Saab 9-3 2.0t Vector Review

Price as tested £23,205

The new 9-3 is Saab’s biggest-selling model and must compete in one of the toughest, fastest-growing market sectors.
Owner GM wants the car to be closer to the sports saloon norm without sacrificing too much of the individualism prized by loyal buyers and which gives new recruits a reason to pick it over a 3-series or a C-Class.
The new 9-3 must be both distinctive and conformist, and offer all the quality, dynamism and image buyers in this class expect.

The new Saab 9-3 shares much of its underpinnings with the new Vauxhall Vectra. Perhaps the biggest change made to the 9-3 is the switch from hatchback to saloon to match the market leaders.
The three petrol engine options are all based on the same all-alloy, four-cylinder L850 GM unit used in everything from Astra to Omega. Naturally Saab turbocharges it, and a choice of three different turbo pressures varies the output; the 2.0t tested here produces its 175bhp at 5500rpm and 195lb ft at 2500rpm.
Saab says that the front MacPherson strut and rear multi-link suspension is entirely its own work.
Most of the old Saab styling cues are retained; the wraparound screen, oval doorhandles, teardrop side glass and triangular-section rear lights.

We were slightly taken aback by the 7.7sec 0-60mph time we recorded in the 9-3, and the 22.2sec 0-100mph time. These are very impressive figures for a mid-range sports saloon, and immediately give you a clear reason to pick the Saab over the equivalent 8.9sec Audi or 9.6sec BMW.
It’s still more impressive when moving than away from the line though; witness a 30-70mph time of 7.1sec. Top speed is 136mph.
The ‘box action is reasonably short and light but notchy and no match for a BMW’s. The lack of vibration will impress all but the engine note, muted by the turbo, might divide; suitably silent for some, not sporty enough for others.
Around town the ride is quiet. The speed-sensitive power steering is very light at low speeds, and combined with the box and clutch actions makes for an undemanding drive.
Motorway refinement is good too, But drive quickly on more challenging roads and there’s a slight reminder of old 9-3 in the new car’s softness through corners and dips and loose damping over crests, effects which would be magnified in a car with standard suspension settings; ours came on sports springs.
You’re aware that you’re asking the car to play away from its town and motorway strengths, but others manage a broader spread of ability. The steering doesn’t weight up enough as the speed increases and remains frustratingly vague around the dead-ahead, but it is aided by that passive rear-steer which lends the car a keenness and security through bends.

The cabin looks and works like a Saab’s should. There’s a tall central dash section with all the major controls and displays mounted high to be closer to the driver’s line of sight.
There are firm, comfortable, high-backed seats with integrated head restraints, one-touch air vents, funky cupholders, folding rear seats and the ignition barrel down by the gear lever. Notable additions to the new car include an information display at the base of the windscreen which is particularly easy to read while driving.
The seats and driving position are excellent and the space in both rows and the boot puts the 9-3 near the top of its class. Only the quality of construction lets it down; some of the plastics have a sexy rubberised feel but others - the stalks and handbrake, for example - feel brittle and poorly finished. The standard kit level is generous and compares well with the rivals’.
Both the A4 2.0FSI and BMW 318i claim nearly 40mpg on the combined cycle; Saab claims just 33.2mpg, and we managed 30.1mpg on our touring route giving an acceptable 409 mile range. Buyers will have to balance the Saab’s extra poke against its extra thirst.

This is still a Saab, with enough of the marque’s hallmark features to keep diehards happy and interest new buyers. It has the pace and mechanical refinement of a premium sports saloon. But cornering aside, its dynamic abilities don’t get close enough to the 3, the C or even the A4 to cause them any anguish. It does enough to merit inclusion in a tough class, but not enough to lead it.

How much ?

• Price as tested £23,205
• Price as tested £25,870

How fast

• 0-30mph 2.9 sec
• 0-60mph no data
• 0-100mph 22.2 sec
• 0-150mph no data
• 0-200mph  no data
• 30-70mph  7.1 sec
• 0-400m  no data
• 0-1000m  no data
• 30-50mph in 3rd/4th  5.2 / 7.3
• 40-60mph in 4th/5th  6.8 / 12 sec
• 50-70mph in 5th  10.9 sec
• 60-0mph  2.8 sec
• Top speed  no data
• Noise at 70mph  72 dbA

How thirsty?

• Test average  26.4 mpg
• Test best/worst  30.1 / 12.8

Government figures

• Combined/urban  37.2 / 26.2 mpg
• CO₂ emissions  189 g/km

How big?

• Length  4635 mm
• Width  1762 mm
• Height  1466 mm
• Wheelbase  2675 mm
• Weight  1570 kg
• Fuel tank  58.0 litres

Engine

• Layout 4 cyls In Line , 1998 cc
• Max power 173 bhp at 5500 rpm
• Max torque 195 ft at 2500 rpm
• Specific output 86.6bhp per litre bhp per litre
• Power to weight no data
• Installation F
• Bore/stoke no data
• Compression ratio no data
• Valve gear 4 per cyl
• Ignition and fuel no data, Unleaded

Gearbox

• Type 5-speed Manual
• 1st 3.8 / 5.3
• 2nd 2.32 / 10.3
• 3rd 1.62 / 15.3
• 4th 1.27 / 20.2
• 5th 1 / 27.3
• 6th no data
• Final drive 3.51

Suspension

• Front MacPherson struts, anti-roll bar
• Rear Multi-link, coil springs, anti-roll bar

Steering

• Type Rack and pinion, speed-sensitive hydraulic power assistance
• Lock to lock 3.00

Brakes

• Front 300mm ventilated discs
• Rear 290mm discs

Wheel & tyres

• Size front 7.5Jx17in in
• Size rear 7.5Jx17in in
• Made of Alloy
• Tyres front 215/50 WR17
• Tyres rear 215/50 WR17

Seat Leon 1.8 20vT Cupra R Review

210bhp Leon outmuscles even the Civic Type-R

 Price as tested £17,000

A power struggle is being fought out on UK roads, a horsepower struggle to discover how much grunt you can put through the front wheels of a hot hatch. On the evidence here, the answer seems to be: quite a lot.
We gasped when Renault dropped a 172bhp motor into the tiny Clio and nearly fell over when Honda trumped that with the UK-built Civic Type-R, which packs 197bhp. But now Seat has upped the stakes again with a new 210bhp version of the Leon: the front-wheel-drive Cupra R.

The most significant change over the 180bhp Cupra is to the 1.8-litre turbo’d four which now gets a pair of intercoolers and inlet- and exhaust-manifold modifications. Power is boosted by 30bhp to 210bhp and torque by 26lb ft to a maximum of 199lb ft, all of it evenly spread from 2100-5000rpm.

Other changes include stiffer dampers which drop the car by 8mm at the rear, sturdier suspension mounts and relocation of the (thinner) front anti-roll bar mounts to improve the neutrality of the handling, as well as a quicker steering rack; 2.5 turns lock-to-lock compared to the 2.8 of the original.

These tweaks are backed up by huge 18in alloys through which you’ll see bigger Brembo discs all round. The R is also distinguished by its rear spoiler, side skirts and aggressive front bumper treatment.

Coming off the line gently to minimise speed-sapping wheelspin, the R scorched to 60mph in just 6.5sec, beating the Civic Type-R by 0.2sec and matching the time set by the Renault Clio Cup. From 30-70mph, where the disadvantages of front-drive no longer matter, the Seat takes just 6.0sec. But by 100mph, which the Leon reaches in 18.0sec dead, the tables have turned and the Civic and Renault have pulled out over a second lead, although only the Civic can top the 141mph the Leon managed around Millbrook’s banking.
The Leon also counters with the sort of in-gear muscle that helps make it a supreme overtaking tool. Aided by its flat, even torque curve, it simply strolls away from its rivals in any given gear: even in the tall 25mph per 1000rpm sixth it squirts from 50-70mph in just 7.5sec (Civic 8.9sec, Clio 7.9sec).

