Car insurance premiums are on the up – again – and many of us are searching for ways to save cash on our renewal. Of course, there are the usual answers: using comparison sites, adding named drivers and even buying a lower-risk car; but one firm claims that its motor excess insurance could be a further way to save cash.
Essentially, motor excess insurance is an extra policy on top of your standard car insurance policy. While you’d usually have to pay a hefty insurance excess if involved in a crash deemed your fault, motor excess insurance will pay out in such a scenario to cover your excess, leaving you nothing more to pay (except, perhaps, increased premiums next year).
So how will paying more for an extra policy save you cash at renewal time? Ramping up your optional insurance excess will reduce your premium and, according to Questor Insurance, using its motor excess insurance cover could work out cheaper than simply reducing your excess.
It provides some examples, based on a policy for a 2016 Fiat Punto insured on a fully-comprehensive policy.
Example one is a 17-year-old driver with a £250 excess quoted at £2,005.85. If the excess amount is increased to £1,000, the insurance premium reduces to £1,742.92, equating to a 13 percent saving (£262.93). Insurance excess cover costs just £45.21, and will reduce that £1,000 premium to nothing.
Another example, involving a 60-year-old driver, saves more than £250. Seems pretty good on the face of it, doesn’t it?
The best way of deciding whether this ‘trick’ works for you is to get a few quotes and varying your excess. We can’t vouch for Questor Insurance, nor its motor excess insurance cover, so do your research and read the small print.
What is 2018’s best new car in the world? We’re now a step closer to finding out as the finalists for the 2018 World Car Awards are revealed.
From a longlist of more than 30 vehicles (which included a lot of SUVs), 10 of the best newly-launched models will now go forward into another round of voting to decide the best of the best. Contenders for the World Urban Car, World Luxury Car, World Performance Car, World Green Car and World Car Design of the Year will also be voted on.
The results will be announced at the 2018 New York International Auto Show in April. Between now and then, the jurors need to decide: which of these cars deserves a 2018 World Car Awards gong?
The big prize is the World Car of the Year trophy. This year, 82 jurors from across the planet will decide the winner – it genuinely is a ‘world car’ prize. All cars must be on sale in at least two regions across the globe.
Last year, the Jaguar F-Pace was awarded the 2017 World Car of the Year prize. Since then, F-Pace sales have rocketed: car manufacturers see this award as one of the biggies, given its global recognition.
Which of these 10 cars deserves to win in 2018 though? Read on to see the contenders – and, as a World Car Awards Juror, also see my thoughts on why I think each car is in with a shot.
Alfa Romeo Giulia
Alfa’s sporty four-door rival to the BMW 3 Series is increasingly looking like a bit of a star player for the Italian firm. One of the keys to its big relaunch in the U.S., the Italians needed this car to be competitive, and it is. But can it go one better and win the overall 2018 World Car of the Year prize?
My thoughts: MiTo, Giulietta, 4C. Three contemporary Alfa Romeos, all of which are disappointing. The Giulia is different – a car that’s more than a match for its able German competition. Such is the emotional appeal of the brand, it’s in with a shot of a WCOTY gong. Just imagine Alfa’s cheer if it won…
BMW X3
The first X3 looked good but had a cheap interior and intolerable ride quality. The second one was forgettable. At last, BMW’s got the X3 right, with all-round appeal making it a very strong family SUV contender. Third time lucky.
My thoughts: The new X3 is a commendable all-rounder, and the xDrive40i – the first ‘hot’ X3 – is a fun thing. There’s an all-electric version coming too. I just wonder if BMW couldn’t have been braver still with the styling.
Kia Stinger
A quite extraordinary Kia surprise, one filling a niche normally occupied by cars such as the Audi A5 and S5 Sportback. Kia’s big four-door coupe looks smart, has a cracking interior and, in V6 turbo guise, drives with real verve. It’s a car that’s hard to fault, and one that’s certainly in with a shot of winning the WCOTY 2018 prize.
