New government funding has been announced to encourage road freight operators to switch to zero-emissions trucks.
Compared to cars and vans, bringing zero-emissions to heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) is seen as a greater challenge. Yet a government consultation could see the sale of new fossil-fuelled lorries banned by 2040.
The £20 million funding will be used on a number of projects across the UK, aimed at evaluating zero-emissions trucks.
Connected to the grid
One of the standout projects to be funded is an elaborate ‘Electric Road System’ near Scunthorpe in Lincolnshire. This will see battery-electric HGVs powered by overhead cables, connected via tram-style pantographs.
This allows the lorries to receive electric power, but without the weight and packaging problems of substantial lithium-ion batteries. Plans to convert more than 12 miles of the M180 will be investigated, with electric HGVs potentially on the road by 2024.
Similar eHighway systems have already been developed by Siemens and Scania. Successful testing has been undertaken in Germany and the United States.
Hydrogen haulers
Leyland Trucks will receive funding to develop a fleet of 20 battery-electric HGVs. These will be offered to public sector organisations, allowing for data to be collected on their effectiveness.
Such real-world information will hopefully inform whether electric HGVs can be successfully integrated into UK fleet operations.
As an alternative to battery-electric power, a feasibility study for hydrogen fuel cell HGVs will be undertaken in Scotland. Arcola Energy may then move to live tests of hydrogen-powered trucks, along with developing the supporting infrastructure.
Hyundai has completed more than one million kilometres (620,000 miles) of on-road testing with its Xcient hydrogen fuel cell trucks. The company has recently deployed its zero-emissions HGVs to California, as part of a 12-month pilot.
A 1987 Toyota Corolla GT has sold for an unprecedented £46,250 at auction. The ‘AE86’ model smashed the US record price of $40,000 (£29,004), set earlier this year.
Bought new for £12,500 from Hallens Toyota of Cambridge, the Corolla still wears its original Wine Red paintwork, dealer-fit number plates and mud flaps. It has covered 92,000 miles in the hands of one lady owner.
The sales invoice shows no extra-cost options were chosen, but standard equipment includes side stripes, multi-spoke alloy wheels, a sunroof and a cassette player.
Saved from the crusher
Sold via Car & Classic’s online auction website, the Corolla nearly didn’t make it this far. After vandals keyed the paint in 2006, it was effectively written-off by the high cost of repair.
Thankfully, the owner bought it back from her insurer and had it restored to as-new condition. According to Car & Classic: ‘she simply couldn’t contemplate her beloved car being unjustly sent to the crusher’.
After 34 years, she finally decided to sell. A injury had made the Toyota, without power-assisted steering, a difficult car to drive every day.
As seen on screen
The rear-wheel-drive Corolla AE86, built between 1984 and 1987, was originally considered to be a fairly vanilla grocery-getter. However, a starring role in Japanese manga film Initial D, coupled with success in rallying, soon elevated it to cult status.
Appearances in the Fast and the Furious movies and Gran Turismo PlayStation games followed, and the AE86 became a favourite of modified car fans – particularly those with a penchant for drifting.
As a result, very few original examples are left, which explains why this standard-spec survivor was so sought-after. Let’s hope it remains as Toyota intended.
Steer from the rear
Several years ago, we drove Toyota UK’s heritage AE86 for our Retro Road Test. Let’s conclude with an excerpt from that review, revealing what makes this outwardly humble hatchback so special:
‘The twin-overhead-cam engine offers electric throttle response and revs all the way to 7,700rpm. It sounds fantastic, too, the noise hardening to a visceral snarl as the needle passes 4,500rpm. The Toyota isn’t fast by modern standards, but there’s ample performance here – if you’re prepared to work for it.
‘However, the AE86 legend was built on the drift circuit, not the drag strip. And it’s the way this car goes around corners that still gets enthusiasts excited. The unassisted steering feels wonderfully delicate, while a prod of the throttle adds some easily-controlled steer-from-the-rear.
