Your ‘green’ car may soon come with a green number plate, letting the world know you’re driving a clean vehicle – and giving you access to special low-emission vehicle lanes.
A forthcoming government consultation will discuss whether green plates could work in the UK. Similar schemes have been implemented in Norway, Canada and China in a bid to promote the uptake of cleaner vehicles.
It’s not just aesthetics, either. A road network crafted to reward low- and zero-emissions vehicles could use green number plates to identify cars that are allowed to use dedicated lanes and zones in cities. Plate scans could keep EV charging bays free of smog-makers looking for an easy parking spot, too.
“This new cleaner, greener transport has the potential to bring with it cleaner air, a better environment and stronger economies for countries around the world” said Chris Grayling, Transport Secretary.
“Adding a green badge of honour to these new clean vehicles is a brilliant way of helping increase awareness of their growing popularity in the UK, and might just encourage people to think about how one could fit into their own travel routine.”
The Motoring Research view
Would we drive a zero-emission vehicle if it came complete with a green ‘badge of honour’ number plate?
Although the visual aspect feels somewhat trivial, the integration of green plates into a system that rewards owners is appealing.
Anything that helps cement a comprehensive electric and hybrid car infrastructure, and offers benefits for those who go green, gets a thumbs-up from us.
The announcement of these plans comes ahead of a multi-nation summit begining tomorrow (September 11) in Birmingham. It’s to be the first of its type dedicated to the discussion of zero-emissions vehicles.
The aim is to get international agreement on the so-called zero-emissions journey, charting uptake and integration of EVs and other low-polluting vehicles across the globe.
Tesla has responded to news its Model S has come bottom of a major 2018 car reliability survey – by calling the results ‘statistically meaningless’. What Car?, which carried out the survey, has since countered Tesla’s claim (see below), arguing its survey was “more than representative of Tesla’s real-world presence”.
The What Car? reader reliability survey allows owners to contribute their experiences with their cars for a wider collation of consumer experience. This year, more than 18,000 motorists responded.
The long-serving Model S was by far the worst performer, with a reliability rating of just 50.9 percent. The next ‘worst’ car above the bottom-rung Tesla was the Range Rover, at 67.3 percent. That’s 16.4 percentage points above the Model S.
‘This survey is statistically meaningless’
“Only 28 Model S owners responded out of a total of 18,000 car owners surveyed by What Car?” said a Tesla spokesperson. “That’s less than 0.3 percent of UK Tesla owners, so this survey is statistically meaningless.”
“The results of this survey are also at odds not only with our internal figures showing customer satisfaction scores for Model S and X at well over 90 percent, but with statistically valid surveys like our Net Promotor Score and Consumer Reports customer satisfaction survey, which we’ve topped every year since 2013.
“90% of Tesla owners saying they would buy the same car again – more than any other brand.
“We are committed to making the world’s best cars, and in order to ensure the highest quality, we review every vehicle for even the smallest refinement before it leaves the factory.
“To the extent repairs are needed, the majority of work carried out on cars up to 4 years old is done under warranty and free of charge to the customer while they are supplied with a courtesy car.
Unlike other manufacturers, Tesla repairs can also be carried out in a customer’s driveway or office by mobile service, or even via over-the-air updates, to minimise any disruption.”
The Motoring Research view
That such a small portion of the UK Tesla customer base took part in the survey is interesting. Technically, it’s not very telling of the experiences of all UK Tesla owners.
That said, what could have prompted such a poor score from this small cross section? Do they have a grudge to bear? Would the result have been echoed by other owners?
What we can note is that this isn’t Tesla’s first disappointing performance in the survey. The marque came 30th out of 32 in the reliability by marque survey last year, at 52.4 percent.
What constitutes “unreliable” is an interesting question too. Where a conventional-fuel car developing a misfire would be considered a problem, so too could a screen freeze and forced reboot on a Model S. Concerning results and burning questions – that’s what we take from all of this.
Update: What Car? responds
What Car? has responded to Tesla’s statement. “Tesla owners represented 0.19 percent of what was a very robust total sample of 18,000 UK car owners in the What Car? survey,” said the motoring magazine.
“Compared with Tesla’s actual UK market share of 0.11 percent (according to official figures obtained from the DVLA), this means that the What Car? Study was more than representative of Tesla’s real-world presence in the British car parc.
