GREEN AWARDS: MEGA-MPG CHAMPIONS REVEALED | | a ‘ri ne ) waar ly Poe e 4 Dp) FIRST PICS, FULLINFO November 2012 GOLF mONDEO Why family cars are about to get More space, trick tech for up to D)POSHHATCHTEST & D) FIRST DRIVE New AudiA3 | e523 3 Honda CR-V beats BMW ’ Our verdict- (and Volvo) and yours‘You can count on one hand the count on one finger the car that Maggiolino, Vacho, Bug, fel free number of truly conic cars fromthe is recognised instantly, anywhere into call t whatever you lke. We simply last one hundred years. Cors whose the world. We called it The Beetle, like to calli progress and with shape, spritand sheer personality And now here itis again, £1,500 off the deposit; you can call have seared themselves indelibly Unmistokably the some car But ot it yours.To book a tet drive visit ‘on our imaginations. But you can the same time totally different. volkswagen.co.uk/beetle Eioctostomfelimoaent J iarcomiclionoaen tative Mal ns ae Spt 20078 £2.70, nung epic enol Ep 00 dpa cnn when puch wah Represent SMT APR 5c ea ne a ‘Official fuel consumption forthe Beetle range in mpg (itres/100kn): urban 274 (10.3) = 448 (6.3); extra urban,£1,500 off the deposit* I'll shift. The 21st Century Beetle. Das Auto. 463 (61)~ 673 (4.2); combined 367 (77)- 576 (4.9). COz emissions 179 1294/km.W=V= CUT -U=L CONSU™M-? 1) \= fo INCR=AS=D 9=R-ORMAAu Vorsprung durch Techi We've checked the figures. You can only get this balance of fuel economy and performance when you design acar from scratch, question every design idea, evaluate and re-evaluate until you have more than a model update, you have a whole new car The all new Audi A3. Everything you need, nothing you don’t. 58.9 (4.8) - 85.6 (3.3), Combined 50.4 (5.6) ~ 74.3 (3.8) CO2 emissions 130 ~ 99 g/km. [A3 model. For mare information visit audi.co.uk/alinewA3:PBC RE GMS IC Non The new CLS Shooting Brake is like nothing you've ever seen before. It uniquely combines the style and sportiness Cer nu ee marc) Dea Teese Co oees Mercedes-Benz The best or nothing.HONDA centres eet NO TRICKS, JUST GENUI BU eee ER Pr Dae Cac £290 deposit. £290 a month. 4.9% APR Representative.Contents 1 NOVEMBER 2012 ieee te hy MC Ueto Tela) = = Star Cars First drives, new models and news Star CarNew Ford | Mondeo Star Car New Mazda6 This month’s new cars The UK's biggest and best car comparisons ‘The big test Small family cars "New Aud A2 vsnew Volvo v40 Ford Max vs Alfa Romeo Gitta Honda CRY VSBMW Series Hyundai Santa Fe’ Jaguar X) ‘Mercedes CLS estate Hot hatches Ssangyong Koran Spots New Ford Focus ST Vauxhall Astra Volkswagen Golf TI Cz 7 Twin test New carson the horizon, plus excellent deals on ‘outgoing mode's, Fleet update How using our = Wesay goodbyeto Target Price service 1 2 Ford Focus \eT and couldsaveyoutnousands |} hallo ta Focus 10T Peugeot 508 SW vow 0 i Green family cars Nissantest New Toyota Pris Pugin Kia Picanto ‘chevrolet ot ‘our cars Novemaer 202 | 9hey THE NEW BLACK COW Na) Mecca TCR unt PE Den CS tos Dae acy De ees Ree ec ey rene ene ea Dee eee mecca) ‘The official fuel (9.8), Extra Urban 45.6 (6.2) - 50.4 (5.6), combined 35.3 (8.0)~ 39.8WHATCAR? Contents 2 ownin Advice and tips to save you £££s and more Small, quality coupé starts at only €8600 Kuga vs Qashqai Both family SUVslook the Part but whichis better? Hot used deals Buying 2 Volvo C30 and hy miles dont matter Personal shopper Kia Sportage. Mazda CXS and Peugeot 3008 Askus anything What must have in the car tomectSpains road laws? Which car can cope with this little lot? 14 NOVEMBER 2012 New cars AtoZ Every new car tested and rated ide Allthe facts and figures on every new car at peer od Peseta 08448488814 wstearcom NOVEMBER 201 | TtCo F-T1ilelis fe) eT SMB ethan etal UNMISSABLE NEW LOOK | UNBEATABLE (%APR REPRESENTATIVE >>Engineered in Germany, enjoyed in the UK. PoP Re Recent ere cues aC ae aa Rel Sorte Me ost is available at 0% eerste tebe or eat ise M mea iSy Exe Seneca oe) SORES Cae MU torts nee)WHATCAR? This month NOVEMBER 2012 Goto Whatour ratings mean ‘ee*RE Outstanding BRRKO Good BRROO Average see Below par am Poor Theteam a= see dtc Depbseneccon 6 eerie rome ‘heron ction Ser Cena Tecewrepartee stem soompi Seeman asec Sermo Sktrettrcnet Seaveasncscar Seater a ad bg Ca) zit finance your BTS ey Subscriptions ‘Erato oservcmapiecouk Licensing Legere ies Advertising Fea nes manaper tl Sete ‘srieacing Bou Sra ere Naot preaucton asl rouppodmaraer ste Reprint Crore Perce 020820758, ‘iaghadctanciotone Temes tent nenemanaoe Management Manaping director O31 Poster ‘louparetr Pieler Spel peje arch cor ib drei snare Coby Novctingmanogr arene Novctingoxcutwe ssn SSimerec EXN! Crrorte Welcome to What Car? some exciting technology for sucha mainstream, offering, including weight saving techniques that help to deliver better performance and fuel economy inonefell swoop. It also encouraging that while the prices will stay broadly the same, it will have more equipment as standard. It's promising, then, and we'lltell you what it’s like to drive next month. Ifyou can't wait that long, our verdict will be on whatcar.com from 2pm on October? ly John etroy magazine ator coy aroma What Car? going the extra mile wwaTcaR?) whaTCAR?) wourcae WuATCAR?) WHATCAR? WE KNOW THAT the Volkswagen Golfis a popular choice with What Car? readers because it's consistently in the top three most searched-for vehicles on our website. So, the arrival ofan entirely new generation is big news. Youcan see the first pictures of the Mk7, nd read our first impressions of i, from page 16. As the ‘generations’ picture here illustrates, the new caris very much an evolution of what's gone before. However, there is also | | | Radical tech, but evolutionary looks for new Golf per aes cee Follow What Car? at twitter You vmeoiicecontnatar wnteacom NOVEMBER 2012 | 13LEXUS CT (oaNiNeg NU ivalNles FIRST CLASS. ECONOMY. The Lexus CT. Luxury has never been more affordable. + Oulstanding fuel economy at 689 miles per gallon Peo L Ts TO Pe mee ele choke ee tS Ce Model [Term | 35Monthy| CashPrice sJuGuHmer | Finance |Finedrate | Amount | GuaranteedFuture | Total | Reprerenatve oo cool [ee] senor lr sei il Krirelcrssniei Pern Allowance | (perennum) coors a CT 200)SE)/@6maRe| £24000 | £24,2600] £6.42154| e150000|305% | eearaae| 2995040 Eo BanaOnline This month on The best car-buying news, advice and reviews updated daily ay Volkswagen Golf \ highlights | The need-to-know cars, live from September 27 Be prepared with our How to keep your child safe: Sf Updated advice section read our guide on how to what fadvice fitcar seats correctly Cota rey Pe buili tod pT Lo Ete eS toy NOVEMBER 2012 {| Toyota GT86 Our most popular new car review it See what we think of the all-new supermini | at 6pm on October 8 ity ‘True MPG Real-world economy updated weekly Young or inexperienced drivers should be banned from owning powerful cars, say 75% of you over 20% | 15What is it? Seventh-generation version of Volksw. most important model Price from £16,20 THE SEVENTH-GENERATION version of the Volkswagen Golfis lighter, more efficent and more practical than the current model Tegoes onsale in October and entry-level models are likely tobe | cheaper than those they replace Asever,theGolf'sstyling has ‘evolved, witha characteristic thick rear pillarand looks that echo those ofthe current earand the Golf Nk and Ms, The overall proportions have | changed slightly the leading edge ‘ofthe bonnet islowerand the front wheels have moved forward within the body togivea shorter ‘overhang The new Gof is based fonthe VW Group MQB platform, ‘which fsalso used fr the latest ‘Audi A3and new Seat Leon. I'lbe ‘used fora range of other models, too, including the new VW Tiguan, What's new? ‘The new Golfis 5 6em longer than the current model, 30m wider, 28cm lower and has s.9cm longer wheelbase. The use of high-strength stel, anda range of other weight-sving measures, ‘makeit up to100kg lighter than the currentear, Tn combination witha new range of engines, better aerodynamics and other efficiency Improvements, CO, emissions have been reduced by an average of13.9% across the range. The entry-level engine willbean ‘qbhp 12 TSI petrol that averages sr7mpgand emits n3g/km of CO, ‘Therellalsobea3sbhp 1.4 7S1 petrol with eylinderdeactivation (ACT) technology, which shuts ‘down twoof its four eylinders tunderlight engine loads tosave fuel. averages 38 9mpgand emits nzg/km of CO, The dese line-up Kicks of with a103bhp 1.6 TDI thataverages ‘4ampgand 99g/km of CO, ‘The Bluemotion version (which has the same engine but extra (est) On sale Octob the new Bitemotion’s 85a/km CO, emissions figure isnitlow enough for you, two more green versions of he Gotfare cue Aplugein hybrid model is expected In 2044 ikety to combine a V4titre petrol engine with an electric motor and willhave an flectriconly range of around ‘30 miles. Analfelectric Goff, the Blue-emotion isalso due in 2014, costing around €30.000 We've driven a prototype with a13bhp electric motor and a maximum range of around 90 miles, 16 | Novemaen 21 wsteacom‘CO, has been cut by an average of 13.9%’ ‘That'sthanksto weight savings and improved aerodynamics and enginetechnology (© Lower emissions, beter meg (© Longer, wider and lower © Upto 100%g inter @ Rattof new safety kit (© 3a and 5dr go onsale together eficiency-boosting measures) PERM emits just 85g/km of CO, and EERE 2veraxes 88mpg Anew g8bhp EEE 2.0 TDiengine replaces the current 138bhp version; taverages 689mpgand 106g/km of CO,, Eventually,a non-ACT 4 TSt petrol anda higher-powered diesel are expected to join the range. There could also bea 10 petrol ‘Two rearsuspension set-ups wil bbe available Versions with power ‘outputs below iaibhp get alighter, simpler system; the rst get ‘amore sophisticated multi-ink layout like the current car ‘Volkswagen says the Gol's refinement has been improved. From SE trim upwards, the car will ave s standard a system that offers four driving modes (Eco, ‘Normal, Sport and Individual) and adjusts the engine management andair conditioning systems accordingly Models with a SG semi-auto gearbox also have a Comfort mode. Anew Progressive Steering'system that changes the steering ratio to boost low-speed ‘manoeuvrability and reduce the effort needed to turnat speed s standard across the range. Whats ittikeinside? {VW says that interior packaging isbetterthan ever thanksto alonger, wider cabin. There's an fextra 2em of front seat travel, it says and a1scm improvement in rearlegroom. Headroom has been slightly