Citroen has given the C3 Aircross small SUV a bold new front end as part of comprehensive mid-life facelift. The new model is expected at dealers from June 2021.
Drawing on the design of the new C4, the distinctive overhaul aims to keep one of Citroen’s most popular models fresh, three years after it was launched.
Giving the high-riding C3 Aircross a more rugged look are front and rear skid plates, lower body and wheelarch mouldings, roof bars and big wheels.
It’s not all just for show either: the C3 Aircross’ good ground clearance can be combined with 4×4-style Grip Control featuring hill descent control for better off-road ability.
It must be louvre
The new front end features LED lights and Citroen offers three new body colours, plus four colour packs and three roof colours. These give a total of 70 customisation options.
The C3 Aircross’ distinctive coloured rear window louvres are enhanced with new finishes and colours.
Inside, there are three more colour combinations: standard grey, Metropolitan Graphite or Hype Grey, which features green-grey leather.
New ‘Citroen Advanced Comfort’ seats are fitted, with more padding of differing densities to provide plenty of comfort on long journeys. The seats are similar to those fitted to the larger C5 Aircross.
Citroen has also installed a larger 9.0-inch touchscreen and the centre console has been revised so there’s more stowage space. Wireless smartphone charging is available.
‘Unmatched roominess’
Impressively, three in four C3 Aircross sales are of high-end versions, and Citroen has sought to improve things further with new tech such as a colour head-up display and ‘top view’ reversing camera.
Citroen CEO Vincent Cobee said the C3 Aircross already boasted a beefy SUV stance and “unmatched roominess and modularity: we wanted to capitalise on these strong points.
“Its face changes radically, with a much more angular and assertive front end, and new seats reinforce the wellbeing inside.”
With 330,000 sold since launch in late 2017, Mr Cobee says the revised model “has all the assets to continue its commercial success”.
Prices will be confirmed closer to the revised C3 Aircross’ on-sale date this summer.
Bring a Trailer has announced a new shipping service as part of its online collector car auctions.
Bidders will be able to see exactly how much shipping a car to them will cost, with the option to use the service should they be successful.
The auction company also promises no hidden costs, and a range of transportation options available to buyers.
Fully integrated shipping service
Whilst some auction websites advertise third-party transport agents, Bring a Trailer aims to integrate shipping directly into the buying process.
Real-time quotes for transporting an advertised car can be generated at any point when the auction is live. Bidders simply need to enter their own zip code for a quote.
Should a bidder win, the cost of shipping can be added directly to the purchase price of the vehicle.
Bidders have the choice between enclosed car transporters, or open carriers, depending on their budget. Bring a Trailer will organize door-to-door collection and delivery of the vehicle, with real-time GPS tracking during transit.
From Sea to Shining Sea
The company promises bidders will not be hit with extra charges, and that there is no negotiation necessary. Making use of Bring a Trailer Shipping also sees cars protected by an “umbrella” insurance during transportation.
Parts can also be shipped with vehicles, providing that they are stored securely in the trunk.
At present, the shipping service is available for vehicles listed on Bring a Trailer that are located in the 48 contiguous United States. Quotes can already be generated on listings that support Bring a Trailer shipping now.
“We are excited to launch BaT Shipping to make transporting cars quicker and easier,” said Randy Nonnenberg, Bring a Trailer co-founder and President.
“BaT Shipping is yet another innovation from our team that will make transacting smoother and easier for users of the platform.”
Nobody talks to their neighbours in London, right? Wrong. They do if you park a Citroen DS outside your house. This classic did more for community cohesion than a communal NHS clap.
The important word here is ‘park’, because the Citroen didn’t move. Back in 2016, it silently taunted me for two days, then was removed on a low-loader.
Stuck in Covid lockdown (again), those feelings have flooded back. I’m at home, gazing wistfully through my window at a static car. Granted, my Golf GTI is no DS – the neighbours have so far declined to comment on it – but I’m still revved up with nowhere to go.
Show me some ID
A bit of background first. The 1961 DS you see here is actually an ID 19: a cheaper, less powerful and (slightly) less complicated version of the DS 19. Used for ‘press and publicity purposes’ when new by Citroen UK, it has since returned to the company’s care as part of the heritage fleet.
As the most iconic and beautiful French car ever (no arguments, please), the DS seemed ideal for the Retro Road Test: the weekly classic car review we used to publish every Thursday.
With everything crossed, I called the ever-helpful Citroen press team and, just a few weeks later, the DS was delivered.
