Description

With pockets heavily damaged after the seasonal festivities, you may have itchy feet and be looking to change your car, but can’t quite afford a brand new one. Perfectly timed, Diesel Car presents its 2017 Used Car of the Year awards, naming the best second-hand buys in eight key categories. Which car is crowned Used Car of the Year? Will it be a surprise? To find out, you’ll have to buy the February 2017 issue as we reveal all.

The cover proudly introduces our estate car twin test, with Mercedes-Benz’s E-Class Estate squaring up to the Volvo V90. Which of the pairing is crowned best estate car in our cargo carrying challenge? We also get behind the wheel of Citroën’s brand new C3 on UK roads, and test Dacia’s facelifted Logan MCV and the newest addition to the Duster range, the EDC automatic. Our testers also drive the updated Mazda6, the facelifted Kia Soul and the Suzuki Vitara 1.6 DDiS automatic, along with the Focus ST-Line and SEAT Toledo. In our 16-page EcoCar supplement, we get behind the wheel of Renault’s longer range all-electric Zoe Z.E. 40, and drive Volkswagen’s revised up! and the Volvo V60 D5 plug-in hybrid, which makes access to Volvo’s electric technology cheaper than ever before.

Our news pages welcome the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupé, the Skoda Octavia vRS and Scout, as well as offering previews of the Audi Q8, Infiniti QX50 concept, updated Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class and sketches of Volkswagen’s Tiguan Allspace, as well as coverage of the new Kia Picanto and Suzuki Swift in our EcoCar news section. In Our Cars, we welcome the Ford Edge and Subaru Outback to our long-term test fleet and wave a fond farewell to the Kia Optima.

As if that wasn’t enough, there’s all the reader favourites, including Doctor Diesel, Legal i, The Extra Mile, Jeerbox and the most up-to-date facts and figures section in the business. In addition, this month’s used car buyer’s guide is all about the Hyundai Santa Fe 2.2 CRDi and Phil Thane examines the tricky subject of electric vehicle particulates.

Tested:

• Citroen C3 Flair BlueHDi 100
• Dacia Logan MCV Laureate dCi 90
• Dacia Duster Prestige dCi 110 4×2 EDC Automatic
• Ford Focus ST-Line 1.5 TDCi (120)
• Kia Soul 3 1.6 CRDi
• Mazda6 Sport Nav 2.2 Diesel (175)
• Mercedes-Benz E 220 d AMG Line Estate Automatic
• Renault Zoe Z.E. 40 Signature Nav
• SEAT Toledo Style 1.6 TDI
• Suzuki Vitara SZ5 1.6 DDiS Allgrip TCSS Automatic
• Volkswagen up! Beats 1.0 (75) 5-door
• Volvo V60 D5 AWD SE Twin Engine Plug-In Hybrid
• Volvo V90 D4 Inscription Automatic

Long-term test reports:

• Audi A4 S line 3.0 V6 TDI (218) quattro Automatic
• DS 5 Prestige BlueHDi 180 Automatic
• Ford Edge Titanium 2.0 TDCi Automatic
• Honda CR-V 1.6 i-DTEC EX 4WD
• Jaguar XF R-Sport 2.0D Automatic
• Kia Optima 3 1.7 CRDi
• Mazda3 SE-L Nav 1.5 5-door
• Peugeot 508 SW GT Line BlueHDi 150
• Renault Kadjar Dynamique Nav dCi 110 EDC Automatic
• SEAT Ateca SE 1.6 TDI Ecomotive
• Skoda Rapid Spaceback SE Sport 1.4 TDI
• Subaru Outback 2.0D SE Premium Lineartronic
• Suzuki Baleno 1.2 Dualjet SHVS SZ5

Feature:

• Diesel Car Used Car of the Year 2017

Used Car Buyer’s Guide:

• Hyundai Santa Fe 2.2 CRDi (2012-on)