Audi A4

Audi has built a blinder of a car in the new A4. While the external design may leave some cold you can’t argue with the quality interior, extensive technology, impressive efficiency, useful practicality and perfect balance of handling and comfort. And the best bit is, that despite being a massive improvement, the new car shouldn’t cost anymore than before. We just hope the new Audi A4 performs just as well in right hand drive and on British roads.

Audi is just about to replace its ageing A4 with an all-new version which claims best in class statistics in a number of key areas including weight, economy, practicality and technology. Plus it promises to match the very best in terms of driving fun yet beat them on comfort.

But can it? We’ve been granted an early test drive of some preproduction models in both saloon and estate body styles to see if the impressive claims translate into a car which can finally take Audi to the top of the compact executive car class.

However, things don’t get off to a roaring start. Once again Audi’s design team have played it safe with the external look of the car to a point where the uninitiated wouldn’t be able to tell this 9th incarnation apart from its predecessor. Still it looks smart enough and buyers in this sector are notoriously conservative, so Audi would be foolish to rock the boat.

Underneath that familiar skin though, the new A4 is a very different beast. It’s built on Volkswagen Group's new MLB Evo platform, which is for cars with longitudinally mounted engines. The A4 is the second car to use this architecture and smallest too. As a result, represents the starting point for the various configurations which will follow to underpin models including the new Q5, A8 as well as other VW Group vehicles such as the Bentley Bentayga.

We've already been mightily impressed with the combination of improved agility and comfort the MLB platform delivers in the new Q7. But it's the  A4 which is the most important application as the A4 is Audi's best selling model globally.

As with the Q7, the architecture enables significant weight savings in the A4. The new model is up to 120kg lighter than its predecessor and, when comparing, like-for-like the car weighs less than the equivalent BMW 3 Series, Mercedes C-Class and even the aluminium bodied Jaguar XE. This in combination with improvements in engine technology, reduced rolling resistance and enhanced aerodynamics, has allowed Audi to set record-breaking efficiency levels of 95g/km for a 2.0-litre diesel and 109g/km for a 2.0-litre petrol.

The car’s new bodywork also sets a class record for low drag. A lot of work went into honing the car's shape to make it as slippery as possible - the new side mirrors took over a year alone to develop. These are now mounted directly on the door panel rather than at the junction with quarter light as this allows air to slip more smoothly down the side of the car. As well as minimising drag, this also minimises wind noise and helps make the A4 a very quiet car to travel in. Meanwhile extensive soundproofing helps block out tyre roar and energy absorbing engine mounts prevent vibrations and rattles entering the cabin.

Audi says the A4 is the quietest car in its class, and based on our first impressions, we have no reason to doubt this claim. But a hushed cabin alone does not a relaxing car make. A cosseting ride is also essential, something Audi’s not exactly renowned for.

That’s why comfort was one of the key areas of development for the new car. The MLB Evo platform is about 15 per cent stiffer than that of the old A4. This, plus the use of lighter aluminium suspension components, means that softer suspension can be fitted, while body roll can be kept in check by using fatter sway bars than before.

Buyers will be able to choose from four different suspension settings. There’s the fix rate dampers which feature a monotube design and this apparently causes less internal friction so they can respond faster to small but quick movement. Basically this set up makes the car fidget less over small bumps.

These dampers are offered in a normal setting or a firmer sports setting which also rides 23mm lower. We were only able to try the latter, and while German roads are generally a lot smoother than those in the UK parts of our test route had tarmac as patchy as that in Britian. The A4 still felt quite firm but it was never crashy in the same way the sports or S Line suspension felt on the old car.

Once again, variable dampers are offered on the A4 but this time customers can choose between two set ups: normal, which is lower than the standard car by 10mm, and sport which, as with fixed rate, sits 23mm lower for a more aggressive look and a sharper drive. Both the normal and sports adaptive dampers can then be switched between different modes, Auto, Comfort and Dynamic. The latter is best avoided because it reduces comfort for a highly marginal, or most likely imaginary, improvement in handling.

So the adaptive dampers are best left in auto mode to constantly adapt to the road and your driving style, and then the balance of comfort and handling is highly impressive, allowing the car to glide effortlessly up the road. In fact even in auto mode the sport adaptive set up felt noticeably more comfortable and composed over bumps than its fixed rate counterpart and is therefore an option well worth having.

One extra best avoided, though, is the active steering. This varies the amount of angle at the wheels compared to the amount of lock applied depending on the conditions or driving style. However, it doesn't feel anywhere near as natural as the standard set up, which is without doubt the best yet on any A4 to date, though steering feel has never been an Audi strong point.

Buyers in the segment increasingly demand more comfort yet still want an involving drive and the new A4 steers sharply. It telegraphs to the driver sensations which communicate levels of grip and steering angle while filtering out distractions such as bumps and vibrations. While the previous A4 felt like a point and squirt machine with plenty of grip but little involvement, this new one works with you, allowing you to flow through corners.

Essentially the new car feels more connected to the road in all the right ways, but less so in the wrong ways. As good as a rear drive BMW 3 Series? In Quattro guise - which operates a 60:40 biased to the rear – maybe. Though a back-to-back test in the UK is required to finally decide that.