Street art in suburbia
“Lovely, just lovely,” said the man from the corner house who’d asked me to sign a petition about bin collections. “That’s my kind of car,” cooed the lady who runs the pub across the road. “Looks like it’s been lowered,” mumbled the 16-year-old lad from next door.
In recent memory, the only car that comes close for sheer street spectacle was a purple Lamborghini Aventador SVJ I tested earlier this year. But while the Lambo got envious looks and grudging remarks about “winning the lottery”, the DS drew nods, smiles and genuine affection.
Wildly futuristic yet timelessly elegant, it literally stopped traffic as drivers slowed to stare and take photos. It was probably trending on social media, for all I know. One can only marvel at how this car, with its spaceship styling, must have looked in 1955.
Feeling a bit flat
The DS arrived late on a Monday afternoon, but I resisted the urge to jump straight in and cruise the streets of Croydon. I’d set my alarm early for a long, cross-country jaunt the next morning.
With 67hp and 0-62mph in 22.1 seconds, progress would be as relaxed – and as pleasurable – as a Beaujolais-fuelled Sunday lunch.
Tuesday dawned bright and fresh, the DS draped in morning dew. I sank into the soft leather seat, grasped the Bakelite wheel and twisted the key… silence. I tried again: the dials on the (UK-specific) English walnut dashboard sprang to life and I heard the faint click of a solenoid, but nothing more.
I called Craig, expecting – hoping – there was some Gallic quirk of the starting process that I’d overlooked. “No, just put her in neutral and turn the key.” Hmm.
The battery voltage gauge showed a full charge, but I decided to attempt a jump-start using my old Ford Focus. Still nothing. Admitting defeat, I telephoned Craig again to request a recovery truck. The dream was over.
Doing the plank
The nightmare, however, was just beginning. As any student of old Citroens knows, hydropneumatic suspension only pressurises and rises up when the car’s engine starts. Without power, the DS is effectively ‘slammed’. This would prove problematic.
Danny arrived with his low-loader on Wednesday lunchtime. He was sceptical about our chances: with no towing eye on the front, the DS would need to be winched up the ramp backwards. And the downturned tips of its exhaust were virtually kissing the tarmac.
Inching the DS back, it quickly became clear this stubborn lady wasn’t for towing. So, in a further boost to neighbourly relations, I knocked on the door of John the roofer, returning a few minutes later with some scaffolding planks.
Danny and I wedged them under the wheels, reducing the angle of approach. And slowly, steadily, with millimetres to spare, it edged up the ramp and onto the truck. We’d done it.
In the presence of Goddess
The DS had been sent to Coventry (literally, not figuratively – that’s where Citroen UK is based) and it hadn’t even turned a wheel. But as I watched this magnificent car being carried away, a princess in a sedan chair, I felt surprisingly buoyant.
A few awkward moments with planks aside, my two days with the DS had been an absolute pleasure. I’d gazed longingly at it from my bedroom window – and met friendly, enthusiastic people every time I went outside and, well, tried to start it.
In 16 years of writing about cars, this was the only one I’ve returned one without driving it. C’est la vie.
As the current crisis has taught us, you need to find pleasure and positivity where you can. And sometimes beauty is its own reward.
The Audi E-tron GT is a new, all-electric performance GT car that dramatically announces the German firm’s entry into the premium EV sector.
What’s more, Audi is also launching an even more potent RS E-tron GT that offers as much as 646hp. Expect 0-62mph in as little as 3.3 seconds.
The firm is also promising an electric driving range of up to 295 miles from the new premium four-door range of EVs.
Both cars use the same battery, with a useable capacity of 86kWh.
In the UK, Audi E-tron GT range prices start from £79,990, with the rapid RS E-tron GT priced from £110,950.
Twinned with the hugely acclaimed Porsche Taycan, the E-tron GT is a long, wide and low-slung four-door GT that measures 1.41 metres in height – appreciably lower than a Ford Fiesta. Yet it’s also nearly two metres wide and five metres long, giving a dramatic appearance on the road.
In the switch to electric, Audi has reinvented its ‘singleframe’ grille – optionally available in body colour for the first time. In RS versions, it’s surrounded in black.
Stylish 20-inch alloy wheels are standard on the E-tron GT, with 21-inch wheels on the RS version. Audi claims a new production process used to make the wheels ‘reduces net CO2 emissions considerably’.
The regular Audi E-tron has electronic adaptive damping; Vorsprung and RS E-tron GT models have adaptive air suspension.
Inside, Audi says passengers sit low, with a chunky centre console separating them. Rear passengers have a ‘foot garage’ within the battery pack that’s mounted beneath the car.
