Tuesday, 26 October 2021 06:05

2022 Subaru Forester Wilderness Conquers the Outback

With its tidier dimensions and lower price, the hiked-up Forester Wilderness proves that less is more—until you stab the throttle.

When we first saw it, there was little doubt the Wilderness treatment would spread beyond the Subaru Outback. The hardcore-crossover concept has been quietly gaining steam, which only makes sense given that compact SUV sales are off the charts. Crossover lift kits and knobby-tire upgrades are now a thing, and practically everyone says "overlanding" when they mean "car camping." Subaru owners modding their rides have been at the leading edge of this trend, so it was only natural the parent company would cash in. Enter the 2022 Subaru Forester Wilderness, the second example of the outdoorsy new trim level. We've now driven them both, so the question is: Who wore it better?

As applied to the Forester, the Wilderness formula is very familiar. Compared to its siblings, it sits a half-inch higher atop its four-wheel independent suspension thanks to longer dampers and taller springs, and that amounts to a healthy 9.2 inches of minimum ground clearance and an improved breakover angle of 21 degrees. Since the Forester isn't nearly as long as an Outback, the jacked-up stance conspires with stubbier front and rear overhangs to produce more favorable approach and departure angles of 23.5 and 25.4 degrees, respectively. It's also some 2.4 inches narrower, so it's more compatible with brush-lined trails even before Subaru slathers on the Wilderness-spec layer of protective body cladding. Conversely, the Forester Wilderness is 2.0 inches taller than its Outback counterpart, but we'll take that because it comes with a more upright driving position that makes it easier to see over the hood and pick your way along a trail. Blind crests are no problem because there's a front camera, but the button to activate it is nowhere near the display itself.

A drive along forest roads near Bend, Oregon, proved that the Forester execution works equally well on both smooth gravel roads suitable for stage rallies and lonely meandering two-track forest trails that haven't seen the blade of a road grader in years. Subaru's Wilderness-specific shock and spring tuning readily soaked up washboard surfaces on high-speed tracks, but they also went about the quiet business of damping out head toss through rocky sections, snaking around fallen limbs, or easing down eroded ledges. None of this was black-diamond rock crawling, but vehicles built for that use case would have punished us with the heavy unsprung mass of solid axle overkill thumping up from below. Independent-suspended crossovers have their place out here if they can muster sufficient clearance and traction, and the Forester Wilderness proved to have enough of each.

A good deal of the necessary extra traction comes from a set of Yokohama Geolandar A/T tires, with outline white-letter sidewalls adding spice to an otherwise black background of alloy wheels and cladding. There's even a matching, full-use spare with its own TPMS sensor in the underfloor well.

Whereas other Foresters have seven simulated gears in their continuously variable automatics (CVT), the Wilderness version has eight, like the Outback. But it differs from even the Outback Wilderness in that it has a wider overall ratio spread across its working range, with an ultra-low 4.07:1 "first gear" that gives the Forester Wilderness a better low-speed crawl ratio when the exclusive Dual-mode X-Mode detects conditions that call for hill-descent control. The 2022 Forester also debuts an improved X-Mode logic that no longer shuts completely off if the driver momentarily exceeds its maximum operational speed of 25 mph. It now goes into a standby mode and will automatically reengage when the car slows to 22 mph. That prevents constant dithering if your speed lingers near 25 mph. The hill-descent control features a related improvement that more quickly resumes the original crawl speed if the driver temporarily adds throttle and then backs out.

The Wilderness will, of course, spend the bulk of its time on pavement, so it's good there's nothing overtly off-roady or off-putting about its on-road demeanor (probably not something that could be said if you bolted on random off-road mods you read about in forums). Subaru's engineering team has delivered a smooth and composed ride that is never harsh. The body doesn't pitch or bound, and there's a smidge more reassuring control and less squishiness than with the Outback Wilderness. Frost heaves don't upset it, and the all-terrain tires were remarkably quiet until we came to a particularly coarse stretch of asphalt that had been chewed by studded tires in previous winters. When pushed, the Wilderness does not feel like it's standing on tiptoes. It turns into corners smartly, with a modest amount of body lean that builds up gradually and takes a reassuring set. The thing that flummoxes the steering is cruising straight at highway speeds, where the feel is dull and indistinct.

That's small beer compared to the lackluster engine performance, but this won't surprise any current-generation Forester owners because the Wilderness has the same 2.5-liter flat-four with a middling 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque. Why not the 2.4-liter turbo as in the Outback Wilderness? Outback product planners had two homologated engines to pick from, but the fifth-generation Forester has only one, since the turbo 2.0-liter was dropped with the previous model in 2018. For what it's worth, we didn't notice a serious lack of beans driving in the forest, and the car felt reasonable enough around town.

That might be because its final drive ratio is a short 4.11:1 instead of the regular Forester's 3.70:1 gearing. Combined with the CVT's lower initial gearing, this might shave a couple of tenths off the 8.4-second zero-to-60-mph time we previously measured with a standard Forester, but the more significant benefit of this change is the new 3000-pound tow rating.

Our experience also makes us think the aerodynamic penalty of a rooftop tent will be easier to bear, which is relevant because the Forester Wilderness is specifically courting those buyers. It has beefier wide-set roof rails that can accommodate 220 pounds of mass while in motion and 800 pounds when parked—enough for a three-person tent with occupants. The penalty for the shorter gearing is lower fuel economy, particularly on the highway. A regular Forester is EPA rated at 29 mpg combined (26 city/33 highway), but the Wilderness manages just 26 mpg combined (25 city/28 highway). Nevertheless, this still bests the Outback Wilderness and its estimates of 24 mpg combined, 22 city, and 26 highway.

