Month: March 2019

It’s hard to ignore the rise of the crossover. Manufacturers certainly haven’t missed their overwhelming surge in popularity, with brands across the spectrum bringing their own crossover to market as quickly as possible.

But which ones are best? Luckily, there are plenty to choose from – and we’ve picked out some of the tip-top examples on sale today.

Seat Arona

The Arona is the smallest SUV-style car in the Spanish firm’s range, sitting underneath the larger Ateca. Its bigger brother has experienced plenty of success thanks to good build quality and even better value for money, and thankfully a lot of this has been transferred to the smaller Arona.

Because it’s based on the same platform as the compact Ibiza hatchback, it’s easy to park and nimble to drive around town. However, because a of bump in ride height, it’s got a slightly more commanding view of the road ahead compared to the Ibiza.

Lexus UX

The UX is one of Lexus’ latest offerings, and fortunately it’s a well-rounded effort from the premium car manufacturer. Only available with a hybrid powertrain, it’s a great option for those who want lower running costs along with the cutting-edge styling we associated with Lexus.

The UX’s interior build quality is top-notch too, and there’s even a more dynamic F-Sport version if you’re after a sportier-looking car.

Peugeot 3008

Peugeot knows a thing or two about making compact cars, and the 3008 is an example of how adept the French manufacturer is at this. Good looks, plenty of engine choices and a big helping of standard equipment make the 3008 one of the key contenders here.

It’s also very practical, with plenty space for rear-seat passengers and a decent boot to swallow up all of their luggage.

Volkswagen T-Roc

Volkswagen already has a strong crossover representation thanks to the Tiguan and T-Cross, but the T-Roc is one of the newest – and strongest – models to have entered the line-up recently. Inside, build quality is excellent and, though it may not be the most exciting of places to be, it’s all intuitively laid out.

A range of efficient engines help the T-Roc to feel more grown-up than its compact size may suggest, and there’s a new T-Roc R version for people who want a car with a lot more punch, too.

Ford Focus Active

Ford showed that it could take its regular models and give them a little more go-anywhere appeal with the Fiesta Active, and now it’s pulled the same trick with the larger Focus. The Active version gets rugged looks, a small bump in ride height and, though it doesn’t have four-wheel-drive, Ford has included some special tech to help the front wheels deal with slippery conditions.

There’s also a recently-introduced estate version of the Focus Active, which is a great option for those who want a touch more space over the regular hatch version.

BMW X2

Think BMW and what comes to mind? Tyre-shredding sports cars, or luxurious high-end saloons perhaps? While that may be the case most of the time, BMW has also turned its attention to the crossover segment with this, the X2. Though it may go against BMW tradition by being front-wheel-drive, it delivers one of the sportier drives in this segment thanks to decent grip levels and weighty steering.

It’s also got sharp styling, and a high-tech interior. Though of course, thanks to that BMW badge, it’s one of the pricer options on this list.

Audi Q2

In much the same vein as BMW’s X2, the Q5 is another premium offering when it comes to crossovers. It brings with it a higher level of in-car technology than found in rivals, as well as a more engaging drive.

The range of engines available is broad too – while the range-topping SQ2 can give most hot-hatches a run for their money when it comes to outright performance.

Kia Stonic

Kia’s Stonic may be a budget offering, but this makes it no less impressive than the rest of the cars on this list. It’s remarkably spacious, good to drive and brimmed with standard equipment. It also comes with Kia’s excellent seven-year warranty, taking the headache out of those initial years of ownership.

Despite being a car at the lower end of the price spectrum, it’s actually one of the better ones to drive thanks to well-weighted steering and a good gearbox.

Hyundai Kona Electric

Representing the electric car contingent is this, the Hyundai Kona Electric. The standard Kona is an excellent car in its own right, but the Electric version brings it bang up-to-date. Capable of driving up to 279 miles on a single charge (in the long-range version), it’s a car with very few of the drawbacks that you’d associate with a car you have to plug in.

Relative lack of range anxiety aside, the Kona Electric offers plenty of included equipment, as well as decent levels of interior space.

DS 3 Crossback

DS is making its mark as a standalone brand, and the 3 Crossback is its latest offering. Bringing the styling of the larger DS 7 Crossback but in a smaller package, it’s certainly one for those who are looking to stand out from the crowd.

