It’s what’s underneath that counts, they say. That’s certainly the case with the first KNC Koenigsegg Regera… What’s KNC? That’s Koenigsegg Naked Carbon, and, other than the fully automated bodywork that you can open with the touch of a button, it’s Koenigsegg’s way of saying beauty is more than skin deep.

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Bare carbon is nothing new in the world of hypercars. Pagani pioneered the art form near-on 20 years ago with a bare carbon fibre Zonda, featuring perfectly symmetrical weaves with a line going down the centre of the car. Even down to neighbouring body panels, the weaves matched.

This Regera is the latest to bare its construction for all to see and it’s a testament to how far carbon fibre work has come in the 30 years it’s been in use in road cars. The sophistication of the shapes it can take and the absolutely perfect symmetry is candy for the eyes.

To say that many cars before are bare carbon is a little bit of a porky, however. This Koenigsegg is genuinely as close as you’ll get. Most ‘bare carbon’ cars are in fact painted with a lacquer layer. It’s one of the ways Koenigsegg has done it before. It can be combined with a colour for a different tone to the carbon fibre finish.

In the case of the KNC Regera, however, the epoxy layer that would ordinarily cover the carbon, as it does on underside pieces and interior trim pieces on other cars, has been sanded back. For the first time, the whole body of this car has had that layer removed and the carbon fibre itself has been polished to deliver the finish.

It’s a delicate process, so says Koenigsegg, given one rub the wrong way can result in carbon fibre threads frayed and curling out from the panel.

What are the advantages of this polished exposed carbon? Apparently, it’s a much hardier surface when it comes to dealing with the rigours of road-faring life. Stone blasts and other impacts that would otherwise damage a layer of lacquer are much less damaging to the harder exposed carbon. The other advantage is that the car is 20kg lighter, given there’s no heavy lacquer or paint coating it.

It ought to have its advantages, given how difficult it is to execute. Never mind the process of stripping the carbon back, in order to be suitable for the treatment, every panel has to be nothing short of perfect in terms of its carbon quality. As it should be regardless, you’d have thought.

“KNC takes the idea of visible carbon fibre to a whole new level, revealing a beautiful lustre and a very silky finish,” said Christian von Koenigsegg, CEO of Koenigsegg.

“The Koenigsegg philosophy has always been about exploring extremes. It’s great to extend that idea to a whole new way of finishing and presenting a car.”

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Toyota has revealed prices and specs for the new RAV4, and opened ordering at UK dealers for those keen to get one of the first new cars when deliveries begin in April 2019.

The firm hopes to have cars in retailers from February for early test-drives.

The all-new model is priced from £29,635 in entry-level Icon front-wheel drive spec, with the cheapest all-wheel drive model being the £33,430 Design AWD.

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All new RAV4 use the same 2.5-litre Hybrid engine, which produces 215hp in front-wheel drive guise, and a slightly higher 219hp in all-wheel drive form.

Emissions of both are seriously impressive: from 102g/km CO2 with the base car, with the AWD running from 103g/km. Fuel economy figures will be revealed later once the new RAV4 has been officially homologated.

Called Hybrid AWD-I, the all-wheel drive hybrid system is fully automatic, and actually sends drive torque to the rear wheels when pulling away, to improve traction. A Trail function helps maintain grip on loose terrain.

Toyota says the new RAV4 is lower overall than the outgoing car, with a lower bonnet height, but a longer wheelbase gives more passenger and boot space. It also has a lower centre of gravity, benefitting handling.

2019 Toyota RAV4 specs

The new RAV4 is offered in four specs: Icon, Design, Dynamic and Excel.

Even the base Excel has 8-inch Toyota Touch 2 infotainment, 17-inch alloys, a rear-view camera, privacy glass, LED headlights and Toyota Safety Sense 2 protection pack.

This includes adaptive cruise control and autonomous emergency braking that can detect cyclists by day, as well as other cars, and sense pedestrians both day and night.

Design ups the alloy wheels to 18-inches and adds front parking sensors and an electronic tailgate.

