only grumbling loudly at higher revs. But its noise is ever-present, unlike in the Tesla, with its near-silent e-motor.

It handles better than the Model 3, though, feeling grippier and less artificial when it comes to its agility. The steering has a much nicer weight, has more feel than the Tesla’s (you’d think it had none if you hadn’t driven a Model 3 before) and the chassis feeds back clearer messages of what’s going on at the interface between the road surface and the tyres. The ride is good, but isn’t without its issues. It’s more forgiving, but not by too much compared with the Tesla’s. Still, the ride is just that little bit more abrupt than we’d like.

With some extra weight it settles down, but the quality of the damping feels plush where the Model 3 is a little more staccato in its suspension movement. There’s enough comfort, refinement, handling ability and performance, it’s just delivered in a different way to the Tesla – subtly in some areas, markedly in others. 

Practicality

The 3 Series is bound by packaging constraints that the Model 3 isn’t, such as its engine and transmission tunnel, but the BMW actually offers slightly more rear legroom and even more headroom. It’s not quite as roomy in the front, though. The 320d’s architecture means the dash and centre console are bigger and bulkier, with more buttons to control the climate and infotainment.

While it doesn’t have a load area in the front like the Tesla, its 480-litre boot means there’s more luggage volume than in the Model 3, which offers 425 litres, while the BMW’s boot opening is larger and therefore more practical as well.

Ownership

BMW finished 21st in our Driver Power 2019 satisfaction survey, which was a fairly low result for the premium brand. However, the previous 3 Series was voted the 38th best car to live with by Auto Express readers, and much of the tech in the new car is evolutionary and has already proved reliable elsewhere in the BMW range.

Safety is strong, with AEB, collision warning and lane-departure alert standard in M Sport trim. Our car also had the £1,250 Driving Assistant Professional pack, which adds adaptive cruise, cross-traffic warning, lane-keep assist with side collision prevention, and a semi-autonomous drive function that’ll keep you in a lane like the Tesla. It works as well as in the Model 3. 

Running costs

Our fleet 320d test car featured in this head to head, and it’s currently returning 53.3mpg. This is impressively efficient, but will still cost £1,322 a year to fuel, which equates to 11p per mile, nearly four times the cost of the Tesla.

It also won’t hold its money quite as well, with our experts predicting the BMW will retain 44.8 per cent, or £17,173, a loss of £21,152. EVs are becoming more popular, and predicted residual values reflect this; the Model 3 is expected to hold on to a very impressive 68.7 per cent after three years or 36,000 miles. It’ll be worth £25,061 after this period, losing just £11,429.

Testers’ notes: “BMW has refined its infotainment to the point where it’s one of the best. We’d do without the gesture control on our car, but it’s easily a match for the Tesla and better in some cases.”

Verdict

First place: Tesla Model 3

This result is close, but the Model 3 proves that now is the time you can buy an EV instead of an ICE car. It takes victory thanks to its ultra-low running costs, while comfort, tech and practicality are on par with the BMW’s, yet performance is better. There is a caveat: around 12,000 miles a year is viable with this level of range, so if you can put up with some public charging (most people will top up overnight), it’s a great option.

Second place: BMW 3 Series

The 3 Series is still a fine compact executive saloon with all the attributes we value in a car in this class. It’s comfortable enough, fast enough, frugal, superbly practical, great to drive and offers lots of technology – but so does the Tesla, and it’s also much cheaper to run. If you cover long distances regularly then the flexibility a diesel offers might mean the BMW is a better bet.

Other options in this category... 

Kia e-Niro

Kia e-Niro front static

Model: Kia e-Niro First Edition
Price: £32,995
Engine: 1x electric motor, 201bhp

It’s not as quick nor as premium as the Model 3, but range is key to an electric car and the e-Niro’s claimed 282-mile distance between top-ups is accurate. First Edition models get loads of kit, too. The biggest single problem is the waiting list.

Jaguar XE

Jaguar XE - front static

Model: Jaguar XE D180 R-Dynamic SE
Price: £37,615
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl, 178bhp

If an EV still isn’t for you, the newly updated Jaguar XE is as dynamic and involving as the BMW. R-Dynamic adds sporty looks, while SE trim gets a digital dash, new infotainment, good safety tech and strong connectivity. D180 engine is all you’ll need.