The engine itself is not tuneful or particularly charismatic, but it never becomes harsh, even at the red line. And that, together with the torque spread means the Leon is deceptively fast and relaxing to drive.

Putting over 200bhp through just the front wheels can so often end in tears, but Seat’s engineers have done a fine job of ironing out torque steer. At motorway speeds the ride though stiff is not uncomfortable, but tyre noise and bump-thump from the firmly damped suspension as it tries to soak up imperfections can make covering lumpy surfaces a chore. But the pay-off is superb body control over even the toughest roads, inspiring the driver with immense confidence.

So it’s a shame that the steering spoils the party. We’ve no qualms with the keener response of the quicker rack, but there’s less feel than there was and with no extra assistance on offer, the effort required to turn the wheel is now almost too great.

The Cupra R’s cabin is a black hole, broken only by the slightly cheap-looking white-faced dials, red stitching on the seats and smart leather-trimmed wheel and handbrake cover. The dash is showing its age, but the overall feeling of solidity is still impressive.

A huge range of steering and seat adjustment makes getting comfortable easy, even if they are set too high. And mention should be made of the superb £1200 Recaro seat option which includes special front chairs and individually sculpted rear seats and an emergency central perch in place of the ordinary bench.

The only other option is a full-screen sat-nav system; air-conditioning, a six-disc CD changer, front and side airbags and traction and stability control systems are all standard for the £16,999 price. That’s £1000 more than Honda charges for the Type-R, but the Seat counters with better equipment levels.

The R’s 211g/km CO2 figure is competitive considering the performance, as is the group 16 insurance rating. But our 23mpg average could dent a few wallets. Drive conservatively, though (and you will in this car, won’t you?) and you could easily top 30mpg.

It isn’t hard to make a case for the Cupra R despite its harsh ride and less than perfect steering. Stunningly rapid, able across country, and entirely practical as family transport, it’s absolutely one of the best hot-hatch packages on sale. That it costs only two grand more than the regular Cupra seals the deal.

How much ?

• Price as tested £17,000
• Price as tested £20,145

How fast

• 0-30mph no data
• 0-60mph no data
• 0-100mph no data
• 0-150mph no data
• 0-200mph  no data
• 30-70mph  no data
• 0-400m  no data
• 0-1000m  no data
• 30-50mph in 3rd/4th  no data
• 40-60mph in 4th/5th  no data / no data
• 50-70mph in 5th  no data
• 60-0mph  no data
• Top speed  no data
• Noise at 70mph  no data

How thirsty?

• Test average  no data
• Test best/worst  no data / no data

Government figures

• Combined/urban  32.1 / 22.6 mpg
• CO₂ emissions  211 g/km

How big?

• Length  4184 mm
• Width  1742 mm
• Height  1439 mm
• Wheelbase  2513 mm
• Weight  1376 kg
• Fuel tank  55.0 litres

Engine

• Layout 4 cyls , 1781 cc
• Max power 210 bhp at 5800 rpm
• Max torque 199 ft at 2100 rpm
• Specific output no data
• Power to weight no data
• Installation F
• Bore/stoke no data
• Compression ratio no data
• Valve gear no data
• Ignition and fuel no data, Unleaded

Gearbox

• Type U-speed Manual
• 1st no data
• 2nd no data
• 3rd no data
• 4th no data
• 5th no data
• 6th no data
• Final drive no data

Suspension

• Front MacPherson struts, wishbones, coils, anti-roll bar
• Rear Torsion beam, coil springs, anti-roll bar

Steering

• Type Rack and pinion
• Lock to lock 2.50

Brakes

• Front 323mm ventilated discs
• Rear 256mm discs

Wheel & tyres

• Size front 7.5Jx18in in
• Size rear 7.5Jx18in in
• Made of Alloy
• Tyres front 225/40 ZR18
• Tyres rear 225/40 ZR18

Maserati 4200 GT Review

Best Maser in decades

The new £59,950 Msaerati Coupé GT has a much more focused ambition than the outgoing 3200 GT, which wasn’t an especially polished product.
It wants to be an honest continent crosser in the traditional Gran Turismo sense, without sacrificing too much of the excitement associated with the world’s best-sounding car name. It also needs to justify Ferrari’s substantial financial commitment in resurrecting the Maserati brand, and to prove, at last, that you can look further afield than Zuffenhausen if there’s a £70k coupé on your shopping list.

Apart from the slightly raised bonnet line, the sad demise of the narrow LED rear-light strip, and a heavenly set of new 18in alloys, the new car looks little different.
Out goes the turbocharged V8 to be replaced with a unit of identical configuration but larger capacity and natural aspiration. Closely related to the V8 that powers the 360 Modena, the new 4244cc unit produces a sizeable 385bhp at 7000rpm and 333lb ft of torque at just 3300rpm.
Space constraints and the quest for perfect weight distribution have pushed the gearbox to the rear. The transmission itself is an all-new six-speeder offering the choice of manual or hydraulically actuated Cambiocorsa operation. Given the longer and less frenetic set of legs Maserati has given this car, it seems odd that a conventional automatic ’box isn’t also available.
Comprehensive modifications to the chassis include new spring and damper rates and the steering rack, arguably the 3200 GT’s weakest ingredient, has also been thoroughly revised to ensure a more linear response across the locks.

You can forget the numbers, ignore the technical data and just drink in what must be one of the finest engines currently in production.
This is a staggeringly fast car, one that will blast to 60mph in 4.9sec and 100mph in a scant 11.3sec. It needs every last ounce of that straight-line speed because the competition at this level is startlingly brisk: today’s basic Carrera will now hit the magic ton in just 10.1sec.
And it’s flexible; so happy is it to chug along at crank speeds barely above idle that you always find yourself running in one, even two gears higher than you might in a 911. But the shift is too obstructive and the clutch action too abrupt. There’s plenty of driveline shunt, too.
On its stiffest setting, the Skyhook adaptive damping reawakens all that was wrong with Maseratis of yesteryear, but to switch it off is to be released from poor-ride purgatory. Suddenly wheel travel seems to increase and rather than skip over bumps the car soaks them up and makes a pretty good fist of isolating the cabin.
There’s a price to pay in roll stiffness and outright body control, but the sacrifice is minute in real terms because the Coupé feels so much better planted that it actually gives you the confidence to carry much more speed. The steering is a happy compromise between feedback, clipping-point accuracy and motorway sneeze-factor imperviousness.
It’s a car of singular character, the Coupé. Not quite the precise B-road tool a 911 is, but still capable of raising pulses in all the right ways. But the real result is its cruising ability.

Even after allowing for its fantastic new engine, perhaps the most extraordinary thing about this car is, and always has been, it’s ability to carry four adults in reasonable comfort. If only the boot was capable of swallowing four people’s luggage.
The best news is that the driving position has been improved by dropping the seat 25mm, but the posture remains old-school Italian with the wheel set too far away, Poorly placed pedals don’t help, either: learn to heel ’n’ toe in this car and you’ll manage it in anything.
Maserati isn’t especially generous on the standard equipment front. Our car came with superb xenon lights, but then so they should be for £920 and seeing both cruise control (£325) and sat-nav (£1640) on the options list is rather too Scrooge-like for our taste. But interior build quality is out of the top drawer, so at least the money is being spent where it matters.
Likes a drink does the Maser: we struggled to coax much more than 300 miles at a time from the 88-litre tank.


There are, as there always will be with cars of irrepressible character, any number of objective reasons to strike the Coupé off your shopping list. The first, and most damning, is the spiteful manual gearchange, which doesn’t sit harmoniously in such an otherwise improved car. And it is a dramatic improvement over the outgoing model, a package with real cohesion that offers something currently missing in the market: a genuine alternative to the perennial Porsche. It has the pace, ride comfort and cabin space to slip into the GT role perfectly, and do so with all the charisma you’d expect of a Maserati.