The interior design is equally as quirky as the exterior styling, which separates it from the rest of the cars here.

The best things in life are free, right? And while road tax – or vehicle excise duty (VED) as it’s more appropriately known – is an inevitability for most, there are ways to avoid paying it.

You see, cars registered between February 2001 and April 2017 operate on a carbon-dioxide based system of road tax. Cars that emit more carbon dioxide pay more per year – simple. The real fun comes lower down in the range, though, as cars that emit less than 100g/km of carbon dioxide don’t pay any road tax at all.

This was a measure introduced to encourage manufacturers to produce lower-emissions vehicles, and it worked – in fact, the system only changed in 2017 because so many new cars weren’t paying anything. It means that for the used buyer, these models can be attractive and cost-effective. Here are some of the best used cars that won’t pay any road tax at all…

Mini Cooper D

The Mini may seem at its best when fitted with a perky, peppy petrol engine – but the diesel models are well worth a look-in, too. The 1.5-litre Cooper D is wonderfully efficient, especially on a long journey, and has enough performance to allow owners a lot of fun exploiting the car’s playful chassis. But it also qualifies for free road tax. Perfect.

BMW 320d EfficientDynamics

The BMW 320d has long been the default choice for a compact executive cruiser, and for good reason. It’s equal parts relaxed and dynamic, capable of being enjoyed on a back road as much as it makes whiling away a long motorway trip easy.

Skoda Octavia Estate 1.6 TDI Greenline

If you want practicality then look no further – Skoda’s Octavia may be the sister car to the Volkswagen Golf, but it offers as much passenger and boot space as cars from the class above. The 1.6-litre diesel engine in the tax-busting Greenline model isn’t exactly the last word in performance, but it’s smooth and torquey and more than a match for a fully loaded Octavia.

Kia Picanto

Maybe it’s obvious that the smallest cars on the market would qualify for free road tax, but city cars manage to do this with petrol rather than diesel power – ideal for those who cover mainly short journeys. The Picanto’s one of the best of the breed, with great handling and a well-appointed interior. Best of all, the majority will still be under Kia’s class-leading seven-year factory warranty.

VW up!

Though not all versions of the brilliant Volkswagen up! dip below 100g/km, the ones that do make a compelling case for city transport. The up! is one of the most practical city cars around, with genuine space for four adults. Best of all, it’s also brilliant to drive – supple suspension and a remarkable degree of finesse for such a tiny car.

Citroen C4 Grand Picasso 1.6 e-HDI

It’s remarkable that Citroen managed to get the emissions of its largest model, the C4 Grand Picasso, down to just 99g/km – but it did, and in doing so created a unique niche for the car as the only proper seven-seater that didn’t pay road tax. It’s also comfortable and for an MPV, particularly stylish. A good choice all round.

Toyota Prius

The Toyota Prius is the most famous hybrid around, as it truly pioneered the breed. The latest model – released in 2015 – is a strong contender when it comes to hybrid motoring, and it’s particularly well-known for its smooth powertrain and incredible longevity.

Jaguar XE 2.0d

You wouldn’t think that an executive saloon car would also qualify for tax-free motoring, would you? It’s the case with the Jaguar XE 2.0d, however. An excellent long-distance option, this will be a good choice for those who regularly undertake big-mileage journeys.

Fiat 500 TwinAir

Fiat’s cutesy 500 may have been around for some time now, but that doesn’t stop it from being a great choice for urban drivers. The TwinAir variant is another car which qualifies for zero road tax, and it’s a relatively good-value option on the used car market too.

Ford Fiesta 1.6 TDCi Econetic

Ford’s Fiesta has been, historically, one of the best-selling cars in the UK and it’s easy to see why. A great drive, plenty of equipment and a strong choice of engines make it a viable car for most. This TDCi Econetic version sweetens the deal even further thanks to, you guessed it, zero road tax.

What is it?

Honda knows a thing or two about making a hot hatch. There is of course the legendary Civic Type R, which has repeatedly been at the forefront of the market throughout its 18-year life in the UK (and 21 years globally), while Honda also produced what is widely regarded as the best-driving front-wheel-drive car ever made in the Integra.

Now, in a market dominated by crossovers and SUVs, it’s tried to bring a sprinkle of that magic to that segment with this — the HR-V Sport. Has it captured some of the spirit of its forefathers?

