Car review
Car review
Audi evolves its take on the all-season hot hatch, but is it more style than substance?
As a concept, the Audi S3 possesses not one jot less appeal now than it did when the model first blazed the ‘sports premium compact’ trail four generations ago in 1999.You take an upmarket interior and blend it with four-wheel drive – and, of course, power. All very Audi. But the brilliant bit is that the concoction is then wrapped up in the skin of an ordinarily sized family hatchback. The S3 therefore represents everything modern Audi does well, only distilled into a conveniently small package. So why does this model often fail to ignite much enthusiasm from enthusiasts? Even the 207bhp original, now considered an attractive modern classic, came in for criticism because Audi dared to use the ‘quattro’ moniker. Its crime was to use an on-demand Haldex four-wheel drive system rather than Audi’s traditional, full-time Torsen-reliant quattro set-up. Since then, the S3 has been criticised for its weight, numb steering and poor value in comparison to its mechanically similar and recently outstanding cousin, the Volkswagen Golf R.But now, with a pinch more punch and the fitment of a clever new torque-splitter on the rear axle, the S3 is renewing its campaign for the keen driver's vote. The upgrades form part of a wider round of mid-life tweaks for the Audi A3 family, which has been on sale since 2020 and is tipped to soldier on until at least 2027, when there's word of an electric equivalent being rolled out.We’ll discover shortly whether the modifications are enough to right some of the S3's most obvious wrongs, but we should also recognise that, in broader terms, the model’s place in the world has changed. In 1999, the S3 offered Lancia Delta Integrale Evo pace but with an opulence and sense of solidity anathematic to the Italian car. However, today’s car has less to prove in terms of ballistic pace. The S3 has been comfortably superseded at the top of the sports premium compact hierarchy by a new breed of 400bhp-plus supercar-fast hatches, not least Audi’s own Audi RS3 and its arch-rival, the Mercedes-AMG A45.To succeed in 2024, the S3 therefore needs only to come across as the most rounded, capable and sophisticated of the all-weather hot hatch clique. So does it?
Audi S3 with Giga Gears
Audi evolves its take on the all-season hot hatch, but is it more style than substance?
As a concept, the Audi S3 possesses not one jot less appeal now than it did when the model first blazed the ‘sports premium compact’ trail four generations ago in 1999.You take an upmarket interior and blend it with four-wheel drive – and, of course, power. All very Audi. But the brilliant bit is that the concoction is then wrapped up in the skin of an ordinarily sized family hatchback. The S3 therefore represents everything modern Audi does well, only distilled into a conveniently small package. So why does this model often fail to ignite much enthusiasm from enthusiasts? Even the 207bhp original, now considered an attractive modern classic, came in for criticism because Audi dared to use the ‘quattro’ moniker. Its crime was to use an on-demand Haldex four-wheel drive system rather than Audi’s traditional, full-time Torsen-reliant quattro set-up. Since then, the S3 has been criticised for its weight, numb steering and poor value in comparison to its mechanically similar and recently outstanding cousin, the Volkswagen Golf R.But now, with a pinch more punch and the fitment of a clever new torque-splitter on the rear axle, the S3 is renewing its campaign for the keen driver's vote. The upgrades form part of a wider round of mid-life tweaks for the Audi A3 family, which has been on sale since 2020 and is tipped to soldier on until at least 2027, when there's word of an electric equivalent being rolled out.We’ll discover shortly whether the modifications are enough to right some of the S3's most obvious wrongs, but we should also recognise that, in broader terms, the model’s place in the world has changed. In 1999, the S3 offered Lancia Delta Integrale Evo pace but with an opulence and sense of solidity anathematic to the Italian car. However, today’s car has less to prove in terms of ballistic pace. The S3 has been comfortably superseded at the top of the sports premium compact hierarchy by a new breed of 400bhp-plus supercar-fast hatches, not least Audi’s own Audi RS3 and its arch-rival, the Mercedes-AMG A45.To succeed in 2024, the S3 therefore needs only to come across as the most rounded, capable and sophisticated of the all-weather hot hatch clique. So does it?
