Category Archives: Manufacturer

Audi, AWD, Motoring, Sports saloon and hatches, SUV

Firecracker that’s practical too

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Audi SQ2 Black Edition

By Bill McCarthy

Audi’s fiery SQ2 is a bit of a conundrum, supposedly smaller than the Q3, it nevertheless belies its size. A kind of mini SUV with hot-hatch plus performance, it offers plenty of practicality and hi-tech goodies to give it the traditional Audi premium feel.

It is a real firecracker of a motor. The 300PS petrol engine delivers exhilarating acceleration, rocketing the car to 60mph in just over four seconds. An RS version would probably only make marginal gains and would be for the real petrolheads.

This ‘Black’ Quattro all-wheel drive version definitely looks the part with matt titanium finish alloys and a black finish on the air intakes, grille, and mirrors and twin exhausts.

Plus a black grille, window trims, black and blacked-out Audi rings. It features flared wheel arches, Brembo-style brake callipers, and the usual S-line branding throughout.

The interior is what you would expect from Audi, premium fit and finish with soft touch materials and hi-tech gizmos. It features  front sport seats upholstered in a black leather and Alcantara and black headliner.

The brains of the car is the central touchscreen and the latest version of the firm’s MMI system, which controls features like smartphone connectivity, infotainment and navigation. It also houses the latest wi-fi apps which deliver real time information.

For those who like their bells and whistles and the latest tech, you can spend an extra £1,300 and you can upgrade to the Technology package, which delivers Audi’s excellent virtual cockpit and a larger infotainment screen, You get a Bang & Olufsen sound system, a wireless charging pad, front seat heating and Audi’s Parking System Plus with Park Assist

Mated with a seven-speed S-Tronic auto gearbox the two-litre TFSi engine delivers in spades and slips through the gears effortlessly. There are four drive modes,  “auto,” comfort,” “dynamic,” “efficiency” and “individual” modes that can fine-tune and sharpen the operating profile of the suspension, steering, transmission, engine and other systems.

The performance does not mean it is ultra thirsty and official economy figures show up  34 mpg MPG and CO2 emissions from 188 g/km.

Switch to ‘dynamic’ and floor the throttle and it leaps away from a standing start, with the dual exhausts spitting and popping along the way. The uprated and slightly lower suspension than you find on the standard model means that the car feels like it is running rails, with superb grip and balance, considering its high off-the-ground SUV stance.

The steering too is responsive with great feedback and the car can be safely navigated he most tortuous of country lanes at maximum permissible speeds.

Being a hatchback/SUV it is a practical day to day machine, with  excellent boot space for the size of car, accessed via a powered boot lid. it has an impressive 355 litres available with the seat in places, which increases to 1,000  litres with the rear seats folded.

As ever with Audi, you can spend a fortune on options and the virtual cockpit does make a difference, so if you are already spending north of £44k it might not be such a stretch. 

FAST FACTS

Audi SQ2 TFSI 300PS Black Edition S tronic

Price: £44,101

Mechanical: 330bhp, 1984 four cylinder turbo petrol engine driving  all wheels via a seven speed auto transmission

Max speed: 155mph

0-62mph: 4.9 seconds

Combine mpg: 34 (WLTP)

Insurance group: 38

CO2 emissions: 188 g/km

BiK rating: 37%

Warranty: 3 years/60,000 miles

AWD, Electric/hybrid, Volvo

Hybrid a good option despite move to EV

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Volvo XC60

By Bill McCarthy

Volvo has confirmed it will be an electric-only car manufacturer by 2030 and will roll out several additional electric models in the coming years.

The plan seems to be working. Volvo Cars reported sales of 78,970 cars in March, an increase of 25 per cent compared with the same month last year, and an all-time high for global sales during a single month. Volvo Cars’ new fully electric small SUV, the EX30, contributed to the sales growth, as well as a strong sales performance in Europe and the US. 

Still, full EVs are not for everyone and the plug in hybrid (PHEV) remains a stylish and still economical option.

This particular model has a nominal mpg of between 100 and 113mpg, something which is unlikely to be achieved in the real world. But it can run on battery only for around 50 miles. So keep topping up the battery and excellent mpg is achievable  – even for a four wheel drive vehicle.

There  is no mistaking it’s a Volvo – with its smart light clusters to front and rear and a choice of striking alloy wheels. The latest models have a sleeker look and the front lights feature the now familiar ‘Thor’s Hammer’ design. It also features a discrete rear spoiler.

It has a real high-end feel with powered and heated leather style seats, soft touch finish and a minimalist approach to buttons and dials. The seats are firm, but comfortable with good leg and headroom and the cabin benefits from a large glass area.

The interior is real premium quality and dominated by the nine-inch tablet-style touchscreen and a 12-inch TFT driver info display behind the smart multi-function steering wheel.

The central screen controls smartphone connectivity, navigation and 10-speaker sound system and also adds Google Maps, Google Assistant voice control, access to apps via the Google Play Store and four years’ data allowance

The  Volvo Cars app – available for your smartphone, smartwatch or tablet, this enables you to control various car functions remotely.

It is an engaging drive, Even at high speed, engine and road noise is muted, with just a hint of wind noise on the large, folding door mirrors,

Excellent soundproofing means with NVH (noise, harness, vibration) is all but eliminated and the interior cossets occupants, particularly on motorways where the vehicle just whispers along.

It is a rapid motor, the combined 340bhp engine and motor combo powering it to 60mph in just under six seconds.

It clearly is not a sports model, but there is negligible body roll, (the centrally placed battery giving more stability) while the firmish suspension means tight, twisty lanes are comfortably navigated.

The on-demand all-wheel drive is perfect for rougher terrain or inclement weather conditions.  The ride can be a little bumpy around town, especially with the larger wheels. But the premium quality shines through

Despite being an SUV, it feels stable, cornering well and good feedback from the well weighted steering.

Boot space accessed via the powered tailgate is good  with 468 litres, while the 60/40 split folding rear seats open up to 1,395 litres. The boot can also be accessed via a kick action. Stowage is supplemented by various storage bins and cubbyholes.

Safety kit is comprehensive, with City Safety which includes pedestrian, cyclist and large animal detection, and front collision warning with fully automatic emergency braking, including at junctions.

There is also a host of other technologies, like autonomous emergency braking, pedestrian, animal and cyclist detection and front collision warning are included on this model.

Also standard are a full set of airbags and lane mitigation, which steers you back into the correct lane if drifting.

Factile

Volvo XC60 Recharge Plus, T6 AWD plug-in hybrid

Price: £54,975

Mechanical: Combined 340bhp, via 1969 petrol engine and electric motor driving all wheels via automatic gearbox

Max speed: 112mph

0-62mph: 5.6 seconds

MPG : 100-113 miles

CO2 emissions: 55-64g/km

Warranty: 3yrs/60,000 miles