Richard - Daily Mirror

[Wyvern]

Awwww

[nougat]

Apr 26, 2008 13:39:36 GMT @devonsdarling said:

I just hope he can still plant seeds in case he needs any more little flowers like W***** and I***

You almost made me blush!

[lymaze]

www.mirror.co.uk/news/motoring/hammond/

An interesting one.

[lew]

Actually one of Rich's best

[lymaze]

I thought so too. There's an underlying hostility in there somewhere. I like it.

[lew]

I thought that too, poor s*d

[lymaze]

Taking the next exit..
28/06/2008
Afraid it's a case of: "I'm going outside, I may be some time". I'm toddling off for a bit to mess about in the world of telly and won't be able to get to my laptop quite so much.

So I shan't be appearing on this page after today.

I'll still be writing about cars and driving every Friday for the Mirror's motoring pages, so I hope to see you there.


Sounds a bit final. Take care Richard - don't get frost bite.

[fussycat]

So, 'Never Meet Your Hero' eh? Ohh dear

[lymaze]

Yes, I wondered if that was a subtle hint. ;D And he's not writing for the Mirror anymore (except for cars). Not that there's been any sign of black armbands on here over that.

[lymaze]

www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/2008/07/09/opinion-richard-hammond-why-electric-powered-cars-are-not-the-answer-to-emissions-89520-20637274/

Richards opinion on the electric car.

[nougat]

Apr 26, 2008 12:54:17 GMT Wyvern said:

As if the appendix wasn't bad enough, that kidney stone proceedure sounds eyewatering. And I bet they'll want to mow his lawn again, too...

Ooooooooooooh *having really dirty thoughts*

Aaaaww

[RedMoon11]

New MG3 delivers fun on a budget - the Sport is just right for young drivers on a budget

www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/motoring/car-reviews/richard-hammond-new-mg3-delivers-2862245#ixzz2m3phGypN

[RedMoon11]

Richard Hammond: New Renault Twingo's rearguard action makes it a car of the year contender

The Mirror motoring columnist and Top Gear presenter believes moving the engine to the boot has transformed the French manufacturer's hatchback

Sep 05, 2014 07:00 by Richard Hammond

 
Transformed: The new Renualt Twingo

Different is good and the new Renault Twingo is certainly very different. It has, for one thing, its engine in the back.

Renault used to build a lot of small cars with engines in the boot: the Renault 10 of 1967 was the last (apart from the wacko Renault 5 Turbo and Clio V6) and so did other firms.

The original Fiat 500 was rear-engined, as was the Beetle.

So why did the engine go to the front? Because it’s cheaper.

The only reason Renault has been able to put the new Twingo’s engine out the back is because it’s done a deal with Daimler to share costs. Renault builds the Twingo it wants and Daimler gets a new Smart into the bargain. And France is the winner because Renault is first in the showroom with its car.

So why put the engine in the boot? Well, without driveshafts at the front and having to put in the engine and make space for its ancillaries, Renault has been able to give the Twingo a tight turning circle. It’ll turn in 8.59m thanks to the front wheels going through 45 degrees. You’ll really notice it when you’re parking.

Only two engines are available in the Twingo and we’ve tried both. The most powerful is the TCe 898cc three-cylinder engine that’s used in the Clio and Captur. It’s got a turbo and produces 89bhp. The other is a non-turbo 1.0-litre triple that produces 69bhp called the SCe70.

The turbo engine is only fitted to the Dynamique model that costs £11,695. That’d be annoying if it wasn’t for the fact the non-turbo is the best.

Neither Twingo is quick, and the 69bhp version certainly isn’t with 0-62mph taking 14.5sec (as opposed to 10.8sec). But the turbo car is peaky and doesn’t have a smooth throttle response; the non-turbo, meanwhile, has really good response from low down and sounds nicer.


Compact: Five doors but an amazingly tight turning circle, great for parking

There’s only a five-speed manual gearbox for now but a semi-automatic will be available in September 2015 for the turbo motor. There’s a good chance there will be a performance version of the Twingo one day, but Renault is keeping its lips zipped.

If you couldn’t hear the engine thruming away in the back you wouldn’t know the Twingo was rear-engined. Which is not a bad thing because traditionally, cars with engines in the back tend to be a bit hairy on the handling front.

The Porsche 911 was until engineers had finished 35 years’ worth of fiddling with its suspension.

The Twingo is well behaved, even if you chuck it around. If you think you’re buying a car that’ll be brilliant at skids then you’ll be disappointed.

Hiding the engine in the back is also good news for space saving. Adult rear seat passengers’ knees will just hit the front seat backs but they’ll be comfortable.

Open the tailgate, however, and you’ll see a drawback. Renault has modelled the engines so that they lie flatter but they still steal boot room.

Presumably there’s a boot at the front as there is on a 911 and an old Beetle? No. You can open the bonnet, but you only do so to top up the fluids and get at the battery. The space is also needed for the radiator and form a crash structure.

Inside the car you’re better off for space with a large storage area under the rear seats, bins in the front and rear doors.

The new Twingo is as interesting as the last one was dull. It’s a great little car that is a good candidate for Hammond’s car of the year title.


Bin There: Interior features storage box in the dashboard

The Facts

Renault Twingo SCe70 Expression Five-door hatchback

Price: £9,495

Engine: 1.0-litre three-cylinder, 69bhp

0-62mph: 14.5sec

Fuel consumption: 62.8mpg

The Rivals

Fiat 500 1.2 Pop: Not as cheap as it used to be. Tight on space in the back and not a big boot either. Still cute though. £10,160

VW Up Take Up: Excellent small car with big car quality but dull to look at compared to Twingo. £9,010

Toyota Aygo 1.0x: The most interesting to look at of the Peugeot/Citroen triplets. Similar performance to Twingo but tight for space in the back. £8,995


www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/motoring/car-reviews/richard-hammond-new-renault-twingos-4165759#ixzz3D0cliwb0

[RedMoon11]

Richard Hammond knocked off his motorbike TWICE in the last month
Sep 10, 2014 22:30 By Tom Bryant
The Top Gear presenter managed to escape unscathed – unlike eight years ago when he suffered a serious head injury and nearly died after crashing a jet-car

Petrol head: Richard Hammond was reversed into

Richard Hammond has been knocked off his motorbike TWICE in the last month.

Both times the Top Gear star and Mirror motoring columnist managed to escape unscathed – unlike eight years ago when he suffered a serious head injury and nearly died after crashing a jet-car.

Talking about the most recent incident, last week, the dad of two said: “I crashed it. To be accurate and fair, I was crashed into.

“A driver executing a hasty U-turn on a major London road failed to check their mirror and spot the huge motorcycle filling their rear window and towering above their hatchback like an oil tanker sneaking up on a punt, and they reversed into me and my bike, knocking us over.”

