Here"s a Big Cat on...
Here"s a Big Cat on the prowl! This is Jaguar"s first-ever XF police pursuit vehicle and it"s currently being evaluated by forces across the country ò€“ so watch out.
The all-new Astra is...
The all-new Astra is ready to take a starring role in Vauxhallò€™s range! In Issue 1,059, Auto Express revealed leaked pictures of the Ford Focus rival ò€“ now, weò€™ve bagged the first official images, plus all the crucial details on the best-selling British-built hatch.
Itò€™s set to debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, and go on sale by the end of the year. Its bold styling borrows heavily from the new Insignia, which has made a real impact on the sales charts.
A low front end, featuring a sleeker take on the Insigniaò€™s nose, rises up to a high tail, giving the car a modern, purposeful look. Along the flanks, the Insigniaò€™s trademark ò€˜bladeò€™ kicks up in front of the rear wheelarch.
Vauxhall claims the only part of the Astra that isnò€™t new is its name! Underpinning the newcomer is GMò€™s latest Delta platform, which debuted recently on the Chevrolet Cruze. As a result, the wheelbase is 17mm longer, plus there are wider tracks front and rear, and a completely revised rear axle design, which is claimed to improve the carò€™s ride comfort beyond recognition.
And Vauxhall is ensuring that the Astra will be a dynamic performer by offering buyers its FlexRide adaptive damper system ò€“ a rarity in this sector of the market.
This allows owners to tailor exactly how the car handles, with a choice of standard, sport and tour modes to suit the road conditions or simply the mood they are in. The innovative dampers also become firmer or softer automatically, depending on driver behaviour and cornering speed.
The highlight of the new engine line-up is a new 138bhp 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol unit ò€“ reinforcing Vauxhallò€™s commitment to producing a raft of smaller, forced-induction powerplants, with reduced emissions and less of a thirst for fuel.
Three further petrol motors, with power outputs from 99bhp to 178bhp, will also be available. Completing the line-up is a choice of four diesels, delivering from 94bhp to 158bhp, while an ecoFLEX version emitting less than 120g/km of CO2 will follow later.
However, the worrying news for performance fans is that thereò€™s no word from Vauxhall on plans for a flagship VXR three-door.