My thoughts: The Stinger didn’t disappoint. It’s as fun to drive as it is ravishing to look at. Kia paid big money to get the guy who used to make BMW M cars handle. His influence on this car is obvious and very, very welcome.
Land Rover Discovery
The big Land Rover Discovery has, for 2018, found some newfound Range Rover-like style. It’s now even more ferociously capable off road, and the classy interior is worlds apart from the old one. Practical enough for seven people, it’s just a pity aspects of the styling have proven controversial.
My thoughts: The new Land Rover Discovery provides a timely lesson to Land Rover. It replaced the boxy old Discovery 4 (LR2 in the U.S.) and immediately confused some with its softer styling and offset rear licence plate. It’s far from cheap either, although its all-round abilities go some way to justifying this.
Mazda CX-5
The previous Mazda CX-5 didn’t strike many people as a car in need of replacement. That didn’t stop the car-loving Japanese doing just that though, giving us a CX-5 even sharper, roomier, more refined and more fun to drive than before. No matter what continent you’re on, the CX-5 is a great five-seat mid-size SUV.
My thoughts: I drove it in LA and was impressed by its engaging handling, stylish looks and practical interior. Then I came back to the UK and swapped the North American petrol engine for a turbodiesel. It was, if anything, better still. This one’s definitely a contender.
Nissan Leaf
One of the most important new cars to launch this year, full stop. Nissan launched the affordable electric car sector with the original Leaf, and this second generation one aims to address everything it’s learnt about EVs to further extend its lead over rivals. The firm looks to have done just that, and more.
My thoughts: The original one had quirky, oddball styling. This one looks much more normal, with a crisp exterior and appealing cabin. The range is longer, it drives with greater engagement, is faster, charges up faster, has a bigger boot – yet somehow costs even less than the original. Bravo, Nissan.
Range Rover Velar
A Range Rover surprise. We didn’t expect the firm to launch an all-new model last year, but the Velar has slotted in neatly between posh Evoque and entry-level Range Rover Sport. The standout is how it looks, both outside and in, but it drives with easygoing elegance as well, with the refinement to back up its classy style.
My thoughts: Land Rover calls it a ‘white space car’. But it’s no mere white goods transport. OK, it doesn’t quite have the sparkle of the related Jaguar F-Pace behind the wheel, but its ultra-contemporary styling and brilliant interior makes up for this. Pity about prices that very quickly get very, very expensive indeed…
Toyota Camry
The North American best-seller gets a radical new look that gives it newfound attitude. The Camry backs it up with a tight drive as well, all enjoyed from a nice cabin.
My thoughts: The Camry’s done good. It’s no longer dull, formulaic three-box transport for those bored by anything to do with cars. But will its obvious focus on North America restrict its appeal in the rest of the globe?
Volkswagen T-Roc
Volkswagen’s SUV frenzy continues. Fitting in below the Tiguan, and above the Golf, is the new T-Roc, a crossover billed as the modern-day SUV-themed interpretation of the original Scirocco coupe. It looks fantastic, has a typically sound VW interior and is an accomplished machine to drive.
My thoughts: I like the T-Roc, a lot. It’s not the biggest of family-sized SUVs, but should still be big enough, and the fact this has helped keep prices in check means I expect it to be a top-10 best-seller in key markets sooner rather than later. It’s that good.
Volvo XC60
The replacement to the original and very long-running XC60 is a car designed very much in the modern Volvo way. But looking like a downsized XC90 is no bad thing, not least when it means you can charge more attainable prices so more people might be able to consider one.
My thoughts: Tight looks, a brilliant interior, family-friendly space for five and a drive that’s up there with the best of them, it’s not hard to see the appeal of the XC60. It’s a formidable challenger to an arch-rival that also appears in this top 10, the BMW X3. Any bets on which will come out on top?
But what about the other awards? Here are the finalists in the other World Car Awards gongs up for grabs.
2018 World Urban Car
The World Urban Car was a new award for 2017. It’s focused on compact, practical, city-friendly all-rounders that are small but not too small, wieldy for the town but still decent on a longer run. This year’s shortlist sees regular supermini small cars do battle against B-SUV crossovers.