How much ?

• Price as tested £56,650
• Price as tested £65,045

How fast

• 0-30mph no data
• 0-60mph no data
• 0-100mph no data
• 0-150mph no data
• 0-200mph  no data
• 30-70mph  no data
• 0-400m  no data
• 0-1000m  no data
• 30-50mph in 3rd/4th  no data
• 40-60mph in 4th/5th  no data / no data
• 50-70mph in 5th  no data
• 60-0mph  no data
• Top speed  no data
• Noise at 70mph  no data

How thirsty?

• Test average  no data
• Test best/worst  no data / no data

Government figures

• Combined/urban  16.1 / 10.8 mpg
• CO₂ emissions  400 g/km

How big?

• Length  4523 mm
• Width  1822 mm
• Height  1305 mm
• Wheelbase  2660 mm
• Weight  1680 kg
• Fuel tank  88.0 litres

Engine

• Layout V8 cyls , 4244 cc
• Max power 390 bhp at 7000 rpm
• Max torque 330 ft at 4500 rpm
• Specific output no data
• Power to weight no data
• Installation F
• Bore/stoke no data
• Compression ratio no data
• Valve gear no data
• Ignition and fuel no data, Unleaded

Gearbox

• Type 6-speed Manual
• 1st no data
• 2nd no data
• 3rd no data
• 4th no data
• 5th no data
• 6th no data
• Final drive no data

Suspension

• Front Double wishbones, coil springs,anti-roll bar, adaptive dampers
• Rear Double wishbones, coil springs, antil-roll bar, adaptive dampers

Steering

• Type Rack and pinion, power assisted
• Lock to lock 3.00

Brakes

• Front 330mm ventilated drilled discs
• Rear 310mm ventilated drilled discs

Wheel & tyres

• Size front 8Jx18in in
• Size rear 9.5Jx18in in
• Made of Alloy
• Tyres front 235/40 Z18
• Tyres rear 265/35 Z18

Mini Coupe JCW review

Mini Coupe 1.6T John Cooper Works

Test date 16 October 2011  Price as tested £23,795

The new Mini Coupe is the first of the modern breed to look like a sports car

 The modern incarnation of the Mini has had a lot of ‘firsts’ claimed for it by its BMW parent. The first four-wheel-drive Mini, the first four-door version, the first diesel. And, now, Mini’s first two-seater (if you’re prepared to overlook the limited-run Mini GP special) and the first three-box body structure has arrived, too, in the shape of the Mini Coupé.

To us, it’s even more simple than that: the Mini Coupé is the first of the modern breed to look like a sports car. (A curiously shaped one, perhaps, but we will come to that in a moment.)
As manufacturers explore ever more diverse market sectors, this one – the ultra-compact two-seat coupé market – is, you might think, a particularly small niche. And you’d be right – Mini is expecting less than five per cent of its sales to be of this variant.

To make the numbers work, the similarities between the hatchback and the coupé are legion, and particularly so for the range-topping John Cooper Works model that we’re testing here, which rolls out of showrooms at a not inconsiderable £23,625 before any options are added.

Design

The potency of what is marketed as the

 After relaunching the brand in 2001, BMW became remarkably adept at moulding the Mini’s revamped shape into whichever format the original car’s genealogy permitted. Despite being impudently tagged to the Mini Moke, last year’s four-door, all-wheel-drive Countryman was a clear indication that the firm was now prepared to breach its own heritage-obsessed brief (and class boundaries) in the hunt for further profitability.

Doubtless, the purists will duly identify the Coupé’s squashed aesthetic as the culmination of BMW’s creeping cynicism towards the marque’s positioning, but the manufacturer’s expectations are more to unquestioningly embrace the new Peugeot RCZ and Volkswagen Scirocco as rivals.

In order to exploit a programme of extensive component sharing, the spiffy two-seater look has effectively been achieved by lopping off the standard roof and heavily raking the windscreen. Based on the cabriolet’s underpinnings (see Under the skin, p65) the Coupé’s dainty new lid is 29mm closer to the ground than the hatchback’s top and it has been hollowed out inside to maximise the subsequent headroom.

At the back, shallower glass tapers to meet an active rear spoiler – the first to be found on a Mini. The MacPherson strut front and multi-link rear axle set-up is carried over, although the Cooper models all feature firmer dampers and a beefier anti-roll bar than stock. Not so the JCW; its suspension is unchanged from the conventional car’s.

Unsurprisingly, the engine line-up also migrates intact. The Coupé’s bonnet houses three guises of the now-familiar 1.6-litre petrol unit, including the 208bhp version reserved for the JCW badge. For fans who prize economy over performance, there is also the prospect of the 141bhp 2.0-litre diesel unit currently found in all Cooper SD variants. All come with a six-speed manual gearbox as standard, and all save the JCW include a six-speed automatic on the options list.

On The Road

The Mini's strong brakes marshal its 1230kg with no problem

If you’re seeking a fast getaway in your Mini Coupé JCW, don’t be lured by that enticing black Sport button just ahead of the gearlever. Running in normal mode, the car responds quickly and in pleasingly direct proportion to the position of your right foot.

However, in an attempt to conjure an impression of even greater responsiveness, Sport mode ruins all of that. Press the button and that engine delivers significantly more of its maximum power and torque at narrower throttle openings. Over several runs, our testers couldn’t get used to the more aggressive throttle pedal mapping. Our 7.2sec two-way average to 60mph is adrift of Mini’s 6.4sec claim – and that claim is to 62mph, remember. A slight shortage of traction at the front axle also contributed to that shortfall.
At higher speeds, where traction matters less, the JCW earned its stripes – 30mph to 70mph through the gears took just 6.0sec, which is fast enough to mix it with Golf GTIs and their ilk.

A slick-operating gearchange and, away from Sport mode, a responsive and predictable engine make wringing speed out of the Mini Coupé very enjoyable indeed. Twin-scroll turbocharging is to thank for the lack of turbo lag in the powerplant, as well as its genuine forcefulness between 3000rpm and 5000rpm.
Refinement isn’t something that we’ve come to expect from a hot Mini, but the JCW Coupé is noisy even by Mini’s own standards. Between engine noise, plenty of wind noise and tyre roar unencumbered by any kind of cabin-insulating rear bulkhead, the Mini Coupé JCW produces 74dB of noise at 70mph, which is plenty. On wider tyres, a Scirocco R is some 4dB quieter. The Mini’s brakes are certainly impressive, however, and they stopped the car from 70mph in the dry in just 46.8m, which is a better result than the Ford Focus RS we tested in 2009.

A reinforced body, lower centre of roll and a focused suspension set-up give a certain amount of on-paper credibility to Mini’s claim that the new Coupé is a real sports car – and the driving experience delivers thrills and excitement aplenty. This Mini lacks absolutely nothing in the way that it dives at apexes. Brimming with mid-corner agility, it offers a great deal of driver involvement and a liveliness of handling character, too.
However, anyone hoping, as we were, for a radically different, more rounded and grown up dynamic temperament in this car than the one recognised in so many hot Mini hatchbacks we’ve seen over the past decade will be disappointed. Because the JCW Coupé is like a JCW hatchback that has been raised on a diet of sugar, caffeine and amphetamines: it’s edgy, boisterous and, at times, even a bit badly behaved.

On the right road – one with a smooth surface and a mixture of open, flat corners – or on a circuit, this car is riotous good fun. It turns in with incredible zeal and very little body roll, and it matches that prodigious front-end grip with easily accessed adjustability at the rear. The DSC system doesn’t allow the car’s mobile rear axle much freedom to roam, but with the system off you can take full advantage of it, even in the dry. And underlying that initial dynamic playfulness, the car’s chassis is a completely benign one that you can have real faith in.

