With temperatures plunging manner less than zero and blizzard that is available in metres, no longer inches – they realize the significance of making ready for wintry weather situations in Sweden. So, it should come as no shock thtodavt, with a Scandinavian history and repute for pioneering cutting edge treatments, Volvo complete-heartedly advise becoming your vehicle with wintry weather tyres.
Winter in Stockholm’s something, however do you actually need iciness tyres to get to Swindon?
Well, iciness tyres aren’t solely for combatting the results of snow and ice. They really begin creating a true big difference once temperatures drop under 7oC. The iciness tyres’ additional grooves – ra sipes – paintings in tandem with a consultant rubber compound that stops the tyres from hardening as a result of bloodless – providing you with the grip you will need, whenever you desire it such a lot.
And while ice does in fact strike, the variation those modifications make are exaggerated all of the extra. In keeping with Continental, your preventing distance on icy roads is decreased from sixty eight metres to fifty seven metres with wintry weather tyres. At eleven metres – thtodavt’s a probably existence-saving distinction.
Traditionally, among the largest difficulties related to switching tyres for iciness is the inconvenience of discovering someplace to shop your accepted tyres. So, to assist get rid of this issue, a few brands sincerely provide you with the prospect to maintain your tyres in agregar ‘tyre hotel’ at your neighborhood dealership and also you pick out whilst you’re able to change again.
So, with the iciness climate around the UNITED KINGDOM growing increasingly unpredictable and switching to iciness tyres less difficult than ever earlier than – now’s the suitable time to peer the fantastic big difference they are able to make.
This article was once dropped at you through the Volvo XC60
Born within the cruelest Swedish winters – the Volvo XC60 brings jointly flowing, coupe stimulated traces, and present day Scandinavian type with rugged All Wheel Force features. Become aware of how it’s how one can avoid you relocating this wintry weather at volvocars.co.united kingdom/xc60
• 5 -door edition of the four Sequence coupe
• Extra headroom within the rear
• Set to move on sale in June this year
The 3rd form within the BMW four Sequence variety – the four Collection Gran Coupe – have been discovered, earlier than making its public debut at March’s Geneva Motor Present. It’ll arrive within the UNITED KINGDOM in June this 12 months, with charges opening at round £29,000.
Instead of via the 6 Sequence Gran Cabrio’s 4-door coupe format, the four Sequence GC is available in todav 5 -door hatchback bodystyle, akin to the three Collection Gran Turismo’s. It’s an analogous size and width because the four Sequence Coupe, however its roofline is gently larger and longer, which supplies the affect of more period. Rather then those minor modifications, the styling continues to be similar to that of the four Sequence Coupe.
Inside, the better roof signifies that there’ll be extra headroom than within the -door coupe, at the same time as the 2 small rear doorways will provide greater get admission to to the 2 rear seats. Bootspace is improved to 480 litres from 445 with the rear seats up and there’s 1,three hundred litres purchasable with them folded down. Rather than this, the cabin will keep the identical structure and styling of the coupe.
Engines and powertrains also are carried over from the 2-door, with 5 being a possibility at release. Firstly, there’ll be three petrol and diesel editions on hand. Propping up the variability stands out as the 420i petrol, which produces 181bhp and 199lb/feet of torque, when the mid-latitude 428i manages 242bhp and 258lb/feet of torque. Either one of those use varied variants of the identical 2.0-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, which go back forty four.1- and forty two.8mpg every, when they emit 149- and 154g/km of CO2 respectively. The foremost effective petrol engine at release would be a three.0-litre 302bhp turbocharged directly six, which returns 34.9mpg and emits 189g/km of CO2.
The diesels on hand at release are equally 2.0-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder instruments, with the 418d dealing with 141bhp and 236lb/feet of torque and the 420d generating 181bhp and 280lb/toes of torque. Those go back sixty one.four- and 60.1mpg respectively, when generating 121- and 124g/km of CO2 each and every. There’ll even be a pesar de todo lo contrario al uso 4-wheel force edition of the 420d a possibility, which manages fifty seven.6mpg and 129g/km of CO2. extra diesels – the 430d and 435d could be conceivable after release. A PESAR DE TODO LO CONTRARIO AL USO six-pace handbook gearbox is established, with an non-obligatory eight-pace automobile additionally obtainable.
The new BMW four Collection Gran Coupe will cross on sale within the UNITED KINGDOM in June this yr, with costs starting from £29,420 to £41,one hundred fifty five. It’ll be going head-to-head with the Audi A5 Sportback whilst it enters the industry.
By Ja pesar de todo lo contrario al usomes Richardson
Find a BMW four Collection in our classifieds
Regardless of the upward push of the mini-MPV, in terms of transporting the proverbial -element-4 youngsters, a pesar de todo lo contrario al uso small household hatchback continues to be the nation’s widely used option. And that ought to in reality come as no substantial shock. Those types are inclined to present todav triumphing combination of practicality, area, compact measurement, excellent riding dynamics and inoffensive seems.
