Autocar magazine 10 June - on sale now

This week: Jaguar’s radical saloon replacements, 2020 Volkswagen Golf driven in the UK, lapping Silverstone in the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 and more

Jaguar is weighing up the options for replacing its slow-selling XE and XF saloons, and Autocar has all the details.

Among the solutions being considered by the marque are a radical electrified saloon and a smaller, hatchback-style model, as Jaguar Land Rover seeks to bounce back from huge financial disruption caused by the coronavirus.

Jaguar hasn’t ruled out directly replacing the XE and XF, but insiders say the brand is considering dramatic alternatives. 

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

Jaguar isn’t the only brand plotting huge transformations in the wake of Covid-19, as Bentley, another British brand chasing recovery, is also making changes. Unfortunately, the Crewe-based manufacturer is cutting back rather than expanding - at least 1000 jobs will be axed. Similarly, Aston Martin is also reducing its workforce by up to 500 workers.

Elsewhere, however, things are looking brighter. 4x4 fans will be pleased to hear that Jeep has updated its Compass with a new turbo petrol engine, Kia has updated its Picanto, Chevrolet has revealed European pricing for its new Corvette Stingray and the Government has granted a seven-month extension for driving licenses about to expire to help people adapt to travelling during lockdown. 

Also making moves in the right direction is Toyota, which has given the Hilux a makeover after four years on sale. Sadly, Lexus won’t be offering its next-generation IS saloon in the UK or Europe, but the outlook for the wider UK car industry is overall more positive - fives times as many cars were sold in May versus April.

In our analysis section, we sit down with Rolls-Royce’s chief designer to hear about the future of luxury vehicles, before catching up with Volvo UK boss Kristian Elvefors, who shares his thoughts on how coronavirus has impacted how marques sell cars.

-Reviews-

You’ve seen all the pretty press pictures, but this is the big one: the eighth-generation Volkswagen Golf gets driven on UK roads for the very first time. 

Then, we get Jazzy with Honda’s latest supermini. The Jazz now has a new hybrid powertrain and oodles of space, but has its overall appeal been significantly broadened? Our testers find out.

Another UK debut now, as we take the Vauxhall Corsa-E for a spin on UK turf and ask if it could become the best-selling electric car in Britain. Then, we trade up to the quirky Volkswagen T-Roc Cabriolet for the Autocar road test. Is the compact convertible the next niche to be conquered by the crossover SUV?

In the road test rewind, we look back on how one of our 2015 tests unearthed a major safety issue on the Suzuki Celerio. 

-Features-

This week’s features section kicks off with the hypercar-slaying Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsports. We get behind the wheel for a run around Silverstone.

Next, we hear from Citroen’s new head of design, Pierre Leclercq, who tells us about his life in 12 cars (unsurprisingly, there are quite a few Citroens).

Speaking of special cars, have you ever wondered how cars are designed, specifically Autocar’s renders? Our car designer, Ben Summerell-Youde, takes you through his process.

Then we examine 10 wonders of modern motoring, whose roots stretch back much further than you might think, and consider how the trend for unnecessarily large cars can be reversed - as well as what we can do to help that happen.

Damien Smith sets the pace in this week’s motorsport segment, with a consideration of the plight of Williams, we round up Williams’ top five F1 cars and we visit West Surrey Racing’s Sunbury-on-Thames base to gaup at the racing team’s trophy cabinets. 

Opinions

Matt Prior gets philosophical this week. He’s asking if your DB5 is a real one if Aston Martin built it from scratch in 2020. Steve Cropley, meanwhile, is pleased to see coronavirus spelling an end to old-style “launch tourism”, anticipates the start of the F1 season and explains why the Tesla Model 3 is still the go-to performance EV.

-Deals-

Should you ever change a newer car for an older one? It’s a tricky question, but James Ruppert has a very simple answer: absolutely. Volvos and Audis get his approval. In our nearly new guide, we’re shining a spotlight on the sporty Alfa Romeo Stelvio. Meanwhile, in our used guide, Felix Page tells you to join the 900 club. No, membership isn’t contingent on antics in a EasyJet aeroplane, though a mile high is what you’ll be feeling if you get your hands on a saucy Reliant Scimitar GTE.

-Where to buy-

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