A source said that Hammond, known as The Hamster, had also been involved in another collision with a car just weeks before – again on his BMW R1200.

In September 2006 he suffered brain damage after crashing a jet-car capable of reaching around 300mph during a Top Gear shoot at Elvington airfield, near York.

He slipped in and out of consciousness for two weeks before slowly returning to health, and remained off screen for a year while he recovered.

Hammond, 44, said of last week’s collision: “Galling though it might be to struggle out from under a couple of tonnes of capsized BMW and look down at your valued friend and realise it is in need of urgent medical care, it has given me the opportunity to repair the old thing and re-engage with it financially, showing my appreciation for what a tremendous machine it is.”

His love of bikes is well-known. Just months after his 2006 crash he jumped back on a Honda Fireblade.

“I just can’t believe how good that was,” said Hammond, who lives in Gloucestershire with wife Mindy and daughters Izzy and Willow.

www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/richard-hammond-knocked-motorbike-twice-4198211#ixzz3D0jC7vBY

[RedMoon11]

Richard Hammond: Jaguar XE aims to win sales from German baby saloon rivals

Sep 11, 2014 18:36
by RichardHammond

The BMW 3-series, the Audi A4 and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class are all in the sights of the British manufacturer

High notes: Emili Sande helped to launch the new Jaguar XE this week

So here it is at last, the new Jaguar XE. Launched in London this week in a spectacular ceremony that made the Oscars look like afternoon tea at the WI.

A special song was written for the car by Emeli Sande. But razzmatazz is one thing. The big question is whether Jag’s new baby saloon is any good or not.

We’ll only be able to answer that question when we’ve driven it. But for now at least we know what it looks like. A big improvement over the X-Type, Jaguar’s last attempt to pinch sales from the Germans.

Jaguar is promising that the XE will be better to drive than any of its rivals, including arch rival the BMW 3-Series.

Certainly, the engineers have gone about it the right way. Firstly, the bodyshell and panels are all aluminium, which should mean that the car will weigh less than its rivals.

No figures have been announced, but a rough guess would be around 1,300kg for the lightest versions. The XE is shorter than the BMW but longer than the Audi A4 with a wheelbase that’s around 25mm longer than both of them. That should result in decent leg room front and back.

Jaguar has opened its wallet and fitted a complicated rear suspension system that’s similar to that fitted to the more expensive XF. At the front, it has broken with tradition for this size of car and used double wishbones instead of MacPherson struts (which are cheaper and used by Audi and BMW).

Electric power steering is being used for the first time on a Jag which, according to handling guru Mike Cross, means it can be tuned more easily for sporty handling.


Sculpted: The XE’s bodyshell and panels are aluminium

Land Rover owners will know about Terrain Response (LR’s whizz bang off-road and traction control system); Jaguar is using similar technology for a system it’s calling All Surface Progress Control. It allows drivers to select between four settings: Dynamic, Normal, Eco or Winter, with the latter providing a kind of low-speed cruise control that helps the car climb slippery slopes.

The new Jaguar will be in showrooms next spring with a choice of five different engines but, for some reason, the company is keeping the details of all but two to itself.

The first is the new 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel that’ll be made in Wolverhampton and is a member of the new Ingenium family of four-cylinder engines. It produces 161bhp and 258lb ft of torque.

The second motor sounds very exciting. It’s the same supercharged 3.0-litre V6 that’s used in the F-Type sports car, which means 335bhp and 332lb ft of torque and a 0-60mph time of 4.9sec.

There’ll be a choice of a six-speed manual gearbox and eight-speed automatic gearbox.

Step inside and you’ll see a cabin that’s relatively compact and with a bias towards sportiness rather than space. Buyers will have a choice of aluminium or piano black dashboard finishes, as well as different trim materials.

Of course, there’s an infotainment screen in the mix. In the XE it’s a new system called InControl that features an 8in central touchscreen and there’ll be the usual apps and connectivity options to use with it.

Now to the important bit: the money. No prices have been announced, but the range will start at about £27,000 for the entry-level XE.

The Facts
Jaguar XE Four-door saloon

Price: from estimated £27,000

Engines: 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel, 161bhp; 3.0-litre supercharged V6, 335bhp

0-62mph: n/a

Fuel consumption: n/a

The Rivals

Audi A4
Impeccable build quality, smart but predictable styling and not especially sporty to drive.
From £24,385

BMW 3-Series
Well made, lots of choice and excellent handling and performance. From £23,555

Mercedes-Benz C-Class
Now more than a match for the BMW in every area, including driving enjoyment. Fantastic quality to match. From £26,855


www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/motoring/car-reviews/richard-hammond-jaguar-xe-aims-4204041#ixzz3Dh25NZSz

 
 

 

[RedMoon11]

Golf SV review by Richard Hammond: Latest Volkswagen more spacious and another plus for quality

Sep 26, 2014  
by Richard Hammond

The Mirror motoring columnist and Top Gear presenter says that with all its brother’s safety systems, the SV is a solid choice for families


Lengthy: SV has an extra 50mm on the wheelbase over a Golf hatchback

Volkswagen doesn’t do failure. Periodically we are told that the 150 millionth Golf has just come off the production line or that scientists have just spotted someone driving an old Beetle on Saturn, but rarely is there any bad news.

A bit surprising therefore to discover that the Golf Plus, which is a slightly roomier version of the ordinary Golf (it’s VW’s answer to the Ford C-Max), has only found 42,000 homes in the eight years it was on sale.

Volkswagen has just replaced it and has taken the precaution of giving the new model a new name just in case the old Plus name was a negative. So here we have the new Golf SV.

When Lamborghini uses the initials SV it stands for super veloce, or super fast in English. Since a Golf with a bit more room is hardly going to be super anything, in this case SV stands for Sports Van.

The word “van” doesn’t sound too good, so in the UK we get just the letters, whereas in mainland Europe they get both words spelt out on the back of their cars.

One of the problems with the old Golf Plus is that it was built on the Mk5 Golf platform, which meant it had the same wheelbase and therefore was limited in interior space.


Quality: As you might expect from a Golf

Most people would like their cars to be economical all the time, but a Sport or Individual setting for a practical family car is a waste of time and I bet most owners never flick between settings.

If you’ve ticked the optional Dynamic Chassis Control box there’s a fifth setting, which is Comfort. More nonsense because this sort of car should be as comfortable as possible in standard form.

Our car has a five-speed manual gearbox but if you want to spend more and give your left foot an easy time you can have a DSG gearbox, which also comes with a coasting function to save fuel.

Everything inside is standard Golf apart from the space. There’s more of it, including boot space, which ranges from 500 to 590 litres depending on which position the rear seats are slid into.

Fold them down and you have 1,520 litres, only 100 litres less than the estate. The boot itself has a floor that can be set to different heights including flush with the tailgate lip, which makes loading easier.