Thankfully, even front wheel drive versions are more fun than before, though, obviously, you can't get on the power quite so soon when exiting a corner. But for most people most of the time, these models will provide all the grip they will ever really need.

Non Quattro A4s are available with all engines apart from the 4x4-only higher power  3.0-litre 268bhp V6 diesel engine - which is good for 0-62mph in just 5.3 seconds yet still emits only 129g/km CO2. So the choices include a 3.0-litre 215bhp V6 diesel or the best selling 2.0-litre diesel, which is available with either 187 or 148bhp. These emit as little as 95 and 99g/km of CO2 and return a claimed 74.3 and 70.6mpg respectively. Petrol engines include a 1.4TFSI with 148bhp capable of 57.6mpg and 114g/km plus a 2.0 TFSI with 249bhp that can get from 0-62mph in as little as 5.8 seconds yet still manages a decent 49.5mpg and 129g/km of CO2.

There's also a new 187bhp 2.0 TFSI engine which uses a special dual stage combustion cycle to deliver the performance of the old 1.8 turbo petrol but with the economy of the 1.4. Actually, it betters the smaller engine slightly with figures of 109g/km C02 and 58.9mpg. When cruising the engine limits the amount of fuel and air entering the cylinders which means it effectively operates as though its capacity is 1.2-litres. But if you want to accelerate hard the inlet cam profile changes seamlessly to utilise the full capacity of the chambers and deliver maximum performance with strong and smooth acceleration.

This new engine is a great solution for company car drivers who want a nippy petrol car - 0-62mph takes 7.3 seconds in the saloon - but with minimal tax implications. The only downside is that like with the lower power 2.0TDI and 1.4TSI, the engine is not available with Quattro all-wheel-drive.

You can have it with the fast-shifting 7-Speed S tronic dual clutch gearbox instead of the standard six speed manual, though. Meanwhile the 3.0-litre diesels come with an eight-speed normal automatic which actually feel a little smoother at lower speeds and still responds quickly enough should you suddenly need to up the pace.

And driving at speed in the new A4 has never been safer. New powerful brakes offer more stopping power than before and superior pedal feel making it easier to modulate your braking effort. Also the A4 gets Audi pre sense city as standard. This can automatically brake the car at under 53mph reduce the severity of any impact and can even prevent a collision entirely if you are doing less than 25mph.

The A4 also gets the same raft of gadgets introduced on the Q7 earlier this year. So there's adaptive cruise control, which can drive the car for you in crawling motorway traffic or, at higher speeds, automatically keep itself within its lane, so long as the driver periodically puts their hands on the wheel. There's also clever matrix LED lights which can read the road ahead adjust the spread of their light pattern so that you can effectively drive round with high beam on the whole time without dazzling other drivers.

Other features include the virtual cockpit first seen on the TT, though as with the Q7 there's also a high definition central screen so the passenger can operate the navigation or stereo. This is upgradable to a Bang and Olufsen 3D sound system, which gives the effect of turning the car into a concert hall as all the sound appears to come from the top of the dash as though its a stage.

Buyers can also opt for LTE mobile connectivity to turn their cars into a wi-fi hot spot. It also enables the sat-nav to stream high definition Google maps, a new high-speed CPU ensuring the crisp graphics are rendered quicker even than on most mobile devises.

All this tech helps create a contemporary feel inside the A4s well built, high quality cabin, which just has a touch more class than that of its rivals - though people after a bit of bling may find it a bit subdued next to the shiny and showy Mercedes C-Class. Regardless, there are some nice touches such as an extra wide vent in the centre of the dash that acts as a subtle diffuser which Audi calls 'air shower'.

Interior space is better than before. Even though the new A4 stands at the same height as before headroom front and back is improved as the comfy seats, which are now thinner and lighter than in the old car, are mounted lower. A wider body creates more shoulder room while a longer wheelbase means there's a 23mm increase in legroom. This may not sound like much, but it means that six footers will be comfy in the back seat - which they most certainly won’t in the cramped Jaguar XE. Overall the new A4 feels like the most spacious car in its class, though once again we need to compare it against the 3 Series, which was the class leader for rear passenger space.

While it’s roomier inside, the new A4 saloon’s load carrying capacity is similar to before, though a lower boot floor and lip plus a wider opening make it even more useable. Those seeking more practicality will want the Avant as it can swallow 505-litres or 1510-litre with the seats folded flat - numbers which trump estate versions of its German rivals.

In fact anyone considering a car in this class would be wise to hang on until later this year until they can take a test drive the new A4 before making their final decision. It’s hard to tell for sure without a group test on UK soil, but early signs from our time with a variety of preproduction models suggest that Audi may not have only built the best car in this class, but perhaps even the best all-round car in the company’s history.

Key specs

• Price: £28,000 (est)
• Engine: 2.0-litre diesel
• Power: 148bhp
• 0-62mph: 8.7s
• Economy/CO2: 74mpg/95g/km
• On sale: August 2015

Honda HR-V CVT automatic

Having already tested the diesel HR-V, we were a bit underwhelmed by this 1.5-litre petrol model. The hindrance of the CVT gearbox and thrashy engine make it a rather unrefined and sluggish way of getting around. However, if you avoid this drivetrain combination, the HR-V is a solid all-rounder – yet it still lacks any real flair. The car handles and rides admirably, plus the sheer size of the boot and flexibility of the rear seating will appeal to growing families.

