The all-new Kia Sportage, due in the UK later in 2021, has been revealed with a bold new design and tech-laden interior.

The fifth-generation version of an SUV popular with UK motorists will also offer a mystery version just for European buyers: this is to be revealed in the autumn.

Design-wise, it’s a big step on for the 2022 Kia Sportage, with the looks inspired by the pure electric Kia EV6.

Design chief Karim Habib has named it the ‘Opposites United’ philosophy, which is said to be based around tense and crisp lines, clean and muscular surfaces, and intricate graphics.

This all gives it a “dynamic and assertive road presence.

“With the all-new Sportage, we didn’t simply want to take one step forward but instead move on to a different level in the SUV class,” said Habib.

“In the all-new Sportage, we believe you can see the future of our brand and our products.”

Tech-packed interior

The high-quality interior is based around a fully-integrated curved display.

Kia’s added an ‘integrated controller’ that’s intuitive and easy to use, to support the large touchscreen display.

Other highlights include the 3D air vents, gloss-finish centre console and promise of high-quality materials and colourschemes throughout.

Kia’s also offering, for the first time in the Sportage’s 28-year history, a special bold-look derivative, called Sportage X-Line.

This has unique bumpers, a curved roof rack and, inside, signature sage green or black seating. It also features quilted upholstery and black metal wood trim.

The new Kia Sportage will roll out later in the year, with prices to be confirmed ahead of its retailer launch.

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Vauxhall has revealed first teaser images of the all-new 2022 Astra, which is due to be revealed this summer.

The new car will become the latest Vauxhall to feature the black-panel ‘Vizor’ at the front, which stretches the full width of the car to hide the various sensors modern cars are packed with.

It will also feature a high-tech cabin including the digital ‘Pure Panel’ first seen in the new Vauxhall Mokka.

Vauxhall adds that, for the first time, the Astra will be electrified, with an Astra-e version a possibility alongside plug-in hybrid models.

However, Vauxhall has yet to confirm whether the new Astra will, like the current car, be built in Britain.

Its Ellesmere Port factory has built Vauxhalls for 60 years and workers are hoping the new Astra will continue this long run.

Last month, bosses said talks about the factory’s future were “extremely positive and productive”.

Business secretary, Kwasi Kwarteng, later told the House of Commons that talks were “moving in a positive direction” and he hopeed to make an announcement “in the next few months”.

‘Pure and bold’ new Astra

Vauxhall says the new Astra showcases “extreme precision and high attention to detail” in a new interpretation of its “pure and bold” design philosophy.

“The all-new Astra will open an exciting new chapter in the 41-year history of our popular compact model,” said Vauxhall MD Paul Willcox.

“We are confident that the next generation Astra will make a powerful impression and attract new customers to the brand, especially now Astra will be electrified for the first time.”

Vauxhall will offer the new car, derived from the same platform as the upcoming new Peugeot 308, both as a five-door hatch and a Sports Tourer estate.

All models will feature the Astra nameplate centrally-placed on the tailgate at the rear, similar to the latest Mokka and Crossland SUVs.

The clean look continues inside with the fully-glazed Pure Panel incorporating two widescreen displays. They are “detoxed” and driver-oriented, like in classic BMWs.

It’s not completely button-free tough; Vauxhall retains physical controls for core functions “in the form of finely-crafted keys”.

The firm adds we’ll find out more about the new Astra in the coming months – including, hopefully, a positive decision on the future of the British plant hoping to build it.

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Renowned Ford tuner Mountune has released two upgrades for the new Puma ST crossover.

The M235 pack increases total power output by 35hp to 235hp. The second, called M260, takes power to (you guessed it…) 260hp.

The M235 kit consists of a Bluetooth dongle that plugs into the car’s OBD port and is activated via a smartphone. The M260 conversion is a little more involved, also requiring an air induction kit, charge pipe and intercooler.

Mountune says the app enables owners to select different power outputs on the move, depending on their preferences or the fuel quality used. The system also enables owners to update calibrations in future via the internet.

A history of fast Fords

The company – which has a long history of tweaking fast Fords – adds the upgrades have undergone a ‘rigorous testing and development process’ to deliver packages that ‘put the driver firmly in control whilst retaining an OEM [Original Equipment Manufacturer] feel’.

The packs include additional functionality, such as enhanced exhaust noise, more aggressive launch control, optimised no-lift shifting and an anti-theft mode. The M235 kit is priced from £575 and the M260 upgrade costs £675.

