Long-term test review: Mercedes X 250 d

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3 Nov, 2018 4:00pm Kim Adams

First report: posh Mercedes X-Class pick-up makes a big impression as it joins our fleet

Mileage: 302
Economy: 24.5mpg

Mercedes is aiming to fill a gap in the global market for a premium pick-up. Its new X-Class is loaded with kit from its upmarket SUVs and saloons, to appeal to business and fleet users who wouldn’t normally give a truck a second glance. Naturally there’s a price to pay – in this case, it’s £36,612 plus options. We’re planning to see whether the X-Class is a good investment as the new premium pick-up joins our fleet.

We collected our car from sales executive Craig Guzzardi at the Orwell Van Centre, near Ipswich, Suffolk. Craig was very helpful, and showed us everything we needed to know about the X-Class. Our X 250 d has a 187bhp 2.3-litre four-cylinder diesel engine and a seven-speed automatic gearbox. It’s very much the mid-range model, because there is a lower-powered version of the same engine available, as well as a muscular V6 diesel.

• Best pick-up trucks currently on sale

Our Progressive spec includes alloy wheels, automatic wipers and electric heated mirrors, as well as a long list of optional extras. Firstly, there is the bering white metallic paint and 18-inch alloys (upgraded over the standard 17s), as well as the tinted rear windows and anodised roof rails of the Style pack (£2,628).

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Then there’s the Comfort pack (£1,482), which adds electric seats, climate control, LED headlights and a man-made leather interior using a suede-like material. It looks and feels just as upmarket as the real thing, but saves the animals – and the planet – a lot of trouble, so we’re fans of that feature.

Add the Winter pack (£408) and those seats are heated, as are the washers, plus our truck has the 360-degree camera Parking pack (£1,098). Large vehicles such as this are tough to park accurately, even when you’ve been driving them for years as I have, so it’s useful to get a 360-degree view of the pick-up from above.

As we intend to use the X-Class for the purpose it was built – to tow and carry big loads – there is a tow bar and a retractable load bed cover to keep our track tools and tyres safe and dry. The final £45,217 price is close to that of the flagship Power, but we’ve spent nearly £8,500 to get it there.

Craig also took us through the Audio 20 infotainment system – which was helpful, because it isn’t the most intuitive set-up. Owners of previous Mercedes will be familiar with the click-wheel control in the centre console, but with multiple inputs available from that and the touchpad, it’s easy to make errors. My colleagues in the office tell me it’s simple enough to get used to, though, so hopefully I will be flicking through the menus with ease before long.

Oddly for an upmarket vehicle there’s no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, but you can use your phone as a music player via USB or Bluetooth, plus there’s hands-free calling as you’d expect. The USB port is in the centre armrest, which unfortunately means running a lead along the console and across the dashboard if you want to mount and charge your phone while driving.

For those who have yet to embrace the MP3 revolution, the system also has a CD player – remember those? And if you don’t have a navigation app on your smartphone, you can use the built-in sat-nav sourced from Garmin.

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We haven’t been running the X-Class for long, but from the first mile you can tell it’s a step above its pick-up rivals. While the running gear and chassis are from Nissan’s Navara, Mercedes has done more than simply upgrade the trim and slap a badge on the grille.

It’s worked its magic on the ride; this is the best in class, with the crashing and shuddering of competitors all but eliminated. The X-Class has a well-damped, smooth ride, and even body roll when cornering is minimised.

Is that worth the premium price alone? We’ll be aiming to find out over the next few months.

*Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old in Banbury, Oxon, with three points.

4.5

Our initial impressions are good, with the smooth ride being a particular highlight. The question is whether the Mercedes X-Class can justify its high price.

