2019 Skoda Scala review

SUVS ARE so ubiquitous these days that you may have assumed your next car has to be a high-riding soft-roader. But what if I told you there’s a cheaper, better-handling, more fuel efficient and every-bit-as-spacious alternative?

Excited by the prospect? Well, it’s nothing new — the family hatchback has been a thing for decades. You may have heard of examples such as the Ford Focus, Vauxhall Astra or VW Golf. Yeah, now you’re with me.

It’s fair to say the Skoda Scala’s predecessor was easy to overlook, though. The inappropriately-named Rapid was bland inside and much the same to drive.

However, the new Scala is an altogether more upmarket proposition, and one that could genuinely tempt buyers away from more established rivals.

That said, where the Scala is a little more ordinary the competition is the way it drives. That’s not to say it’s outright bad — its steering is light but precise, there’s decent road-holding and solid body control, all of which inspire confidence — but a Golf is more comfortable and a Focus is more fun.

Lowered sports suspension can be added as an option, with the choice of firmer or softer dampers, but as the Scala is no sports car, you’re best off saving your cash. You might want to spend it instead on Skoda’s optional active cruise control and lane assist systems, which will accelerate, brake and steer to keep you in your lane automatically.

When it comes to engines, avoid the 94bhp 1.6-litre diesel, unless you’re doing lots of miles and want to benefit from its good fuel economy. It’s noisy and sends lots of vibration through the pedals and wheels.

The 1.5-litre 148bhp petrol is much smoother, not to mention quicker, but pushes up the price too far. The engine to go for is the 113bhp 1-litre petrol, which offers the best blend of performance, economy and smoothness.

Ignore the sports suspension option — the standard setup is comfy enough, and the Scala is no sports car

And between Skoda’s six-speed manual and seven-speed automatic gearbox, we’d save money again and go with the former. The auto is fine when cruising but tends to hesitate when pulling away from junctions, and hunts around for cogs when asked for quick bursts of acceleration.

The exterior of the Scala is more interesting to behold than that of the old Rapid, but inside is where it’s clearly a step up. There are soft touch plastics on the dashboard and doors, piano black and chrome accents and switches that feel substantial. It’s not quite Golf-good, but it easily rivals a Focus or Ceed.

Where it’s better than all three (perhaps until the new Golf arrives later this year) is infotainment. Entry-level cars get a small 6.5in colour touchscreen but it’s worth upgrading to mid-level SE trim for its 8in version.

The screen sits atop the dashboard, near the driver’s eyeline, and its logical menus with shortcut buttons and bright, crisp graphics are impressive.

Range-topping SE L models are blessed with even larger 9.2in screens, built-in sat-nav and Virtual Cockpit digital dials, but the 8in system will be enough for most.

Indeed, the mid-level system also comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, so having built-in sat-nav isn’t a necessity, while wireless smartphone charging and remote access via an app is standard across the range. It’s worth adding those digital dials as an option to SE trim if you can stretch to it — they look superb, are really easy to read and give the cabin even more of a lift.

Leaving infotainment to one side, of the S, SE and SE L trim options, the SE remains our pick. It comes with 17-inalloy wheels, air-con, cruise control, rear parking sensors and passenger seat height adjustment. Skoda even throws in its front door-housed umbrellas.

Unless you do lots of miles, avoid the diesel and go for the 113bhp petrol engine instead

The Scala also has space on its side. The driver gets a massive amount of manual seat and wheel adjustment as standard (electric adjustment can be added as an option) while head and leg room around the front seats is also plentiful.

More impressive is the space in the back, where three adults can sit side-by-side in relative comfort, but two will have loads of room to stay comfortable on long journeys. Storage space around the cabin is great, too, with no less than 26 litres of cubby space.

The good news continues in the boot, which at 467 litres dwarfs its rivals’ efforts. It isn’t just big — it also has a low load lip, great access and loads of Skoda’s traditional ‘Simply Clever’ touches such an adjustable boot floor, nets, hooks and a 12v socket. If you need more room, the rear seats split 60:40 and lie almost flat, while an electronic tailgate can be added as an option.

So before you hurry out any buy that small SUV, make sure you’ve considered both the humble family hatchback and this Skoda Scala. It’s the more sensible option, and you’ll want to keep the engine and trim choices in check, too

All of which means you’re unlikely to win any admiring glances. Cool, it is not. But you’ll have the satisfaction that it undercuts its rivals on price while coming with an impressive list of standard equipment, a smart cabin and acres of space.

Find out how much you could save on a Skoda Scala at carwow.