All 2022 Forester models debut the fourth iteration of Subaru's EyeSight, which features dual cameras with nearly twice the field of view. On our back-road tour, it proved to be surprisingly good at detecting faint centerlines that have been so thoroughly bleached we weren't immediately conscious of them. You'd think that kind of sensitivity would lead to a raft of unwanted warnings elsewhere, but we didn't find ourselves hunting for an "off" button when clipping apexes. The system behaved as if it were able to project a forward path to distinguish a true inattentive lane departure from spirited driving, which isn't that far-fetched when you consider the kind of added logic that would've been necessary to support the new lane-centering feature that supplements the adaptive cruise control.

The 2022 Subaru Forester Wilderness will arrive in December at a price of $33,945. That amounts to $4625 more than the Forester Premium we generally recommend, but it's also a full $4175 less than the larger and more powerful Outback Wilderness. From where we just sat, the Forester Wilderness is a more right-sized interpretation of the Wilderness concept that does a proper job off the pavement but still comes across as a pleasant daily driver if you're merely going for the off-road look. Either way, you can now gratuitously toss around the word "overlanding" in conversation. Come to think of it, please don't.

(https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a38047651/2022-subaru-forester-wilderness-drive/)

Published in Subaru

Saturday, 23 October 2021 05:15

Peugeot 308 hatchback review

"The Peugeot 308 is a comfortable, stylish family hatchback with a great interior but it’s not the most practical”

The Peugeot 308 is a family hatchback that’s had a complete makeover; its eye-catching looks are a big selling point but there are plenty of other reasons to consider buying one. The 308 is an alternative to the Ford Focus, SEAT Leon and Volkswagen Golf, and it shares parts with other similar models, including the Citroen C4 and the latest Vauxhall Astra.

There are petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid engine options but there’s no choice of gearbox; the only option is an automatic, which means there’s no low-cost entry-level model to compete with basic versions of the Focus or Golf. It’s all part of a plan to make Peugeot into a more upmarket brand within Stellantis' wide range of brands, which is also the reason for the redesigned badge on the nose of the car.

Best hatchbacks

The petrol version uses a 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine with 128bhp, while the diesel is a 1.5-litre four-cylinder unit with the same amount of power. The two plug-in hybrid options use the same 1.6-litre petrol engine, and have a total of 178bhp in standard guise, or 222bhp with an upgraded electric motor. These models offer low emissions and are cheap for company-car drivers to tax, plus they can travel up to 37 miles on electric power alone.

Most people will charge up the battery at home overnight at a standard rate of 3.8kW, but unlike some plug-in hybrids, the 308 is available with faster charging as an option. Equipped with a 7.4kW charger (for around £300), you can use a home wallbox or public charger to fill the battery in about two hours.

The new 308 is good to drive, striking a nice balance between handling and comfort. The Ford Focus is often considered to be the benchmark in the class for handling and the Skoda Octavia is the same for comfort. The 308 sits somewhere in between the two.

Yet one of the best aspects of the 308 is the interior. It feels well made and the materials are good quality, much like you’d find in a more expensive car like an Audi A3. There are some areas that look a little drab but its design is mostly excellent.

There’s also a 10-inch display with a second touch-sensitive panel below it. This looks very modern and is easier to use than the screens in other Peugeots (such as the 3008 SUV). It’s very responsive too, in a big improvement over the previous model.

The new 308 is available in Active Premium, Allure, Allure Premium, GT and GT Premium trim levels. All are well equipped; you get a 10-inch digital dial display, smartphone connectivity, LED headlights, climate control, 16-inch alloys and plenty of safety kit even on entry-level versions. As you move up the range, luxuries such as wireless phone charging, sat-nav, keyless entry, larger alloys and a 360-degree parking camera are added.

The 308 isn’t the most spacious family car around but it’s a great all-rounder that brings together comfort, efficiency, smart looks inside and out, enjoyable handling and plenty of hi-tech equipment. It’s not the best value for money but if you want an automatic or hybrid car, it’s well worth considering. There’s also a 308 SW estate version with more boot space, should you need it.

Peugeot 3008 SUV - MPG, running costs & CO2

Like many modern SUVs, the Peugeot 3008 is almost as cheap to run as a family hatchback

The Peugeot 3008 takes full advantage of the latest manufacturing techniques, using strong yet light steel, aluminium and plastics. This means it can be fitted with relatively small engines that offer excellent economy, catering to the thousands of buyers who covet an SUV but don’t want high running costs. It's a shame, though, that more electrified versions weren't introduced for the facelift, to plug the gap between the petrol and diesel 3008 and the plug-in hybrid.

The smaller 128bhp 1.5-litre diesel officially returns up to 60.8mpg and emits 122-157g/km of CO2. This is also available with an eight-speed automatic gearbox without affecting running costs too severely.

Going for a 2.0-litre diesel used to get you more power, but this has now been discontinued. The top-of-the-range 175bhp engine officially returned up to 47.3mpg and emits 162-178g/km of CO2.

Despite traditional SUV trends, petrol power will be an economically viable option for many buyers, especially if most of your driving is done over short distances or in town, purely because you’ll pay less for an equivalent engine, and little more for its fuel. The entry-level 128bhp 1.2-litre returns up to 48mpg and emits 133-165g/km. The 1.6-litre petrol was discontinued in mid-2021 but officially managed around 43mpg with emissions of 148-177g/km of CO2.

Choosing Peugeot’s six-speed automatic gearbox costs around £1,300 and sees economy drop by just a little bit. CO2 emissions rise fractionally if you go for the automatic.