• Model: Mercedes X 250 d 4MATIC Progressive
• On fleet since: September 2018
• Price new: £36,612
• Engine: 2.3-litre 4cyl diesel, 187bhp
• CO2/tax: 207g/km/£240

• Options: Metallic paint (£612), Style pack (£2,628), Comfort pack (£1,482), Parking pack (£1,098), Winter pack (£408), tow bar and electronics (£448), trailer socket electrics (£156), roll cover (£1,772)
• Insurance*: Group: 39/Quote: N/A
• Mileage: 302
• Economy: 24.5mpg
• Any problems?: None so far

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New Nio ES8 review

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3 Nov, 2018 10:00am Mark Andrews

The all-electric Nio ES8 SUV is currently only available in China, but could its innovative switchable batteries be a real EV game-changer?

Nio grabbed the headlines in September when it listed the company’s IPO on the New York Stock Exchange. The Tesla competitor is one of a raft of Chinese New Energy Vehicle (NEV) start-ups, and while most have no history of producing cars, Nio’s involvement in Formula E puts it well ahead of the pack.

Things kicked off last year with the EP9 hypercar, which set a new production car lap record at the Nurburgring Nordschleife. But now the firm is concentrating on real-world models like its new ES8 – a Tesla-rivalling seven-seat SUV.

• Best electric cars on sale right now

Currently only available in China, the ES8 is an imposing all-electric SUV that measures slightly shorter than a Tesla Model X. It has been designed in Germany, yet looks suitably futuristic in its proportions. Nio has yet to announce any firm plans for European expansion, but given the multinational team and company structure, we could see cars on sale here within two years.

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At the front, the ES8 gets what Nio calls an “X-bar” grille, while at the rear there’s a set of “heartbeat” tail-lights. Yet despite the sheer bulk of the car – it is 5,022mm long and about 40mm shy of 2,000mm wide – the drag coefficient is a slippery 0.29cd.

The 222-mile range (NEDC) is not as far reaching as the most expensive Teslas, but Nio’s joker card comes in the form of switchable batteries, which can be swapped out in as little as three minutes. Fast charging can replenish the batteries up to 80 per cent in less than an hour, while a full charge takes 90 minutes. A complete charge on a domestic plug takes 10 hours. In China, buyers have the option to rent a battery pack rather than purchasing it outright with the vehicle, too.

Dual electric motors provide intelligent all-wheel drive with at least some off-road ability; with the suspension raised the ES8 can wade water up to 400mm deep. The adaptive air springs deliver, in the most part, a smooth ride – even with on Founders Edition’s 21-inch wheels. At high speeds the car lowers to improve stability, and when parked it can squat to help while loading heavy items.

The sheer amount of power and torque on tap provides sports car levels of performance, too. With no gears, there is a simple toggle switch on the centre console for drive and reverse, with a button on the side for Park. Unless you really push the car, you’d be forgiven for forgetting how powerful it is; the serene driving experience is only tempered by the UFO-sounding pedestrian warning sound at lower speeds.

The steering initially feels light, but it is actually much better balanced than most Chinese cars – and more on par with European standards. Unlike some EVs you can’t choose the level of braking regeneration, and the standard setting is quite heavy. Take your foot off the accelerator and the car will slow quickly to around 5mph, meaning you rarely need to use the brake pedal in town.

• Best 4x4s and SUVs

Nio has taken a leaf out of Apple’s book and outsourced production to a to a purpose-built factory run by JAC Motors. Perceived quality is reassuringly high, with good exterior panel fit and premium materials inside; Nappa leather swathes much of the interior including the dashboard and upper parts of the doors.

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Perhaps the biggest surprise is the way Nio has chosen to swap out the glovebox for a fold down foot rest, giving the front passenger better legroom. The electrically adjustable seat goes back much further than it might in a Model X, allowing those in the front to attend to children in the back.

Unlike many supposedly seven-seat SUVs, it is possible to seat adults in the third row, too, although headroom is limited. These seats fold flat with the boot floor via an easy release catch, increasing luggage space.

Functions such as the massage seats and climate control have voice activation by AI-helper NOMI, which sits on top of the dashboard and swivels to face you. Currently, NOMI only understands Chinese, though, and will need adapting for European buyers. In our experience it isn’t the most responsive system, and needs to have commands done in a certain way for it to understand.