 

Skoda Scala rivals

Ford Focus (click to view at carwow)
Price: £18,305 — £25,805

Kia Ceed (click to view at carwow)
Price: £18,600 — £27,490

Volkswagen Golf (click to view at carwow)
Price: £19,270 — £28,800

The post 2019 Skoda Scala review appeared first on Sunday Times Driving.

source https://www.driving.co.uk/car-reviews/first-drive/2019-skoda-scala-review/

2019 Overfinch Range Rover review

FOR 35 years Overfinch turned Range Rovers into pumped-up, plumped-up versions of themselves. Imagine Popeye after a can of spinach. Then the company went bust, presumably because there weren’t enough oligarchs or footballers in 2010 to sustain a company selling big SUVs that drove like runaway cathedrals. Now — a sign of the times — the company is back.

These days Overfinch does not shoehorn muscular American V8 engines under Range Rover bonnets — once its stock in trade. Land Rover — which makes Range Rovers — installs steroidal engines of its own.

So the new Range Rover “reimagined by Overfinch” has a factory-made 5-litre supercharged V8 producing 518 brake horsepower, and you’d have to be a special kind of impatient to think it needs any more.

Besides, a modern car engine is governed by a digital brain that talks constantly to the gearbox, the stability control system and myriad sensors. The slightest tampering is going to throw up a warning light. The full-on tantrum that would result from the car discovering it had a 5.7-litre Chevrolet engine doesn’t bear thinking about, which is why Overfinch has been entirely sensible in leaving it alone.

It has been similarly prudent with the chassis, mindful that Land Rover has a multimillion-pound development budget and it doesn’t, which is why the suspension is as it left the factory.

In all technical aspects, it seems Overfinch has not so much “reimagined” the Range Rover as simply imagined the horrible, dripping driveway ornament that could result from messing with Land Rover’s carefully developed hardware and sensibly decided to step back from the tool cabinet.

There’s a new switchable exhaust that brings some crackle and roar to higher revs, but otherwise this Overfinch is a standard 2019 Range Rover Autobiography. With 23in wheels — an inch larger than any that Land Rover offers.

Well, now, hang on, you might think: new wheels and a fruitier exhaust is not much to justify a £205,000 price tag, when the standard Range Rover in Autobiography trim costs about £103,000. But Overfinch has made significant changes to the bodywork. Some will regard them as appealingly distinctive, while others, admittedly, may see them as, for want of a better description, bling.

There are new bumpers, a new grille, shiny exhaust tips, a bigger roof spoiler, vestigial side-skirts and new door-mirror cases. The look is very much carbon fibre with a glossy exposed weave.

Inside the cabin, Overfinch customers can request soft, diamond-quilted leather or ostrich skin. The company will do its best to accommodate other options, for customers hankering to have a different animal peeled and applied to the inside of their car.

As with other luxury products, the emphasis here is on “heritage” and “branding”. The carbon-fibre bumpers are made by the Prodrive racing team, some of the other trimmings come from the place that supplies carbon fibre to McLaren, the leather is of the finest grade from the Renfrewshire outfit Bridge of Weir and the badges on the bonnet are made in Birmingham’s jewellery quarter, just as they are for Aston Martin.

ll seems well with the world when you drive a Range Rover, and the Overfinch doesn’t spoil that feeling.

Before you say, “Hold on — I don’t want any of those things,” remember that some people do, and that’s what makes reviewing this car so difficult. Sizing up a vehicle for its performance and practical qualities is straightforward. You can tell people if a car has flabby handling or a wheezy engine or if there’s not enough space in the boot or in the back.

But this Overfinch is, in all those respects, just like the much cheaper Range Rover it’s based on, and the 2019 Range Rover Autobiography is a lovely car. It’s quiet, it’s comfortable, it’s plenty quick enough and, like all Range Rovers, it feels rather special, thanks to the combination of a high floor, a lofty roof and huge windows. You feel secure and commanding at once, as though you were standing on a balcony looking out across a city.

No other SUV manages this, and it’s what makes these big beasts so appealing. All seems well with the world when you drive a Range Rover, and the Overfinch doesn’t spoil that feeling. What makes it different is the trimming, which is a matter of taste — and harder to review.

It’s easy to sneer at what Overfinch does, but about 250 people a year in the UK alone disagree and happily spend the cash to have a Range Rover that stands out on Kensington High Street. They’ve probably got a second Range Rover for Dubai. And, oh, go on, then, one for the place in Miami.

That, apparently, is the world of Overfinch customers. They wouldn’t have an off-the-peg suit or a generic yacht or a house built to someone else’s plans. And they wouldn’t have a car that looks like every other Range Rover in Monaco.

This is where the new generation of Overfinch differs from its forebears. Those overengined nutter Rangies of old felt as though they were designed for adrenaline junkies. The new generation seems to be designed for people who want to make it clear that they’ve got something out of the ordinary and the cash to pay for it, which probably says something or other about where the money is in Britain today.

Anyway, if you’ve got it and you want to flaunt it, here’s your car.

Richard Porter is script editor of The Grand Tour.