The front passenger seat can also be folded flat to give a total load length of 2,484mm, which will come in handy for trips to the DIY store.

You’ll pay around £1,245 for the SV over the equivalent Golf hatchback and £550 more than the estate. Our test car cost £22,585 without options apart from metallic paint.

All the top-notch Golf quality, as straightforward to drive and with all its brother’s safety systems, the SV is a solid choice for families that need a bit more space in their hatch.

The Facts

VW Golf SV TdI 110 SE
Price: £22,585
Engine: 1.6-litre four-cylinder, diesel, 110bhp
0-62mph: 11.3sec
Fuel consumption: 72.4mpg


www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/motoring/car-reviews/golf-sv-review-richard-hammond-4325837
 

[RedMoon11]

Mercedes S63 AMG Coupe review by Richard Hammond: Here at full tilt, a Merc to bank on

Oct 03, 2014
by Richard Hammond

The Mirror motoring columnist and Top Gear presenter on why the new S63 has a lot going on under the bonnet - and some great toys


Stunning: All new Mercedes S63 AMG Coupe

Mercedes used to call it the CL but now the coupe version of the S-Class has a more ­straightforward name: S-Class Coupe. We like keeping things simple. It helps with remembering stuff.

But there’s not much that’s simple about the S-Class Coupe we’re testing this week. It’s the S63 AMG Coupe and it is as simple as what goes on between Stephen Hawking’s ears. There are some great toys in this car, which we’ll come to in a minute.

The coupe is 90mm shorter than the S-Class saloon and is far better looking. The rear is particularly cool, especially as the designers have dropped the number plate down to stop it from spoiling the shape of the tail.

It’s a big old machine, the S63, but it’s been put on a slimming campaign and features a lithium-ion battery and composite brakes, plus an aluminium skin to knock 65kg off the total weight so that it ‘only’ weighs 2,070kg.

Fortunately there is a lot of ­horsepower to move this mass forwards at quite a rate. Of course nothing is entirely straightforward when it comes to names and Mercedes-Benz, so predictably the S63 bit of its surname doesn’t reflect the size of the donkey that sits under the bonnet.


Sleek: All new Mercedes S63 AMG Coupe

You’d think 6.3 litres but it’s actually a twin-turbo 5.4-litre V8 that produces 585bhp and 663lb ft of torque.

Our car is fitted with the optional AMG Driver’s Package, which includes removing the 155mph speed restriction and upping the top whack to 186mph, plus a course at an AMG Driving Academy. Yours for £2,760.

All that torque blasts the S63 from 0-62mph in 4.2sec. And now step inside for some amazing gadgetry. Where do we start? With Magic Body Control, I think.

A camera in the car reads the road surface ahead and detects undulations. It informs the suspension, which adapts to suit the road as it gets there. It works on both Comfort and Sport modes. But get this. There’s also a curve tilting function. The camera detects bends and the car tilts on its suspension so it leans into a corner.

Merc describes it as being like a motorbike but you won’t be getting your knee down in the S63 AMG Coupe. It’s more like Richard ­Branson’s Virgin Pendolino tilting train. The maximum lean angle is 2.5 degrees (Moto GP riders get their bikes over to 64 degrees and road riders to about 50) but it’s enough for you to feel. We expect quality from Mercedes but the interior of this is really special. As soon as you sit down your seat belt is handed to you by a robotic arm, which then silently disappears.


Amazing: All new Mercedes S63 AMG Coupe

The air-conditioning is super sophisticated and continuously works at keeping the air temperate constant without the racket from fans and blowers. Elbow a bit chilly, sir? Not with the £4,660 optional Warmth Comfort Package that includes heated centre console and door panel armrests. The mark-up on that must be amazing. The standard car costs £125,595 but we’ve only mentioned a fraction of the kit that has taken this car’s price up to £155,735.

I suspect that most people rich enough to buy this car would never drive across Europe – they’d fly business class or take a biz jet and have a chauffeur meet them at the other end. But if they did, they’d find this car incredibly relaxing.

Effortless poke, slick seven-speed automatic gearbox and loads of toys to play with along the way. But future bargain hunters beware – there may be downsides to having door-to-door gadgets. When an S63 AMG Coupe is 10 years old and the millionaires have moved on to the latest model, second-hand buyers who get this car for a few grand will have a nightmare when all the clever stuff starts going wrong.

I have visions of an S63 stuck on full lean going down the high street...

The Facts

Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG Coupe Two-door coupe

Price: £125,595

Engine: 5.4-litre V8, 585bhp

0-62mph: 4.2sec

Fuel consumption: 28.0mpg

The Rivals

Aston Martin DB9

Kids only in the back, like the Merc. Great V12 engine but ‘only’ 470bhp. £131,995

Ferrari F12

The cost-no-object solution to intercontinental travel, courtesy of a 730bhp V12 engine. £239,352

Bentley Continental GT 4.0 V8 S

Can’t match the S63 for toys but it can for luxury, £139,000

 
www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/motoring/car-reviews/mercedes-s63-amg-coupe-review-4370075

[RedMoon11]

Rolls-Royce Wraith Two-door coupe review by Richard Hammond: Wraith's a high roller

Oct 10, 2014 
 
Top Gear presenter and Mirror motoring columnist Richard Hammond test drives the Rolls-Royce Wraith Two-door coupe - and finds it 'an amazing car'



You can make the lady disappear if you know how. It’s very simple, you just go into the car’s iDrive system, select the raise and lower the lady section, and there you go, the flying lady disappears into the Rolls-Royce radiator.

We’ve never road tested a Rolls-Royce before; plenty of Bentleys, but never a Roller. And what a car to start with. It’s called the Wraith and it is an amazing car.

It’s based on the Ghost, which – if you can use this term for what is still a lot of motor – is the baby Rolls- Royce. The Wraith is pitched as the sporty Roller, which is as bizarre a concept as a small Rolls.

Under the massive bonnet is a 6.6-litre twin-turbo V12 engine. Rolls-Royce used to never mention ­horsepower, always saying that it was “adequate”. That changed years ago and today the firm, based in ­Goodwood, West Sussex, is happy to broadcast the fact this engine produces 624bhp.

That makes it the most powerful Rolls engine of all time (unless you count the Merlin, as found in Spitfires and other Second World War planes). The Wraith’s top speed is limited to 155mph and 0-62mph takes 4.6sec. But enough of performance, let’s talk luxury, refinement and dead cows.

The Mercedes S63 AMG Coupe that we tested last week (we’ll be back on the cheaper stuff next week, promise) and the Bentley Continental GT Speed a few months ago are both seriously luxurious motors but neither can match the Wraith. You could imagine a Hollywood starlet from the 1920s stepping out of this car because it’s got the presence of a pre-war Roller. It doesn’t exactly blend into the traffic. The back looks fabulous and the way the doors open the wrong way (they’re hinged at the rear) is amazing. Rolls calls them coach doors but suicide doors is a more common description.