Car review
The Corsa E raised its game to become a competitive and classy supermini, but is it a better used buy than a Fiesta
With more than 4000 for sale, ranging in price from £2500 to £13,000, with a choice of three or five-door bodies, petrol or diesel engines and manual or automatic gearboxes, and even the hot hatch VXR version, there’s sure to be an example of the Vauxhall Corsa E of 2014-19 to suit you – or at least someone you know.The fact is, with the exception of the 202bhp VXR, it isn’t the most entertaining of drives but is cheap to run, a breeze to own, roomy and comfortable.It’s loosely based on the previous model launched as long ago as 2006 but comprehensively redesigned and refreshed and with some new engines, including a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol in two power outputs.What Vauxhall didn’t mess with were the proportions (the rear cabin is particularly roomy and the boot is a decent size) and the driving position, which is fine for all but those with long legs (the seat doesn’t move back far enough). With more permutations than the Pools, it makes sense to focus first on the best engines.Of the two 1.0-litre triples, the 113bhp unit is our favourite. It’s a good all-rounder that’s nippy in town but not overwhelmed by the open road. It’s paired with what was then an all-new six-speed manual gearbox, billed as slick by Vauxhall but found by us testers to be notchy.It fires to a near-silent idle, and in general it’s responsive and keen. It revs willingly, and such is the quietness and consistency of output that there are times while cruising when you could be in any of, say, three gears and you wouldn’t notice much difference in either noise or throttle response. It drives as standard through a six-speed gearbox that is occasionally notchy but otherwise positive.There are cheaper, naturally aspirated four-pot 1.2 and 1.4s, but towards the end of 2018 these and the 1.0 triples were replaced by a turbocharged 1.4 in four different power outputs, our pick being the 99bhp version.If economy is your goal, then go for the more powerful of the two 1.3 CDTi Ecoflex diesels.With 94bhp, it makes good progress yet can return up to 80mpg. Sporty drivers are served by the 202bhp VXR - a rapid but flawed machine bested by the Ford Fiesta ST. Lower down the scale is the 148bhp GSi. It’s a quick car but off the pace set by contemporary rivals including the Suzuki Swift Sport.Bar the VXR, all versions of the Corsa ride comfortably and quietly, especially on smaller wheels.The steering is light and lively, sprightly and responsive, not least because it has been tuned specifically for the UK. It doesn’t have the dynamic moves of a Ford Fiesta, but all of the controls, which again are consistent and easily modulated, have a lighter touch. It’s an easy car to drive. The quality of the interior is also good. It’s not as classy as a Volkswagen Polo’s but a definite improvement on the previous model, with quality plastics much in evidence and excellent seats on higher-grade trims. It’s classier but less distinctive than its brother, the Adam, presumably because that’s what supermini buyers like.There is a huge choice in specifications, spanning poverty (Life) to luxury (Elite). It can all be quite baffling so, instead, we’ll focus on the most plentiful.In ascending order of kit count, they are Sting (16in alloys, a heated windscreen and driver’s seat height adjustment), Design (air-con, 7.0in infotainment system and Bluetooth) and SRi VX-Line cars get 17in alloys, sports suspension and a more aggressive bodykit.Note that if you’re buying a Corsa as a cheap runabout or for a young driver, insurance groups vary widely between trims, from group 2 for 1.2-litre cars to group 20 for the 1.4 GSi; the VXR is group 30. In short, more miserly, the cheaper.