Head to head

Overfinch Range Rover vs Mercedes-Benz G 63 AMG

	Overfinch Range Rover	Mercedes-Benz G 63 AMG
Price	£204,000	£143,305
Power	518bhp	577bhp
0-62mph	5.1sec	4.4sec
Top speed	140mph	137mph

The best cars launching in 2019

2018 Range Rover P400e PHEV review

The post 2019 Overfinch Range Rover review appeared first on Sunday Times Driving.

source https://www.driving.co.uk/car-reviews/2019-overfinch-range-rover-review/

2019 Citroën C5 Aircross review

THE LATEST Citroën gives a glimpse of the problems facing the car industry. It’s not that it’s a bad car. The C5 Aircross is what buyers want these days — a family-friendly SUV that’s not too pricey, is roomy inside and has a decent turn of speed. It’s ideal for manoeuvring in town, with light steering and a tight turning circle.

A sensible choice, then? Yes, but because it has arrived on Citroën’s 100th birthday, it’s a gauge of how far Citroëns have come in the past century — and it hasn’t all been progress.

André Citroën started a company in his name in 1919 to create Europe’s answer to Henry Ford’s bestselling Model T. The fabulous Citroën Type A had a water-cooled four-cylinder engine, seating for five and a steering wheel — an improvement on the rudders fitted to early cars.

The modern Aircross has a water-cooled four-cylinder engine, seating for five and a steering wheel. Compared with the advances made in computing, spaceflight and medicine, the car industry looks as though it’s spent the best part of a century in a layby, waiting for roadside assistance.

In some respects it may even have reversed. The Type A could be bought as a saloon or as a sporty soft-top called Le Torpédo. The Aircross has an optional sunroof (£990). True, there have been remarkable improvements in how cars are made. A century ago they were bolted together by men in brown coats. Today Hyundai’s Ulsan plant in South Korea, the world’s most prolific, makes 4,000 cars a day. Automated assembly has brought cars to the masses.

To compete with such economies of scale, independent car companies have merged into global conglomerates. Citroën is part of one that includes, as well as its French sister company Peugeot, Dongfeng Motor Group in China, CK Birla in India and Vauxhall in the UK. It shares components with Toyota. Fiat is in an international alliance that binds it with Chrysler and Jeep. Skoda jokes fall flat when you know it’s another offshoot of that global giant Volkswagen.

The problem is that, in this process of consolidation, design flair seems to have been lost. What happened to the wonderful, eccentric ideas that car makers came up with to make their products stand out?

Citroën built its reputation on being inventive. In the Second World War, when it was forced to build military vehicles for the Nazis, it came up with an ingenious plan for sabotaging them: putting the notch on the dipstick too low, so drivers failed to realise they were out of oil and the engines seized up.

After the war Citroën’s 2CV gave French farmers a cheap alternative to the horse. Its shark-shaped DS — the choice of French presidents and pop stars in the 1950s and 1960s — featured patented hydropneumatic suspension so smooth it was dubbed the magic carpet ride.

The Xantia Activa rewrote the rulebook with its clever cornering system — and 25 years on it still beats every other road-going car in the so-called elk test, a measure of a car’s ability to dodge obstacles.

The Citroën C5 Aircross comes with a Gallic dual-tone horn, but that’s the extent of its je ne sais quoi.

True, the company hit a sticky patch when financial problems forced it to surrender to a takeover by Peugeot in the mid-1970s; and in the 1980s militant trade unionists shut its factories. But in its day Citroën pioneered front-wheel drive, disc brakes and directional headlamps.

Now, if you buy a Citroën Berlingo, you’re buying a Peugeot Rifter or a Vauxhall Life Combo. The Aircross is a Peugeot 3008 and a Vauxhall Grandland X.

It would be unfair to single out Citroën. Most manufacturers have succumbed to mergers, and then relied on lifestyle gloss to paint over regimented designs — even once fiercely independent British marques such as Rolls-Royce. The result is that when you choose your new car, there’s a good chance it’ll be very like your neighbour’s. Even the names are confusingly similar: Kona, Kodiaq, Kadjar, Karoq, Kuga, Captur.

As car sales fall across Europe, manufacturers may want to reflect that the decline may in part be happening because customers are wise to this. Car makers still talk about their brand DNA and heritage, but the truth is that component-sharing has put an end to much of that.

Will the next generation of car buyers remember that Citroën’s name once illuminated the Eiffel Tower, or that it dominated rallying? If not, then what’s to differentiate its cars?

Enthusiasts in search of individuality are more likely to flick through the pages of a classic car magazine in search of something quirky and fun — hence the boom in that market. Even the Austin Allegro’s ridiculous square steering wheel looks intriguing in the face of modern uniformity.

It’s true that improved production has made cars more reliable. In consumer satisfaction surveys, even the worst models score 75%. But all that really says is that people are not dissatisfied. It’s not surprising that, when the time comes to buy a new car, some urban owners decide they have fallen out of love with the automobile and instead switch to public transport or Uber.