The clever thing is that, although the Wraith is full of modern gadgets, when you step inside it looks like Lord Whatsisname’s study in Downton Abbey. There’s thick Wilton carpet and acres of soft leather. There’s no rev counter, just a handful of elegant clocks including one that tells you the power reserve in percentage. It’s 100% when it’s ticking over and, well, when you’re giving this car full throttle you don’t really want to be looking at the dashboard.

The Wraith has an eight-speed automatic gearbox but there isn’t anything as crude as paddles or a Sport button. There is, however, a little button on the delicate column stalk that controls the gearbox labelled “low”, which puts you in lower gears just as a sport mode would. Far funkier is the system that uses the sat-nav to tell the gearbox when a corner is coming up so it automatically shifts down a gear as you approach it.

There’s an infotainment system but the screen is discreetly covered by a piece of lovely veneer when you’re not using it. Even the graphics are classy and look like they’ve come off Captain Jack Sparrow’s treasure map, with an old-fashioned compass symbol for the sat-nav.

The Wraith and Ghost both use chunks of BMW 7 Series under the skin but no BMW has the double ­bulkhead you’ll find on the Roller. It’s there to reduce engine noise – and it works as when the big V12 is ticking over you can’t hear it. Even when you’re accelerating hard there’s barely a sound from up front.

As you’d guess, the Wraith is a bit ­expensive. The list price is £230,320 but, of course, you’d never buy one without adding a few goodies. Ours has nearly 30 grand’s worth of options on it, which is only scratching the surface. Stacks of cash, but if you take the Wraith as the ultimate in sporting luxury and compare its price to a Veyron it looks cheap. Well, sort of.

The facts

Rolls-Royce Wraith Two-door coupe

Price: £230,320
Engine: 6.6-litre W12, 624bhp 0-62mph: 4.6sec
Fuel consumption: 20.2mpg

The rivals

Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG

A wonderful machine that’s amazingly fast. A bit common in this company. £125,595

Bentley Continental GT Speed

This beautiful car is luxurious and fast but everyone has got one. £151,100

Aston Martin Rapide

Looks fantastic, suitably fast and sporty but very cramped in the back. £149,995


www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/motoring/car-reviews/rolls-royce-wraith-two-door-coupe-review-4411155

[RedMoon11]

Totally in Seine: The weird and wonderful motors on display at the Paris car show

Oct 10, 2014   by Richard Hammond

Top Gear presenter and Mirror motoring columnist Richard Hammond takes in the sights at the Paris motor show


Stunners: Cars at the Paris motor show

Every other year the motor show circus arrives in Paris (it alternates with the Frankfurt show).

The last Paris show in 2012 was a real British extravaganza with the new F-Type Jaguar and Range Rover being launched at the event. And the McLaren P1 supercar.

This year we’ve had no British hypercar to drool over but Jaguar and Land Rover both unveiled extremely important cars at Paris; in the former’s case, probably the most crucial model that it has launched in the last 30 years. This and also a new Lagonda from Aston Martin.

But it wasn’t all Union Jack waving in Paris last week, plenty of other manufacturers unveiled new motors at the show including Lamborghini, which presented a stunningly gorgeous concept car. We’ve picked our Paris favourites from this year. Enjoy.

Audi TT Sportback


Bet: Audi TT Sportback

A four-door version of the Audi TT with a lifting tailgate at the back? Why not? Audi had a concept that was just that at Paris. Looking virtually ready for production, the TT ­Sportback is longer and wider than a regular TT coupe with a longer wheelbase so that there’s room in the back for a couple of adults. I’ll bet that Audi puts this car into production

Lamborghini Asterion


Stunner: Lamborghini Asterion

If you don’t think that Lamborghini’s Asterion is gorgeous then you need to go to SpecSavers. The Asterion is a concept car that’s based around the new ­Huracan’s 602bhp V10 engine with back up from three electric motors that produce an extra 296bhp for a total of almost 900bhp. The Asterion can do 30 miles on battery power alone. It’s a stunner.

Land Rover Discovery Sport


Land Rover Discovery Sport Stylish: Land Rover Discovery Sport

The Discovery Sport does a couple of jobs: it replaces the Freelander and gives those who consider the Evoque a bit ­claustrophobic the option of a vehicle with plenty of style but also the option of 5+2 seating. Prices will start at £32,395 for this longer and wider replacement for the Freelander.

Volvo XC90

Top of the range: A Volvo XC90 SUV

Volvo spent several years and billions of pounds developing this all-new XC90. Due on sale in May next year, the top-selling model will be the D5 with 4wd and a 225bhp diesel engine. Top of the range is the T8, a plug-in hybrid version with serious ­performance.

Volkswagen XL Sport

Volkswagen XL Sport Unlikely: Volkswagen XL Sport

Based on the super frugal XL1, the VW XLSport is powered by a version of Ducati’s Panigale V-twin and drives through a reduction gearbox (to increase the torque) and a ­seven-speed DSG gearbox. The 1,199cc engine produces 197bhp and revs to 11,000rpm for a top speed of 167mph. The XL Sport is a concept and is unlikely to go to production.

Jaguar XE


Amazing: A Jaguar XE car

The XE is Jaguar’s most ­important new car for decades because it has the job of turning Jaguar into a big volume car maker. What do you think of its looks? One thing for sure is that it’s very colour dependent. It looks boring in white but extremely cool in metallic blue with black alloys. Jaguar claims it’s amazing to drive. We’re looking forward to finding out if that’s true.

Renault Espace

 
Smart: The new Renault Espace 5

The new Renault Espace is lower than the car it replaces, making it more of a crossover than traditional large MPV. Available with five or seven seats, the Espace isn’t coming to the UK. At first Renault said never, but now that’s been changed to “perhaps one day”. Looks smart, that’s for sure.

Honda Civic Type R

 
Old-fashioned: The new Honda Civic Type R Concept

Unbelievably, especially considering that the production car goes on sale next year,
this is another Civic Type R concept. It’s virtually the same as the car that Honda showed at Geneva earlier in the year and very close to production spec. Power output is still a secret but expect close to 300bhp from the turbocharged 2.0-litre engine. If you like an old-fashioned gearbox then the good news is that it’s got one.

Citroen Cactus Airflow


Power: The new Citroen Concept car C4 Cactus Airflow

The Citroen Cactus Airflow is a concept car that Citroen has built as an answer to the French government’s challenge to produce a car capable of 141mpg by the end of the decade. The Airflow is powered by a ­three-cylinder petrol engine from the ­conventional Cactus, plus a compressed air motor. Thanks to the use of aluminium and carbon fibre, the concept weighs 100kg less than the 965kg standard Cactus.


www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/motoring/car-reviews/totally-seine-weird-wonderful-motors-4411164 

[RedMoon11]

BMW 2-Series Active Tourer review by Richard Hammond: Beemer's got front

Oct 17, 2014 06:00
 
Top Gear presenter and Mirror motoring columnist Richard Hammond test drives the BMW 2-Series Active Tourer


Beemer: The 2-Series Active Tourer

When a car company says that it’ll never do something you can usually disregard the statement.