Goodwood Revival is the UK’s most glamorous race meeting, crammed with beautiful people and priceless classic cars. As ever, though, much of the most interesting metal is found outside – in the car park. This year, we spotted everything from a Ferrari F40 (above) to an original Mini Cooper. Keep clicking for a guided tour.
Porsche Carrera GT
Porsche’s seminal early-2000s Carrera GT sported a howling V10 – a leftover from Le Mans – suspended in a gorgeous carbon cradle, plus a manual gearbox and svelte styling. Today, it’s regarded as one of the all-time ‘analogue’ supercar greats.
Aston Martin DB3S and Lamborghini Huracan Performante
A Goodwood car park is never without its contrasts. Case in point: an Aston Martin DB3S replica parked next to a new Lamborghini Huracan Performante, the latter complete with screaming V10. Four-wheeled loveliness for all the family.
Ferrari F355
The car that saved Ferrari – the F355 is one of the best-regarded mid-engined berlinettas of all time. Jaw-dropping beauty, a yowling quad-cam V8 and super-sweet driving dynamics all cement its classic status.
Porsche 911R
The original hardcore 911. This was the first of the breed to mature into a pure and proper racing car, with lightweight bodywork and twin-overhead camshafts boosting its flat-six to more than 200hp. The ‘R’ is one of tne of the most sought-after classic 911s today.
Ford Mustang GT350H
The Shelby GT350H was special edition Mustang offered by Hertz in the US. Advertised as the “Rent-a-Racer”, most of the 1,000 cars were painted in this distinctive – and very cool – black and gold colour scheme. Some customers apparently took Hertz’s advice too literally and used the cars for drag racing.
Lotus 340R
For a company rarely possessed of two pennies to rub together, Lotus does have its occasional mad moments. The Ariel Atom-aping 340R was one of them. This roofless, doorless, track-focused roadster was one of the final cars powered by the venerable Rover K-series engine. Its sharper styling previewed the S2 Elise.
Caterham Seven Sprint
One of the most Goodwood Revival-appropriate cars must be the one that was launched here, right? The Caterham Seven Sprint offers vintage style, rewarding dynamics and limited-edition kudos. No wonder it sold out within minutes of being revealed.
Range Rover
The original SUV (discuss) is a bona fide classic in its own right. Resplendent in red, this early three-door, Belgian-registered Range Rover is considerably more basic than today’s offerings. What would the Kardashians make of it?
Lancia Delta Integrale 16v
Not quite the full HF Evo vindaloo, this Integrale 16v is a tikka-level dark horse delight. Its 200hp turbocharged engine offers plenty of punch, with power going to all four wheels. A legend, both on the road and rally stage.
Morris Mini Cooper
Few things are more fun than watching Minis beat seven shades out of monstrous Yank Tanks on Goodwood Motor Circuit – especially if you follow that by driving this lovely Morris Cooper home. The original hot hatch? Well, technically it’s a saloon, but you get the idea.
Porsche 924 Turbo
The Turbo version of the 924 was designed to bridge the gap between Porsche’s entry-level sports car and the 911s of the era. Turbocharging had proven effective in racing and Porsche was keen to use the technology for road cars. In the end, the 170hp 924 Turbo came perilously close to the performance of the 180hp 911 SC.
Jaguar XKR-S
Jaguar’s supercharged sports GT had to go out with a bang (and a plume of tyre smoke). The 560hp XKR-S, seen here in the glowing French Racing Blue, did the job. This, or a new F-Type SVR?
Efini RX-7
“What on Earth is an Efini RX-7?” you might well ask. It’s very simple, really: it’s an ‘FD’ RX-7 like any other, only sold under Mazda’s luxury sub-brand, Efini. Mazda ditched Efini after 1997, making this a curious (and rare) footnote in the RX-7’s history.
Mercedes-Benz 190 2.3-16
A homologation special and the original underdog sports saloon, the 190 2.3-16 is a roadgoing refugee from the DTM (German Touring Cars) series, and constant thorn in the E30 BMW M3’s side. We actually think it’s cooler in subtle 2.3 spec, rather than bewinged 2.5-litre Evo.