reduced, but sx footers stil have plenty of space to spare, front and reat Boot space with the seats up has been increased from 350 to 380 ‘ACT tech | deactivates | two of the 14 TSIs four cylinders under light | = engine loads’ vwatearcom NOVEMBER202 | 17lizesandtheresawidertagate — ATT WETSIONS — Penser!saboutto ouch he moeace™ err COME With — eee eee secemtoatacencsiors DAB adi, — ssoneretctci tase, consoleisangledtowardsthe §~=—- BI WWetooth actions, much like a smartphone, | forthe sting whet haben anda colour, spt get standard ty, betneenthebakeandaceeator COUCH-SCKE@MN’ intemetnoispor pedals andthe gealeve ss Sat nationsindudea nee parkingbrate, Crue contol ne eepngasist operated by aawch btw Sd ac sign detection the fronts snow standard Tenew ty erpeney Thereareao new quarterht BrakingFunction use senorsto windows ahead te ont detect animiminentclison ane Uoor totherebasmalestra tutomatcaly apis the cars pillar being the wisrcen, brakesat speeds below mh ‘VWhas tried to boost cabin EEE TE There's also a new system called qualtyoverthecurentear All| ‘S\kasthenew Goifmet—|-Mltieaision tae that worsby Tesiotsnowhoveestamealic | hesondrsetby fs Sutomatealvappvingthe brakes trimwhletaturessuchasthe | predecessor! Yes though | afleraninitalcollgon inover to lined door pocketsareretained. | theharshtruthisthattsonly minimise any damage or injury in as good asit needs to be secondary collision ‘Thecabin better laid out ‘The Golf willbe available with than the outgoing car's andthe ‘awide range of sophisticated infotainment technology's Prices are yet to be confirmed, but Features, including new severalleagues ahead-butthe in Germaiiy the entry-level12 TSI infotainment systemsand perceived quaityofallthebits | model isaround £360 cheaper high-tech safety equipment, Yyousee and touch hasnitrealy than the model replaces. VW ‘llversions willcome with DAB | moved forward, That sai. stil sources have told us that entry radioand Bluetooth connectivity, | feels marginally more classy level UK models are also likely to They'llalso get touch-screen ‘thanany fits peers andthe _|_undercut their predecessors, but system; even the entry-level designismore restrained than, by asmalleramount. Trim levels version hasa§8-inch colour say.a Ford Focus willbe s, SE (which replaces Match) sereen that senses when thedriver | Chas Hallett and GT (sportier trim, lowered Te front Driverfatigue Standardonall More metalic seatsandsteeringwheelhave | detectionandianeseeping | | versions itrespondstogestures | trimandiotsofweltbul, agreaterrangeotadustment | assstarefstsfor the Gott ‘much ikea smartphone softtouch pasties 18 | Novewaer 202‘Multi-collision Brake activates after a crash’ Its designedto minimise damagefoliowing the ntalimpact ECONOMY The16 TDI ‘luemotion willaverage 88mg ‘The14TSIACTreturns589mpg suspension). Mid-spec models and above aren't likely tobe any cheaper than current versions, but ‘will come with more standard kit Golf prices currently startat £16,405 for the 12 TSL85 $ 3dr; the three-door version of the new ‘model willarivein the UKat the same time asthe five door version and stat from around £16200, WEIGHTSAVINGS Theuse of high strength, hot formed! stee!savesuptoT00kg, Anew Golf Tis expected in 2013~the current model won't be built alongside the new ear. The currentshape Golf Cabriolet and Golf Estate (which are Mexico respectively) onsale. replacement forthe Estates likely during 2013, but the Cabriolet may contine until 2034 DIMENSIONS Longer and wider, butlower than currentea. Wheelbase slonger oo ‘VWhas confirmed that anew {YW Golf Plus (again with ataler, ‘more practical body) is due. Replacements for the current VW ‘Tiguan and Touran models will also use the same underpinnings, and could arrive within 18 months. Stylingismore poor oor STEERING Progressive Steering makes iteeasierin townandathigherspeeds Pept Premera ese ee ertiteke enc Better ‘The GTI and anew Estate are expected next year, | The Cabrio is out in 2014 vwhatearcom NOVEMBER 201 | 19ma riecsirined Ford Mondeo Whatis it? An all-new version = of Ford's family car Price from £18,500 (est) Onsale late 2013 rite and LED igs givete Mondeo an ‘Aston-esque ook sharp reasesdownthesides ‘THISIS THE new Ford Mondeo, unveiled almost ayear before will goon sale at UK dealers. ‘Ataround Somm longer than, he outgoing model, the 2013, Mondeo is designed to reinforce the model's appeal tobuyers of large family cars. However, i's also ald tobe etter finished and more that Fords al sales from vd BMWs by ‘offering more space for less cash, snot about to dothis any time | soon, however: Production delays, | causedbyy concerns over the time needed toadapt the US-developed ar forthe European market, have pushed the Mondeo on-sale date | back from june2013to September 20) novewser2012 atthe earliest, Ford sources say that‘by the end of 2013 isthe most accurate goal for fest deliveries, ‘The new carsextralength ‘comes through larger front and rear overhangs, because the ‘wheelbase remains the same ‘Safety kit inclu seatbelts eet raeesne Petes an AlLLED headlights and an Asto Martinesque trapezoidal’ gril ‘The side profileand window lineare reminiscent of the current ear’, but there's sharper crease along the flanks. More dramatic rear styling includes smoother bumper acurvierbootlid and slimmer taillights. The current Mondeo’ cabin is considered one ofthe best inthe class, and Ford says thas used ‘more sof-touch and premium, finishes inside thanever tohelp ittake the fight toexecutive vals. Cabin spaces likely to change itl because the car's wheelbase s the sameas the old cars ‘Options will include Sync, which brings an eight-inch colour touch-screen, voice control and theabilty to offera wifihotspot forup tofive devices. The estate ‘model willoffer the option of ‘panoramic sunroof Safety kit now includes inflatable rear seatbelts, designed to reduce head, neckand chest injuries‘The hybrid may return 56mpg in town’ ‘Company car driverscanalsolook forwardtonew deseland Ecoboos petrolengines Digital splay, softtouch Bringsanelghtinch touchscreen and Plasticsand qualitytotake on execrivals \Wiflandcanread ut yourtextmessages 2ollitreengine,butthe current ‘The Fusioncan travel at upto Fordisplanningan 16 dieselislikelyo bereplaced by _ 62mph onelecric power alone, extensiveoverhaulof _thenew,moreefficient sire and ord laimsitcan return more theMondeo'sengine __unitthat'sjust been launched in than S6mpg in urban driving. andtransmission line-up, thesmallerB-Max(see page 28). although thisfigureisbased on including smaller petrol. Itslikely tobring down the the American fuel economy test. and diesel motors. andthe _ Mondeo's CO, emissions to less optionoffourwheeldrive. than og/km. ‘Thesmallestengine willbeFord’s _Thelargerdieselenginewill__-Thecarson-saledateofautumn | solitrethree-cylinderEcoboost_beoffered with fourwheel drive 2013meanspriceshaveyettobe | turbo petrol. Itslikelytobe offered acrossallthree ofthe Mondeo's confirmed. However, well expect Invariousstatesoftune, starting bodystyls: five-door hatch, only asmall increase over the with the:2zbhp specthat we've” fourdoorsaloon and estate. currenta’ figures, with already seen in the Focus Therewillalsobea petrol- entry-level five-door hatchbacks Engineershave already hinted hybrid versionof the new car.The _ startingat ess than £19,000, that more potent versionsofthe Mondeo HEV willuse technology andat least one basic estate Itslongeron enginearein the works, including developed inits Americanssister model sneaking under £20k theoutside,butcabin one with 177hp. vehicle, the Fusion. inthis, spaceisticly oremain ‘Thediescloptionswillinclude _ 201itrepetrol engines combined thesameasbefore atleasttwoversionsofFords witha g7bhp lithium-ion battery. JBnnteonewnata:com oveaeR 2012 | 21Whatis it? A fr start for Mazda's Mondeo rive Price from £21,000 (est) On sale January eee THISISTHEall-new Mazda6, __notonly more fuel efficient and maximise efficiency Inthe whichgoes onsaleinJanuaryas __andbetterequippedthanthe new 6, that means a sokg asaloonandanestate Itwillline outgoing model as youdexpect, reduction in weight over the uupdirectly against big selling __italso manages to be wider, old version anda selection of suchasthe Ford Mondeo _longerandiighter. “Mazda's latest petrol and diese! and Volkswagen Passat. However, It sthesecond Mazda afterthe engines under the bonnet lunlike the previous model,there recentlylaunched CX-§SUV)tobe The Gis alsothe frst Mazda willnotbea hatchback version. _builtusingthecompany'sclever_modelto feature Mazda's new New from thegroundup,the Skyactiv technology, which is -ELOOP brake-regeneration smartlooking 6familycaris designed tominimise weight __system (see panel, Refreshingly conventional instrume Boxy boot shapemaximisesiuggagespace _Sixspeedsin ther manualor optional auto 22) novewsen202. The 6$ interior isn't quiteas overtly styled as the exterior, and itshares switehgear and layout withthe CX-5 Stl the perceived quality of the eabin seemsa league ahead ofthe SUV, and several notchesabovethe current 6. There's noticeable upgrade to the feel and look of some ofthe‘Mazda claims MX-5 levels of agility’ Bits diverstookpartin pre-productontesting to help getthe carrightfor UK fads Seon Usethe brakes:save fuel Poa! Thenew 6 sthe fst Mazda to use the company's ELOOP brake energyregenerating system. Energy from braking stored in a capacitor, whichis then used to Power electric systems such as theheater or auc system. This in turn saves uel- enough to show 10% improvement in real-world fuet economy, according to Mazda engineers pinearonpccumrmeens ie datbeatanttod ps Mort theses yuan sean Inet inhavea sof touch el orareshed npn lckor ‘meulclokng ste amelie satelite rvigatin ted hich qronthacoreaey ot Between bese ote Theres pentyl omc oot phot thedsing poston eemedopeton a « Pestdigtiention ‘Quality Inthetedlsiebentintne Semi careat Saget SeeMs Well ewpesyrdspingreot ahead 7 the san een ead ence current 6's’ reese. see" Extralength ivesplentyofroomup front... -andintheback. for both egsandheads Very muchan evolution ofthe X35, buteffectveralthe controlsareeasytoseeand use Luggage spaces naturally compromised by the salooronly format, although the 483 ire boot sat least a nicely squared-off shape, You can flip down the splitfold rear seats easly, just by pullingleversin the boot. ‘The 6 willbe powered by the same choice ofenginesas the CX-5:a 2oitre petrolora22litre diese with eitherg8 or 173bhp. Allcome witha six-speed