Martin's Blog

CAP FACTfile - 28th July 2010

marketing@cap.co.uk — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

This week's manufacturer news

AUDI – The new A7 sportback model will open for ordering in the UK on 16^th August, with first deliveries expected on 1^st November. There will be four engines available at launch: a 2.8 litre FSI 204ps petrol, a 3.0 litre T 300ps petrol, a 3.0 TDI 204ps diesel and a 3.0 TDI 245ps diesel. All engines will feature the Quattro four wheel drive system and S-Tronic transmission as standard, except the 204ps diesel, which will have a Multitronic gearbox and 2WD drive train. The range will offer two trim levels: SE and S Line, and pricing will start at £42,925 on the road (rising to £43,745 in January with the forthcoming 20% VAT rate).

PORSCHE – Has developed three Boxster models with all-electric drive to be used specifically for research into future electric drive components and battery systems. The cars will also be used to provide further findings on the infrastructure needed to sustain electric vehicles, user behaviour and future product demand. Tests are due to commence in early 2011.

SUZUKI – Has revealed further images of the new Swift. It is due on sale in the autumn, with pricing/specification details expected to be announced later in the summer.

VAUXHALL – Has announced pricing for the Vauxhall Astra sport tourer is to start at £16,575, which is over £500 less than the current Astra estate. Vauxhall expect the sport tourer to account for approximately10% of all sales. It is due on sale in October 2010.

First driving impressions – Nissan Leaf, Nissan R&D facility, Cranfield, UK

The electric car: 'never before in the history of the motor car have so many been involved to sell so few'.

If you had a fleet of these, would it be a fleet of leafs or leaves?

It is true to say that electric vehicles have dominated most conversations this year when anyone talks about cars. This topic frequently crops up, but the subject is in regards to just a few thousand cars sold annually in the UK, compared to the total market which is now approaching 2 million. So in reality, they will account for a very small percentage of new cars on the road. The £5,000 government subsidy – which has now been approved, applying to any vehicle registered after January 2011 and to be reviewed again early 2012 – will help sell early models into the market.

After months of talking about the Nissan Leaf, we finally managed to drive it. It was the only Leaf in Europe, as it had been flown over from Japan for a few select people to drive and is currently doing a European tour. I drove it on the roads around Nissan's R&D facility in Cranfield, near Milton Keynes.

I have now driven the majority of electric vehicles that are due to arrive in the UK. These include the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, Peugeot iOn and Citroen C-Zero. I have also driven others that are part electric and part petrol/diesel powered such as the Vauxhall Ampera, Toyota Prius, Toyota Prius Plug-In and the Toyota Auris HSD. For a car to have a hybrid badge on it, it should in my opinion be able to run purely on electric power alone for a number of miles. Any car that can't do this is not worthy of the badge.

So is the Leaf as good as Nissan have been telling us for what seems an age? Basically, yes it is – in fact it is probably better than what my initial expectations were. It is a very quiet car (which was as expected), with hardly any noise from the electric motors. The cabin is a very peaceful place, aside from a warning sound which alerts pedestrians and cyclists when the car is travelling at low speeds, but I found this difficult to hear.

The acceleration is superb, being every bit as quick as a regular 1.6 litre petrol or diesel car and it easily cruised at 70mph. It really isn't lacking in the power department and was surprisingly quick off the mark. Nissan say it has a top speed of 90mph.

The Leaf is a five seat, five door hatchback and whilst the passenger compartment is certainly C sector size, the boot is more B sector, as some of the luggage area is taken up with the batteries. It has an all new dedicated EV platform and shares hardly any parts or design features with any other model. Production of the car will start later this year at Nissan's plant in Oppama, Japan, and will eventually be built in the UK in Sunderland around early 2013. Initial production will be 50,000 rising to 60,000. The lithium-ion batteries will also be produced at the UK plant, with over £420 million invested in the north east for this new venture.

All five seats are comfortable and provide enough leg, head and shoulder room. The interior colour of the early pre-production car was a light grey and not very practical for everyday use, so I hope Nissan plan to offer more hard-wearing, durable colours.

To start the car you simply press the starter button and the lights on the dashboard light up. After a few seconds it tells you that the car can be driven and you put the small gearshift lever into 'drive' or 'reverse'. You then release the electronic parking brake and it moves away just like any other automatic vehicle. It is powered by an 80KW motor and can be quick-charged (not recommended to be done too often) in 30 minutes or put on a slow charge from empty to full in around 6 hours. It will cover around 160km (100miles) on a full charge, although the gauge on the dash was often a bit misleading, as it kept changing the amount of kilometres left to go at an alarming rate. It would change from 100 to 80 to 56 to 52 to 88 in a matter of a few seconds. Nissan need to sort out this glitch before it goes on sale because it could damage customer confidence in the car, as you really don't know from one minute to the next how much battery power you have left.

The cost of the Leaf is expected be around £28,350 on the road which includes the price of the battery and this should drop to £23,350 for the customer when you factor in the £5,000 government grant. For the money you get a car that is fully loaded with standard features including air conditioning, satellite navigation and parking sensors. However, it is the cost to run an electric vehicle that will make it desirable to some customers and they will be prepared to pay the high initial price. The Leaf will cost just a matter of pence to run per mile, and servicing costs will also be minimal.

I was asked to take great care with this early model, as Nissan did not want me to 'turn over a new Leaf'.

First driving impressions – Volvo S60, UK press event, Aberdeen

Scotland at this time of year should be glorious; the sun should be shining on the magnificent hills and wonderful landscape. But unfortunately this week it was dull, gloomy and not at all as it should be. Whatever happened to global warming? I was just hoping the new S60 was going to be better than the weather.

Volvo saloon cars have never really caught the imagination of the British public. A large Volvo saloon is remembered as the 740 model in the mid 1980s and later the 850; neither of which were particularly popular. However, the estate models have been Volvo's trademark for many years and it can be argued that the XC60 and XC90, which has been on the market for over seven years, are the modern day versions of the 240 and 245 estates.

The previous S60 kept the tradition of every other four door Volvo and didn't sell in the numbers the company had originally expected. It didn't really fit neatly into any sector and many couldn't decide if it was a D sector or E sector competitor, or if it was going head-to-head with the BMW 3 Series or 5 Series. The new model has been aimed fair-and-square at the Audi in terms of size and Volvo make no apologies for making this decision. The new S60 measures 4,626mm in length so it sits firmly in the premium saloon territory alongside the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C Class, Lexus IS and Audi A4.

There will be three models available: ES, SE and SE Lux, all with high levels of standard equipment. The cheapest model, the ES, has standard features such as city safety (Volvo's low speed collision avoidance system), ECC, information centre, 5" colour screen, performance audio sound system, steering wheel audio controls and 16" alloy wheels. Prices start from £23,295 and go up to £36,745.

The engine badges seem to be a bit confusing to me. At launch there will be a choice of three engines: a D3 2.0 litre diesel, (producing 163ps with a CO2 of 138g/km), a D5 2.4 litre diesel (producing 205ps with a CO2 of 139g/km) and a T6 3.0 litre petrol (producing 304ps with a CO2 236g/km). It seems strange to me that both the D3 and D5 have the same CO2 figure and even stranger that a 2.0 litre engine has an identical combined fuel figure (53.3 MPG) as a 2.4 litre. According to the on-board computer we achieved an average of 26.3 MPG on the test route, but this figure is slightly unfair as we were driving it up and down the Scottish hills and this was not a typical journey.

There is a satisfactory amount of room in the cabin, with all seats being very comfortable and supportive. Rear leg room is also adequate and head room is plentiful for the tallest of passengers. The whole of the interior is high in quality and you can see that a lot of effort has been made into making it look and feel special. Fit, finish and all materials used are up to German standards.

The new S60 looks great from every angle and is a very stylish car. The designers have done a great job on producing such an attractive saloon and the engineers and assembly workers have also done the company proud. The real test is to see if the buying public, whether fleet or retail, can be persuaded to go Swedish instead of German. Despite the S60 being as good as it is, this could be an uphill battle.

CAP FACTfile - 21st July 2010

marketing@cap.co.uk — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

BMW – Has announced the introduction of the new X3. It will initially be launched with one derivative – an xDrive 20d 184ps SE diesel which is priced at £30,490 on the road. Step auto transmission will also be available with a premium of £1,495 over the manual. Other engines are due to follow at a later date, but it is expected that the xDrive 20d will account for 80% of all sales in the UK when the other engines are introduced. The new X3 is due on sale on 20^th November 2010.

CITROEN – Has announced the appointment of Charles Peugeot as Sale Director for Citroen UK. He will take up his new role at Citroen UK’s headquarters in Slough on 1^st August 2010.

HYUNDAI – Photographs of the new Hyundai i45 have been released in the Asia Pacific region. It is thought a car looking very similar to this will come to Europe next year. This D sector will be available in hatchback and estate body styles and may have some minor styling changes to be made more suitable for Europe. It could be called either the i40 or i45 when it arrives.

VAUXHALL – Has introduced two new engines to complete the Meriva diesel range. The first is a 1.3 litre CDTI ecoFLEX engine that produces 95ps and has a CO2 emissions figure of 119g/km. The second is a 1.7 litre CDTI 16V engine that produces 130ps and has a CO2 emissions figure of 138g/km. Both engines are due on sale on 30^th September 2010.

First driving impressions – Volkswagen Sharan, international press event, Bavaria

Bavaria is one of those places that is just as beautiful in the summer as it is in the depths of winter. When the sun is shining the lakes and mountains look spectacular, and when the whole of the area is covered in snow it looks equally magnificent. The area attracts tourists all year round; it is always a busy place and is a popular destination for skiers and walkers. The temperature was 33°C, so the weather seemed more suitable for driving a sports car rather than a people carrier.

It seems like it was only two minutes ago since the first Sharan was launched, but it was fifteen years ago in 1995 that a joint venture between Ford and VW Group saw the production of the Sharan and Ford Galaxy. The Seat Alhambra joined the venture a year later and all three sold in large numbers. Even to this day the early versions are still sought after, either to be used as taxis or by those with larger than normal families who want the space, but at a reasonable price. Over 607,000 models have been built at the AutoEuropa plant in Palmela, Portugal.

This latest Sharan is completely new; the only aspect that has carried over is the name. The length of the car has increased by 220mm making it 4,854mm overall, but the car is now 30 kilograms lighter. The majority of the extra space has been given to the boot area behind the third row of seats and this is a good move, as it was always an area that was criticised on the previous model.