Ford Fiesta
Hyundai Kona
Nissan Micra
Suzuki Swift
Volkswagen Polo
2018 World Luxury Car
We can’t all be lucky enough to sit in a decadent Bentley, but some of us are still able to afford our own luxury car. Which are the top new arrivals in 2018? Here are the five contenders for the World Luxury Car prize.
Audi A8
BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo
Lexus LS
Porsche Cayenne
Porsche Panamera
2018 World Performance Car
For many, this is the most exciting category of all. Car makers are forever pushing the boundaries of performance and the front-runners for the 2018 prize are typically all machines that no enthusiast would turn down…
Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio
Audi RS 3 Sedan
BMW M5
Honda Civic Type R
Lexus LC 500
2018 World Green Car
The importance of good green cars grows with every year. And so does car makers’ ability to build ever-more accomplished ones. Here’s what’s in the running for the 2018 World Green Car prize.
BMW 530e iPerformance
Chevrolet Cruze Diesel
Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid
Nissan Leaf
2018 World Car Design of the Year
The World Car Design of the Year is judged from a shortlist of five cars picked by a panel of renowned car designers. In the running this year are five standout new car designs.
Citroen C3 Aircross
Lexus LC 500
Range Rover Velar
Renault Alpine A110
Volvo XC60
What’s next?
Jurors now head into another round of voting, based upon more detailed testing of the finalists. The top three finalists in each category will be announced at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show in March, before the winners being revealed at NYIAS in April.
Land Rover has announced plans for a luxury SUV coupe to take on the likes of the BMW X6 and Mercedes GLE.
Set to be launched at this year’s Geneva Motor Show, the SV Coupe will be “a dramatic addition to the Range Rover portfolio”, says Land Rover.
2004 Range Stormer: the first Range Rover Coupe was a retro concept
The ‘SV’ in its name is short for Special Vehicle Operations, the team at Land Rover that recently gave us the £150,000 Defender V8.
The Range Rover SV Coupe will be hand-assembled at the SV technical centre in Warwickshire, with production limited to just 999 for worldwide distribution. Going by the Defender V8’s price tag and the SV Coupe’s limited numbers, we reckon it might be a fair bit pricier than the likes of the BMW X6. Indeed, with the SVAutobiography starting at £167,850, could the coupe even take on the Lamborghini Urus?
Of course, Land Rover is keen to emphasise its heritage with the new SV Coupe. The Range Rover was originally available as a three-door model in 1970, and the more recent Range Stormer concept of 2004 was a three-door.
“Land Rover created the luxury SUV sector with Range Rover almost 50 years ago,” said Land Rover’s Special Operations managing director, John Edwards. “In launching the new Range Rover SV Coupe, we will offer clients an alluring combination of peerless luxury and rarity. Unveiling this special vehicle at Geneva International Motor Show in March, during Land Rover’s 70th Anniversary year, will be a defining moment for Land Rover, the Range Rover portfolio and Special Vehicle Operations.”
The only teaser pic revealed of the Range Rover SV Coupe so far shows a luxurious four-seat cabin, with an upmarket wooden centre console running alongside the transmission tunnel.
Design chief Gerry McGovern said: “The Range Rover SV Coupe is a highly compelling design with peerless refinement and uncompromised sophistication from its breathtaking exterior proportions to its sumptuous, beautifully appointed, interior. This is a vehicle that will resonate on an emotional level.”
We’ll see the Range Rover SV Coupe in the metal for the first time at this year’s Geneva Motor Show, which kicks off on 6 March. Motoring Research will be reporting live.
Renault has launched a new special edition Clio called the Urban Nav. It’s based on the popular Dynamique Nav model, so includes TomTom sat nav as standard, but also adds 16-inch grey alloy wheels, full LED headlights and rear parking sensors.
The Urban Nav is finished in a special body colour called, fittingly, Urban grey.
Prices start from £16,225, which is £575 more than a Dynamique Nav – but Renault calculates the extra equipment is worth £1,265.
