Innehållsförteckning för March 2020 från What Car?

‘This month, we’ve rated every SUV and looked closely at class leaders’ Recently released figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show that sales of new cars in the UK shrank for the third consecutive year in 2019. However, SUVs continue to buck this downward trend and it’s easy to see why. Once, these tough-looking vehicles were expensive to run and crude to drive, but today the best combine efficiency with style and are as comfortable as they are spacious. What’s more, with so many brands recognising the potential for attracting new customers, there’s now a huge variety of models to choose from. Here’s the paradox, though: while this means there’s more chance that someone is selling exactly what you want, it can also make it harder than…

Range Rover Evoque Our pick D180 S List price £39,015 Target Price £37,286 Target PCP £363 MPG 41.3 CO2 145g/km For High-quality interior; comfortable ride; quiet cruising manners; superb resale values. Against So-so fuel economy and emissions; Land Rover’s reliability record. WHAT CAR? SAYS IF WE HAD reservations about the original Range Rover Evoque, we have no such qualms about the latest one. Pretty much all of the gaps in the previous model’s armoury have now been plugged, to the extent that it’s now the best family SUV on sale. With a design that stays faithful to the original, but with flourishes taken from other glamorous Range Rovers such as the Velar, the Evoque looks better than ever. So does the interior, which is a match for anything else in…

Porsche Macan Our favourite sports SUV is fast and fun, yet easy to live with Our pick S List price £50,635 Target Price £50,635 Target PCP na MPG 25.7 CO2 196g/km For The most rewarding SUV to drive, with a great chassis balance and precise steering. Against Some rivals are more spacious and automatic emergency braking costs extra. WHAT CAR? SAYS LET’S NOT FORGET, the ‘S’ in SUV stands for Sports, and they don’t come any sportier than the Porsche Macan; by any standard, this is a fabulous car to drive. For the best effect, you’ll need to add the optional air suspension, but if you make do with the lower-grade adaptive dampers, the Macan is still brilliant fun.And the 354bhp provided by the mid-range S version gives you more…

MORE BRITISH BUYERS chose grey as the colour for their new car than any other hue last year. That’s according to official figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Black was the next most popular choice, followed by white, blue and red. In total, more than 521,000 of the new cars sold were painted grey.That’s more than one in five of all new cars. Grey was also the UK’s favourite choice in 2018, having usurped black and white, which had alternated as the most common colour choice since 2009. The new car most likely to be painted grey was the Volkswagen Golf family hatchback, which ended 2019 as the UK’s second most popular new car behind the Ford Fiesta small hatchback, with close to 60,000 models sold.…

The conventional hybrid version of this five-seat large SUV makes 215bhp and emits 101-105g/km of CO2; the new plug-in hybrid model is 83bhp more potent yet emits less than 30g/km. It uses the same 2.5-litre petrol engine but has a stronger electric motor and a bigger battery,enabling it to drive for more than 37 miles on electricity alone.This means you’ll pay just 6% or 10% company car tax, albeit on a notably higher list price. Price £35,000 (est) SMALL AND FAMILY CARS Audi A3 Summer Claims class-leading handling and refinement. Honda Jazz July Just as practical but now exclusively a hybrid. Hyundai i20 May Main focus for new Fiesta rival is the interior. Seat Leon April Mk4 family car shares much with the new VW Golf, so expect new tech…

Faster charging The Ionity network is the result of a joint venture between BMW, Daimler (which owns Mercedes-Benz and Smart), Ford and the Volkswagen Group and aims to create an ultra-rapid charging network across Europe. Its chargers can replenish batteries at 350kW, a rate so fast that no EV can accept it yet. When they catch up, they’ll be able to get a boost from 10-80% in 20 minutes, though. So far, Ionity has 202 charging stations live around Europe, and it expects to increase this to 400 by the end of the year. There are only three sites in the UK at present, but it plans to have 40 by the end of this year. Ionity chargers cost 69p per kWh to use, but Audi has just launched an…

