Description

A new decade means a new set of number plates, with the ‘20’ registrations set to grace dealer forecourts within weeks. The 1^st March change is one of the biggest months of the year for new car sales, particularly for private buyers, so make sure that you’re fully armed and primed when negotiating a deal on your next car. In the March 2020 edition of Diesel Car & Eco Car we have a handy guide to choosing the perfect car, whether it be diesel, petrol, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, electric or hydrogen fuel-cell.

Peugeot is replacing both the 208 and 2008, and we’ve driven them both on UK roads. Should you cancel that order for a Fiesta or EcoSport or Corsa or Crossland X – there’s only one way to find out, by reading the latest edition of Diesel Car & Eco Car. We deliver our definitive verdict on both French newcomers.

This month’s twin test compares two recently facelifted SUVs, the Land Rover Discovery Sport and Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class. Which one is the best all-rounder? We’ve also driven the updated Ford Mondeo estate, as well as the all-new baby Hyundai i10, the mild hybrid Ford Puma and a similar system fitted to the Fiat 500 and Panda. Suzuki’s Swift Attitude has been put through its paces by our test team and the Volvo S60 Polestar Engineered, packing 400bhp from its 2.0-litre plug-in hybrid petrol engine, is the last word in subtlety, with only gold brake calipers and seat belts helping it to stand out in a crowd.

Mazda’s 3 Hatchback and Fastback are the subject of this month’s used car buyer’s guide, and we welcome Peugeot’s 508 SW to the long-term test fleet, while waving a fond farewell to the Honda Civic Saloon. On our news pages, there’s the first information on SEAT’s brand-new Leon Hatchback and Estate, the facelifted Renault Megane, the mildly updated Citroën C3 and the latest news on plans to ban fossil fuelled cars in 2035, as well as a pause for the opening of new smart motorways while their safety is evaluated.

News:

• Citroen C3 facelift
• Ford S-MAX/Galaxy hybrids
• Hyundai/Kia vans deal with Arrival
• Hyundai i20 artist’s impression
• Kia Sorento sketch
• Kia Project S
• Renault Megane Facelift
• SEAT Leon
• Skoda Octavia vRS iV sketch
• Volkswagen charging robots

Tested:

• Fiat 500 Launch Edition 1.0 Mild Hybrid
• Fiat Panda Launch Edition 1.0 Mild Hybrid
• Ford Puma ST-Line X 1.0 EcoBoost 155
• Ford Mondeo Estate Titanium Edition 2.0 EcoBlue 190 Automatic
• Hyundai i10 Premium 1.0 MPi
• Peugeot 208 GT-Line 1.5 BlueHDi 100
• Peugeot 2008 GT-Line 1.5 BlueHDi 100
• Suzuki Swift Attitude 1.2 DualJet
• Volvo S60 Polestar Engineered T8 Twin-Engine AWD Automatic

Twin test:

• Land Rover Discovery Sport SE D180 AWD Automatic vs Mercedes-Benz GLC 220 d 4Matic Sport Automatic

Long-term test reports:

• Citroen C5 Aircross Flair Plus BlueHDi 130 Automatic
• Ford Focus Estate ST-Line X 2.0 EcoBlue Automatic
• Honda Civic EX 1.6 i-DTEC Automatic 4-door
• Kia XCeed 3 1.6 CRDi
• Peugeot 308 GT Line PureTech 130 Automatic
• Peugeot 508 SW GT Line BlueHDi 130 Automatic
• Renault Kadjar S Edition Blue dCi 115
• SEAT Ibiza FR 1.0 MPi
• Skoda Superb SportLine 2.0 TDI Estate Automatic
• Volvo XC60 B4 AWD R-Design Automatic

Features:

• ’20-plate’ new registration special

Used Car Buyer’s Guide

• Mazda3 1.5 and 2.2 Diesel Hatchback and Fastback

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