AUTO EXPRESS GROUP TEST FIAT 500 V'S RIVALS!!!
Fiat’s reborn 500 is the most stylish city car of the moment. How does it compare to its rivals in the UK?
SMALL cars are Fiat’s business. The firm builds the Bravo family hatch and even sells the Multipla compact MPV, but it takes its identity from the cramped streets of its Turin home.
The place inspired Dante Giacosa to create the Fiat 500 in 1957. It was a huge success, with 3.9 million sold over its 18-year life. Yet the original was conceived as a car to get the masses moving, rather than an urban fashion accessory. In that, it differs from the all-new model. No car has been as hyped since the MINI arrived nearly seven years ago.
Designed in-house by Fiat Centro Stile, the 500 comes with three engine options and three trims, as well as huge scope for personalisation. Prices start at only £7,900.
That means it undercuts its nearest rival by a large margin. The entry-level MINI costs £11,625, and is notoriously poorly equipped. But any owner will tell you it’s cheap to run and great to live with.
The Smart ForTwo doesn’t stir such passion, yet it’s still a success story. Sales were up 35 per cent in 2007 – largely due to the arrival of the second-generation model.
So the Fiat is in for a rough ride as it meets these two rivals in its first right-hand-drive UK test. Let’s see just how good the cute 500 really is.
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AUTO EXPRESS GROUP TEST JAGUAR XF V'S RIVALS!!!
Jaguar hopes to shake up the executive sector with the new XF. We find out if it can beat its key rivals.
THE XF has landed. And you’ll know from last week’s first drive that we rate the exciting new saloon very highly indeed. But does that mean Jaguar has finally built a car capable of taking on and beating the world’s best executive models?
There’s only one way to find out: we’ve conducted an exclusive UK group test, pitching the Jaguar against its most talented and direct rivals from Mercedes and BMW.
And where better to start our three-day test than Coventry, Jaguar’s ancestral home? Especially since 2008 marks 80 years since the firm first set up shop in the city.
While cars are no longer built at the historic Browns Lane site, the brand still has a strong presence in the area – the XF was developed at the Whitley Engineering Centre on the outskirts of the city. Jaguar’s future may be uncertain, but the four-door is a product of the Midlands – and the most important model in the firm’s history. While the XK coupé is sublime, it’s not meant as a volume seller. The XF is, and needs to show there is life left in the Jaguar brand.
To that end it has a unique interior and shares its aluminium suspension with the £60,000 XK. And yet XF prices start at £33,900 for this 2.7D Luxury. That makes it the cheapest car here as it meets the BMW 525d and Mercedes E280 CDI. Together, they will test every aspect of the new Brit. Can it survive the onslaught?
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AUTO EXPRESS GROUP TEST AUDI A4 V'S RIVALS!!!
Audi’s latest A4 promises much. Can it deliver as it meets rivals from BMW, Mercedes... and Ford?
BACK when the first copy of Auto Express hit the shelves 20 years ago, Audi was a much smaller firm. In 1988, it sold 18,586 cars here.
Last year, though, it broke the 100,000 barrier for the first time in the UK. Cars such as the R8, Q7 and A5 are pushing the brand into fresh markets, but the A4 is still its biggest seller. And the launch of a new version is vital for the marque’s continued success.
Here we test the latest A4 against two key rivals – popular 2.0-litre diesel versions of the BMW 3-Series and Mercedes C-Class. Also lining up alongside these premium saloons is the Ford Mondeo. It’s no compact executive, but we think it’s good enough to mix it with such upmarket machines – and may spring a few surprises.
Copy the link for more details!!! http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/grouptests/217320/audi_a4_vs_rivals.html
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TOP GROUP TEST 2007 RESULTS by Auto Express
Check out the Auto Express Top Group Car Tests during 2007.
We put the best cars head-to-head each week.
Here we look back at the highlights of the year.....
from Supermini's to Super Cars!!!
Copy the link for more details!!! http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/grouptests/213672/top_tests_07.html
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MANUFACTURERES LAUNCHES INFORMATION!!!!!
AUTUMN 2007 - Smart Fortwo, Renault Twingo RHD, NEW Renault Laguna & Volkswagen Marakesh SUV
OCTOBER 2007 - Toyota Yaris SR
LATE 2007 - Fiat 500, NEW Vauxhall Vectra & Mitusubishi LanceR 2008 - NEW Saab 9-5 Range
**CHECK OUT OUR LATEST CONTRACT HIRE & PERSONAL CONTRACT HIRE OFFERS**
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