There will be a five seat model available in Europe but Volkswagen UK, quite sensibly, has decided to offer only seven seat variants. Anyone with a back problem found it extremely difficult to lift the previous models’ seats out by themselves. They were not only difficult to remove, but were also time consuming and quite frankly, a nuisance. However, the new Sharan has addressed all of these problems because the seats are now so easy to operate and can be stowed flat in the floor of the car. Just one hand is needed to lift the handle and down they go, easily and quickly. All five rear seats can be folded individually so it can be a two, three, four, five, six or seven seat vehicle in just a few seconds; it’s a very clever system that really does work well. When the second and third row seats are folded down there is 2,297 litres of space, so the car practically turns into van. The second row of seats can also be moved forward to create more room for the third row passengers. All the seats are comfortable and are more than suitable for travelling long distances.

Engine choices available in the UK will be: a 1.4 litre TSI 150ps petrol, 2.0 litre TSI 200ps petrol and a 2.0 litre TDI diesel with power outputs of 140ps or 170ps. We test drove all the engines and we were surprised at just how quick and quiet the petrol unit was, but admittedly there were only two of us in the car and we had no luggage on board, so it was a light load for it to carry. The engine to have has to be the diesel 140ps, which returns 52.3 MPG on the official combined fuel consumption cycle and has a CO2 figure of 143g/km. It performs perfectly in the Sharan and is not at all underpowered. On the German autobahns it easily cruised at 100mph, with plenty of acceleration and it felt as if it had many more miles per hour left to give in the engine. It is smooth, quiet and refined.

A choice of six speed manual or DSG gearbox is available in combination with all engines, except the 200ps which is only available with the DSG gearbox.

For the first time VW has introduced rear sliding doors on the Sharan and can be upgraded so that they open and close electrically. It’s a nice option to have, but they do open and close easily enough manually – so much so that I do wonder if paying any more for the electric option really is worth it. The doors are so smooth in operation and evidently a lot has gone into the design and engineering of the door slide mechanism.

The Portuguese built Sharan maintains very high quality throughout, with every switch and piece of switchgear being typically German. The plastics on the dash and doors are good to touch and look at, and the whole of the cabin has a very pleasant ambience.

This car is not really a driver’s car; it is a practical, flexible people/luggage carrier and should be treated as such. On the roads from Munich to the Austrian border it handled all the twists and turns on the hilly sections with ease and it felt safe and solid. Despite not being able throw it into the corners like a more agile sports car, it still did the job perfectly well.

There will be four trims available: S, SE, SEL and the 6 seat Executive with leather trim as standard – very plush. Prices for the new Sharan are likely to start from around £21,500, going up to £31,000. First deliveries are due in November.

First driving impressions – Infiniti FX 3.0d, Barcelona

A diesel Infiniti seems to have been a long time coming, but it has now arrived. Although the brand, which form part of the Renault Nissan alliance, has only been on sale in the UK for less than a year now, it seems as if an age has passed since we first started talking about them.

The FX is a large 4x4 that has entered the market as a direct competitor to the BMW X5/X6, Porsche Cayenne and Mercedes-Benz M Class, and is very much at the premium end of the sector. This new diesel engine is exactly what Infiniti need, as the large petrol engines that are also on the market are not exactly what the majority of 4x4 buyers need or can afford to run. There may be a small minority who want a petrol gas-guzzler, but these are few and far between. The 3.0 litre diesel engine produces 238ps, goes from 0-62mph 8.3 seconds and is coupled to a very smooth and refined 7 speed automatic gearbox. The only aspect which could hold the Infiniti diesel engine back is the CO2 figure; at 238g/km, it may not prove to be a success with fleet companies.

The FX is a sporty SUV that has just enough chrome to make it look distinctive and not too ‘bling’. The chrome side air vents, handles and window surrounds are just enough to make it look classy without going too far. The rear windows with privacy glass also add to the distinctive image. The whole of the exterior looks chunky and masculine, and it is easily recognisable as an Infiniti. For those who have never heard of the Infiniti FX, it does look different to every other 4x4 around at the moment and cannot be missed in a crowd.

The interior is very luxurious with excellent quality leather and fit/finish that is as good as any other premium car on the market. It isn’t lacking anything in terms of luxury and is a fantastic place to sit regardless whether you are the driver or a passenger. There are some very nice little touches in the cabin such as an expensive looking analogue clock with a chrome surround. The whole interior exudes quality; it looks good and the touch of all the materials is just excellent.

We drove the FX diesel on the motorways around Barcelona, up into the hills of Montserrat and through small towns and villages. Despite it being quite a large vehicle, we found that it didn’t feel clumsy in traffic, it negotiated corners well and parking was easy when using the on-board parking systems. In the hills and on the mountain roads it behaved perfectly. It had plenty of power and it felt safe and solid – probably a bit more stable than some of the crumbling roads we experienced, which were very close to the edge of sheer drops. It is in these circumstances where you need 100% confidence in the car you are driving and the Infiniti certainly gave us that.

The downside to the Infiniti experience is the fact there is currently only one dealer in the UK. Birmingham will open shortly, followed by Glasgow, but Infiniti has given reassurances that the owner’s car will be collected and delivered back free of charge when it needs any servicing or warranty work carrying out.

There are four trims available in the FX diesel: GT, GT Premium, S and S Premium. Prices range from £43,430 to £50,010.

Test car – Hyundai i800 Style

This is more than just a van with windows; it’s a practical, economical and comfortable van with windows. The i800 has eight seats in the formation of 2+3+3, so you have the driver’s seat plus seven passenger seats. Each seat is full-sized and all offer plenty of leg, head and shoulder room.

The i800 set out in life as a regular van, but Hyundai has managed to create a stylish people carrier that is easy to drive and offers a good list of standard equipment at a very reasonable price. The list of specifications is endless, but here are some of the key features: adjustable LED mood lighting, air conditioning with 2^nd row operation, door step lights, front fog lights, trip computer, 16” alloy wheels, privacy glass, reversing sensors, heated driver’s seat, opening side windows in sliding door, ABS, ESP and EBD.

The i800 is more than just a regular people carrier; it can actually be used as a business. It is ideal as a taxi for airport runs and even for executive transport because the car’s design is stylish and well suited for it. There is no embarrassment when getting in or out of the i800 at any event or destination.

The luggage area is huge and can easily accommodate eight large suitcases plus hand-luggage, with enough spare room left over for other bits and pieces. With the i800 you can be safe in the knowledge that you can get all your passengers’ luggage in the car without having to worry about using a roof rack or having passengers sat with suitcases on their knees.

The i800 is powered by an economical 2.5 litre 4 cylinder diesel engine that produces 168bhp, goes from 0-62mph in 14.5 seconds and has a top speed of 112mph. It measures 5,125mm in length and is 1,920mm wide. On the motorway it easily cruises at 70mph, with plenty of power left over if needed.

The cost to buy this stylish business on wheels is £21,000, including metallic paint.

CAP FACTfile - 14th July 2010

marketing@cap.co.uk — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

This week’s manufacturer news

KIA – The new Soul Echo model is now on sale priced at £13,995 on the road. Available with a 1.6 litre 124bhp petrol or 1.6 litre CRDI 126bhp diesel engine, it comes with the following standard features: air conditioning, leather upholstery, 18” alloy wheels, rear parking sensors, Bluetooth connectivity and privacy glass.

MAZDA – The Takuya special edition models in the Mazda2, 3 and 6 ranges are now on sale. Prices start at £11,915 on the road for the Mazda2 Takuya, £15,780 for the Mazda3 and £19,845 for the Mazda6.

NISSAN – Has announced that the 370Z coupe and roadster is to be offered with a 2 year interest free finance deal. A minimum of 25% deposit is required and customers will have the option to pay off the remainder of the car’s value after 24 months. Interest free monthly repayments start at £299 for the coupe and £349 for the roadster.

PEUGEOT – Has released some details on the new 508. It will be available in both saloon and SW estate body styles and the engine range will feature e-HDI and hybrid4 technology. Both body styles will be revealed to the public in October at the Paris Motor Show. The 508 is expected to go on sale at the beginning of 2011.

First driving impressions – Skoda Fabia VRS, UK press launch, Kenilworth

The original Fabia VRS was launched in 2003 and has had a reasonable following in the UK from hot-hatch enthusiasts who want the power, but at a sensible price.

The new VRS is powered by a 1.4 litre TSI, 4 cylinder petrol engine that produces 180bhp, making it the most powerful engine offered in the Fabia range. The supercharger and turbocharger in this engine work hand-in-hand to provide seamless power delivery across the engine’s rev range. After driving the VRS on the Prodrive circuit and on the road, it is easy to see why Skoda chose and developed this engine for a small performance car, as it really is quick and the amount of power does seem endless.

All of this power is coupled to a 7 speed DSG automatic gearbox as standard. There will be no manual gearbox available and this is where I think Skoda has made a mistake. Quick, smooth and reliable the DSG box may be, but there will be many, especially the younger customers, who will not consider a Skoda automatic gearbox as it’s just not cool. Other manufacturers mainly offer manual gearboxes as standard on their hot-hatches and they have proved very popular over the years, so why would Skoda (and Seat) try and change customers’ buying habits? When the Fabia VRS hits the used car market, will it be as desirable as a manual hot-hatch?

There is very little competition in this sector, with just a handful of cars available. These are the Renault Clio RenaultSport 200, Vauxhall Corsa VXR, Peugeot 207 GTI, Ford Fiesta S1600, Seat Ibiza FR and the recently introduced Citroen DS3 Sport. However, all of these competitor models have varying power outputs ranging from 115bhp to 198bhp and prices vary quite dramatically. The CO2 range also goes from a low 134g/km to 195g/km (the Fabia is 148g/km) and the 0-62mph figure is also very different depending on the model, ranging from 6.8 seconds to 9.9 seconds (the VRS is 7.3 seconds). So they may all be classed as hot-hatches, but this is where the similarity ends. A VRS estate is also available, which widens the similarity further as none of the other manufacturers offer likewise.

The exterior has been modified so that the VRS stands out from the rest of the Fabia range. It has bespoke front and rear spoilers with integrated LED lights, 17” ‘Gigaro’ alloy wheels, red brake calipers, twin exhausts and tinted windows.

The interior is also different on the VRS, with height adjustable sports seats, three spoke leather steering wheel and paddleshift for the DSG gearbox.