BMW 3 Series 330e M Sport CO2 32g/km (WLTP) Electric driving range 35 miles P11D price £39,925 BIK tax 2019-2020 Rate 16% Cost £1278 BIK tax 2020-2021 Rate 10% Cost £799 Saving £479 Tesla Model 3 Performance CO2 0g/km Electric driving range 329 miles P11D price £56,435 BIK tax 2019-2020 Rate 16% Cost £1806 BIK tax 2020-2021 Rate 0% Cost £0 Saving £1806 Renault Zoe R135 GT-Line CO2 0g/km Electric driving range 238 miles P11D price £31,965 BIK tax 2019-2020 Rate 16% Cost £1023 BIK tax 2020-2021 Rate 0% Cost £0 Saving £1023 Volvo XC90 T8 Inscription CO2 52g/km (WLTP) Electric driving range 28 miles P11D price £66,975 BIK tax 2019-2020 Rate 19% Cost £2545 BIK tax 2020-2021 Rate 13% Cost £1741 Saving £804…

IT WOULD HAVE seemed like something that belonged in science fiction just a few years ago, but we’ve now reached the point where you shouldn’t just be looking at petrol and diesel models when choosing your next car, but those that use electric power, too. Don’t think this only applies if you’re spending big money, either. For this test, we’ve lined up three family SUVs – two petrols and one electric – all of which can be bought for less than £25,000. The newcomers are the Mazda CX-30, in entry-level 2.0-litre petrol form, and the fully electric MG ZS EV, with an official range of 163 miles and rapid charging compatibility to try to ensure it will fit into most people’s lives. However, both have to beat the reigning champ…

Once again, the Karoq has come out on top in a family SUV tussle. It may be the priciest of our trio to run, but competitive monthly PCP costs make that easier to swallow. What’s more, it’s good to drive and has the roomiest and most practical interior, while the boot is simply vast.A comfortable ride and excellent visibility seal the win. Both its rivals feel some way behind, but for very different reasons. The CX-30 has a firm ride and is too cramped in the back, while its tiny back doors make loading child seats a pain. However, you’ll love its plush interior, which is crammed full of kit. Plus, it has the best infotainment system and safety is exceptional, so it does enough for second. That leaves the…

Audi’s decision to re-embrace diesel for its latest SQ5 isn’t without merit.The new engine delivers the kind of effortless performance that feels appropriate in a fast SUV. It’s also impressively efficient and pumps out surprisingly little CO2. However, the SQ5 is unlikely to tempt you to take the scenic route to work just for the fun of it – a bit of a problem in a sports SUV. The Macan, meanwhile, positively encourages you to grab the keys and head out for a drive. Five years on from its debut, Porsche’s sports SUV is still the most rewarding car in its class to drive and is the definitive blueprint for a sports SUV. Porsche Macan S For More fun to drive; smoother ride; holds its value brilliantly; sporty driving position…

LESS THAN £40,000 BMW 5 Series OUR LUXURY CAR of the Year for the past three years still offers the very best traits of this class, but for less money than the other Best Buys here. Yes, the Audi A8 is outstandingly comfortable and the BMW 6 Series GT is exceptionally practical for a car like this. But the 5 Series really isn’t all that far off either in those respects, while also being better to drive, cheaper to run and just as refined. Our pick 520d MHT SE List price £39,170 Target Price £35,551 MPG 56.5 CO2 108g/km For Spacious, well-appointed interior; great to drive, with a quiet, economical engine. Against You need to add adaptive dampers for the best ride quality. WHAT CAR? SAYS Audi A6 Our pick…

LESS THAN £30,000 Toyota Corolla THE COROLLA IS an outstanding all-rounder. It’s fairly spacious and pretty plush inside, while being smooth, comfy and quiet as it discreetly and intelligently juggles its power sources, bringing lower running costs than regular rivals yet no real compromises. The Toyota Yaris is too small for a family, while the pricier Honda CR-V has no more seats than the Corolla, is no better to drive and is less frugal. Our pick 1.8 VVT-i Hybrid Icon Tech List price £25,200 Target Price £23,863 MPG 63.2 CO2 76g/km For Plenty of safety kit, an excellent reliability record and a comfortable ride. Against Rear leg room is tight, while the engine is noisy and the infotainment is clunky. WHAT CAR? SAYS Hyundai Ioniq Our pick Hybrid Premium List…