Porsche once said it’d never make a car powered by a diesel engine. Ferrari said a decade ago that it would never build more than 5,000 cars a year and now it makes almost double that number. And BMW in years gone by said it wouldn’t make a car with front-wheel drive.

And today we are road testing the new BMW 2-Series Active Touring: the first front-wheel drive car to ever wear the famous BMW badge. We shouldn’t be surprised because running a car company is about making money and if the bosses see the opportunity for a good earner they’re going to grab it.

The 2-Series Active Tourer is a very good opportunity to make lots of money.

So what is it? Well, it’s a sort of people carrier with the driving position of a crossover.

Actually, it’s rather hard to define. It sits in the same sort of class as Honda’s Jazz: a very practical people mover with clever use of space that for certain punters will fit into their lives perfectly.


Stunning: BMW 218i SE Active Tourer

Not sure if BMW will be too chuffed with this comparison but it won’t be bothered if like the Jazz the customers are incredibly loyal and keep buying new ones.

The Active Tourer is based on the new Mini’s platform but is a stretched version.

The car is very similar in length to the 1-Series hatchback but has almost as much rear legroom as a BMW 7-Series saloon.

This is what’s going to really sell the Active Tourer, especially to families and older drivers. There’s stacks of room in the back for heads, elbows and legs. The rear seats fold 20/60/20 so it’s very versatile. Walk around the back and open the tailgate and you’ll see 468-litres of boot space. Lift the boot floor and you’ll find a storage area underneath it which is handy.

The rear seats fold electrically so all you need to do is flick a switch and they fall down into the floor like a fainting guardsman. You do have to pull them back by hand but all versions of the Active Tourer come with electric tailgates.

There’s a choice of two engines: the new three-cylinder 1.5-litre turbocharged engine as used in the new Mini plus a four-cylinder 1.5-litre diesel engine.

As usual with BMW, the badging is confusing with the former engine in the 218i and the latter fitted to the 220d. We’re driving the 218i which by common consent is the nicer of the two.


Smooth: BMW 218i SE Active Tourer

The three-pot engine has a relaxing thrum and is smoother and quieter than the diesel. It’s also pretty economical; not as much so as the diesel but take into account the difference in fuel price, and the fact that the diesel model costs a couple of grand more than the petrol, and the 218i is the best buy.

The 2-Series Active Tourer isn’t a stunner to look at; it’s pretty difficult to make an MPV that is, but it’s fairly stylish with BMW’s designers adding lots of lines and creases to make it look less boxy.

Inside, it’s typically BMW-smart. There’s plenty of leather, neat stitching and slivers of aluminium trim to add a classy look to what is a top-notch cabin.

Our six-speed manual gearbox 218i trundles to 62mph from rest in 9.2sec and has a top speed of 127mph. Both of which are fairly irrelevant to most customers who will buy this car.

The combined fuel consumption is 57.6mpg and you can probably expect to get around 45mpg out on the road.

This latest BMW isn’t fun to drive but the handling is tidy and there’s not much body roll.

The ride is comfortable, which is the most important thing.

BMW has built the car it thought it never would.

I doubt it will regret it.

THE FACTS

BMW 218i SE Active Tourer Five-door MPV

Price: £22,150
Engine: 1.5-litre three- cylinder petrol, 134bhp 0-62mph: 9.2sec
Fuel consumption: 57.6mpg

THE RIVALS

Mercedes-Benz B180 SE
Practical with brilliant quality thrown in. Hardly exciting though. £22,020

Volkswagen Golf SV 1.4 TSI SE
Longer and more spacious Golf. Usual VW quality. £21,580

Ford C-Max 1.6 Ecoboost Titanium
Brisk, practical and good to drive. Forget a fancier badge and save a couple of grand. £20,850


www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/motoring/car-reviews/bmw-2-series-active-tourer-review-4450817

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Richard Hammond reviews the BMW i8: Fast track into the future with revolutionary hybrid supercar

Nov 14, 2014   By Richard Hammond

The Mirror motoring columnist and Top Gear presenter is hugely impressed by a futuristic car which takes the engine from a Mini and makes it fly


Futuristic: The BMW i8 is a supercar, make no mistake

You might not like the look of the BMW i8, but if you think it doesn’t look interesting, different and futuristic then you might need a trip to a well-known supplier of spectacles.

Dramatic is the word I’d use for BMW’s amazing i8.

Looking at it, before you’ve even picked up the technical specification, you just know it’s not going to be powered by a simple big V8 engine out of a saloon or SUV or that it’d be made out of steel.

And it certainly isn’t ordinary.

The body is made out of CRFP (carbon reinforced plastic) with aluminium subframes front and back. It’s mid-engined, or at least one of its engines is in the middle.

Tucked between those swooping and Batmobile-like rear wings is a three-cylinder petrol engine from the Mini. Correct, a 1.5-litre turbo.

Granted, BMW has replaced some of its inner oily bits and cranked the power up to 228bhp, but that’s not much grunt for a car that looks like it’s doing 150mph reversing into a parking bay at Morrisons. But we’re not halfway there yet.

The engine drives through a six-speed automatic transmission via a combined starter/generator/electric motor that charges the 7.1kWh lithium-ion battery pack that lives under the i8’s floor.

The front wheels are driven by a 129bhp electric motor. Get this: driving through its own two-speed gearbox.

Why fit a gearbox to the front electric motor? Because it allows the motor to develop its peak torque at higher road speeds, which in plain English means that if you give the i8 the berries on a motorway, it’ll take off like a rocket.

This two-speed automatic gearbox is controlled in harmony with the main engine and gearbox at the back, so you can’t feel anything odd going on.


Striking: The body is made out of CRFP (carbon reinforced plastic) with aluminium subframes front and back

So, to tot it all up, you’ve got a total of 357bhp and 420lb ft of torque. Which doesn’t sound that impressive for a sports car, but on the road the i8 will do 0-60mph in 4.5sec and a limited 155mph.

It’s as fast in other words as a Jaguar F-Type S. But that’s not the i8’s real party trick.

If you’re a bit careful on the throttle it’ll do 50mpg and if you’re not careful you’ll rarely see any numbers not starting with a 4.

A rival with t he BMW’s performance will be doing 20mpg keeping up with the i8.

And we haven’t even started on what the i8 is like to drive.

In a word, unlike any other sports car that you’ll have driven.

It weighs 1,560kg, which is a couple of hundred kilos lighter than the F-type and about the same as a Porsche 911 – but it feels lighter than that.