Excel has projector LED headlights, full leather interior, heated steering wheel, headlight washers and a blind spot monitor. Dynamic, meanwhile, adds black five-spoke 18-inch alloys, heated front sports seats, bi-tone metallic paint and a black interior headliner.

Buyers can choose from nine colours and the Dynamic’s bi-tone paint combines a black roof and pillars with White Pearl, Silver Blade, Decuma Grey or Obsidian Blue.

2019 Toyota RAV4 prices

Icon

2.5 Hybrid FWD: £29,635

Design

2.5 Hybrid FWD: £31,190

2.5 Hybrid AWD: £33,430

Excel

2.5 Hybrid FWD: £33,610

2.5 Hybrid AWD: £35,850

Dynamic

2.5 Hybrid FWD: £34,400

2.5 Hybrid AWD: £36,640

The 2018 Fiat Panda has failed to score a single star in the latest round of Euro NCAP crash testing, making it one of the worst-performing cars ever tested by the safety organisation.

Particularly shocking was its Child Occupant Protection performance, where the Panda scored just 16 percent for kids sat in the rear.

The average rating for new cars is 79 percent.

The Panda failed to score more than 50 percent in any of Euro NCAP’s four car crash tests. It thus takes the dubious honour of being only the second zero-star car ever tested.

The other one was, ironically, also a Fiat: the 2017 Punto.

Matthew Avery, director of research at Thatcham Research (which carries out Euro NCAP crash testing in the UK), said: “Most troubling is that the Fiat Panda is seen as a good choice for young drivers and fledgling families.

“Where budgets are tight, consider a safer small car second-hand instead.”

Watch: comparing zero star and five star cars

Why did the Fiat Panda score so badly?

The Panda is the victim of tougher standards introduced by Euro NCAP in 2018. It’s an old design, first introduced in 2012, and seems not to have kept pace with safety.

Avery said it was particularly weak in crash avoidance technology. “As the bare minimum, a standard-fit Autonomous Emergency Braking system should be available with the Fiat Panda.

“This is especially important since the car offers so little protection in the event of a collision.”

The only safety technology fitted to the Panda is seatbelt reminders. “The rear system failed to meet requirements, so wasn’t even rated,” said Avery.

Jeep Wrangler gets one Euro NCAP star

The Fiat Panda wasn’t the only poor performer from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. The all-new Jeep Wrangler also scored badly, earning a paltry one star.

It has a seatbelt reminder and a rudimentary speed limiter but otherwise, lacks a single piece of driver-assistance technology. “The Wrangler clears the one-star threshold but lags far behind its competitors,” said Euro NCAP secretary general Michiel van Ratingen.

Luckily, every other car tested in this latest round of assessments did much better. The Audi Q3, BMW X5, Hyundai Santa Fe, Jaguar I-Pace, Peugeot 508 and Volvo S60 and V60 line all scored five stars – proving it is still possible to do well in Euro NCAP.

“The Audi Q3, Jaguar I-Pace, Peugeot 508 and Volvo V60/S60 have set the standard against which other are judged this time, and other manufacturers could do well to follow their example,” said van Ratingen.

“The I-Pace, especially, demonstrates that future vehicles will be good for the environment but also provide high levels of safety.”

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Aston Martin will begin offering electric car conversions to classic Aston owners in 2019 – and the future-proofing solution is fully reversible should owners change their minds about going green.

Called the Heritage EV programme, Aston Martin says it addresses concerns that classic car owners who live in cities may not be able to use their cars in the future.

The first car, a DB6 Volante, has already been completed as a proof-of-concept. Aston Martin Works in Newport Pagnell will begin converting customer cars from next year.

Andy Palmer, Aston Martin Lagonda president and Group CEO, said: “We are very aware of the environmental and social pressures that threaten to restrict the use of classic cars in the years to come.

“Our Second Century Plan not only encompasses our new and future models, but also protects our treasured heritage.”

Earlier this year, Jaguar showed a similar scheme, and has sinced announced it is putting the E-type Zero into production. 