Honda has history when it comes to compact SUVs. It was back in 1999 when the boxy original Honda HR-V first arrived on the scene, and following almost a 10-year absence from the market, the Mk2 crossover has finally touched down in the UK.

Like its predecessor, the new HR-V is also based on a supermini – the Jazz – but Honda’s clever packaging means that while this is one of the smaller crossovers, it’s also one of the most spacious. It challenges the Nissan Juke on size yet is priced like the larger Qashqai, which it’s closer to in terms of practicality. The 470-litre boot actually trumps the Qashqai’s capacity by 40 litres.

Prices kick off at just under £18,000 and rise to £24,945. There are four trim levels to choose from and two engines available – one petrol and one diesel – while front-wheel drive is the only option for now. The 128bhp 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol tested here is an all-new engine. It’s paired with a six-speed manual box as standard, yet our test car is fitted with the £1,100 optional CVT auto.

As is the way with most CVT transmissions, you have to keep your foot pinned to the floor to make good progress, which brings a raucous and intrusive drone from the engine. The sprint from 0-62mph takes a sluggish 11.4 seconds, but once up to speed, the engine settles to a muted hum.

From there, the HR-V neither excels nor disappoints. The ride has a supple edge to it and takes imperfections in its stride, while the steering is light yet accurate and responsive overall. As the crossover isn’t as tall as some rivals, it has a lower centre of gravity and doesn’t lean excessively in corners. Instead, the good body control means that it always remains poised. Add in the lower driving position, and it can often feel like you’re driving a hatchback.

Honda’s intentions of crafting a touch-sensitive, minimalist cabin are obvious, but the execution isn’t quite up to class calibre. The seven-inch touchscreen – standard on top-spec EX models – is largely intuitive to use, but the Garmin sat-nav’s graphics look a little dated.

Rear legroom is good, with the Jazz’s clever folding Magic Seats fitted, yet headroom is tight due to the plunging roofline, so seating three adults is tough – especially with the elevated middle seat. You’d undoubtedly get fewer complaints from those in the back of a Qashqai.

Key specs

• Price: £24,295
• Engine: 1.5-litre 4cyl petrol
• Power: 128bhp
• Transmission: CVT automatic, front-wheel drive
• 0-62mph: 11.4 seconds
• Top speed: 116mph
• Economy/CO2: 52.3mpg/125g/km
• On sale: Now

Toyota Auris 1.2 2015

 

New turbo petrol engine increases appeal of Toyota Auris hatch.

 

Subtle improvements across the board are welcome in the Toyota Auris. But even the competitive new 1.2 turbo petrol engine can’t elevate Toyota’s hatch above average in a talented class. It drives better than before, though, and should provide dependable family transport. We just wish the interior fit and finish had taken a bigger leap than it has. 

The Toyota Auris has always had an image problem, but fortunately fleet buyers are largely interested in running costs instead. If you need proof, around 75 per cent of Aurises sold are hybrids.

Despite this,Toyota has taken a leaf out of rivals’ books with the facelifted car, adding a new 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine, as well as tweaking the styling and upgrading the cabin. While there’s no doubt the restyled front end and our car’s LED headlamps (a £795 option) improve the look, the Auris remains a little too fussy and uninspiring next to the sharp-suited Ford Focus and SEAT Leon.

Inside it’s a similar story, despite smart new gloss black trim on the central dash panel. The centre stack on our example felt like it could be yanked clean off without much trouble, while general material quality still feels a notch lower than the best in class. The clock looks decidedly tacky, too.

That aside, it’s generally an easy-to-use layout, although the much improved touchscreen sat-nav is still a bit fiddly. It’s practical, too, with decent space for five, a 350-litre boot (34 litres more than in a Focus) and loads of storage solutions.

The new petrol sits alongside the old naturally aspirated 1.33-litre unit in the range. It idles quietly and is smoother when revved than the thrummy 1.0 EcoBoost in the Focus. It might not be quite as punchy low down, but mid-range pace is strong and it’s as flexible as you’d expect from a turbo four-cylinder despite a slightly clunky manual gearbox. It also returned 42mpg in our hands, which is broadly what you’d get out of rivals.

Toyota has also improved the old car’s lifeless steering and chassis, and the Auris now steers more accurately and rides a fraction better. Body roll is more noticeable than on rivals, however, and it lacks any sense of verve or engagement. A Golf balances ride and handling in a more astute fashion, but the Auris isn’t as far off the pace as it used to be.

For many, family hatches like these come down to price. Our mid-spec Design model comes decently kitted out, but the panoramic sunroof, LED lights and sat-nav push our test car well over £21,000. A similarly equipped 1.2 TSI Leon can be had for around £1,500 less, and that would be our choice every day of the week.