Clever acoustics and a bit of electronic trickery make the three-cylinder engine sound more dramatic than it should rightly do – but the effect is great.

Like in most hybrid cars, there are plenty of things to play with. You can select pure electric mode in the swoopy BMW and whirr along for a claimed 23 miles before the battery cries enough and the petrol engine has to come to the rescue.

Sport mode triggers the sound jiggery-pokery that makes the engine sound sporty and speeds up the
car’s reactions. The steering is a bit too light for a sports car and doesn’t have as much feel as you’d like.

Inside the i8 is also pretty special. There’s a blue theme because that’s what the car industry thinks is a very eco-friendly colour. There are actually seats for four, but two have to be small children, like in a 911.

So how much does a blast into the future cost?

On the road it’s £99,845. And since the waiting list goes deep into 2015 we can assume that plenty of people think that that’s a fair price.


Leaving rivals behind: The i8 is a hybrid but can do 0-60mph in 4.5sec

The Facts

BMW i8 Two-door supercar

Price: £99,845

Engine: 1.5-litre four-cylinder, 228bhp plus 129bhp electric motor

0-60mph: 4.5sec

Fuel consumption: 134.5mpg

The Rivals

Porsche 911 Carrera: Conventional next to the i8, but still different. Brilliant, as always. £74,199

Jaguar F-type Coupe V6 S: Looks great, makes a lot of noise and is quick with it. £60,250

Audi R8 4.2 FSI: Still looks great and is wonderful to drive and easy to live with. £93,735


www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/motoring/car-reviews/richard-hammond-reviews-bmw-i8-4625870

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Politicians' war against diesel cars is rank hypocrisy after years of telling us to buy them

Dec 08, 2014 22:55
OPINION BY RICHARD HAMMOND

Mirror motoring columnist and Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond believes the new campaign against diesel cars is unfair after drivers were bribed to buy them


Emissions: Boris Johnson could be under pressure to follow his Parisian counterpart

The mayor of Paris, a lady called Anne Hidalgo, has called for cars with diesel engines to be banned from the centre of the city by 2020.

Which is rather dramatic because the French drive more diesel cars than anyone else.

Monsieur Boris Johnson, the mayor of our capital city, is also on the warpath against diesel cars and is planning to up the congestion charge for them by £10 to £20.

It is all to do with pollution and in particular nitrogen oxide ­emissions, with experts claiming 29,000 premature deaths are caused in Britain each year by bad air.

Campaigners are suggesting that Boris, or whoever is in charge in London in the future, will have to follow the Parisian example and not just stop with an increased congestion charge but go for an outright ban on diesel cars.

You can bet that big cities such as Newcastle, Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham will also face pressure to do the same. This is all grim news if you have bought a diesel motor.

The politicians and ­rule-makers in Europe set targets for vehicle emissions but they chose CO2 emissions as the parameter.

Here’s where the trouble started because diesel engines emit low quantities of CO2 per kilometre but instead chuck out a lot of those nasty NOx emissions.

But we have been persuaded to buy diesel cars because they produce less CO2.

To twist our arms the benefit-in-kind tax and road tax are all ­calculated using CO2 emissions figures. There’s been a heavy price to pay for doing what we were told was the right thing.

As I’ve pointed out in numerous road tests in my Mirror motoring column over the years, it often doesn’t make financial sense to go for the diesel engine option.

A diesel motor might carry as much as a £3,000 premium on the sticker price compared to the petrol equivalent, and if you factor in this extra purchase price and the extra cost of diesel fuel per litre, you will need to do an awful lot of miles per year to justify the cost of going diesel.

At least more than 18,000 miles per year and considerably more in many cases.

Over the life of a car you might have to cover 100,000 miles before the diesel engine pays for its extra costs. The sums tend to work out better when you are looking at cars with big engines but even then there is the matter of ­depreciation.


Capital gains: The Congestion Charge could be even more for diesel cars

Around six years ago I bought a second-hand petrol Range Rover. Terribly thirsty, but much cheaper to buy than the TDV8 diesel version, which held its value better. I was, and still am, quids in.

Modern diesel engines are extremely complicated and finely tuned machines with very precise ­tolerances. They are expensive to make and, if they go wrong, they are expensive to repair.

Put petrol in the tank by accident and you can wreck an engine in seconds as the beautifully machined fuel pumps and injection system, which is usually lubricated by ­slippery diesel fuel, grind themselves up when petrol passes through instead.

They also have something called a diesel particulate filter (known as a DPF) which removes soot and other nasty stuff from the exhaust emissions. The snag is, and this is a well-known problem that you might have experienced yourself, the filter can become blocked, especially if you drive your car in town and in heavy traffic. To fix a clogged particulate filter is usually not cheap.

As usual, we the consumer are on the receiving end of all this. The government tells us that CO2 emissions are a bad thing and sets the rules to encourage us to buy diesel cars with low CO2 emissions.

Now it looks like the goalposts are going to be moved and millions of people could end up with diesel cars that are extremely difficult to sell. Or could lose their value dramatically.

You certainly can’t trust the ­politicians’ advice.

Diesel-engined cars used to be rattly, slow, noisy and smoky but we were persuaded to buy them. Then the car makers made diesels nice and quiet and powerful so we bought more of them. Now we are being told they are evil and that we mustn’t drive them.

The only answer is to do your sums and buy the car you want to buy – regardless of what the politicians say.

I don’t like diesel that much because it makes petrol station forecourts slippery and that means there is a high risk of your boot slipping when you put your foot down on a motorbike.

I also don’t like the smell of the stuff on my clothes. But I’ve got a really cool Land Rover Camel Trophy edition with a noisy and clanky TDI diesel engine.

I didn’t buy it because a politician told me to – I bought it because I like it and the diesel engine suits the car.

But there is a serious point in all this. There may be all sorts of reasons to ban diesel cars and vans from city centres, and diesel cars don’t make financial sense for a lot of ordinary drivers.

But the reason so many people drive them is because they were told by the politicians that they should, and given tax incentives to persuade them to switch from petrol.

For those same politicians to try to ban the cars they made us buy in the first place is a bloody cheek.


www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/politicians-war-against-diesel-cars-4772452

[RedMoon11]

Richard Hammond: My Lovely 1931 Lagonda

Oct 17, 2014    OPINION BY RICHARD HAMMOND

I’m learning to cherish 83-year-old classic beauty that has the power to amaze


Richard Hammond's 1931 Lagonda

The lanes of rural Herefordshire will soon be resounding to the merry rumble of me, the resident Mr Toad in my new car.

It’s a 1931 Lagonda 2.0-litre supercharged tourer and I fell in love with it in a photograph and knew that I had to make it mine.

But I’ve got to learn how to use it first, though.

The accelerator and brake pedals are the other way around, which could be interesting.

But I’ve had practice at relearning how to operate something nearly familiar but not quite because I ride my 1927 Sunbeam motorcycle.