Figures

Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus BMW 320d M Sport Sport Auto 
On the road price/total as tested £36,490/£36,490 £38,325/£45,505
Residual value (after 3yrs/36,000) £25,061/68.7% £17,173/44.8%
Depreciation £11,429 £21,152
Annual tax liability std/higher rate £1,166/£2,332 £2,284/£4,567
Annual fuel cost (12k/20k miles) £349/£698 £1,322/£2,204
Insurance group/quote/VED N/A/£625/£0 29/£562/£165
Cost of servicing N/A £25 per month (3yrs)
Length/wheelbase 4,694/2,875mm 4,709/2,851mm
Height/width 1,443/1,849mm 1,442/1,827mm
Engine 1x electric motor 4cyl in-line/1,995cc
Peak power/revs  235 bhp/N/A rpm 187/4,000 bhp/rpm
Peak torque/revs  375Nm/N/A rpm 400/1,750 Nm/rpm
Transmission  Single-spd auto/rwd 8-speed auto/rwd
Battery size (usable/actual)/tank capacity 50/55kWh 59 litres
Boot capacity 425 litres 480 litres
Kerbweight/payload/towing weight 1,611/418/910kg 1,450/610/1,600kg
Turning circle 11.8 metres 11.4 metres
Basic warranty (miles)/recovery 8yrs (100,000)/8yrs 3yrs (60,000)/3yrs
Driver Power manufacturer/dealer pos. N/A/N/A 21st/19th
NCAP: Adult/child/ped./assist/stars 96/86/74/94/5 N/A
0-60/30-70mph 5.8/4.5 secs 6.6/6.0 secs
30-50mph in 3rd/4th 1.9 secs 2.7/3.0 secs
50-70mph in 5th/6th/7th/8th 2.6 secs 4.3/5.9/7.4/13.4 secs
Top speed/rpm at 70mph  140mph/N/A 149mph/1,600rpm
Braking 70-0/60-0/30-0mph  47.9/35.5/8.8m 44.5/32.2/9.6m
Noise outside/idle/30/70mph N/A/N/A/64/72dB 70/44/60/70dB
Auto Express economy/range (miles) 4.3 miles/kWh/217 53.3mpg/11.7mpl/692
Claimed range/fuel economy (WLTP) 254 miles 52.3-54.3
Actual/claimed CO2/tax bracket 0/0g/km/16% 142/113g/km/30%
Airbags/Isofix/park sensors/camera Eight/yes/yes/yes Eight/yes/yes/yes
Auto box/lane-keep/blind spot/AEB Yes/yes/yes/yes Y/£1,250*/£1,250*/y
Clim./cruise ctrl/leather/heated seats Yes/yes/yes/yes Yes/yes/yes/yes
Met paint/LEDs/keyless/pwr tailgate Yes/yes/yes/no £670/y/£990*/£990*
Nav/digi dash/DAB/connected services Yes/yes/yes/yes Yes/yes/yes/yes
Wireless charge/CarPlay/Android Auto No/no/no £350/yes/no


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Friday, August 30, 2019

New McLaren 750LT spied: 720S supercar to get ‘longtail’ treatment

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Luke Wilkinson 2019-08-30 15:15

The next longtail McLaren is on its way, with spy shots showing a McLaren 750LT testing at the Nurburgring

McLaren 750LT - spyshot 3

A new variant of the McLaren 720S supercar has been spotted testing at the Nurburgring, pointing to a hardcore, uprated ‘longtail’ version of McLaren’s Ferrari F8 Tributo rival being in the works. 

Rumoured to take on the 750LT name, it’ll employ the same ethos as the 675LT and the 600LT, packing more power than the 710bhp 720 it’s based on, shedding weight and majoring on aerodynamic proficiency, with several key changes to the bodywork and wings, and an extended rear justifying the longtail name.

Best supercars on the market

The engine will almost certainly be inherited directly from the 720, with McLaren’s one-size-fits-all 4.0-litre turbocharged V8 mounted in the middle, driving the rear axle via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. Power will rise though through engine management changes though, while 750 metric horsepower (740bhp) would lead to a 750LT name.

This mule displays some obvious changes compared to the 720S. A new front chin splitter sprouts from the front, while a pair of aerodynamic canards can be seen ahead of the front wheels.

The bodywork also appears to have been extended, but one of the biggest giveaways is the appearance of a gurney flap on the trailing edge of the rear wing, fitted to increase downforce. 

The exhausts still exit alongside the tail lights, just as you’ll find on the regular 720S. On previous LT models the exhausts have been modified to exit out of the rear deck, straight from the engine bay - though this may be the case by the time the 750LT makes production. Like previous LT McLarens it’ll be sold in limited numbers, and a reveal could take place before the end of the year.

Click here to read our review of the last longtail model, the McLaren 600LT...



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Electric cars have lower lifetime CO2 emissions than petrol or diesel cars

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Tristan Shale-Hester 2019-08-30 13:50

New study reveals that EVs produce less lifetime CO2 than petrol or diesel cars in the UK due to the country decarbonising its energy

Nissan Leaf - Long termer plugging in

Electric cars in the UK are cleaner than their petrol or diesel counterparts even when their production is taken into account, thanks to the country’s continuing move towards renewable energy and decarbonisation.

On average, EVs are responsible for a quarter of the amount of CO2 that conventionally powered cars produce, a figure that increases to half when the car’s entire lifetime – including the process of battery production – is considered, according to a new study commissioned by Drax Electric Insights and conducted by Imperial College London.

• Electric cars vs hydrogen cars: exclusive real-world analysis

The study says that after two to three years the carbon emitted in producing the batteries for the most efficient EV models on the market is compensated for by zero emission travel. It acknowledges, though, that smaller EVs with modest batteries are more eco-friendly, with the largest electric models on the market needing up to three times longer to offset the carbon cost of their production – more CO2 is emitted in building the battery for a premium EV model than from recharging it over a 15-year lifetime.

The research also found that the increasing decarbonisation of the UK’s electricity supply – which is linked to the Government’s 2050 net-zero carbon target – is enabling EVs to become even more environmentally friendly. EVs bought in the UK today could be responsible for a tenth of the CO2 of a petrol car in five years’ time.

In fact, the report claims electricity generation is decarbonising faster in the UK than anywhere else in the world. Wind, solar, biomass, and hydro-electricity supplied 55 per cent of National Grid demand on 30 June 2019, breaking 2018’s record of 48 per cent.

Dr Iain Staffell from Imperial College London commented: “EVs have real potential to reduce our carbon footprint and help meet our net-zero carbon ambitions, despite some speculation about how clean they really are.