BMW 2000 Alpina
One of the earliest Alpinas, based on the ‘New Series Saloons’ from BMW. Both represented fresh beginnings for their respective companies and this Alpina was a rare thing when new. We’d love to know how many are left. German plates suggest this one has travelled a long way…
McLaren 720S
We described the 720S as “the definitive modern supercar” when we borrowed one earlier this year. Sensationally fast, yet remarkably easy to drive, it’s definitely on our lottery list. This blue car was one of several new McLarens in the Revival car park, including a 650S, 570GT and 570S Spider.
Ferrari Dino 246 GTS
The Dino, named after Enzo Ferrari’s son, was the legendary marque’s first foray into more attainable sports cars. In fact, it started a lineage of mid-engined models that has made been Ferrari’s backbone ever since. It’s one of Maranello’s most beautiful models, too.
Fiat 500
The Cinquecento was Italy’s answer to the Mini or Volkswagen Beetle – a true ‘people’s car’ that remained in production for nearly two decades. Nowadays, of course, the entire Fiat range is a bloated facsimile of this tiny, terrific original.
Ford Country Sedan
Patina – defined by the Cambridge dictionary as ‘a thin surface layer that develops on something because of use, age or chemical action’ – is an overused word in classic car circles, but this Ford Country Sedan has it in spades. Rarely has rust looked so right.
Research by dash cam manufacturer Nextbase has found that nearly a third (29 percent) of young drivers are either being wrongly found guilty in car-to-car motoring incidents, or are prematurely pleading guilty when they’re not.
Nextbase suggests the stress of a crash situation might be behind this – and that more experienced drivers are taking advantage of it.
Younger drivers can feel vulnerable, says the firm, and lead to panicked admissions of fault, even if they are not actually to blame. Those who have more experience can exploit this and secure an unfair admission of guilt from the younger motorist.
This is where dash cams can come in very handy for younger drivers. They offer conclusive proof, one way or the other, of who is at fault. If it is the younger driver, the experience is beneficial and justice is done. If it’s the more experienced driver, they can be held accountable and again teach both a valuable lesson.
Dash cam car insurance
Car insurance for younger drivers is notoriously expensive. The average fully comprehensive car insurance policy for an under-24 comes in at a heady £1,116.
In response, Nextbase has partnered with a car insurer to create a deal that could ease the blow. Called MyFirstUK insurance, the scheme is offering 30 percent off premiums when a Nextbase 312GW dash cam has been fitted in the vehicle.
“With research showing that a large proportion of young drivers are getting blamed for accidents that may have not been their fault, a dash cam can act as a witness to help prove innocence,” said Richard Browning, director of Nextbase.
“Research shows that the older you get, the worse your reactions are. However, younger drivers are still getting penalised with sky-high car insurance costs.
“By unveiling this offer with MyFirst, we hope to give the younger generation a solution to keep safe on the roads and save money at the same time.”
Beginning in March 2019, BMW drivers and passengers will be able to interact with their car with the simple phrase “Hey BMW”.
This is more than just simple voice command. The BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant blends voice recognition with artificial intelligence, letting drivers control and configure their cars by speaking. From simple commands, to more complex questions, the Munich firm says its digital concierge should be able to handle it all.
The system will even be able to operate away from the car, linking to smartphones and smart speakers at home. Think of it as Siri or Alexa, but part of your new BMW.
“Hey BMW, take me home”
Although the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant won’t be able to do the driving for you, a simple phrase will set the navigation system for the quickest route home. Using artificial intelligence, the system learns frequent destinations along with other habits and preferences.
Telling the Personal Assistant “I’m cold” will see the climate control adjusted automatically. Letting the assistant know that you feel tired would trigger even more changes, changing the mood lighting and sound system to help keep the driver awake. Hopefully a route to the nearest coffee shop is also included.
Asking more questions and giving more commands helps the Personal Assistant learn, tailoring it further to the driver. BMW also states that further upgrades will bring improved functionality, with this just the beginning.
“Hey BMW, What’s that song?”
Forget having to try to guess the name of a song you’ve just heard on the radio. BMW’s Personal Assistant will be able to search instantly and find all the details you need. It can also respond to requests for certain genres, and won’t even pass judgement on your music tastes.
Business users are promised an array of connectivity with software such as Microsoft Office 365 and Skype. This will allow the Personal Assistant to plan the best routes between important meetings, and even find appropriate parking spaces when you get there.
Awkward breakdowns could also be prevented, with drivers able to ask what the oil level is at any given time, and also plan stops at the nearest fuel station. Reminders for servicing and maintenance appointments can also be programmed in to help even the most forgetful of executives.