That machine requires advancing and retarding of the ignition on the move, adjusting the fuel mixture and remembering to feed oil in the total loss oil system or it will go bang.

I’m hoping to book a few hours with a local specialist to learn not just how to drive the thing but how to maintain it. There are things that need to be greased, topped-up, tweaked and drained at astonishingly regular intervals.

Get it right and the thing should work perfectly – neglect it and it will fall apart. Which would be a shame because it’s lasted 83 years.

I might have spent the last 20 years working with and around them, but cars still have the power to amaze and excite me.

They amaze me because this ­inanimate object, this pile of metal and oil can gather itself together and propel itself and you around the place.

And they excite me because I can be in control, more or less, of that process. A car like this one is closer to a time when everyone was similarly amazed and thrilled by the motor car.

The general instructions for owners when it was new include all the sorts of things a driver was expected to do, such as regrind the valves and check the crankshaft bearings.

Today, lots of people won’t even change a wheel themselves and have to call in a roadside breakdown company to do it for them.

My Lagonda will, apparently, do 90mph, though would require, I suspect, several miles of entirely clear, straight road to stop again.

The previous owner kept it for 34 years and used it on family trips and I intend doing the same, although enthusiasm is as yet cool from the Hammond girls.


www.dailyrecord.co.uk/lifestyle/motoring/richard-hammond-lovely-1931-lagonda-4448902

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Richard Hammond: Triumph’s 800XRx is the best handling bike on the planet
 
Dec 12, 2014    OPINION BY RICHARD HAMMOND

Classy new Triumph Tiger 800 earns its stripes..

I have an apology to make. In 2010, when the Triumph Tiger 800 was launched, I said it was the best handling bike in the entire universe, including Planet Zog, which, as you probably know, is where the aliens are still holding Elvis until he tells them what he did with Lord Lucan.

Well, it’s not.

It’s just been superseded by the new Triumph Tiger 800.

Now, I have already raved at length about the 800 XCx, the off road-biased version of the 800, with its long travel suspension designed to soak up bumps, its spoked 21in front and 17in rear wheels to make handling less twitchy on
dirt tracks, and because it’s a lot easier replacing spokes in Baluchibackwardstan than finding a welder for banjaxed alloy wheels.


Triumph Tiger 800 XCx

After riding the XCx, getting on the XRx, with its 19in and 17in wheels and its firmer suspension for pure road use, feels a bit too sharp and edgy – like going to a disco after dancing the tango, particularly since the new ride-by-wire throttle is more sensitive than the original 800’s cable-operated version.

Once you get used to it, though, progress towards the horizon is swift and seamless, aided and abetted by the slick six-speed gearbox nicked from Triumph’s own Daytona and a clutch that is as light as the echo of a ghost’s shadow falling on a millpond by moonlight.

Braking, with twin 308mm discs up front, is as smooth and seamless, cornering is even more precise than the XCx, which is praise indeed, wind protection from the small but effective screen is superb at even well beyond motorway speeds, and the new seat got a five-star rating from my buns even at the end of a long day in the saddle.

For globetrotters, accessories include huge but light aluminium panniers, and, for the budget conscious, the standard XR with traction control and ABS but without power mode options, cruise control, centre stand, hand guards, comfort seat, adjustable screen and second 12V socket, is a grand cheaper.

When the original Tiger 800 and 800XC came out in 2010, they instantly became Triumph’s best-selling machine in the UK and several other countries, and I predict the same happy fate for their successors.

Not just because they’re the best handling bikes on the planet but because every motorcycle comes with its own fantasy.


Triumph Tiger 800 XCx

And on the new Tiger 800, that fantasy is that you are bidding a moist farewell to your wife and children and a less moist farewell to the cat as you climb aboard and roar off down the road to Kathmandu or Timbuktu to forge in the crucible of adventure the glittering sword of your hitherto unspoken future.

And if your wife tells you to put your sword back where it belongs and paint the spare room instead, you can still have just as much fun roaring off down the road to B&Q to buy a can of magnolia.

For the truth is that Triumph have created their most perfect motorcycle yet.

In short, I loved it.

Or, as they say at Triumph, XRx.

● Ducati have just started production of their sexy Scrambler at their Bologna factory in Italy.

I predict this new Ducati is going to be a huge sales success when it hits British Ducati dealerships in February. At first, the Icon model will be available but that’ll be joined by the other versions soon after.

I wonder if I’ll succumb to the temptation of buying one?

The Facts

Price: XRx tested, £9499. Standard XR £8499

Engine: 800cc in line triple

Power: 94bhp @ 9250rpm

Torque: 58lb ft @ 7850rpm

Colours: White, black, blue


www.dailyrecord.co.uk/lifestyle/motoring/richard-hammond-triumphs-800xrx-best-4783064

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Ford Fiesta hatchback review by Richard Hammond: Mighty mini is a feast of fun

Dec 12, 2014 06:00     OPINION BY RICHARD HAMMOND

Top Gear presenter and Mirror motoring columnist Richard Hammond test drives the Ford Fiesta 1.0 Ecoboost Red Edition three-door hatchback



Ford is very proud of this fact: the Fiesta Red Edition we are testing this week has an engine that produces more brake horsepower per litre than a Bugatti Veyron’s 8.0-litre four turbo W16 engine.

I’ve had the office calculator out and it’s true. The Veyron’s engine produces 1,000bhp from 8.0 litres which is 1,000 divided by 8 = 125bhp per litre.

The little Fiesta has a 1.0-litre Ecoboost that produces 140bhp. I don’t even need the calculator for this sum because the answer is an obvious 140bhp per litre.

But what’s even more impressive about the Ford is that it’s been designed to work every day for years.

It’s very unlikely that a Veyron owner will ever be able to find a track or a stretch of unlimited autobahn on which he’ll be able to give his beast more than 20 seconds of full throttle.

Most Veyrons will live in a garage most of their lives and come out only on rare occasions. So, in fact, reliability is not a big issue. Also, the Fiesta’s engine needs to be smooth and well behaved in traffic – it mustn’t overheat or ever fail to start.

Turn the clock back 20 years and a 1,000cc engine that produced 140bhp would have coughed and spat like an angry cat and if it was turbocharged like this Ecoboost engine with a turbo lag measured in seasons.

So it’s clever, this Fiesta 1.0-litre Ecoboost Red Edition. There’s a Black Edition too, which has the reverse red mirror cappings and a red roof.

It’s also good value.

The on-the-road price for this car is £15,995 (ours has a few options but none of them are really needed) which compares to £17,250 for the entry-level Fiesta ST.

Road-testers might say why bother with the 140bhp car when for another grand you can have the 180bhp ST?

Well, they rarely buy cars and a grand is a grand. Plus the ST is quite harsh for everyday driving and is in a higher insurance group, which makes a big difference for younger drivers.