Key specs:

• Price: £21,685
• Engine: 1.2-litre 4cyl petrol
• Power: 114bhp
• Transmission: Six-speed manual, front-wheel drive
• 0-62mph: 10.1 seconds
• Top speed: 124mph
• Economy/CO2: 52mpg/125g/km
• On sale: Now

2015 Renault Kadjar 1.6 dCi 130 4WD

The Kadjar is based on the same platform as the Qashqai and is available with a 129bhp 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine or a choice of 109bhp 1.5-litre or 128bhp 1.6-litre diesels, the latter of which can be had with four-wheel drive.

It’s priced to undercut key competition, particularly given the generous spec that includes sat-nav and a colour touchscreen, so it’s primed to take on the big-selling family crossovers such as the Nissan, the Kia Sportage and Volkswagen Tiguan.

In fact, going by the list price you’ll pay more than £2000 less for a Kadjar with sat-nav than you will for a similarly equipped Nissan Qashqai.

It’s exactly what it needs to be: composed, predictable and easy to drive smoothly. It’s no fireball, of course, but the steering has a decent bite to it even around the dead-ahead, and it builds weight progressively so you don’t have the unpleasantly vague, woolly-feeling steering of some family-orientated Renaults.

The 1.6-litre diesel is a little laggy lower down the rev range but it does deliver a decent amount of torque, which builds from just above 1500rpm, and it keeps pulling strongly through the mid-range. The four-wheel drive system also stops any scrappy torque steer or wheelspin, making it easy to deploy what's on offer.

The Kadjar's drivetrain is an on-demand set-up that can send anything up to 50% of drive to the rear wheels when deemed necessary, and it can be locked into permanent 50/50 four-wheel-drive mode, or front-drive only, should you get bored of Auto mode doing all that for you.

Most of the time it’s in front-wheel drive, and even when power has been diverted to the back end you’ll still get a gentle wash of understeer if you take a corner aggressively, but generally it remains stoically on line even over some fast gravel roads we tried.

Mind you, for all the effectiveness of four-wheel drive, we had a dabble in a front-wheel-drive 1.2 petrol car (quiet, smooth, but needs revving) which is just as composed on road. Your local road or weather conditions will need to really warrant the extra £1500 expense of four-wheel drive, as it’s probably completely unnecessary for most buyers looking at this sort of vehicle. The front-wheel-drive 1.6-litre diesel even tows the same 1800kg max trailer weight as this 4WD model, too.

We have some reservations about the ride comfort, which on 19in alloys of our test car was pretty brittle at low speeds, but smaller wheels could make a big difference and the Kadjar is smooth and unflustered over awkward cambers and undulations.

The interior of the Kadjar is a real success. You get a colour touchscreen and sat-nav, and the dash looks neat and tidy, with nicely presented switches, good material textures and the best sense of solidity of any current Renault by a mile. If you’re willing to pay top whack then you can even make it feel quite classy, with a panoramic glass roof and part-leather interior on top-spec cars.

There’s loads of room in the front and back so even four tall adults will be comfy - it feels like a particularly wide cabin – and the boot is a really good size. It’s a shame you don’t get the adjustable boot floor in the lower trim, and the load lip is unusually high, but it’ll still hold as much paraphernalia as most families are likely to throw at it.

If you’re looking for a family SUV-type car for hatchback cash – and it seems that most buyers are – the Kadjar 1.6 dCi is a fine choice.

Pricing is great given the equipment, company car tax will be among the lowest in the class and resale values are predicted to be good.

It’s not really a car that appeals to the heart, but none of the cars in this class are. The Renault ticks all the boxes but is it the best in class? That depends on how it performs in the UK, for ride comfort in particular, but at the moment it looks like a really strong contender.

On sale September; Price £24,295; Engine 4 cyls, 1598cc, turbodiesel; Power 129bhp at 4000rpm; Torque 236lb ft at 1750rpm; Gearbox 6-spd manual; Kerb weight 1536kg; Top speed 118mph; 0-62mph 10.5sec; Economy 58.8mpg (combined); CO2 rating & BIK tax band 126g/km, 23% .

Ferrari 488 GTB

The new engine is turbocharged because it’s smaller, leaner and more efficient this way. And, inevitably, more powerful. By a lot.

The unit, still with a flat-plane crankshaft, now displaces only 3.9 litres, rather than the 4.5 litres of its natural breathing predecessor, but its two IHI turbos, each with dual scrolls and many, many friction-reducing parts (I’ve seen the diagrams), spool up exceptionally quickly. When boosting, they make 661bhp, although now between 6200rpm to 8000rpm rather than the 9000rpm of the 488’s predecessor.

What really makes this engine a Ferrari engine, we’re told (yes, yes, we’ll see), is that the torque is artificially reduced at lower revs in lower gears. Only in seventh is full torque – 561lb ft – available, at 3000rpm.

It’d be faster if Ferrari let it all loose, all the time. But it would also sound a bit crummy, say its engineers. Unleash the full gamut of pounds-feet in every gear and the noise would be a constant burp rather than a Maranello-spec yelp.

The steering rack is from the 458 Speciale, so a bit quicker than the regular 458 Italia’s. Ditto the adjustable dampers and the tyre sizes. Brakes are exactly the same as LaFerrari’s and the 488 GTB has a new generation of the Speciale’s Side Slip Control called, imaginatively, SSC2.