The C5 Aircross is a perfectly decent, honest SUV, and worthy of four stars by comparison with what else is on offer. There’s a nice version with a fizzy 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine and eight-speed auto box that’s ideal for zipping about city streets. The Flair version has a Gallic dual-tone horn, but that’s the extent of its je ne sais quoi.

The sporty exhaust tips are fake, like the side vents. It’s so rigidly mass-produced, the starter button is on the left of the centre console, positioned conveniently for driving on the right, but not for those in the UK.

It starts. It drives. It’ll carry your children in safety. You can “personalise” it with different wheels or roof colours.

But it isn’t torpedo-shaped. It doesn’t have a holder for your Gauloise. It’s made by reliable Euroworkers, rather than French Bolsheviks who’ve left out half the components. It’s less likely to break down en route to the Côte d’Azur. And you won’t feel like Sacha Distel or Catherine Deneuve when you get there.

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Head to head

Citroën C5 Aircross vs Volkswagen T-Roc

	Citroën C5 Aircross Flair PureTech 180 EAT8	Volkswagen T-Roc R-Line 1.5 TSI 150PS Evo auto
Price	£28,325	£28,455
Power	178bhp	148bhp
0-62mph	8.2sec	8.4sec
Top speed	134mph	127mph

The post 2019 Citroën C5 Aircross review appeared first on Sunday Times Driving.

source https://www.driving.co.uk/car-reviews/2019-citroen-c5-aircross-review/

2019 Lamborghini Aventador SVJ review

THE NÜRBURGRING Nordschleife in Germany is regarded as the ultimate proving ground for a car’s performance. Known as “the Green Hell”, the 12.8-mile former grand prix circuit is fast, narrow and scorched with the skid marks of the many drivers who have failed to cross the finishing line.

There are speed records for racing cars, motorbikes and non-road-legal motors, but the most coveted is for production cars that you and I can drive on the road — and that’s the title the new Lamborghini Aventador SVJ seized last year. It went round in just under 6 minutes and 45 seconds, a lap record.

For now, the Aventador SVJ has bragging rights over every other car out there. But how on earth do you test something this fast on a public road in Britain? Capable of achieving 0-62mph in 2.8 seconds and a top speed of 217mph, the SVJ looks as menacing as a great white shark on its lunch break.

Certainly, the SVJ is the most powerful Lamborghini to leave the company’s Sant’Agata production facility near Bologna. It is likely to be a swan song for the company’s old-school V12 engine too. That’s because a technologically advanced, greener hybrid is set to be unveiled as supercar makers turn their attention to battery power.

To mark what could be a defining moment, then, Lamborghini tuned and modified the outgoing V12 to extract every last ounce of power.

The changes included titanium valves, a redesigned cylinder head and a lighter flywheel — the sort of stuff that makes motoring geeks salivate. These help to boost power and reduce the weight of the low-slung SVJ by more than 50kg to a trim 1,525kg – not that much heavier than a bog-standard Ford Focus.

Consequently, the SVJ revs noisily to beyond 8,500rpm and offers a wider band of torque, transferred to the road through a permanent four-wheel-drive system that has been modified for more rear-axle bias, thus improving the handling.

I doubt many Lambo owners lift the rear-mounted, carbon-fibre cover to peep at the engine. If they did, they would discover some exquisite architecture.

Stabbing the throttle unleashes a guttural snort that sounds like Brian Blessed having an asthma attack.

Perching above that lot is the latest version of Lamborghini’s active aerodynamic spoiler system, which attracts attention like a radar beacon. The huge rear wing isn’t there just for show. It increases downforce by more than 40% compared with the previous Aventador SV.

This is ingenious stuff that really requires a PowerPoint presentation to explain properly. On a fast corner, the forces created by the rear wing can be deflected left or right, increasing grip over the inside rear wheel, where it is most needed to keep the SVJ glued to the road.

It works brilliantly, but also attracts a trail of nerdy car-spotters in your wake, smartphone cameras pressed to their windscreens. Expect to go viral on social media if you crash — it’s that sort of machine. But at least you won’t be able to see most of your pursuers — the central pillar that supports the spoiler is so bizarrely placed, it blocks visibility. You might as well throw away the rear-view mirror and shave a few extra ounces off the weight.

Stabbing the throttle unleashes a guttural snort like Brian Blessed having an asthma attack. There’s no neighbour-friendly setting for those awkward, early-morning starts either, so don’t expect another barbecue invitation from No 17.

However, for sheer spectacle and sonic boom, the SVJ rivals Concorde. It’s tight for space inside, once the wing doors have been swung up to reveal a gaudy mix of imitation suede and leather in the cabin. The bucket seats are painful on a long journey, while visibility and headroom were an afterthought.

There’s nowhere to stash a phone, let alone my spotted handkerchief, and the eccentric dashboard layout appears to contain switchgear stolen from the original Tardis. A flip-up cover protecting the starter button is borrowed from a Top Gun fighter. The wow factor for new passengers is undeniable, but the flap, when left open, can catch a shirt cuff at the most awkward moments.