What’s new?

Ok so we’re not going to claim this is some full-blown hot compact crossover ‘Type R’ etc., but there’s certainly more to this HR-V Sport than just a racy-ish looking trim package.

We’ll go under the skin — with the Japanese firm’s strapping a turbo to its 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine here which, at least for the HR-V, is an exclusive to Sport grade. To help cope with introduction of ‘boost’, there’s been some real fettling of the suspension too.

Of course, there are visual changes — with new black gloss highlights to be found all round, as well as a honeycomb grille for a more impactful look.

What’s under the bonnet?

Powering our Honda HR-V Sport test car is a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine, which develops 180bhp and 240Nm, here sent to the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox (a CVT is also available).
The result is 0-60mph in a respectable 7.6 seconds, with a 134mph top speed also possible. As for efficiency, Honda claims 47.9mpg on the combined cycle while emitting 135g/km in CO2.

Performance is impressive, with strong low-range torque giving the HR-V a real punch when accelerating — although it quickly begins to fizzle out at about 5,000rpm. That said, for a slightly ‘warm’-ish crossover, it’s surprising and good fun — and has a sound lying on the right side of yobbish for something with the sport moniker. The six-speed gearbox’s short ratios lend well to it when looking for a bit of fun too, although its higher-revving nature can grow a tiresome on a longer cruise.

What’s it like to drive?

This may be a bit of a shock — it is to us too — but the HR-V’s ‘Sport’ credentials extend beyond marketing. It’s a genuine joy to drive, with steering well-weighted when pressing on and little in the way of body roll under harder cornering — yet its setup is soft enough to ensure it’s not overly firm.

Fling it into a corner and the chassis is happily to play around too, with enough slip at the rear to almost convince you this could be a baby Type R and leave you laughing all the way down a b road, but not so much to get into real trouble.

It’s not flawless though. It’s not a real cruising car, with plenty of wind noise and its peaky engine making it hard to pitch as a motorway cruiser — although it’s fine around town, an area where the HR-V has always excelled.

How does it look?

To the untrained eye, this is just going to look like any other HR-V in the range — but Honda has indeed made some tweaks to try and make the Sport stand out from the crowd.

Most noticeable is the array of gloss black highlights in place of chrome trim around the car, while a honeycomb grille takes centre stage. That and its 18-inch alloy wheels aside though, there’s not too much to separate it from the regular HR-V. A model-specific Modern Steel Metallic paint finish is also available at a £525 for those wanting to go a little bit off the beaten path.

We wouldn’t call it an ugly car, but the HR-V Sport is quite comfortably going to blend in with its surroundings in a queue of traffic. It’s a car that simply looks designed to be inoffensive, and that’s just fine — but we would like to have a seen a little more aggression for the Sport considering how well the mechanical changes have come off.

What’s it like inside?

There’s no radical changes to the interior of the Honda HR-V Sport, although a new black fabric and dark red faux leather combination interior is available in the car. It looks great at a first glance, although in typical budget Japanese car fashion, that’s undone when it comes to the touch.

While feeling robust, there’s certainly an element of cheapness to the way the materials feel thanks to hard plastics, a not particularly convincing leather-effect and clunky controls in the centre. At least it should hold up for an eternity.

When it comes to space, five can be seated in the HR-V — although we suspect not particularly comfortably if you’re planning for three adults in the back row, while the boot offers up 470 litres in capacity with all seats in place. That eclipses the Nissan Juke’s 354 litres and Mazda CX-3’s 350 litres.

What’s the spec like?

On top of all the go-faster bits, Honda has brought a generous level of equipment for no extra cost on the HR-V Sport. Luxury items include LED headlights, ‘smoked’ taillights, heated seats, automatic wipers, adaptive cruise control and its ‘Connect’ infotainment system displayed on a seven-inch display with Garmin satellite navigation.

There is also Honda’s ‘Sensing’ suite of safety kit — bringing forward collision warning, lane keep assist and departure warning, traffic sign recognition and collision mitigation braking at no premium.

It is however a £27,595 car, or, with premium paint as tested, a £28,120 car. Considering the base price for a non-Sport HR-V is £19,795, you’d have to be really keen on the extra performance to opt for this. Alternatively, if you want a quick-ish crossover, a dealer-stock Nissan Juke Nismo RS can be found for £23k-ish — and that’s got 30bhp more.