Officially, the most economical model is the range-topping 3008 Hybrid4, which is a direct rival to the Ford Kuga plug-in hybrid, and is said to return up to 235.4mpg. It’s worth pointing out that you’ll struggle to achieve close to this figure unless you religiously charge up the battery and only use the car for short, urban trips. CO2 emissions are remarkably low at 30-41g/km, which will please company-car drivers. The less powerful front-wheel-drive hybrid model is capable of up to 222.3mpg with CO2 emissions of 29-39g/km.

If you have access to a 7kW home charger, the Hybrid4 will fully replenish the battery in around one hour 45 minutes. You’ll need to wait eight hours for the battery to get to full charge if you’re using a standard three-pin socket. A dedicated smartphone app lets you choose when to charge the car (so you can charge overnight on a cheaper tariff, for example) and set the air-conditioning before you get in.

Company car drivers should find the Benefit-In-Kind (BiK) tax rates attractive, especially for the hybrid models. VED (road tax) for private buyers is charged at the standard rate for all petrol and diesel models with the hybrids liable for the discounted rate. Flagship models can cost over £40,000, and these will be subject to a surcharge until the car is six years old.

Insurance groups
The Peugeot 3008 sits in groups 20-38 for insurance. Most models are rated in group 21 and under though, with only the more powerful petrol and Hybrids punching above the group 22 mark.

Warranty
Peugeot’s three year/60,000-mile warranty used to be about average for the industry, but with Hyundai, Toyota, Kia, Mercedes and BMW also offering better protection, we’d argue it’s time for Peugeot to up its game here.

Servicing
Peugeot’s fixed-price servicing packages make budgeting for maintenance easy, and policies start from around £14 each month if you take out a three-year deal.

Peugeot 3008 SUV - Engines, drive & performance

The Peugeot 3008 is competent, comfortable and enjoyable to drive

What do you want your SUV to do? If the answer to that question is ‘be easy to drive while providing a high ride height for good visibility and access along with plenty of space for my family’, buy the Peugeot 3008.

If the first thing that sprang into your mind was ‘be great to drive’, you might think you’d be better off looking at the more expensive BMW X3 SUV, or a conventional hatchback like the SEAT Leon.

We've found the 3008 to be impressively composed on an open road, but it doesn't goad you to drive it harder. There’s little body lean to speak of, yet this doesn’t come at the expense of comfort, as the suspension makes a decent fist of softening pitted tarmac and soaking up potholes. The 3008 is also easy to drive around town, while it’s impressively quiet and civilised on the motorway.

The SEAT Ateca may have slightly sharper steering and stiffer suspension, but the trade off is it’s less comfortable than the 3008, which is well rounded in every aspect of its driving characteristics. It has the Nissan Qashqai and Renault Kadjar soundly beaten in the enjoyment stakes, coming off well in comparison to the sharp-handling Volkswagen Tiguan, while the Ford Kuga and Mazda CX-5 steer slightly more sweetly.

There’s no four-wheel-drive option for the non-hybrid 3008, but Peugeot’s ‘Grip Control’ setup (which is essentially a sophisticated traction-control system) costs between £250 and £500, as it requires 18-inch alloy wheels, which aren’t standard on all trims. It should help you out when the going gets tough, particularly if it’s paired with the optional winter tyres.

With an electric motor on each axle, the 296bhp Hybrid4 model has four-wheel drive and it’ll tackle reasonably challenging off-road terrain without needing to start the petrol engine. Both hybrids are much heavier than the petrol models and, while they offer great straight-line acceleration, the extra weight makes them feel much more cumbersome through corners.

Peugeot 3008 petrol engines
The 128bhp 1.2-litre petrol engine in the 3008 uses turbocharging to help keep performance up and running costs down, and they’re familiar Peugeot fare. Our drive of the more powerful of these revealed it to provide the 3008 with pretty swift performance, taking eight seconds to go from 0-62mph. The standard automatic gearbox that comes with this engine also impressed us, as it changes gear smoothly, quickly and with minimal fuss.

The petrol engine is also a smooth operator. This will probably need to be worked hard to shift the 3008’s heft, but it’s certainly worth taking for a test drive, as it offers the cheapest route to 3008 ownership. With this engine fitted, 0-62mph takes 9.5 seconds, although that time is likely to increase if you load the 3008 with passengers and luggage. It's impressively linear in its power delivery, and feels powerful enough for cruising on the motorway and overtaking slower traffic. In mid-2021, the range-topping 179bhp 1.6-litre petrol engine was discontinued. This unit was previously the quickest regular engine in the 3008 range, getting from 0-62mph in eight seconds.

Diesel engines
Many buyers after an SUV still want a diesel engine, so Peugeot offers one with either a manual or eight-speed automatic gearbox. Again, they’re staple Peugeot products, and we’ve driven the 128bhp 1.5-litre version, which is likely to be a big seller. It’s a little raucous when being revved, but once in a high-gear cruise it’s admirably quiet. It takes 10.8 seconds to go from 0-62mph, or 11.5 seconds if you choose the eight-speed automatic gearbox.

The 99bhp diesel is no longer available, and it was the only model to come with a five-speed rather than six-speed manual gearbox, with no automatic option. We'd recommend avoiding this engine if you're looking on the used market.

The more powerful 2.0-litre diesel engine was also discontinued with the arrival of the facelifted 3008. The 175bhp engine was automatic-only and had some extra grunt, which was useful for towing. However, it was only offered in the top trim with a hefty price tag. For that reason, it was a rare choice. This engine manages 0-62mph in 9 seconds.