“An electric vehicle in the UK simply cannot be more polluting than its petrol or diesel equivalent, even when taking into account the upfront ‘carbon cost’ of manufacturing their batteries.  The carbon content of Britain’s electricity has halved in recent years and keeps on falling, whereas conventional engine vehicles have very limited scope to reduce emissions over their lifetime.

“Any EV bought today could be emitting just a tenth of what a petrol car would in as little as five years’ time, as the electricity it uses to charge comes from an increasingly low-carbon mix.”

What are the best electric cars on sale right now? Click here for our list of the top 10...



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Facelifted Smart EQ ForTwo and EQ ForFour teased

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Luke Wilkinson 2019-08-30 10:00

Nipped and tucked all-electric Smart EQ ForTwo and EQ ForFour gearing up for Frankfurt debut

Smart EQ ForTwo - front design sketch

These design sketches are our first official look at the facelifted Smart EQ ForTwo and EQ ForFour. The revised all-electric Smart range will be introduced at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show, before going on sale early next year.

Mercedes says both models will receive a “reduced and grown-up” design rethink. Based on what we can see in the sketches, revisions are fairly minor, stretching to a larger, honeycomb radiator grille, fresh fog lamps, more aggressive air ducts for the front bumper and a pair of reworked headlights. New lightweight alloy wheels are likely to appear too.

Geely confirms a 50:50 stake in Smart

Both cars’ bonnet lines will be smoothed over, in a likely bid to improve aerodynamic efficiency, while previous spy shots of the EQ ForFour suggest that new tail lights will feature throughout the line-up. Like the current model, the Smart EQ ForTwo will be available in either coupe or cabriolet body styles.

Interior revisions will be equally restrained, being limited to an updated dashboard and fresh trim, based on recent spy shots. 

The cabin of our spied ForFour mule features a set of brightly coloured air vents and white dashboard trim, suggesting owners will be able to choose from a broader range of customisation options than the current model.

Smart’s all-electric drivetrain will also receive a boost, with a likely hike in power and battery capacity. The current version has an output of 80bhp, a battery capacity of 17.6kWh and a range of around 100 miles. It also offers support for 22kW charging, enabling a charge from 10 to 80 percent capacity in under 40 minutes.

From next year, Smart will phase out its internal-combustion-engined models across the European market, making it the first manufacturer to make the systematic switch from fossil fuel to electric drive.

What do you make of the new Smart EQ ForTwo and EQ ForFour? Let us know in the comments section below… 



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New Audi e-tron compact hatch to lead brand’s electrification plans

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Jonathan Burn 2019-08-30 09:40

Audi to electrify its entire range, with a new baby e-tron hatch and an all-electric R8 replacement on the cards

Audi e-tron compact hatch - front

Audi is fast-tracking an electric vehicle programme that will see the German firm launch 20 fully electric cars by the middle of the next decade. A range of never-before-seen EVs is in the pipeline, but some of the brand’s best-known models will also make the switch to electric power.

While Audi’s focus will initially be on launching EVs at the upper end of its product range, where greater profits can be made, one of the most significant models to arrive will be a compact hatchback that will be priced from around £30,000.

Audi e-tron long-term test review

A rival for the forthcoming Volkswagen ID.3, as well as the Tesla Model 3, it will act as Audi’s entry point into EV ownership. The car will be the first of three Audi EVs to be based on the VW Group’s MEB architecture, designed for compact to mid-size vehicles.

Previewed in our exclusive images, the model, which is expected to feature ‘e-tron’ or ‘eO1’ in its name, will be similar in size to an Audi A3 but have greater levels of interior space afforded by the new platform.

Audi’s positioning as the premium brand in the VW Group means it’s not likely to offer the car with the ID.3’s smallest 45kWh battery; instead the choice will be between the 58kWh and 77kWh set-ups. This should offer a range of at least 250 miles, with up to 320 miles possible in a larger-battery edition that’s likely to rival the Model 3 on price.

The MEB platform will let Audi offer entry-level cars with one electric motor at the rear, and a further motor on the front axle for those willing to pay extra for quattro four-wheel drive. It’s expected that the model will hit the market in 2021, giving VW, SEAT and Skoda time to launch their MEB cars first.

New electric Audi R8 due in 2022

With CO2 emissions targets putting more pressure on car makers to clean up their ranges, long-standing Audi models, which have for generations used combustion engines, are also set for a radical rethink. The next version of the brand’s flagship, the R8 supercar, is causing huge internal debate within the firm’s management.

Audi’s CEO Bram Schot said in the spring: “Focusing also means leaving out. For example, the R8 sports car: do we need a successor with a combustion engine? Does this fit in with our vision? The discussion will give us an answer to that.”

However, insiders have suggested that the R8 will have a successor and that it will be fully electric. Audi’s board member for technical development, Hans-Joachim Rothenpieler, told us that a technical solution has already been drawn up.

Audi e-tron GT concept review

“Normally you have a wheel at each corner with the battery pack in the centre, and the pack is 12 or 13 centimetres tall,” Rothenpieler told us. “But this makes the base of the seating point higher.

“So for small, sporty cars with only two seats, we need a different concept – such as one bit of the battery in the centre of the car and another bit in front of the front wheels, or behind the rear wheels. Either way, we end up splitting the battery. That’s what we’re looking at for these iconic cars.”

This principle could also apply to the TT – another of Audi’s long-standing models that will be making the switch to electric power. “In a few years, we will replace the TT with a new emotive model in the same price range – an electric car,” Schot revealed.

