Autocar magazine 16 August: on sale now
This week in Autocar...
Volkswagen's radical ninth-gen Golf, the diesel you'll want to buy and why Adrian Mardell is the man to save Jaguar
This week in Autocar, we've got the lowdown on the ninth-generation Volkswagen Golf, drive the car to save diesel and find out why Adrian Mardell is the man to save Jaguar.
*News*
The ninth-generation Volkswagen Golf is shaping up to be the most radically reinvented iteration of the ever-popular family hatchback yet - we have all you need to know about its powertrain, technology and what name it will carry.
The future of the Discovery brand in JLR’s new ‘House of Brands’ will be outlined within the next 12 months - in our exclusive interview with the brand's CEO we find out exactly what that's going to look like.
Aston Martin has lifted the lid on the DB12 to create the stunning DB12 Volante - the world’s first open-top ‘super tourer’ and the most powerful V8 of any cabrio GT currently on sale.
Porsche will also be given an entirely new look when it enters its EV era - a look that was previewed by the Mission X and 357. We find out what that means for its future sports cars.
*Reviews*
Honda has given the CR-V some broader shoulders and a reworked set of dynamics that promise to make it more compelling than ever before. We find out if it's as "exhilarating" as Honda says it is.
The new BMW X5 couples a nip and tuck with an even more lavish interior - we test the 30d variant to find out why this near-£70k brute is the car to save diesel.
422bhp with a chassis that's ill-equipped to deal with it? That's what Matt Prior reckons is the new Smart #1 Brabus biggest affliction - find out more in his latest review.
We're also testing the Hyundai Kona Hybrid, Inverted Range Rover Classic, facelifted Nissan X-Trail and the Mercedes A250e saloon.
*Features*
It's strange how some markets work. Three of Japan's performance icons - the Nissan Z Sport, Toyota GR Corolla, and Subaru WRX - aren't available to buy in Britain. Thrashing them up a Canadian mountain road, it's time to find out what we're missing out on.
Adrian Mardell joined JLR as an apprentice and has grafted for more than three decades before ascending to the top job. He tells our editor how he got there, and why he's the man to put Jaguar back on its feet.
With London's Ultra Low Emissions Zone expanding on 29 August, what are the best ways to drive around London on the cheap? Looking at cars from the Volkswagen Up to the BMW 330Ci, we find out which is best for you.
*Opinion*
Matt Prior talks car-based subscription services and why they make him switch from a mildly-spoken man into something rather more irritable.
Steve Cropley meets a man who owns the same MGB V8 that Autocar road tested back in 1973, becomes unruffled by a very opinionated journalist, and draws the short straw when he has to drive a Honda E 250 miles home.
*Used*
John Evans takes a look at the Toyota Avensis. It may be a mile-munching workhorse that is as likely to go wrong as a wood-burning stove, but is there anything especially pertinent?