Trouble is, most empty UK cross-country roads aren’t circuit-like. They’re uneven and unsighted, and the JCW Coupé just isn’t suited to them. This is the only Coupé model with runflat tyres as standard – low profile ones at that – and it rides in predictable thumping, crashing, unsettled fashion over expansion joints and the like, lacking the shock absorption needed to deal with a broken surface with any kind of authority or finesse. And over even more gentle crests and dips, the Mini’s tendency to torque-steer slightly doesn’t make your driving experience seem any more pleasant.

 

Living

Thanks to that grippy front end, you can carry lots of speed towards the apex of a corne

If you’re at all familiar with the Mini hatch, dropping yourself into the forward part of the Coupé’s interior is like seeing your partner after they’ve had a subtle haircut. You recognise everything, but there’s something ever so slightly different. 

In the Coupé, the dashboard is the same – save for some natty highlighting on the trim – with the same layout of switchgear, driving position and seats.

What’s different is the steeper rake of the windscreen, and there’s no denying that the curving roof, as it slopes quickly towards your head, does add a more cocooning and, we’ll admit, a more sporting feel to the Mini’s cabin.
The Alcantara-covered steering wheel of our test car helps that case along, too – there is barely a wheel in modern motoring that would not feel better with the application of a suede-like rim. The driving position is no more sporting than usual but, marginal loss of headroom aside, is as good as usual. Ergonomically, it’s sound, albeit with seats that some of our testers would have preferred to be bigger, and, particularly, longer under the thighs.
So far, so Mini. That is, of course, so long as you continue to cast your gaze forwards. Turn to the rear and it’s as if a bob cut has become a boot cut. The rear seats have gone, as too would the headroom if they had remained in place. In their place is a small shelf and a larger than expected cubby through to the boot. Given the general hopelessness of the hatchback’s rear seats, this entirely covered load bay might well make the Coupé a more usable alternative to the hatch for some buyers. Access is good, too, available as it is via a wide and lengthy, and heavy, rear hatch.
BMW’s ability to repackage the Mini’s basic formula as a convincing new product is matched only by its knack for convincing consumers that the result is desirable enough to pay a premium for. It’s a welcome surprise, then, to learn that at the cheaper end of the market at least, the Coupé has been priced very keenly indeed. Thanks to the entry-level Cooper model, the new line-up undercuts all of its nearest rivals by a comfortable margin.
Predictably, the JCW returns the brand to form, but even the top-spec car is broadly competitive, especially when its respectable 165g/km and potential 46.1mpg touring fuel economy are taken into account.

Verdict

The Mini Coupé JCW has instantly entertaining dynamic appeal and it will delight a great many. In its element, this Coupé is a lively, agile, fast and super-responsive driver’s car with a disarming, scruff-of-the-neck sort of character.
But on typical UK roads, its dynamic qualities just don’t surface often enough, endure long enough, or shine bright enough to eclipse its failings in other areas. Considering how much car you get for your cash, the JCW Coupé is not all that expensive. But it’s also noisy, has limited practicality and suffers the kind of rolling refinement that makes you wince over really bad roads.
We had hoped for a more three-dimensional, less contrived dynamic performance from Mini’s new sporting king. However, for all its vivacity, this car imposes serious and regrettable compromises that just don’t feature in the best £20k coupés.

How much ?

• Price as tested £23,795
• Price as tested £29,415

How fast

• 0-30mph 2.9 sec
• 0-60mph 7.2 sec
• 0-100mph 17 sec
• 0-150mph no data
• 0-200mph  no data
• 30-70mph  no data
• 0-400m  no data
• 0-1000m  no data
• 30-50mph in 3rd/4th  3 / 4
• 40-60mph in 4th/5th  4 / 4.9 sec
• 50-70mph in 5th  5.1 sec
• 60-0mph  2.76 sec
• Top speed  149 mph
• Noise at 70mph  74 dbA

How thirsty?

• Test average  33.6 mpg
• Test best/worst  46.1 / 13.2

Government figures

• Combined/urban  39.8 / 30.1 mpg
• CO₂ emissions  165 g/km

How big?

• Length  3728 mm
• Width  1683 mm
• Height  1378 mm
• Wheelbase  no data
• Weight  1240 kg
• Fuel tank  40.0 litres

Engine

• Layout 4 cyls , 1598 cc
• Max power 208 bhp at 6000 rpm
• Max torque 192 ft at 1850 rpm
• Specific output no data
• Power to weight no data
• Installation F
• Bore/stoke 77.0x85.8 mm
• Compression ratio no data
• Valve gear 4 per cyl
• Ignition and fuel no data, Unleaded

Gearbox

• Type 6-speed Manual
• 1st 3.31 / 5.9
• 2nd 2.13 / 9.1
• 3rd 1.48 / 13.1
• 4th 1.14 / 17.1
• 5th 0.95 / 20.5
• 6th 0.82 / 23.9
• Final drive 3.71

Suspension

• Front no data
• Rear no data

Steering

• Type no data
• Lock to lock no data

Brakes

• Front no data
• Rear no data

Wheel & tyres

• Size front no data
• Size rear no data
• Made of no data
• Tyres front no data
• Tyres rear no data

Chrysler Delta Review

Chrysler Delta 1.4 M-Air 140 SR

Test date 01 November 2011  Price as tested £20,495

Background  

More than three years after we first drove the car on the Continent, the Fiat Group has finally got around to introducing the Chrysler Delta (née Lancia). A crucial prong of Chrysler’s new UK range reinvented under the auspices of Fiat, the Delta is the US brand’s new affordable family five-door – its entrant into one of the biggest market segments there is. It’s also the acid test of Fiat’s vision for the future of Chrysler in Britain.

Badged a Lancia in virtually every other EU territory in which it’s sold, the Delta – in the UK, at least – must somehow appeal to those who have been lured, relatively recently, by quirky American character cars like the Crossfire and PT Cruiser. Along with the Ypsilon supermini, it must slot into showrooms beside the new Grand Voyager and the square-jawed 300C without looking like a cynically conceived, badge-engineered misfit.
Acceptance will be much more easily achieved, however, if the Delta delivers on Chrysler’s marketing promise for the car: of truly distinguishing beauty, space, quality, innovation and luxury.

 Design

When it announced its five-year plan for the Chrysler Group in 2009, Fiat declared that Lancia and the newly acquired American brand would, in effect, share models. This modus operandi allows Fiat to roll out one range of models across the EU, via either Chrysler or Lancia showrooms, depending on which distribution network promises the greater commercial success. That’s how it has come to pass that the Delta hatchback can be a Chrysler in the UK and Ireland but a Lancia everywhere else.

But for anyone even remotely familiar with the styling of Chryslers of recent years, the Delta is going to come as something of a shock. The car’s two-tone paintwork, ornate detailing and sharply creased surfaces make it entirely unlike anything else in a rather by-the-numbers class. The Chrysler redraft is limited to a badge swap and a slightly altered grille. And the overall impression is of a car that’s distinctive, handsome and quite contemporary, but also decidedly European-looking – and that may be a sticking point for a portion of Chrysler’s returning customer base.

If the Delta’s appearance is somewhat controversial, its underpinnings could hardly be more orthodox. It uses the same platform that features under the current Fiat Bravo, with one notable difference: the Delta’s wheelbase is 100mm longer than its cousin’s. It’s identical, in fact, to that of the Fiat Croma, a different crossover hatchback that enjoyed a short stint on sale in the UK six years ago. The car’s chassis is divided between MacPherson struts at the front and a torsion beam at the rear.

Unsurprisingly, the new Chrysler’s engines also come courtesy of Fiat. We’re testing the 138bhp turbocharged 1.4-litre MultiAir petrol unit here, but the entry-level model gets the manufacturer’s older 118bhp 1.4-litre petrol turbo lump. The diesel line-up starts with the 118bhp 1.6-litre MultiJet and ends with the 162bhp 2.0-litre oil-burner, which is available in range-topping Delta Limited trim only.