“Hey BMW, what does it all mean?”
BMW drivers desperate to engage in ‘casual conversation’ with their car, including asking existential questions, only have to wait until March 2019.
A total of 23 markets and languages will get basic voice command functions from launch. However, the USA, United Kingdom, Japan, and other select countries will receive the enhanced system with more natural voice controls.
BMW’s latest Operating System 7.0 will be needed to use the Intelligent Personal Assistant, in combination with the Live Cockpit Professional option. Drivers of the new 8 Series coupe, X5 and Z4 will be able to take advantage of the Personal Assistant without a trip to a dealership, using BMW’s ‘over the air’ software upgrade function.
Those placing an order for a new 3 Series from November this year will also be able to specify the assistant function.
Reliability is the great unknown when buying a used car, but by using data from surveys, you can reduce the chances of buying an unreliable model, saving you time, hassle and money in the long run.
That’s where the What Car? Reliability Survey comes in. Using data sourced from 18,000 owners, the survey reveals ratings for 159 models spanning 31 brands. Here, we reveal 2018’s most reliable cars you can buy in 10 different categories, along with the cars you’ll want to avoid.
Most reliable small/city car: Toyota Yaris
How’s this for dependability? According to the What Car? survey, not one Toyota Yaris owner reported any issues, with 40 percent of owners citing reliability as the thing they liked best about their car. Predictably, the Honda Jazz also fared well, with the current model finishing second, closely followed by the 2008-2015 car.
Least reliable small/city car: Peugeot 208
The Peugeot 208 is a car to avoid if you’re looking for an easy life. A total of 35 percent of owners reported a problem, with electrical gremlins a particular issue. Owners reported a high proportion of problems with infotainment systems and switches, with some repairs costing up to £500. The Nissan Note and Volkswagen Polo are other cars to avoid in this segment.
Most reliable family car: Hyundai i30
The previous-generation Hyundai i30 might have been replaced by a newer, smarter model, but don’t discount the 2012-2017 model. A mere six percent of owners reported a problem with their car, with the gearbox and clutch the only areas of concern. On the plus side, the faulty i30s were fixed within a week for free. The Audi A3 and Skoda Octavia diesel finished second and third.
Least reliable family car: Peugeot 308
It’s an unwelcome double from Peugeot, with the 308 mirroring the performance of its smaller sibling. A huge 47 percent of cars suffered a fault within the previous 12 months, with electrics and bodywork the most troublesome areas. Other cars to avoid, unless you’re a glutton for punishment, include the Nissan Pulsar and the outgoing Mercedes-Benz A-Class diesel.
Most reliable executive car: Volvo V60
A tiny six percent of Volvo V60s had a problem, with just the bodywork coming in for criticism. In all cases, the cars remained driveable and were repaired within a day. If we asked you to pick two cars for the second and third position, we suspect you wouldn’t mention the Vauxhall Insignia or Alfa Romeo Giulia. But these are the cars that receive silver and bronze medals respectively.
Least reliable executive car: Mercedes-Benz C-Class
Nearly a third of Mercedes-Benz C-Class models presented a problem within the first 12 months, with electrics, sat-nav and bodywork the biggest issues. Most cars were fixed within a week, while only a few owners had to pay for repairs. The Jaguar XE and Audi A4 diesel were also listed as problem cars.
Most reliable luxury car: Mercedes-Benz E-Class
While C-Class owners might be reading the warranty small print, the prospect is rosier for previous-generation Mercedes-Benz E-Class drivers. The diesel model finishes top of the luxury car tree, although 30 percent of cars had a fault within the first 12 months. Interestingly, the old versions of the Jaguar XF and BMW 5 Series finished joint second…
Least reliable luxury car: Jaguar XF
The message is clear: if you fancy owning a reliable Jaguar XF, buy the old one. The current one is named the least dependable luxury car by What Car?, with a whopping 36 percent of cars going wrong in the past 12 months. Electrics, bodywork and interior trim came in for criticism, with some cars stuck in the garage for more than a week. The current E-Class and 5 Series were the other problem cars.
Most reliable small SUV: Suzuki SX4 S-Cross
Small SUVs tend to be reliable, with an average reliability rating of 94.4 percent across the segment. The Suzuki SX4 S-Cross is the best of the bunch, with not a single car causing a problem for its owner. The Peugeot 2008 finished close behind on 99.4 percent, while the Vauxhall Mokka/Mokka X finished third. It’s worth noting that petrol is the way to go, because just 9 percent of them developed a fault, compared with 27 percent of diesels.