Hybrid engines
Not every family car is offered with a plug-in hybrid version but Peugeot has offered 3008 buyers two to choose from. Both combine a 1.6-litre petrol engine with a 13.2kWh battery and an electric motor, and both use Peugeot’s eight-speed automatic transmission.

The front-wheel-drive ‘Hybrid’ is the less expensive and less powerful of the two, with one electric motor, 222bhp and a 0-62mph time of 8.9 seconds. Above that is the ‘Hybrid4’ with two electric motors (one on each axle), four-wheel drive and a peak power output of 296bhp. Zero to 62mph takes just 6.1 seconds - quicker than the Peugeot 308 GTi hot hatchback - although the Hybrid4 is expensive.

Peugeot 3008 SUV - Interior & comfort

The Peugeot 3008 has one of the best interiors we’ve come across in recent years

The Peugeot 3008 deserves to be heaped with praise for its interior design and represents the best in class. Peugeot is really spoiling us with the quality of interior materials, which range from excellent soft-touch plastics on top of the dashboard to attractively textured cloth running along the inside edge of the doors.

It’s also pleasing to report that while Peugeot fits the 3008 with a small steering wheel that’s designed to be looked over (rather than through) when viewing the dials, the ergonomics of this now look to have been resolved. Taller and shorter drivers who find the steering wheel obscures the gauges, shouldn’t have the same problem in the 3008.

Thanks to its great interior and ride quality, the 3008 is one of the most comfortable cars in its class.

Peugeot’s decision to fit all 3008s with its i-Cockpit is welcome and generous. This 12.3-inch digital display replaces the speedometer, fuel gauge and other dashboard dials and can be configured to show sat-nav guidance, media playlists or information about fuel economy and journey times. Audi has offered a similar setup for some time, but usually as a pricey option. Peugeot’s decision to make it standard may cause other carmakers to follow suit in an effort to keep up. For the facelift the screen has been upgraded for improved contrast, making it easier to read.

Another nice touch is the row of seven silvered toggle switches below the 10-inch infotainment touchscreen, which has grown for the updated car and now has improved definition. These look almost like piano keys and work in conjunction with the touchscreen, bringing up music, ventilation and other modes. You still have to use the screen itself to adjust the temperature and other settings, though, but the screen is capacitive rather than resistive, so it’s much easier to operate than some setups.

Equipment
The 3008 range kicks off with Active Premium, and choosing this gets you 17-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control, all-round parking sensors, an eight-inch display, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Moving up to Allure trim adds larger 18-inch alloy wheels and adds sat nav to a 10-inch infotainment system. Costing around £700 extra, Allure Premium brings keyless entry, aluminium roof rails, ambient lighting and a front passenger seat that can fold flat.

There's also a top GT trim with LED headlights, a black roof lining, adaptive cruise control and upholstery with a mixture of leather and Alcantara. This can be upgraded once more to GT Premium for the ultimate 3008 spec, bringing 19-inch wheels, a powered tailgate, enhanced stereo, 360-degree powertrain and heated seats.

Options
Just because the 3008 is well equipped, doesn’t mean there isn’t a fairly lengthy options list. Metallic paint is a near-essential for many and costs just over £500. We always recommend specifying a full-size spare wheel if possible, for which Peugeot asks around £100.

A wireless smartphone charging pad is available, along with Nappa leather upholstery and a panoramic sunroof.

Peugeot 3008 SUV - Practicality & boot space

The Peugeot 3008 is competitively spacious

The Peugeot 3008 is roomy enough for a family of four. The SEAT Ateca and Nissan Qashqai are ever so slightly bigger inside, but the 3008 has a larger boot than those two cars.

Peugeot 3008 interior space & storage

Front-seat passengers are able to stretch out in the 3008, but it’s not quite as commodious as its exterior dimensions might lead you to believe. Still, there’s an argument that many will like the sense of being cocooned in the 3008, especially given the plushness of its interior – and it’s by no means cramped up front.

Those in the rear do pretty well for space. The back doors open nice and wide, while head and legroom are good in the outer two seats. The front centre console extends a long way into the back, and we reckon middle-seat passengers may feel hard done by, as they’ll have to contort their limbs around a not-insignificant chunk of automotive furniture.

Boot space
At 520 litres, the Peugeot 3008 has the Nissan Qashqai (430 litres) roundly beaten when it comes to luggage space and even manages to edge the spacious SEAT Ateca by 10 litres for total load volume. Drop the rear seats using the levers in the boot and the boot grows to an impressive 1,482 litres. The 60:40 split-folding rear seats lie nice and flat, while the back of the front passenger seat can be folded for lugging longer loads.

Because of the space taken up by the batteries, the 3008 plug-in hybrid models aren’t quite so generous. With the seats up, there are 395 litres to fill, and this increases to 1,357 litres if you fold the rear seats. The Hybrid versions also get a 43-litre fuel tank, while regular petrol and diesel models have a tank that’s 10 litres larger.

Towing
If you plan on using the 3008 as a tow car, go for the 1.5-litre diesel, as this can haul up to 1,500kg. The other engines are rated at 1,200kg to 1,400kg, with the Hybrid versions able to tow up to 1,250kg.

Peugeot 3008 SUV - Reliability & safety

Peugeot 3008 is very safe and scored highly in our Driver Power survey

The Peugeot 3008 achieved an impressive ranking in the 2021 Driver Power survey and scored well in Euro NCAP crash testing.

Modern car-building techniques mean a manufacturer or group of manufacturers can get more than one model out of a single platform – the mechanical skeleton that underpins the bodywork. The Peugeot 3008 is no exception to this trend, and it shares many hidden parts with the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso MPV, as well as the Peugeot 308 family hatchback.