The new Fabia VRS now has an XDS system fitted as standard. The XDS system is an electronically-controlled slip differential to improve the handling of the car when driving quickly. When cornering, XDS works by gently applying the brakes to the unstressed wheel on the inside of the corner and transmitting this force to the outside wheel that is doing most of the work. XDS also reduces under steer, increases traction on bends, provides improved directional stability and maintains an ideal line even when the car is being driven quickly.

The VRS hatch is priced at £15,700 and the VRS estate at £16,495.

Test car – Honda CR-Z Sport

Every now and again, a manufacturer will produce a car that just has the ‘wow’ factor. The usual reasons why it possesses the ‘wow’ factor are as follows: it will look great from every angle, it will attract the level of attention where people just drool over it, it will be full of good ideas, it will be high in quality and attractively priced. Then there are cars that are launched and you wonder why the manufacturer ever bothered to make it, as it seems pretty pointless and borders on the ridiculous in terms of style and the package it offers. The CR-Z definitely fits into one of these categories.

The CR-Z has a hybrid badge on the boot lid. Honda has been developing hybrid technology for over twenty years and call it IMA (Integrated Motor Assist). However, this hybrid is different in many ways to every other on the market as it cannot be run solely on electric power. The Lexus hybrid models can, the Toyota Prius and Auris HSD can and the forthcoming Peugeot 3008 hybrid4 can. Many more models that are in the pipeline will be able to do so, but not the Honda. It is difficult to explain to neighbours and colleagues that the hybrid aspect of the car means that an electric motor simply gives the petrol engine a boost when accelerating. The 1.5 litre petrol engine produces 114ps and the electric motor 14ps, giving a total of either 124ps or 128ps, depending on which bit of the technical sheet you read. The CO2 figure is 117g/km.

Honda say the CR-Z is a 2+2, but the two seats in the rear would barely manage to fit in a couple of tiny toddlers and getting them in and out would be very difficult. They are also, for some reason, covered in a different material and are a different colour to the front seats.

Honda has tried to create a very modern, unique looking rear but in reality all they have managed to create is a car where rear view vision is almost zero. A few times whilst driving the car, I felt it was bordering on dangerous. A van has better rear view visibility.

The interior has vastly improved on the CR-Z, but could still be improved further. The plastics are hard and look cheap; it’s not the sort of quality you would expect on a Japanese car in 2010. The dash is very fussy and has more lights than Blackpool in October; a lot of them seem to be unnecessary. There is a lot of reflection on the windscreen and the three buttons for Sport, Normal and Eco, which are on the edge of the dash, all have blue lights that can be clearly seen in the door mirrors at night and this is quite off-putting. You think you are being followed constantly by a blue light vehicle.

Honda has their own start/stop system, that in the early days of green vehicles was almost unique, but today just about every manufacturer offers it mainly as standard, so the niche position they had has gradually been eroded. The start/stop on the CR-Z works fairly well as it is quick, quiet and efficient, but it only starts when you put it into gear with the clutch still pressed down.

The official fuel consumption figure is 56.5 MPG, but during the time we had the CR-Z it achieved an average of 48.2 MPG. This isn’t a bad result for a 1.5 litre petrol engine, but nowhere near as good as many diesels on offer today. It only has a 40 litre fuel tank, so the range is not brilliant.

Honda could have done so much more with this car. Maybe it should have been a two-seater convertible, like the new Renault Wind, which incidentally manages more MPG than the CR-Z. Maybe it should have been a bit bigger with two seats that are semi-usable like the Peugeot RCZ, or it should have been a sportier open top two-seater to compete with the Mazda MX-5. It should have been a lot of things because a hybrid 2+2, with debateable design quality and a fussy dashboard is not what the world is looking for. New sales will no doubt prove me wrong, but will it have any desirability when it hits the used market? The style had a resounding thumbs-down with just about all of those who passed a comment while I had the car.

Prices start at £16,999 for the S model and the car we had on test costs £17,999. The top of the range GT model is priced at £19,999.

Test car – Citroen C5 2.0 HDI Exclusive

Citroen sent this car to me as I had a meeting at PSA HQ near Paris and what better way to test a car than to drive one of their own 505 miles there and 505 miles back? The Exclusive model is fitted with Citroen’s own Hydractive 3+ suspension and is not to everyone’s liking – mine included. I had only driven for around 16 miles and not even reached the M1 when I felt the desire to go back home to get another car, or nip over to Manchester airport; it really was that uncomfortable. It was like riding on a lilo on the sea with a small wave on the water as it just never settled down. However, I continued on and after a few miles on the motorway the sea-sickness began to subside and I did begin to feel better – only another 950 miles to go to be back home. The ride did improve as we went along though, either that or we just got used to it, but in the end we had a brainwave – to call into a French supermarket, fill the boot with cheap beer and wine, and that should help stabilise the car’s suspension. One hundred and sixty one Euros later and the ride was so much better because the weight helped dramatically. It became a very useable car that had a few bottles clinking away in the boot, but we can cope with that.

The C5 Exclusive is full of standard features including trip computer, satellite navigation (which we needed) and some very luxurious leather seats, but all this comes at a fairly hefty price of £23,095.

The car is powered by a 2.0 litre HDI diesel engine that produces 160bhp, goes from 0-62mph in 9.1 seconds and has a top speed of 130mph. The all-important CO2 emissions figure is 139g/km. In France the speed limit is slightly higher than the UK and we stuck to their limits for most of the journey through France. The car was just great at these speeds, being very comfortable on the smooth roads and with the added weight, the C5 turned into a completely different car to the one we drove in the UK.

The C5 is a saloon car so it has a boot lid as opposed to a hatch. It is not as useful as its direct competitors, but I suppose it is trying to join the elite German four door saloons. The boot is a good size and the rear seats fold down to provide additional space.

The C5 is a good looking car that has some styling cues from the German manufacturers, as the original TV ad stated. The interior is very modern with all the controls being easy to use and all in the right place. The quality is up to a relatively high standard; this French car has removed the myths about poor build quality and some parts of the car are on par with what the Germans can produce.

The official combined fuel consumption figure is 53.3 MPG, but we only achieved an average of 44.1 MPG over the 1010 miles that we drove the C5, and bear in mind almost 99% of this was done on motorways.

The C5 is a good alternative in the D-sector, but this is a shrinking market as more people are tending to choose a more practical vehicle such as a crossover or MPV and Citroen has plenty of these, so why pick a C5?

I enjoyed the trip to Paris and back once the suspension had stopped being so active. This car is a good motorway cruiser, but is maybe just a bit too expensive.

CAP FACTfile - 7th July 2010

marketing@cap.co.uk — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

This week’s manufacturer news

ABARTH – Prices for the Abarth 500C and Abarth Punto Evo have been announced. The 500C will be priced at £17,500 on the road and will have a 1.4 litre 16V turbo T-Jet 140bhp petrol engine. The Punto Evo will be priced at £16,500 on the road and will have a 1.4 litre 16V Multiair 165bhp engine. Both models made their UK public debuts at Goodwood Festival of Speed last weekend and are expected to go on sale from 17^th July.

FORD – Is to reduce the recommended retail prices of their small and medium sized cars by an average of 11% during August.

KIA – Has announced details of the new Sportage First Edition. It will be the first model to be released as part of the newest shape Sportage, with other models in the range due to be launched in November. The First Edition will feature all-wheel drive and will be available with a choice of manual or auto transmission. It will have a 2.0 litre CRDI diesel engine and includes standard features such as leather upholstery, climate control and 18” alloys wheels. Pricing will be announced at a later date and it is due to go on sale on 1^st August.

VOLVO – Has announced details on the up-and-coming V60 sportswagon. It will be available with the following engines: a T3 150ps petrol, T4 180ps petrol, T5 240ps petrol, T6 304ps petrol, D3 163ps diesel, D5 205ps diesel and 1.6 D DRIVe 115ps diesel. 50,000 units are expected to be built in the first year, with 90% of these being allocated to the European market. Deliveries of the new V60 are expected in autumn 2010. Pricing and specification will be announced at a later date.

First driving impressions – Renault Wind roadster, European press launch, Cannes

Renault chose the South of France to launch their new two-seater open-top sports car and they couldn’t have picked a better place to test it. The weather was perfect, with a temperature of around 33°C, a clear blue sky and some roads that really put the car through its paces.

The innovative electric roof is solid and goes up or down in twelve seconds. The boot lid lifts up backwards and the roof section rotates into the boot; it is all very simple and quick. The cantilever action of the roof is neat, works extremely well and takes up very little room in the boot. The boot is surprisingly large regardless whether the roof is up or down.

Despite it only measuring 3,833mm, the cabin is spacious with plenty of leg, head and shoulder room. The seats are comfortable and have a premium touch and feel, and the dashboard is made from hard plastic but it does suit the car. There are some retro looking door handle pulls which is basically just a loop of leather to pull on to close the doors; a simple design, but it works. The interior design looks great, is of a reasonably high quality and its basic styling is a big plus rather than a minus.

We drove both engines around the Cote d’Azur on motorways and up in the hills above Cannes. We thought the 1.2 litre 100ps engine may have struggled up some of the mountain roads, but it didn’t. It took every one in its stride and although it wasn’t quick, it certainly didn’t seem to be struggling. The other engine, the 1.6 litre 133ps, has a much more throaty exhaust note so it sounds better, but the extra power was not that noticeable. The 1.2 litre would be my choice as it is cheaper to run and insure. This engine will be more desirable on the used market as it will attract a younger buyer and is more affordable.

The handling was surprisingly good, but this is because it has been tuned by RenaultSport Technologies and has benefitted enormously from its engineers. For such a small car it feels rock-solid and cornered as if it were on rails; it felt so safe to drive. The brakes were equally as impressive as they have ABS with EBD, brake assist and ESP.

There will be three models at launch: Dynamique, Dynamique S and the limited edition Collection. The base car has a long list of standard equipment which includes 16” alloy wheels, air conditioning, electrically operated and heated door mirrors, cruise control, front fog lights, sports seats and trip computer. Pricing for the 1.2 litre is £15,500, going up to £18,200 for the 1.6 litre Collection.

We had great fun in the Wind in the South of France and this small, sexy car certainly did attract a lot of attention. The starting price at £15,500 does seem a bit expensive, despite the standard specification being good, but it will no doubt be a hit with the ladies, who will love its design and ease of use.