Audi offers regular materials and also a leather-free package which uses an Alcantara-style fabric called Dinamica, plus an all-new recycled material called Cascade.
Audi E-tron GT performance
The E-tron GT has two electric motors. The front one produces 238hp, the rear one can produce up to 435hp. Combined, they are quoted at 476hp – or 530hp for 2.5 seconds in boost mode.
The zero to 62mph dash takes 4.1 seconds and top speed is limited to 152mph.
In the RS E-tron GT, the rear motor is boosted to 465hp, for a system total of 598hp… or 646hp during boost mode.
It’s this car that can manage 0-62mph in 3.3 seconds – aided by both models running in Quattro all-wheel-drive mode.
Despite being a ‘silent’ electric car, the Audi E-tron GT has its own ‘soundscape’, which is standard on RS versions and optional on regular models. It uses control units and amplifiers in the boot to split exterior and interior sound, and transmit noise through the car’s speakers.
Audi says it varies according to driving style and the firm’s engineers are proud of how it’s been able to give the car a distinct character.
A team of scientists is investigating how car driving changes in motorists over the age of 65. The aim is to establish whether and how thinking and spatial navigation changes impact everyday driving.
This follows research published in the United States that showed older drivers are unlikely to benefit from retaking their driving test or receiving additional lessons.
Scientists at the University of East Anglia (UEA) are searching for volunteers to take part in the study. People over the age of 65 who actively drive will be asked to complete online questionnaires and memory and thinking tests related to their driving history.
Alzheimer’s disease is the leading causing a dementia, a condition that will affect 135 million people worldwide by 2050. Although a diagnosis of dementia is not a reason to stop driving, it may affect a person’s ability to drive safely. One in three people with dementia still drives.
Anyone diagnosed with dementia must inform the DVLA or DVA, as well as their insurance company. The DVLA will decide if someone with dementia can still hold a driving licence, although the decision is based on information from the person’s GP or consultant.
Other health conditions may affect a driver’s performance behind the wheel. Many people with dementia have vision and hearing problems, as well as arthritis and muscle conditions.
‘Alzheimer’s can have serious consequences’
Professor Michael Hornberger, who is running the study at the UEA, said: “Driving is such an essential part of our lives, not only when we work, but also in retirement when many people are dependent on the car to get around, especially if they live in more rural areas.
“However, surprisingly little is known on how the cognitive changes during ageing impact our driving. This becomes particularly relevant when older people develop the first symptoms of dementia, which might impact their driving behaviour.
“Few people know that a common symptom in Alzheimer’s disease is spatial disorientation. Spatial disorientation in Alzheimer’s disease can have serious consequences, leading to people potentially becoming lost, which in turn can impact driving behaviour. The study will help inform future policies on how to assess driving changes in older people and those with earliest cognitive changes, such as in dementia.”
How dementia might affect a driver
A safe driver must use a range of mental abilities, many of which can be affected by dementia. The Alzheimer’s Society lists these as:
Focus and attention – multitasking while ‘reading’ the road.
Visuospatialskills – the right speed, distance and road position.
Problem-solving skills – dealing with diversions or obstacles.
Judgementanddecision-making – understanding and preparing for the action of others.
Reactionskills – to act quickly to avoid an incident.
Memory – to remember a route.
Tim Parry, director at Alzheimer’s Research UK, added: “Ongoing Covid-19 restrictions in the UK are making in-person opportunities to get involved in research challenging, but there are still opportunities, with many research studies, like this one, available online.
“Without volunteers, we will not be able to make the progress in research that people with dementia and their loved ones deserve. Alzheimer’s Research UK is a founding partner in the national service Join Dementia Research, which matches volunteers to research studies they are eligible to take part in.”
Local authorities are spending less time grittingwinter roads. This is according to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request sent to UK councils last year.
The average number of days each council spent gritting roads fell from 74.0 to 52.5 between the winters of 2017/18 and 2019/20. That’s a 29 percent reduction.
This is despite the freezing temperatures in the winter of 2018, when the country was hit by the ‘Beast from the East’. The country is currently in the grip of another cold spell, as Storm Darcy brings heavy snow and ice. Large parts of the UK are blanketed in snow, leading to hazardous driving conditions.
Experts are calling it the ‘Beast from the East Two’. Met Office meteorologist Steven Keates told the BBC: “I think so. The air mass is not quite as cold as it was then, so it’s not quite as extreme, but nonetheless this is probably the coldest weather we’ll see across the UK as a whole since then.