SSC2 not only acts via the electronically controlled limited slip differential like SSC1 did but now also softens or firms the dampers subtly to give you an even more carefully metered dose of opposite lock should you want to look like a hero and are bold enough to keep the throttle pinned in a 661bhp supercar.

This is about to sound ridiculous, but keeping a 488 GTB’s throttle pinned is not a particularly frightening thing to do. Yes, this is a car with 34bhp more than a McLaren F1, which has an engine in its middle and which, when you turn stability control off, hands control of whether you continue forwards, sideways, or fall off backwards entirely over to you.

But on the experience we had at Maranello, all too briefly on Ferrari’s Fiorano test track and then in more depth out on Modenese hillside hairpins, the 488 GTB is among the most docile-handling mid-engined cars I’ve driven.

It has an astonishingly forgiving chassis, with hardly a hint of understeer early in a corner, and extremely fast but communicative steering, and when it breaks traction, which it does gladly, it adopts a hopelessly easily controlled attitude and then regains grip cleanly and communicatively.

In part this is, I’ve no doubt, because Ferrari’s chassis engineers are among the best in the business. But I have also begun to wonder if it’s because the engine is turbocharged.

But maybe, just maybe, a touch of lag and a healthy wedge of torque is actually more effective and easier. Maybe the on-throttle spool and the off-throttle hang softens the edges of the oversteer’s entry and exit. Certainly the slug of soft torque seems to make it easier to break away in the first instance.

Either way, if having an engine like this means getting a chassis like this, it’s a sacrifice I’m prepared to make. Sacrifice? I’m afraid so, for the greater good. A moment’s reflection, dear reader, and grief.

Yes, the new Ferrari engine is a Ferrari engine, but not quite as we know it. It still sounds extremely good. It still responds very well. And, Lord knows, it delivers. But it is just a wee bit less tingly and exciting than those that have come before it.

If you like your engine in your car’s middle, the closest alternative that will still give you that instant hit, that breathtaking response, is Lamborghini’s Huracan. It’s fortunate, then, that the 488 GTB’s compensations are so intense elsewhere.

There are other improvements beyond the chassis, too. To my eyes the 488 is less pretty than a 458 but you cannot argue with the genuine downforce developed both front and rear (graphs, my friends, graphs).

This is the first series-production Ferrari to have active aerodynamics, via a rear diffuser that will sometimes stall itself, lessening downforce but also drag. The gearbox software has been revised so that the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, a thing of wonder before, is even more wonderful now. Those LaFerrari brakes are phenomenal and, it would seem, all but unburstable on this acquaintance.

Should mention – because these things do matter - that the cabin is more habitable, with more storage cubbies, there is keyless start (though nowhere obvious to stow the fob) and the prices are only moderately increased.

Price £183,974; Engine V8, 3902cc, twin-turbocharged, petrol; Power 661bhp at 6200-8000rpm; Torque 561lb ft at 3000rpm; Gearbox seven-speed dual-clutch automatic; Kerb weight 1475kg; Top speed 205mph; 0-62mph 3.0sec; Economy 24.8mpg (combined); CO2/tax band 260g/km, 37%.

Volkswagen Golf GTE

Plainly, that ‘E’ is for electricity, but what Volkswagen means by the rest of the badge is ‘Gran Turismo’ – as it does for the GTI and diesel-powered GTD.

Positioning your hybrid as a sporty option is certainly not new, but it does burden the GTE with additional buyer expectation. Not only does the first hybrid Golf have to be studiously parsimonious, but it also has to go about its business with a degree of hot hatch verve.

That’s a tall order when you consider that the model’s sister car, the Audi A3 Sportback e-tron, failed to set the world alight when we tested it at the end of last year.

However, there are reasons to be cheerful – not least that this is a Volkswagen Golf we’re talking about here, and the world’s biggest car maker is renowned for getting things right when it comes to its prodigal son.

The rewards for doing so are potentially seismic. With the demonisation of diesel likely to hit a higher gear in years to come as European emissions legislation takes greater account of nitrogen oxides and particulates, Europe’s buying public is likely to take a wider interest in hybrid technology than ever before.

The prospect of finding a household name at every VW dealer, virtually indistinguishable from the real thing and apparently free from compromise, is feasibly the nudge many may need to finally embrace the idea of plugging a car into the mains electricity every night.

For others, specifically business users, the nudge is already unnecessary. They will not need this test to tell them that running a GTE will mean a substantial benefit-in-kind company car tax saving versus a diesel.

That this five-door-only car gets GT-strength status in the first place is conceivably a ploy to lure middle managers out of their beloved GTDs. Or it might just be the real thing. Let’s find out.

Lamborghini Huracán

The Huracán became something of a trailblazer last year when Sant’Agata launched it with an active variable-ratio power steering system last year, dubbed ‘Lamborghini Dynamic Steering’ (LDS).

 

Introduced on the larger Aventador, the set-up allows for particularly direct control over the front wheels at low speeds, with gentler directional responses at higher speeds to the benefit of handling stability. 