How to turn a classic Aston Martin into an EV

The Heritage EV conversion is based around a ‘cassette’ of electric motor and batteries. This sits on the same mountings as the original engine and gearbox, and takes up no more space.

In principal, it’s (almost) as simple as removing the petrol engine and inserting the electric casette. Which is why it’s fully reversible.

It is also virtually undetectible. The only interior change is a screen that will be subtly integrated into the dashboard.

Aston Martin says insights from the Rapide E – which will become its first all-electric production car from 2019 – has gone into the Heritage EV project. That car is also a petrol sports car that’s been converted to electric.

Paul Spires is president of Aston Martin Works. “We have been looking for some time to find a way of protecting our customers’ long-term enjoyment of their cars,” he said.

“Driving a classic Aston Martin on pure EV power is a unique experience and one that will no doubt be extremely attractive to many owners, especially those who live in city centres.”

Collectors could even commission EV-converted heritage cars, he added, bringing “another dimension to their collection”.

Research conducted by the RAC Foundation reveals that 5,540 miles of the UK’s road network are entirely devoid of mobile phone signal. 

That may not sound so bad given that talking on the phone while driving is illegal. However, consider that means drivers are unable to call for help in the event of an emergency.

That 5,540-mile number represents around two percent of the UK’s road network, which spans nearly 250,000 miles. Furthermore, nearly a fifth (18 percent) of roads have a signal that can only hold a voice call for select providers – that’s 44,368 miles.

That’s fine for emergencies, however. Even if your provider isn’t receiving signal, but another is, you can still make an emergency call. Hence the ‘emergency calls only’ displayed on your phone. 

The Scottish Highlands has the worst roads for voice coverage, taking up nearly a fifth (910 miles) of the blackout zone. Powys in Wales is second, with 411 signal-free miles of road. Argyl and Bute in Scotland is next, with 388 miles.

Cumbria, North Yorkshire and Devon are the worst in England for zero-signal roads, with 296, 219 and 190 miles respectively.

As for 4G internet, almost 14,000 miles of our road network has no 4G coverage at all. There are more than 5,400 miles of road without 3G coverage.

Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, raises a very good point about the capability of the existing infrastructure given the purported imminent arrival of connected and autonomous cars.

“Hopes are high that autonomous and connected vehicles will make our roads safer and help cut congestion, but that is dependent on those vehicles being able to communicate with each other and the infrastructure around them. This analysis shows that there is still work to be done to make constant and comprehensive coverage a reality.”

For now, though, significant improvement has been made in signal coverage across the UK and where it matters most.

“The good news is that mobile coverage has improved a great deal across our road network. On our motorways, which carry around a fifth of all traffic, every mile should now have voice and basic data coverage, plus a 4G signal for all but a couple of miles.”

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The pass rates for the driving test in the UK have hit a 10-year low, with just 45.5 percent of candidates achieving a pass since December 2017. This follows changes to the examination made last year to make it more challenging.

The new test procedures were implemented to better replicate the rigours of real-world driving. They included increasing the independent driving section to 20 minutes, with the addition of having to follow sat-nav directions.

Reversing manoeuvres have been altered – reverse around the corner and turn-in-the-road have gone. Candidates also have to answer two vehicle safety questions while on their test drive.

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Regardless, UK drivers appear to be in support of these updates and further changes going forward. 

“Research from around the world shows that getting as much experience of driving in as wide a range of traffic conditions as possible will make you a safer driver in the long run” said Neil Greig, IAM RoadSmart Director of Policy and Research.

“Learning to drive is an investment in your future so it’s not worth rushing it. Once you have passed your test you will still need to perfect your observation, anticipation and planning skills to ensure you survive on our increasingly congested roads.” 