Audi could put the electric TT and RE8 onto the PPE architecture it’s developing with Porsche. The platform is designed for low-riding models in a range of segments; the Porsche Taycan will be the first model to use the tech, while the Audi e-tron GT four-door coupé will follow in 2021.

The e-tron GT will be Audi’s third EV, following the e-tron and e-tron Sportback SUVs. It’s a direct competitor to the Tesla Model S and is expected to cost around £100,000 when it arrives in showrooms.

The model will use a 95kWh battery that will deliver a WLTP range of 250 miles. The battery will power an electric motor on each axle, and these combine to produce 582bhp and deliver a 0-62mph time of 3.5 seconds.

What do you think of our exclsuive Audi images? Let us know your thoughts below...



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HIghways England report reveals smart motorways increase danger of breakdowns

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Tristan Shale-Hester 2019-08-30 09:00

Report reveals breaking down in a live lane on an all-lane-running motorway is 216% more dangerous than doing so on a conventional one

Motorway

Breaking down in a live lane on an all-lane-running (ALR) section of a ‘digital road’ – more commonly known as a smart motorway – is 216 per cent more dangerous than doing so on a conventional motorway with a hard shoulder, a damning report by the organisation responsible for running motorways has revealed.

According to Highways England’s own hazard log data, breaking down in a live lane of an ALR smart motorway is 216 per cent more dangerous than doing so on a conventional motorway with a hard shoulder.

What is a smart motorway? 

The data was revealed by a Highways England report written in 2016 and only recently discovered by the AA. Entitled ‘Stationary Vehicle Detection Monitoring’, the report also references data on breakdowns in live ALR lanes of the M25 between junctions 25 and 26, which shows the average time for Highways England CCTV operatives took to spot a broken-down vehicle in a live lane was 17 minutes and one second, with one breakdown taking over an hour for operatives to spot.

The AA also sent a Freedom of Information request to Highways England, which revealed that there are 135.1 miles of ALR smart motorways in England, but only 24.2 miles are covered by a system that automatically detects vehicles broken down in live lanes. This is spread over two sections of the M25 – one from J5-6 and the other from J23-27.

Stationary Vehicle Detection (SVD) – a radar system capable of automatically detecting stationary vehicles across multiple lanes – can spot a broken-down vehicle 16 minutes faster than human CCTV operatives on average. When a vehicle is detected by SVD, an alarm in the operations centre is triggered, causing staff to investigate and take necessary action, closing the appropriate lane and setting digital signs to warn other drivers. In ALR schemes were SVD technology is not used, 36 per cent of live lane breakdowns took over 15 minutes to find.

The report also reveals HIghways England’s targets give a three-minute window in which to set a signal change, such as bringing up a red X symbol to close the lane, when a vehicle stops in a live lane. Highways England says this target does not change, regardless of by which method the broken-down vehicle is detected.


The report’s revelations are at odds with Government evidence given to the Transport Select Committee in September 2016, when the Committee heard Stopped Vehicle Detection systems  would be applied to all sections of ALR smart motorway. SVD will not not be operational on the M3 J2-4a until 2021, while other schemes currently in development are set to be completed in 2022. The M4 will be fitted with other emerging technology instead, but Highways England has not confirmed what this will be.

In addition, the AA has learned that seven per cent of Highways England’s CCTV overlooking motorways is in ALR sections, roughly proportionate with the six per cent of the UK’s motorway network that is comprised of ALR roads. These cameras are of the ‘Pan, Tilt and Zoom’ variety, which means they can only look in one direction at a time. If an incident occurs in northbound, for example, and the camera is looking southbound, an operative is unlikely to spot the incident until the camera is turned around. 

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Edmund King, president of the AA, described the news as a “truly shocking revelation”. He said: “Taking three minutes to set the red X is too long for someone in a broken-down vehicle to wait. Expecting someone to wait in a dangerous and life-threatening position for 20 minutes is simply inexcusable.”



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Thursday, August 29, 2019

New Audi Q3 Sportback 2019 review

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Audi Q3 Sportback - front
29 Aug, 2019 11:00pm Alex Ingram

The new Audi Q3 Sportback has arrived, but it costs around £3k more than a standard Q3. Is it worth the extra cash?

The Audi Q3 was one of the first posh small SUVs, designed to offer the premium appeal of the larger Q5 and Q7 in a smaller package. But while the German firm was quick off the mark, it took them a little longer to cotton-on to the exploding coupe-SUV craze.

Better late than never, Audi has launched this: the Q3 Sportback. The maker hopes it’ll tempt buyers away from the BMW X2, but while that car gets a complete styling overhaul relative to the X1 on which it’s based, the Sportback stays slightly more faithful to the look of the regular Q3. From the front, the pair are pretty much identical, in fact.

• Best small SUVs and crossovers on sale

In profile, the changes are more substantial, however. The roofline falls away much sooner than on the Q3 SUV, which results in a more pinched rear quarter light and an extended rear spoiler. The shoulder line drops from just above door handles in order to give a more planted appearance.

Smaller rear window aside, the tail end of the Sportback can be differentiated from the rest of the Q3 range courtesy of a reprofiled boot lid and a unique rear bumper with a large mock diffuser. The overall look isn’t as clumsy as other coupe SUVs, but it’s arguably not as distinctive as the X2. 

The good news is that the more rakish look doesn’t do too much to compromise practicality. While the Sportback is 29mm lower than the Q3 SUV, it’s also 16mm longer, resulting in a slightly extended boot floor. So even though their load bays are slightly different shapes, the pair both offer 530 litres to play with. Granted, if you fold the seats down the Sportback’s overall space is smaller (1,400 litres versus 1,525) but that’s unlikely to be a deal breaker for many buyers.