It sounds simple enough and maybe even uniquely appealing in principle, given that mid-engined sports cars have inherent high-speed stability challenges and active racks are something that Ferrari, McLaren and Audi have yet to dabble with. 

But the execution has proven problematic. Our first two acquaintances with the Huracán have been of cars with LDS – and on neither occasion have we found that it can produce either the predictability or the feedback we expect of a near-£200k, 200mph driver’s car.

LDS is an entirely discretionary addition to any Huracán order. So in order to find out how much better the V10 baby Lambo's handling is in passively steered form, we borrowed a standard one.

As always, the Huracán is fast, loud, sharp, extroverted – and about as impactful as it’s possible for anything on four wheels to be. A fine and authentic modern Lamborghini, then. And while the standard steering set-up doesn’t address every dynamic shortcoming the car suffers with, it certainly makes the Huracán's handling cleaner and more coherent.

Not that most Huracán owners will likely care. The car’s bombastic styling is like high explosives next to the more conservative looks of its rivals. To these eyes, the Huracán is even more aggressively attractive than its predecessor, the Gallardo. If you want your junior supercar to stop the traffic first and foremost, its abilities are unassailable.

Those astonishing wedgy looks don’t come for free, though, and so you’ll find that the Huracán’s cabin is a tighter squeeze than those of its rivals if you’re tall. The cockpit is expensively appointed and solidly built, with esoteric styling flourishes in generous supply – most of them hexagonal in shape (it’s a recurring theme). The driving position is good but not perfect, with restricted leg room for longer-limbed drivers.

The instruments, meanwhile, are all liquid-crystal, with several display modes on offer. You can have large, centrally positioned speedo or tacho dials, or a large navigation display. Regrettably, there’s no mode that displays both an analogue rev counter and an analogue speedo at equal legibility and prominence, alongside a fuel gauge and a temperature gauge: it sounds arcane, but it’s the one you miss.

Alhough it’s seriously quick, the Huracán doesn’t take off from middling revs with the rabid urgency of a McLaren 650S – but the quality of its performance more than makes up for anything left to chance on quantity.

The car’s V10 engine feels wonderfully raw and unfettered, revving with feverous savagery from 6000rpm onwards and creating a sense of drama every bit as powerful as its 600 horsepower. The transmission is excellent, too: fast enough in its manual mode paddle shifts to make you feel hard-wired into the driving experience by your synapses.

The car’s handling isn’t so exciting, unfortunately, although it’s quite accomplished. Directional response is slightly soft and cornering balance is stability-centric, with understeer presenting at the limit of grip more often than not. 

The magnetorheological adaptive dampers of our test car made for a fairly compliant ride in Strada mode, and tauter body control in Sport and Corsa modes that isn’t so firm as to make them unusable on the road. There’s plenty of road noise, but not so much as to make long-distance touring a particular chore.

And what of the steering? The standard steering box puts almost three full turns between locks, so it’s unusually slow for a sports car. But it offers perceptible and useful feedback at out-of-town speeds and has good centre feel.

Most importantly, it manages that trick that all good steering systems pull off, but which the ‘LDS’ system singularly fails on: it becomes invisible in tactile terms. It simply allows you to ease cornering loads into the tyres precisely and instinctively without having to think about it or second-guess what may be about to happen.

Even now, with new manufacturers queueing up to launch six-figure exotics, supercardom doesn’t offer another ownership experience quite like that of a Lamborghini. And the Huracán’s sheer extravagance, visual antagonism and wonderful mechanical sincerity put it right up there with the very best Lamborghinis of all time.

But if you’re going to buy one, buy one with this steering system – and wring every bit of precision and delicacy from it that’s going.

Renaultsport Clio 220 Trophy

There’s no denying the Renaultsport Clio 220 Trophy is a more focused and absorbing hot hatch, but the transformation isn’t as profound here as we’ve seen in Renault’s other models. With such a rich pool of rivals even the Trophy still lags behind, but you can’t help but feel Renault got the basics wrong from the very beginning.

When Renaultsport puts its name to something the result rarely disappoints. However, the all-new Renaulsport Clio 200 broke the mould when it arrived back in 2013. Gone was the rev-hungry engine and snappy six-speed manual of its predecessor, in its place a downsized turbo and an automatic gearbox. Against the much sharper Ford Fiesta ST it didn’t stand a chance.

But now Renault has responded and created this, the Renaultsport Clio 220 Trophy. The in-house revamp will set you back £2,650 over the standard 200 model but you can see where that money has been spent. The 1.6-litre turbo now develops an additional 20bhp – 217bhp in total – the exhaust system has been overhauled to reduce backpressure and the springs have been stiffened by 40 per cent. But that’s not all. There’s also 20Nm more torque, gearchanges are claimed to be 50 per cent, plus the engine now revs out to 6,800rpm – a 300rpm increase over the RS Clio 200. Sounds promising.

In practice, the Trophy doesn’t feel any more urgent than the standard model – only 0.1 seconds have been trimmed from the 0-62mph time at 6.6 seconds – despite the added grunt, but the Clio was always quick enough to ensure the Fiesta and Peugeot 208 GTi remained in your rearview mirror.