Verdict

Honda has made something seriously fun and genuinely interesting in the HR-V Sport. It’s a car that was once just another crossover – neither particularly outstanding nor dreadful – which now has an appealing option in its range that will put actual smiles on anyone’s face on the right road, just as long as it’s kept in mind this is no HR-V Type R, as mad as that concept sounds.

It does come at something of a cost though, so we reiterate that this is only really worth considering above other HR-Vs if performance is on your list.

FACTS AT A GLANCE

Model as tested: Honda HR-V Sport
Price: £27,595
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol
Power (bhp): 180
Torque (Nm): 240
Max speed (mph): 134
0-60mph: 7.6
MPG: 47.9
Emissions (g/km): 135

McLaren and Lego have teamed up for something really ambitious – a full-sized model of the Senna supercar, built from hundreds of thousands of Lego bricks.

It’s not the first time Lego has turned its hand to building cars, as back in 2017 the brands teamed up to represent the 720S in brick form. Both the 720S and the Senna are also available in smaller-form Speed Champions kits, suitable for home use – but the full-sized models are intended to be ferried around to McLaren promotional events worldwide.

A team of 42 Lego workers toiled for a total of 4,935 man-hours to create the Senna – a far cry from the 300 hours it usually takes to hand-build a Senna on McLaren’s production line. The finished product incorporates a staggering 467,854 individual Lego bricks and weighs in at 1,700kg. That’s 500kg more than a regular Senna.

The Lego Senna is the first such model to use parts from a real car – intended to make the experience more immersive by allowing young fans to actually sit inside the model. It uses a carbon-fibre driving seat, steering wheel and pedals from the real Senna, giving the cabin an interesting two-tone effect as the real parts blend with their Lego equivalents.

The model rides on the same wheels and Pirelli tyres as the full-sized original, and McLaren’s fitted authentic badging too.

The whole vehicle is finished in Victory Grey with contrasting orange highlights – the same colour scheme as found on the Speed Champions model. McLaren says that young owners of the 15cm toy set will have a ‘magical double-take moment’ when they see its full-sized equivalent.

The Lego Senna will be on display at many events throughout 2019, starting with the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July.

The European New Car Assessment Programme, or Euro NCAP for short, is the premier car safety testing organisation in our region. It takes several examples of every new, volume-produced car on sale in Europe and puts them through a series of taxing crash tests to highlight any that might be unsafe for their occupants.

Cars are rated in four categories, before being awarded an overall star rating out of five. Car manufacturers are keen to chase this full five-star approval, as it’s a big selling point to be used in marketing exercises.

But how does Euro NCAP test its cars? We reveal all…

Adult and child occupant tests

The first two scores of any Euro NCAP results refer to the car’s ability to keep its occupants in both rows of seats safe in the event of a crash. Cars are put through four main tests.

The first involves running into a deformable concrete barrier, offset to the driver’s side of the car. The test takes place at 40mph. Two adult dummies sit in the front seats, and two child dummies sit in appropriate child seats in the rear.

The second test is a full-width frontal impact at 31mph, into a rigid barrier. This test takes place with ‘small female’ dummies in the driver and rear passenger seats.

Both of these tests put the car’s whole crash structure under scrutiny. Everything, from the rigidity of the passenger cell to the effectiveness of the seatbelts is monitored by sensors and cameras, and the dummies are all fitted with sophisticated equipment to decipher whether the forces acting on them would result in an injury.

Side impacts are then tested. The car is stationary, and a wheeled rig is crashed into the side at 31mph – with a structure on the front to simulate a car of similar size and weight, as if it were being t-boned at a junction. The intrusion of the rig into the vehicle, and how well the impact is controlled.

Finally, the car is placed onto a moveable platform and slammed sideways into a rigid pole, as if it had left the road and skid sideways into a lamp-post. Again, intrusion into the car and the effectiveness of side and head protection airbags is crucial.

Finally, the seats are tested for their effectiveness in protecting occupants from whiplash.

Pedestrian safety tests

These tests involve firing simulated body parts into the front of the car – no, it’s not as mad as it sounds. Portions of a dummy simulate the upper and lower legs as well as the head, and are fired into the car’s front as they would be in a 25mph impact.