First driving impressions – Nissan Juke

The Juke is described as a crossover by Nissan and is certainly in a category of its own. It is set to become the ‘mini-Qashqai’, but I don’t think this is the case as it is not that much shorter (it measures 4135mm in length compared to the Qashqai at 4330mm). The Juke may be classed as a crossover, but it is to all intents and purposes a five door hatchback that will compete with the Golf (measuring 4199mm) and the Focus (4337mm). So here is the dilemma; if the Juke is being sold as a smaller version of the Qashqai, but is similar in size to other C sector cars, then where are the customers going to come from? The Qashqai is already being sold in direct competition with the Golf, Focus and other models within that sector, so will they gain custom from people who want a small Qashqai or want a change from C sector hatchbacks? It’s a potential conundrum that I don’t really understand. The Juke is a lot bigger than B sector cars such as Fiesta and Corsa, so it will in effect be competing directly with the Qashqai and I assume this is probably something that Nissan don’t want to happen.

The Juke is a tall car, so it provides plenty of head room and has a reasonably large cabin than can accommodate five adults easily. The interior has been well built and has a solid, quality feel to it. The luggage area is not as large as the Golf and the opening to the boot is quite a bit smaller, which does let it down a bit.

We drove an early pre-production model, but the quality of this Sunderland built car was very good. The Juke 1.6 litre petrol that we drove had more than enough power. The choice of engines available will be: a 1.6 litre petrol 117ps, 1.6 litre turbo petrol 190ps and a 1.5 litre dCi diesel 110ps. The 1.6 litre turbo Tekna, the top of the range model, will be available with a CVT gearbox and 4WD. It will cost £19,995 which is in Mini Countryman diesel 4WD territory. By just offering the four wheel drive system on the most expensive car may be a mistake; it might have made more sense to offer it on the mid-range 1.5 litre dCi, but no doubt there will be reasons why this has not been possible.

There will be three trim levels available: Visia, Acenta and Tekna, and to make it easier to remember which way round they are, just think VAT. Prices will start from £12,795 when it goes on sale in September.

The new Nissan Juke is an attractive car that will appeal to a large audience; it certainly stands out in a crowd and is just that little bit different to anything else on the market at the moment.

CAP FACTfile - 30th June 2010

marketing@cap.co.uk — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

This week’s manufacturer news

FORD – Will debut the new Mondeo on 25th August at the Moscow Motor Show. The range will feature two new engines: a new 2.0 EcoBoost 240ps petrol and a 2.2 TDCI 200ps diesel. Further details and pricing are yet to be announced and it is expected to go on sale in the UK in October this year.

JAGUAR – Has announced the XKR 75 limited edition is to make its debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on 2nd July. The model is being introduced to celebrate Jaguar’s 75^th anniversary and will be available with an enhanced 5.0 litre supercharged V8 530ps petrol engine (510ps on original XKR). Features exclusive to the XKR 75 will include an aerodynamic body pack, an improved sports exhaust, red brake calipers and 20” Vortex alloy wheels. Production will be limited to 75 units and it will be available to order from July 2010 priced at £85,500 on the road.

MINI – Is to introduce the One Minimalist. On sale from tomorrow, it is available with a 1.6 litre 98ps petrol engine that has reduced CO2 emissions of 119g/km. It is priced at £12,950 on the road.

First driving impressions – Vauxhall Ampera, UK press event, Henley-On-Thames

Today I drove the future of the motor industry – it is simple and it works. The new Ampera shares the same platform as the Astra and there is a possibility that it may be built in the UK at Ellesmere Port. It has four seats, a full size boot and is a fairly normal looking car.

Here is the procedure for those that are not interested in what goes on under the bonnet: you put the key in, press the ignition button, put it into drive, let the handbrake off and drive it just like any other automatic car. The next part is not so easy to explain but probably no more difficult than describing in words how a petrol or diesel engine operates. For the technically minded amongst you: the Ampera is powered by a 16kWh battery, but only half of this is used as the other half is saved for the future if and when the first half of cells start to die. This gives the battery an extended life (it also has a full 10 year/150,000 mile warranty). The Ampera’s battery can be charged to full capacity from a regular home socket in just 3 hours and can be driven solely on battery power for up to forty miles. There is no ‘quick-charge’ system available as GM believe that this method deteriorates the battery quicker.

Now for the really intelligent aspect that makes this electric vehicle so different to any other. It has a 1.4 litre petrol engine (the same engine that is used in the Corsa) which is positioned at the front of the car under the bonnet as normal. This petrol engine (they used a petrol unit and not diesel as a petrol engine saves on weight) does not power the wheels. There is no direct connection between the engine and the wheels; the engine is actually used as a generator to charge the battery. When the battery becomes low on charge the petrol engine fires up and re-charges it; not quite as simple as that but to all intents and purposes that is the principal.

It is very difficult for Vauxhall to calculate CO2 and MPG figures for the Ampera, as in theory if you only ever do up to forty miles on electric power only, then it is zero CO2 and infinite miles per gallon (at least per gallon from your fuel tank). However, using the standard testing method, GM has calculated that it will do 175 MPG with CO2 emissions of 40g/km, which is quite remarkable. Despite it being electric-powered the Ampera goes from 0-62mph in 9 seconds and has a top speed of 100mph. During our test drive we easily cruised on the motorway at 70mph. It is quick, quiet and comfortable.

If you only ever travel short distances then the engine will never fire up and the fuel in the tank will go stale. GM has overcome this problem by having the engine start periodically so that it uses some of the fuel and lubricates the engine.

It accelerates and brakes just like a conventional car and after a few minutes you soon forget that you are driving an electric vehicle. The advantage this car has in comparison to other electric vehicles is that it won’t inflict ‘range anxiety’ on the driver, as it should never run out of power and you should never have to worry about getting home.

Electric vehicles are the talking point at the moment. Someone said last week: “Never before have so many people been involved in a project where so few cars will be sold”. Vauxhall expect to sell around 5,000 units per year in the UK and first deliveries are due early 2012.

Pricing for the Ampera is expected to be £30,000 less any government subsidies, if these are still being offered both now and when the car is launched. At £30,000 it does look to be amazing value for an electric vehicle with no ‘range anxiety’.

Test car – Jaguar XJ 3.0 V6 diesel Portfolio standard wheelbase

Jaguar has not played safe with the exterior design of the new XJ and this will either backfire seriously on sales, or put them firmly in the 21^st century. The design is not to everyone’s taste and Jaguar has said that they are offering customers a modern looking executive saloon and moving away from the three-box design that they have had for countless years. It is a design that the German premium manufacturers still prefer.

I like the front end, as I think it looks very modern, aggressive and every bit a Jaguar; it is just how you would imagine a Jag should look like. However, the back end is a bone of contention as some love it and others don’t – in my opinion, I think it’s a mess. If you could liken the new XJ to a shop, then the front is most definitely M&S and the rear is Aldi.

A car like the XJ is generally used as private hire, executive transport and as a red carpet chauffeur car. It is normally bought by a business to do a job, either new or especially used; very few cars in this sector are bought by private buyers. So is the new XJ fit for this purpose? Can it perform a function it was designed to do – to carry passengers from A-to-B in comfort and luxury? The answer in my experience of using the car for a few days is no. Admittedly, the car we had on test was the standard wheelbase and Jaguar do recommend the LWB (they are offering deals on the LWB version to chauffer companies). I took three passengers out one night and the person sat behind me asked me to move the seat forward as they felt a bit cramped. I then moved the seat and I felt that I was too close to the steering wheel. The boot space is also not ideal as I got two standard size suitcases in and it was fairly full with just those. Having some sleek, sporty lines may be good on paper, but in reality they are not practical. Sporty lines are for sports cars, not executive saloons. Also, the door handles – which are generally the first thing you touch on a car – felt very flimsy and are not up to the standard you would expect to find on a car like this.

However, the quality of the interior is excellent and Jaguar has managed to retain the look of the traditional cars in this area, although I’m not sure the 4” wide plastic-wood panels on the doors work too well. There is plenty of leather and chrome which I thought was in-keeping with this sort of car, but others think that it is all a bit too fussy and unnecessary. There are a couple of annoying features: Firstly, the rear speaker surrounds that may have looked great in the design studio do cause a lot of reflection in the rear window. Secondly, the new style instrument panel that sits behind the steering wheel offers the driver a very clear display, but this is also reflected in the side window and you can clearly see the rev counter and speedometer just above the driver’s door mirror. Seeing the reflection every time you look in the mirror is very off-putting, especially when driving at night.

The 3.0 litre V6 diesel engine produces 275ps, goes from 0-62mph in 6.4 seconds and has a top speed of 155mph. It has an official combined fuel consumption figure of 40.1 MPG, but during the time we had the car it achieved an average of 36.7 MPG according to the on-board computer, which is a good result for this type of vehicle. The CO2 emissions figure is 184g/km and it is priced at £64,400 on the road.

The engine was silky smooth, but the ride did seem to be bit choppy and was described by one passenger as ‘fidgety’. It never really seemed to settle and much like the interior space, it is not up to executive saloon standards. Maybe Jaguar has created a sporty saloon that handles well, but is that what customers who buy this type of vehicle want? Jaguar must think so.

This sector of the market is getting more and more difficult for manufacturers as sales around the world diminish. The Jaguar badge, brand, modern styling and heritage may help them succeed where others are failing, but the size is an issue. Chauffeur and executive taxi companies may just play safe when buying used XJ’s and stick with the German premium brands.

CAP FACTfile - 23rd June 2010

marketing@cap.co.uk — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

This week’s manufacturer news

LOTUS – Has announced the introduction of the new RGB special edition in both the Elise and Exige ranges. The special editions are being launched in recognition of Roger Becker, who was former Director of Vehicle Engineering at Lotus for 44 years before he retired in January 2010. The Elise SC RGB will have a 1.8 litre 218bhp petrol engine and will be priced at £38,550. The Exige S RGB will have a 1.8 litre 257bhp petrol engine and will be priced at £41,950. Both models will come with Sports and Touring packs as standard. The RGB special editions are due on sale in September 2010.

VAUXHALL – Has revealed first official photographs of the new Astra sport tourer. It will have the same 2685mm wheelbase as the Astra hatchback, but with an extra 28mm added to its maximum load length. It will have a luggage capacity of 500 litres with the rear seats up and 1550 litres with the seats down. It will debut at the Paris Motor Show in September and is due in UK showrooms by the end of the year.

Volkswagen Polo Bluemotion – UK press launch, Stonehouse, Gloucestershire

The Polo Bluemotion is powered by an all new 1.2 litre three cylinder 12 valve common rail diesel engine that produces 75ps and is coupled to a five speed gearbox. This small engine has a CO2 emissions figure of just 91g/km and an official combined fuel figure of 80.7 MPG. It all sounds pretty good, but in my experience this combined fuel consumption figure is just impossible to achieve, even after driving the car in the very flat region of Gloucestershire and mainly on the M5, with the only hills in sight being the Welsh mountains miles over to the west.