manual gearbox asstandard oran optional six-speed automatic A igobhp 2rlitre petrol option won'tbe puton sale in Britain Full details on the Skyactiv engines'fuel economy and emissions arent yet available, but Mazda’ engineers are being very bullish about the 6 stats, especially forthe diesel models, Insiders expect the g8bhp diesel version tohitxosq/km of C0, which equates to more than ‘Jompg. That compares well with BMWs 6ibhp, 09g/km 3204 Efficient Dynamics. Oficial figures areavailable forthe 1g8bhp 2.olitre petrol model: they're 1og/km and 47mpg. ‘Mazda engineers used the Aud ‘Ag, BMW 3 Series and VW Passat asbenchmarks. They also partly developed the cain the UK to ensure that it works wellon British "Neat styling details are unmistakably Mazda roads, with UK drivers invited to {ry pre-production versionsand ive their feedback Ride and handling were strongly prioritised during development Mazda folkclaim that the new car easily trumpsits predecessor, with levels of agility close toan MX. However, they also admit that high-speed refinement willstillbe ‘not quite up to Passat levels Exact prices forthe 6 willbe set closerto the on sale date of 25, January I's likely to be more expensive than the outgoing ‘model to reflect higher equipment levels, but it willstillbe ona par with family car eval, Like the CX, though, the range willbe simple with oniy two tim levels:SE-Land Sport, withor without satnav. Sport models will be distinguished by added interior floutishes suchas aluminium panelsand an uprated audio system, There willbe small exterlorstyling differences as wel, "The 6 will also come with the latest safety equipment, including Smart City Brake Support system, Below i8mph, the system "monitors the distance to vehicles ahead and automatically hits the brakes ft detects thata collision willoccur. Anew lane departure warning system and radar controlled eruise control will feature on the options list, too ‘Chara ovewaeR20r2 | 23ROOTS asta Se at Ta ete area rho eee cae Nr) Braet Bluetooth. And then, i that wasn't enough we've given it @ new lower OTR price, 60 you pay less ens and get alot more. Don't be too British about it, enjoy the well-earned perks ofthe Volo Business Sec ee Sea) Peto CO kee er ee Ren eo ee cent Snr re {5.9)- 724 (3.9), Combined 38.2 (7.4) ~ 65.7 (4.3). CO2 Emissions 171 ~ 114g/km.Tt's all about refinement’ We At Honda's engineershave doneallthey canto minimise road nolseinthe new CRY previous model. It produces rather unremarkable 48bhp and 258i tof torque, but its nicely eared, flexible and keen torev.Pethaps the biggest {improvement is how much Auieter itis now, with justa deep growl under hardacceeration to Jet you know is fuelled by diesel ‘The is3bhp 20-itre petrol engine doesn't havequite such strong mid-range performance, but tsstill reasonably flexible soyou don't need toflog itto get anywhere briskly. "The overall height ofthe carand the eats inside have been lowered byaround 38mm, but the elevated ground clearance remains, so you Stil get that essential view of the road ahead, There plenty of hhead-andlegroom inthe front and rear, while the completely lat floor makes the CRV a genuine five-seater. ‘Access brilliant, too, thanks toreardoors that open toalmost 90 degrees. There'salso minimal Intrusion into the doorways from the rear wheelarches, ots simple toget small children and all of their paraphernalia intoand out ofthe rear seats, Boot spaceis vast at s89 litres withthe 60/40 split rear seats Inplace fustpulevers mounted Whatisit? Honda's all new CRV isnow available with two-orfourwheel drive bustnerside ofthe boo snd ‘No matter which way you look at it, it's a superb family car the rea seats ip down in true They-prest’ style to free up HONDA'S CRY HAS always been differencebetween thefront- x68 litres of space. more of school run special than wheel-drivecarand the 4x4 ‘Add this spaceand versatility ‘backwoods trailblazer. Now versions. Thats because the tothenew CRs refinement there'sanall-new model featuring 44WD models useanclectrcally _andtheexisting cars enviable afrontwheeldeiveverionss “THe Qj@ge] jg “ledondemandsysiem —reibiltyand yourelookingat the’softroadertag seems more 5 thatoperstesin front wheeldrive cracking femily car appropriate than ever rmodemost ofthe ime goes MUCH quieter "ese i ene sone satertonysreue, THOW, WAtH —_satutciowt andes | anda full-tength underbody tray and the steeringisa bit vague, but Hobletoutroadnoisetnenew § JUStA deep otherwise the handling is neat | revs emphasisiefirmly on and tidy, there'less body sway | comfortand refinement growl when than ina Land Rover Freelander sndiceyoullsnuggleoetthe ACC@L@TACHMNY’ ensiciscariedovertomtne, engine is carried overfrom the Enginesize 20 2270 Prieetesd £22000 £25500 Power 1sibnp —148orp Tore abt 2500 O-62mph — 00sec 97sec ‘Tepspeed Temp Temph Economy 39299. Soatroo | COghemrax r68!20% — 19/23% Bawa Volvo x50, ‘Smartdashisrelatively button-free;choice of auto ormanual’boxes _Good-sizedboot:neathandling ovewaen 20 | 25Reader Test Team The latest version of Honda's SUV has a huge reputation to uphold. Three existing owners and a potential ‘conquest sale’ give their views WITH FIVE MILLION Honda CR-Vs having been sold sine its 1995, unch, the arrival ofan jon ofthis well ik ly anticipated toa ‘We offered readers the ‘opportunity to see the car three lnundated with applications. lareckons that abi boot, keyless entry and a powered tailgate make practical CR-V yet Will car buyers lithave the all-round talent toappeal tocurrent fans the unconverted? Find out ‘what our readers madi 26 | NovemBeR 201 whatcarcom David Lanning Age 46 ‘Occupation IT consuitant Lives Shelford, Bedfordshire Drives Honda CRY fF xcueeee sdgets that are on the new one electric seats the auto-cose boot and DAB radio. In terms of sithis new cari fantastic, "also love Honda’ double reen approach, with one for the radko controls up top anda main satay screen below. | thought keeping tings separate might be alte confusing, buts actually really easy to get on with. "More importants inside space. Oursking holidays mean were catryinga lot of gear as well as our 40g. The new boot is much bigger and rear legroom ishuge. The low high 4x arving positon we ov about ours ts okay. but ike itto bea ittaller. mak reabout the perforated leather on the seats. Davidliked the separate screens forthe RVsradioandsatnav “Uttimatey hough this cRV Improves on ours in o many areas that I must get five stars. Well defintely be buying one: PreeMartin Price ‘Ages ‘Occupation civ servant Lives Carat Drives Honda CRVand Jaguar Stype My O3-plate CRY has been one ofthe best buying decisions Ive ever ‘made. t's hardly ever gone wrong, That said itis starting to feel abit ‘agowith this new model today. “Everything ove about my (CRY has been improved to make uultarian- especially now Ivehad comfortable Itsalsorealy easyto rear seatssli forwards together to ‘It does everything a little bit better’ ‘School teacher Caroline Lanning sabigfanofthenew CRY COS Caroline Lanning aged ception Deputy headteacher How pat the : ves a new CRV stacl Drives Honda cay upagainst its BAY Weloveour CRY. predecessor for A Rock Renearocd — Ablgfuantouphencorcine | te needstobeasgoodbutaeo onthenewmodelsextraspace | VAlUC? Davidrogers improve ona ew things. ‘Andy Cooper’ Compared with ithasrttakeniong formeto _haveplentyotroomintheback. | thecairent CRY, the new car realsethsisagreatcar The Thebootsmnchbiggertoo,so | sbigger and much better Styinglsmuch improved, witha ftiaginalloue holiday gear wil | loking. and despite no prices mmorepremiumfeel Iwas worried beeaser!Myoniyconcemisthat | Being avalabe the amount of thatthe lower rideheght would Hondahasdoneaway withthe | _‘Kityou getlooks generous. meant wouldtfea ikea proper centre console space inthis ‘bxdanymore;howeveritsmuch model. Iwas great for dumping thessme,andvisbitysgood.miyhandbogintooutwsnotthe | HOw far has COniongertipsitendtowse endothe wor, Honda pushed the alotoftecmotgy.sotmpleased “"OveraiovethelatestcR'V. | envelope with this tosee plentyoft2vsocketsand—Itdoes everything ours does, but USB and aux connections aitiebRbetteranditeesmore | TICW CAL? Gary Watlams Tmalko pleased ourlsyear-_upmarkat at the sametime” Caroline Lanning Honda has ‘old daughter Ley isgoingte aeiessedthe sues hd with thestyling, and nside theres ‘more space, more kitand better quality materials ‘Andy Cooper Serrption Company arecine Whatare its good Lives Bristol and bad points Drives Jaguar xF cen) ated! ea the old model TeneverownedaCRV, ‘but mlooking to change a eae my JaguarXF.mieen Infointineotsightappealed,but| Martin Price‘The extra space toseeviatthisnewcarofer, AndypreferredhisJag'squallty | you getisprobably the most My fstimpressions are Impressive step up over the old postive Iikethe styling and butjudging by the price ofthe ar The Boot smh larger and ‘though you can se an current model expected better. rlegroomis extremely American nuance, ot "Theinfotament and general | impressive, oo. Asfaras ian beterthantheolgcarandhas layoutotthe dash are very good. | tl there arent any bad points” ‘amore upmarket ook {ike the smal information screen . —_ "The thing love mostabout inthe speedometer Inthe Jag mmyXFistheintronsothe RV haveto takemy eyes ofthe oad needed tbe extremely good Tot sure tradein my XF inside to beat Even in this forit though lapprecate that t rangetoppingtim.though. __-hasmoved things on and do ke itdoesrtrealyiveup tomy _thestying,buttjust doesnt quite ‘expectations lunderstandths provide enough quality inside Isitin the premium sector, a eipebcar The crvers set comfrase there pent of schstment ante dash cles, ‘A umury fd gute eon yom — caret dec gate tsces cuteainyopton tt woud core very fl when your a srett stoping ve aboot : ud Dlotetimefortheesteror sping. Martinsaw te practical benef Iokesthecafecimare grownup. ofthe unary electric talgate "Bath hea and lero are cocelertandtherersentsarevery However ouldpefertithe get extra space by folding the seats. give you even more boot space as The rear headrests fold 00,50 you and wien you need it nit have to take them out. Novewaen 20% | 27Ford B-Max ‘What is it? Compact MPV based on the Ford Fiesta supermini ‘The B-Max represents Ford at its brilliant best WITILA STARTING price of just ‘With no central pillars to clutter, so loading awkwardly, | fizg95,thenew5-Maxisaimed — dividethecabinintwo,there’s shaped items suchas small | atanincreasingly savey group ais-metre-wideaperture when _bicyelesorthecontents ofthe toy | orbuyerswhoarelookingfor _theftontandyeardoorsareopen, cupboard shouldbe a relatively, | versatile family fiendly Rear access isnt totally Straightforward affair, | | motoring butaren't prepared to unrestricted, ofcourse, because The B-Max'ssliding rear doors paythrough thenosetogetit. _thefrontseatsarestill where you'd _willalsobe an absolute godsend Don'tgothinking theB-Max expect tofindthem. However, the when you're ina busy multi-storey isjustabloatedFiestalikethe seatbelts for these are integrated carpark. trying toget toddlers into, ‘old Ford Fusion,though;it'sfar _intotheseatbacks tominimise_andout of thelr child seats, ‘leverer than that The B Max comes with sliding rear doors and no central pillars, anarrangement thats designed toprovideeasy access. It gives the aran unobstructed ear door ‘opening space, which Ford claims ismore than double that offered by the rival Vauxhall Meriva, ‘with its rearchinged doors. ‘The B-Maxis approximately r2cm longerandtaller than the Fiesta is based on, butit’sthe unique front and rear door system that really sets itapart from its supermini sibling Climb inside thecabinand youll find space for four adults And a driving position that's spoton, with loads of seat travel, plenty of support for your back, Anda steering wheel that adjusts forreach and height. "The funky-looking dashboard features on-sereen mens that takea bit of time to get used to, although ifyou specify Ford's ‘new Syne system (se panel below) youan control many functions by voiceactivation. Most ofthe materials on the dashboare look the part; at Teast, they do on the higher-spec Whatis Sync? ‘Syncs Ford's latest voice Control system It comesas Standardon Tanlum-speccars “ands avalable as. a£250 option ‘on cheaper models. Inessence iets the diver ‘connect mobile phones and muse devices via Bluetooth of ‘2 USB using voice commands. Itsalso able to readout text messages while the carison the ‘move and gives direct access to the ocal emergency services Inthe event of an accident 28 | novempen 201 .‘The ride feels just right for a family car’ Most bumpsare deat with wel while everything remains onarseven keelin bends . No pillar, plus seat-mounted belts, ‘Two adults will be happy with the amountofspaceonofferhere | Thereare three levels: Studio. Zetec| | Higherspec cars get good ‘andTitanium. Allgetisofixseats | | mixof quality materials menu = Frontpassengerseatbackfolds and our electric windows systemtakesawhiletomaster Bootcapacity maxes out at 1386 flattoaliow longerloadstofit litres withthe seats folded at a idi: ‘The B-Max also steers well, engine wasn't able to get nearits boomy, and the lack of a sixth Thesliding sisoensn he Geta es vreightingof tscontol that Ontheroad.theFcoboost __forcomfort at motorway speeds Tear Goors weenie cuhmiseaonsenun —eguuselagnestces, willbea breezearoundin andwhleithasarespingexhaust though, {ts cearmany rival 5 Tray theridefeesjust ight noe,ther’sareartetalabeence manufacturers can only dream godsend in fora family car;cushy enough of mechanical vibration. The only of making cars that driveas well . toulethestingoutofrutsand awhacksconcemsomepretty ss theB Max Ifyou inthe multi-storey Dumpryetconolelenough pronouncdstepsinthepower mart or somehigthatao : topreventnause inducing cliveryastheengine workeup oles eay versatility and is boalyrollinbends. through the revrange plusaitleeminenty affordable, is trly car parks ‘Wetred the B Max with bitetturbolagityoudontget irresistible proposition. ax6litrediselengineandthe _ yourgearshifis quite right Intestortrethreecyinder ‘By comparison, ther élite Aa Fee cam Ecoboostpetol-unlessyouneed dese enginels really rather todo oodles of miles, there little versions that wedrove.Itwill __reasontolook beyond the ater. DeinterestingtosceiftheB-Max Thanksmainly othe power Engines“ $0T_—«14.—4STD_—_wesunanceonounibc follows the pattern setby the ofturbocharging the Fcoboost price, fies 12995 1809 Imuncs? Fiesta, which features some isclaimedtodeliverthe oomph Power idm BA _BAbhp ORES decidedly cheaperfinisheson _ofa.6engineandtheeconomy Torque spk gabe some SEAS lowerspec models ofa1oltre-theGovernment game tsee.TBBsec BOsee | COURS ‘Atgilitestheboot provides, AGUTESSUREESSTZ™MPEONSVETREE Topapeed _ingh TOGO CBM ontman ausefulamountofspace.and and o-Gzmphin 12 seconds, oer em | . Youalsogetanadjustableload ‘However in What Car?True mpc ESonomty ea | AUDI'S RELENTLESS BARRAGE of ‘new models continues, but noc will be more important than the new A3~it'sthe replacement for Audi's bestselling model, The secret ofthe A¥s success hasalways been its high-quality interior and prestige ima this latest vers ‘on thoseattributes, Audi alsoups efficiency and driverappeal. [BMW sone ofthe few brands in the hatchback las that can match Audi for prestige, and the 1 Series slick ride makes itone ofthe omfest cars ofits type. The A3 eat Alfa Romeo's Giullettaand Volvo's new Alfa Romeo Giulietta vs Audi A3 vs BMW 1 Series vs Volvo V40 WHATCAR? Road Test New A3: now the The all-new Audi is plusher, bigger and better to drive, but Cenc a od rece eon icity| SMALL FAMILYCARS | best posh hatch? Alfa, BMW and Volvo all have high-quality hatches it must beatTEST CENTRE Performance Don't gothinkingthe alfa Volvo. However shift the DNA economy, whichalso makes them andVolwaremoretesponsive controlerintoDynamicmode, _morereaxingto drive. RRE though. They're not. Put down and even the lightest touch on Both cars will pull strongly from ‘Aut HHABR yourfootinthevolwoandthere’s thethrotesendstherev counter low revs andhapplly trundle along BMW HRHR pronounced pausefolovedty needlefyinground hedial.usingsecond gearinslowmoving Volvo HRAOO abighurstorpowerastheturbo —"Thisustforrevs pluslow fest trafic They drive hard away from idsin Youcancurbihisby andsecond.gears,mean youneed the mark to, revving cleanly all ‘TheVolvoandtheAudiboth _—easingofftheaccelerator but tobeswiftwithyourgearchanges _theway upto the redline. produce 148bhp, whichis 7bhp tall tooeasy togetthe traction _ifyouwanttoavoid banging into _Ofthe tw, isthe Audi that ‘morethanthe BMWand iobhp contro light ickering, the rev limiter. really lights up the performance ‘more than the Alfa That sai, ‘The Alfahasa system called Theengines inthe Audiand chars. Itwas the only carto duck the lfaandthe Volvo generate DNA, whichaltersthe accelerator BMW>both come on songfarmore under nine seconds nour more orque,and they develop _responsesandsteering sharpness; gradually andarestrongatall revs, o-6omph tests, and its engines thattorgueatlowerrevsthan _inNormalmode,thecarbuilds ‘They'realso fitted with very tall sostrong that it pulls forcefully citherof the German cars. speed more progressively than the gearing to maximise fuel from almost any speed in any gear. ‘Giuletta accelerates smooth in Normal mode, butt the lowest carhere _ A3/s fastest when you accelerate through the gears, andis very flexible WHATCAR? resttgures vepsea WHATGAR? testtioures =. De = ai ae 0-70m0 70-008 So7omwn TOM 9 assec 4)52ser § 80s 6 See OMe ‘The BMW has plenty of low-down muscle ands happy to be revved hard WHATCAR? restrigures, comm —epsncs - WHATCAR? resttigures econ Put down your foot and there’ a pause before the V40 responds ‘Acceleration i a4 ie? ‘Acceleration _ 33 18 Reon fino Suomen lrg ime eon: Gomme Dene Grin STE SoM sec sca a seme RS “44 | Novemacr 20% witcacom‘The Giulitta struggles Alfa Romeo Giulietta vs Audi A3 vs BMW 1 Series vs Volvo V40 ‘SMALL FAMILY CARS - a | 1 Ride and handling CE | AlfaRomeo —- &% ifthe road surface ist | ‘Audi Ree perfectly smooth BMW ARK ‘Volvo KKK ‘The Audis bodyshell is ‘exceptionally stiff, which helps the suspension keep the tyres in contact with the road surface ‘This means the car grips strongly and changes direction eagerly ‘The suspension fels firm around town but neverto the point where itbecomes annoying ‘More than anything isthe fas inability to deal with surface Imperfections that does most ay toundermine its cause. Catching DACA el ‘pothole ora drain cover causes ‘AS combines sharp and ‘distinct side-to-side shimmy alle handing witha anda pronounced kick through, the steering wheel. The Alfa grips wellonsmooth roads, however, and quick to respond to steering inputs, but ‘compared withthe Audi the Alfa feelslikea car froma bygone age. “The Volvo alo fails to shine Is more comfortable than the Alfabut tis stillon the firm side Around town and never feels ‘entirely settled on the motorway. Iealso feels rather imprecise ‘because ofits vague steering: which sashamebecausetf you " BESTFORCOMFORT Uv though thisdead zone the Caroctaly rie prety wel Di The BM iswel suited toUK {Sere ges over oor roads pling overall surfces roadsuraces yt tr smmoohly.Thatsofnes does framsioppyin bens rene flr emountofbody lean inbends buts fr from wallow Thesteeing inthis Series uch ighter than the previous feneration cars stl aly Melghtedand fel preseas Speed bulls butitisonthe quick beautifully controlled ride a (uring "Y (tebe ("cree ) | "27tuns ay, teen) (5 (ae) BES Metis greator geting the \ i099 / i hose ofthe cr to turm into comers | tres the cael wich on i themetorney i = - | | ‘The A3’s suspension feels firm in town, but never to the int where it becomes annoying’ Plenty of orp. but Va0 is letdown by its vague. steering and unsetled ride watearcom NOVEMBER 201 | 45TEST CENTRE drive cars offset pedals, bu front seats, helps you stay: vith the company’s Mut Interface (MM, which et functions by scroling thr control dia thas always because Audi has raised the short-cut keys, allow find the one you want by BMWs sceersbased 3 this group because it the car that sticks with adit ‘Switchgear. Some of his simple enough with time. ‘Asabonus, both the Al standard, BMW offersito (hisis standard onallits {and Volvoas pat ofits saelitenavigaton syste Behind the wheel AlfaRomeo ‘Audi KRREK BMW eee Volvo RRR: In the past we've criticised Audi for giving some ofits right-hand new Agsare almost perfectly indine with the steering wheel ‘This, along with the supportive from cramp and discomfort. ‘onscreen menus using a central ‘one ofthe easier systems to use ‘utitnow works better than ever, Particularly clearly labelled, but its ‘more logically positioned than the buttons inthe Volvo, so becomes The pedals inthe Volvoare just.as well positioned and its Seatsare even better than the Audi's. However, the Volvo stil {sn'tascomfortableon along tripecauseits steering wheel Isslightly skewed and there’ atthe