“And if you’re stepping outside at all through the next few days, it really is going to feel cold. Temperatures [will be] barely above freezing on a thermometer, and when you factor in a strong easterly wind, you’ll be feeling many degrees below freezing.”
‘Difficult weather conditions’
The FOI, submitted by Citroen, found that gritters are most active in the north of the country, with Scottish Borders Council spending 203 days of the year on average gritting the roads. Heading south, Northumberland County Council spent 144 days with the gritters out.
Eurig Druce, managing director of Citroen UK, said: “Driving during the winter months is more of a challenge with shorter daylight hours and difficult weather conditions making the roads more dangerous. As a brand, we are committed to providing customers with cars that are safe and easy to drive, which is why our models offer a range of driver assistance systems including Grip Control with Hill Descent Assist, for added peace of mind.”
Grip Control is available on selected Citroen and Peugeot models. It comprises an intelligent traction control system and special Mud & Snow all-weather tyres. The driver can select a mode to suit the terrain and conditions, as well as disconnecting the ESP (Electronic Stability Programme) at speeds of up to 31mph.
Almost 1.2 million fewer used cars changed hands during 2020 as coronavirus-induced lockdowns curbed activity.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) says used car sales tumbled 14.9 percent last year, with a total of 6.75 million transactions taking place – down from 7.93 million in 2019.
The last time so few used cars were sold in the UK was back in 2012.
Used car sales did, however, still easily outperform the new car market, which fell by 29 percent.
2020 used car trends
Encouragingly, ‘green’ alternative fuel cars did buck the trend, with sales rising 5.2 percent to more than 144,000 vehicles. This gave them a market share of 2.1 percent.
Pure electric car sales rose 29.7 percent, to over 19,0000 cars, although this still only represented a 0.3 percent market share.
Hybrid sales rose 4.7 percent but, surprisingly, sales of plug-in hybrids fell by 5.0 percent.
Superminis were the most popular type of used car, taking 32 percent of the market, followed by family hatchbacks.
Black was the most popular used car colour, with 1.4 million models changing hands. Silver was next, ahead of blue, grey and white.
Just 36,000 yellow cars changed hands in 2020 – and 4,000 pink cars.
“These figures are yet more evidence of the significant damage coronavirus has caused the automotive sector,” said SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes.
“The priority now must be to allow car showrooms to reopen as soon as restrictions are eased.
“This will not only help the used market recover, supporting jobs and livelihoods and providing individuals with the personal mobility they need at a time when guidance is against using public or shared transport, but it will also enable the latest and cleanest vehicles to filter through to second owners.”
Auto Trader CEO Nathan Cole said the figures, while down, pointed to the resilience of the market. Even during the January lockdown, some car dealers were able to operate at 70 percent of normal volumes, thanks to digital retailing.
Growing numbers of people say owning a car is increasingly important in an effort to avoid public transport, he added.
“Our research points to the positive shift towards car ownership strengthening, with 49 percent of consumers now stating that owning a car is more important to them now than it was before the pandemic.”
An advert by General Motors, airing during the 2021 Super Bowl, claims that Norwegians buy the most electric cars in the world.
Despite the commercial featuring comedy actor Will Ferrell, electric vehicle sales in the Scandinavian country are no laughing matter.
Some three-decades of government incentives, along with major goals set by the Norweigian Parliament, has produced an electric revolution.
A true game-changing drive
The 1990s saw Norway remove and reduce import duties and taxes for electric vehicles. Special registration numbers were introduced in 1999, letting EVs gain free parking, use bus lanes, and not be subject to road tolling.
Despite the Norweigian government looking to phase out many of the leading EV incentives, sales have continued to boom.
The country also has the world’s most-ambitious plan to end the sale of internal combustion vehicles. By 2025, all new cars, light commercial vehicles, and urban buses sold will need to be zero-emissions models.
Leading the global pack
All of these measures have seen electric vehicle sales in Norway increase dramatically across the past decade. In 2010, total sales of electric cars stood at 722 units.
By 2020, this had increased to an incredible 76,789 electric cars. It meant pure electric models took a total market share of 54.3% of new car sales in Norway across the year.
Plug-in hybrids took 20.4% of the market, adding an extra 28,905 vehicles.
The Audi E-tron claimed the prize of Norway’s top-selling car in 2020, followed by the Tesla Model 3, and Volkswagen ID.3.
Punching above its weight
Given that the Nordic country has a population of just 5.35 million, buying over 105,000 electric and plug-in hybrid models in one year is considerable.