Safety aids test

This is an area of testing that’s become far more important in recent years – as cars become ever more sophisticated, more and more include autonomous safety aids such as automatic emergency braking, speed alert, attention assist and lane-keeping assist.

Where these systems are present, Euro NCAP tests them with a selection of adult, child, and cyclist dummies, as well as imitation cars. Autonomous braking is tested at a selection of speeds to simulate urban and faster roads, while pedestrians are tested in a variety of situations.

There are car manufacturers world-renowned for making exciting, four-wheeled products. They make cars which are snapped up left, right and centre, and provide mobility for thousands of people across the globe.

However, many of these firms also turn their attention to motorbikes – and you may not know which ones have taken things onto two wheels, as well as four. Let’s take a look.

BMW

BMW is one of the biggest carmakers around, but it is also well-versed in making motorbikes every bit as capable as its road cars. It has a long history of all things two-wheeled, having first created a motorcycle back in 1921.

Now, it creates a range of impressive and versatile motorbikes, ranging from go-anywhere adventure bikes to razor-edged track monsters.

Suzuki

While most people when they think of Suzuki will imagine cars such as the Swift, Vitara and Jimny, to many others it’ll throw up images of motorcycles such as the GSX-R or V-Strom. As well as its road cars, Suzuki offers a wide and varied line-up of motorcycles, too.

In a similar vein to BMW, Suzuki has a rich and varied history when it comes to all things two-wheeled, having created its first motorcycle back in 1952.

KTM

KTM is a name that’ll be familiar to most motorcycle riders. It creates some capable dirt bikes, as well as tourers and adventure bikes. In short, it has pretty much all bases covered when it comes to motorcycles.

But KTM creates cars too. Well, just one; the X-Bow – a track-ready sports car which looks almost as extreme as the company’s motorcycles. An all carbon-fibre construction means it’s exceptionally light, while a 2.0-litre petrol engine ensures it’s punchy, too.

Ariel

Ariel, the UK-based sports car manufacturer, has already made an impact with its mid-engined Atom; a stripped back, lightweight sports car capable of outperforming and out-accelerating even the most powerful of supercars.

But as well as the Atom and off-road Nomad, Ariel has turned its attention to bikes too. It makes the Ace, a sports bike just as wild as its road cars. And, like its cars, it utilises a Honda-sourced powertrain, too.

Honda

Honda creates motorised products of nearly every type; boats, generators and even high-powered jets feature the famous red branding. But, though Honda is renowned around the world for its cars, the manufacturer actually started things off with motorcycles, back in 1949.

Today, it continues to create two-wheeled products, alongside its ever-expanding range of road cars.

Cars often seem pretty straightforward. Four or five seats (maybe more), an engine at the front and four wheels spinning underneath. For designers, it must be a straightforward process too – which is they often hide features – or ‘Easter Eggs’ – within their cars to keep things interesting.

All manner of cars have the secret touches – let’s take a look at some of them.

Jeep Renegade Lights

Jeep’s dinky Renegade takes on the retro looks of the Wrangler but in a much smaller package. It’s also brimmed with all manner of styling nods to the past – in particular these, the rear lights.

Though there are a variety of other neat touches throughout the Renegade, these are two of the largest. The rear lights use the ‘x’ symbol found on the petrol cans which were strapped to the side of the Willys Jeep during World War Two.

Jaguar windscreen motif

The E-Pace – Jaguar’s baby SUV – comes with a small feature which, unless you look closely, you probably won’t have spotted. At the edge of the windscreen, there’s a little Jaguar cub following a much larger, fully-grown silhouette of the animal.

It’s a nod towards the E-Pace’s position in the range, where it sits underneath the larger F-Pace in Jaguar’s series of SUV models.

Ford GT headlights

When Ford decided to reimagine the iconic GT40 supercar to celebrate its 100th birthday, it ended up with the striking GT. It more than resembled the original, albeit in a scaled-up and more modern way.

Because it was created to celebrate Ford’s centennial year, the American car manufacturer decided to include a nod to the achievement by including the ‘100’ figures in the headlights. Look closely and you’ll see them.

Vauxhall Corsa ‘shark’

The Vauxhall Corsa may be one of the most popular cars in the UK, but certain ages of this well-liked motor feature a hidden touch too.