The bigger issue has always surrounded the gearbox. Keep your right foot buried and the Clio rips though the gears with a fraction more severity, accompanied by a snort from the exhaust. Yet to most, the faster shifts would only be tangible if you’d jumped from the standard model directly into the Trophy. Pulling the paddles yourself also takes less time as the travel has been reduced by 30 per cent, but what should be a satisfying thud of selecting the next cog remains rather mushy.

Renault has also quickened the steering, but there’s still an initial degree of vagueness before the front end bites into the tarmac. Beyond that the Trophy is seemingly unwilling to loosen its grip regardless of how ham-fisted your inputs become. It also rides with far greater compliancy that a 217bhp hot hatch has any right to – despite the being 20mm lower at the front and 10mm lower at the rear. It flows with the road in a way the Fiesta ST could only dream of, smothering imperfections and absorbing bumps – you can thank the motorsport-derived hydraulic bump stops for that.

What remains missing, though, is that sense of involvement and level of connectivity you feel in the Fiesta ST. Where the Ford feels sharp and alert, the Clio can feel limp and bit lifeless unless you're at maximum attack – and there’s still no getting away from the ever-present sense of detachment due to the lack of a gear stick and a third pedal.

Another niggle is with the optional (£1,600) Trophy sports seats, which provide huge amounts of support, locking you in place, but the side bolsters protrude to an extend which can restrict the amount of lock you can apply. We suggest you stick with the standard seats and pocket the cash. Other unique add ons include a smattering of exterior Trophy badges, chrome air vent inserts and an embossed steering wheel and gearstick.

Being a Clio it’s also more practical than its closest rivals, with a five-door body and spacious 300-litre boot. Yet, that sort of stuff is unlikely to be of highest priority on a car such as this.

Key specs

• Price: £21,780
• Engine: 1.6-litre four-cyl turbo
• Transmission: Six-speed auto, front-wheel drive
• Power/torque: 217bhp/280Nm
• 0-62mph: 6.6 seconds
• Top speed: 146mph
• Economy/CO2: 47.9mpg/135g/km
• On sale: Now

Mercedes C-Class Coupe 2016 first ride

The new Mercedes C-Class Coupe promises to be one of the highlights of September’s Frankfurt Motor Show – and Auto Express has already been given an preview of the eagerly awaited two-door.
We visited Stuttgart to try out the new C-Class Coupe from the passenger seat. Various spy shots and teaser images from Mercedes have confirmed the second-generation coupe will be available in a host of different flavours. While the tyre-shredding C63 AMG Coupe will also debut at Frankfurt, it’s the more restrained C300 model powered by a 241bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo that we sampled.

The elegance of the C-Class saloon is even more obvious in the Coupe bodystyle. There’s a whiff of the AMG GT and the S-Class Coupe about the newcomer, noticeable in the steeply angled windscreen, long, soft, tapered tail end and wide tail lights which poke out through the disguised rear end.

That plunging roofline has consequences inside, however. The Coupe remains a strict four-seater, with the middle seat from the saloon removed and replaced with a centre console. The rear seats have also been moved forward and inwards to increase head and shoulder room for those in the back. It can feel a little cosy for passengers but tat least the boot is now bigger.

In the front, new sports seats are set 20mm lower, adding a further degree of sportiness. Closing the doors now automatically presents the seatbelts to those in the front, saving them from reaching back awkwardly over their shoulder to retrieve them, as is necessary in the current model.

The engine fires to a muted idle, with the sports exhaust providing a bassy undertone. The 241bhp 2.0-litre unit responds snappily on the driver’s commands; the seven-speed automatic switching ratios quickly, retaining the composed nature of the saloon.

The chassis is tuned differently to the four-door, too, with a fractionally shorter rear axle, while wheel sizes range from 17 to 19 inches. The sports suspension of the prototype parried the bumps well but the more that was asked of the Coupe, the more it took on the character of a sports car.

Part of that can be attributed to the weight that the new car has been able to shed thanks to the adoption of the new MRA architecture that also underpins the C-Class saloon. An official figure has yet to be revealed, but with the saloon shedding 100kg over its predecessor, a similar figure is also expected to have been trimmed from the Coupe.

We’ll have to wait until later in the year before we get behind the wheel ourselves, when pricing is also to be announced. A small premium over the saloon is a given, but undercutting rivals from BMW and Audi could be the key to success.

New Mitsubishi L200 2015

 

Mitsubishi's new L200 mixes the usual pick-up ruggedness with car-like qualities to set a tough target for rivals.

 

Mitsubishi likes to think of itself as the UK market's pick-up kingpin and the new Mitsubishi L200 certainly sets new standards in the sector. The L200 manages to combine traditional macho pick-up qualities like toughness and capability with high levels of refinement, excellent economy and the handy knack of feeling smaller than than it actually is on the road. It also feels a generation ahead of rivals, primarily because it is. With a series of new pick-up models due in the coming months the battle is on and who knows, maybe a new golden age of the pick-up could be on the cards.

