Category Archives: Sports saloon and hatches

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

electric, MG, Motoring, Sports saloon and hatches

Stylish coupe takes on the supercars

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The MG4 XPower

MG4 XPower

By Bill McCarthy

The name MG conjures up many images. And in its centenary in 2023, the iconic and desirable sports cars took on the best in the world.

Once a prestigious British marque, it has moved through to its association and then demise with MG Rover, its rebirth under Chinese owners SAIC as a budget brand and now again producing quality cars and a model to take on the world.

The fastest growing brand and hoovering up various awards, its latest EV, the MG4 is an excellent electric car, but the X Power version is just bonkers.

It has performance that puts in the same territory as supercars like Porsche with features like launch control, track mode display and four-wheel drive. MG says is the first of the next generation of high-performance hatchbacks – and let’s not forget that seven-year warranty, providing extra peace of mind.

Just imagine, an electric car, with electrifying performance and all for under £37k.

Already a slick and stylish vehicle with its its sharp angular profile, featuring a twin aero rear spoiler, this sportier version adds  18 inch alloy wheels, orange ‘XPOWER’ brake callipers and polished trim accents.

A new innovation is Dynamic Cornering Control System which features a locking electronic differential for maximum traction and outstanding composure in a wide range of driving condition

It looks, sporty, in an understated way, but delivers enormous grunt, from the huge 435PS and 600 Nm of torque available to rocket the car to 60mph in just 3.7 seconds.

The all-wheel drive system enhances traction, stability, and safety with active braking on the inside wheels, while launch control, usually found on the likes of Porsche, is supposed to deliver enhanced  performance.

However, the car is quick enough without the counter intuitive feeling of revving the car while holding the brakes a the same time before releasing the brake for launch.

The floating 10.25″ colour touchscreen also displays the track mode data, which includes vehicle performance analysis, power distribution, speed/time, G-Force, steering angle, and throttle.

The powerful brakes also bring the car to halt from 62 in just 33.9 metres, give the game away.

The interior is just as impressive, with a premium feel and soft-touch finish that belies its low price tag. The black fabric upholstery adds to the premium feel. There is decent headroom and legroom for both front and rear passengers.

The touchscreen is the dominant feature of the minimalist layout. It comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. There is also a configurable seven-inch driver display that provides real-time information.

The rotary gear selector sits on a floating central console, which also houses a wireless charging pad. The boot space is decent with 363 litres available, and it increases to a decent 1,177 litres with the split rear seats folded down.

Like all MGs it is packed with standard equipment, including 360 degree parking camera, sat nav, heated front seats and steering wheel and mobile phone Bluetooth key.

The car not only looks good but also drives well. It’s well balanced through the centrally placed, slim battery and all-wheel drive provides exceptional handling, making it feel safe and secure even on twisting country lanes at higher speeds.

The 64kWh battery is also capable of recharging at up to 135kW, meaning a charge time of only 35 minutes from 10 per cent-80 per cent using a 150kW DC rapid charger.

Safety is a key feature and the car has been awarded the full five stars in the Euro NCAP safety ratings and offers a host of safety features including a range of airbags and stability control, with MG Pilot advanced driver assistance as standard on all models.

Factfile

  • MG4 EV X power
  • Price: £36,495
  • Mechanical: 435PS Twin electric motor all wheels rear wheels via single speed transmission
  • Max speed: 100mph
  • 0-62mph: 3.7 seconds
  • Range: 281 miles
  • CO2 emissions: 0g/km
  • BiK rating: 2%
  • Warranty: 7yrs/80,000 miles