There’s more. Renault’s also pulled together a 0 percent finance PCP package; in return for a £5,030 deposit, customers can pay £149 a month for three years, with a final payment of £5,831. If they’re aged 21-75, they’ll also get a year’s free insurance.
The Urban Nav is available with a 0.9-litre TCe 90 turbo petrol engine for the £16,225 starter price. The 1.5-litre dCi 90 costs £17,625, and if it wasn’t for the fact it was also available with an auto (for, deep breath, £18,995), we’d question Renault’s logic in offering it at all.
Few people buy diesel superminis, yet alone in the current down-on-diesel climate. Besides, even the petrol does 60.1mpg.
Deliveries of the new Urban Nav begin in March – just in time for the new 18-plate registration.
Read more:
Renault Zoe offers make it an electric car bargain
Former England football captain Wayne Rooney has been banned for driving for two years after being caught at nearly three times over the legal alcohol limit.
This has led to the Everton FC star – who described his actions as a ‘lack of judgement’ – returning his BMW i8 hybrid supercar to his local dealer and asking them to sell it on his behalf. It’s believed that the i8 could be one of a number of cars being sold by Rooney following his driving ban.
Auto Trader’s most popular hybrid cars (December 2017)
Toyota Auris Hybrid
Mercedes-Benz E-Class
Toyota Prius
Mitsubishi Outlander
Mercedes-Benz C-Class
Toyota Yaris Hybrid
Lexus IS300h
BMW 3 Series
Lexus CT200h
Toyota RAV4 Hybrid
The silver BMW i8 is listed on Auto Trader for £64,995 at a BMW dealership in Blackpool. It’s showing less than 8,000 miles on the clock, meaning Rooney’s averaged less than 3,000 miles a year since it was bought new in 2015.
“It’s refreshing to see a footballer driving a hybrid, rather than a Chelsea tractor or gas-guzzling supercar, and even more so to see a footballer’s car in a sober colour,” said Auto Trader’s editorial director, Erin Baker.
“The trend with more premiership stars plugging-in also reflects the wider UK car market. On Auto Trader’s marketplace in December searches for electric vehicles increased by 56 percent year-on-year – with hybrid vehicles also showing a substantial 50 percent rise from buyers exploring newer fuel types.”
The BMW i8 – which will have cost around £112,000 when new – combines a downsized turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine with two electric motors. It can hit 62mph in 4.4 seconds
Leicester City FC made the news in 2016 when its chairman famously bought its championship-winning team their own fleet of BMW i8s.
Secondhand diesel cars are three times more likely to go wrong – and when they do, they cost 20 percent more to fix on average.
That’s according to data revealed today by car warranty firm, MotorEasy. The company analysed 30,000 policies for three- to eight-year-old vehicles and found the average repair bill for a diesel car was £517 – compared with £433 for a petrol.
It says that engine faults are “far more prevalent in diesels than petrol cars”, with the biggest bill for a faulty diesel coming to an eye-watering £4,030.80.
Diesel cars are less reliable than petrols for more than seven in 10 manufacturers (71%), with Alfa Romeo diesels faring the worst against their petrol counterparts – and experiencing a fault almost four times as often.
Secondhand Skodas are the most reliable diesels, according to MotorEasy, with a failure rate of nine percent.
The 10 least reliable secondhand diesels
Make
Average diesel failure rate
Audi
26%
Mini
26%
Vauxhall
26%
Mercedes-Benz
27%
Kia
29%
Mazda
33%
Saab
33%
Mitsubishi
36%
Land Rover
41%
Alfa Romeo
47%
The manufacturers with highest average diesel engine repair costs compared to their petrol counterparts were Alfa Romeo, Kia and Mazda.
The higher rate of diesel engine failures is mainly because they’re under more pressure than petrol counterparts, says the warranty firm. Diesel units rely on self-compression, meaning that fuel is compressed to a much greater extent, putting more pressure on internal engine parts.