I drove the car at a constant speed of 70mph and it achieved an average of 54.5 MPG over a five mile period. I then re-set the on-board computer and dropped the speed to 55mph. The MPG figure then jumped up to an average of 76.9 MPG after covering a similar distance. OK, it wasn’t exactly a thorough scientific test involving thousands of miles of driving, but it did prove what we probably already knew - this type of vehicle’s fuel consumption figure is very much speed related and it is never going to achieve anything economically outstanding with a 1.2 litre TDI engine and a 5 speed gearbox at motorway speeds. However, you can be pretty sure that if you see a Polo up ahead travelling at a very sensible speed on the inside lane of the motorway, it will probably be a Bluemotion. When people purchase this sort of vehicle, having probably paid over-the-odds for a green car similar to the way in which you would pay more money for organic food, then you want to get the best out of it, much to the annoyance of other drivers.

The Bluemotion is a bit noisy on start-up and is likely to wake the neighbours if the driver has to leave early, but once the engine has warmed up the noise subsides. On the motorway however it is extremely quiet, with hardly any noise intrusion in the cabin.

Volkswagen has introduced start/stop on the 1.2 litre TDI and we found it to be very efficient. When the car comes to a standstill, the engine shuts down and as soon as the clutch is pressed the engine fires up and you are away in a fraction of a second.

In common with all Bluemotion models, the Polo features lower aerodynamic drag over the standard model due to the addition of a new cooling system intake grille element, a front splitter and a small rear wing. Cooling ducts usually mounted in the front bumper have been relocated to the underside of the car and it also gets a set of side skirts, a new rear bumper and 15” alloy wheels with 185/60 low rolling resistance tyres.

The 0-62mph figure of 13.9 seconds doesn’t sound particularly quick but getting to 62mph in the quickest time isn’t the primary requirement for the driver in this type of car; it is how far it will go on a gallon of fuel.

The quality throughout the car is superb with fit and finish being excellent. The car possesses a good level of standard equipment which includes: air conditioning, cruise control, leather steering wheel, multi-function computer and driver/passenger seat height adjustment.

The Polo Bluemotion is priced at £14,445 on the road for the three door, with a £600 premium for the five door. This car offers low CO2 and a good MPG figure at half the cost of an electric car. You also don’t have to worry about suffering from ‘range anxiety’.

Test car – Audi Q7 4.2 quattro S Line

I don’t know if it’s me that is getting smaller with old age, or if the Q7 has grown, but when I first saw it a few years ago, my first thought was “what a big car this is”. However, now that I have had some time to get used to it, the size of the Q7 almost seems normal. The new face-lifted Q7 has arrived and although the car has not received a large number of significant changes, enough have been made so that it is noticeably different to the old one. The car now has a bolder look, a wider stance and for some reason, it now looks even bigger.

Like all Audi models, the Q7 oozes with quality. Every switch, the materials used and the fit and finish just shout out German premium excellence. When you sit in the car you are surrounded by craftsmanship that isn’t found in many cars that are sold in large numbers; this is something usually reserved for low volume, hand built cars. The Q7’s cabin is a great place to sit, as you are high up and have a commanding view of the road. The S Line badges on the car would give the initial impression that it is going to be an extremely hard and uncomfortable ride, but Audi has maintained the comfort, so you don’t feel every bump in the road. At the same time they have also managed to make the road-holding and handling feel more like a sports car than a large 4x4.

The Q7 has seven seats as standard and air suspension. The third row of seats are easy to get into and can easily accommodate two full size adults, but when the seats are up, there is not a lot of room for luggage or shopping. The second row of seats slide back and forth to provide more leg room for either the second row or third row passengers.

The car we had on test was one of those ‘why?’ cars. Why did they send it, and why do they bother to make it? The Q7 is in a sector of the market that has seen a bit of resurgence recently, but these rises in sales do not last for long. It is also in a very crowded sector with plenty of good competition. This car was powered by a 4.2 litre FSI petrol engine that produces 350ps, goes from 0-62mph in 7.4 seconds and has a top speed of 154mph, where permitted. All very impressive, but now to the why questions: Why would anyone buy a large 4x4 seven seater with a large petrol engine? Why would Audi put one on their fleet when they have some really good economical diesel engines available? I can understand the odd one or two people in the country buying one, and it probably is one or two, maybe a footballer or multi-millionaire who really doesn’t care about running costs. The official combined fuel consumption figure for this car is 22.2 MPG, but our test car only managed this when it was being driven at a very sensible speed on the motorway. Overall, it managed an average of just 18.2 MPG according to the on-board computer. You fill it up, spend a fortune and your heart sinks when you find that you only have a range of 250 miles. To make matters worse, while walking from the fuel pump to the car, you glance at the tax disc and it says £950. Ouch...!!!

I like everything about the Q7; the quality, the comfort, the size, the quiet cabin, the badges and the image that they carry with them, but this car should not be in existence. In my opinion it should never have been built. The 3.0 litre TDI would be my first choice every time and I should imagine it would be with just about every other Q7 buyer. The new Q7 is an improvement over the previous car in most respects but I just wish it had come with a more economical engine that you can use on a day-to-day basis.

The cost of the test car is £52,645.

Test car – BMW 320d Efficient Dynamics

BMW designers and engineers have managed to create a car that really shouldn’t exist or work. They have managed to do it by concentrating solely on getting the best fuel consumption and lowest CO2, and not by just a little bit, but by a lot. The engineers looked at everything in the car and took measures to improve whatever they could. The result is quite astonishing.

One area they concentrated on was the clutch where there is more noise and vibration at low engine speeds. They wanted to minimise this so they invented the centrifugal pendulum absorber, which has overcome this problem and also results in a smoother take-off. They have also lengthened the 6^th gear ratio so the car can run at lower engine speeds, thus saving fuel. The chassis has also been lowered by 15mm and the engine has had friction minimised along with improved thermodynamics.

So what does all this improved technology mean to the driver? Having used a 320d ED for a few days, it simply means that visits to the fuel station to buy diesel have been reduced. When driving it normally on motorways or around town, without really trying to achieve a higher MPG figure by being light-footed or constantly watching the on-board computer, it is almost impossible to get less that 54.4 MPG. I’m sure the claimed official combined figure of 68.9 MPG is achievable if the car is driven steadily and sensibly. The MPG I achieved is remarkable for a four door saloon car that produces 163ps, goes from 0-62mph in 8 seconds and has an amazingly low CO2 emissions figure of 109g/km.

For the company car driver the BIK is only 13% and the company can write it down by 100% in the first 12 months. The FD will be more than happy to sign a cheque for £35 for a year’s road fund licence (VED) and the driver will also be happy to have a quality BMW with great classic looks, smooth ride and the added benefit of low running costs.

The 320d Efficient Dynamics is based on the SE specification, so it has plenty of standard equipment. The price of the test car was £27,280 OTR.

CAP FACTfile - 16th June 2010

marketing@cap.co.uk — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

This week’s manufacturer news

FORD – Is to offer 19” WRC-style white alloy wheels as an option of £500 to mark the end of production of the Focus RS hatch.

MCLAREN AUTOMOTIVE - The sports car company, McLaren Automotive, has announced its partners in the UK retail network as: Rybrook Holdings Ltd in Birmingham, Jardine Motors Group in London and Sytner Group in Manchester. These three automotive retailers will begin selling the up-and-coming MP4-12C model in spring 2011 under the names McLaren Birmingham, McLaren London and McLaren Manchester. The global debut for the new MP4-12C will take place at the Goodwood Festival of Speed next month.

VAUXHALL – Has announced that the prototype Ampera is to undertake a 170 mile test journey from Luton, Bedfordshire to Ellesmere Port in Cheshire. The Ampera, which is due to go on sale in the UK in early 2012, has an electric motor combined with a petrol-powered generator. Electricity drives the wheels using a 16KWh lithium-ion battery with a range capacity of approximately forty miles. A petrol-powered electricity generator will then assist once the battery energy has depleted, providing a total range of around 350 miles. The test run is due to take place on 22^nd June.

VOLKSWAGEN – Has unveiled the new look Jetta in Time Square, New York. The length of the Jetta has increased by 90mm to measure 4,644mm and the wheelbase has also been extended by 70mm to 2,648mm to improve rear legroom. The 1.2 litre TSI 105ps petrol will be a new addition to the range, along with the following engines: 1.4 litre TSI 122ps petrol, 1.4 litre TSI 160ps petrol, 2.0 litre TSI 200ps petrol, 1.6 litre TDI 105ps diesel and 2.0 litre TDI 140ps diesel. Bluemotion technology will also be available on the 1.2 litre TSI petrol and 1.6 litre TDI diesel. The new Jetta is expected on sale in the UK in early 2011.

First driving impressions – Porsche Cayenne Hybrid, 4.8 Turbo and Diesel, UK press launch, Lyndhurst

It is difficult to believe that the Cayenne has been on the market since 2003 and since its launch seven years ago over 280,000 have been sold worldwide, with 14,000 of those going to UK customers. Like so many others, I can remember the outcry from the Porsche fraternity, the press and the dealerships who gasped when they saw this large 4x4, as it was such a break with tradition. Many said that Porsche had gone mad and it would never sell, but the figures have proved everybody wrong, all except for the Porsche people in Stuttgart. It has been a huge success and it still remains Porsche’s best selling car worldwide.

The all new Cayenne doesn’t look all that different from the current car at first glance but upon closer inspection, the differences become a lot more apparent. It has a completely redesigned exterior, with the front end being noticeably sleeker and lower, much like the Panamera. The whole of the exterior has, like many of its drivers, had some extensive cosmetic surgery and it does look much prettier for it.

The wheelbase has been extended by 4cm and the overall length of the car has been extended by 4.8cm. Most of this room has been given to the rear passengers, probably because the lack of legroom in the current car had been previously criticised. The rear seats now slide back and forth individually to allow even more legroom or more luggage space if needed. The seats can now also recline by 160mm to provide more comfort.

The cockpit has also had a complete redesign so that it now resembles the Carrera GT and the Panamera. All the controls are in the right place and after just a few minutes of studying them, you find that they are all easy to use and understand. Admittedly, on first sight the controls do look as if they belong in an aeroplane as there are so many buttons, but the clever layout and simple instructions make everything clear within minutes.