Range Rover Velar Catwalk looks and luxury meet surprising practicality Our pick D180 S List price £50,600 Target Price £47,867 Target PCP £475 MPG 42.0 CO2 152g/km For Great driving position; massive boot; good fuel economy; capable off road. Against Rear leg room is only average; some hard plastics inside; sluggish infotainment. WHAT CAR? SAYS LIKE A BARBOUR jacket or a Burberry scarf, the Range Rover Velar proves that combining high fashion with great functionality is by no means impossible. Our 2020 Coupé SUV of the Year is in its element whether you’re out exploring the countryside (thanks to Land Rover off-roading DNA that’ll allow it to go places other SUVs can’t) or cutting a dash on the school run. The interior has just as much of a wow factor,…

MORE THAN 40% of all new vans on sale do not come with an alarm as standard, according to an exclusive investigation by What Car? Vans. The findings follow research highlighting that more than 43,000 vans have been stolen since 2016, with a further 117,000 broken into, costing drivers and businesses more than £61.9 million in lost tools and other items. Analysis of all new vans on sale found that just 58% of models come with a factory-fitted alarm as standard. Another 36.5% were found to offer a factory-fitted alarm as an optional extra, while 5.5% of new vans on sale today are not available with an alarm at all – although these tend to be older model iterations that are soon to be replaced. Other security features, such as…

PEUGEOT HAS BEEN on a roll for a few years now, especially when it comes to SUVs; the 3008 and seven-seat 5008 have been hoovering up both What Car? awards and sales ever since they arrived back in 2017. With this all-new 2008, the French firm is hoping to continue this trend. That’s why the small SUV has the same striking styling as its siblings, a high-tech interior – with a large infotainment touchscreen and a digital instrument display – and plush materials to appeal to the sort of buyers who’d usually go for something like an Audi Q2. However, it isn’t just design and tech that make the 2008 stand out in this closely fought class, because it comes not only with a range of turbocharged petrol or diesel…

1 We think it’s a little stingy that the top-end version of the 3 Series doesn’t offer adjustable lumbar support, but at least it doesn’t cost a lot to add, at £265 for both the driver and front passengers. Buttons on the side of the seat adjust the support given to your back, helping to make longer journeys more comfortable. 2 If you’ll be using your car for regular trips with the family as well as for commuting, the £190 extended storage pack makes a lot of sense.This provides extra storage space for your odds and ends, as well as a pair of USB ports on the rear of the centre console – ideal for charging mobile devices. 3 M Sport versions of the 3 Series look fantastic, but they…

WATCHES. THEY COME in all shapes and sizes, and to every taste and budget, but the fact is this: if you spend a gazillion quid on a Breitling or a Rolex, it’ll tell exactly the same time as that fella over there’s Swatch, which cost the same as a round of fish ’n’ chips. It’s the same with cars. Yes, a luxurious limousine will massage your backside as you squeeze through urban traffic, but when it comes to getting you from the suburbs to the centre, a city car will do the job just as ably. The biggest difference is that because a city car is a darned sight dinkier, you’ll have a less stressful time finding a parking space. At this moment in time, the Kia Picanto is the…

DO YOU REMEMBER when buying a diesel SUV wasn’t just unfashionable but downright frowned upon? Well, you should, because despite what some manufacturers might like to tell us, that time hasn’t really passed. Look at recent sales figures and it’s clear that most people are still reticent about returning to the black pump. Why, then, has Audi – a manufacturer that helped give diesel such a bad name in the first place – decided to rip the petrol engine out of its sporty SQ5 and replace it with a new V6 diesel? At least two reasons might explain this unorthodox approach. First, petrol-powered sports SUVs are thirsty beasts; when we tested the previous-generation SQ5, it averaged just 24mpg during gentle driving. And second, Audi has been working hard to clean…