‘We couldn’t make the pilgrimage to Japan’s Mount Fuji, but a few empty roundabouts near Crawley provided plenty of laugh-out-loud fun.’
Coronavirus restrictions have led to long waiting lists for driving lessons. That’s according to a new survey of 150 driving instructors by Young Driver.
Just three per cent of UK instructors are available to take pupils on immediately, with 68 percent saying learner drivers need to wait more than two months. Six percent report a waiting list of over six months.
Moreover, 69 percent of driving instructors said they cannot meet demand among existing customers, with many only able to offer one lesson per fortnight. And 37 percent claimed some of their pupils had – at least temporarily – given up on learning to drive.
Be ready for driving lessons
If you plan to have driving lessons, here are Young Driver’s tips for how to prepare. The Vauxhall-sponsored scheme offers lessons for anyone aged 10 and upwards, so it’s never too early to start…
Plan ahead. If you are approaching 17 years old, start looking now. You are likely to be on a waiting list for a while.
Cast your net wide. Ask friends for their recommendations, but also contact your local driving instructor association and use the government website. Get on several waiting lists – you never know who may get a cancellation.
Get some private practice. Get behind the wheel with trusted family members or friends. They must be over 21, fully qualified and have had a driving licence for at least three years.
Use technology to hone your skills. Young Driver recently launched an app that includes 360-degree in-car videos, taking pupils from first lesson to driving test. Using a smartphone or VR headset, they cover everything from tackling junctions to parking and reversing.
Use this time to prepare for your theory test. Familiarise yourself with the driving test format and the ‘show me, tell me’ questions. Learning to drive isn’t all about being behind the wheel of a car, so get ahead by doing the foundations. The Young Driver app includes theory test practice modules and hazard perception videos.
Don’t feel pressured to go with any instructor you can find. It’s very important to choose an instructor you feel comfortable with as it will make the learning process much easier.
Of Corsa you can
Sue Waterfield, head of marketing at Young Driver, said: “The delays in the system are very frustrating for teenagers who want to learn to drive and it’s disheartening to hear many are having to put their dream of learning to drive on hold.”
Established in 2009, Young Driver has delivered more than 950,000 driving lessons at 70 private venues across the UK. Anyone aged over 10 and above 1.42 metres tall can get behind the wheel of a dual controlled Vauxhall Corsa SE Premium, alongside a fully qualified ADI driving instructor.
The organisation also offers driving experiences in three classic cars: a Vauxhall VX490, Morris Minor or Austin 7 – plus a genuine ex-service fire engine.
A classic Mercedes-Benz owned by The Beatles’ lead guitarist, George Harrison, is up for auction on the Collecting Cars platform.
As if the ownership history was not enough, this is also a rare W100 version of the 600 limousine.
Typically known as the ‘Grosse Mercedes’, the 600 comes packed with luxury features and elaborate 1960s technology.
All Those Years Ago
Launched in 1963, the Mercedes-Benz 600 replaced the previous 300D ‘Adenauer’ as the marque’s flagship model. It became a hit with both dictators and celebrities.
Elvis Presley was a noted former owner of a 600, having registered one to his Graceland address.
Running a 600 was not for the faint of heart or short of pocket. Mercedes-Benz had developed a brand-new engine for the four-door: the M100 6.3 V8.
With 250 hp, it was powerful, but had to contend with plenty of weight. A four-speed automatic transmission focuses on smoothness over speed.
My Sweet Lord
However, what made the 600 truly special was its 150-bar hydraulic system. This operates the windows, door locks, seats, and sunroof, all without the noise of an electric motor.
Mercedes-Benz produced 2,190 examples of the 600 in short-wheelbase form between 1967 and 1981. This particular car was used as a dealership demonstrator, before being purchased by George Harrison.
Numerous photos supplied with the car show it during Harrison’s ownership. At the time, the car wore the UK registration number ‘OLA 600E’, which has now been returned to the car.