At least Lamborghini has dispensed with those silly indicator buttons fixed to the steering wheel on the Huracan, a wild sister car that is equally deserving of the raging bull badge. Impossible to operate at night, the tiny switches have been replaced with a conventional column stalk in the Aventador.

Efficient Ferraris and soulless McLarens can’t hold a candle to the vibrations and resonating thrills of the supersonic SVJ

There’s nothing easy or straightforward about any Aventador, of course — even climbing in and out is a Houdini-style feat designed to scalp all 6ft-plus passengers. The music system is so tinny, it sounds as if the DJ has dug up an antique phonograph, and the restricted luggage space under the bonnet needs to be supplemented by stuffing the passenger footwell.

Worst of all, the single-clutch gearbox is almost comically antiquated. At low speed, occupants will be doing a head-nodding workout worthy of Jane Fonda, usually accompanied by cries of: “It’s not my rubbish gearchange, honest.”

Matters improve dramatically at higher velocity, when the shift is smoother. Not that you’ll notice, because harnessing the SVJ on a public road demands full attention.

Straight-line performance in the SVJ is stupendous. And when you’re heading into a corner, each high-revving downshift on the huge paddle-shifters is pure drama, especially on a wet British road in winter. This amount of performance and grip takes some getting used to.

With all this set off by an old-fashioned V12 soundtrack and outlandish styling, the Aventador delivers a sensory overload rarely found in any car these days. Modern, efficient Ferraris and soulless McLarens can’t hold a candle to the vibrations and resonating thrills of the supersonic SVJ, which really sticks the boot in.

Of course, for more than £350,000 you might expect nothing less. If you want to make an entrance, there’s very little on the road that shouts as loud as a Lamborghini. And that price doesn’t include some of the optional equipment on my test car, including a “viola” paint job at £9,270 and a carbon engine rocker cover for £4,200 (I said it was beautiful).

In any other circumstances it would be right to suggest the Aventador is a two-seater that’s reached its sell-by date. But what Lamborghini has done here is turn an ageing, outrageous supercar into something even more spectacular. Just for one last fling, for old times’ sake — and if only to annoy the neighbours.

 

Head to head

Lamborghini Aventador SVJ vs McLaren 720S

	Lamborghini Aventador LP770-4 SVJ	McLaren 720S
Price	£356,000	£208,600
Power	759bhp	710bhp
0-62mph	2.8sec	2.9sec
Top speed	217mph	212mph

The post 2019 Lamborghini Aventador SVJ review appeared first on Sunday Times Driving.

source https://www.driving.co.uk/car-reviews/2019-lamborghini-aventador-svj-review/

2019 Volkswagen T-Roc review

THE VW Golf, someone once said, is a byword for everything you really need from a car. It is the answer to every motoring question that’s been asked. You’re a tearaway and you want something fun. Buy a Golf GTI (Clarkson did). You’re a commuter and you need a sensible car to drive to the station. Buy a Golf GTD. You’re a nurse and you need something cheap and reliable to get you to the hospital every morning. Buy a second-hand Golf S. Problem solved, then.

But wait — maybe the question is, “What if I need an SUV for ease of loading and unloading and riding over urban speed bumps, and because it feels safer on the motorway?”

The Golf is still the answer, even though in this case it’s called a T-Roc. Ignore the trendy name — it’s a jacked-up Golf. Its designers have given it a rugged look, but the disguise is fooling no one. It should have been called a Golf X-Cross.

The reason it wasn’t is that VW didn’t want the Golf brand to steal sales from soft SUVs made by its subsidiaries: the Skoda Karoq, the Seat Ateca and the Audi Q2. Asked how it came up with the name T-Roc, Volkswagen was at a loss to explain. Maybe the marketing people came back with hangovers from a three-day brainstorming session and hit random keys on the computer.

Whatever, the T-Roc is a Golf for the new, suburban, safety-conscious school-run, flat-pack, garden-centre generation.

True, it’s not the most practical of the family. That’d be the Golf estate. The VW stylists clearly got their way in deciding the raked roofline at the back, which reduces rear visibility as well as headroom and boot space. It won’t swallow a fridge-freezer, though it will fit a Billy bookcase.

There’s no point going on at length about how the T-Roc drives or its build quality, because as it’s merely an addition to the Golf clan, the chances are you’ve already experienced it in some form. Volkswagen is a master at repurposing cars among its many subsidiaries.

All car manufacturers do this to some extent, to spread the enormous engineering costs more thinly. For instance, the Fiat 500 is a Panda underneath; the new Toyota Supra is a BMW Z4 in a new outfit. But no one excels like Volkswagen at this practice of platform-sharing, and no platform is more widely shared than the Golf’s.

