Description

In the May 2018 issue of DieselCar & EcoCar, we are celebrating all that is good about our beautiful country in the Best of British issue. Throughout the entire magazine, there’s a patriotic theme, with the cover featuring the brand new Jaguar I-Pace, a twin test featuring the Jaguar XF Sportbrake, a used car buyer’s guide that covers the MINI Convertible and first tests on UK roads of the Honda Civic Diesel and all-electric Nissan Leaf. There’s also all the news and gossip from the Geneva motor show.

We’ve been behind the wheel of the BMW X2 and facelifted Citroën C4 Cactus, as well as the Sports Tourer edition of the Vauxhall Insignia GSi. This month’s twin test sees the BMW 5 Series Touring face the Jaguar XF Sportbrake – which one wins in this Germany versus Britain showdown? We examine all of the manufacturing and research facilities in the UK and meet a rather special Morris Landcrab that has been reinvigorated with a Perkins diesel engine from a Montego installed under the bonnet.

We’ve been driving in the snow and ice with SEAT’s Ateca FR, though we probably didn’t need to go to the Alps considering the wave of snow hitting the UK over the past few weeks. Elsewhere we examine whether DIY servicing is still possible with modern cars and also test the Audi Q2 in 2.0 TDI quattro guise, and the facelifted version of the Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class.

In EcoCar, we visit London Electric Vehicle Company’s new Coventry headquarters and factory and drive the revolutionary new taxi, as well as testing the plug-in hybrid version of the Kia Niro and drive Lexus’ updated CT 200h in F-Sport trim.

Tested:

• Audi Q2 Sport 2.0 TDI quattro S tronic
• BMW X2 xDrive20d M Sport
• BMW 530d xDrive M Sport Touring
• Citroen C4 Cactus Flair BlueHDi 100
• Honda Civic EX 1.6 i-DTEC
• Jaguar XF Sportbrake S 3.0 V6 RWD
• Kia Niro 3 PHEV
• Lexus CT 200h F Sport
• Mercedes-Benz GLA 220 d 4Matic AMG Line
• Nissan Leaf Tekna
• Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer GSi BiTurbo 2.0 BlueInjection 4×4 Automatic

Long-term test reports:

• Audi A5 Sportback S line 2.0 TDI ultra Automatic
• Citroen C3 Aircross BlueHDi 120
• Ford Kuga Vignale 2.0 TDCi AWD Automatic
• Kia Stonic First Edition 1.6 CRDi
• Mazda CX-5 Sport Nav 2.2 AWD
• Nissan Qashqai N-Connecta dCi 110
• Peugeot 3008 Allure BlueHDi 120
• Renault Scenic Dynamique S dCi 130
• SEAT Arona SE Technology 1.6 TDI
• Skoda Kodiaq SE L 2.0 TDI 4X4 DSG (7-seat)

Features:

• Best of British issue
• Geneva motor show report
• SEAT Ateca FR snow and ice driving adventure
• High Mile Club – 209,000 mile Audi A6 Avant 1.9 TDI 130
• Reader’s Drives – Morris Landcrab with Perkins Montego diesel engine
• EcoCar – visit to London Electric Vehicle Company headquarters and driving the new cab

Used Car Buyer’s Guide

• MINI Convertible Cooper D and Cooper SD (2010 to 2015)

Regulars

• News and views
• Marketplace
• Legal i
• Doctor Diesel
• The Extra Mile
• Product Inspector
• Buying, Selling and Maintaining
• Modern Motoring Questions
• Eco Car Bright Spark