On The Road

Powered by one of Fiat’s excellent MultiAir petrol engines, the Delta couples very usable performance with good economy and refinement.

Although power is pegged at 138bhp, the turbocharged 1.4-litre engine’s 170lb ft of torque is available from way below 2000rpm, which makes the car quite relaxing to drive. It’s more willing to accelerate through higher intermediate gears from lower speeds than a normally aspirated engine might be. A reasonably low kerb weight of 1445kg, as tested, helps too.

In outright terms, the Delta MultiAir isn’t fast, but it gives up its performance quite freely. Accelerating from 40mph to 80mph, as you might after a build-up of motorway traffic, takes 12.4sec in third gear and a respectable 20.6sec if you leave the car in fifth. That’s not diesel-rivalling tractability, but it’s much better than you might expect from such a small petrol motor in a relatively large car.

Although we couldn’t quite match Chrysler’s official 0-62mph claim of 9.2sec, on a damp and chilly morning at our MIRA test track, 60mph came up in 9.8sec. The car’s light pedals and gearchange don’t make it an easy car to get away from a standstill if you’re in a hurry; the primary controls lack the feedback you need to be sure of optimum traction. Having said that, the Delta’s Michelin tyres provide it with more than enough front-end grip to prevent wheelspin under full power, and throttle response is good.

Refinement is where we hoped the Delta would really stamp its authority on proceedings. It proved quite quiet and generated 71dB of wind rush, road roar and engine noise at 70mph – 4dB quieter at a cruise than the BMW 116i we tested recently. But its rolling manners aren’t as suave in other respects, as we’ll explain in a moment.
Our biggest commendation of the Delta is for economy. On our touring test it returned 45.4mpg – the sort of result you might have expected from a diesel hatchback of its size, armed with a clever twin-clutch gearbox, not so long ago. For a manual petrol five-door family car, that’s an excellent showing, although the more ordinary 34.2mpg we averaged throughout the test suggests that the Delta only really serves up such good economy when you drive with frugality in mind.

This car handles and rides with more than enough competence to meet to the class average. It has a quiet chassis, rides bumps without harshness and steers every bit as accurately as most medium-sized hatchbacks.
Our main dynamic criticism is that it fails in the one area that a luxury car should succeed. Conventional notions of luxury may be changing, but a smooth primary ride is still vital, we feel, for any car that purports to provide it. And the Delta is a little too stiff legged to isolate its occupants from a broken road surface with any outstanding success. Although it doesn’t suffer with much pitch or roll of its body and seems quite well damped during sporting driving, the Delta always feels intimately connected to the road surface rather than insulated from it. So if you’re attracted to this car on the basis of how it’s described in Chrysler’s advertising and are hoping for a primary ride that’s cosseting enough to set new standards among £20k family cars, you’re in for an unsatisfactory experience when you try one.

The Delta’s torsion beam rear suspension seems to be the main culprit of the dynamic disappointment. This is a big car to have that kind of chassis technology, and in order to deliver good cornering stability and a quiet secondary ride, Chrysler/Lancia has opted for quite high spring and damper rates and particularly firm bushing – so the car struggles to provide calm, gentle and luxurious compliance over lumps and bumps.
The flipside is much better grip, involvement and handling precision than we expected. That stiff rear end makes it feel quite responsive – pointy, you might even say – in slippery conditions. Although the car’s electro-mechanical power steering is overly keen to self-centre, it has reasonable weight away from the straight-ahead, even if it still lacks natural feel.

 

Living

There’s certainly a sheen of quality and luxury to the Delta’s cabin. If you go for an SR-spec car like our test example, you’ll get leather and Alcantara upholstery, a mix of satin silver and chrome trim, and some soft black fascia plastics. A leather-clad dashboard is an option.

But that upmarket feeling doesn’t last long once you’ve slid behind the wheel, because this cockpit proves something of a Monet: nice from afar but up close – in places, at least – far from nice. The fit and finish of the Delta’s secondary switchgear – the audio system buttons on that silvery centre stack, for example – has improved compared with that of the car we drove back in 2008. But what the Delta offers in terms of interior ambience and sheer material quality still isn’t rich or special enough to deserve any kind of luxury billing.

There’s simply not enough imagination, quality or style to the Delta’s fascia. Next to this sector’s classiest offerings, the dashboard looks and feels flimsy, even dowdy in places. And here and there, where Chrysler has tried to design in some luxury – with the chromed interior door handles and their surrounds, for example – that upmarket impression is wafer thin and disappears the moment you feel ordinary plastic where there might have been cool, tactile steel or aluminium. You don’t have to hunt for very long to find cheap fittings, either. The scratchy monotone plastic handbrake is particularly disappointing.

The Delta is a fairly spacious car, but there are flaws in its offering here, too. Long-squabbed seats should make for good comfort, but the Delta’s are flat and unusually hard. The rear bench is split 60/40 and both sides of it slide fore and aft by up to 150mm, allowing for a maximum of 1020mm of rear legroom – 80mm more than you get in a Ford Focus estate. But although occupants in the front row are better provided for, those in the back of the Delta get just 890mm of headroom – 70mm less than in the Ford. Which, in the case of one 6ft 3in tester, made the difference between sitting comfortably in the back and having his scalp against the headlining.

Boot space is good – the maximum loading length is almost as good as a mid-sized estate’s – but the usefulness of the cargo bay is limited by quite a narrow hatchback opening, and also by a boot floor that’s not quite flat when you load long objects over the folded backs of those sliding rear seats.

The Delta represents good but not outstanding value. Buying one at list price instead of a like-for-like Ford Focus or VW Golf represents a decent saving. Given the quality of both of those cars, you’d expect as much. But you can also expect a good discount from a Chrysler dealer if you time your purchase well. There’s also an initial offer to include five years’ free servicing in the car’s purchase price.

The Delta is unlikely to make a big dent in a class dominated by Europe’s automotive superpowers. According to its manufacturer – which plans just 2500 sales a year – that will allow the car to remain exclusive and have strong residual values. Time will tell if its mathematical optimism is warranted, but our information suggests a Delta will retain about four per cent more of its list price than a Focus over three years and 36,000 miles.

Verdict

Luxury for less” was always going to be a difficult brief for the Delta to fulfil. In the end, this car falls some way short of the standards of Europe’s very best medium-sized five-doors in terms of its rolling refinement and material quality.

The Delta’s distinctive looks and anti-mainstream character will probably lure plenty of interested customers out of more humdrum hatchbacks and satisfy them as owners. Those less bowled over by the idea of the Delta may well be more taken with the value for money that the car represents.
But given how numerous crossover cars are becoming at the £20k price point, it is simply insufficient for the Delta to be well priced, competent and a bit different. We were promised single-minded clarity of purpose from this car — one shining unique selling point. It was a great shame not to find it.

 

How much ?

• Price as tested £20,495
• Price as tested £20,495

How fast

• 0-30mph 2.9 sec
• 0-60mph 9.8 sec
• 0-100mph 30.6 sec
• 0-150mph no data
• 0-200mph  no data
• 30-70mph  no data
• 0-400m  no data
• 0-1000m  no data
• 30-50mph in 3rd/4th  4.9 / 7.1
• 40-60mph in 4th/5th  7 / 9.6 sec
• 50-70mph in 5th  9.9 sec
• 60-0mph  no data
• Top speed  126 mph
• Noise at 70mph  71 dbA

How thirsty?

• Test average  34.2 mpg
• Test best/worst  45.4 / 17.1

Government figures

• Combined/urban  49.6 / no data
• CO₂ emissions  132 g/km

How big?