In addition to underpinning those SUVs already mentioned, it is used in the Audi A3, Q3 and TT, the Seat Leon, the Skoda Octavia and the VW Tiguan and Touran.

Ignore the Volkswagen T-Roc’s trendy name and rugged look — underneath, it’s a jacked-up Golf

In one sense, then, buying a T-Roc is like wearing the same jeans as everyone else, made in the same factory with the same grade of denim, but with a slightly different wash and a different label.

This may make you bridle at the idea of conformity, but it’s no bad thing when it comes to selling on. Like the Golf, the T-Roc makes a virtue of being inoffensive. It’s not the cheapest car in the world, but neither is it conspicuously expensive. It doesn’t say you’re hard-up; nor does it say you’re a show-off — it’s timeless and classless. So finding a buyer will be more straightforward than for, say, an orange Vauxhall Mokka X.

There’s no shortage of choice in this, the most buoyant sector of the car market. But unless you haven’t forgiven VW for Dieselgate, choosing a T-Roc is more “why not” than “why”.

There’s the Mini Countryman, but not everyone’s a fan. Clarkson called it dreary, ugly and unnecessary. Perhaps you like the look of the Toyota C-HR, but after you’ve test-driven one you may change your mind.

That said, choosing which T-Roc to buy isn’t easy. VW turns it out with a bewildering number of engines and trims, and that’s before you start adding options. The result is that the £33,930 2-litre automatic version costs a staggering 76% more than the 1-litre manual, at £19,270.

The good news is that the T-Roc comes with a choice of three petrol and two diesel engines — evidence, if it were needed, that petrol is in the ascendancy after years of retreat. At one stage, if you wanted a Golf-platformed car such as the Tiguan in right-hand drive, you could buy only diesel. After Dieselgate, VW hastily reversed its policy.

In terms of engine size, you may want to take the Goldilocks approach. The middle-of-the-range petrol 1.5-litre T-Roc comes with a stress-free DSG auto gearbox in SE trim for £24,210 (in the snazzy R-Line trim — with oversized wheels — it’s £28,455). If that price seems high, it’s worth noting that a comparable Nissan Qashqai — the bestseller in this class — costs about the same.

If you choose the DSG version, the T-Roc will shift gears snappily and pull away smoothly from standstill. The engine has gusto when you want it on B-roads and is unobtrusive on A-roads.

It’s not a low-slung hot hatch, mind, so it’s never going to corner and accelerate like a GTI. This is a Golf that’s grown up and bought a home, rather than one that spends nights on the tiles.

If you can’t wait the 8.4 seconds it takes the T-Roc to get to 62mph, there’s a speedier version on the way: the T-Roc R. It will use the 296bhp engine from the Golf R to give a 0-62mph time of about five seconds.

If you’re bewildered by the engine range, the 1.5-litre petrol is worth looking at if you want to take the Goldilocks approach

If you’re less worried about performance than running costs and carbon dioxide emissions, then the diesel 1.6 TDI SE at £23,040 is for you.

All models come with safety systems such as forward collision warning and emergency braking. Adaptive cruise control is standard on the SE and pricier versions. These are should-have, if not must-have, electronic lookouts, especially if you drive long distances. They are co-pilots that never tire of keeping a safe distance between you and the traffic in front.

That doesn’t mean they’re a substitute for staying alert, but they’ve proved their worth in accident prevention, in the way that seatbelts and antilock braking did. On rivals from the VW stable such as the Karoq, adaptive cruise control costs £300 extra.

If you want fancy add-ons on the T-Roc, a panoramic sunroof costs £1,080, and there’s four-wheel drive at £1,690. It’s good for slippery roads, or overflow parking in a field, but this isn’t an off-road vehicle. It may look pumped up, but it’s not heavy-duty, and there’s not enough ground clearance for proper mud-plugging.

There will be those who ask why the world needs another soft-roader. After all, every type you could want is available, surely, from the budget Dacia Duster, SsangYong Tivoli and MG ZS through to those mid-range favourites the Renault Kadjar, Nissan Qashqai and Peugeot 5008 to premium models such as the Mercedes-Benz GLA, Jaguar E-Pace and Volvo XC40.

Well, here’s why. The higher driving position is an advantage on busy roads, and the ease of access is important if you’re a back-pain sufferer or a parent with young children. Or just someone who has to haul around shopping and other paraphernalia. With the lives people lead these days, those things matter.

Welcome, then, to the most grown-up Golf of the range, the X-Cross. Sorry, T-Roc.