After a mightily impressive second place out of 75 cars in our 2020 survey, the 3008 finished in 50th place in our 2021 Driver Power customer satisfaction survey. It still scored strongly in every category with a decent rating for reliability indicating how pleased 3008 owners are with the car as an ownership proposition, which is obviously encouraging if you're considering buying one.

Safety
Euro NCAP – the independent body that assesses the crashworthiness of new cars – toughened up its test criteria recently, so it’s good to see the Peugeot 3008 scored the full five stars when it was assessed. It scored 86% for the protection it affords adults and 85% for that offered to children. This is impressive, as many cars do an excellent job at safeguarding larger occupants, but post a lower result (often by as much as 10%) when it comes to smaller passengers.

All 3008s get mandatory kit like electronic stability control, ISOFIX child-seat mounts, a tyre-pressure warning system and a seatbelt reminder. Peugeot also throws in a clutch of airbags and a camera that scans for road signs, relaying pertinent information to a screen on the dashboard.

A lane-departure warning system also comes with all 3008s, as does autonomous emergency braking. This latter bit of kit is one of the biggest developments in car safety to have emerged in recent years, with data indicating it helps prevent up to 38% of rear-end crashes.

(https://www.carbuyer.co.uk/peugeot/3008/155079/peugeot-3008-suv-review-pictures)

Published in Peugeot

Friday, 22 October 2021 04:12

Volvo C40 Recharge review

New small electric Volvo offers good looks, acceptable range, strong performance

At a glance
New price	£57,400 - £57,400
Lease from new	From £717 p/mView lease deals
Fuel economy	Not tested to latest standards View pre-2017 economy specs

PROS

Excellent performance
Surprisingly practical
Comforable seats and ride

CONS

Expensive to buy
Rivals eclipse it for range
Doesn't feel as special as it should

Is the Volvo C40 any good?

Volvo’s latest ‘small’ car (as small as a Volvo gets, anyway) is this – the C40 Recharge. It marks the first time Volvo’s offered a car that’s exclusively available with electric power, as the mechanically similar XC40 is also offered as a petrol or a plug-in hybrid.

It’s also the brand’s first coupe-SUV, letting Volvo dip its toe in the water of this growing market segment. But the company is confident that its combination of style, cool image and all-electric power will tempt buyers into subscribing to this smart new entrant into the market.

As a small-ish electric car, the C40 has a growing number of rivals. Premium-badged opposition includes the Audi Q4 E-Tron, the Mercedes-Benz EQA and soon the Tesla Model Y. It’ll also be vying for sales with its own siblings – the XC40 Recharge as well as the Polestar 2.

Volvo hopes that the C40’s unique looks, as well as its availability on the ‘Care by Volvo’ subscription plan will endear it to enough people – buyers who want the ownership process to be ‘effortless and joyful’, as the brand says. But there’s a high price to pay for that ease…

What’s it like inside?

The C40 shares most of its interior with the XC40 SUV, and that’s a good thing. Even though the XC40 is a relatively inexpensive car and it’s been largely unchanged since 2017, its interior doesn’t feel out of place on the £57,000+ C40 in 2021.

There are a few changes between the XC40 and the C40, though. The main one is obviously that coupe-like roofline, which you might think makes the back seats and boot very cramped indeed.

That’s not entirely so, though. The boot is rather small at 413 litres with little loading height, but there’s plenty of legroom in the back and even headroom’s not too badly impacted unless you’re very tall. It’s nowhere near as spacious as an Audi Q4 E-Tron, though.

Another change is the materials used. The C40 is an almost entirely vegan car on the inside – it uses no leather, and aims to minimise the use of animal products wherever possible (though some are almost unavoidable, such as the use of tallow in plastics manufacturing). Upholstery is largely wool-based, or uses microfibre spun from recycled plastic bottles. Not as nasty to sit on as it sounds.

You also get 3D-printed and backlit dashboard panels in place of the faux-aluminium ones on the XC40. They look a bit rubbish in the daylight but really come alive when lit up at night, making for a very cool effect.

Infotainment and tech

The C40 runs Volvo’s latest infotainment software, which is based upon Android Automotive – a Google product. That means that the more you commit to Google’s own ecosystem, the better the infotainment gets – from the built-in Google Maps optimising routes more effectively, to the natural voice commands which are better than any OEM system we’ve used before.

It also opens the door to a whole host of Android apps being available to download from the Play Store in future, which will update over-the-air.

Android Automotive makes the C40 one of the few cars where iPhone users are somewhat left behind. With no Apple CarPlay yet available, you’ll have to commit to a certain amount of Google in your life – perhaps more than many Apple users will be accustomed to.

What’s it like to drive?

Simplicity is the name of the game here. The Volvo C40 doesn’t even have a starter button or a parking brake – you simply get in, shift into D and get going.

That simplifying factor carries over into the driving experience, where you won’t find anything so complex as switchable drive modes. Instead there’s only two controls – one to firm the steering up, and one to switch to ‘One-Pedal Drive’, which ramps up the regenerative braking so you can coast to a full stop without touching the brake pedal.

Largely it’s a comfortable experience behind the wheel of the C40. The large wheels of our test car thumped a little around town but on the motorway it settled down to a comfortable ride.

As for performance, it’s impressive. The C40 uses an electric motor on each axle and produces a total of 408hp – that makes for hot hatchback-rivalling pace of 4.7 seconds from 0-62mph. It certainly feels very muscular right up to motorway speeds. We wonder if it wouldn’t feel almost as good with just a single motor, though – that’s an option you can get on the XC40 but it won’t hit the C40 range for a while yet.