• Length  4520 mm
• Width  1797 mm
• Height  1497 mm
• Wheelbase  no data
• Weight  1485 kg
• Fuel tank  57.0 litres

Engine

• Layout 4 cyls , 1368 cc
• Max power 140 bhp at 5000 rpm
• Max torque 170 ft at 1750 rpm
• Specific output no data
• Power to weight no data
• Installation no data
• Bore/stoke no data
• Compression ratio no data
• Valve gear no data
• Ignition and fuel no data, Unleaded

Gearbox

• Type 6-speed Manual
• 1st 4.15 / 5.2
• 2nd 2.12 / 10.3
• 3rd 1.48 / 14.6
• 4th 1.12 / 19.5
• 5th 0.9 / 24.2
• 6th 0.77 / 28.3
• Final drive 3.42

Suspension

• Front no data
• Rear no data

Steering

• Type no data
• Lock to lock no data

Brakes

• Front no data
• Rear no data

Wheel & tyres

• Size front no data
• Size rear no data
• Made of no data
• Tyres front no data
• Tyres rear no data

 PICTURE GALLERY Chrysler Delta

At 4520mm long, the Delta is more than 300mm longer than a VW Golf

 

Rear hatch look as though it has a split opening, but it doesn't

 

Delta would benefit from from a more pliant ride, but there's good low-rev pull

Good body control means it's easy to approach the limits of grip in the dry

Electronic stability control can feel flustered during very hard cornering

Delta's 1.4-litre turbocharged unit produces 138bhp and 170lb ft torque

Audi Q3 2.0 TDI SE review

Audi Q3 2.0 TDI 177 SE quattro

Test date 11 November 2011  Price as tested £28,460

For Well-crafted interior l Accomplished powertrain l Typically refined

Against Comatose steering l Imperfect ride l Lack of rear headroom

Background

The Range Rover Evoque may be this year’s most wanted premium SUV, but given the production delays that have hit it recently, one or two deposit holders could be forgiven for sizing up the alternatives. And now’s our chance to assess the chief among them: Audi’s new compact 4x4, the Q3.
The Q3 has a few questions to answer. Can Audi successfully imbue a relatively small, cheap SUV with the substance and luxuriousness that characterise the Q5 and Q7? Does a Q3 offer a meaningful improvement in practicality or capability over a lower, more conventional family option? And will its outsourced production make it any less convincing as a premium-brand German model?
In effect, fellow VW Group brand Seat has been making Audis since the A4-derived Exeo was launched in 2008. But the Exeo is a Seat. The Q3, on the other hand, wears Audi badging – but, like the Exeo, it’s made at Seat’s Martorell factory near Barcelona.
In today’s truly global car industry, that should be no reason for anyone to raise a dismissive eyebrow, but German luxury car fans just might.

Design
 

More crossover than traditional SUV, the Q3 is a chip off the Q7’s old block as far as styling is concerned. It’s fairly squat at the kerb – for a 4x4, at any rate. And although the Q3 still has plenty of visual presence, the added heft of this family 4x4 is disguised by the understated Teutonic lines of Audi’s current design lexicon. So the car appears unexpectedly small. It lacks a little impact next to a certain new Range Rover but, in reality, it’s intended for an entirely different customer, one who’ll appreciate its quietly handsome aesthetic because it’s so smart and discreet.

The Q3’s gently sloping D-pillars and tailgate are among its most interesting visual features and will appeal to those repelled by the idea of a boxy 4x4. Like Audi’s bigger SUVs, the car’s hatch is a wraparound closure with wide, undivided tail-lamps that – provided you go for S-line trim or tick the right option box on your SE-spec car – are lit by LEDs.

In its mechanical layout, however, the Q3 has more in common with a regular five-door hatchback. There’s no six-cylinder longways engine or Torsen-based quattro four-wheel drive system here. Instead, a four-cylinder engine is mounted transversely, with gearbox in line and the latest Haldex front-biased four-wheel drive system attached. Entry-level front-drive models will be available in the UK from December.
Suspension is via MacPherson struts up front and a multi-link set-up at the rear. Both are attached to the Q3’s body-in-white by subframes, rigidly mounted at the front and rubber bushed at the rear. Although its off-road capabilities are limited (there’s 170mm of ground clearance, or just 150mm if you have S-line sports suspension), the Q3 seems optimised for everyday use on the road.
A three-level crash structure at the front includes a lower tier of deformable metal designed to match the crumple zone of a lower vehicle and therefore prevent overriding in a head-on crash. The car also has the lowest coefficient of aerodynamic drag in its class, at just 0.32.

On the road

Four-cylinder diesel engines may have become the workhorses in most mainstream model ranges, but there’s nothing workmanlike about the way the best of the breed function. This 174bhp 2.0-litre unit can count itself among that company. With 280lb ft of torque on tap from 1750rpm, the motor is content to punt along in the low rev range that its economy-tuned standard dual-clutch transmission deems applicable to most situations. Gear ratios often come and go imperceptibly, and while there’s a voluble rattle at re-ignition from the automatic stop-start, the engine generally fades into the well-refined background.

Demand considerably more pace from it and the powerplant responds with quick-fire bursts of convincing thrust. Its maximum output is exhausted by 4200rpm, but with a free-revving character and seven ratios to get through, energetic headway is not difficult to access. The automatic gearbox can be slotted back into its accustomed ‘S’ mode for such moments or you can opt to shift for yourself via the wheel-mounted paddles. The dual-clutch ’box has a habit of holding on to gears a little more belligerently than is often required, but its performance bias is useful at roundabouts, where the standard ‘D’ mode has a tendency to leave the car in too high a gear for the usual positioning cut and thrust.

That’s a minor quibble. A more substantial one can be levelled at the new Efficiency mode, which, when selected, disengages the clutch each time the driver lifts off the throttle to preserve fuel by allowing the car to coast unencumbered by engine braking. It’s a good idea, and in practice others, including Volkswagen, have made it work well enough, but Audi has failed to perfect the system in the Q3. Because it’s not an automatic feature (that’s a clue to its failings), it only occurs to you to select it on the motorway, but as the revs fall away so, promptly, does the speed, meaning that power must quickly be reapplied – not so easy when the clutch takes several seconds to re-engage. That process makes for an ugly cadence to an otherwise seamless powertrain and, unsurprisingly, makes the Efficiency setting largely redundant.

The Q3 drives more like a conventional hatchback than a mud-plugging SUV. Excellent body control and rigidity ensure that the penalty for the car’s high-sided nature is minimal, and it responds with obliging agility to most demands made of it.

For customers coming to the Q3 from smaller, lighter cars – a significant proportion, according to Audi – the resemblance will likely be welcome. Anyone expecting a capability to venture far from the road will be less happy. However, the Haldex four-wheel drive should be sufficient to help you through any gentle winter flurries and over the occasional grassy slope.

Arguably more important than the ‘quattro’ badge are Audi’s optional Drive Select system and the adaptive dampers, which should be thought of as must-have items. Drive Select allows the driver to choose between Auto, Comfort, Dynamic and Efficiency modes, which adjust the throttle response, transmission, steering and suspension settings. In its default Auto mode, the Q3 will surf its firm set-up in reasonably contented fashion, but most UK buyers will want to invest in the system (and uprated dampers) to access Comfort, which further dulls the sharp edges of abrasive local roads.

Even so equipped, the car is not class-leading in its ride quality. While it refuses to crash over suspect surfacing, the Q3 can struggle to completely settle without gently relaying every foible its tyres find to the driver. It’s a distraction the driver could do without as he or she is likely to be busy negotiating the fog of uncertainty that characterises the car’s steering.

Misjudged inputs and unintelligible feedback are unwanted repercussions of the brisk progress that the Q3 is otherwise quite capable of.


Living

Fit and finish have long been Audi strengths, but the firm has added an impressively fine-tuned sense of aesthetics to its interiors in recent years. The Q3 typifies its effort to meld function and premium feel in a clean-cut, purposeful environment.

