Car UK May 2019

152 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY 2019

MERCEDES-BENZ A250

AMG LINE PREMIUM

£422pm

Stylish and techy spec

Spec 2.0-litre turbo 4-cyl, fwd,

7-speed auto, 221bhp, 40.4mpg

List price £31,060

Initial payment £3000; then

£422/month for 36 months

Mileage allowance 10,000

Via zen.auto

KIA CEED GT

£ 245pm

A great steer but coarse engine

Spec 1.6-litre turbo 4-cyl, fwd,

6-speed manual, 199bhp, 25.0mpg

List price £25,535

Initial payment £1750; then

£245/month for 36 months

Mileage allowance 10,000

Via zen.auto

SUZUKI SWIFT SPORT

£256pm

Flyweight hits pretty hard

Spec 1.4-litre turbo 4-cyl, fwd,

6-speed manual, 138bhp, 47.1mpg

List price £17,999

Initial payment £2000; then

£256/month for 36 months

Mileage allowance 10,000

Via zen.auto

All prices inclusive of VAT and correct at time of going to press

TOYOTA > VO LVO

TOYOTA

AYGO ★★★★★

> Cramped city car with a characterful

three-pot motor is as cheap to run as it feels. See

also Citroën C1 and Peugeot 108 – basically the

same > VERDICT As ‘Up’hill struggles go, battling

VW with this is like climbing the north face of the

Aygo

YARIS/GRMN ★★★★★

> Standard hatch is soulless, while clever but costly

hybrid slashes fuel bills (and boot space). Feisty

GRMN limited edition is fun in a raw kind of way but

ludicrously expensive – and sold out in any case

> VERDICT GRMN is the only one that makes any

kind of sense

COROLLA ★★★★★

NEW

ENTRY

> Best looking Toyota hatch ever?