What models and trims are available?

The C40’s only available in one, very highly-specified trim level – the only options are paint colour and a retractable towbar. That means every model gets (deep breath):

Adaptive LED headlights
Fixed panoramic sunroof
9.0-inch infotainment display
12.3-inch digital instrument panel
Harman Kardon stereo
Wireless charging
360-degree cameras plus all-round parking sensors
Heated front and rear seats
Dual-zone climate control
Pilot Assist (adaptive cruise control + automatic lane-keeping)

Metallic paint and posh upholstery are also a given.

What else should I know?

The C40 Recharge uses the same 78kWh battery pack as the XC40 Recharge. It provides a maximum range of 273 miles on a single charge.

That’s less than you’ll get from an Audi Q4 E-Tron, Tesla Model Y or Polestar 2, but it’s still a thoroughly decent range and should mean at least 200 motorway miles.

Find a 150kW rapid charger and the C40 can be topped up to 80% capacity in just 40 minutes. The onboard charger is of the faster, 11kW type, too, so if your home electricity supply supports a wallbox of this speed then you should be able to top up fully in just eight hours.

Volvo C40 verdict

Should you buy one?

The C40 Recharge is a good electric car, but it doesn’t really feel as though it moves the game on for Volvo or the industry in general. Performance is rapid and it returns an acceptable range on a single charge, but it’s beaten soundly in both aspects by the Tesla Model 3.

And its high price tag means the Volvo C40 is undercut – on cash price or monthly price – by a host of seriously talented cars including the Audi Q4 E-Tron and the Polestar 2.

The Volvo C40 might make a bit more sense later on when cheaper variants arrive in the range – for now, it’s difficult to wholeheartedly recommend unless you’re a serious fan of the way it looks.

(https://www.parkers.co.uk/volvo/c40/review/)

Published in Volvo

Wednesday, 20 October 2021 06:20

New Ford Mustang Mach-E GT 2021 review

With 480bhp and a 310-mile range, does the new Ford Mustang Mach-E GT offers the perfect blend of performance and practicality? We find out...

Verdict

The Ford Mustang Mach-E GT proves that EVs can be engaging – to an extent. The performance is a given, but the sharp steering and extra agility in Untamed mode help the GT’s case. However, the mass means this is only true up to a point, although the practicality on refinement on offer, mixed with genuinely usable range and respectable charging, make the GT a solid flagship for Ford’s first bespoke electric model line and a good electric SUV.

Ford has long been known for taking its run of the mill family cars and souping them up into something special. This is the fast Ford recipe, so it’s no surprise that the Blue Oval is taking a similar approach in the age of electrification, and the Mustang Mach-E GT is its first hot EV.

The strength of the Mustang nameplate means that a performance variant should sit naturally here, so the Mach-E GT boasts more power and torque, offering 480bhp and 860Nm respectively. It’s dual-motor powertrain gives strong traction off the line for a 3.7-second 0-62mph time, meaning it’s easily a match for the Tesla Model Y Performance.

On the move it feels it. As with many performance-focused electric cars, the throttle pedal’s map means you get a massive hit of torque with only a little travel and instant response to your inputs, so the GT romps forwards with an incredible urgency.

There are caveats, however. As long as you have the Mustang’s mass moving the response is good; this big EV’s relatively high kerbweight, at 2,273kg, means from a standstill it takes a little coaxing, while the thump also tails off at higher speeds. But at anything from town to motorway velocity, the Mach-E GT is more than rapid enough.

The enhanced powertrain is joined by some chassis upgrades in the form of Ford’s MagnaRide 2 adaptive suspension set-up, while 385mm Brembo brakes help stop the bulky machine and rein in its extra performance – but these additions have also been tuned with fun in mind, Ford claims.

Ultimately, that high weight means that the Mach-E GT is compromised; its straight-line punch is startling, but nothing we haven’t seen before from the likes of Tesla, while, despite the chassis tweaks, its mass is still obviously apparent in corners as you start to push the GT harder.

The steering is positive though, with a nice, fast response and relatively good grip, but it’s never truly engaging like the best fast Fords from history have been. You can feel some lethargy in quick direction changes, but it’s still not too bad for a big, battery powered SUV, and we should credit Ford with trying to inject some interest for keen drivers. In areas it has been successful.

There are Whisper, Active, Untamed and Untamed Plus driving modes to choose from that subtly change the car’s character from a greater focus on refinement to a greater focus on fun, altering the car’s torque delivery and chassis settings.

You notice the difference as the latter offers an extra edge of adjustability that deserts some of its EV rivals, tightening its line noticeably on the exit of bends as you apply the power. Untamed Plus also preps the drivetrain for repeated high-power deployment. Exploit this punch frequently though, and you’ll not get near the claimed 310-mile range on a full charge. The GT is powered by a 98.7kWh battery, of which 88kWh is usable, while 150kW rapid charging capability means a 10 to 80 per cent top-up takes 45 minutes.

Drop the GT back into Whisper mode and refinement is improved, making this sportiest Mach-E yet a sound cruiser on the smooth tarmac of our Croatian test route.

The chassis is just compliant enough, with enough suspension travel to soak up smoother, more flowing bumps sweetly. However, riding on 20-inch wheels the worst imperfections in the road surface do cause a shudder, and the firmer set-up to control the Mustang’s mass and deliver an engaging edge means that it does feel stiff at times.

Along with the standard-fit alloys, the GT also features more bespoke trim, including Ford Performance seats with extra bolstering to deal with the higher cornering forces. There are also body-coloured wheel arches, redesigned bumpers bespoke to the GT, a 3D-effect grille in grey, and two new body colours – Cyber Orange and Grabber Blue.