The ES8’s biggest problem, however, is that a lot of the software is simply not ready. Over the air updates will bring autonomous driving features later down the line, along with a more mundane 360-degree parking view. The hardware is all there, but the tech team has yet to catch up with production-ready software.

4

The Nio ES8 is a distinctive and capable premium SUV that’s almost ready to compete with the current crop of European (and American) electric cars. It’ll challenge a Tesla for performance, and while a shorter real-world range might put buyers off, the innovative battery-switch service could be a game-changer for EV sceptics.

• Model: Nio ES8 Founders Edition
• Price: RMB 548,000 (£61,000 est) – before subsidies and including battery purchase
• Engine: Dual electric motors
• Power/torque: 644bhp/840Nm
• Transmission: Single-speed auto, all-wheel drive

• 0-62mph: 4.4 seconds
• Top speed: 125mph
• Range: 222 miles (NEDC)
• On sale: 2020

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New special edition Volkswagen Amarok Aventura revealed

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Alex Ingram 2018-11-02 16:00

New Volkswagen Amarok Aventura model gains styling and interior extras, and it's on sale now from £39,960 ex VAT

This is the Volkswagen Amarok Aventura: a special edition version of the brand’s pick-up. It’s available to order now, priced from £39,960 ex VAT.

The changes focus on the cosmetic. From the outside, the Aventura is fitted with a set of 20-inch alloy wheels, a body-coloured sports bar with Aventura badging, and chrome side bars with step and LED lighting.

• Best pick-up trucks on sale right now

The Aventura is offered in all of the usual Amarok colours, but there’s a discount on Ravenna Blue and Indium Grey paint: at £2,335 before VAT, they’re both 24 per cent cheaper than on other models in the range. Unique roll covers are also offered exclusively for the Aventura, at a price of £1,387.50. The exterior add-ons are rounded off with underbody styling elements and a load compartment cover.

Exterior equipment includes power folding door mirrors, auto headlights, rain-sensing wipers and front fog lights with a cornering function.

Inside, the Aventura is kitted out with pretty much every feature available to Amarok buyers. Satellite navigation and unique carpet mats are standard, while 14-way adjustable seats trimmed in nappa leather and a leather steering wheel fitted with paddle shifters for the eight-speed automatic gearbox also feature.

The Aventura is powered by a 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine; the 254bhp unit is paired with a four-wheel drive system.

Click here for our in-depth review of the Volkswagen Amarok pick-up...

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One in eight admit to falling asleep when driving

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Tristan Shale-Hester 2018-11-02 13:59

A further 37 per cent said they’d been so tired they feared nodding off; fatigue blamed for an estimated 53 fatalities in 2017

One in eight drivers say they have fallen asleep behind the wheel, according to new research.

A survey of over 20,000 drivers found a further 37 per cent saying they had been so tired they feared they might nod off. An estimated 53 fatal and 351 serious accidents were caused by tired drivers in 2017, with fatigue thought to be a factor in around a quarter of crashes.

The AA Charitable Trust conducted a survey of 20,561 motorists and found 17 per cent of men have fallen asleep at the wheel compared to just five per cent of women.

• New roads to be designed with eye-catching views to stop drivers falling asleep

The data also revealed that motorists aged 18 to 24 are most likely to say tiredness does not affect their driving ability – 13 per cent compared with two per cent average – while they’re also the most likely to carry on driving regardless of tiredness – 18 per cent compared to three per cent average.

Of the drivers surveyed, 57 per cent stopped for a break as soon as they realised they might be too tired to drive – compared with 34 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds – 36 per cent said they felt fine when they started their journey and the drowsiness took them by surprise – higher among 18 to 24-year-olds at 45 per cent.