Least reliable small SUV: Citroen C4 Cactus
The segment might be reliable, but there are a few cars to avoid. The Citroen C4 Cactus is named the least reliable small SUV, with 19 percent of cars developing a fault of some kind. The Jeep Renegade finished second, with the Honda HR-V completing a one-two-three of misery.
Most reliable family SUV: Kia Sportage
The Kia Sportage is the most reliable family SUV with a mere 9 percent of cars developing a problem, so it’s questionable whether you’ll need to call upon that famed seven-year warranty. The Audi Q3 finished second, with owners of petrol cars encountering fewer problems than their diesel-driving counterparts. The Peugeot 3008 finished third.
Least reliable family SUV: Nissan Qashqai
It might be Britain’s most popular crossover, but it’s also the least reliable family SUV. “A shocking 47 percent of diesel Nissan Qashqais went wrong,” reports What Car?, “with faults in every one of [the] categories.” The petrol Qashqai finished second from bottom, completing a miserable one-two for Nissan. The Audi Q3 diesel completes the troublesome trio.
Most reliable large/luxury SUV: Toyota RAV4
If you’re after a reliable large/luxury SUV, look no further than the Toyota RAV4. Just 4 percent of cars developed a fault, with all cars fixed under warranty in less than a day. The BMW X5 diesel finished close behind, with the Audi Q5 rounding off the top three. It’s worth noting that 24 percent of Q5s had a problem, although the faults were repaired for free in less than a day.
Least reliable large/luxury SUV: Range Rover
Oh dear. One in two Range Rover owners reported a problem, delivering a reliability rating of just 67.3 percent. This is especially miserable given the fact that the average reliability across the segment was 86.7 percent. What Car? reports that nearly a third of cars were undriveable, while two-thirds were off the road for more than a week. The Ford Edge and Range Rover Evoque fared little better in the survey.
Most reliable MPV: Mercedes-Benz B-Class
The humble MPV might be facing a tough battle against the SUV, but some families still love them for their fuss-free practicality. Pick of the bunch is the Mercedes-Benz B-Class, although 20 percent of cars developed a fault in the first year. On the plus side, all faulty cars were repaired in less than a week; a third were fixed in less than a day. The Volkswagen Golf SV and Ford C-Max/Grand C-Max were highly commended.
Least reliable MPV: Citroen C4 Picasso
If you’re after a reliable MPV, don’t buy French. The Citroen C4 Picasso/Grand Picasso finishes bottom of the pile, with the Citroen C3 Picasso and Peugeot 3008 also coming in for criticism. Nearly a third of Citroen C4 Picassos developed a fault, with electrics the most frequently reported problem area.
Most reliable hybrid/electric: Nissan Leaf
For the second year running, the Nissan Leaf is named the most reliable electric car by respondents to the What Car? Reliability Survey. No mechanical issues were reported, with minor bodywork repairs fixed for free within a day. The Toyota Yaris Hybrid finished second, ahead of the ever-popular Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.
Least reliable hybrid/electric: Tesla Model S
“Although the Tesla Model S’s electric powertrain is proving reliable, the same can’t be said of its electrical systems or bodywork. Issues reported by owners included bent seat frames, broken door handles and parking sensor failures. Just over half of the cars were out of action for at least a week and some fixes cost more than £1,500, reports What Car?. The Renault Zoe and BMW i3 were also noted as being problematic.
Most reliable coupe/convertible/sports: BMW 2 Series
The petrol-powered BMW 2 Series coupe and convertibles were the strongest cars in this category, with a mere eight percent of cars developing a fault. The Mazda MX-5 finished second, just ahead of the Porsche 911.
Least reliable coupe/convertible/sports: Mercedes-Benz C-Class
This hasn’t been a good survey for the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, with the coupe and cabriolet following the example set by the saloon. Nearly a third of cars developed a fault, with interior trim, bodywork, engine and electrics the most problematic areas. The Audi TT coupe and Porsche Cayman finished just ahead of the C-Class.
A specialist British sports car company is to turn the Jaguar F-Pace into a 670 horsepower, 200 mph 4×4 that it says will be the fastest SUV in the world.