Of course, the interior is still dominated by the central 15.5-inch Tesla-style touchscreen, which features Ford’s SYNC4 infotainment with connected nav. It’s an intuitive system to use and responds quickly, although with nowhere to anchor your hand it’s not always the easiest to use on the move. The letterbox-style 10.2-inch digital display behind the steering wheel is delightfully simple and easy to read, though.

GT spec inherits the Mach-E AWD Extended Range’s list of standard kit, so wireless phone charging, adaptive cruise with lane centring, all-round parking sensors and a 360-degree camera, dual-zone climate control, heated seats and a heated steering wheel, adaptive LED headlights and plenty of safety kit are all fitted. But then you’d expect as much given the price.

The tech is fine, but the £65,080 Mustang Mach-E GT could offer some higher quality materials in places compared with similarly priced premium rivals, such as the Jaguar I-Pace.

There’s also a hands-free powered tailgate, which reveals a 402-litre boot. Practicality is boosted by the 100-litre ‘frunk’ (great for storing charging cables), while room in the rear is fine despite the Mach-E’s slightly swoopier coupe-like profile, which the GT’s bespoke styling elements enhance to good effect.

(https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/ford/mustang-mach-e/356340/new-ford-mustang-mach-e-gt-2021-review)

Published in Ford

Tuesday, 19 October 2021 04:49

New Vauxhall Combo-e Life 2021 review

Adding an electric powertrain to Vauxhall’s Combo Life MPV creates a fine family utility vehicle, if you don’t mind driving a van

Verdict

Style sells in the car world and few would argue that the Vauxhall Combo-e Life is over-endowed in that department. If, however, you’re perfectly happy to be seen loading the kids, pets and assorted baggage into an electric MPV based on a van, this could prove to be a phenomenally practical and cheap-to-run option. It’s not a thrilling drive but the electric powertrain is smooth, quiet and more-than strong enough. The interior space is outstanding and the tough van-derived interior should stand up well to family use.

SUVs may have supplanted mainstream MPVs as the do-it-all family car of choice but the cheap, cheerful and relentlessly useful van-based MPV models from the lower end of the people carrier market have hung on more successfully. The new Vauxhall Combo-e Life is one such example. It’s based on the electric Combo-e version of the Vauxhall Combo compact van and has a 134bhp pure-electric powertrain with a 50kWh battery yielding a WLTP range of 174 miles. On the face of it, this EV option seems a good fit with the low-cost, low complexity remit of these vehicles.

Admittedly, after the plug-in car grant is deducted, it’s priced from £30,610 in 5-seater guise with the 7-seater £500 more and the long wheelbase XL model another £1,100 on top of that - around £6,000 more than an equivalent diesel powered Combo Life. If your usage patterns suit though, running costs could be tiny.

The Combo-e Life will charge from flat to full in seven hours and 30 minutes from a standard 7kW home wallbox. At a 100kW fast charger you can get from 0 to 80 per cent in half an hour. Its zero-emissions status means free passage into congestion charge and low emissions zones. There’s even a company car tax rate of 1% that might even make up for the disparaging looks your glazed commercial vehicle may get in the golf club car park.

You certainly won’t have to take the driver out of the bag to get your golf clubs into a Combo-e Life. The five-seat models have a 597-litre boot extending up to 2,126 litres when you fold the rear seats down. These capacities are the same that you get in the petrol and diesel versions because this Vauxhall uses the Stellantis group’s purpose-designed EMP2 architecture that sites the batteries under the floor. In fact, this is the real strength of the van-based MPV and the Combo-e Life in particular: space.

The standard models come in at 4.4 meters long, the XL variants extending to 4.75. In 5-seat mode there’s abundant head and leg room for all passengers but three adults sitting across the rear will struggle for shoulder room. In the XL model’s third row there’s a surprising amount of space even for taller adults. There’s quite a step up to access the seats, though, and they don’t fold flat to the floor as the middle row ones do. With seven people inside there’s still a small about of boot space under the huge tailgate for a row of shopping bags or similar.

The interior is packed with storage options and can be bathed in light via the optional (£840) panoramic sunroof but, aside from a few chrome highlights, the materials are largely lifted from the van version. That means tough and durable rather than the soft touch plastics but the bits drivers interact with most, the standard 10-inch driver information display, the eight-inch central touchscreen, the steering wheel and the climate control buttons, are a cut above in terms of quality.

The driving position is perhaps a little narrow due to the thick door and the wide centre console in the Life model but the seat itself is comfortable. The Combo-e gives you a choice of Eco, Normal and Power driving modes that actually uncork progressively more power from the motor. In the Power setting there’s the full 136bhp for an 11.7s 0-60mph time but most will rein the powertrain back to Normal (107bhp) in the interests of maximising range. The mode selector also allows you to set the level of regenerative braking; crank it right up and you can drive with one pedal most of the time.

Our fully-charged test van was showing 165-miles to begin with and after 20 miles of mixed driving in Normal mode we had an indicated 130 miles left. The Combo-e Life is super quiet; there’s just a gentle whine from the electric motor low speeds and barely anything audible above the whisper of wind and road noise on the motorway.

The ride is smooth on good surfaces but can get a little jittery on rougher roads. It’s a competent but uninspiring vehicle to drive generally with the steering very light and becoming vague in corners when you have to apply more lock. For such a tall car, body roll is well contained thanks, in part, to that 350kg of battery ballast in the floor.