Despite the car’s increase in length, it has actually lost some weight. It is now around 185kg lighter, with 63kg being lost from the powertrain, 66kg from the chassis and suspension, 111kg from the body and 10kg from the electrics. The car’s fuel efficiency has improved by up to 23% and the emissions have reduced by 26% due to all this weight loss.

We drove two new cars from Lyndhurst in the New Forest to the Goodwood track near Chichester, and then back to Lyndhurst. The first car we tested was the 3.0 litre V6 diesel that produces 240ps, goes from 0-62mph in 7.8 seconds and has a top speed of 135mph, which we obviously couldn’t test on the M27. I was surprised at just how quiet and refined this engine was, as there was hardly any noise in the cabin and it is certainly quick. It does not lose any of its Porsche credentials by being diesel-powered either. It felt rock solid and really comfortable; it’s the sort of car that you could happily sit in for hours on end.

The official combined fuel consumption figure is 38.2 MPG. I reset the on-board computer and during the one hour journey it achieved 34.3 MPG, with all of this being done at motorway speeds. The diesel engine is coupled to an 8 speed tiptronic gearbox that is ultra-smooth. It also has a start/stop system fitted as standard that operates efficiently and smoothly. The cost of the Cayenne diesel starts from £44,178, which when looking at the amount of standard specification, the level of quality and those all-important Porsche badges, does make it look like remarkable value for money.

Whilst at Goodwood I drove the monster of the range around the track, the Cayenne 4.8 V8 Turbo model. This large 4x4 car goes from 0-62mph in an amazing 4.7 seconds. Not too long ago, the quickest 911 would achieve 0-62mph figure in 4.5 seconds, so for such a large car to be just a fraction behind the 911 is a major achievement for Porsche. The 4.8 litre engine produces a massive 500ps and has a top speed of 172mph. The professional drivers at Goodwood managed a staggering 150mph on the back straight and were able to slow it down enough to go around the ‘Shell’ right-handed corner. I drove fairly steadily but could still feel the underlying power that this car wanted to unleash. However, it is a car that you can still feel safe in and it can be docile when you want it to be. The cost of the Turbo is £81,589.

We drove from Goodwood back to the New Forest in a vehicle that uses Porsche’s latest technology. It is the one that they want as their ‘green machine’, the Hybrid. It has a ‘Hybrid’ badge on each of the front wings, so it is plain to see that the driver is trying to do their bit for the environment.

The Hybrid is powered by a 3.0 litre supercharged V6 petrol engine that produces 333ps and is coupled to an electric motor that produces an additional 34KW (or 47ps). It has a smooth 8 speed tiptronic gearbox which seems to work perfectly with this engine. This engine-transmission combination will also be seen shortly in the new Volkswagen Touareg.

The car is started in the normal way by using a key in the dashboard. The petrol engine fires up, you put it into drive and away it goes; it is absolutely no different to any other petrol or diesel-powered car. An action that Porsche describe as ‘sailing’ can be achieved in this car. This is can be done when you are on a motorway or going down a hill; the engine will cut out, the rev-counter drops to zero and it works at speeds up to 97mph. You can be doing 97mph on a motorway (where permitted), take your foot off the accelerator and the engine will stop, but the battery is still being charged by means of recuperation.

If there is enough power in the battery, then the Cayenne will set off in electric mode only. Porsche say this can be effective at speeds up to around 20mph and only for a few miles, but the car I drove only managed to get up to 12mph for around one mile before the petrol engine took over from the electric motor. However, it did prove that the car will run on electric power, if only for a short distance and at low speeds, but this is ideal for saving fuel in low speed town driving.

The Hybrid’s official combined fuel consumption figure is 34.4 MPG, but the on-board computer gave very mixed figures. Around town, driving very steadily and trying to use the electric power as much as possible, it achieved an average of 37.9 MPG. Driving at motorway speeds gave us an average of 19.1 MPG.

The Hybrid is expected to achieve around 15% of all Cayenne sales in the UK. The price of the Hybrid is £57,609.

Porsche certainly do have an unexpected success story with the Cayenne and the new one will just reinforce what a great job they have done over the past seven years. The new Hybrid technology will attract more customers, but while it is currently exempt from the London congestion charge, this is likely to change early next year when the rules are amended.

Test car – Skoda Superb estate Elegance 2.0 litre TDI 170ps CR

For a large, long distance load lugging car, you really couldn’t get any better than the Superb estate. Skoda certainly knew what they were doing when they called it the Superb.

The estate version of the Superb looks enormous at first glance, but it is no larger than any other D sector estate such as the Mondeo or Insignia. The designers have cleverly moved the front wheels forward and the rear wheels backwards to create an exterior design that looks low, sleek and long. The engine has also been moved forward and this means that the interior is larger, thus providing more space for occupants, especially for people in the rear seats. The amount of rear legroom in this car is exceptional; it really is like no other car, except for maybe some of the premium long wheelbase limos, where the generosity of space in the rear is second to none. When you sit in the back of the Superb, in either the hatch or estate, there is an unbelievable amount of legroom and you can really stretch out. Even people with the longest of legs would not feel cramped or feel as if they were short of room; it really is a comfortable place to sit for a long time. The front seats are also very comfortable and despite being sat quite far in front of your rear passengers, the cabin is so quiet and the acoustics so good that any conversations between the front and the rear are very clear and you do not have to raise your voice to be heard.

The quality throughout this car is brilliant; fit, finish and materials used are better than expected. It is obvious to see that Skoda is a part of Volkswagen Group, as many of the switches and controls are taken directly from other Group manufacturers and this can’t be a bad thing. Long gone are the days when Skoda quality and reliability were a problem. Skoda now offer cars that are every bit as good, if not better than most of its direct competitors.

The test car was fitted with a 2.0 litre TDI common rail diesel engine that produces 170ps, goes from 0-62mph in 8.8 seconds and has a top speed of 137mph. The official combined fuel consumption figure is 48.7 MPG, but we achieved an average of 44.6 MPG during the time we had the car, with most of the journeys being made around town or on the motorway. I thought the fuel consumption was a great result for such a large car. The CO2 emissions figure is 151g/km.

The cost of this very practical, reliable and well built estate car is £24,795. The Estate range starts at £17,720 for a 1.4 litre TSI petrol.

The downside to the Superb for many people is still the fact that it has those green Skoda badges on the boot, bonnet, steering wheel and wheels.

CAP FACTfile - 9th June 2010

marketing@cap.co.uk — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

This week’s manufacturer news

AUDI – The A6 Le Mans special edition has been re-badged to S Line special edition. Standard features and technical specifications remain the same.

RENAULT – Has announced the introduction of the new Clio Gordini 200 special edition. Available with a 2.0 litre 200bhp engine and limited to just 500 units, the Gordini’s key features include: Malta blue paint with white Gordini stripes, white F1-style front blade, Gordini leather seats, body colour GT rear spoiler and 17” Gordini alloy wheels. It is expected to go on sale at the end of July.

VOLKSWAGEN – Has introduced a new 7 speed DSG gearbox to the Tiguan range, replacing the 6 speed auto. The new gearbox reduces CO2 emissions from 186g/km to 170g/km.

Test car – Aston Martin V12 Vantage

Aston Martin was founded in 1915 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford. These two engineers sold and repaired Singer Cars in London and Lionel’s passion was racing Singers at the Aston Hill Climb. When they built their first car for racing, they called it an Aston Martin. The company was sold in 1947 to tractor and gearbox manufacturer David Brown. David Brown decided to use his initials on some Aston Martins, hence the DB model names, with the most famous being the DB5 which was used in the James Bond film, Goldfinger.

The V12 Vantage is easily recognisable as an Aston Martin even from a great distance. From every angle it is an Aston and it looks brilliant regardless of whether it is close up or a hundred metres away. The shape of this car is stunning and it certainly attracts a lot of attention.

The V12 6.0 litre engine is sold alongside the V8 but produces 517ps in comparison to the V8’s 426ps. The V12 goes from 0-62mph in 4.2 seconds, but it does feel quicker than this when driving it. It has a top speed of 190mph but you would struggle to find any road or even a race track where you could actually do it. Even the German Autobahns would not allow this sort of speed; 190mph is quick!

The car we tested was fitted with the standard Pirelli P Zero Corsa tyres which provide the Vantage with outstanding handling capabilities. However, we were warned by Aston that the tyres had to be warm and that we had to be extremely careful if there was any moisture present on the road surface. The handling takes some getting used to and some training would be required to really tame the Aston’s power; it is not the sort of car you can just get into and feel as though you can drive it safely and with confidence immediately. The car is exhilarating, but you have to treat it with respect or it will try and bite you. All the power that this car possesses could quite easily lead to a mishap.

The Vantage also has a standard carbon ceramic braking system that delivers immense stopping power. A slight touch on the brakes and the car doesn’t just slow down, it stops.

The whole car is handcrafted and built at the Aston Martin factory in Gaydon, which is a modern plant that is spotlessly clean. The quality throughout is superb and the fit, finish and materials used are quite outstanding. The premium leather used has no imperfections and the seats are comfortable enough so that you could travel long distances in this supercar.

The exhaust note has to probably be the best in the business. The roar that it makes on start up is phenomenal, it really does sound fantastic. If anyone is standing within close proximity when the engine fires up, the noise will almost certainly make them jump back either in amazement or fear. The cost of this beast is £140,000.

First driving impressions – Seat Ibiza ST, Sitges

This sector of the industry has never been popular in the UK; it has had some success in a handful of other European countries, but not over here. A B sector estate car has never been at the top of many buyers’ lists. If they were desirable vehicles then Ford would have produced a Fiesta estate, and Vauxhall would have produced a Corsa estate; the reason why they haven’t is understandable as there have been some noticeable disasters in the past such as the VW Polo estate, to give one example. The models available in this sector at the moment include the Peugeot 207 SW, Skoda Fabia or Renault Clio, but none of these have caught the public’s imagination either. Why there is such a reluctance to buy these small, compact estate cars remains a mystery as they are practical, they offer more space than the equivalent hatch and don’t cost that much more. This type of vehicle is popular and sells in large numbers in Spain, which is home to Seat, so introducing the Ibiza ST (sports tourer) there makes sense, but they have also decided to introduce it here so it will be interesting to see how well it does in the UK market.