“The Puma ST has been well received since it was launched, and we have worked hard to improve the already impressive vehicle, taking its performance to the next level,” said David Mountain, founder of Mountune.

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Royal Parks has criticised the launch of London’s e-scooter trial, warning scooters could ‘discourage visitors and undermine the ambiance of green spaces’.

From today, it is possible to rent an e-scooter in the capital. The scheme is organised by Transport for London, London Councils and a number of boroughs.

The trial is initially taking place in Canary Wharf, Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington & Chelsea and Richmond, with Tower Hamlets acting as a ‘ride through’ area. 

However, Royal Parks has refused to take part in the trial and has warned people will not be able to ride through Richmond Park or Kensington Gardens.

“The parks and other open spaces we care for are principally places for quiet recreation and where pedestrians have priority,” a spokesperson told Motoring Research. 

“It is important that all our visitors feel safe in the parks and we believe that the speed and stealth of e-scooters will have a negative impact on people’s experience of the parks, particularly those with young families, with mobility challenges or with a visual or hearing impairment.

“We do not permit – and we have no plans to permit – the use of e-scooters in the parks.”

For roads only

E-scooter journeys will cost between £3.25 and £3.40 for a 15-minute ride and they are only allowed to be ridden on roads, not pavements, TfL said.

Three operators – Dott, Lime and Tier – are participating in the trial, and will additionally charge a £1 unlock fee.

TfL said the scooters use geofencing technology to ensure they don’t stray outside of the designated areas, while they are also equipped with GPS-controlled parking zones, meaning they will not be able to be dumped on a pavement.

In addition, TfL said as part of the trial, the scooters will be limited to 12.5mph – compared with the national 15.5mph scooter speed limit – adding that riders will need to undertake – and pass – an ‘e-safety course’ before renting for the first time.

“Safety remains our number one priority for this trial and we will work closely with the e-scooter operators, London Councils and the boroughs to ensure rigorous standards are consistently met,” said Helen Sharp, TfL’s e-scooter trial lead.

“We will also continue to work closely with all of our stakeholders, including TfL’s Independent Disability Advisory Group, to ensure that the trial meets the needs of everybody living in, working in and visiting the trial areas.

“This new trial will provide the data and insights we need to determine the longer-term role e-scooters could play in our strategy for a greener and healthier future for London.”

Private e-scooters remain illegal

The Metropolitan Police said it supported the trial but warned private e-scooter riders risk a £300 fixed penalty and six points added onto their driving licence if they are stopped.

“We’d like to remind everybody that private e-scooters used outside this trial remain illegal and will be dealt with by way of seizure,” said the force’s Chief Superintendent, Simon Ovens.

Tees Valley last year became the first place you can legally ride an e-scooter in the UK.

Last year, the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS), which advises MPs and members of the House of Lords in the UK parliament on air, rail and road safety issues, described e-scooters as having features which are ‘inherently unsafe’ in a report.

It warned the small wheels of e-scooters are “incapable of safely negotiating the ruts, potholes and uneven surfaces of many urban streets”, adding that it is “very difficult” for riders to see vehicles approaching from behind due to the lack of mirrors.

PACTS added the standing position of an e-scooter is “unstable” and said this puts riders in danger of being thrown forward more quickly and with more force than a cyclist

The advisory council claimed an e-scooter rider is eight times more likely to sustain a head injury than a cyclist.

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Just 14 percent of young motorists believe driving is the biggest threat to the safety of teenagers – despite road collisions being the single biggest cause of death among teens worldwide.

Research by the AA Charitable Trust said that while the perceived risk of driving has not changed much since 2008 (11 percent), the perception of drugs being the greatest threat to teenagers’ safety has risen from 31 percent to 39 percent since 2008.

It warned that 71 percent of fatal crashes involving young drivers occur on rural roads.

Young drivers (aged 17-to-24) are over-represented in rural crashes by 9 percent relative to all roads, with the over-representation highest for those aged 17 (27 percent) and decreasing with every subsequent year.

Young drivers are also shown to face a higher risk of death (2 percent) or serious injury (15.2 percent) when involved in a crash on a rural road compared to an urban road (0.6 percent and 11.3 percent respectively), the AA added.

“Road crashes are the single biggest killer of teenagers across the world, yet the general perception is that the inside of a car is a relatively safe place for them to be,” said Edmund King, the AA Charitable Trust’s director. 

“Understanding how, when and where young people are involved in crashes is vitally important to being able to improve their safety. Our latest research takes an in-depth look at rural roads and the particular and significant risks they pose to young drivers.”

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