Vauxhall is only offering the Combo Life’s mid-spec SE trim level with the Combo-e Life and with that you get 16” alloy wheels and body colouring for the bumpers and side protection mouldings to improve the look of the vehicle - but it’s still clearly a van. Also standard is the 8” touchscreen for the infotainment system that includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There are parking sensors and a camera at the rear to help avoid parking knocks, while cruise control and speed limit sign recognition are also included.

In terms of rivals in the compact electric van-based MPV niche, for now it’s really just the Vauxhall Combo-e Life’s Stellantis Group cousins, the Peugeot e-Rifter and Citroen e-Berlingo. That gives customers plenty of ways to buy ostensibly the same vehicle but in all cases they’ll be getting a huge payload of practicality with the potential for very low costs, if they can square the style circle.

(https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/vauxhall/combo/356329/new-vauxhall-combo-e-life-2021-review)

Published in Opel/Vauxhall

Sunday, 17 October 2021 04:58

Tested: 2022 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing Channels Greatness

Cadillac's junior Blackwing sedan will go down as one the best driver's cars of all time.

Stand around our cluttered, oil-soaked office garage and the conversation will eventually turn to tales of BMW's E90 M3. Sold from 2008 to 2012, the M car's legend continues to grow because subsequent M3s couldn't quite re-create the E90's magic blend of size, power, handling, and feel. In a turn of events unthinkable 20 years ago, Cadillac took up the mantle with the ATS-V and now the CT4-V Blackwing.

The smaller of the two Blackwings, the CT4-V drives, handles, and performs as if Caddy ignored modern benchmarks and went after the E90. The electrically assisted steering builds effort and feeds information in a way that rivals the best modern sports cars. Turn the nose in and hold it to the 1.01-g limit. Using that grip is easy, as the car communicates through the steering and chassis exactly when you're about the slip the surly bonds of the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires. At 3851 pounds, the CT4-V is more playful than the 668-hp CT5-V Blackwing. Size matters when you're hustling, and the CT4-V's (like the E90's) strikes us as ideal.

HIGHS: USDA Prime chassis, honest steering feel, spectacular manual 'box.

It would have been even lovelier if Cadillac had crammed the Corvette's naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V-8 into the CT4-V or dipped into the small-block greatest hits with a 7.0-liter LS7. But the responsive twin-turbo 3.6-liter V-6 is improved over the version that powered the ATS-V. While not as silky as BMW's inline-sixes, it spins willingly thanks to titanium connecting rods exclusive to the manual Blackwing.

Cadillac tells us that the little 'Wing isn't intended to be a dragster. Okay, Cadillac. So why does this car have the world's most adjustable launch-control system? Not only can you dictate the launch rpm in steps of 100 from 2400 to 4000 rpm, but you can also tailor it to available surface traction by dialing in half-percent increments how much slip you want at the tires. The number of permutations is staggering, but there's an automatic mode for those who just want the computers to figure it out. With the settings carefully set up for our surface, the 472-horse sedan raced to 60 mph in 4.0 seconds. Rip through three no-lift shifts and the quarter-mile arrives in 12.4 seconds at 116 mph.

LOWS: Six isn't eight; this is the end, my friend.

GM's latest magnetorheological dampers provide a supple ride in their softest setting. They noticeably stiffen in sportier modes but manage to keep impact harshness from the driver. The CT4-V provides dynamic bliss without sacrificing refinement, making it an ideal daily driver.

Few cars inspire us to consider monthly payments, but the manual CT4-V Blackwing's $59,990 base price prompted us to crunch the numbers. Years from now, when we're standing around an EV charging station jawing about the glory days, we'll tell anyone who'll listen about this Blackwing.

(https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a37948869/2022-cadillac-ct4-v-blackwing-by-the-numbers/)

Published in Cadillac

Saturday, 16 October 2021 04:13

Mercedes-Benz E-Class Becomes A Maybach S-Class

Merc S Classes kitted out to look like a Maybach are aplenty but this dude has taken it further and has kitted a Merc E Class to look like an S 650 Maybach. Complete with V12 badges, this should go down as the greatest automotive catfishes of all times!

When buying a Mercedes-Benz E-Class do customers ever think of upgrading it into a Maybach version? Exactly, they never do. If you can’t afford the real thing, you resort to the one that you can pay for without selling a kidney.

But some Chinese experts have found a customer niche for the conversion. They built a body kit for the Mercedes-Benz E-Class L, with the L standing for Long Wheelbase. This variant is only available in markets such as China and India, stretching all the way to 5,065 millimeters (199.44 inches).

The kit comprises chrome intake surrounds that draw plenty of attention, as well as a larger grille with vertical slats. There is, of course, the Maybach badge. More chrome detailing adorns the exhaust pipes and rear bumper.

Not every Mercedes-Benz E-Class can become a Maybach. The body kit is only compatible with the pre-facelift versions, sold between 2016 and 2020. Customers can purchase it with a few clicks on the Alibaba website with costs between $1,000 and $1,500, according to Carscoops. That is the cost for a fake Maybach, plus labor. Any body shop anywhere in the world should be able to make the conversion.

Automobile Ardent posted photos of a car already converted. The car was spotted in a gas station in Faridabad India. The owner did the trick all the way. He painted his E-Class in two tones in the typical Maybach style and replaced the headlights. The front fenders also sport the V12 badging, so it could really trick anyone. Well, not quite anyone though.

The Mercedes-Maybach S-Class starts at $184,900 in the United States, while the E-Class (with the standard wheelbase though)starts at $54,250. In Germany, customers will pay at least 164,565 euros for the Maybach S-Class and 51,860 euros for the E. Read more > https://mercedes-world.com/e-class/mercedes-benz-e-class-maybach-s-class

Published in Mercedes