The one thing that can be said for the ST is that it does have some style. It isn’t just another ‘boxy’ looking car; it looks quite appealing from every angle and it has been specifically designed as an estate, not just as a hatch with a section added on at the back. It measures 4227mm in length, which is 175mm longer than the hatchback. The luggage space is more than adequate for a small estate as it has up to 430 litres of space with the rear seats folded down. The back seats are also split folding, so the car can seat three people with one part of the seat folded and this provides a lot of useable space.

In Spain we tested the new 1.2 litre TSI engine, which on paper doesn’t really sound large enough and certainly not very exciting, but this little engine is a pleasure to drive and is very lively, yet it’s still quiet. It produces 105ps, goes from 0-62mph in 10.2 seconds and has a combined fuel consumption figure of 55.4 MPG. The CO2 emissions figure is a very impressive 119g/km. However, if it is an ultra-low CO2 figure that the customer is looking for then the 1.2 litre TDI ECOmotive would be the one to go for. It produces 75ps and has a CO2 figure that is only 94g/km, making it one of the lowest emitters available today in the UK.

The Ibiza is well equipped in all three body styles; the three door coupe, five door hatch and now the ST. Three trims are available: S, SE and Sport, with prices starting from £12,020, but the favourites would have to be the 1.2 litre TSI SE with a price of £13,990, or the ECOmotive SE which is priced at £1,000 more.

We drove the Ibiza ST on a variety of roads around Barcelona and found it to be quiet, refined and very comfortable. It also gives you the impression that you are in a much larger car when driving it. The Ibiza, no matter what body style it comes in, is well put together and offers a high level of quality throughout.

Will the Ibiza ST beat the system and make inroads into a sector that has traditionally struggled? At a cost of only £800 more than the hatch, this versatile and practical small estate car might just be able to.

CAP FACTfile - 2nd June 2010

marketing@cap.co.uk — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

This week’s manufacturer news

CITROEN – Has released first details and photographs of the new C4. It will be available with a new micro-hybrid e-HDI powertrain that will deliver CO2 emissions as low as 109g/km at launch and 99g/km on future models. Standard features will include lane departure warning system, xenon headlamps, blind spot monitoring system, cruise control and an eTouch system which allows the driver to monitor driving patterns and fuel consumption. The new C4 will be officially unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in September.

LAND ROVER – The Range Rover will celebrate its 40^th birthday on 17^th June. Work first began on a Range Rover prototype in 1966 and the first model, now known as ‘the classic’ was introduced in 1970, continuing in production with numerous upgrades and variants for just over 25 years. The latest version of the Range Rover is due to be unveiled at the 2010 Paris Motor Show.

SPYKER/SAAB –Spyker Cars N.V. has confirmed it has finalised the agreement with General Motors UK to purchase Saab GB. Saab GB will complete a carve-out process from General Motors in the next few months, allowing it to operate as an independent company.

SUBARU – Has announced the introduction of the new limited edition Cosworth Impreza STI CS400 model. It will be available with a Cosworth-tuned 2.5 litre 400ps turbocharged engine that will have a 0-62 time of 3.7 seconds and a limited top speed of 155mph. There will be just 75 cars available for the UK market and it is due to go on sale this month.

First driving impressions – Seat Alhambra, Barcelona

The production of the new Alhambra at the Auto Europa plant in Portugal doesn’t commence until September, but we managed to drive one of the first, early pre-production vehicles near Seat’s HQ in Barcelona. The name Seat, previously an acronym standing for Sociedad Española de Automóviles de Turismo (Spanish Touring Car Society, in English), was changed to Seat S.A. in 1990.

It is difficult to believe that the current Alhambra was originally launched in 1996, with a minor facelift in 2000. It has remained pretty much the same for over fourteen years, which is a particularly long time in terms of a model’s life cycle. However, the Alhambra has stood the test of time as it is still a popular new car, but is sought after more so in the used market. It is a great workhorse that is bought by companies and families, but it has mainly proved to be a huge success with taxi companies.

The new seven seat Alhambra is completely new and has hardly any carry-over parts from the current car. It has grown in length by 220mm from 4,634mm to 4,854mm and it is also wider and lower, so it looks sleeker and more in proportion. To say that the new Alhambra is an improvement is quite an understatement in all departments, but considering the current car was designed over seventeen years ago, it is not surprising how much it has changed. However, to improve on such a clever design that has remained popular for all these years has been a challenge to the Seat design team in Spain.

Firstly, they have introduced rear sliding doors that operate so smoothly and effectively. Even though this was a pre-production car the gaps between the doors were just the right size and the doors shut so easily. The door system uses small runners that are very neat and keep the car looking tidy; it is not obvious from the outside that the car even has sliding doors. Getting in and out of the third row is now easier as the second row has a new mechanism that takes just a couple of seconds to operate, using only one hand to lift a small lever that tilts the seat and slides it forward. The second row has three individual seats that are comfortable. The third row has two comfortable, individual seats that are almost full size, allowing enough legroom for children and almost enough for fully grown adults. Even with the third row up and occupied, the luggage area has a greater capacity than the current Alhambra and with the seats folded down, the cargo space is enormous.

Like all recent Seat models coming to market, the quality has vastly improved over previous models. The fit and finish and attention to detail in the new Alhambra is very impressive. Just some small touches such as the chrome detailing around the air vents on the dashboard make the difference in giving this car a premium look and feel. The seat material also looks good and is up to a very high standard.

We drove the 2.0 litre TDI 140ps which is coupled to a DSG gearbox. It had more than enough power and coped well on the motorways around Barcelona, cruising easily at 130kph. The start/stop system which is fitted as standard on most Alhambra models was faultless; it shut down quickly without any vibration and when the footbrake was released it started up again even quicker. It is probably one of the best start/stop systems we have tried. It was very impressive.

The new Alhambra will join some other very good models in the Seat range and is bound to be a success.Prices, specification and model naming will be announced within the next two months, with first UK deliveries due in October.

First driving impressions – Volvo C30 electric vehicle

Volvo chose the SMMT press test day at the Millbrook testing facility to show off one of only a handful of their pre-production C30 electric vehicles.

To start the car you simply turn the key, wait a few seconds for the system to start, pull the small gear lever back into drive and away it goes effortlessly and quietly. It gets up to 60mph in around 10 seconds so is just as quick, if not quicker than most petrol or diesel powered cars.

This electric vehicle, like most forthcoming electric vehicles, uses lithium-ion batteries that can be charged from a household electricity supply or can use a quick-charge system that takes around 30 minutes. It can cover a range of around eighty miles on a full charge, but this is subject to how much electric is required to power the lights, heater, air conditioning and windscreen wipers etc.

The batteries underneath are T-shaped, running up from the centre console to the back seats. Volvo brought along their top EV engineers to Millbrook and they told me that a lot of time and effort had been concentrated on safety. They said that the seats had been designed to de-form in the event of a side impact, so they would not hit the hard surface of the batteries in the centre. In a normal car, the centre console generally has an amount of give in it but this wouldn’t be the case in the EV. They have also had to reinforce the side beams to give protection to the batteries and the passengers.

The engineers said that another safety feature they are still working on with other EV manufacturers is a ‘noise’ or ‘sound’ for all electric vehicles to make that would operate up to speeds of around 40mph. Nothing has been fully decided yet on what this sound should be or at what speed the sound should cut out.

Volvo say that they expect to sell around 250 C30 electric vehicles around the world, but if demand exceeds this number, then they will be in a position to build more. No prices or specification have been announced yet, but Volvo has confirmed that the price will include the batteries.

Test car – Porsche Panamera S

The colour of the Panamera we tested was black; the same colour as Marmite, which actually provides a good analogy of how people feel towards the Panamera. This car has divided critics and car enthusiasts.

Like all cars the Panamera had to be created as a concept by the company’s strategy department. Once the outline idea had been approved by the board, it then had to be created on paper and then as a clay model. There must have been a lot of raised eyebrows at the time when the strategy department announced that Porsche A.G. were going to produce a five door, four seat hatchback model, that still possessed all the normal Porsche technical abilities.

The Panamera S is powered by a 4.8 litre (4,806cc) V8 petrol engine that produces 400bhp. It goes from 0-62mph in 5.4 seconds and has a top speed where permitted of 176mph. The CO2 emissions figure is 253g/km and it has an official combined fuel consumption figure of 25.4 MPG, but during the time we had the car, we achieved an average of 22.1 MPG according to the on-board computer. The car we tested had the optional Porsche Doppelkuplungestreibe 7 speed double clutch gearbox (otherwise known as PDK) which costs an additional £2,339.

Despite all this power, brilliant handling and braking, Porsche has tried to make the Panamera more environmentally friendly by introducing start/stop as standard. The engine shuts down when you come to a halt and touch the footbrake. As soon as you release pressure from brake, the engine fires up and you are away in a fraction of a second. The system works perfectly coupled to the PDK gearbox.

Some may not like the exterior design, but no one can fault the interior styling, the comfort or the quality. The wrap-around front seats hold you tightly and are extremely comfortable and supportive. The two rear seats mirror the front ones exactly and making the rear seat passengers feel as special as those in the front. The whole of the interior, the switches, materials and controls just ooze quality; it is a very special place to sit.

The Panamera S is not an especially quick car, at least when compared to some super cars which spring to mind as soon as the Porsche name is mentioned. The 0-60 time seems relatively leisurely given the sheer power of the engine. This is no ordinary sports car though; this is a sports saloon with five doors and it weighs 1,860kg. However, it is quick enough, the acceleration is so smooth and it feels so effortless to drive. It really is a nice car and it does make you feel special, but all this luxury and power does come at a cost. The basic price of a Panamera S is £73,827, but the test car, which had a few optional extras fitted, costs £88,854.

CAP FACTfile - 26th May 2010

marketing@cap.co.uk — Wed, 26 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

This week’s manufacturer news

TESLA/TOYOTA – Tesla Motors Inc and Toyota Motor Corporation has announced that they intend to cooperate in areas such as parts, production system and engineering support on the development of electric vehicles.

VAUXHALL – Has announced the introduction of the Corsa Limited Edition. The new Black & White Limited Edition will feature glacier white bodywork with black detailing, black 17” alloy wheels and a black sapphire roof. It will also feature a VXR body styling kit, sports suspension and piano black centre console. It will be available with a 1.2 litre 16V 85ps petrol or a 1.3 litre CDTi 16V 75ps diesel, in three or five door variants. Prices will start at £13,995 and it will be available in showrooms from next month until the end of the year.