Quite possibly. Like the RAV4, it

combines fairly nondescript

powertrains with oodles of room for your

passengers, paying or otherwise. Half decent to

drive, too > VERDICT The Uber in front of you is a

Toyota

(^) PRIUS ★★★★★

Prius v4.0 boasts entirely new structure
compared to all previous Priuses, improved
suspension, and is no longer totally joyless to drive
VERDICT A Toyota hybrid that handles. Electric-
only range still pathetic
MIRAI ★★★★★
Weird on the outside, Star Trek on the inside and
a hydrogen fuel-cell underneath. Drives just like
a very refined regular car > VERDICT The tech is
right, but there’s nowhere to refuel it yet
VERSO ★★★★★
Safe, stodgy seven-seater with snore-worthy
chassis and a big-selling 1.6 diesel that feels like
half its horses are asleep too > VERDICT Inferior to
Ford C-Max and Citroën SpaceTourer
C-HR ★★★★★
Compact crossover that’s stylish outside, huge
fun and kooky inside too > VERDICT The start of a
more interesting new phase for Toyota
RAV4 ★★★★★
Styling like an 8-bit Space Invader on wheels
is the only element of sparkle in a package that’s
otherwise all about practicality and safety tech.
Ho-hum powertrain and sub-par infotainment don’t
help > VERDICT At least it looks interesting now
LAND CRUISER ★★★★★
Bare-knuckle ladder-frame brawler that wouldn’t
know a latte if you spilt one on its rigger’s boots
VERDICT Rough, but if we were stranded in the
desert we’d trust one of these over a Rangie
GT86 ★★★★★
The slowest fast car you can buy is slightly
better than before thanks to new aero, revised
suspension and better cloth trim. B-road heaven,
like its Subaru twin; raises the bar high for the
new Supra > VERDICT As pure as Jon Snow. Both
of them
VAUXHALL
VIVA ★★★★★
DIES
SOON
It may look like it was dropped
before it had set, but it’s comfy, roomy
and refined for a city car, and comes
with plenty of standard kit > VERDICT We’d still
buy an Up
ADAM ★★★★★
DIES
SOON
Obese Fiat 500 wannabe with huge
options list and comedy naming shtick.
Adam S warm hatch worth a thought
VERDICT Revitalised by new 1.0-litre turbo triple.
Buy a paper bag and try it
CORSA ★★★★★
Made-over Corsa looks like a candidate for When
Plastic Surgery Goes Bad, but it’s more refined and
better to drive. 1.0T a good motor
VERDICT Vauxhall keeps trying, but Fiesta still
cheerfully waving from way out in front
A STR A HATCH/ESTATE ★★★★★
Massive step forward in terms of
driving dynamics and interior design, plus
added techno-charm > VERDICT In hatchback
grandmother’s footsteps, Focus and Golf turn
round to find Astra standing right behind them.
You really should try one if you’re in the market
INSIGNIA ★★★★★
Uninspired. Too close to how you’d hope an
Insignia isn’t; Country Tourer brings a lot for the
money > VERDICT Fine if you’re given one
CROSSLAND X ★★★★★
Practical Meriva replacement sits beside
the Mokka X for size. Designed to be the more
pragmatic choice > VERDICT Genuinely practical if
as dull as Luton’s skyline to drive
GRANDLAND X ★★★★★
It’s a Pug 3008 in disguise, but different enough to
appeal in its own right. Not exciting, but a very good
family crossover > VERDICT Up there with the Astra
as Vauxhall’s top car
MOKKA X ★★★★★
Mokka gets a better cabin, some new engines
and pointless suffix. Driving misery reduced by half
VERDICT X marks the spot where the ball was –
about five years ago
VOLKSWAGEN
UP ★★★★★
(^) Japanese have been building for years, except this > Box on wheels is the kind of city car the
is much better quality and has a VW badge
VERDICT Not a revolution but a spacious small
car with a strong, appealing image
UP GTI ★★★★★
Pokey engine, dynamics that come close to
delivering on the dream of roadgoing go-kart, and
great value for money. And fun by the skipload
VERDICT Compelling mini hot hatch package
POLO ★★★★★
Mini-Golf isn’t that mini any more. It’s practical,
has a sharp interior and well built... but so’s the
Seat Ibiza > VERDICT Accomplished but lacking
the fun factor
POLO GTI ★★★★★
Baby GTI right down to the tartan seats.
Responsive engine, sorted chassis, OTT
electronic aids. Wait for the manual
VERDICT The new Fiesta ST should be nervous
GOLF HATCH/ESTATE ★★★★★
BEST IN
CLASS
What every rival would like to be if
only it could get away with charging
this much. Tweaked and preened but
perpetually desirable, made for a life of Waitrose
car parks > VERDICT Never knowingly undersold
GOLF GTD/GTI/R ★★★★★
BEST IN
CLASS
GTD is your dad in running shoes. GTI
is your dad when he was wild, young
and free. R is your dad having a midlife
crisis. All are ace , like your dad > VERDICT After
seven generations, VW has this hot-hatch thing
nailed
GOLF SV ★★★★★
The artist formerly known as the Golf Plus. And
by ‘artist’ we mean medium-sized MPV. The car you
always knew the Golf would grow up to be
VERDICT Not a bad choice, but now the BMW
2-series Active Tourer is breathing down its neck
PA SSAT SALOON/ESTATE ★★★★★
Interior design and refinement so good it shames
some limos, cutting-edge kit and elegant looks.
If only it wasn’t so dull to drive and the GTE is a
fabulously complex way to do 40mpg > VERDICT
Mega mile-muncher for the undemanding.
Replacement is on the horizon
ARTEON ★★★★★
Here we go again: VW tries to be properly
premium, almost pulls it off. Great interior, huge boot
and there’s standard safety tech aplenty, but it’s a bit
dull > VERDICT For SUV-resistant saloon fans... or
those who can’t afford a BMW
TOURAN ★★★★★
It’s still more Millets than John Lewis, but the
current Touran does family stuff well
VERDICT MPV meets MQB, nearly goes VIP while
retaining whiff of OAP
SHARAN ★★★★★
Large seven-seater sliding-door people carrier
VERDICT Nice enough but made to look silly by
all-but-identical and cheaper Seat Alhambra
T- CROSS ★★★★★
NEW
ENTRY
Wait, which one is this? Smaller than a
T-Roc. Polo-size, not Golf-size. Like the
Seat Arona and some Skoda or other.
Probably > VERDICT Exactly right for today.
Definitely.
T- ROC ★★★★★
Golf-sized SUV aimed at hashtagging
millennials. Massive tech options list and scope
for personalisation make up for brittle interior and
hefty price > VERDICT The funkiest VW
TIGUAN ★★★★★
Accomplished but unexciting, with no real
innovations, and Allspace seven-seater has an
awkwardly packaged boot > VERDICT No sex
please, we’re VW
TOUAREG ★★★★★
Less low-key than previous generations, especially
that glittery grille, but still not as charismatic as the
smaller T-Roc. Composed to drive, and space-age
dash is very clever > VERDICT The SUV choice for
those who don’t like drama
VOLVO
V40 ★★★★★
Smart Swede in a sector dominated by good
Germans. Efficient D4 engine and impressive kit,
but it’s a fraction bloated in seat, suspension and
steering feel > VERDICT Sitting uncomfortably
between Golf and A3. A rock and hard place
S60 ★★★★★
Imposing mid-size saloon is the first Volvo
to ditch diesel, instead offering us a 400bhp
Polestar-tweaked point-and-squirt weapon to keep
us interested in the line-up > VERDICT Needs a
dynamic edge
V60 ★★★★★
Can now once again reign supreme in the mid-size
estate space race – take that, Germans. Otherwise
standard modern Volvo; handsome, refined and
safer than a fallout shelter > VERDICT We’ve got the
need for Swede
V90 ★★★★★
Sacrilegiously abandons the boot-space race for
style while prioritising comfort and refinement over
German machismo. Lovely inside. A genuine rival
to the 5-series, E-Class and A6 > VERDICT If there’s
such a thing as Swedish zen, this is it
S90 ★★★★★
Smart, well-crafted and adept-handling exec
saloon dances a merry jig on the grave of unloved
outgoing S80; four-door version of V90 > VERDICT
Loudly purring Swedish cat enters 5-series/E-class
pigeon enclosure
XC40 ★★★★★
No thriller to steer but posh crossover has sharp
look, practical interior and charming personality
VERDICT Feels good to be in and it’ll look after
you. Many spec choices
XC60 ★★★★★
It’s now a shrunken XC90, which is no bad
thing. Calming isolation chamber on wheels, it’s
more middle class than a book club morning at
an organic farm shop cafe, sponsored by Boden
VERDICT Surprisingly good to drive now and
super safe
XC90 ★★★★★
It was worth the wait for Volvo to evolve the XC90
this far: luxurious seven-seater, clever safety tech,
choice of efficient drivetrains, refined drive
VERDICT One of the most complete cars on sale,
of any style, at any price. Drive it and you soon stop
questioning its size and its image
HONDA CIVIC SPORT PLUS
£321pm
Great chassis and engine, odd looks
Spec 1.5-litre turbo 4-cyl, fwd, 6-speed
manual, 180bhp, 46.3mpg
List price £26,405
Initial payment £2250; then
£321/month for 36 months
Mileage allowance 10,000
Via zen.auto
LEASE ACADEMY WARM HATCHES Dial down the performance just a bit – and your running costs go down by a lot