I KNOW IT’S said that people tend to look like their dogs, but what about their cars? There’s no doubt that many see their four-wheeled friend as an extension of their personality, but I’ve taken it one step further by making my new Volkswagen T-Cross an extension of my beard. Now, I’d like to point out that the distinctive shade of orange that’s smeared over the body, wheels and interior of my car isn’t the only reason for me picking it – I’m not that vain, honest – but once I’d decided on a T-Cross, Energetic Orange metallic paint with a matching Design Pack was a total no-brainer. Other pack colours are available, but black is boring, while the blue would have clashed with my facial foliage terribly. The real…

Mileage 6082 List price £51,110 Target Price £45,778 Price as tested £59,980 Test economy 36.6mpg I DON’T TEND to like new technology, but when it comes to Volvo’s simple On Call smartphone app, I’m a convert. Its functions include showing how much fuel range I’ve got left and where I’ve parked. Plus, I can send destinations to the sat-nav, check how much washer fluid is remaining and even request breakdown assistance, including sending my location to the patrol. Most of all, I appreciate being able to operate the climate control remotely. I can start the heating while sipping my coffee at home, and by the time I get into the car a few minutes later, the interior will be warm and the windows demisted. A three-year subscription is included for…

Despite being aimed at the same market, these SUVs are very different in character. The Velar is a cosseting cruiser, making every drive a relaxing experience; the Q8 has a firmer edge and sportier handling. While the Velar is more practical and better equipped, that’s not enough to stop the Q8 from winning. Not only does it feel more luxurious inside, but the effortless performance is also more in keeping with the coupé SUV remit, and it handles superbly. Despite this, it’s still comfy and roomy enough for the family. Audi Q8 For Sharper handling; stronger performance; higher-quality interior. Against Awkwardly shaped boot; more expensive to run; ride can be fidgety Range Rover Velar For Cheaper to buy and run; very well equipped; comfortable ride. Against Not as fast; wallowy…

LESS THAN £20,000 Skoda Scala FROM THE MOMENT it was launched, the Scala was a strong candidate to be the class leader. It excels in areas where many rivals are complacent, particularly interior space and comfort. No, it can’t challenge the BMW 1 Series for driver appeal, nor can it hold a candle to the hybrid Corolla’s frugality. It has both trumped when it comes to price, though; it’s definitely ‘value for money’, not ‘cheap and cheerful’. Our pick 1.0 TSI 115 SE List price £18,930 Target Price £16,525 MPG 51.4 CO2 111g/km For SE trim brings a decent touchscreen, and the engine can keep up with faster traffic. Against Interior feels a little cheap and the Scala isn’t as good to drive as a Ford Focus. WHAT CAR? SAYS…

LESS THAN £35,000 Audi TT THE AUDI TT may not be as well equipped as the Mercedes-Benz CLA or as bespoke as the Aston Martin DB11, our other Best Buys here, but it’s more exquisitely put together than either and still thoroughly contemporary inside. And it recently gained a new engine that delivers pace almost on par with that of the rapid CLA 250. So, it really is the ultimate coupé for every driver and every occasion. Our pick 45 TFSI Sport List price £33,870 Target Price £31,152 MPG 40.9 CO2 138g/km For Fabulous interior design and quality; crisp handling; easy to live with. Against The rear seats are seriously cramped, and you’ll want to add a few options. WHAT CAR? SAYS Audi A5 Coupé Our pick 35 TFSI Sport…