nowhere torest your lft foot when you're not using the clutch, ‘This isa problem in the Alfa too, and its pedals are all at different heights, which means it's more dificult than it should beto free move fromone toanother. Audio, connectivity and sat-nav Infotainment systems AlfaRomeo #**O” ‘Audi RRR BMW eK Volvo PRROC Like most Audis, the AB comes i Mecia ts you control variousinfotainment ough been some of ing youto Tomake matters worse, the Alfa's seats don'thold you in place particularly welland the steering Whee is to high, even when its Inits lowest setting ‘The BMWalso hasits problems, because it has offset pedals that force you totwist your body. Whats more, ifs hard to get the Seat exactly where you want it because the controls foradjusting the height and backrest angle are fiddly and imprecise. True, this Isn'tamajorproblem you're the ‘only one who drives the ca, but youtshareit with your partnerand ‘Alfa Romeo Gilleta Afais alone in sticking wit rational stereo controls; you can also change the volume or track rom the wheel ouch. Aut A3Some ofthe MMI short-cut buttons re ralsed so you can tll, System, |Drive, works much the same way and s every bitas user friendly. However, Volvo's quite distracting the main controler is quite idly, and is hard to tell the supplementary buttons apart. “The fais the odd one out in reoniy foal isnt . PF the Audi get voice controlas nly a5 part of a£280 pack that also, Includes ul Pod integration rivals) them apart by touch the onscreen menus ae carl laid out too 4 [BMW 1Series Like MMI. BMWs iDrive system links arotary controller and ‘onscreen menus; our car came withthe £1995 Multimedia pack upgrade — 1200 _Volve 40 Most infotainment functions ae controlled bya single knob, but te buttons onitare day: the V40 on screen menus couldbe clearer they have the seat ina diferent position itean be irritating, ‘Overthe-shoulder vision isalso compromised in the BM due to its thick pillars and shallow rear screen, although things ae just as bad in the Alfaand Volvo, Only the ‘Audi offers a good all-round view. Most ofthe switchgear in ‘these cars is elatedtotheir infotainment systems, but each has simple climate controls that make t easy toadjust the {temperature or fan speed when you'reon the move ‘Alfa is the odd one out because it's the only car that sticks with traditional switchgear’ Like Volvo, fa Romeo an ‘BMW charge sily money for satay but we'd betempted tohaveit on the Aud, whereit costs just £495 You dont even hhave to specty when you order your car: the system is based around info on an SD card that canbe purchased from a dealer atany time. ‘As youd expec, these four alicome with Bluetooth and USB socket that ets you charge Your Pod and play it through the car's sound system However its worth considering thebasic stereo upgradesin the ‘Audi and BMW because they ‘lve you a superior sound for £255 and £230 respectively. ‘Allfour manufacturers have ‘detups with premium stereo brands, bt these systems cost between £580 and £820, so make sense only if youre realy into your music 46 | Novemac 201 wtcacom Infotainmentfeatures co/ovo 50m Ped) Upmraded DAB Searing Vice Hard Navigation Naot 2 Sere onger input USE alo rao “whe” cant te syatum peters YF Netoatae orton conal ‘AifaRomeo Gitta wx oe mK x wo 6 “ ‘wai 3 He Xv 5505 x £4958 7 ‘BMW i aries Mes 00230295 BOK FSS Zi WolvoVvs0 xe YW -€800-€25.—~¥~—~ ROO —«X—~EOO™ 7Alfa Romeo Giulietta vs Audi A3 vs BMW 1 Series vs Volvo V40 ‘SMALL FAMILY CARS Poor quality controt Some plastics feel cheap and thestas are abit lightweight Ergonomicissues ‘Theres no space for footrest inthe Gitta Cassy cabin Ais immed with materials worthy ofan executive car Fancy detailing Sim infotainment screen lies out of dashboard and centre console are angled towards driver Makingtitesimple Programmable short-cut buttons come in handy Confusing design Centre console features too many identical buttons Extrastorage loating'centre console has useful cubby behind wateacom NOVEMBER 20% | 47TEST CENTRE AlfaRomeo — ®® OO ‘Audi KRREK BMW eee: Volvo RRRRE ‘The old A3 was always one ofthe classiest carsin the small family, hatch sector,but the new model takes things toa whole new level Its cabins built from the sort of materials you'd expect to find in ‘aposh executive saloon, while beautifully weighted switchgear Equipment Audi ee BMW ee. Volvo oe Allo these cars come with alloy ‘wheels, emote central locking and electric front windows, and albu the Audi have electric ‘windows in the back, to the AB Isthe only three door car here) ‘Allfour also have some form of ai-conditoning although thesystemsinthe Audi and BMW require you toadjust the temperature manually ‘The Alfaand Volvo have more advanced elmate contol systems, so you just tapin the desired temperature andthe est Istaken care of automatically ‘The Alfa impresses most, though, because itadds cruise control rear parking sensors and automaticlightsand wipers as Standard, These are avaliable on theother three cars butonly as expensive optional extras. However, the Alfaloses| amarkfor being avaliable only Inblack unless you want to stump up an extra £490 for another soli colour. “Theres no automatic option With ether the Alfa or the Audi ith these engines, wile BMW's superb automatic will st you back £1490. We'd certainly think twice before forking out £1495 for Volvo's rather sluggish auto. Quality and reliability _andasuperstim infotainment screen that glides out ofthe dashboard add tothe impression that no expense has been spared. ‘The Vologetsclosest to ‘matching the Audi for perceived quality thanks to its mix of abitlightwelght rock-solid build quality and tactile, soft touch plastics. Meanwhile, the BMWalso impresses, aside from some buttons that don't line-up properlyandarather austere dashboard design, ‘Only the alfaisikely toleave you feeling short-changed, ‘Alfa Romeo Giulietta DNA switch alters throttle and steering response = ‘Audi A Jet engine-style alr vents look great and are easy touse [BMW 1Series Rocker switch ets Yyouswap driving modes, Volvo V40 Active TFT dsplay adds £350 tothe VA0s price Equipment and safety and security \ S ‘The materials inthe lower reaches ofits eabin are pretty hardand Scratchy: What's more the metallic highlights on its dashboard are disappointingly plasticky and the indicator and wiper stalks feel Allof hese cars are too new to have been included in the last IDPower customersatisfaction survey, but Alfa Romeo was the worst performing ofthe four brands, finishing 19th out of 27 Its rivals were all closerto the topof the table than the bottom, a Giuletta’ rear door handles are neatly hidden in window frame \ ‘Standard electronic parking brake frees up space on centre console ‘BMW's manual seat adjustment controls are unnecessarily fiddly ‘Adjustable load floor san option ‘worth specitying at ust £100 ‘The Volvo ets closest io matching the Audi for perceived quality. The Alfa disappoints’ Safety and security AlfaRomeo RR** Audi Rae H BMW RRR Volvo RRRRE Volvo nasa great reputation for safety and the new V40 doesnt disappoint. Te isto standard ‘equipment includes an updated version of Volvo City Safety system, which can automatically apply the brakes it senses youre closing too quickly on acarorpedestrian, Whats more the Volvois the first car ever tobe fited with pedestrian airbag. The'bag pops out rom under the bonnet fohelp cushion the blow should youn someone Volvo was recently awarded the highest overall Euro [NCAP rating ever. The only disappointment wasits slighty bbelow-par rating on chil safety The Audi also impresses, because, ike the Volvo thas anairoag to protect the drivers kkneesin a colision, andit achieved the best child Euro NCAP safety rating here. ‘four carshavea stabiity control system to help prevent Yyoutosing control the car in the fist place. Each aso has an engine immobiliser to make It almost impossible to start the engine withthe key, while deadlocks stop the door being ‘opened from the inside 48 | Novemacr 201 wtcacom Options prices ito Metalic Aron! cic Parking Crulso Lumbar Leather Auto Tacion/ _Albags_—_ rivers 7 Sere ceartox “pai ‘mste window Somos coal Suppor’ ‘eae’ ghtrandHabity dferain_knse Bag Neve fonts! trontiear tone ‘iver cond AlfaRomeoGilieta X50 Wa Venom Wk ‘au 6505 77390 JIX—E3A5/6S95 F225 Ios m5 BVI I ‘BMW Series 1490 e515 Tees IV €345/e580 E500" £200 emis £90 VW WV Volvo va0 1485 £550 «Xv =——«WIV— a5 /eBSO E1850" —«T2SO«BE CWOAlfa Romeo Giulietta vs Audi A3 vs BMW 1 Series vs Volvo V40 ‘SMALL FAMILY CARS Wind, roadand engine ‘Alfa Romeo noseainvude so Gulleta ‘Audi Isthenolsiestcarhere BMW Volvo Drivethe Alfaor Volvo on any Noise t70mon road witha grainy surface and youcanttbut help notice quite bitof vibration through the Nolee st20meh suspensionand floor. Take the ‘Audi and BMW down the same road and you'l be amazed by how they smooth things out. The Afaisthe loudest of the {quartet allowing more wind, road and especially engine noise through into the cabin. Quietest Isthe BMW, whichis very hushed ‘with the exception of some wind noise generated by the door mirrors. According to our decibel meter, there's fraction more noise in the Audi at 7omph, Undoubtedly thisisdown tothe amount of road noise it generates, ‘Theres some roadnolse onthe motorway, but that’ the only black mark. Noiseat 70mph ‘onthe motorway. However, the pee ‘Agsenginessmootherand {generates ess mechanical clatter Note at30m0n than the BMWs, Despite the off-beat five «ylinder noise made by the Volvo engine, very litle engine vibration canbe fet inthe cabin, Wsjusta shame thatits gearshift andclutch action feel so mushy, QUIETEST AT70MPH Conversely, the alas gearshift Israthernotchy and the cluteh is pretty heavy;on our test cart bit Aalmostas soonasit was released From the floor. “The shift in the BNW, especially into second gear, isparticuarly slow and notchy when driving around town; expecially when the Aside romsome wind ose around door mirrors, there’ ite to disturb you Noseat 70mph engine cold. Thankfully things oe sweeten once you ve picked Up some speed. While the A3s Neloe 20mm clutch and shiftis precise and nicely weighted, there'sa distinct lick every shift almost asf the stickecatches on the shift gate, ‘The Alfa a Tomes is a assoporingy ny ‘Noise at 70moh more noise G notest20000 into the cabin’ Novewacr 20% | 49TEST CENTRE | Boot capacity AifaRomeo 350-nalires ‘Audi BMW Volvo Ourmeasuement show that Tests wort orn oom Ste for ontestoom. Miyoullned obese tonal