The 2004 model year Corsa (and many models after it) has, if you open the glovebox, a shark design integrated into the hinges. Blink and you’ll miss it; and we’ll imagine many owners have easily looked past this small Easter egg. It was reportedly placed there after somebody dared the designer to sneak a shark into production. Look carefully, and you’ll find sharks on a few other Vauxhall models, too.

McLaren P1 – headlight shape

The McLaren P1 was a significant point in the development of the British firm as a manufacturer of road-going vehicles, which looked to replicate its famous F1 with this car.

The P1 also offered a nod to its creators in the styling, with a headlight design that replicates its logo. The origins of the logo itself can be traced back to Formula One aerodynamics, but it fits in well when applied to this design.

French car manufacturers may have poor reputations for boring things such as reliability, dependability, or build quality, but there are several areas where they excel. Innovation, for a start — French cars often debuted or popularised some of the techniques or features that are commonplace on cars today, such as front-wheel drive or the turbocharged hot hatchback.

Cars from our continental neighbours are also, quite often, staggeringly beautiful. You only need to look at some of the vehicles below to know that France has a sense of style that’s hard to find anywhere else.

But, given a good budget of £20,000, what are the best French classics you can buy today? Read on to find out…

Peugeot 504 Coupe

Peugeot’s 504 is one of Africa’s favourite cars of all time — many examples are still chewing up the roads out there today, with insane mileages on the odometer. But along with the practical estate and saloon models, Peugeot also made the Coupe — and by god, was it gorgeous. And styled by Italians. Well, you can’t win them all.

A classically slinky silhouette, rakish roofline and simple yet dramatic styling means these are real standouts, while proven underpinnings meant they were dependable too. Right-hand drive models are rare, but you should be able to pick up a good example on the continent for around £12,000.

Citroen DS

Is there any French car more iconic than the Citroen DS? Named for the French word for ‘goddess’ — déesse — this gorgeous vehicle had technology that’s not even a given today, including fully independent hydraulic suspension, swivelling headlights and a padded dashboard for rudimentary crash protection.

The DS was produced for many years, making finding an example fairly easy. Repairs can be expensive, especially to the hydraulic system, but around £10,000 should buy you a working example that will be mechanically complete if in need of a little TLC.

Citroen HY van

Chances are you’re already familiar with the Citroen HY van. Simply head to any festival, village fete or vegan barbecue and you’ll find one converted to a food truck or coffee shop. They’re arguably some of the most iconic commercial vehicles ever — after the VW Microbus, that is.

Converted examples can easily fetch in excess of £30,000, depending on the quality of the work inside, but a running example in great condition will only be about half of that. And their popularity means you’ll have no trouble finding a garage to work on it or components to fit.

Renault Avantime

The most modern car on this list, the Avantime was Renault at its quirky best. Looking back, the idea was insane — take the platform from the Espace MPV, and fit a gorgeous two-door coupe body on top. Add in giant frameless windows and a huge sunroof, and you’ve got all the best bits of a convertible, paired to sharp-edged styling.

In reality, the Avantime was never a great seller, but that means they’re bargains today — and appreciating all the time. Ropy examples will fetch £3,000 now, but keep it tidy and you’re unlikely ever to lose money. Spend closer to £8,000 and you’ll have your pick of Avantimes — and given their proven Renault mechanicals, maintenance shouldn’t be an issue.

Renault Alpine GTA

The Alpine GTA was a facelifted and modernised version of the old Alpine A310, and retained that car’s unconventional rear-engined V6 layout. Though the car’s slippery shape and decent power output ensured good performance, its handling was the real highlight.

Turbo models are sought-after and right-hand drive examples seriously rare. However, go out armed with a £15k budget and you’ll have your pick of the few examples on our shores. Head across the channel and you might get even luckier.

Peugeot 205 GTI

The myth, the legend, the 205 GTI. Is this the best hot hatchback of all time? … actually, that’s a rhetorical question, because of course it is. The 205 GTI had it all — great looks, willing engines, and incredible handling that taught an entire generation of teenagers how to steer on the throttle.

Our budget opens up almost the whole market to you, and unless you seriously overpay you’re very unlikely to lose any money. Interiors can be expensive to refit, so look for a tidy one and rust is always a bugbear on French cars of this age, so check carefully.