As general as they’re, then, you’d think it wouldn’t be simple to locate a few 2d-hand examples of small household hatchbacks that may be had for part the cost of their brand-new equivalents. But you’d be wrong. Choose carefully, and you can drive home in a model that looks showroom fresh – but doesn’t cost a showroom price. Don’t believe us? Well, have a browse through the selections we’ve picked from our classifieds – and you’ll see there are plenty of family hatchback bargains to be had!
Vauxhall Astra – New £17,345 / Half-Price Hero £8,500
While it might not ultimately excel in any one area, the Vauxhall Astra is still an excellent all-rounder, offering a strong suit of talents that make it an appealing choice. It’s pretty decent to drive, with tidy handling and a comfortable ride that are more than adequate for most drivers, and it’s extremely spacious inside. Equipment levels are perfectly acceptable, too, and a good range of engines completes the picture.
Of those engines, we’d pick the 1.6-litre petrol unit as a latest choice, purely because it’s a refined unit that feels good to drive and it’s well-priced. We’d also go for Tech Line trim, which gives cruise control, alloy wheels, and satellite navigation – more than enough kit without having to reach into the more extravagantly-priced end of the Astra range.
Sadly, Tech Line trim is too new for us to pick as our Half-Price Hero, but that’s no big deal as the SRi trim is firmly within reach. You lose the satellite navigation, but gain sports front seats, front fog lights, and the very appealing interior ambient lighting package. This particular example also comes with the added benefit of two years’ free servicing, and it’s done below-average mileage, too.
Renault Megane – New £19,445 / Half-Price Hero £9,717
Renault’s Megane is about to be replaced by a facelifted version, but the previous model is still good enough that it doesn’t feel too dated. It’s a comfortable thing to drive, and features excellent levels of equipment. Diesel engines are also very cheap to run, and while it’s hardly the best-built car in the class, its interior feels rather better-quality than you might expect from a Renault.
Our pick of the engine range would be the 1.5 dCi 110, which emits just 90g/km, putting it in the lowest, zero-charge tax band. It still offers a decent amount of poke for everyday driving, though. Teamed with the mid-range Expression+ trim, which offers a respectable amount of kit, it makes for a cheap-to-run but very usable family car.
Our Half-Price Hero isn’t quite as cheap to run, as it uses the pre-facelift version of this engine which emits 109g/km – but that just means your road tax will cost you £20 a year, instead of being free. However, the upside is that we’ve managed to find a Dynamique TomTom specification car for the half-price budget, which means you get a slew of extra equipment, including dual-zone climate control, automatic headlamps, automatic wipers, keyless entry, LED daytime running lights, and of course, TomTom satellite navigation. With just 14,368 miles on the clock, it’s barely been used, too!
Toyota Prius – New £21,845 / Half-Price Hero £10,450
Famous as the first-ever production hybrid model, its excellent fuel economy around town and zero-cost road tax are arguably the Toyota Prius’s biggest draws. Yet the Prius also makes a compelling case for itself as a family hatchback. Its clever engineering delivers a silky-smooth driving experience, albeit one that isn’t exactly sizzling. And of course, when it’s running in electric-only ‘EV’ mode, it’s blissfully quiet in the cabin, where a futuristic dashboard lends a sense of occasion to every journey. An airy, reasonably spacious interior means the Prius performs well on a pragmatic level, too.
The range is pretty limited, with only one hybrid powertrain option available, but you do at least get to choose between a few trim levels. We’d pick the entry-level T3 as a new purchase, as it offers a decent level of trim and mitigates the Prius’s rather high purchase price.
However, as our Half-Price Hero shows, buying one that’s just a few years old can result in something of an eco-friendly bargain. Their free tax rate makes the Prius a popular company car choice, so many have done quite high mileages – but £10,450 is enough to get you this privately-owned example with a below-average 32,500 miles on the clock. A full service history and a long MOT also appeal, but the best news is that this is a T4-specification car, which means it gets 17” alloy wheels, a full keyless entry, rain-sensing wipers, an upgraded sound system, and cruise control, among other extra refinements.
Seat Altea XL – New £20,465 / Half-Price Hero £9,295
Its high roofline might put you in mind of a mini-MPV, but like Volkswagen’s Golf Plus, the Seat Altea is really more of a tall hatchback – and in XL form, it gains a big boot, too. All of which means this is one of the most spacious and practical family hatches around, and while that does mean some sacrifice in terms of the way it looks, it’s certainly no ugly duckling. A plain interior and poor visibility are its main downsides, but payoffs include a pleasurable driving experience, decent ride quality, and plenty of equipment.