Audi Q7 Our favourite luxury SUV is a consummate all-rounder, being as practical as it is classy and good to drive Our pick 50 TDI quattro S line List price £62,500 Target Price £57,660 Target PCP £519 MPG 33.2 CO2 180g/km For Stunning interior, a smooth engine and a wonderfully pillowy ride on air suspension. Against Rivals have better infotainment systems, while auto gearbox is slow-witted. WHAT CAR? SAYS THEY SAY NOBODY’S perfect, but sometimes it’s easy to think otherwise. Remember that kid at school who seemed to be annoyingly brilliant at anything he turned his hand to? Well, the Audi Q7 is the SUV equivalent, sitting on or very near the top of the luxury SUV pile in almost every quantifable area. Take the interior.The sumptuous materials and scrupulous…

Volvo XC90 T8 A rare blend of zero-emissions capability and seven seats Our pick T8 Inscription List price £67,055 Target Price £61,413 Target PCP £539 MPG 122.8 CO2 52g/km For Very quick and quiet, with a good electric-only range and versatile seats. Against Touchscreen is tricky to use on the move; not that economical on long runs. WHAT CAR? SAYS IT’S ALWAYS NICE to have a party piece – a little something you can do that none of your peers can.That’s what makes the Volvo XC90 T8 really stand out among its rivals. You see, there are plenty of big SUVs that offer seven seats for ultimate family car practicality, and several that are available with a plug-in hybrid system for an impressive mix of performance, efficiency and everyday usability.…

THE DEPARTMENT FOR Transport (DfT) will double the money available to install electric vehicle (EV) chargers on residential streets from next year in a bid to encourage more urban drivers to go electric. The £10 million pledged by the Government will provide an extra 3600 charge points across the UK, making it easier for drivers without off-street parking to charge near their homes overnight. The new funding allowance follows the allocation of £2.5 million for EV chargers in residential areas in August 2019 and a previous £2.5 million pledge made in 2017. The DfT will also start work on creating a real-time public charger information service to allow drivers to see the nearest charge points, whether those charge points are working and available for use, how much they cost and…

Executive cars ‘The plug-in hybrid 3 Series is great to drive and could lower your bills’ 1 Skoda Superb 1.5 TSI 150 SE Tech List price £24,940 Target Price £24,217 Saving £723 You might be surprised to see us recommend a petrol engine in an executive car, but this 148bhp 1.5 TSI model is our pick of the Superb range for its smooth performance. 2 Ford Mondeo 2.0 Ecoblue Titanium Edition List price £26,250 Target Price £24,563 Saving £1687 It may be getting on a bit, but the Mondeo still impresses with its tidy handling and comfortable ride.Titanium Edition models come loaded with kit. 3 BMW 3 Series 330e M Sport List price £39,990 Target Price £34,614 Saving £5376 This plug-in hybrid version of the 3 Series…

THIS COULD BE the year in which electrified cars really take off in the UK. No fewer than 23 new fully electric models are due to go on sale in the next 12 months, along with a host of plug-in hybrid versions of popular models. Although sales of electric vehicles (EVs) were still relatively modest last year, accounting for just 1.6% of all new car sales, that’s 144% more than were registered in 2018. If you factor in all types of hybrids as well, electrified vehicles accounted for more than 200,000 sales. That’s one in every 10 cars sold last year. Sales are predicted to shoot up over the next few years, too. One in five new cars sold will be electrified by 2026, Bloomberg predicts. This boom is partly…

All CX-30s get an 8.8in screen that’s solely controlled by a rotary dial between the seats. It’s less distracting to use than a touchscreen, helped by the screen being mounted very high on the dash, so you don’t have to take your eyes too far from the road.The display is bright, clear and easy to read, with attractive graphics. Sat-nav is standard on all trims, with the Lux version of SE-L adding a CD player.You’ll have to jump up a couple of trims to get a better stereo, though. At 8.0in, the ZS’s screen is a decent size, but the resolution isn’t great and it’s sluggish to respond to inputs. Often you’ll go to press an icon a second time because it takes so long to react. Still, the system…