Got My Mind Set on You
The 600 is currently owned by businessman and entrepreneur, Sukhpal Singh Ahluwalia. He describes it as being “an important piece of rock and roll history”, and has spent much on maintenance and refurbishment work.
This includes a complete overhaul of the hydraulic system, with the bumpers and headlights returned to period-correct style. The leather interior is said to be original, and in good condition, with everything working as it should.
It means whoever purchases the 600 will have a usable classic car, with an extraordinary ownership history.
As expected, the Mercedes has already attracted plenty of attention. The auction on Collecting Cars is due to run until Tuesday, 26 July, so expect the bids to keep on climbing.
I’ve just broken a man’s Morris Marina. There are owners’ clubs stickers in the windows. It’s a rare classic car, and his pride and joy. And it’s just relieved itself of oil all over the floor while I was doing doughnuts.
Fortunately, Patxi Beasley is a pretty chilled guy. A young lad who works for a Land Rover specialist, I ask him how on earth he came to own a Morris Marina.
“I wanted a car from this era,” he told me. “And it needed to be rear-wheel drive.”
Of course, back when the Marina was launched in 1971, most of its competitors were rear-driven. But the Marina seemed a bit of a backward step for British Leyland. The firm had been pumping out the Issigonis-designed Mini for more than a decade, the front-wheel-drive Austin Maxi was introduced two years earlier, and the ‘innovative’ new Allegro was on its way.
But rear-wheel drive is what the market wanted, so that’s what the market got. The Marina was a success for BL, regularly appearing in the top three cars on sale in the UK – despite receiving a pasting from the automotive press for its understeer-prone handling.
Today, the Morris Marina still hasn’t got a brilliant reputation. Jeremy Clarkson described it as “one of the worst cars ever made” and, after offending the owners’ club by setting one on fire, the former Top Gear host would regularly drop pianos on Marinas as part of an ongoing gag.
No scene tax
The advantage of buying a Morris Marina today over, say, a first- or second-generation Ford Escort is its price. Hardly anyone wants them.
“I picked it up off eBay for £720,” explains Beasley. “It had been in a garage for years.”
So why is he so relaxed about me breaking his pride and joy? Well, in part because it’s not exactly original. “It’s got a 2.0-litre Zetec engine out of a Ford Mondeo at the moment. It hasn’t been right for a while. We’ve got a pile of engines, so I’ll just do a swap.”
The Marina’s infamous rear leaf springs (partly to blame for the ‘bad handling’ claims by motoring journalists of the time) have been replaced by coilover springs and dampers. And the differential has been welded. The result? A Marina that’ll go sideways quicker than you can say ‘smoked tyres’.
My drive was part of a drift day organised by Falken Tyres. But, it’s not all about skidding British Leyland’s finest sideways, there are some grown-up cars to drive, too…
Falken quick
Like this one. A Nissan 200SX S14 used as a training car by Learn2Drift, ‘Betty’ has a 260hp turbocharged engine (the firm also had a 130hp naturally-aspirated 200SX to break drifters in gently).
It’s clear why the Nissan is so popular in the drifting scene. Capable of holding extreme angles and taking serious abuse – despite this car’s 250,000 miles on the clock – it must be one of the most accessible ways into drifting.
It’s not just for beginners, though. James Deane is a Falken Motorsport drift driver with several Formula Drift Championship titles under his belt.
His car was a frankly mental Nissan 200SX (S14) powered by a twin-turbocharged six-cylinder Toyota Supra engine. With 750hp, plus more lock than a high-security prison, Dean’s car makes holding near-90-degree drifts look like child’s play. From the outside, at least.
Trucking mega
So back to the obscure stuff – and a 1,250hp Volvo RG13 racing truck driven by British Truck Racing Champion Stuart Oliver.
Make no mistake, this is very different to a standard truck used for pounding our motorways lugging heavy loads. The inside feels more akin to a (very large) race car, with bucket seats and harnesses holding you in place.