Taloteempedbeninthe ves ofanyorteecars infeed eee Lesotigoaoe spc ut tela ps gute bg sgn When foter wl ‘ert happy neh of Teese ay hy hdmorchesominte st thd vad ore Knesoon siccrst poor inten ENG. 8:tcrety tng theback nthe AR sroors aisipuctieatos bain theta beens neo the dort ee he new vedo As sprtah deta foonslethnst ya has frre teres nometey uncon Unincersonesoyoutaeto feetjourdtngpston ey Time Jouktsoneznein Tes ces ila inthe sa tor dessa ear sooropeninsburyushoun hoveany eens etree thebakettentsorse ‘hesfourrsre mae dosey mathe comes toot eeahensvallon ste rena rateese Fewer only the aul se Vohofae aeteot esta Ieyoutsethespaceanase theo ee Sopher sash A sutrortohean youre Specs tees ab ep in Montene ates ad lt heute doe pockets inhetone ie Aare pat tan tents Boats bi mronbuttSametaigasthe As Bootcapactty 360-1200 itres ‘Drop the rear seats in the Audi, BMW or Volvo and youre left witha flat load area’ \éO cant svolow as much luggage as stir als Bootcapactty s35108z ies 50 | novewser202.Alfa Romeo Giulietta vs Audi A3 vs BMW 1 Series vs Volvo V40 ‘SMALL FAMILY CARS ‘Theprice youpay forthe Gilets dramatic tying is tight rearheacroom ‘Three-door body limit tntheyhadmoreroom BEST REAR SPACE, ww Rear door openings are small but there'sltsof spaceonce youTeinside Bestfortront headroom Driver Matches the A3for front legroom and it’s only slighty down onheadroomSWEENEY eerste ard Se YY 3 VA) keen) ae eo Go FurtherAlfa Romeo Giulietta vs Audi A3 vs BMW 1 Series vs Volvo V40 highest ist (Pub) price and also has the highest CO, output. Iyoutea top-tate taxpayer youl pay around £215 morea yearn BIK fax todrivethe BMW instead of the Audi Isasimila story when itcomes toleasing The BMWis the most expensive,costing £512 month ‘more than the most affordable carhere, the Audi. tthe Alfa that will cost you leastat the pumps, though. (Our True MPG tess show that itreturnsalmost 6ompgin ‘These cas willallbe popular choices among business users, ‘which bodes well for the Aud, Rs low CO, output qualifiesit for ‘cheaper benefit in kind (BIK) tax rates than the other three The BMW isthe most expensive ‘company car because ithas the ‘Whatit will cost you {Alfa Romeo Giulletta Cheap to lease and to ow privately Prices List price TorgetPce SES Sere einy E60/er20 ‘Aud A3 Low company car tax bis and contact hire rates Residual value oy yea) ‘Three-year cost mbepreciation Insurance Servicing Total £17,672 on sos Yao £4265 Emissionsandeconomy @true Wes mFistyesrroad tax “fh “fa 5% % ‘SMALL FAMILY CARS real-world driving (lightly more than the Volvoand BMW). slightly disappointingly, the Audi was the thirstiest ofthe four, returning just stampa. ‘Asa private buy, the BMW makes the most sense, True, it’ the most expensive ar hereto buy, but factor inallof the other costs you're likely to face during three years of ownership andit ‘works out the cheapest ofthe four, ‘The Volvo's poor resale values and service costs explain why its the priciest car to own privately. ‘The Audi's low CO2 outpui qualifies itfor the chea| benefit in kind tax’ BMW 1 Series More tempting as ‘private uy than a company car Volvo V40 Let down by high deprecation and servicing bls £20995 ‘sven. rrerry erera ed ry eer ford Rood tax @ True MPG Total Total £17,038 £18,894 eo css 8 a il 1256 jg £407 on mTaxiabity 48mg sesmpa 7 VF. watearcom NOVEMBER 201 | 53TEST CENTRE Stats, specs and ratings Alfa Giulietta20JTDm Lusso Audi A320 TD1150SE List price £21505 Target Price £21045 LUst price £21250 Target Price £19936 BMW 1i8d SE 5dr Lst price £22,030 Target Price £20782 Volvo v40 20 03 150 ES List price £20995 ‘Target Price£20.396 fy Seve 50 raves Economy emoetGord Seren Sottes Erion oghr it rue MPC average 58506 Reatwordrange 777s ‘Satety EuONCAPcrashrating SHOHS W97% Oa5% Dex Ooo Engine and performance Size 1856 SeyL1D Peakpower[38hpa3720'%m Peatrque 25a tgt500rpm ocomen Tops 96 ict as reo Feet atromeccouk pip 5738 265:00 res emowGon) _seonen sbi Erieione Seg kt rae MPC average Stim. eatwordrange S95 mies Euro NCAP crash ating W95% Gare Dre Ooo Sie 68a ey. Peakpower Habnpa3200rpm Peaktorque 255b ReTSOrpn som Tenses ai ie a m= Webste weauscouk wo Ses @]———+ fy 59220360:200 tres ecnontGoW) S000 Soles Erion —_aghr te True MP average 54899 Reatwordrange, 603s Euro NCAP crash rating ‘A 9m% @om% Dore Ooox Sie 8850 467.1 Peakpower {stsnis000%m Peaktorque 2550 t6080rp caren tps Ea Wicni Webster }——+ iy Soacesssi0n2 tres ecrontGow) see oie Eras eg te True MPC average Sera EUONCAP crash ating $2948 ‘H90% @75% Dax O100% See aber Sey. 10 Peakpower 282np83800rpm Peaktoraue 2580 atsOO-pm omen ose 93° Ich S os Webete mmnohocarcombi Buying owning ed Buying owning Ratings Performance Peformance sexe Performance eee Performance Rie &hanaing ie &hanating sexes Ride G handing seeee Ade & hating Behind the whee Behidthewheel AE Behind the wheal AER) Behind the whet Infotainment system Infotainmentsystom AIA Infotaimentsystem —_#HHK. —_Infotnment system Qualty éretaty Quay relay 4 — Quality rolabily #4 QualtyGrelaity Equipment Equipment Equipment $5) Egupment Softy & security Set security Salty Gsecuty AHERN) Safty & security Refinement Refinement Refinement Retinement ‘Space & practicality Space & preccalty Space & precy Space & practicality Buying owning Buying & owning 54 | NoVEMBER20I2uhstaecomAlfa Romeo Giulietta vs Audi A3 BMW 1 Series vs Volvo V40 ‘SMALL FAMILY CARS ‘Audi A3 20 TDI150 SE For Elegant cabin enloyable hanaing: stunning Performance: tow taxation ‘Against Three-door body lite practicality ‘Great to crive andto be driven in the A3 setsnew standards forthe class BMW ti8d Volvo vao SESdr 2.0 03150 ES Alfa Romeo Giulietta 2.0,JTDm 140 Lusso For Comfortable; trong Forty, welkcrafted cabin; For Exceptionally well performance: affordable superb safety kt ‘equipped: excelent economy Against Poor overthe-shouléer | | Against Mushy clutch and ‘Against Driving position, sbiltyofset pedals ‘gears fdaly contro ‘questionable reliability Jerdict Strong in every respect. Offers a great dea Lett foundering by worthy altemativetothe a3 | | butthis's not the best V40 the quality ofthe opposition ‘THE NEW A3 looks similar to ‘with company car drivers and ‘The A3’s Sadly, although the quality of the the car itreplaces, but ook. company accountants cabin isto be admired, its comfort hoon tamiarproficand “TievSenesgetclsetto — ER@WLOUNIG —_ Sesnteminadty amare ‘things have improved out of ‘matching the A3.Itmight not ride. Vague steering also does litle Allreogniion'Theupshot!s—beasengagngorasbeguilng — talents toencourage paceydrivingand carthat goesstraighttothe asthe Aud,butthe BMWs Slimited steering lock makes own top ofits class. supple suspension, excellent ‘antee actually drivethe wheels Evenin from your remaining rangeto this range-extending mode, hhow the drivetrain is working. \sremarkably hushed, The entre console s much easier The Volthas far more forgiving _tolathom than the Volt, too, suspension than the Prt, “The Prius is the more practical although poor road surfacesstill car. Itcan seat five (one more BEST DASHBOARD = Se Space-age styling Touch Instrument display ott has sensitive markingslook great, | asingle LCD esplay instead but arent that easy touse of instrument cls Conventionallayout Plugins | Drabplasties Hard and dashboard has proper buttons, | scratchy plastics dominate s0ismore user friendly the Toyotas dashboard Novewaen 202 | 63‘ech ye ne Goto for the latest deals on hundreds of new cars Our cars every week ee ! Ss +O——O- Ford Focus | KiaCeed Suzuki Switt "Volvo V40 New videos on - Seanree: / =a el, Audi Al Sportback Mazda CXS Seat Ibiza Volkswagen Eos Check out our You channelTWIN TEST | Chevrolet Volt vs Toyota Prius GREEN FAMILY CARS ‘ThePriushas loadsmore rearhead-and legroom, and Chevrolet Volt Toyota Prius Plug-in Linpricet0e5 Target Pnicot2995 Untpiesz7eosTamet Pica sz05 || Measurements nna itrnt rm | Oar | 7 3 than the Volt andrear passengers Youneedn’t worry toomuch Fas) haveloedsmoxervom TheTesots shout the unconrertional ih Boal —- alsobasthelagerandmore mechanics of ether at, both Se iteableboot theres more Sera ene Rone TE Cutright spaceand theretsnt’ _foo,000-mile warranties a ‘abigstep down on to the boot Both carsareeligible forthe full Fs ——— florlike there isin the Vo ss000clectiecargrant from the | Government, but even sothey're | Willthey break not exactly cheap as private buys = Boe — one the! ‘They make much moresenseas Emden: phonsktx | Emedoms ght Bothcarscanbecharged fromany company cars with benefit in ron erage ioc weap 2ago-volt socket. Afullchargein the kind (IK) tax eattvimgs Sana eatveonge ‘Sanam Priustakesjust go minutes which, Bothcome withalloy wheels, | Safety bbaedonanaveragetconomy7 crulseand climate contol, Eronercanaing S898 — ExoNCWPcan tng SSS tanf, worksouttoanelectriity Bluetooth, heated seats and Reon Ovex Dam ©ass aon Gazx Gsax oon DillofE28 every 1000 miles, reversing camera, Chevrolet also TheVoltisevencheapertorun, throws infront andrea parking. | Englneand performance withabillofjastéisevery000"sensorsandleatherseats but | Sue Emeiemetor*otentr Sameer maar miles, although itsiarger batteries charges £1745 fora satnav, Peakpower 306" Peakpower sibhp combined ope) ‘mean it takes six hours tocharge. _ which Toyota fits as standard. Peak torque 273IbR See urea Pertormancefigure —— section a | Our verdict SSRN" asec SSS” ose | ‘Thetactthat the Volcan managesomuchfartherbetweencharges. | | 3o-somm™ i ance sosome 4 aiec | fiesitamasive head start and when you acortsstonger Rar = i Ferormance and morecorfortable rie esi wins tis est Se rom ee so-70e08 | ‘The Toyota is the more practical car, but isn't as rounded, ttm © wn © i Chevrolet Volt HH: im 4aam 3m sem || Foe moresive elec rang: smoother ide cheaper tease Alms Tt ear ead anleoomsconfsing Gash yout | | ClO) tana — ‘Verdict The best alternative fuel car on the market 93 (160 6 US Toyota Prius Plug-in #2 For More practicalthanthe Vo cheaper to buy-quckto charge | | BaiM@ ‘Against Limited electric range: crasy ride: cheap cab plates. | | ae Verdict Small electric range its the Pugin’ appeal Seatac pone TESCO Petrol Filling Station BCS ae ra wateacom NOVEMBER 201 | 65This car came top in its class. Official fuel consumption figures for the TT range in mpg (\/100km) from: Urban 25.9 (10.9) ~40.4 (7.0), Extra Urban 44.1 (6.4) -65.7Audi POSS Vorsprung durch Technik For the sixth time in a row, the Audi TT Coupé and Roadster have been awarded ‘best in class’ by What Car? Both cars deliver a winning combination