The Citroen C3 recently won the 2018 FirstCar ‘Driving Instructor Car of the Year’ award. The marque is offering some tips for prospective drivers, who are looking to face the toughest driving test yet:

Top tips for passing the driving test

1. Make sure you’ve had enough lessons and plenty of practice, your worst drive should be good enough to pass the test – not just your best.
2. Choose where you want to take your test, the route should reflect the type of driving you will be doing after passing. If you will be driving in town after passing, make sure you have a thorough grounding.
3. Pick a good time for your lessons to ensure it replicates your test experience. A lesson every Sunday morning may not give the challenge of driving in traffic that a test on a Monday morning is going to present.
4. Be thorough checking mirrors and develop an ordered observation strategy. You will be required to stop and move away throughout the test and it may be that there is never an issue for you to deal with, so the examiner needs to be confident that you look properly every time.
5. Be confident with the technology in your car and use it to your advantage. Make sure you have followed the instructions from a sat-nav and know when you can follow the directions safely.
6. Be prepared to ask the examiner to repeat their directions. It is not a memory test and it is better to be safe and confident than unsure.

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A new higher-performance Honda HR-V Sport spec is being introduced for the updated 2019 model range, which goes on sale in December ahead of deliveries beginning in spring 2019.

The HR-V Sport is fitted with a 182hp 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine from the Civic hatch. It is offered with a six-speed manual gearbox or a CVT automatic.

Honda says it will reveal performance and fuel economy details nearer the car’s launch.

Interestingly, the manual version has a little more pulling power than the auto, and its peak power is delivered at 5,500rpm, rather than a revvier 6,000rpm. Presumably, the auto’s been capped so the gearbox doesn’t self-destruct.

The Honda HR-V Sport goes deeper than just a faster engine, though. Honda fits unique ‘Performance Damper’ suspension, which it says improves stability, reduces body roll and smooths out vibrations on rough surfaces.

The steering is also specific to the HR-V Sport, which uses a variable ratio system that’s crisp just off centre and smoother at bigger steering angles. Black-painted 18-inch alloys are standard too.

All 2019 model year Honda HR-V have tweaked styling outside and in, to which the Sport adds a front splitter, wheelarch mouldings, side skirts and a chunkier rear bumper. This bodykit is finished in black as are the door mirrors, and dual exhausts poke out the rear.

LED headlights are standard as well, while the Sport replaces the dark chrome front panel of the regular 2019 HR-V with a high-gloss black chrome insert.

Honda even fits bespoke sports seats for those in the front, with a more bolstered seat cushion and backrest. There’s a black rooflining too, just like you get on a Golf GTI – and, yes, a Honda Civic Type R.

Ever heard of a brake-test? A third of drivers – nearly 14 million of us – apparently respond to tailgating by dabbing the brakes to flash the following driver.

That’s according to research commissioned by Kwik Fit, which reveals that 75 percent of us would take some sort of action in response to a tailgater.

However, brake-testing, along with a flash of the foglights (used by eight percent) and sharp braking (10 percent) can risk a collision. If the car following brakes too hard in response, it, in turn, risks being rear-ended. The domino effect may continue…

How else do drivers respond to a tailgater? The research uncovered 11 percent of us would speed up to get away. Incredibly, nearly one in 10 drivers will ‘see how they like it’ by pulling out, pulling back then getting up close behind the original tailgater. Seven percent would make heated hand signals to express their displeasure.

Tailgating is one of the most irritating things to do on the road (annoying 89 percent of people). That’s just short of dangerous overtaking (92 percent), but many of us are guilty. A third of motorists admit that a car they’ve been following has taken similar action to what’s stated. One in ten has seen a car let them pass, only to sweep in and follow them closely.

Eight percent have themselves experienced a brake-test. Key offenders are men (38 percent) and younger drivers aged 18 to 34 (50 percent).

“Brake-testing a car which is far too close can be very tempting for drivers, either by dabbing the brakes to flash the brake lights, or by actually braking hard, but this can be very dangerous,” said Roger Griggs, communications director at Kwik Fit.

“The safest approach when encountering tailgaters is to drive normally, signal clearly and pull over when it’s safe to do so to allow them to overtake. Getting drawn into tit-for-tat behaviour is a no-win situation and only makes driving much more stressful than it needs to be.”

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