The Lister Motor Company’s Lister LFP will do 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds and will cost around £140,000.
The performance “beats the performance of recently-launched SUVs from other well-known car brands with monster killer performance” and is “faster than most supercars, never mind SUVs”.
Developed and built in Lancashire, the new Lister LFP will be fully revealed later in September. Ordering is open now, adds the firm, and deliveries will begin in October.
The launch of the 200 mph Lister SUV follows the recent launch of the Lister LFT-666 coupe. This is also Jaguar-derived, drawn from the F-Type SVR.
Company CEO Lawrence Whittaker (pictured below) said he was “delighted, overwhelmed and gratified by the huge level of interest, excitement and orders” the car has generated.
“Based on early indications, our new LFP promises to repeat the success of the LFT-666, and I really can’t wait to reveal the world’s fastest SUV quite soon.”
What is Lister?
For those who haven’t heard of Lister, the name goes back decades. It is Britain’s oldest surviving racing company and was bought by the Whittaker family in 2013.
The modern Lister Motor Company started out by developing 10 ‘Jaguar Knobbly’ continuation cars, and has since worked on developing high-performance versions of the firm’s road cars.
Indeed, the tuning division has proven so successful, the company has expanded and is soon to open a new HQ in Lancashire.
Lister has even been identified as the Britain’s fastest growing car company by independent financial analysts Plimsoll.
A young racing driver has fallen victim to a sponsorship scam, potentially leaving her unable to compete in the final rounds of the season.
Jade Edwards broke the news on social media that a promised €15,000 sponsorship deal had turned out to be fake.
A series of cancelled meetings, and false phone numbers, alerted the suspicions of Edwards and her father. This was confirmed when the money failed to materialise, derailing her plans for the remainder of the 2018 UK Clio Cup.
A tough Clio Cup update to post…
A sponsorship scam that has taken away the chance to finish the season.
Edwards suffered a dramatic crash at Oulton Park earlier in the season, with her Clio racer rolling violently. Although she escaped unharmed, the damaged car prompted an urgent need for additional sponsorship.
Competing in her second season of the UK Clio Cup, Northamptonshire-based Edwards is currently 14th in the championship standings.
As a qualified ARDC driver coach, Jade previously trained Johnny Vegas on the ITV show DRIVE. She also holds the achievement for being the first female driver to take an outright win in an Aston Martin GT racer.
Costs for competing in the Renault Clio Cup for a full season range from £75,00 to £95,000. The race car itself costs £42,000, or more than twice the value of the road-going Clio on which it is based.
The French brand has held a UK-based one-make championship since 1974. Initially using the Renault 5 hatchback, this was later followed by the original Clio. The series has often been a predictor of success in the top-flight British Touring Car Championship.
Jade’s grandfather, Jim Edwards Sr. won the Renault UK 5 TS Championship in 1979. Whilst. Her father, Jim Edwards Jr. took top honours in the 2000 Clio Renaultsport 172 series.
Edwards has received messages of support from TV and motorsport legend Tiff Needell, plus IndyCar driver Pippa Mann. The next round of the Renault UK Clio Cup takes place at Silverstone, on the 15th and 16th of September, leaving her little time to find new sponsors.
The Suzuki SX-4 S-Cross and Toyota Yaris have both achieved remarkable 100 percent reliability scores in the latest What Car? reader survey – in stark contrast to the Tesla Model S, which barely scored a 50 percent reliability ranking.
The results show that four of the top five cars are from Japanese brands. Of the bottom five, Land Rover makes three of them, with Ford and Tesla joining the worst-ranking makers.
It is the 2013 – present Suzuki SX4 S-Cross and 2011 – present Toyota Yaris that achieved the ‘perfect reliability’ ranking. The all-electric first-generation Nissan Leaf (built between 2011 – 2017) was third, with a 99.7 percent reliability ranking.
Car buyers reveal what they want in 2018
The Leaf showed that it wasn’t the all-electric aspect of the 2013 – present Tesla Model S that was behind its dismal reliability score…
What Car? ranked 159 models from 31 brands for reliability in 2018. “Reliability is a huge consideration for any prospective car buyer,” said editor Steve Huntingford, “as your car is likely to be your second biggest monthly expense after mortgage or rent payments.
“Our annual survey has shown that it is Japanese models that continue to dominate the top of the reliability rankings, both for car model and brand rankings.”