Moving into the back seats, and the distance between the base of the back seat and the roof is 25mm less than in the Q3 SUV. However, Sportback’s reclined seat backs mean that as long as you’re six foot or under, you’ll not be nudging your head against the ceiling. Legroom, like in the standard Q3, is above average for the class, while a sliding rear bench allows for up to 130mm of movement if more storage space is required.

It’s standard Q3 fare up front. That means there’s a smartly laid out dash with a bright, slick touchscreen infotainment system. There are some oddly cheap looking bits, like the wide panel of cheap plastic which houses just the start button and volume control, however.

Out on the road, the Q3 feels pretty much identical to the standard car. In other words, it handles fairly adeptly – with front-wheel-drive models feeling noticeably more agile than the quattro variants. The steering is light and lacks feedback, though, meaning a BMW X2 is more fun.

The Q3 is more comfortable, however, even though it comes with sports suspension as standard. It can still feel a little bouncy when fitted with the biggest 20-inch wheels, but this can be cured with the adaptive dampers. Standard on the top-spec Vorsprung trim, these round off bumps impressively in Comfort mode – adding firmness and banishing the bounce in Dynamic.

The Q3 Sportback will come with a choice of one petrol and two diesel engines at launch. The single petrol unit is the 45 TFSI: a 2.0-litre turbocharged unit producing 227bhp. Two 2.0-litre diesels, the 35 and 40 TDI, develop 148bhp and 187bhp respectively. 

We sampled the 45 petrol and the 40 diesel. Both offer smooth, linear performance and gather speed at a deceptive rate. Both, however, are let down by their seven-speed dual-clutch gearboxes. Ask for more power, and there’s a delay before the system makes up its mind, and in usual driving it’s reluctant to kick down at all – to the point where it can leave the diesel engine off-boost and with little to no forward motion. It’s very frustrating when the rest of the driving experience is so accomplished.

A 1.5-litre petrol unit paired with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system (when combined with an auto gearbox; the manual does without the hybrid gubbins), will join the line-up in October, and we were granted a quick spin of a pre-production model. This will enable fuel-saving measures like engine-off coasting, faster engagement of the stop-start system and an energy recovery set-up.

Our drive was too short to draw any conclusions about fuel consumption, but the system was as slick in its operations as it is in larger-engined applications. Audi predicts this will be the most popular engine in the Q3 Sportback range, and to us it seems like it’ll be the best, too.  

So the Sportback drives much the same as the standard Q3, is arguably better looking, and it’s barely any less practical than a car that’s among the most spacious in its class anyway. So is this one of the few coupe-based SUVs that actually makes sense? 

Well, almost. Because for a car that’s so similar to the Q3 in so many ways, you’ll still need to fork out somewhere in the region of an extra £3,000 over and above what you’d pay for the standard SUV. Should you go for the 45 TFSI in top spec Vorsprung trim, that means you’ll need to fork out a whopping £48,765 for the privilege.

4
From an objective point of view, it’s hard to justify the price premium that the Sportback carries over the standard Q3. However, the extra style it adds – without significantly compromising practicality – means that this is one of the most convincing coupe SUVs yet. It’s just a shame that, like the regular Q3, the largely positive driving experience is let down by the disappointing automatic gearbox. The forthcoming mild-hybrid petrol might just be the pick of the range.
  • Model: Audi Q3 Sportback 40 TDI quattro S tronic Vorsprung
  • Price: £47,640
  • Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo diesel
  • Power/torque: 187bhp/400Nm
  • Transmission: Seven-speed auto, four-wheel drive
  • 0-62mph: 8.3 seconds
  • Top speed: 134mph
  • Economy/CO2: 50.4mpg (est) 148g/km (est)
  • On sale: Now


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New Vauxhall Astra 2019 review

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Vauxhall Astra 2019 facelift - front tracking
29 Aug, 2019 5:30pm Steve Sutcliffe

Can Vauxhall top the hatchback class with the revised Astra?

Not long ago a revised new Vauxhall Astra would have represented a reasonably seismic event in the world of cars. But nowadays, with centre stage being dominated by EVs and SUVs – and increasingly EVs that are also SUVs – an updated version of a conventionally powered, and just plain conventional family hatchback isn’t quite the event it once was.

Especially since the Astra is no longer a top-10 best-selling car in the UK, having been outperformed not just by its arch nemesis the Ford Focus in 2018 (still the fifth biggest-selling car) but also the Mini (seventh), the Mercedes A-Class (eighth) and even the Kia Sportage (10th). 

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Even so, you ignore this revised new version of the dear old Astra at your peril. For if nothing else, the Astra has always offered a strong combination of value, practicality, sometimes surprisingly high design qualities and often a well-rounded range of dynamic capabilities. And for the fleet market especially, it has long been a stalwart of its kind.

Not much has changed this time round, with this new model offering little differences to the existing car visually; there’s a new grille at the front and the ride height is 10mm lower but otherwise that’s about it. However, beneath its anonymous but still-handsome skin, the venerable Astra has undergone a range of mechanical upgrades that will, reckons Vauxhall, make it “an absolute winner for the fleet market” while also enhancing its appeal amongst private, more family-orientated drivers.

The big news is that every single model has a new engine and gearbox, all of which have been designed to make the Astra more efficient, more economical and better than ever to drive. All the new engines are three-cylinder units, starting with a 1.2 turbo petrol with 108bhp and rising to a 1.4 turbo petrol with 143bhp. Then there are two 1.5 turbodiesels - one with 103bhp and 260Nm, another with 120bhp and a fulsome 300Nm. 