The i10’s bigger, 8.0in screen runs similar software to the Picanto’s. It’s fathomable and pretty responsive. Having physical buttons for volume and switching menus is helpful for operating while driving, too.You get smartphone mirroring, a DAB radio and Bluetooth.An optional Tech Pack (£1000) adds in-built sat-nav and wireless charging. The stereo has only four speakers but still sounds decent. ‘The i10 is impressively supple and noticeably more forgiving along any road’ This has always been one of the best infotainment systems in the class and, apart from a smaller (7.0in) touchscreen than the i10’s, it remains so.You still get physical shortcut buttons, the menus are structured logically and it’s responsive to commands. It’s well equipped, too, coming with smartphone mirroring, a DAB radio and Bluetooth. It also beats the i10…

The Q5 has yet to receive Audi’s new dual-screen MMI set-up, but that’s no bad thing.The old system, with its rotary controller and physical shortcut buttons, is more intuitive to use than rival touchscreen systems, Macan’s included.The 8.3in screen isn’t quite as sharp as the Porsche’s, but the menus are easier to navigate and the brilliant 12.3in Virtual Cockpit digital instrument panel is more configurable than the Macan’s smaller digital dial. The 10.9in screen is sharp, the menus fairly easy to navigate and the system quick to respond. However, we wish some of the icons were larger, because they can be tricky to hit accurately on the move. As with the SQ5, sat-nav, digital radio, Bluetooth and Apple CarPlay are standard, but unlike in the SQ5, Android Auto is not.…

Mileage 1796 List price £34,950 Target Price £33,406 Price as tested £35,605 Test range 178 miles THERE’S NOTHING LIKE a winter break with your nearest and dearest to help you recharge after the busy festive season, and since I usually have access to something big and diesel-powered to get us wherever we’re going, I tend to be the family chauffeur. This year was no different in that respect, but the choice of car was. For the first time, we were pinning everything on my all-electric Hyundai Ioniq. In theory, this posed no problem. It’s 77 miles from my parents’ house in Kettering to our destination, Centre Parcs Elveden Forest. Although my parents don’t have an electric vehicle (EV) home charging point, an overnight top-up via a three-pin socket following my…

Mileage 4837 List price new (2019) £16,999 Price new with options £18,496 Value on arrival £12,797 Test economy 48.5mpg THE SHARING OF parts between cars is nothing new, but it’s fascinating to see how far these parts go. Citroën CX door mirrors seemed to find their way onto anything from TVR’s entire range to what was the world’s fastest road car, the McLaren F1.And now, the infotainment system in my Swift can join that list of parts-sharing wonders, because it seems to have turned up in the Alpine A110. Now, this was probably for cost reasons, but the trouble is, it isn’t a very good system, even on a car that costs less than half the A110’s £50k.You can time its responses with a calendar, the menus are hard to…

UNTIL RECENTLY, YOU had to choose between a coupé or a convertible if you wanted something that looked sporty, meaning just two doors and, usually, a cramped interior. Now, though, those who want finely chiselled bodywork but need proper practicality can browse a selection of five-door ‘fastbacks’ and coupé-inspired SUVs. One of the most popular in the latter group is the Audi Q8, which is based on the fantastic Q7 but swaps the third row of seats for a tapering roofline and has a far more imposing front end. And there’s Land Rover’s most road-biased model, the Range Rover Velar, whose overt glamour has also won many an admirer. Buy either at a couple of years old and you’ll save enough on the price of a new example to pay…

LESS THAN £25,000 Citroën Berlingo YOU WON’T FIND anything this spacious for less money, whether that’s for seating five people in comfort or transporting anything from pushchairs to plant pots in the boot. While the Berlingo is less potent than the Volkswagen Touran and Ford Galaxy, it still performs strongly, both around town and on the motorway. What’s more, it has a cushier ride than its more expensive German rival. Our pick Puretech 110 Feel M List price £20,460 Target Price £17,725 MPG 43.5 CO2 122g/km For Comfortable and relaxing to drive, with a vast amount of space and storage inside. Against Wallowy handling; laggy infotainment system; cheap-feeling interior plastics. WHAT CAR? SAYS Peugeot Rifter Our pick BlueHDi 130 Allure EAT8 List price £25,225 Target Price £23,891 MPG 50.3 CO2…