Renault 5 GT Turbo

The 205 GTI may be the most legendary hot hatch, but the 5 GT Turbo runs it bloody close. Exceptional mid-range punch from its turbocharged engine and forgiving suspension actually made it an easier daily drive than the Pug.

Although it didn’t look as nice, and it’s not as well regarded, it’s certainly no cheaper. You’ll be looking at the wrong side of £10,000 for a good example. Worth it? We say definitely.

Panhard 24

The French tradition of advanced engineering and forward-thinking in fairly common, workaday vehicles is exemplified in the Panhard 24. Here was a car that was so advanced in its aerodynamics that a mere 848cc air-cooled two-cylinder engine gave it performance comparable to any British competitor with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder.

The 24 was the last car Panhard built before concentrating on military vehicles, and it’s quite a rare beast now. If you can find one, £20k should pay for it — plus some light restoration.

Matra-Simca Bagheera

Three-abreast seating doesn’t have to be the preserve of just the McLaren F1 or the Fiat Multipla. A little-known French sports car also featured it — the Matra-Simca Bagheera. Thanks to a lightweight fibreglass body, the car’s dinky 1.3 and 1.5-litre engines were more than capable of pulling it along.

Quality wasn’t exactly stunning, and so Bagheeras are rare beasts today. Find one, though, and you’ll be driving one of the rarest cars on British roads.

Citroen Traction Avant

The Citroen Traction Avant (or ‘front-wheel drive’, translated literally) set the mould for three major innovations in car design. Monocoque body construction, front-wheel drive and four-wheel independent suspension were unheard of back in the 1930s, and they gave this car a unique selling point.

It remained in production for more than 20 years in one form or another, a testament to its forward-thinking approach. £20,000 will buy you a tidy example.

As motorists we’ve become accustomed to certain features being fitted to our cars as standard. Little touches which make our motoring lives a little easier, a little safer or – if anything – just a little more interesting.

However, though some of these technologies may be commonplace nowadays, they had some special beginnings, in some pretty special cars. Let’s take a look at them.

Keyless entry – W220 Mercedes S-Class

Keyless entry is a common feature on modern cars. Turning a key in the barrel to get a car started is old-school nowadays; it’s far more fitting to spark an engine into life by pressing a button, the key safely stowed away in your pocket.

But this technology hasn’t always been around. In fact, it first showed up back in 1998 in the Mercedes S Class – a car which has, time after time, debuted some cutting-edge tech. This isn’t the last time we’ll see it on this list, either.

Tyre pressure monitoring system – Porsche 959

There was a time when you checked the amount of air in your tyres by attaching it to a valve metal valve, and though this is still commonplace in garages, it’s been replaced in the cars themselves by tyre pressure monitoring systems. A light on the dashboard, or even an alert in the in-car computer now shows you when your pressures are low, or when you’ve got a puncture.

This technology was first introduced by the groundbreaking Porsche 959 – a car which was particularly cutting-edge when it was introduced in the late 1980s. It’s a system which is now fitted to all manner of cars, from the humble hatchback right up to the top-notch supercar.

Around-view monitoring system – Infinti EX

Around-view monitoring systems are a helpful bit of technology available on a lot of new cars – particularly larger ones which take a little more effort to park or position. And though the system is available on plenty of new cars – both budget and premium – there was a time when it could only be specified on just one.

That was the Infiniti EX. Back in 2008, it was the very first production car to use the technology, utilising a series of cameras dotted around the car to provide a single ‘birds eye’ view of the car, relayed to the driver via a central screen.

Adaptive Cruise Control – Mercedes S Class

Yes, we said that the Mercedes S Class would be appearing in this list again – and here it is. Back in 1999, Mercedes implemented its ‘Distronic’ cruise control system, and it was first time that the radar-controlled technology had been fitted to a passenger car. Now, it’s commonplace to have cars which slow and speed themselves up to speeds set by the driver.

We’ll add something in. Toyota did preview a similar system a year earlier, but this utilised lasers instead of radar – and it was only available on the Celsior, which didn’t come to the UK.

Satellite navigation – BMW 7 Series (E38)

These days, few people would manage to get behind the wheel and get to an unknown location without help from a satellite navigation system. Not only do they show you where to go, but they estimate arrival times and inform of traffic en-route, too.