By comparison, the United States saw sales of around 325,000 electric and plug-in hybrid models during 2020. These accounted for less than 4% of the new car market.
The United States has a population 61 times greater than Norway at 330 million. Yet it sold barely more than three times the number of electric cars last year.
It means that Will Ferrell, General Motors, and other US manufacturers, have a long way to go in this battle.
Automatic cars outsold motors with a manual gearbox for the first time in Britain in 2020 – and the trend towards two-pedal self-shifters is accelerating.
Latest data from the Society of Motor Manufacturrs and Traders shows that more than 55 percent of new cars registered in 2020 featured an automatic gearbox.
This is up from just under half in 2019 – and less than one in four as recently as a decade ago.
At the turn of the millennium, fewer than 15 percent of new cars featured an automatic gearbox. Numbers rose slowly throughout the decade, but really started to accelerate from 2012.
Data analyst Glass’s says improvements in automatic gearbox technology is helping drive the uptake, aided by features such as steering wheel paddleshifters and other novelties.
What’s more, as new car prices have risen, so the relative cost of an automatic gearbox has reduced in percentage terms. Often, automatics also have a residual value benefit, which helps lower the cost difference further for those buying on a PCP finance plan.
The retained value premium enjoyed by automatics has actually grown in recent years, from two percent to four percent over a manual alternative.
Hybrid and electric cars fuel the trend
Improving technology has reduced CO2 emissions from automatic gearboxes. Sometimes, they actually produce less CO2 than their manual counterparts, bringing Benefit-in-Kind tax savings for company car drivers.
What’s more, hybrids, plug-in hybrids and battery electric vehicles are only available with automatic gearboxes – which is why the trend towards autos will only continue to grow.
“More choice, improved technology, increasing penetration of alternative fuel vehicles and increasing traffic congestion makes choosing an automatic more compelling than ever,” said Glass’s cars editor Rob Donaldson.
They’re likely to remain a safe investment too, he added.
“Taking account of limited used supply, the Glass’s team believes automatic values will continue to remain strong.”
SpeedKore, the Wisconsin-based performance company, has revealed its first creation to feature the ‘Hellephant’ crate engine.
Built for Kevin Hart, the stand-up comedian, actor, and producer, Hellraiser sees 1,000 horsepower crammed beneath the hood.
Almost every part of the 1970 Dodge Charger has been modified or upgraded, producing a truly impressive custom machine.
The belly of the beast
At the heart of the Hellraiser Charger is the Mopar Hellephant crate motor. The 7.0-liter Hemi V-8 produces 1,000 horsepower and 950 lb-ft of torque, without the need for modifications.
A special cutout in the custom carbon fiber hood shows off the 3.0-liter supercharger to the world.
SpeedKore has also created a custom exhaust system for 1970 Charger, connected to bespoke headers and Magnaflow mufflers.
An eight-speed automatic transmission, as used in the Dodge Demon, is responsible for sending power to the rear wheels.
A substantial supporting cast
Supporting the huge power output is a custom-designed frame, featuring a 14-point integrated roll cage.
Front suspension components are taken from the sixth-generation Chevrolet Corvette, with SpeedKore’s bespoke parts used at the back. Penske adjustable shock absorbers, and a Ford nine-inch rear end, complete the chassis.
Given the performance on offer, gigantic Brembo brakes are (thankfully) responsible for slowing Hellraiser down. Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires are mounted on a set of HRE 3-piece wheels.
Show-stopping looks and interior
Almost all the body panels on Hellraiser are bespoke carbon fiber items, made in-house by SpeedKore. Kevin Hart opted to have these finished in gloss clearcoat, displaying the carbon weave for all to see.
A new center console ensures that the custom detailing continues inside the Charger. Recaro GT Sportster seats are finished in black and red leather, with four-point racing harnesses installed.
The mixture of classic looks with modern technology extends to Hellraiser’s interior comforts. Focal components, including a custom subwoofer, have been fitted along with an updated climate control system.
Another star-studded performance
SpeedKore has become the car builder of choice for American celebrities.
Previous creations by the firm have included a custom Ford Mustang for Iron Man star, Robert Downey Jr. This was followed by a Chevrolet Camaro for Chris Evans, known for his roles as Captain America.
Hellraiser is the third bespoke 1970 Dodge Charger to be built by the company. The 2018 SEMA Show saw the 966 hp ‘Evolution’ make an impressive debut.
Recent projects have also included a 1,200 hp twin-turbocharged version of the modern Dodge Challenger SRT Demon.
Nobody talks to their neighbours in London, right? Wrong. They do if you park a 