The dashboard is set high and bulges indulgently towards the occupants. Soft-touch trim and brushed buttons feature throughout much of the handsome matt black centre console. In daylight, it’s all pleasantly appealing, but at night the peerless use of subdued LED spotlighting bathes the cabin in a mesmerising glow.
There are missteps – the clickable climate controls are not gratifying to use, for example – but most are so immaterial that they serve only to highlight what a first-rate effort the overall effect is.

You sit high, with a traditional SUV vantage point, and the car feels sufficiently compact to pass as an overgrown A1 rather than A3. Nevertheless, up front, the overall impression is one of satisfyingly snug surroundings rather than an unnecessarily cramped cabin.

That perception alters in the rear. Moderate-sized adults should be able to fold themselves into the allotted space adequately enough, but tall passengers might feel short-changed by both the legroom and the lack of headroom caused by an even-lower-than-it-looks rear roofline.

However, young, affluent families are a natural target and parents may conclude that, with good access, there’s an appropriate amount of room for little ones. They’re likely to be content with 460 litres of boot space, too. Tip the rear seats forward and there’s 1365 litres – 250 more than in an A3 Sportback.

An entry point on the right side of £25k makes the Q3 seem like excellent value. But it’s less well priced when you look at what BMW asks for an X1, which can be landed with four driven wheels and a diesel engine for less than £26k, compared with this Q3’s £28,460. The Q3 is also a slightly less capable and appealing vehicle if you can’t afford the right options. You don’t even get cruise control as standard equipment, for instance.

Fuel efficiency proved good, if not quite class-leading; 45.7mpg is a good result for any SUV on our touring economy test, but not as good as the 52mpg we recorded in an X1.

Verdict

The compact SUV market seems ready-made for Audi’s covetable brand. The trend-conscious customer base is likely to prove highly receptive to the super-slick product positioning that has become a cornerstone of Audi’s success.
The well-honed Q3 effortlessly perpetuates a seamless experience of attainable upmarket packaging. But, separated from its aspirational starch, the new model is commendably competent rather than seriously impressive. Objectively, it earns few significant demerits, but there is a familiar sterility to the way the Q3 drives and that denies it a more generous score.
That it refuses to sparkle under a dynamic spotlight will hardly matter to most of its intended buyers, though. For better or for worse, desirability now comes vacuum-packed as standard with the LED lights, business-class interior and four-ringed badge.

How much ?

• Price as tested £28,460
• Price as tested £28,460

How fast

• 0-30mph 3 sec
• 0-60mph 8.3 sec
• 0-100mph 25.5 sec
• 0-150mph no data
• 0-200mph  no data
• 30-70mph  no data
• 0-400m  no data
• 0-1000m  no data
• 30-50mph in 3rd/4th  3.1 / 4.4
• 40-60mph in 4th/5th  4.4 / 5.8 sec
• 50-70mph in 5th  6.1 sec
• 60-0mph  no data
• Top speed  132 mph
• Noise at 70mph  72 dbA

How thirsty?

• Test average  33.2 mpg
• Test best/worst  45.7 / 17.7 

Government figures

• Combined/urban  47.9 / 40.4 mpg
• CO₂ emissions  156 g/km

How big?

• Length  4385 mm
• Width  2019 mm
• Height  1608 mm
• Wheelbase  no data
• Weight  1585 kg
• Fuel tank  64.0 litres

Engine

• Layout 4 cyls , 1968 cc
• Max power 175 bhp at 4200 rpm
• Max torque 280 ft at 1750 rpm
• Specific output no data
• Power to weight no data
• Installation no data
• Bore/stoke no data
• Compression ratio no data
• Valve gear no data
• Ignition and fuel no data, Diesel 

Gearbox

• Type 7-speed Automatic
• 1st 3.56 / 4.8
• 2nd 2.53 / 8.1
• 3rd 1.59 / 13
• 4th 0.94 / 18.3
• 5th 0.72 / 23.7
• 6th 0.69 / 29.9
• Final drive 4.73

Suspension

• Front no data
• Rear no data

Steering

• Type no data
• Lock to lock no data

Brakes

• Front no data
• Rear no data

Wheel & tyres

• Size front no data
• Size rear no data
• Made of no data
• Tyres front no data
• Tyres rear no data

 Picture Gallery Audi Q3 2.0 TDI SE

Citroën C3 1.4 HDi Exclusive Review

The Citroen C3 aims to continue a long Gallic tradition of fun small cars and must charm buyers away from a string of very new, very capable rivals.
To beat them, Citroen has tried to do something different again; the tall, rounded lines of the Lumiere concept were an accurate preview of how the production C3 would turn out.
But fresh styling is unlikely to be enough. Its rivals may look more serious, but they are equally serious about cost, practicality, quality and dynamics. The C3 will need to be as able as its styling is original if it is to succeed.

Design

The 70bhp, 1398cc C3 HDi tested here produces peak power at 4000rpm and peak torque of 110lb ft at 2000rpm.
The C3 is the first car to use PSA’s new PF1 small car platform which will also underpin the C2 city car due next year. Its suspension remains conventional, with MacPherson struts at the front, a cheap, compact torsion beam at the rear and anti-roll bars at both ends.
Braking is by disc at the front and drums at the rear; ABS with brakeforce distribution and brake assist is standard on the Exclusive trim level tested here and the SX below but not the basic LX.
The steering is more radical with fully electrical variable assistance claimed to cut mass and fuel consumption; at 1022kgs the C3’s kerb weight is low for a diesel of this class, despite being one of the widest and the tallest by some margin at 1520mm.

On The Road

The C3 takes 13.0sec to hit 60mph, fine for a car of this class and power but you can have more pace for the same money; both the Seat Ibiza and the Skoda Fabia can shave two seconds from the 0-60mph time and might well make a better choice if you spend most of your time on motorways and A-roads, though neither will match the C3 for economy.
But accept the C3 for what it is and you won’t be seriously put out by its lack of pace; single-carriageway overtaking is plainly off the menu but the C3 is capable of adequate motorway progress up to the speed limit.
The C3 is comfortable, but its charm diminishes if you try to hustle it. The ride is soft; together with the refined powertrain and low levels of tyre and wind noise this leaves the C3’s cabin surprisingly calm and quiet for a diesel supermini. And body movement is quite tightly controlled, improving passenger comfort.
But it’s the steering that lets the side down; with 3.2 turns form lock to lock it’s too long-winded and imprecise at pace. It’s admirably light at parking speeds but the electric assistance adds weight too early and in clearly noticeable steps; even at low speeds you find yourself having to add more muscle mid-manouevre.

Get into the C3 and you’ll be pleased to note that the awkward French driving position of old is absent; instead you get firm seats with a full range of adjustment and a steering column which can be tailored for both rake and reach.
The visibility is as good as the car’s height suggests, though the instrumentation leaves more to be desired. The main display looks a bit toy-like; a big digital speedo over which arches a thin digital rev counter which is hard to read.
Rear leg room is surprisingly cramped. The C3 won’t fit two six-footers line astern, but all its major new rivals will. Our top-spec Exclusive car comes with a standard kit list capable of matching anything else in the class.
The Citroen is only denied the title of Britain’s most economical conventionally-powered car by the bizarre coincidence that three models claim the same extraordinary combined consumption figure of 67.3mpg. But we haven’t yet road tested the Yaris D4D or the Renault Clio dCi80, so the C3 gets to verify its claim first. On our touring route we returned a sensational 64.9mpg giving 675 miles between refills. And it has a staggering CO2 rating of just 110g/km.

Verdict
The C3’s ride and ridiculous economy give you two clear reasons to pick it over any of its rivals, many of which fail to excel in a single area. It makes a strong case on refinement, standard equipment and safety too but if performance, handling or space in the rear are important to you we’d direct you elsewhere. It isn’t the best small French car we’ve driven, but it does France’s reputation for them no harm at all.