What Car? worked out its reliability ranking from data from over 18,000 motorists. They reported on their car’s reliability over the past 12 months; the magazine then created a unique reliability ranking for reach model – which included aspects such as time off the road and cost of repair.
Volvo wants to bring the first-class flying experience to the road. How? With the new 360c concept.
What is the Volvo 360c?
Volvo has revealed a surprise new concept car called 360c, a vehicle it describes it as “a holistic view of a future of travel that is autonomous, electric, connected and safe”. It all sounds both very futuristic, and very Volvo-like.
On the surface, it’s a future-looking concept not unlike any other. It’s not unattractive and it is discernibly a Volvo – a change from most manufacturers’ anonymous visions of the future in a similar mould.
Where the 360c really pushes the boat out is in the attention to detail, given its intended purpose, and the conversations that Volvo wants it to start. More on that in a bit…
What’s inside the Volvo 360c?
This is where it gets interesting. To all appearances, the Volvo 360c is entirely configurable to your personal needs. Indeed there are four potential uses – sleeping environment, mobile office, living room and entertainment space. All are said to “reimagine the way people travel”.
Volvo wants this car to bleed into other areas of your life and in doing so, improve it – transport, work and otherwise. A hotel room-come-cabbie on the go to help you “recapture time while travelling in the cities of the future”.
Pictured are a bed configuration, with the cabin not looking unlike a first-class pitch on a transatlantic flight, an office arrangement, fit to seat four, a party arrangement, complete with champagne, and a standard living room-style setup.
Live 200 miles away from the office? Not to worry, there’s a mobile office on your drive. Got a journey from Seattle to LA? Set off at 10pm, have a night’s kip, be there by 3pm the next day… (Okay, one thing autonomous cars will never be, is as fast as a domestic flight.)
It’s all rather appealing and well thought-out, especially when you consider Volvo’s musings on the future of transport.
“Autonomous vehicle concepts have a tendency to become a technology showcase instead of a vision of how people use it,” said Robin Page, senior vice president of design at Volvo Cars.
“But Volvo is a human-centric brand. We focus on the daily lives of our customers and how we can make them better. The 360c is the next iteration of this approach.”
What’s the point of the Volvo 360c?
The conversations this 360c was built to start, are the point. Volvo are keen to stress the scale of the quantum leap in transportation that the advent of autonomous cars represents. How far-reaching can the remit of the autonomous car be?
Volvo reckons pretty far, citing domestic air travel as a target that it thinks a network of these pods could beat. The apparent inconvenience of domestic flights, as taken by some 740 million of us by Volvo’s maths – security, cramped seating, emissions output and so on, all to be remedied by a comfortable across-country ride in the Volvo 360c.
“Domestic air travel sounds great when you buy your ticket, but it really isn’t. The 360c represents what could be a whole new take on the industry,” said Mårten Levenstam, senior vice president of corporate strategy at Volvo Cars.
“The sleeping cabin allows you to enjoy premium comfort and peaceful travel through the night and wake up refreshed at your destination. It could enable us to compete with the world’s leading aircraft makers.”
“When the Wright brothers took to the skies in 1903, they did not have a clue about what modern air travel would look like.”
“We do not know what the future of autonomous drive will hold, but it will have a profound impact on how people travel, how we design our cities and how we use infrastructure.”
Before we get to that stage though, we need to lock down how an autonomous infrastructure is going to work. To this end, the 360c is intended as a conversation catalyst, and it’s a conversation Volvo is keen to have as soon as possible.
“We regard the 360c as a conversation starter, with more ideas and answers to come as we learn more.”
Although the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant won’t be able to do the driving for you, a simple phrase will set the navigation system for the quickest route home. Using artificial intelligence, the system learns frequent destinations along with other habits and preferences.
Forget having to try to guess the name of a song you’ve just heard on the radio. BMW’s Personal Assistant will be able to search instantly and find all the details you need. It can also respond to requests for certain genres, and won’t even pass judgement on your music tastes.
A specialist British sports car company is to turn the Jaguar F-Pace into a 670 horsepower, 200 mph 4×4 that it says will be the fastest SUV in the world.
The Suzuki SX-4 S-Cross and Toyota Yaris have both achieved remarkable 100 percent reliability scores in the latest What Car? reader survey – in stark contrast to the Tesla Model S, which barely scored a 50 percent reliability ranking.