Curiously, petrol-powered BMWs experienced faults 60 percent more frequently than the equivalent diesels. Audis, Skodas, Minis and Peugeots also bucked the trend.
“Diesels experience many more small problems than petrol cars,” said MotorEasy founder, Duncan McClure Fisher. “They are less reliable and, when a big item goes wrong, it costs a lot more to put right.
“If you’re still considering a used diesel car, our advice is to avoid high-mileage examples, particularly if you are only driving low mileage or doing city driving.”
What is a DPF?
Many issues related to diesel cars can be related to its ‘diesel particulate filter’, or DPF.
Mandatory on all new diesels since 2009, DPFs capture dirty particulate matter from the exhaust. This is stored until it’s burned off – usually by driving at motorway speeds to allow the exhaust to reach a higher temperature.
Problems arise when the DPF gets blocked, usually because the car’s been driven for lots of short, urban journeys, which means the stored particulate matter hasn’t been burnt off.
Although there was a period when simply removing the DPF was common, this is now illegal – with fines of up to £1,000 and £2,500 for vans enforceable.
BMW now fits Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) exhaust convertor to every single diesel model it sells. Considered the most effective NOx-reduction system on sale, all 1 Series, 2 Series, 3 Series and 4 Series will now get SCR technology as standard.
Branded BMW BluePerformance, the SCR system uses AdBlue injection to neutralise NOx emissions before they leave the exhaust tailpipe. The firm hopes this will convince diesel naysayers that the fuel still has a place – although with public mood against it, the firm has an uphill battle.
For some models, it’s not simply been bolt-on technology. The X1 xDrive18d and sDrive18d both now have a new dual-fed exhaust system to incorporate the BMW BluePerformance setup.
It is hoped this move will stop buyers switching to petrol and help keep overall brand CO2 emissions in check. But for those who really now don’t want to be seen in a diesel, BMW’s taking steps to quell the emissions of its petrol models as well.
Today’s high-pressure direct-injection petrol engines can, like diesels, be susceptible to the production of NOx emissions. BMW is now thus fitting a petrol engine particulate filter to the 420i Coupe, 430i Coupe and X1 sDrive18i. They join the 220i Coupe, 230i Coupe (and Convertible equivalents) plus the new X3 xDrive20i in offering filters.
Even the BMW i8 Coupe and new Roadster will now get a petrol particulate filter. One of the greenest sports cars in the world, it seems, still has potential to get a bit greener still.
Read more:
Anti-diesel agenda is not affecting new BMW X3 sales
The new Volkswagen Up GTI’s 115hp three-cylinder petrol engine is perky enough that you don’t have to be a particularly skilled driver to drive it fast along a twisty, hairpinned road in the South of France. I should know, I tried it earlier this week.
But what was really impressive, while driving along said road, was eventually catching up with an enthusiastic local in a Citroen 2CV van.
Now, anyone who knows anything about the 2CV will know that its long-travel suspension means you can get some pretty impressive body lean in the corners. But equally, its lack of power means you have little choice but to maintain momentum through corners, especially when travelling uphill.
There’s nothing faster on rural, French roads that a cigarette-smoking local, and that’s what exactly what we came across yesterday. His commitment to getting up the hill was incredible – to the point that he nearly ran out of road at one point. Even then, he refused to lift.
Anyway, the video tells the story better than words can. Enjoy…
Nissan has launched a range of solar energy and battery storage packs for UK homes, called Nissan Energy Solar. The new range of products are described as all-in-one solutions that simplify the process of switching to solar.
Designed to complement the Nissan Leaf electric car, Nissan’s scheme offers several different options, which buyers can select using an automotive-style online configurator.
The solar panels even have trim lines. Value (pictured above) is entry-level, Efficiency is the mid-range offer and Design comprises the most sleekly-integrated panels.
Nissan will sell Solar, Storage or combined Solar & Storage packs, with prices starting from £3,881 for a six-panel solar setup. This price includes supply and full installation.
A full Solar & Storage setup starts from £7,635. Nissan Energy MD Francisco Carranza says the firm is targeting a 4 percent to 8 percent return on investment.