Some 11 per cent knew they were tired when they began their journey – 29 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds, 15 per cent of women and nine per cent of men. Finally, 23 per cent said they had been driving for more than two hours without a break when they were affected by tiredness – 25 per cent of men and 19 per cent of women.

• UK drink driving laws explained

The top five reasons given for driving tired are a long and/or hard day at work (39 per cent), the monotony of a journey (33 per cent), late night driving (27 per cent), trying to cover too much distance in one day (27 per cent) and lack of sleep the night before (26 per cent).

AA charitable trust director and president of the AA Edmund King illustrated the figures by explaining: “A driver who nods off for just three or four seconds on a motorway would have covered the length of a football pitch with closed eyes. A 30-second nap while travelling at 60mph covers half a mile – a terrifying thought.”

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Audi creates RSQ e-tron concept for the movies

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Alex Ingram 2018-11-02 12:10

New concept will hit the big screen in animated form for Spies in Disguise

Audi has designed a new car - but not only will it only be a concept, but it won’t even make it into the metal. This is the RSQ e-tron: an electric fully autonomous concept which is due to appear in the Twentieth Century Fox movie Spies in Disguise.

• Best concept cars at Paris 2018

It’s a first for the Audi brand, in that the concept is designed exclusively for an animated film. It’ll be driven by the character Lance Sterling - a spy voiced by Will Smith - and features autonomous tech so he can keep to the task of espionage. Of course, being a spy car it’ll have the sort of special gadgets which every secret agent needs.

While the RSQ e-tron is purely a fantasy movie design, some similarities can be drawn to other Audi concept - and indeed production - cars. Several design features are familiar to the recently-revealed Audi PB18 e-tron concept: the huge front grille remains, but the RSQ features a much more steeply-raked nose.

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The grille is flanked by slim lighting elements stacked above aggressive strakes in the outer air intakes. The roofline is reminiscent of the current R8, while around the back there’s a full-width LED light bar and a vast rear diffuser.

It’s not the first time that audi has designed a car for a Will Smith movie: iRobot featured the RSQ: a vision into an Audi supercar of 2035, which bore a resemblance to the original R8 but which drove on spheres instead of conventional wheels.

Other concepts have been designed specifically for movies, too: Lexus designed the 2054 for Minority Report, Acura created a special NSX roadster for the Avengers movie, and of course there was the Aston Martin  DB10.

What is your favourite movie car? Let us know in the comments below...

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Windscreen replacement firms fight to keep up with new technology

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Hugo Griffiths 2018-11-02 10:15

Windscreen replacement companies are spending millions on tech and training to recalibrate screen-based car safety systems

Windscreen repair companies are investing millions upgrading their workshops with new tech, because of the growing number of cars that require vital safety sensors to be recalibrated after a windscreen replacement.

Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), such as autonomous emergency braking and lane assist, typically rely on windscreen-mounted cameras to operate. However, if these systems aren’t recalibrated when the glass is replaced, lane-assist tech may not keep the car in line, while auto-braking systems could fail to detect obstacles.

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Back in 2015, just one per cent of cars required recalibration after windscreen replacement. That figure now stands at nine per cent for private cars and 34 per cent for fleet vehicles, which tend to be newer.

To tackle this growing issue, National Windscreens has invested £2million in ADAS recalibration, while Autoglass is launching 14 new calibration centres, and will have at least 70 workshops with the capability open by December.

Dr Chris Davies, head of technical superiority for Autoglass’s parent company, Belron, explained why recalibration is required.

“Because of natural tolerance issues with how the glass is manufactured, you’re going to get the camera in a different position when you put the new windscreen in,” Davies said. “And that means the camera needs recalibration. If you don’t recalibrate, you can compromise the safety of the customer.”

Most cars require ‘static’ calibration, which takes place in a workshop, while others must be ‘dynamically’ calibrated on the road. Both types of work must be carried out by technicians, but dynamic calibration can pose difficulties.