Power: The 1.0-litre Ecoboost produces 140bhp

The 1.0 Ecoboost is a sort of sub-hot-hatch. We’ve had cars like this before. In the late 1980s Peugeot built its iconic 205 GTI but also did a more insurance-friendly 205 XS which, although it had a lot less power, was still a lot of fun to drive.

And so too is this Fiesta.

This car replaces the Zetec S 1.6, which used to do the same job of providing fun on a budget.

The Red Edition has suspension is virtually identical to the car it replaces, with the same 10mm lowering over standard and 12% stiffer springs at the front and 6% stiffer at the back.

Why less of a change at the back? Because Ford fits a stiffer torsion beam axle at the back as well, which means the springs don’t need to be much stiffer.

The steering is heavier with a bit more weight. The three-cylinder Ecoboost engine is more than 30kg lighter than the old four-pot 1.6 so the car feels a bit more agile and lively.

The suspension certainly feels more supple than the ST’s so this car is certainly a better bet if you are taking kids around and perhaps don’t need the ST’s cutting edge handling.

Inside the Red Edition it’s the usual Fiesta set. Interesting dashboard design, good enough quality for the job (it’s not a Polo or Audi A1) and a sense of fun.

There are only five-gears compared to the ST’s six, which means motorway cruising is a bit revvier than in the hotter ca. But it isn’t really needed because it would add cost and besides, this car is meant to do 62.8mpg on the combined cycle anyway.

Which just leaves me to tell you one of my favourite Veyron stories. Bugatti has built 450 Veyrons but has only 350 customers for the car.

This means that some people have bought more than one. Actually, a bloke at Bugatti told me that somebody has bought nine Veyrons.

Happily you’ll only need to buy one Fiesta Red Edition to have a lot of fun.

THE FACTS
Ford Fiesta 1.0 Ecoboost Red Edition three-door hatchback

Price: £15,995
Engine: 1.0-litre four-cylinder, 140bhp 0-62mph: 9.0sec
Fuel consumption: 62.8mpg

THE RIVALS


Pricey: The Polo has the performance but will cost you £17,710

Volkswagen Polo 1.4 TSI 150 GT: It’s got the performance but it’s in ST territory on money. £17,710


Stylish: The Ibiza is impressive

SEAT Ibiza TSI 140: This is more like it. smart styling and it has the price and pep to match the Fiesta. £15,495


Lagging behind: The Corsa is considerably less powerful than the Fiesta

Vauxhall Corsa SRi: Similar interesting engine but it has only 113bhp so it’s not really a rival. £14,460


www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/motoring/car-reviews/ford-fiesta-hatchback-review-richard-4794009

[RedMoon11]

Peugeot 508 SW Estate review by Richard Hammond: Peugeot Stylishly Carries It Off

A stylish estate, Mirror motoring columnist and Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond, reviews the Peugeot 508 SW estate


Stylish: Peugeot 508 SW estate

As promised last week, here is the road test of the newly face-lifted Peugeot 508 SW estate.

Thirty years ago big Peugeot estates were a common sight on UK roads with the 504 and later 505 models proving popular with punters who wanted big comfortable cars with lots of room inside.

There weren’t many rivals from the German manufacturers because the Mercedes E-Class estate (known then as the W123) cost loads more and was in a different class anyway and BMW and Audi were both very different firms with a limited range of models.

How different it is today though, with an overwhelming choice from the big three German companies.

The competition from Germany is so tough that a few years ago Renault stopped trying to sell Lagunas here in the UK.

Peugeot, however, is still ­plugging on.

And if you like being different and not following the crowd read on because this Peugeot is really rather good.

The facelift involves a new front grille with the Peugeot name written across it and the Peugeot lion logo slapped in the middle.

The front has an extra 5mm of overhang to accommodate the new front end and the bonnet is more horizontal in profile. It all looks quite classy. The saloon has new rear lamps but the estate keeps its old ones.

Inside, Peugeot’s claim of ramping up the quality is proved to be true.


Stylish: Peugeot 508 SW estate

The rotary controller that used to sit behind the gear lever has been ditched in favour of a new touchscreen and the space it has left is used to fit a lidded bin that you can slot your mobile phone or bags of Haribo sweets in.

Peugeot says the touchscreen means there are fewer buttons and all the car’s systems are easy to use.

They might be to an Airbus pilot used to a forest of knobs, buttons and switches but to a normal person it’s far from simple.

There are 14 buttons on the steering wheel alone.

You would find your way around eventually if you owned the car but it really shouldn’t be as complicated as that.

You can’t buy a 508 with a petrol engine (the talk of banning diesel cars in Paris must have raised Peugeot bosses’ blood pressures) but the company’s diesel engines are
cutting edge with very advanced emission-control systems.

Our test car is fitted with the new Hdi 150 engine which has emissions of only 110g/km yet produces 150bhp.

There’s a 180bhp version as well that comes with a six-speed automatic gearbox. Our car has a six-speed manual box.

The manual gearbox has a slightly vague feel in its action but the engine that it’s attached to is quiet, smooth and has plenty of punch for all-day motorway cruising.

The big old Peugeots from the past had, like most French cars in the 1970s, a ­reputation for really good ride quality.


Hi-tech: New Peugeot 508

French rural roads weren’t up to much so stiff springs were a non-non.

This 508 SW also rides well and is comfortable over long distances. There’s plenty of legroom in the back and a large luggage area.

Our SW Allure is the mid-level trim with Active underneath it and GT above.

On-the-road price is £27,795 but ours has metallic paint and a motorised tailgate as options which add a grand to the bill.

The latter option is almost worth having but you still have to press a switch under the handle which means you need a spare hand to operate it.

I like VW’s system on the Passat estate where you wave your foot under the rear bumper to pop open the tailgate.

The revised 508 SW is surprisingly good. You’ll not even consider it if you have to have a premium brand on your drive but getting one up on the neighbours is an expensive game.

The Peugeot’s more natural rival is the Ford Mondeo estate and against that it stacks up very well.

The facts

Peugeot 508 SW HDi 150 Five-door estate

Price: £27,795

Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel, 150bhp, 0-62mph: 10.1sec

Fuel consumption: 67.3mpg


The rivals

Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCi 163 Titanium

Job done: Mondeo estate Titanium

Doesn’t look as stylish as the Peugeot but gets the job done.

At this money likely to have more kit and gadgets. £28,595


Vauxhall Insignia 2.0 CDTi 163 SRi

Choice: Vauxhall Insignia estate

Stylish but been around a while.

Range is massive so choosing the right model is hard work. £24,864


Citroen C5 2.0 HDi 160 VTR

Comfortable: Citroen C5 2.0 HDi 160

Spacious and comfortable. Looks good, too.

Mind you, it’s a rare sight on our roads. £25,180


www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/motoring/car-reviews/peugeot-508-sw-estate-review-4872610