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Head to head

Volkswagen T-Roc vs Nissan Qashqai

	Volkswagen T-Roc R-Line 1.5 TSI	Nissan Qashqai Tekna+ 1.3 DIG-T 160PS
Price	£28,455	£29,195
Power	148bhp	158bhp
0-62mph	8.4sec	8.9sec
Top speed	127mph	124mph

 

The Clarkson review: Ford Fiesta Zetec S Red Edition (2015)

The post 2019 Volkswagen T-Roc review appeared first on Sunday Times Driving.

source https://www.driving.co.uk/car-reviews/2019-volkswagen-t-roc-review/

Extended Test: 2019 Volvo V60 T5 Inscription

Specifications

• Model 2019 Volvo V60 T5 Inscription
• Engine 1,969cc, four-cylinder turbocharged petrol
• Power 247bhp @ 5,500rpm
• Torque 258 Ib ft @ 1,800rpm
• Kerb weight 1,645kg
• Towing capacity 1,800kg (braked) / 750kg (unbraked)
• Top speed 145mph
• 0-62mph 6.7sec
• Fuel consumption (WLTP) 41.5mpg (combined)
• CO2 emissions 157g/km (NEDC)
• Road tax £515 for first year; £140 for years 2-6 (without options)
• Price from £38,270
• Price with options £45,745
• Options fitted Metallic paint, £650; Intellisafe Pro Pack, £1,625; Xenium Pack, £1,800; Convenience Pack, £500; Tinted rear windows, £600; Winter Pack, £525; Sensus Connect with Harman Kardon audio, £825; Keyless Drive plus handsfree tailgate operation, £500; Smartphone integration, £300; Space saver spare wheel, £150.

Test details

• Test period February – August 2019
• Starting mileage

Updates

• March 3, 2019 Can a petrol estate car do a better job than a diesel SUV?

March 3, 2019: Can a petrol estate car do a better job than a diesel SUV?

After running what seemed to me to be the perfect family car, a seven-seat Skoda Kodiaq 4×4 SUV, the worry is that this Volvo V60 estate is on a hiding to nothing. So why choose a car that’s smaller, has fewer seats, lacks four-wheel drive, isn’t as economical yet costs more money?

Well, despite their popularity, SUVs are rarely rewarding to drive. Yes, they give you a good view of the road and some do a fair job of smothering the shocking state of Britain’s roads, but when it comes to the way they make you feel when the road ahead unfolds like a vista of driving nirvana from an episode of The Grand Tour, they’re about as satisfying as a soggy cheese sandwich.

So we’re giving Volvo’s mid-range estate — a rival to the BMW 3-series Touring, Audi A4 Avant, Mercedes C-class estate and suchlike — a try. Might it raise a smile on the right road?

At the same time, the Skoda was diesel but diesel is now considered a dirty word. The car makers will tell us that the toxic damage caused by the latest diesels with all manner of fancy-pants emissions treatment is less impactful than an equivalent petrol-powered car. But can we trust them? After all, that’s what Volkswagen told the world before dieselgate. You can understand the public’s concern.

So the V60 has a petrol engine. It’s called a T5, and is the only petrol unit currently available in the V60 range, complete with an automatic gearbox as standard. It’s powerful and so not especially frugal, but its relatively high consumption can be forgiven if it’s found to drive better than a diesel and the car feels as though it’s solid value for money.

Well, that’s another thing: our test car is kitted out in Inscription trim — the second poshest trim level in the range. Volvo anticipates that it’ll be popular, however, only outsold by R-Design versions.

To this, Volvo had already added a hefty range of options before we could intervene, taking the price from £38,270 to £45,745.

This price hike is worth dwelling on momentarily. By pushing it over £40,000, someone buying this car would face a significant hike in road tax, from the second to sixth years included (up from £140 a year to £450).

There are more affordable versions available but only one costs less than £37,000, so anyone who wants to avoid paying such a penalty in road tax will have to go easy on the options or pay for the privilege.

Setting all that to one side, I defy anyone to deny that the V60 is one of the best looking estate cars on the road. Furthermore, it has one of the most calming interior environments of any estate, too. But is there more to this car’s personality beneath the surface? Time will tell.

Thinking of buying a Volvo V60? Or do you already own one? Share your experiences in the comments below, or drop Millsy a tweet.

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The post Extended Test: 2019 Volvo V60 T5 Inscription appeared first on Sunday Times Driving.

source https://www.driving.co.uk/car-reviews/extended-test-2019-volvo-v60-t5-inscription/

2019 Mazda 3 review

If you had to name the three most crowded markets in the world, it’d probably go something like this: the Wall Street trading floor circa 1987; the Cairo market out of Raiders of the Lost Ark; the current family hatchback car market.

The rising popularity of crossover SUVs – many of which are spun off hatchbacks – has done nothing to make the buying process any less mystifying for drivers. And sales figures show that big, high-riding, rugged-looking crossovers are as alluring as a silver earing to a crow.

That’s why car companies like Mazda are working harder than ever to make their traditional family hatches stand out, and this new, fourth generation Mazda 3 is trying hard to impress.

When it goes on sale in Britain this spring it will compete with the eternally classy Volkswagen Golf and ever-popular Ford Focus, but buyers will also have the Peugeot 308, Renault Mégane, SEAT Leon and Skoda Octavia on their shortlists, too.