All these new engines come with a variety of new gearbox options, with the standard choice being a six-speed manual. Optional transmissions then come in the form of a nine-speed auto or a clever new CVT “stepless” auto.

Vauxhall has also worked hard to improve the cabin of the Astra, with a new eight-inch touchscreen and soft-touch plastics that are claimed to provide a premium-car feel. All versions come with much-improved connectivity, a range of new advanced driver assistance systems and a new MultiMedia Nav Pro infotainment system that’s standard on the top-spec models but optional across the range.

As with the engines, Vauxhall has simplified the trim levels, too, the range starting with SE, rising through SRi and SRi Nav, then SRi VX, Elite Nav and Ultimate Nav at the top. Prices start at £18,895 for the SRi and top out at £26,755 for the Ultimate Nav. Most models cost only a few hundred pounds more than the outgoing car, which seems good value given how much extra kit and tech there is on offer.

For the chassis, Vauxhall has mostly employed the age old adage of ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’. But the dampers are new, the spring rates have been tweaked for extra comfort and control across the range, and the steering calibration has been altered to offer more alert responses, although no mechanical changes have occurred.

We drove various models, from the 1.4 CVT petrol to the 1.5 Turbo D with the excellent new nine-speed gearbox, but focused mostly on the six-speed Turbo D, which is likely to be one of the biggest sellers. In Ultimate trim this costs £24,850 but comes with an impressive amount of tech and equipment as standard, including Apple CarPlay and the fine new touchscreen infotainment system.

On the move the things that impress immediately about the revised Astra are its smoothness of ride, the impressive combination of torque and relaxed acceleration from the new 1.5 TD engine, the slick but still a touch rubbery gearshift and the overall refinement of the car. You don’t expect cutting-edge chassis dynamics from a Turbo D Astra, but neither do you expect such maturity from the steering and suspension, so overall the driving experience is surprisingly positive. 

The new engine is all through by 4,500rpm but from 1,800rpm upwards it delivers a sizeable chunk of torque (0-62mph takes 9.6sec) while the suspension has an unusually fluid feel to it. The steering is sweet, too, while the brakes and wind refinement are hard to fault. This is not a car you will ever revel in driving especially, but it’s quietly impressive all the same, with a calm demeanour that is lacking in some of its more frantic, more stiffly sprung rivals.

And when you look at Vauxhall’s claims about the new Astra being some £1,000 lighter on the average fleet manager’s pocket over 80,000 miles and four years compared with the previous car – and £1,800 cheaper than the equivalent Focus, it says – the numbers are hard to argue with. 

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This is mainly because the CO2 output of the 1.5 Turbo D has dropped to just 95g/km, while the combined fuel economy figure has risen to 62.8mpg. Thank not just the new engines and gearboxes for this but also the car’s impressive 0.26CD figure - the same as a Calibra if you remember that (it was once the world’s most aerodynamic production car).

In its own quiet way, then, the revised Astra is a very good car overall. If nothing else, it will be a very hard car to resist for the average fleet manager.

3.5
Visually it’s not a lot different from the current car, but the revised Astra is much improved machine beneath the skin, with a range of fine new engines and gearboxes that should make it appeal to families and fleet managers alike. A quietly impressive car overall.
  • Model: Vauxhall Astra Elite Nav 1.5 Turbo D
  • Price: £24,850
  • Engine: 1.5-litre, 3cyl, turbodiesel
  • Power/torque: 120bhp/300Nm
  • Transmission: Six-speed manual, front-wheel drive
  • 0-62mph/Top speed: 9.6sec/130mph
  • Economy/CO2: 62.8mpg/95g/km
  • On sale: Now


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Facelifted 2020 Audi Q5 caught on camera

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Luke Wilkinson 2019-08-29 16:40

Our spy photographers have snapped a revamped version of the German brand’s mid-sized SUV undergoing testing

Audi Q5 spied - front tracking

This is our first look at the facelifted Audi Q5. Revisions will stretch to a handful of exterior styling tweaks, a mildly redesigned interior and, most importantly, the adoption of mild-hybrid technology. The new model will likely reach the UK by the end of 2020, with a starting price of around £42,000.

Exterior styling revisions are subtle. The outgoing model’s chrome egg-crate grille has been swapped for a black honeycomb unit, while new bumpers (similar to those found on the new Audi Q3) feature front and rear. Audi has also replaced the old Q5’s flared side skirts with slimmer panels and fitted a fresh pair of headlights.

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Interior revisions are expected to extend to a new 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and pair of new digital touchscreens on the dash in place of the current model’s single screen setup. The overall look will mirror that of the recently-updated Q7 SUV. 

Under the skin,12-volt mild-hybrid technology will feature for the first time. The facelifted Q5 should borrow the Audi A4’s 187bhp 40 TFSI and 242bhp 45 TFSI 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol-hybrid units, while the SUV’s existing 187bhp 40 TDI diesel is also expected to be updated with new 12-volt mild-hybrid tech.

All powertrains will send their power to a quattro four-wheel drive system via a seven-speed automatic transmission.

What are your thoughts on the facelifted Audi Q5? Let us know in the comments section below…



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New Porsche 911 Carrera 2019 review

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Porsche 911 Carrera - front tracking
29 Aug, 2019 2:30pm Antony Ingram

The Carrera is the cheapest Porsche 911 you can buy, but is it the best?