Forget your V8 muscle cars and widow-making supercar exotics, the most macho vehicle on the road has to be the pick-up truck. Whether it's transporting a builder and his array of power tools, heading out into the wilderness with a dirt bike in the load bay or taking a couple of pregnant ewes through a swollen river, the pick-up is the epitome of rugged, no-nonsense utility. It all mans that any pick-up laying claim to being the best on the market has to be one seriously tough, and that's where the new Mitsubishi L200 comes in.

Mitsubishi has been selling the L200 in the UK for 33 years and it has high hopes for this new fifth generation model. It replaces the Series 4 L200 that was Mitsubishi's bestselling model in 2014 with nearly 6,500 units sold, and carries the torch once held by the Series 3 L200, famous in Mitsubishi circles as the model that shifted 12,000 units in 2003 at the height of the UK pick-up truck boom.

That boom was fuelled by the favourable tax conditions of the day, which saw double-cab pick-ups classed as commercial vehicles. They allowed  to reclaim the VAT while company car users who were happy to drive one were also given big tax savings. At the time, Mitsubishi was the leading proponent of the high-spec, leather-lined 'lifestyle' trucks that exploited the loophole and although today's tax regime is rather less friendly towards the pick-up, the new L200 still takes its lead from its plush predecessors.

The styling is probably more 'traditional pick-up' than the Series 4 with its unusually rounded lines but the new L200 retains it predecessor's distinctive 'J-Line' curve on its flanks where the cab meets the load bay. What it adds is a whole lot of chrome, and yet more is piled on as you ascend a trim level range that reads like Arnold Schwarzenegger's action movie back catalogue. The entry-level 4Life trim opens proceedings just under the £20,000 barrier but then there's the Titan, Warrior and top-spec Barbarian models for buyers to get their teeth into.

Every L200 model gets air-conditioning, Bi-xenon headlamps, a switchable 4x4 system and a class-leading array of safety kit including 7 airbags, traction control and Trailer Stability Assist. It's only when you get to the Titan models that things really begin to take off; this is a sub £21,000 truck with 17" alloys, privacy glass, DAB radio, lane departure warning and Mitsubishi's Super Select 4WD system. It feels like good value and a comparison with rivals like the Nissan Navara, Toyota Hilux and Volkswagen Amarok backs that up.

It's a similar story inside where the cabin is spacious and durable. Some of the minor switchgear is dated and the plastics quality wouldn't stack-up well in passenger car company, but the materials are adequate for the pick-up market with some nice detailing thrown in. The neat Super Select 4x4 control dial sits behind the gear lever and there's a large touchscreen in the centre of the dash in higher spec models.

Passenger space is fine with room for a six-foot adult to sit comfortably behind a similarly sized driver, but the low seat does mean they have to bunch their knees up a bit. The load area is 1,470mm square and can take a 1,050kg maximum payload but if that's not enough, you can tow a 3,100kg braked trailer to carry any extra.

       
Power in all the new Mitsubishi L200s now comes from the same 178bhp 2.4-litre MIVEC diesel engine. It's a very modern unit for a pick-up with variable valve timing plus extensive use of aluminium and other lightweight materials. The weight savings help it achieve 42.8mpg on the combined cycle with 173g/km CO2 emissions - easily the best figure you'll get from a UK market double cab pick-up at the moment. Given the L200's recent history as a bit of a tax dodge, it's fitting that Mitsubishi sees this excellent economy as a way for  to future-proof themselves against the CO2-based taxation system it predicts is coming to the UK light commercial vehicle market soon.

The engine is very nearly as good as it seems on paper too. By pick-up standards, performance is strong with a 0-62mph time of 10.4s and a smooth flow of power through the revs. Engine noise is prominent but the gruff roar when you prod the throttle fits the truck's character and it never becomes too harsh, even when you approach the limiter. At 70mph in 6th gear, the L200 is sitting a little over 1,500rpm and the engine is barely audible.

It's important to put the rest of the L200's experience in context of its pick-up rivals because anyone getting out of a family-sized SUV into the truck will find the whole L200 experience a somewhat agricultural. It's true that the ride can get a little bouncy over big undulations and sudden bumps send shudders through the cabin but the new Mitsubishi offers decent body control through the corners and actually rides very smoothly on good surfaces. The steering has a decent amount of weight and the 6-speed manual gearbox (a 5-speed paddle-shift auto is also offered) is good to use once you get past some initial notchy-ness. In general, the L200 feels compact and easy to punt about which is no mean feat for a vehicle measuring 5.29m in length.  

We even had the limited opportunity to test the L200 off-road where the Super Select 4x4 system lifted from the Shogun SUV puts its low range setting, torque-sensing Torsen differential and ASTC active stability control to good use. It made short work of obstacles severe enough that you probably wouldn't attempt them in your own truck. Super Select lets you switch from rear-wheel-drive to four-wheel-drive at speeds of up to 62mph with the 4x4 mode offering a 40:60 rear-biased torque split for extra stability and more accurate handling. Beyond that there are two low range, diff-locked options for serious off-roading.

Key specs

• Price: £23,799
• Engine: 2.4-litre MIVEC 4cyl turbo diesel
• Transmission: 6-speed manual
• Power/torque: 178bhp/430Nm
•  0-62mph/top speed: 10.4s/111mph
• Economy/CO2: 42.8mpg/173g/km
• On sale: Now