of great looks, dynamic handling and safety, whichever way you look at it “sse]2 Sz Ul doz qos SLED Jed SIU, (4.3) Combined 34.9 (8.1) -53.3 (5.3), CO2 emissions 189 - 139g/km. Wheels shown on TT Roadster available on Black Edition only.OUR CARS Ourcars ee Rec Ford Focus Were saying goodbye to our turbocharged Focus and saying hello toa turbocharged Focus. The similarities end there, though FORD Focus ‘Model 167150 Ecoboost Titanium ‘Mileage!.730 List price £19950 17888 Why it was ontest Tosee how Fords latest Focus coped with the toughest challenge of all life as toddler transport 668 | novewoer202. DOES FORD STILL make the best family cars? There wasa time when the likes of the original Escort ticked every box going, but with sUVsand MPVs now offering greater practicality and ‘amore imposing road presence, cars such asthe Focus have started tolooka litle, well ordinary. Thad my doubts myselflast summer when our Focus Ecoboost Jolned meanda large bump in the office carpark. Theimminent arrival of little one was enough okeep my mind busy on itsown, but would our choice of vehiele be abletokeep up? ‘Ourcar was likely to spend most ofits lifein town doing modest ‘miles, so we opted for the 1g8bhp turbocharged petrol model instead of paying the premium for adiesel Wewent for Titanium spec, which looked particularly generous, then added the £750 Driver Assistance Pack blind-spot ‘monitoring lane keeping assist and driver alertness monitoring), the £525 Convenience Pack {automati folding door micrors and rear parking sensor), a spectacular shade of metallic rellow paint (£745) and 18-inch loy wheels £400). ‘id take my son long to put the Focus’ family credentials to the test, because the sheer amount of cutter that accompanies newborns is extraordinary Stil, the Fords boot was able to cope, even ifwe ended up leaving the parcel shelf at home more often than weid have liked. As the ‘months passed, and we ventured ‘out more, we were abe to get the ‘buggy across the luggage bay without too much difficulty Space aside, the carhad adecent blend of durability and premium feel although i's worth pointing ‘out that many ofthe chrome dashboard flourishes are restricted toour Titanium trim and above Still the weight ofthe switchgear, the assy stereocontrolsand elements such as the (standard) DAB radio and the engine's punchy performance made the fara useful tool across town oF fonlonger journeys.We liked, Superb DAB radio was fitted 45 standard We didn ke conomny never really Lae ut af the 3s joyed driving ni {the 1.0-litre could be Ford Focus 16T 150 Ecoboost Titanium logbook BUYING INFORMATION Pricewhennew £19,750 £19950 Extras Driver Assistance Pack £750; Candy Yellow pearlescent paint £745; Convenience Pack £525, 1Binch alloy wheels £400 Total price £22170 RUNNING Costs Overall test fuel economy s39mp9 Worst fuel economy 256m Best fuel economy 37mp3 ‘True MPG 35imp9, Offical fuel economy 471mp9 (CO,/tax liability 1399/ken/18% Contracthire £301 Cost permite 49> Insurance group 19 Typical quote £580 SERVICING AND REPAIR COSTS Servicing $000 miles, £204 Repairs Scufed rear bumper £144; slow puncture £18, FULLSTORY whatcarcom/ourtocus (Siti 0 tt Ta Ford Focus ‘There were occasional niggles. Theengine stop-start system seemed particularly moody, ‘working only in specific atmosphericconditions (adealer mechanic described it as'a pointless gimmick’ when queried its effectiveness) [found theselF-park function a wasteof time, too, although Iwas saved bythe blind-spot monitoring on ‘more than one occasion “Around town, meanwhile, theridecould felalittle frm ~a penalty perhaps, of our brave choice of alloy wheels and the turning circle was woeful Wsawonder the Focus survived without scuffed front bumpers, and the sheer chore of three-point ‘ums in supermarket carparks persuaded met shop online, Fuel economy was more of ‘fundamental problem. We're better informed these days, thanks toTrue MPG, but when we chose thiscarin spring20n there was only the Government figureto oon. at 473mpg, it ‘ought to be enough but instead we were stung with an overall averageofless than 34mpg, and ‘ona coupleof particularly bad runs we saw ust 26.6mpg. ‘Atleast we were filling the Focus with unleaded, instead of more expensive diesel, but Ford has sincelaunched a more economical range of tiny 10 litre turbocharged Ecoboosts. They'renot as powerful asthe 16~ offering 99bhp or ‘agbhp -but they return around rompg more in the Government tests “Toseeif the Loire version is allt’ cracked up tobe, we've just taken delivery fone (the grey car shown here) itreplaces my 1600, the What Car? fleet and willbe ran by colleague Barnaby Jones. I'sin Zetec trim and, tokeep the cost low, the only option we've added is Dark Micastone metallic paint at £595, That means a price of £18470, ‘whieh sounds like lot fora Focus witha tiny engine, but that engine fsacracker Its incredibly smooth and quiet, and fels far punchier thanyou‘d thinka1o-itrehasany right tobe Early economy hasn't been great at 38mpg but hopefully thatllimprovenow the engine istunin. Tenjoyed driving my 1.6 Boboost and it was just about big, enough forferryinga baby and his {grandparents around, For my Iifestyle, however, Ieouldn' justify the uel bill. IFthe1.0 Ecoboosts significantly cheaper to run, tl be the better bet for most people. EW) sceiedonagnie Novewacn 20% | 69OUR CARS Peugeot 508 SW Did Peugeot's estate give as much satisfaction over 12 months as one of its accomplished rivals? Didn'tlike Powered bootlid Nice idea, but it was too slow with the kids tooperate ~ PEUGEOT S08 SW hy it was | ontest | Rivals beat it in tests, but how would the 508 SW are during a year of family life? PEND ENOUGH YEARS owning. promising beter value, dynamics, image -orall three Aftera year inour22HDi204 ‘GT model however, going to missit It'sutfers some dear horfalls against its competitors, eeisalio something ee Didn'tlike Cupholders Too narrow; only just or Volkswagen Passat butlifels, accepts a sy that imple Soy with cavest attached, the Liked drinks can Rear light cluster Neat design makes good tmodelcostalmostts0,c00when —- US@ Of LEDS 70 Novemacr 20% wtcacomPeugeot 508 SW comfortandlengthyrange-never lessthansoomiles sometimes | Peageot508 SW dloseto7o0.Mybestfucieconomy | 9 9191 204. GT. stats were achieved overseas 4aimpgbothtimes though | Logbook 38-3ompg was more typical For ome time lavoided the Sport BUYING INFORMATION modeonthestandard sixspeed | Price when new £29,985 auto gearbox fr fear of worsening 30.275 theeconomy,butafteraone-tank” | Extras Motorised tailgate and experiment with itswitched on | loadresraining net £460; Ineverlooked back Therewasno | metalic paint £450 qind-one discernible MPG penalty.andthe | mate corto and ease paybackofsharpergetavaye rom | Sunbinds £310 font parking ‘Functions andbetterresponses | aidwh pari asst £255 inotherstuationsoffered useful | Totalpice 31460 improvement othe overall dnivingexperienc. RUNNING COSTS ‘Asafamulyeartheso8dkl_ | Qveralltest economy 379mp9 Like Interior quality Felt premium, but agrandjoh Mychiltrn agedsix. | Basttuceconomy (23m developed the odd squeak within a year —andio)hadagreatenvironment | Werstfueleconomy 334mp9 inthebackwithtinted windows | Offialfueleconomy 47259 fandblinds theirownheating | €Oyfalabity ba Didn'tlike Contolsands fantastic view outof | Contracthire £402 thefulblength panoramicsunroot. | Costper mile Sip Auto gearbox fosafanofthegissroot butits | surance group Toolethargic worthnotingthatwhentheroot | Typlealquote 965 instandarcl _ bindisopenitdoesaliow more wind noe into thecabin SERVICING AND mode Contact with my local Peugeot | REPAIR COSTS dealer,Charters in aldershot (0844 | Servicing 20.000 mies, £295 wetook delivery, 247 0815), was minimal. With Repairs None andweaddedafew 20,000-mile service intervals, and extrasontop, pushing nocausetopayavisitbeforehand, | FULLSTORY the overall list price ‘ourbriefexperiencewaslimited — | whatcarcom/ourSO8sw tof31460.Thatsalotof __toanefficentcolletionand ‘money fora Peugeot although delivery service from home. {ts worth remembering th “The £295 ill was just a quoted. inmost cases this cr will be aMondeo, whichis our . auserchoosercompanycaron _favouritefamilyestate,issimply | 4900 —f. leasing deal too obvious, the 508 makes ‘The Bistre black metallicpaint an interestingalternativein helped make the 508 lookgreat crowded and capable sector. (| ontheroad;thecargotalotof ‘Rather thanour GT model, we admiringcomments from friends, think thesweetspotintherange | 8000 family andcolleagues.Theso8 isthe mid-range Active trim, wasofen confused foran Audi, whichbeneftsromlowerco, | #8000 Which ishigh praisein mybook, figuresand competitive pricing. | gsogg ‘Theimpression of high quality Sometimes differents good el te tod extended throughout thecabin, enough, even f i's not better. If whichmaintaineditsfitand finish thatsyou,theSo8 isworthalook, | Mad svecuamento Jmpressvely through 25000 ) | Stocker neo tei enn’ les of demanding family use. eq aaa ty sam Stemessonswaanoaicr Yetalthough the Peugeot nya omwnerertescon continued tolook gest, build aualty did becomean issue towards theendofourtime with the car. The problemas we noted ‘nearly driving impressions, wasthat the 508 ride quality 'ssimply too firm for UK roads ‘Asthe miles piled on, persistent squeaks and rattles emerged from the luggage area, which we suspected was linked tothe oor low-speed ride quality. “The 508 isa its best on long-distance cruises. took wo tripsover the English Channel one to Austria anda shorteroneto Liked Spacious boot northern rance.On the roadsof Ihadaflatfloor and manandeumpenscguty was wellshaped —_timetoapprecatetheseat ‘TheS08retumed ie best economy onlonglouneysinto Europe NoveaeR 208 | 71OUR CARS AWHILE AGO I would havelooked ‘aghast if someone had suggested Tshould drivea Volvo.Isurely hadn't reached that age bath ‘mental and physical) in life when Volvobecomes the preferred ‘option Yes, they’ resale, they're ‘comfortable and they have great seats, but they'renot for me. like sportscar, cheap convertibles and eyling 1a Then saw Vo. [tlooked good Blondleather seats may not ook this pristine after year; D2has punchy engineand espectablehandling Ina way that every previous Volvo ' had filed to manage, while Volvo claimed it would be good fun to ‘driveand economical When the ‘boss suggested I should run one Iwas, tomy own surprise, happy | todoso, | Ourvgo came straight from f the cars UK press launch, and | wasthen