Those with more to spend can find themselves pleasantly surprised by the finance deals available on the upmarket Audi A3, BMW 1-series, Mercedes A-class and Volvo V40.

With prices for the all-new Mazda 3 starting at £20,595, for a model in SE-L trim with a 122ps 2-litre Skyactiv-G M Hybrid petrol engine, the Japanese contender may seem like a bargain. Costs rise gradually through SE-L Lux and Sport Lux to GT Sport and the range-topping GT Sport Tech, which costs from £25,270.

This mild hybrid model, which uses an electric motor to provide power under acceleration, reducing the stress on the petrol engine for better fuel efficiency, is expected to be the best-selling version. But with 120bhp and no turbocharger, it’s no ball of fire, and the official WLTP fuel economy figure of 44.8-45.6mpg (depending on wheel size) isn’t class leading. But it goes about its business in a willing fashion and is – for the most part – smooth and quiet.

Also from launch there’s a 116ps 1.8-litre Skyactiv-D diesel engine, which attracts a two grand premium over the petrol, starting at £22,395, but it is more fuel efficient: the manual model will manage 55.4-56.5mpg.

Meanwhile, CO2 outputs for both are pretty decent, at 107-109g/km for the Skyactiv-D manual versus 117-119g/km for the equivalent Skyactiv-G M Hybrid. Both figures have been translated from the new test into old money, though, as tax will still be calculated based on the outgoing NEDC test; you can expect to pay £145 in the first year for the diesel and £165 for the petrol.

Both come with an automatic gearbox option, which marginally decreases efficiency.

But hold fire, because in the autumn, the company will add its Skyactiv-X engine to the UK line-up. Mazda claims this clever petrol motor has the same or better fuel-efficiency as the Skyactiv-D diesel, thanks to pioneering compression technology, but has the fun-to-drive characteristics of a petrol. It’s said to be 30% more fuel efficient than a conventional petrol engine, with CO2 emissions likely to dip below 100g/km. Those claims are still to be put to the test.

In the immediate term, just look at the new Mazda3. As hatchbacks go, it’s handsome. Its new clothes sit on a new chassis, which is stronger than before, reportedly allowing the engineers to take big strides in terms of cabin quietness, how smoothly it rides over crumbling roads and how precise it feels on a nice stretch of winding road.

Inside, it’s a relief to find that the days of Japanese cars having an interior with all the panache of a portaloo are over. The 2019 Mazda3’s cabin stands comparison with the current generation of Audi, BMW and Volkswagen hatchbacks. That’s not something we thought we’d see, but Mazda — like so many other brands — is on a mission to shift itself toward becoming a premium player, and this evidence, it really is walking the walk.

The elegantly slender dashboard is swathed with soft-touch surfaces, all the switchgear has a satisfying look and feel, there’s a new, larger 8.8in screen for the infotainment system and a partially digital instrument display.

What there isn’t, however, is a touchscreen interface. This is curious. At a time when most car makers are following Tesla’s lead and making touchscreens the default interface between man and machine, Mazda has expressed reservations about the safety of such systems. It told us that touchscreens cause the driver to unconsciously lean, which means they unwittingly apply enough extra steering lock to veer out of lane.

And even if you mount such touchscreens extremely close to the driver, it takes the human eye longer to focus, creating another hazard. At a time when the car is becoming an extension of the smartphone, it’s interesting for a car manufacturer to be so candid about the matter.

The answer, in the eyes of Mazda’s engineers at least, is to site the information screen at the top of the dashboard, back as close to the windscreen as possible, and pair it with a simple rotary controller or voice control. This tried-and-tested approach worked well in the time we spent with the car.

Drivers who need a hatchback to ferry around family may find that the back half of the new Mazda 3 is a little on the snug side. Anyone approaching six-foot and sat in the back will be rubbing their head on the roof, and high-backed booster seats will be a squeeze, as will lifting young children through the shallow door opening. There’s also less boot space than before, at 351-litres, although the back seats fold nearly flat to give more room.

Where the 3 will really make its mark with young families is on the test drive. Even if you don’t consider yourself a petrolhead and wouldn’t be caught watching an episode of Top Gear or The Grand Tour, something about the way the 3 drives will feel just right.

When just pottering to the shops, or parking in a tight spot, the Mazda3 has a precise and well-engineered way about it. It glides over crumbling roads, proves quiet at motorway speeds and comes alive on a stretch of winding road. In many respects, it is better to drive than the more established pack of posh (German) hatchbacks.

If it were at school, the 2019 Mazda3 would probably collect the end-of-year award for the most improved pupil. Whether that is enough to tempt Britain’s drivers from more established brand remains to be seen, but we’d suggest they’d be missing out if they didn’t at least give it a try.

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The post 2019 Mazda 3 review appeared first on Sunday Times Driving.

source https://www.driving.co.uk/car-reviews/first-drive/2019-mazda-3-review/