Vauxhall Corsa Review 2014-2019 | Giga Gears
The Corsa E raised its game to become a competitive and classy supermini, but is it a better used buy than a Fiesta
With more than 4000 for sale, ranging in price from £2500 to £13,000, with a choice of three or five-door bodies, petrol or diesel engines and manual or automatic gearboxes, and even the hot hatch VXR version, there’s sure to be an example of the Vauxhall Corsa E of 2014-19 to suit you – or at least someone you know.The fact is, with the exception of the 202bhp VXR, it isn’t the most entertaining of drives but is cheap to run, a breeze to own, roomy and comfortable.It’s loosely based on the previous model launched as long ago as 2006 but comprehensively redesigned and refreshed and with some new engines, including a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol in two power outputs.What Vauxhall didn’t mess with were the proportions (the rear cabin is particularly roomy and the boot is a decent size) and the driving position, which is fine for all but those with long legs (the seat doesn’t move back far enough). With more permutations than the Pools, it makes sense to focus first on the best engines.Of the two 1.0-litre triples, the 113bhp unit is our favourite. It’s a good all-rounder that’s nippy in town but not overwhelmed by the open road. It’s paired with what was then an all-new six-speed manual gearbox, billed as slick by Vauxhall but found by us testers to be notchy.It fires to a near-silent idle, and in general it’s responsive and keen. It revs willingly, and such is the quietness and consistency of output that there are times while cruising when you could be in any of, say, three gears and you wouldn’t notice much difference in either noise or throttle response. It drives as standard through a six-speed gearbox that is occasionally notchy but otherwise positive.There are cheaper, naturally aspirated four-pot 1.2 and 1.4s, but towards the end of 2018 these and the 1.0 triples were replaced by a turbocharged 1.4 in four different power outputs, our pick being the 99bhp version.If economy is your goal, then go for the more powerful of the two 1.3 CDTi Ecoflex diesels.With 94bhp, it makes good progress yet can return up to 80mpg. Sporty drivers are served by the 202bhp VXR - a rapid but flawed machine bested by the Ford Fiesta ST. Lower down the scale is the 148bhp GSi. It’s a quick car but off the pace set by contemporary rivals including the Suzuki Swift Sport.Bar the VXR, all versions of the Corsa ride comfortably and quietly, especially on smaller wheels.The steering is light and lively, sprightly and responsive, not least because it has been tuned specifically for the UK. It doesn’t have the dynamic moves of a Ford Fiesta, but all of the controls, which again are consistent and easily modulated, have a lighter touch. It’s an easy car to drive. The quality of the interior is also good. It’s not as classy as a Volkswagen Polo’s but a definite improvement on the previous model, with quality plastics much in evidence and excellent seats on higher-grade trims. It’s classier but less distinctive than its brother, the Adam, presumably because that’s what supermini buyers like.There is a huge choice in specifications, spanning poverty (Life) to luxury (Elite). It can all be quite baffling so, instead, we’ll focus on the most plentiful.In ascending order of kit count, they are Sting (16in alloys, a heated windscreen and driver’s seat height adjustment), Design (air-con, 7.0in infotainment system and Bluetooth) and SRi VX-Line cars get 17in alloys, sports suspension and a more aggressive bodykit.Note that if you’re buying a Corsa as a cheap runabout or for a young driver, insurance groups vary widely between trims, from group 2 for 1.2-litre cars to group 20 for the 1.4 GSi; the VXR is group 30. In short, more miserly, the cheaper.
Car review
Four years later, Audi moves to address criticisms of its swanky family hatchback
Since its introduction in 1999, the Audi A3 has been the conservative and consistent, if somewhat predictable, option in the premium family hatchback class. Now halfway through its fourth generation, it's been treated to a mild nip and tuck in a bid to bolster its ability to compete with the Mercedes-Benz A-Class and BMW 1 Series.Just like its Seat Leon, Skoda Octavia and Volkswagen Golf relations, the new A3 continues to use an evolution of the Volkswagen Group’s ubiquitous MQB platform, with enhancements to accommodate a wider spread of powertrain options that includes mild hybrid and, eventually, plug-in hybrid variants. It remains available as a (curiously popular) compact saloon or, as driven here, in traditional Sportback guise, and while neither has been radically reinvented, a wide-reaching package of visual, technological and mechanical revisions make this a tangibly different proposition to the outgoing car - which, remember, was only updated as recently as 2021.Changes to the standard car are particularly subtle – at least until a heavily upgraded plug-in hybrid is added to the ranks iin late 2024 – but the hot Audi S3 has been more tangibly overhauled.