The hardcore GT3 models might generate all the headlines, but it’s the cheaper models the Porsche 911 range that have always been the go-to variants for sports car buyers. And as performance has risen ever upwards with each new generation, the basic 911 Carrera looks like something of a sweet spot, already offering all the performance you’d ever need.

Porsche launched its latest 992-generation 911 with the Carrera S earlier this year, but now we’ve got behind the wheel of that entry-level Carrera for the first time. We use the term ‘entry-level’ loosely, as this is still a 380bhp sports car capable of 182mph flat out.

Porsche 911 2019 review

Like the 911 Carrera S, the regular Carrera gets a 3.0-litre twin-turbo flat-six, but in this format it develops a little less power than its stablemate. It’s 64bhp down on the Carrera S, while torque drops by 80Nm to 450Nm. Still, it’s not a car you’d describe as slow: 0-62mph takes 4.2 seconds – just half a second down on its bigger brother.

It’s not available with a manual transmission just yet, so the only option for now is an eight-speed PDK dual-clutch auto sending power to the rear wheels. As standard, those wheels are 19 inches up front and 20 inches behind, though our test car was inevitably wearing a larger 20-inch (front) and 21-inch (rear) set, as well as a host of other features.

Our own car included carbon ceramic brakes, the Sport Chrono package, a sports exhaust, and 18-way adaptive sports seats, drawing the Carrera much closer to a Carrera S both on specification and price. As few fundamentally change the character of the car, you can consider them niceties rather than essentials.

[gallery:2]

We’re already familiar with the 992’s cabin, and that’s no bad thing; it’s a clean and modern design, but one in which buyers of previous-generation 911s should feel at home. A large central display is a notable inclusion in this generation, as is the redesigned central rev counter in the instrument cluster, flanked by a brace of additional screens.

From the driving position to the excellent visibility and high-quality feel, there’s very little to complain about. You could spend hours behind the wheel without any discomfort, and once again, Porsche offers enough options to personalise virtually every aspect to your individual tastes. You’d still think twice about squeezing anyone but very small children in the rear seats, but the front luggage area is as deep and usable as ever.

With the dual-clutch gearbox, the car itself is very usable too. There’s some heft to the steering to remind you it’s a sports car rather than a grand tourer, and an ever-present grumble from the exhaust as the PDK quickly shuffles up the gears for low-rev cruising.

It can be a little clumsy changing down as you call for more acceleration, so if you want to go anywhere in a hurry, you’re better off clicking the dial around to Sport or Sport Plus and pushing the manual button behind the gear selector stub. Do so and the Carrera finally starts to feel like a proper sports car, surging forward with each movement of the throttle and revving enthusiastically, if not quite as tunefully as past Carreras.

Without driving the two side-by-side or whipping out the stopwatch, you’d struggle to notice any performance deficit to the Carrera S, either. With a similarly insistent surge of power from low revs, the basic 911 displays little trouble spinning to the red line.

[gallery:4]

Despite the larger wheels, the Carrera rides maturely, and the stiff structure gives it an unruffled feel over bumps, too. Like 911s of old there’s a healthy dose of tyre roar at higher speeds, however.

On twistier roads it all feels a tad too grown-up at first, with little steering feel and a lack of driver involvement. Push harder though and those traditional 911 characteristics start to filter through, from tireless brakes to progressive, well-weighted steering. There’s plenty of grip as well, and the car feels at its best with a slow-in, fast-out cornering technique, getting the nose turned into a corner before howling out the other side – the car squatting on its haunches to give you fantastic traction.

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If there’s a problem, it’s that you do have to be driving quite quickly before those classic 911 qualities reveal themselves – faster than you might wish to travel on the road. We suspect the Carrera might be at its best on those smaller wheels and narrower tyres. 

It already feels close enough to the Carrera S on the road, but it’d get even closer to hitting that 911 sweet spot at sensible road-going speeds, too. 

4.5
Porsche 911 buyers often upgrade to the Carrera S as a matter of course, but there’s still a lot to be said for the basic Carrera. The entry-level model is hugely fast and very capable, even if it doesn’t feel quite as involving to drive as its predecessor.
  • Model: Porsche 911 Carrera
  • Price: £82,793
  • Engine: 3.0-litre 6cyl turbo petrol
  • Power/torque: 380bhp/450Nm
  • Transmission: Eight-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
  • 0-62mph/Top speed: 4.2 seconds/182mph
  • Economy/CO2: 28.5mpg/226g/km
  • On sale: Now


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Now electric car drivers can use 400 UK chargers with one app or card

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Tristan Shale-Hester 2019-08-29 13:00

Energy company Vattenfall and EV charging solutions provider NewMotion sign roaming agreement

Electric car drivers will be able to access 400 UK charging points using a single payment method, thanks to a newly signed deal.

Energy company Vattenfall and EV charging solutions provider NewMotion have made a roaming agreement allowing drivers to access each of their charging networks using one app or payment card.

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NewMotion, which is part of Shell Group, has one of Europe’s largest EV charging networks, with around 118,000 chargers across the continent, while Vattenfall also operate chargers via its UK subsidiary InCharge. Together, the two firms are offering access to around 400 pubic UK charging points with a single payment method.

Although there are a total of around 25,000 public EV charging points in the UK at present, only a very small minority fall under roaming agreements, meaning drivers are often forced to keep several different apps and cards in order to pay for electricity.

Vattenfall and NewMotion’s roaming agreement comes into effect in September. The two companies say they are looking into the possibilities of expanding the partnership after this.