put througha thorough | group test by ourroad test team | {atest in which it eared fourstas, noless) soit was already fully, runinby the timel got my handsonit. The V4o is pretty well kitted as | standard coming with climate ‘control an ait-conditioned glovebox, cruise control and Keyless start. In addition, all Vgos get the ity Safety system that (below simph) stops you running Int thecarin front, andthe ‘world’s first pedestrian airbag, ‘which pops out from beneath the ‘bonnet ifyou hit someone However, asalready mentioned, courcarisaiaunch car, which ‘means ithas quite few optional ‘extras fitted, The most expensive ofthese isthe Drivers Support Packat £1850. his incorporates ‘ablind:spot warning system, lane-departure warning system and active cruise control. The £1250 Winter llumination Pack includes swiveling headlights, headlight washers, LED daytime running lights, heated seats and ‘more cabin lighting Then there's the £850 self parking system, ‘hich allows the car to choose ‘suitable space and ster into, ‘Ourcaralso hasa power drivers seat with memory (£600), Volvo’ Active TFT dashboard Nees ccil Saati boston 00) Volvo V40 Finally the passenger airbag citoftfeaturecostsanextratzs. fmDOMUO]BSecroR Loy OL-k- Eas Volvo owner to enj iowa the V4O, or can anyone? Were about to fi ‘ofthese extras we'll beableto ‘say is worthwhile when we get to 72) novewoen 202. .Volvo V40 theendofourtimewith theca tostanduptoayeaof daily use, theamountof toa oisethecar Fornowtmreeranghugenent. “LO TMY CY@S, tressenywicnaanone so’ genentesepeellyonporer intial impreionsa fe Wao thetenintobeaticdunyencty Sndsurbeer buts he moment asetrelagetypontvetory UNC V4OUS _itreshegetsbackintnecarater — Tmeounteractngthe problem tyesateat oy ares aide iitea tes hasforsure.bytuning up the undenahy Rotigetalthepahtases the best Tedonearound soo mies powerful guionystem | tutthere the Aud sand ‘ inthevgosofaranditsproving “WohocaimsthevgoDawil fontomingmeresies cass =~ LOOKING OF —Nprenyseoscompanion'me'® —doanavengeotesnpe but | Inloed Adlcly tase eee Somoothead panty, eri Agues suggest etn makesforsomevisbity sees, ALL THE POSH wiiveniesreaonsbleonthe nowherenearthet Mastery mest nobly when our looking > motorways frtoofmintown, dll commute son motorways cenyeureithalerocege Hatches though trstghywertedby."andualaageways and Tanedonthe motor The eat averaging asters whichis si vow guts a ‘he tenor su thingat beauty, Alina a fombelngaghat though th good quay pasts axdrivings Volvo miooking throughout and good looking, forward othe next month hard-wearing materials used on ‘ewan Doig ] f) ElonDenwhatarcon the seats. not sure how the Blond leather onthe seatsis going Far out savking function needs Sa eae Squeeay does it Euan’ bike fsa long os he removes the front wheel fist Suit yourself Active TFT ls you choose {rom three display options Volvo V40 16D D2 SE Nav logbook BUYING INFORMATION List price £22.545 21954 Extras Driver's Support Pack £1850; Winter llumination Pack £1250; Park Assist Plot £850; power driver's seat £600: Active TFT dash and iluminated ‘gearknob £350; exible load floor £100; passenger airbag cutoff £25, RUNNING COSTS. Testfuel economy 54:3mp9 ‘True MPG 56.8m99 Offical fuel economy 78.5mp3, CO,fax ability 94g/k/13% Contract hire £276 Cost per mile 42p Insurance group 20, ‘Typleal quote £595 FULLSTORY ‘whatcarcomlourvad Novewaen 20% | 73OUR CARS To see if an electric car could really fitinto daily life, or if daily life had to fitaroundan electric car THERE MUST BE real novelty for carsalesmen tasked with selling Nissan’ electric family hatchback, the Lea. Not only do they have to ‘explain charging techniques, rangeand battery life, they also have to putcustomers off buying the Leaf ifthey reckon i's not ‘going to suit their lifestyle That unusual task was revealed touslatelast summer, when ‘we picked our own Leaf up from West Way Nissan in Aldershot. The dealerships electric vehicle ‘expert, Guy Millar, acknowledged that incorrectly purchased Leafs ‘ould doreal damageto the EV cause, and Nissan's reputation, eopleloveit when they driveit, he said "but we have to talk quite a few customers out ofbuying one because when they describe their lives, t's clear that it just wouldn't work for them: “Twelve monthson, wecan see his point The Leaf arrived in the What Car? car parkina blaze of ‘curiosity and was a popular chofce for several weeks as everyone ‘grabbed the keys, eagertosample ‘what isthe first mass- marketed fully electric family car. First impressions were ‘extremely positive asthe Leaf ‘won early admiration forts smooth, instant power delivery, spacious ary cabin and generally comfortable ride quality. Given that almost all Leafs will be used forshort urban commutes, its fairto say that Nissan has judged these elements beautifully Charging wasa bit ofa pain, anyone without off street parking athome had torely onthe office Setup andeven those with a driveway and a fee plug socket hada pretty tedious eight-hour charging time. We lo tired of the bulky charging module, which ended up strewn across the boot floor instead of packed up ints ‘custom bag and the slightly scary _Leafiesurprisingly normaltodrive, with a reasonable boot. Fast chargers boost capacity in30 minutes 174 wovemBeR 201 whatcarcomPower to the people Climate control of charge some Ei Eideomecionatenea ‘When you tecrwulvedogestan, FUN Out of tuistuichageessnome JUICe you Gwemmucsmcione, grind to “cinernrentogte A@Naltand tangemoeseneionorne =Waita few moveertamporinnacrtiom HOUXS for “Hrcamlcciagewn a&FeCharge’ Aistrop fancied taking the Lea down the M3 from ourofficeson /isevening commute and he did, only to discover that itwas next to po ‘the batteries went flat useless once hed got it home. ‘Tm right onthe cusp ofthe Lea's useable range, he sad,‘and my ‘commute is mainly motorway soithammers the battery 1d get hhome and there would be just ‘enough juice for maybea run to the local shop and back, but that d beaboutt If been faced with anemergency and had hadto drive again that night, have been relying on however much charge Id managed togetin ‘during the evening” ‘Tom Webster took tothe wheel forhis urban commute inthe winter only todiscover that because he couldn't plugin the car athis house and use the‘pre-heat’ function), he had to resort to ‘chunky knitwearto keep warm, ‘onhis early-morning run to work. Sub-zero temperatures also had adrasticeffect onthe range, even ifyoukept the heater turned off fortheentire journey. ‘That's the thing with electric ‘vehicles; running ow on juice ‘doesn’t just meana mild panicas {you Took fora filling station, then grumble about fuel economy, Inthe Leaf you'd simply grindto ‘abalt, then wait several hours ‘hile the car recharged, This happened once, in the hands of digital editor Ed Keohane, ‘who was oniy a mile short ofthe office when itconked out. Ed was Impressed by the evility of Nissan's emergency rescue man, but ess chuffed that ittook im the thickend of three hoursto get, tothe vehicle ‘Ourlesson learned, we turned the Leaf into analloffie runabout forurban journeys, whichis probably afairreflectionof the KindoflifestyleGuy Millarand all of his Nissan colleagues are tasked ‘with selingitinto.On that score it proved extremely capable ‘Grable, too, with norattles of note. The basic specis pretty ‘generous, with elements such as ‘touch sereen sat nav included 3s standard, and we were impressed that the cars first service cost ameasly £10, neat saving over ‘most conventionally powered cars, BE ar secitefon cing nowhere fas ight steering felt a bit odd at pecenry tok age when ees od et Aes oad ‘od Nissan Leaf Intruth, that contrast between the range required fora journey and the range required for everyday ies probably the Leaf’ biggest stumbling block It'salso the reason why, at more than £26k even aftera Government rebate, itremainsa curio. Impressive for sure, ncertain circumstances, bbutan oddball nonetheless Nissan Leat logbook BUYING INFORMATION Price when new £25990 Price now (new) £25990 Extras Rear root spol with solar cels £260 ‘otal price new £26250 Current part-ex value £16500 RUNNING COSTS CContracthire tbe Cost per mile tbc Insurance group 21 Typical quote £618 SERVICING AND REPAIR COSTS Servicing 3600 miles, 10, Repairs None FULLSTORY hatearcomourleat = J Liat Otosnteat S towtonastBwvrso9.an Sort 1S ston anper rome wateacom NOVEMBER 201 | 75OUR CARS F Kia Picanto The city car class has been transformed over the past year. Was the Picanto able to keep up with rivals? IA PICANTO ‘Model 02 5¢r Runby Will Nightingale ‘My rating + * ‘Mileage 12480 List price £9595, Target Price £3007 Why it wason test Tosee if this well-equipped, ub-£10K city car ould cut it in town 76 | oveMBER 201 whatcarcom FORME, IT'S oftenthe cheapest new cars that are the most, fascinating Itisntall that tough formanufacturers to build something decent when they can demand £20k or £30k, but ‘when the asking price dips below E1okii’san enormous challenge toget things right ‘Thats why Iwas genuinely excited last surnmer when Taiscovered fd be running our Jong term Kia Picanto. fd been smitten by its smart styling and classy cabin ever since the car ‘was unveiled at last year’s Geneva ‘motor show, and with such alow starting priceand aclaimed economy figure of &73mpg Tthought Kia was on toa winner. Choosing which version togo for wasn'teasy; the entry price of £7795 looked very tempting However, because Kia doesn't do optional extras apart from ‘metallicpaint) [had to jump up twotrim levels to get Bluetooth andair conditioning both ‘must-haves in my book To keep the price reasonable went for the basic. oie, three-ylinder engine, while the Blue Breeze paint is solid colour, sodidn't adda penny tothe £9595 price. Intheory itshould have been perfectly adequate for my six-mile commute, It vrasn'. The Picanto’s thrummy engine, vaguesteering knobbly rideand grabby brakes all made ta real pain todrivein town, which was disappointing considering that’ exactly where youll expectacity car toexce. Talsobecame increasingly concerned that the MPG readout was refusing to display anything above 4ompg, ‘At first suspected a trip computer glitch, but the Kia's belove par fuel consumption was confirmed when it was tested byour‘True MPG team: they recorded anaverage of just 4412mpgin real-world driving. Ws because the Kia's 68bhp engine needs tobe worked so hhard tomake decent progress thatit’s virtually impossible to getanywhere near the aimed Average of 67:3mpg, Its worth