Shod with 315mm-wide Falken tyres, the Volvo is surprisingly easy to get sideways – or, at least, Oliver makes it look that way. It’s a weird thing, looking out of the side window of a truck as it squeals around cones, but also really good fun. Like the Marina, it shouldn’t work, but it does.
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The Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles is set to open a brand-new exhibition dedicated to Formula 1 cars.
Opening on July 24, “Pole Position: The Juan Gonzalez Formula 1 Collection”, includes F1 racers from the 1980s through to 2018.
Ten cars owned by Juan Gonzalez, Chairman of the Board of Mission Foods, will be accompanied by an immersive 180-degree video experience.
Taking pole position
Two of the cars on show at the Petersen Museum will have a link to the late Ayrton Senna.
The bright yellow Lotus 99T took the Brazilian driver to two victories in the 1987 season. This included the prestigious Monaco Grand Prix.
The 1994 Williams FW15D is one of the last Formula 1 cars driven by Senna before his tragic death.
Intended for use in the 1994 Formula 1 World Championship, the FW15D was developed from the team’s successful 1993 racer. A change in rules meant the car would be sidelined, with a new model created instead.
This left the FW15D to be used for early testing only. Yet the association with Ayrton Senna still makes it an important piece of Formula 1 history.
Three decades of F1 history
Juan Gonzalez has a passion for McLaren Racing cars, with five set to appear in the exhibition. Mission Foods is a sponsor of the McLaren Formula team, along with the Arrow McLaren SP IndyCar team.
Other cars on display will include a pair of Ferraris, and a Toro Rosso from 2017.
Petersen Executive Director, Terry L. Karges commented that: “Seeing these cars up close and personal is a rare opportunity. Anyone who is fascinated by the mechanics of speed and aerodynamics will be entranced by this stunning display of sophisticated machinery.”
The Pole Position exhibition will be on display in the Charles Nearburg Family Gallery until June 5, 2022.
Limited motorway service station chargepoint availability and slow roll-out of on-street and rural electric car charging must be addressed if the UK is to meet its net zero commitment, the Competitions and Markets Authority has announced.
Calling chargepoint access a ‘postcode lottery’, the CMA has outlined a number of measures to address concerns with the chargepoint sector.
This includes a probe into long-term exclusive arrangements at motorway services.
The CMA has also noted worries about difficulties and frustrations with using and paying for chargepoints, which “risks reducing people’s confidence and trust”.
To address this, the government authority has stated charging “should be as simple as filling up with petrol or diesel”.
CMA chief executive Andrew Coscelli said the challenges facing the creation of an entirely new charging sector should not be underestimated.
“Some areas of the roll-out are going well and the UK’s network is growing – but it’s clear that other parts, like charging at motorway service stations and on-street, have much bigger hurdles to overcome.
“There needs to be action now to address the postcode lottery in electric vehicle charging.”
‘Easy and simple’
The CMA has issued four principles that it says will ensure charging will be as easy as filling up with petrol or diesel:
Working chargepoints must be easy to find – e.g. live availability and working status
Charging must be simple and quick to pay for – no need to sign up and wide contactless availability
Cost of charging must be clear with standard pricing, such as per kWh
Charging must be accessible with all chargepoints compatible with all EVs
A competition law investigation into long-term exclusive arrangements for motorway services has also been launched.
We’ve launched an investigation into long-term exclusivity of the supply of electric vehicle chargepoints on or near motorways.
This builds on the work we are already doing in this sector.
— Competition & Markets Authority (@CMAgovUK) July 23, 2021
Currently, Ecotricity’s Electric Highway works with three motorway service operators: Moto, Roadchef and Extra. It provides four in five chargepoints at motorway service stations, in exclusive long-term agreements lasting 10-15 years.
The CMA “is concerned that these arrangements make it difficult for other operations to provide competing chargepoints at motorway service stations”.