Anthony Hinde, director of InCharge, commented: “The UK EV driver experience has just got that little bit simpler. What is the norm in many European countries – seamless, simple, flexible public charging options as a result of roaming agreements between operators – is still a rarity in the UK. Our agreement with NewMotion is therefore an important step forward and will encourage the uptake of EVs in the UK.”

Electric car charging points to be installed in every new home

Sytse Zuidema, CEO of NewMotion, added: “Access to good charging infrastructure is a key consideration for drivers before they make the switch to driving an electric vehicle. Roaming agreements between charge point operators help to create a charging network where it’s easy to charge at any provider’s charge point.

“With this roaming agreement we both take the lead in creating a wider accessible charging network and make it easier for EV drivers to connect to the charging infrastructure in the UK. We welcome Vattenfall’s EV drivers to our charging network, which is already Europe’s largest network with over 118,000 charge points in more than 30 countries.”

Would you like to see all charging points available via a single payment method? Let us know your thoughts below...



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New Porsche Cayenne Coupe 3.0 V6 2019 review

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Porsche Cayenne Coupe - front tracking
29 Aug, 2019 11:30am Richard Ingram

We find out if the new Porsche Cayenne Coupe makes sense in entry-level 3.0 V6 guise

Like it or loathe it, the ‘coupe SUV’ is here to stay. The latest in a long line of curvy, compromised behemoths is this: The Porsche Cayenne Coupe.

It’s a car we first drove in Austria a few months ago, and one we really rather liked in storming Turbo guise. Now we’ve got the keys to the entry-level V6 to see if our statements continue to ring true on UK roads.

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This is the cheapest Cayenne Coupe you can buy; a smidge over £62k gets you a turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 with 335bhp and 450Nm of torque. It will dash from 0-62mph in 6.0 seconds and hit 150mph flat out.

But at more than 2.1 tonnes, this is a very heavy car. Whereas the Turbo shrugged off its lofty kerbweight with bags of power and torque, the lesser V6 struggles to hide its bulk quite so effectively. It’s not that it’s particularly lethargic, it just needs a bit more encouragement to unlock its full potential.

We praised the Turbo’s burbling 542bhp V8; its effortless wave of torque “never further away than a simple flick of the right foot”. But things are a little different in the standard Cayenne Coupe. It’s a fine cruiser, even on optional 22-inch wheels, but it lacks the more expensive model’s instant response and sheer overtaking supremacy.

Not everyone will want that car’s mind-bending speed, granted, but few will buy Porsche’s most ostentatious SUV (the Lava Orange paint is a £1,683 option) just to pootle to and from the shops. It needs to offer something a Mercedes GLE Coupe or BMW X6 cannot.

Taking control via the steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters mitigates this laziness to an extent, as does the fiery Sport Response button. But at times the V6 motor can feel strained – not something we would say about the top-spec Turbo.

Our car had the £2,012 Sports Exhaust system, but unlike Porsches of old there’s no one-touch button to activate it. Instead, you either need to force the car into Sport or Sport+ (also adjusting the throttle map, steering weight and damping) or sift through the infotainment’s myriad sub-menus to switch it on. While it does give the car a bit more character, it’s not an option we found ourselves making much use of.

So while we prefer the Turbo’s relentlessly effective V8, even in its more basic specification the Cayenne Coupe remains one of the most agile SUVs on sale. The steering is sharp and surprisingly communicative for a car of this type, while our test model’s rear-axle steering gives it an impressive level of agility. The complex adaptive air suspension works wonders to keep the car almost completely flat, while also smothering the lumps and ridges in the road. 

It’s remarkably refined for something so large, especially sitting on such big wheels. Despite its bluff nose, that slippery roofline and extensive sound deadening keeps the cabin hushed. You’ll need to keep your eye on your speed, though, as it can easily creep towards three figures without due care and attention.

The cabin is beautifully trimmed, and the widescreen infotainment system is among the crispest and most responsive set-ups on the market. Two configurable pods flank the usual analogue rev counter, offering similarly sharp graphics to display various trip, media and nav information.

• New 671bhp Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid 

Other kit includes LED lights, a fixed panoramic roof, Apple CarPlay (Android Auto isn’t even an option, bizarrely), a 10-speaker stereo, two-zone climate control, and a powered tailgate. Of course, the options list is extensive, offering everything from body-coloured wheels to 18-way electric sports seats.

Naturally, practicality takes a hit over the standard Cayenne SUV. The roofline dips away sooner, restricting outright bootspace (600 litres vs 745 litres for the regular car) and limiting headroom in the rear. All cars come with four seats as standard, so you’ll need to spec a fifth if you plan on carrying three across the back. It’s a no-cost option, however, and one we’d probably recommend.

3
Here at Auto Express, we rate value for money above everything else. But that doesn’t necessarily mean cheapest is best; this base-spec Porsche Cayenne Coupe lacks character in a way the top-spec Turbo does not. It gets the same luxurious cabin, refined ride and sharp steering, but it feels heavy and somewhat short on sparkle. If you can stretch to it, the Turbo offers a sense of occasion that cars such as this simply can’t do without.
  • Model: Porsche Cayenne Coupe 3.0 V6
  • Price: £62,129
  • Engine: 3.0-litre 6cyl turbo petrol
  • Power/torque: 335bhp/450Nm
  • Transmission: Eight-speed auto, four-wheel drive
  • 0-62mph/Top speed: 6.0 seconds/150mph
  • Fuel economy/CO2: 22.2mpg, 212g/km
  • On sale: Now


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