“You’ve got to drive the vehicle at a certain speed for a certain amount of time, and obviously that can be a problem in the centre of London, for example, or at certain times of year, when you’ve got snow,” Davies explained.

He also warned smaller windscreen companies may struggle to keep pace with technological developments. “The challenge is understanding what vehicle has what ADAS system fitted,” he added.

Autoglass has “an army” of people creating an internal database, but Davies warned: “For a small organisation or a one-man band, how are they going to stay on top of what needs to be done, let alone the investment in the technology?”

Click here for our full guide on windscreen repair and replacement...

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New 2019 BMW 8 Series Convertible: specs, pics and prices

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Alex Ingram 2018-11-01 23:01

The new BMW 8 Series Convertible has arrived with a fabric roof, and joins the Coupe in the brand’s flagship range

The all-new BMW 8 Series Convertible has been officially uncovered - and Auto Express was granted a studio sneak peak of the new model three weeks before its reveal. The new model is due to go on sale in April 2019.

Of course, it’s the new roof which is the main focus of interest. Losing the Coupe’s fixed top has made the 8 Series no less elegant - whether the new hood is up or down. Fabric was chosen, because a metal roof of that size would have taken up too much space and added too much weight. It can be lowered in 15 seconds and at speeds of up to 31mph, and is offered in black as standard or dark grey as an option.

• New BMW 8 Series Coupe review

Like the Coupe, the Convertible uses a four-seat layout. There’s slightly less shoulder room than in the Coupe to accommodate for the rollover protection and the seat backs are slightly more upright. Kneeroom remains the same, and headroom is slightly improved thanks to the shape of the roof.

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Elsewhere, the Convertible’s interior design is much the same as the Coupe. One useful addition has been introduced for cold top-down driving though: an optional neck warmer is integrated into the driver’s and front passenger’s head restraints, blowing warm air in three different levels of intensity.

The roof’s folding mechanism has harmed boot space. Total volume has dropped to 350 litres with the roof closed (down from the Coupe’s 430 litres), and 280 with the it open. Convertible owners will still benefit from rear seat backs with a 50:50 split - though the through-loading opening has shrunk a little.

The lack of a solid roof has forced BMW to add extra bracing to the chassis to keep the body similarly rigid to that of the Coupe. Extra cross struts and a new underbody panel, plus the mechanism for the roof itself, results in a 125kg weight penalty.

To offset the extra weight, the suspension has been beefed up slightly, so that the driving experience should feel largely the same as the Coupe. That mass is also shifted to the rear slightly - though speak to BMW’s engineers and they admit that the new 48:52 weight distribution makes the convertible even more fun to drive on the limit.

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The Convertible’s engine options will match those of the Coupe. That means the range kicks off with the 840d: a twin-turbo 3.0-litre straight-six diesel with a claimed fuel consumption of 45.6mpg and 161g/km of CO2. The 316bhp, 700Nm unit propels the 840d from 0-62mph in 5.2 seconds and on to a limited top speed of 155mph.

The one petrol option from launch will be the M850i. Powered by a 4.4-litre twin turbo V8, it makes 523bhp and 750Nm. The extra weight of the convertible blunts the performance ever so slightly: a 3.9-second 0-62mph time is 0.2 seconds slower than the Coupe. Predictably, the M850i is thirstier than the diesel, returning a claimed 28.5mpg and 225g/km of CO2.

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All 8 Series models come with 20-inch alloy wheels, Merino leather trim, a Harman Kardon sound system and adaptive LED headlights as standard. Optional extras include laser lights and a Bowers and Wilkins hi-fi.

The latest version of BMW’s infotainment system is standard. It gets a 12.3-inch touchscreen display with a revised home page layout which allows for customisable icons and widgets. It’s paired with a 10.25-inch digital instrument panel.

Prices for the Convertible start at £83,270 for the 840d XDrive and £107,045 for the M850i - £7,000 more than the Coupe equivalents.

Do you like the look of the new BMW 8 Series Convertible? Let us know your thoughts below...

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