“Our target has been to make it simple,” he said. “We want to help customers easily find and install solutions for sustainable energy.”
The move mirrors Tesla’s home energy ecosystem products, such as Powerwall battery storage and its custom-designed solar roof tiles. Nissan’s products are designed to be more affordable.
Good news for house prices
Carranza said the Nissan Energy Solar products could cut home energy bills by up to two-thirds, and “will also increase the value of your home”.
“All you need is a roof. Algorithms in the configurator will then qualify the best setup for you.” Nissan will even conduct LiDAR remote analysis of customers’ roofs, to optimise the panels.
While almost 900,000 UK homes already have solar panels, Carranza says there’s latent demand for a straightforward solar energy solution – and adds that Nissan’s energy storage system, using ‘second life’ Nissan Leaf EV batteries, extends the benefit of solar energy during the night.
The system can even be used to charge a Nissan Leaf.
UK sales will begin soon. In preparation, a new Nissan Solar Energy website has been launched, detailing Nissan’s move into the home energy sector.
“They are solutions that people are ready for,” said Carranza. “We already have a book of people ready to get this kit.”
Nissan will end production of the Pulsar family hatchback this summer, barely three years after its introduction, due to sales failing to meet estimates.
It is understood Nissan targeted annual production of 80,000 Pulsar a year, but even in its first full year, it struggled to less than 35,000 cars. The latest financial year is expected to be even worse, with production predictions of just 20,000 Pulsar.
Nissan is thus throwing in the towel and ditching the family hatch. In its place at the Barcelona factory, the firm will build the updated all-electric e-NV200 Evalia, a seven-seat MPV version of the NV200 van. Nissan is currently launching the model alongside the new Leaf in Tenerife, describing it as “a hidden gem”.
The Barcelona plant’s 4,800 employees already assemble the commercial diesel NV200.
“The decisions we have made are the result of a change in the market demand of our European customers and a new trend, which is why Nissan’s focus is to strengthen our leadership in the electric and crossover vehicle segment, ” said Nissan Europe president Paul Willcox.
The Volkswagen Golf rival that wasn’t
The current Pulsar was introduced in spring 2015, as Nissan’s re-entry into the family hatchback sector it departed when it replaced the Almera with the Qashqai. Value-conscious family buyers and fleets were considered key targets: people who can’t justify the extra expense of a crossover and want a more conventional five-door car.
Contemporary reviewers were, however, distinctly unimpressed. The Pulsar lacked sparkle and received mediocre ratings, in contrast to the much-loved Qashqai. Even ultra-low prices – a base Pulsar is currently £13,275, compared to £19,295 for the Qashqai – failed to stir buyers.
The current Pulsar is built on Nissan’s Common Module Family (CMF) platform. The Spanish factory where it’s produced also builds the Nissan Navara, Renault Alaskan and Mercedes-Benz X-Class pickups.
Logically, it would have made sense to produce the Pulsar at Nissan’s Sunderland, UK factory, which already builds the CMF-derived Qashqai. This would be much closer to the car’s supply base, aiding efficiency. However, Sunderland operates at capacity and it was felt unable to cope with predicted demand for the new Pulsar.
It is thus ironic the car has so badly missed its sales targets, despite Nissan investing €130 million to begin production of it…
Renault has launched a new special edition Clio called the Urban Nav. It’s based on the popular Dynamique Nav model, so includes TomTom sat nav as standard, but also adds 16-inch grey alloy wheels, full LED headlights and rear parking sensors.
BMW now fits Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) exhaust convertor to every single diesel model it sells. Considered the most effective NOx-reduction system on sale, all 1 Series, 2 Series, 3 Series and 4 Series will now get SCR technology as standard.
Nissan has launched a range of solar energy and battery storage packs for UK homes, called Nissan Energy Solar. The new range of products are described as all-in-one solutions that simplify the process of switching to solar.
Nissan will end production of the Pulsar family hatchback this summer, barely three years after its introduction, due to sales failing to meet estimates.