Audi A3 Sportback with Giga Gears
Four years later, Audi moves to address criticisms of its swanky family hatchback
Since its introduction in 1999, the Audi A3 has been the conservative and consistent, if somewhat predictable, option in the premium family hatchback class. Now halfway through its fourth generation, it's been treated to a mild nip and tuck in a bid to bolster its ability to compete with the Mercedes-Benz A-Class and BMW 1 Series.Just like its Seat Leon, Skoda Octavia and Volkswagen Golf relations, the new A3 continues to use an evolution of the Volkswagen Group’s ubiquitous MQB platform, with enhancements to accommodate a wider spread of powertrain options that includes mild hybrid and, eventually, plug-in hybrid variants. It remains available as a (curiously popular) compact saloon or, as driven here, in traditional Sportback guise, and while neither has been radically reinvented, a wide-reaching package of visual, technological and mechanical revisions make this a tangibly different proposition to the outgoing car - which, remember, was only updated as recently as 2021.Changes to the standard car are particularly subtle – at least until a heavily upgraded plug-in hybrid is added to the ranks iin late 2024 – but the hot Audi S3 has been more tangibly overhauled.
Car review
Audi evolves its take on the all-season hot hatch, but is it more style than substance?
As a concept, the Audi S3 possesses not one jot less appeal now than it did when the model first blazed the ‘sports premium compact’ trail four generations ago in 1999.You take an upmarket interior and blend it with four-wheel drive – and, of course, power. All very Audi. But the brilliant bit is that the concoction is then wrapped up in the skin of an ordinarily sized family hatchback. The S3 therefore represents everything modern Audi does well, only distilled into a conveniently small package. So why does this model often fail to ignite much enthusiasm from enthusiasts? Even the 207bhp original, now considered an attractive modern classic, came in for criticism because Audi dared to use the ‘quattro’ moniker. Its crime was to use an on-demand Haldex four-wheel drive system rather than Audi’s traditional, full-time Torsen-reliant quattro set-up. Since then, the S3 has been criticised for its weight, numb steering and poor value in comparison to its mechanically similar and recently outstanding cousin, the Volkswagen Golf R.But now, with a pinch more punch and the fitment of a clever new torque-splitter on the rear axle, the S3 is renewing its campaign for the keen driver's vote. The upgrades form part of a wider round of mid-life tweaks for the Audi A3 family, which has been on sale since 2020 and is tipped to soldier on until at least 2027, when there's word of an electric equivalent being rolled out.We’ll discover shortly whether the modifications are enough to right some of the S3's most obvious wrongs, but we should also recognise that, in broader terms, the model’s place in the world has changed. In 1999, the S3 offered Lancia Delta Integrale Evo pace but with an opulence and sense of solidity anathematic to the Italian car. However, today’s car has less to prove in terms of ballistic pace. The S3 has been comfortably superseded at the top of the sports premium compact hierarchy by a new breed of 400bhp-plus supercar-fast hatches, not least Audi’s own Audi RS3 and its arch-rival, the Mercedes-AMG A45.To succeed in 2024, the S3 therefore needs only to come across as the most rounded, capable and sophisticated of the all-weather hot hatch clique. So does it?
Audi S3 Sportback with Giga Gears
Audi evolves its take on the all-season hot hatch, but is it more style than substance?