How much ?

• Price as tested £11,965
• Price as tested £11,965

How fast

• 0-30mph 3.7 sec
• 0-60mph 13 sec
• 0-100mph 62.4 sec
• 0-150mph no data
• 0-200mph  no data
• 30-70mph  14.5 sec
• 0-400m  no data
• 0-1000m  no data
• 30-50mph in 3rd/4th  6.8 / 11
• 40-60mph in 4th/5th  10.7 / 14.8 sec
• 50-70mph in 5th  14.3 sec
• 60-0mph  2.9 sec
• Top speed  no data
• Noise at 70mph  70 dbA

How thirsty?

• Test average  50.6 mpg
• Test best/worst  64.9 / 27.6 

Government figures

• Combined/urban  67.3 / 55.4 mpg
• CO₂ emissions  110 g/km

How big?

• Length  3850 mm
• Width  1667 mm
• Height  1519 mm
• Wheelbase  no data
• Weight  1022 kg
• Fuel tank  no data

Engine

• Layout 4 cyls , 1398 cc
• Max power 69 bhp at 4000 rpm
• Max torque 111 ft at 1750 rpm
• Specific output no data
• Power to weight no data
• Installation F
• Bore/stoke 7307x82 mm
• Compression ratio no data
• Valve gear no data
• Ignition and fuel no data, Diesel 

Gearbox

• Type U-speed Manual
• 1st 3.41 / 5.5
• 2nd 1.81 / 10.4
• 3rd 1.17 / 16
• 4th 0.85 / 22
• 5th 0.68 / 27.5
• 6th no data
• Final drive 3.58

Suspension

• Front no data
• Rear no data

Steering

• Type no data
• Lock to lock no data

Brakes

• Front no data
• Rear no data

Wheel & tyres

• Size front no data
• Size rear no data
• Made of no data
• Tyres front no data
• Tyres rear no data

Aston Martin Vanquish Review

Background

The DB7, you will remember, is the car that saved Aston Martin. It was fast and beautiful but had to play it straight down the middle to a clientele who bought it for that most traditional of reasons: because they wanted an Aston. By contrast, the all-new £158,000 Vanquish was conceived for different reasons and different people.
The company is safe, so it can afford to be more wildly liberating, expensive and daring than a DB7. This is the car Aston Martin wanted to build, not one it had to build.

DESIGN 

While you’ll find the skeleton of an XJS inside a DB7, in the Vanquish there are aerospace construction techniques. Within it you will find a central supporting structure doubling as the transmission tunnel and crafted from carbonfibre.
Around this are bonded and riveted sections of extruded aluminium upon which hand-finished aluminium body panels are hung. The result is a massively strong and torsionally rigid platform.
Its task is to cope with the same 5.9-litre V12 engine in the DB7 Vantage, but to provide a nominal 460bhp at 6500rpm and 400lb ft at 5000rpm. Beautifully machined aluminium wishbones at each corner hold huge ventilated discs (355mm up front, 330 at the rear) which provide the stopping power, abetted by a Teves anti-lock system.

On The Road

Despite a gearchange that doesn’t swap cogs in less than the blink of the eye, the Vanquish still blasted to 60mph in 4.4sec and 100mph in 10.5sec.
Had we been able to use Millbrook and change gear ourselves, these figures would have been closer to 4.1sec and 9.5sec. As it is, the Vanquish is every bit as quick as the Ferrari 550 Maranello.
Behind the headlines grabbed by that sublime engine and smart gearbox lies a chassis of less obvious but no less impressive ability. Your first few yards confirm that, for all its new-found sportiness, this Aston rides as well as a DB7.
It’s firmer, but so fluent is the damping and so well does it maintain its ride height on the most undulating roads that what little (if any) it gives away in secondary absorption, it counters with primary body contol.
Pushing the Vanquish hard reveals the best handling car Aston has ever produced; although in truth, that is not quite the accolade it should be. Its handling can hold its head high even beside the 550 Maranello, a multiple winner of our handling day contest.
But for all its grip and composure, there is no escaping the fact that the Vanquish is a heavy car and, unsurprisingly, feels it.

Living

Sadly, the Vanquish’s interior is one we struggle to equate with a car of this price. Sit in a 550 Maranello and every switch, knob, dial and control feels and appears bespoke; sit in the Vanquish and while individual items look fine in isolation, the overall effect smacks too heavily of parts-bin dependency. Most out of place is the entire centre console which seems to have been lifted wholesale from Jag’s XJ saloon.

But at least the Vanquish is now sufficiently roomy for two tall adults while the sensibly shaped boot should swallow enough luggage to obviate the need to plan touring holidays with military precision. In touring guise, the Vanquish is a splendid companion.
Long gearing, soft but supportive seats, excellent sound suppression and that impressive ride produce a sports car of rare civility. Albeit one that averages 12.6mpg overall, with a best of 20.8mpg on light throttle openings. That falls to a terrifying 5.5mpg under duress.

Verdict  

There is no better way we can describe the Vanquish and no praise more lavish that we can heap upon it than to say that, in almost all ways, it is a credible alternative to a 550 Maranello.

Subjectively, it sounds better and objectively it goes as hard; technologically it is cleverer and it’s prettier – on the outside at least.
We have reservations about the interior, brakes, fuel range and we’re also not convinced on the reliability front. But these in no way diminish the scale of the Vanquish’s achievement. It is Aston’s best effort yet, and Britain’s finest supercar this side of a McLaren F1.

How much ?

• Price as tested £163,600
• Price as tested £163,870

How fast

• 0-30mph 2 sec
• 0-60mph 4.4 sec
• 0-100mph 10.5 sec
• 0-150mph 22.6 sec
• 0-200mph  no data
• 30-70mph  3.7 sec
• 0-400m  13.3 / 115 sec/mph
• 0-1000m  22.9 / 151 sec/mph
• 30-50mph in 3rd/4th  3.3 / 4.8
• 40-60mph in 4th/5th  4.6 / 5.6 sec
• 50-70mph in 5th  5.8 sec
• 60-0mph  2.9 sec
• Top speed  196 mph
• Noise at 70mph  75 dbA

How thirsty?

• Test average  12.6 mpg
• Test best/worst  no data / 5.5 

Government figures

• Combined/urban  16.7 / 25.6 mpg
• CO₂ emissions  396 g/km

How big?

• Length  4665 mm
• Width  1923 mm
• Height  1318 mm
• Wheelbase  2690 mm
• Weight  1835 kg
• Fuel tank  80.0 litres

Engine

• Layout V12 cyls , 5935 cc
• Max power 480 bhp at 6200 rpm
• Max torque 380 ft at 5000 rpm
• Specific output 80.9 bhp per litre bhp per litre
• Power to weight no data
• Installation F
• Bore/stoke no data
• Compression ratio no data
• Valve gear no data
• Ignition and fuel no data, Unleaded 

Gearbox

• Type 6-speed Automatic
• 1st 2.66 / 8.2
• 2nd 1.78 / 12.3
• 3rd 1.3 / 16.8
• 4th 1 / 21.9
• 5th 0.79 / 27.7
• 6th 0.63 / 34.9
• Final drive 3.69

Suspension

• Front Double wishbones, coil springs, dampers, anti-roll
• Rear Double wishbones, coil springs, dampers, anti-roll

Steering

• Type Rack and pinion, power assisted
• Lock to lock 2.70

Brakes

• Front 355mm ventilated, cross-drilled discs
• Rear 330mm ventilated, cross-drilled discs

Wheel & tyres

• Size front 9Jx19in in
• Size rear 10Jx19in in
• Made of Cast alloy
• Tyres front 255/40 ZR 19
• Tyres rear 285/40 ZR 19