The first time it appeared, on European roads at least, was in 1994 on BMW’s then-brand new 7 Series. Developed with Philips, it was the first time that whoever was behind the wheel could enter a destination and have the route mapped out for them. Again, a caveat; this technology did appear on other cars earlier on, but none came to the UK.

We’re all familiar with car manufacturers teaming up. Sometimes it’s bourne out of necessity – struggling car makers with weak balance books end up joining forces in a bid to produce volume models that they need to stay afloat. Sometimes, it’s done for convenience, such as on occasions when it’s far simpler to borrow or buy another manufacturer’s tech than to develop it yourself.

Partnerships can be anything from full badge-engineering to simply sharing a few bits of switchgear. However, it often occurs between brands you’d never expect. Here are some of the most unexpected instances of cars being related…

Volkswagen Touareg – Lamborghini Urus

Sitting at two ends of the badging spectrum, you might not expect a Lamborghini to share parts from a humble Volkswagen. But a lot about the VW Touareg and Lambo’s Urus are similar; both sit on the same PL73 platform, and share this with the Audi Q7 and Bentley Bentayga too.

The Urus uses a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine which you won’t find in the Volkswagen, though it, again, shares this with another Volkswagen Group stablemate – the Porsche Cayenne Turbo.

BMW Z4 – Morgan Plus Six

Morgan has famously used BMW-sourced engines for some time; its Plus 8 model used one of the Bavarian manufacturer’s V8 powerplants for several years. But, when that ceased production, Morgan needed a new way of powering their flagship model, which is why you’ll find the turbocharged straight-six engine from BMW’s current Z4 in its all-new Plus Six.

On the old Plus 8 it was hard to notice that the engine was straight from BMW, however on the Plus Six it’s a bit more obvious – the prominent ZF gearshifter in the middle of the car is the same as the one you’ll find on the current-generation 5 Series, among others.

Subaru Impreza – Saab 9-2X Aero

On paper, the Saab 9-2X Aero spec sheet would raise some eyebrows. An all-wheel drive Saab wagon powered by a four-cylinder boxer engine? Surely not.

However, once you work out that – beyond some gentle styling changes – the 9-2X is essentially just a Subaru Impreza, the dots are connected fairly easily.

Saab, an at-the-time a General Motors-owned brand, was well-versed in sharing platforms with other entities from its parent firm’s umbrella by the time this car arrived in 2005. And, since Subaru’s parent firm was 20 per cent owned by GM at the time, this exercise was just another example of that.

Tesla Roadster – Lotus Elise

Back before Tesla’s rise to worldwide fame, it needed some help with producing one of its first all-electric sports cars – the Roadster. It’s why the California-based technology company entered an agreement with Lotus, the famous British sports car maker.

Lotus helped create a new chassis for the Roadster, which shared some parts with the Elise of the time. Features such as the windscreen and some suspension components were shared with the British two-seater, for instance.

DeLorean – Renault

The DeLorean is arguably one of Northern Ireland’s most famous exports. It had all the ingredients for success – rakish styling, remarkable brushed-aluminium bodywork and a mid-mounted V6 engine.

The origins of that V6, though? Not exactly glamorous. The PRV engine, as it was christened, was a joint project between Peugeot, Renault and Volvo, and tended to be applied to big, lazy luxury cars rather than sports models. It put out just 130bhp. It was also paired to a rather sub-par Renault gearbox.

Proton Satria Neo – Lotus

When Proton debuted the Satria in 2006, it owned Lotus, so it made sense to perform a little brand synergy by way of using the British firm’s renowned handling and setup abilities for the then-new supermini.

By all accounts, this actually worked well, so while the Satria Neo never set the world alight against more refined competition, it did take incredibly well to being flung around twisty roads and roundabouts.

Ford Mondeo — Aston Martin DB9

When Aston Martin launched the DB9 in 2003, it was still a part of the now-crumbled Premier Automotive Group empire owned by Ford. Parts sharing between the Premier brands including Aston, Volvo, Jaguar and Land Rover was not uncommon, but few realise the ties between the Ford Mondeo and Aston’s flagship ‘00s grand tourer.

The DB9’s 6.0-litre V12 was lauded for its sound and performance, but few remember – or perhaps, few choose to acknowledge – that the engine is essentially just a pair of Ford Duratec 3.0-litre V6s welded together.

Which bonnet did that V6 start to reside under just a year prior? The rather less James Bond-worthy Mondeo ST220.