Motorists risk “losing out on the benefits of competition, such as greater provision, more choice competitive prices and reliable, high-quality chargepoints”.
Electric Highway has consistently ranked one of the worst chargepoint providers in surveys of EV motorists.
The 2020-21 FIA Formula E season is heading to London this weekend, with a double-header event.
With races on Saturday and Sunday, the electric single-seater championship will compete on a street circuit around the ExCel London convention centre.
With British driver Sam Bird leading the championship, this weekend’s two races could be even more significant.
If you are new to Formula E, or need to refresh about the latest changes, read on to get fully charged.
OK, what exactly is Formula E?
Put simply, it is the only FIA-sanctioned single-seater electric motorsport championship in the world. Imagine Formula One-style race cars, but powered by batteries, and you are on the right lines.
The championship began as a way to promote the significant development of electric vehicle technology, and to prove that battery power does not have to be boring. However, the championship has managed to become about more than just the sheer novelty of electric racing.
Formula E is now into its seventh season, and has grown substantially in popularity. This season sees a total of twelve teams competing, with multiple major car manufacturers involved.
What has changed for the 2020-2021 Formula E season?
FIA President Jean Todt with Formula E founder and chairman Alejandro Agag
The biggest change for the 2020-2021 season is that Formula E is now recognised as an official FIA World Championship.
This puts Formula E at the same level as competitions like Formula One, the World Endurance Championship, and the World Rally Championship.
Along with an extra degree of prestige, it also means a new official title of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
What cars do they use in Formula E?
All teams use the same identical Spark SRT05e chassis, with batteries supplied by McLaren Advanced Technology. Hitting 0-60 mph in 2.8 seconds, with a potential 174 mph top speed, means these are serious racing cars.
Teams are able to supply and develop their own electric powertrains, but the rules are kept tight to ensure the racing is close on track. Maximum power output for each car totals 250 kW (335 hp), reduced to 200 kW (270 hp) in race mode.
The cars do feature aerodynamic wings and spoilers, but are nowhere near as intricate as those seen in Formula One. Again, this helps cars race in close proximity to each other, encouraging as much overtaking as possible.
Formula E had planned to introduce a modified car for the 2020-21 season. However, Coronavirus saw the GEN2 Evo idea shelved, with an all-new car planned for the 2022-23 season instead.
Which car manufacturers are involved in Formula E?
With electric cars becoming more prevalent on the road, manufacturers have seized on Formula E as an opportunity to demonstrate to the world what they can do.
This season sees seven familiar manufacturers involved. Premium German companies are well represented, with Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and BMW all involved.
Nissan, DS Automobiles, and Jaguar on the grid for 2020-21, too.
Where does Formula E take place?
Formula E is dedicated to bringing action straight to the fans, which means racing takes place on street circuits in major cities throughout the world.
The circuits used are shorter in length than those used in Formula One, but feature tight layouts designed to encourage overtaking. Taking place with dramatic backdrops only boosts the appeal.
The 2020-21 season has races planned to take place in London, Rome, New York, and Berlin amongst others.
Is Formula E exciting to watch?
Equal machinery, plus talented drivers and compact circuits, means the competition is as fierce as you would imagine.
Bumping and barging on track is a common occurrence, aided by the strong design of the cars. In fact, one of the reasons Formula E wanted to introduce the GEN2 Evo car was to try and stop drivers from making contact on track!
Drivers have the use of ‘Attack Mode’, which sounds like something inspired by Mario Kart. By moving off the racing line to run through a special designated area of the track, drivers receive a temporary 10 kW (13 HP) power boost for their car.
Fans can also use social media to vote for their preferred driver in the run up to each E-Prix. The most popular five drivers then receive an extra ‘Fanboost’ of power to deploy during the second half of the race.
Will I know any of the Formula E drivers?
Initially stocked with a wealth of ex-F1 racers, the Formula E grid has become a desirable motorsport career choice for a wide array of drivers.