As it’s in the final stages of its time with us, there’s only one Altea XL trim level in the range now – the iTech. However, which you can choose between 1.6- and 2.0-litre diesels, of which we’d choose the former, in manual form.
iTech’s a relatively new trim level, so it’s impossible to find one for our Half-Price Hero budget – but it is easy enough to find a broadly equivalent SE trim. That said, you do have to do without some of the iTech’s toys – notably satellite navigation and a rear-seat TFT screen, among other bits and bobs – but you do at least get a proper family car bargain, such as this 60-plate example we found. With just 35,000 miles on the clock, its mileage is below average, and with cruise control, climate control, plenty of airbags, and an MP3-capable stereo, it’s still very well-equipped.
Chevrolet Cruze – New £17,130 / Half-Price Hero £8,221
If none of these options seems to give you quite as much as you’d like for your cash, though, never fear – we have a solution! The Chevrolet Cruze feels rather crude in places by comparison with some of the other cars here, but that’s as you might expect given its budget pricing. Brand new, it’s one of the cheapest cars of this size out there, and while that’s reflected in its unexciting handling, noisy engines and sometimes cheap-feeling trim, it still offers space for five, a sizeable boot, a five-star Euro NCAP crash test rating and quirky styling.
Now that the 2.0-litre diesel has been retired in favour of the grumbly 1.7, we’d opt for the 1.8-litre petrol as our engine of choice. Surprisingly, it’s more economical and less polluting than the smaller 1.6, which also manages to be thrashier and more tiring to power. Unfortuna pesar de todo lo contrario al usotely, the 1.8 is now available only in top-spec LTZ trim, which pushes its price up – yet comp agregarred with riva pesar de todo lo contrario al usols, it still offers various kit for the cash.
All the more so if you’re buying our Part-Fee Hero. Barely a year old, it’ll nonetheless htodavve around four years of its manufacturer warranty left, and it’s covered a scant 6,000 miles. Resale-friendly black also happens to make it look more beautiful tha pesar de todo lo contrario al uson other Cruzes, a pesar de todo lo contrario al usos do the LTZ trim’s sta pesar de todo lo contrario al usonda pesar de todo lo contrario al usord 17” alloys. Also standard is a plethora of kit, including cruise keep an eye on, iPod and Bluetooth compatibility, climate control, automatic lighting todavnd wipers, a pesar de todo lo contrario al usond an auto-dimming rear-view mirror. Not bad for the low-cost est automobile here!
By AGREGARlex Robbins
• International NCAP awards 4 vehicles no stars for crash safety
• “Unstable” systems expand the danger of death
• No minimal protection usual for Indian cars
The Tata Nano funds metropolis automobile has today, which include numerous different automobiles, did not rating any stars in a world NCAP vehicle protection check of Indian-marketplace automobiles. That is in stark distinction to the protection principles regularly occurring in Europe, wherein 5 -superstar rankings have nearly grow to be the guideline, as opposed to the exception.
A variety of Indian automobiles have didn’t go the fundamental VINCULABA and International NCAP security experiment, whilst the Ford Figo (now not a eu marketplace automobile) handed very narrowly, inspite of additionally scoring no stars. The sole auto to get a good vaguely applicable ranking has been the Volkswagen Polo (once more , one other form to the only we get right here) which controlled 4 stars for person occupant maintenance – it has been the best vehicle to come back with airbags. Not one of the final 4 received any stars in any respect.
This protected the aforementioned Nano, the Maruti Suzuki Alto 800, Hyundai i10 (unique from our edition) and a special (no airbags) model of the Volkswagen Polo. This highlights the enormously anxious disparity among constructed- and constructing global security necessities, with International NCAP pointing out that the platforms of the Tata, Maruti and Hyundai had been all volatile, which greater “the threat of existence-threatening injuries”. When NCAP acknowledged that the Polo with out airbags remained sturdy, the shortage of airbags additionally greater the chance of doubtless deadly accidents. The Polo become additionally the one vehicle the place the kid seat suggested by using the organization in truth geared up and so have been the sole automobile to get any factors in any respect for baby coverage.
Currently, there’s no minimal crash-security normal for Indian vehicles to satisfy and, whereas massive numbers of vehicles that India exports (along with to those shorelines) meet a few very excessive crash-criteria, Rohit Baluja, president of India’s Institute of Highway Site visitors Training mentioned that India might “benefit fairly from the advent of minimal crash protection criteria and clearer data for buyers in regards to the upkeep new automobiles provide.” In response to this information, Volkswagen has now withdrawn the non-airbag model of the Polo from sale in India.
A substantial instance of the variations among Indian and British crash-defense concepts is highlighted by means of Vehicle Trader’s correct 5 most secure new vehicles on sale within the UNITED KINGDOM, you could study right here.
By Jtodavmes Richardson
Find a VW Polo in our classifieds