VOLKSWAGEN – Are to introduce a new trim to the Golf range. The Golf Match will directly replace the outgoing SE trim and will be available in three and five door variants with the following engines: 1.4 litre TSI petrol, 1.6 litre TDI 105 diesel (also available with Bluemotion Technology) and 2.0 litre TDI 140 diesel (also available with Bluemotion Technology). A DSG gearbox will also be offered. Standard features over the outgoing SE include: Bluetooth preparation, front and rear park assist, RCD 510 touch screen audio equipment and multifunction highline computer. The Match will be priced at £300 over the SE.

Test car – Audi R8 V10 Spyder

Many people ask me, what car would I buy if money was no object? What car would I favour as being the most fun to drive, the best looking or the best at handling? I have never really been able to give an honest answer; that is until last week.

The Audi R8 V10 arrived looking spectacular in bright blue metallic paint, with every part of its super car bodywork being beautifully in proportion. This car just has a presence about it that attracts attention from just about everyone, from very young children to the elderly. If you leave it in the supermarket car park, you can be pretty sure that it will be surrounded by hoards of people and it is embarrassing when they watch you walk up and get into it. The natural reaction is usually one of wonderment. Why is an old bloke driving a car like this? They were really expecting a famous footballer or a celebrity of some kind.

The R8 is not the sort of car you immediately jump into and drive. You want to walk around it beforehand and take in every feature, but this is impossible to do in a short time as it has so many unique lines and design cues. The R8 Spyder has a cloth roof that goes up and down in a matter of seconds and stows under a cover so that it is kept completely out of view. It has a very clever mechanism that operates so smoothly and quickly; it all works in perfect harmony and is almost like a piece of art. The one worry I had when I first saw the Spyder a few months ago was the fact that the cloth roof was situated right next to the engine bay when stowed away, and this is obviously a place that can get extremely hot. However, Audi has conquered this problem by using materials that sit between the engine and the roof that will not melt it. It does seem to work, thankfully, and I would like to bet that many hours were spent developing and designing this safety feature.

The noise the car makes is just fantastic and it can be heard from a few hundred metres away. This is not the sort of car you can come home late or leave early in the morning in, without the risk of waking the neighbours. The engineering that has gone into the exhaust note is second to none and even some of the most expensive super cars don’t create the same brilliant noise.

The R8 Spyder is powered by a 5.2 litre (5,204cc) FSI V10 petrol engine that produces 525ps, goes from 0-62mph in 4.1 seconds and has a top speed of 194mph where permitted; which in fact is hardly anywhere on this planet. The power it develops is quite astounding and it really throws you back into your leather covered seat when it takes off. Any passengers of a nervous disposition should stay well clear of the V10. Unlike most other cars that produce this sort of power, the R8 has the added benefit of having the Quattro four wheel drive system and this ensures that all of the power is used and goes straight to any one of the wheels when it needs it. It plays a vital part in giving the car its dynamic handling abilities and the result is that it feels solid and safe when cornering and makes the car feel as if it’s on rails. Even when driving on a damp road surface, it is still simply brilliant.

Even though the R8 possesses all this power, it is very docile in heavy traffic and around town; it does not give you the feeling that it needs to be doing 100mph all the time. The CO2 emissions figure is, as expected, enormous at 356g/km and the combined fuel consumption figure is 19 MPG, but in reality it is difficult to achieve much more than 15 MPG in normal driving conditions. If it is driven hard, then I would expect that it could be as low as 12 MPG, but the sort of people who buy this type of car are generally not members of the Green Party. The fuel tank capacity is 80 litres so regular trips to the petrol station are necessary.

The interior is typical Audi and in fact sitting in the R8 is similar to being in any other Audi because the switches, sat nav controls, instrument stalks and heater controls are virtually identical. To some this may be a good thing as it must save money, but to some super car buyers it may be just like using the controls in an A3 or A4. They may want to have something different in front of them in this sort of car.

Quality is assured in this car, with the finest leather being used and fit and finish is superb. The R8 does not have any quirky, strange or unusual features in the cabin and the running gear is certainly not temperamental.

With the V10 engine being at the rear, the luggage area is at the front and although it is not over-generous in size, you could at a push (providing it had the suitable dimensions), squeeze a suitcase into it. It is more than capable of holding a few bags of supermarket shopping though.

The car we had on test was the six speed manual with a gate gearbox. It was a bit clunky but once you get used to it, it is reasonably easy to operate. The R8 V10 is also available with an R tronic sequential gearbox.

When the roof is down, the side windows are up and the rear glass screen is up, there is hardly any wind or turbulence around your head; the wind-in-your-hair feeling is now a thing of the past. When the roof is up, there is no wind or road noise but the engine and exhaust that sits right behind you can still be heard clearly. The Spyder looks better with the roof down, but is still not unattractive with it up.

The side blades that are fitted to the coupe have disappeared from the Spyder and this is a huge improvement to the side profile of the car. It looks so much better without them and you have to wonder how long it will be before the coupe follows suit.

The R8 V10 looks great from every angle, so it has to be hats off to the skills of all of those designers, engineers, stylists and production/assembly operatives for completing what must have been an enormous task. To get that large engine into a two seater car, get the roof to operate easily and efficiently, maintain the high quality, make it handle as well as it does and look brilliant is a wonderful achievement. It really is a magnificent car, well done.

And the price? The 6 speed manual is £111,955 on the road and the R tronic is £117,155 on the road, which believe it or not, is actually good value.

Test car – Vauxhall Meriva 1.4 turbo SE

Every now and again a new car comes along with improvements that are outstanding in comparison to its predecessor. The new Meriva really shouldn’t have had its name carried over, as the car differs so much to the outgoing one.

From the first time I saw the new car as a static model, I knew instinctively that GM had hit on the right idea. The new car has grown by 236mm in length, so has gone from being the Corsa MPV to the Astra MPV. This means that it is now a very useable car as it offers plenty of room and is extremely versatile and practical. Then on the second occasion, I drove the car for the first time and was even more convinced that they were onto a winner. Now that I have used one at home for a few days, I am beyond any doubt that it will take a lot of sales away from other manufacturers. However, it may also steal Astra customers so unfortunately, this is not good news for Ellesmere Port, which is home to the Astra.

The new Meriva is built in Spain, so it will be the Spanish economy that benefits from such a clever car being launched to market, not the UK’s. Some buyers who have choice lists will inevitably go for a Meriva, leaving the workers in the North West to worry about their jobs. It is now up to Vauxhall to provide damage limitation by trying to gain more conquest business and not just have a simple transfer of current Astra customers to the all new Meriva.

The Meriva really is a clever car that seems to do everything so well. It is comfortable, the high seating position gives a good commanding view of the road and it does have the look and feel of a car that costs a lot more money. The plastics used are of a high quality and the fit and finish is up to a very high standard. The three rear seats are all individual which adds to comfort, but they also slide backwards and forwards independently to either provide more leg room or a greater luggage area. The centre seat can be folded flat so that just two passengers occupy the rear; this also creates more space, especially around the shoulder area. This nice little touch adds to the practicality and proves beyond any doubt that the design team at GM HQ in Frankfurt have thought about every last little detail. What they didn’t think about though was the length of people’s arms, especially in regards to ladies and older people. The door pull handle seems to be more than an arm’s length away and you really have to stretch out to reach it. The easiest way to close the front doors is to pull on the door pocket. This is obviously not was intended, but it does work.

However, the really clever aspect of the Meriva is the door system. It has been around for as long as we have had motorised transportation, but it is rarely used these days and only really seen now on London taxis, Rolls-Royces and the Mazda RX-8. It is also present on the Mini Clubman but you only get one door, not two. This rearward opening rear door system looks as though it shouldn’t work; it comes across as more of a gimmick than a practical solution for getting in and out of a car. However, it is certainly easier to get in and out of the Meriva and also easier when it comes to lifting a child into a child seat. This door system just works perfectly and I wonder who will be the next to offer it. It has been used on countless cars in the past and has had its problems; they were called ‘suicide doors’ for years, as some did have a nasty habit of coming open whilst on the move. However, GM has built in many safety devices to the Meriva prevent this from occurring.

The 1.4 litre petrol engine produces 140ps and goes from 0-62mph in 10.3 seconds. It is quiet with hardly any wind noise intrusion, despite it having a high roof line. It has more than enough power, but this engine has CO2 emissions of 156g/km, so is not particularly clean. The official combined fuel consumption figure is 42.4 MPG.

The price of the test car was £18,920 on the road, compared to an Astra five door 1.4 turbo SE at £19,900. Prices for the Meriva start from £12,995 for a 1.4 litre 16V Expression. The Meriva diesel prices start from £16,875.

First driving impressions – Toyota Auris HSD, Derby

This is not the first time we have driven a new Toyota Auris HSD (Hybrid Synergy Drive). The first time was earlier in the year when we went to the IDIADA testing ground in Spain to drive a very early, pre-production car for seven minutes. It wasn’t good and left me with an ‘oh dear’ kind of feeling. The automatic CVT gearbox didn’t seem to work, as it made a constant whining noise and the interior plastics were of a poor quality; in fact the whole car felt as though it had just been thrown together. Sometimes it is just too early to show a new car, often is better to wait for a more advanced stage prototype.

This time around we went the ultra-modern Toyota plant in Burniston near Derby to drive one of the first models off the production line, and what a difference it was. The interior plastics were much better in terms of quality and the problem gearbox was not a problem anymore; it worked perfectly and was so smooth.

The HSD has basically the same hybrid system as the Prius, but many would say that it’s fitted to a more normal looking car. The Auris has been accused of being a bit dull and this may be so, but the recent facelift has made a difference and its styling has improved. It is powered by a 1.8 litre VVT-I petrol engine which is coupled to an electric motor, producing a total power output of 136ps. The electric motor is powered by a large battery that is charged whenever the car is going downhill, when braking or in other such like situations.

The car has three buttons near the gearshift lever and these are labelled: EV, ECO and Power. When EV mode is selected the car can be driven for up to 1.2 miles on electric power only, providing the battery has enough stored energy. ECO mode allows a gentler getaway, conserving fuel and making the car more efficient. When Power mode is selected you can definitely feel a boost of additional power and the car does set off remarkably quickly.

The Auris measures 4,245mm in length compared to the Prius at 4,460mm. The Auris HSD has some unique features over the other Auris models which include a different roof spoiler, lowered suspension by 5mm and unique 17” alloy wheels. There is also of course, the HSD badge.

The Auris HSD is available with two trims: T4 and T Spirit. The model with the lowest CO2 emissions figure is the T4 (89g/km) model and this is priced at £18,950 on the road. The T Spirit is priced at £20,700 on the road.