Formula One experience is still represented for 2020-21, though. Stoffel Vandoorne, Pascal Wehrlein, Sebastien Buemi, and Jean-Eric Vergne all previously raced in Formula One before making the switch to EV racing.
Formula E isn’t all about retired F1 drivers though. André Lotterer, who drives for Porsche, won the World Endurance Championship in 2012. Dutch driver Nyck de Vries was the 2019 Formula 2 champion, and is part of the Mercedes-Benz team.
Which British drivers compete in Formula E?
Sam Bird, who drives for the Jaguar Racing team, is pictured here winning the second New York ePrix race. As the championship leader, he is the Brit to watch at the London races. Joining him on the grid will be six other British drivers.
Cumbrian-born Oliver Turvey has raced in multiple championships, and is a McLaren F1 test driver.
Tom Blomqvist, who has Swedish dual nationality, is the son of Stig Blomqvist, the famed World Rally driver.
Barnsley’s own Oliver Rowland is now into his fourth Formula E season, and currently races for the Nissan e.dams team. BMW Andretti driver Jake Dennis has previously competed in the DTM series.
Both Alex Sims and Alex Lynn drive for the Mahindra Racing outfit.
Who is the current Formula E champion?
Portugese driver António Félix da Costa took a dominant Drivers’ Championship victory in the 2019-20 Formula E season.
Driving for the DS Techeetah team, Félix da Costa notched up three wins from 11 rounds, and scored two additional podiums. It meant he almost doubled the points scored by Stoffel Vandoorne, who claimed second in the championship.
The DS Techeetah team also scooped the 2019-20 Teams’ Championship for 2019-20, making it back-to-back success for the Chinese outfit. Nissan finished second, with Mercedes-Benz in third.
What is the future of Formula E?
The introduction of a new third-generation ‘Gen3’ Formula E car for the 2022-23 season is the biggest development on the sport’s horizon.
Under the Gen3 rules, Formula E would impose exit penalties on manufacturers who leave the series early. It means manufacturers may need to think longer about signing up for the new series.
The ever-increasing importance of electric vehicles is likely to keep Formula E as an important marketing tool.
BMW and Audi made shock announcements before the 2020-21 Formula E season had even started. Both German manufacturers have stated that they will leave the sport at the end of the season, but committed to race in 2020-21 as planned.
However, Jaguar Land Rover has made a long-term commitment that the Jaguar Racing team will remain within the sport.
How can I watch Formula E?
Multiple options exist to watch the 2020-21 Formula E season.
In the United Kingdom the BBC will provide live coverage of each E-Prix. This will be done through the BBC Sport website, via the Red Button interactive service, and iPlayer.
For the two London rounds, both races will be broadcast live on Channel 4.
Eurosport will air live qualifying and race action, too.
United States viewers can watch all races live through CBS Sports, with a selection to be featured on the CBS Television network. CBS Sports Digital will offer streaming for qualifying.
Formula E also offers live streaming through dedicated YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and Twitch channels.
Established in 1956, the Hillsborough Concours d’Elegance laid claim to being the world’s longest continuously running event of its kind.
Coronavirus forced an unexpected pause in 2020, but the San Francisco Bay Area show returned to full health in 2021.
Three days of motoring events concluded with the Concours d’Elegance on Sunday, July 18. More than 200 classic and exotic cars packed the Crystal Springs Golf Course in Burlingame.
Best of Show for 2021
No self-respecting concours event would be without awards, and the Hillsborough saw numerous classes judged.
However, the most important prize of all is the coveted ‘Best of Show’ award. Selected by the Chief Judge and two Honorary Judges, this award selects the single overall top car from the various class winners.
For 2021, the impeccable 1937 Horch 853 Sport Cabriolet scooped Best of Show glory. Owned by Aaron and Valerie Weiss, the rare Horch was noted as delivering the “ultimate in elegance”.
Previously recognized at both the Pebble Beach and Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, the Horch’s success should be no surprise.