As a concept, the Audi S3 possesses not one jot less appeal now than it did when the model first blazed the ‘sports premium compact’ trail four generations ago in 1999.You take an upmarket interior and blend it with four-wheel drive – and, of course, power. All very Audi. But the brilliant bit is that the concoction is then wrapped up in the skin of an ordinarily sized family hatchback. The S3 therefore represents everything modern Audi does well, only distilled into a conveniently small package. So why does this model often fail to ignite much enthusiasm from enthusiasts? Even the 207bhp original, now considered an attractive modern classic, came in for criticism because Audi dared to use the ‘quattro’ moniker. Its crime was to use an on-demand Haldex four-wheel drive system rather than Audi’s traditional, full-time Torsen-reliant quattro set-up. Since then, the S3 has been criticised for its weight, numb steering and poor value in comparison to its mechanically similar and recently outstanding cousin, the Volkswagen Golf R.But now, with a pinch more punch and the fitment of a clever new torque-splitter on the rear axle, the S3 is renewing its campaign for the keen driver's vote. The upgrades form part of a wider round of mid-life tweaks for the Audi A3 family, which has been on sale since 2020 and is tipped to soldier on until at least 2027, when there's word of an electric equivalent being rolled out.We’ll discover shortly whether the modifications are enough to right some of the S3's most obvious wrongs, but we should also recognise that, in broader terms, the model’s place in the world has changed. In 1999, the S3 offered Lancia Delta Integrale Evo pace but with an opulence and sense of solidity anathematic to the Italian car. However, today’s car has less to prove in terms of ballistic pace. The S3 has been comfortably superseded at the top of the sports premium compact hierarchy by a new breed of 400bhp-plus supercar-fast hatches, not least Audi’s own Audi RS3 and its arch-rival, the Mercedes-AMG A45.To succeed in 2024, the S3 therefore needs only to come across as the most rounded, capable and sophisticated of the all-weather hot hatch clique. So does it?
Car review
Traditional looks and contemporary tech combine in updated six-cylinder roadster
All is not as it seems at the Morgan Motor Company.This quintessentially English car maker is largely owned by an Italian firm and has an Italian CEO, its cars are powered by German engines and the ash wood for its frames comes from… a forest in Leicestershire.Well, some things aren’t so different after all. But in order to continue providing the slice of ye olde English motoring that Morgan specialises in, it has had to evolve with the times. As a result, current Morgans are much more modern than they might appear.Although they didn’t look it (which was entirely the point), the Morgan Plus Four and Plus Six were totally new when they were introduced in 2020, with a new bonded aluminium spaceframe and a pair of emissions-friendly BMW engines.While Morgan doesn’t follow the same new-model-facelift churn as mainstream car brands, it has in the past four years identified a number of areas for improvement, including some that we remarked on in our early tests of the cars.We road tested the current Plus Four shortly after its launch (12 August 2020), but we’ve never strapped the timing gear to the 335bhp Plus Six, so let’s do that now and see if the updates hit the spot.The range at a glanceModelsPowerFromPlus Four255bhp£71,830Plus Six335bhp£90,390The Morgan range is easy to understand, because there are just three models: the three-wheeled Super 3 and the Plus twins.The Plus Four has a 2.0-litre four-cylinder and the Plus Six a 3.0-litre six, both from BMW. The Plus Four can be had with either a manual or automatic gearbox, but the Plus Six is automatic-only. Although the two share a bonded aluminium chassis, the Plus Six has a wider body.
Morgan Plus Six with Giga Gears
Traditional looks and contemporary tech combine in updated six-cylinder roadster
All is not as it seems at the Morgan Motor Company.This quintessentially English car maker is largely owned by an Italian firm and has an Italian CEO, its cars are powered by German engines and the ash wood for its frames comes from… a forest in Leicestershire.Well, some things aren’t so different after all. But in order to continue providing the slice of ye olde English motoring that Morgan specialises in, it has had to evolve with the times. As a result, current Morgans are much more modern than they might appear.Although they didn’t look it (which was entirely the point), the Morgan Plus Four and Plus Six were totally new when they were introduced in 2020, with a new bonded aluminium spaceframe and a pair of emissions-friendly BMW engines.While Morgan doesn’t follow the same new-model-facelift churn as mainstream car brands, it has in the past four years identified a number of areas for improvement, including some that we remarked on in our early tests of the cars.We road tested the current Plus Four shortly after its launch (12 August 2020), but we’ve never strapped the timing gear to the 335bhp Plus Six, so let’s do that now and see if the updates hit the spot.The range at a glanceModelsPowerFromPlus Four255bhp£71,830Plus Six335bhp£90,390The Morgan range is easy to understand, because there are just three models: the three-wheeled Super 3 and the Plus twins.The Plus Four has a 2.0-litre four-cylinder and the Plus Six a 3.0-litre six, both from BMW. The Plus Four can be had with either a manual or automatic gearbox, but the Plus Six is automatic-only. Although the two share a bonded aluminium chassis, the Plus Six has a wider body.