BMW and Ford take center stage
Each year, the Hillsborough Concours chooses to honor the histories of certain manufacturers. For 2021, both BMW and Ford were given special recognition on the concours field.
BMW and Ford models were judged in six special classes, but also claimed some of the top prizes on offer.
Winning the Chairman’s Award, hand-picked by new chairman Glen Egan, was this rare BMW M1 Procar. Created in 1979, the BMW M1 Procar Championship pitted the top racing drivers from around the world against each other, using equal machinery.
Over 200 classics on display
The collection of cars at Hillsborough Concours was diverse, ranging from pre-war vintage machinery, through to the latest supercars. Even a gold DeLorean DMC-12 could be seen on the show field.
Hillsborough Concours d ‘Elegance Chairman Glen Egan commented that: “This year’s Concours exceeded all expectations in terms of both entrants and attendance”.
He added: “After missing last year due to the COVID pandemic, it was especially gratifying to witness the enduring enthusiasm from the car community and sense the feeling of being back together, sharing our passion.”
In fairness, some of them weren’t bad. The Ford C-Max drove like a tall Focus; the Volkswagen Touran was very roomy; sitting in a Citroen C4 Picasso felt like being in a spaceship. But most of them shared the same compromises, such as a van-like driving position, soggy handling and, worst of all, a ‘tank of mum and dad’ image.
When SUVs came along, people could trade some but not all of the practicality boost for an even higher-set and confident driving position, rugged-feeling suspension and a far cooler image. It was a winning trade. Remember the Volkswagen Tiguan TV ad?
People abandoned MPVs in their droves. So much so, car manufacturers stopped launching new ones. Some MPVs even morphed into SUVs – see how the Peugeot 3008 transformed between generations. Renault proclaimed when launching the latest Scenic that it was a ‘make or break’ MPV. It looks broke.
This is notable, for it was Renault that invented the family MPV sector in the mid-1990s. Two decades later, it’s almost entirely faded away, with SUVs taking their place. So what should the MPV owner who wants the most practical, space-efficient car possible, but who doesn’t want to do the automotive equivalent of move into a smaller but more expensive house, buy instead?
Enter the salvation of the MPV sector: the van-based people carrier.
Living in a box
They’ve been around as long as the MPV itself, ever since Citroen put windows and seats in a Berlingo van and created the Multispace, the true ‘multi purpose vehicle’. For years, this was a bit of a French secret, the sort of thing the offspring of 2CV evangelists now drove. Cheap, tough, comfortable and enormously practical, the Berlingo Multispace was a revelation, sold by the bucketload and inspired multiple rivals.
We Brits have always been a bit sniffy about such things. Hey, we would much rather have bigger alloy wheels than better ride comfort. The thought of swapping a Volkswagen Tiguan for a Volkswagen Caddy Life is the automotive equivalent of wearing jeans to a cocktail party.
But for those who don’t care about snobbery, they are exceptional. They are big and square, so interior space is mammoth. The latest generation of vans are virtually as sophisticated as cars; add in car-like comforts and there’s little compromise in terms of interior ambience. They feel unbreakable and somehow give you that van driver’s confidence, which is always worth an inch in any battle over road space.
Sliding doors in the rear are super-flexible, all three rear seats are genuinely cavernous, and the seven-seater ones are actually usable for seven people, too. As for boot space – again, it’s van-like. SUV boots seem piffling by comparison.
How do I know this? Because I’ve spent the past week testing a Volkswagen Caddy Life. The review will be coming soon, but let me tell you, if it was up to the family, it would be getting six stars. They thought it was absolutely brilliant.
Caddy daycare
For friendly family jaunts, it’s magic. Better than any true MPV ever was. This is all thanks to the SUV: people never really wanted to buy MPVs anyway. The SUV is something they do actually desire, and are buying by the bucketload.
And those who simply need the space, or don’t give two hoots for the style snobs, now have something even more perfect for their needs than ever before.
