Author: Darren Cassey

The coronavirus pandemic has caused something of a sales crisis across many industries, and the latest figures from the UK show the automotive sector is one of the hardest hit.

Sales in March were down 44 per cent compared with the previous year, far worse than the impact of the 2008 financial crisis, because dealerships have shut down. Figures from France and Italy, which saw drops of 85 and 72 per cent respectively, indicate the misery is set to continue into April in the UK, with those countries going into lockdown before us.

However, despite the doom and gloom, there was some positivity to be found, with reasonably priced family cars continuing to do well. Here are the 10 best-selling cars from March.

Volkswagen Golf – 7,103

Volkswagen’s hugely popular hatchback continues to be the go-to car when a safe and secure purchase is needed. It’s being boosted by a new model having been released, which also sees old stock sold off with some great deals. It’s the second-best-selling car of the year, too.

Ford Fiesta – 6,687

Ever-present in the UK’s best-selling lists, the Ford Fiesta is still at the sharp end of the sales charts. Its combination of affordability and best-in-class driving characteristics make it a no-brainer for buyers who want something small, economical, but still practical and well-made.

Mini – 6,019

Another British icon, Mini’s small hatchback saw itself rise up the rankings last month to take third after being seventh in the yearly rankings. Despite the financial restrictions many are facing, this premium city car is clearly still striking a chord with buyers, bolstered perhaps by its excellent reputation.

Ford Focus – 5,985

One of the most popular family cars the UK has ever seen, the Focus retains its spot in the best sellers list. Like the Fiesta, the fact buyers can trust that it will be well made and economical to run while costing less than many less-established rivals makes it mighty appealing.

Nissan Qashqai – 5,907

The car that’s often credited with kick-starting the crossover boom, the Qashqai finds itself filling out the top five. The latest model comes with Nissan’s vast suite of safety systems and driver aids that are usually reserved for more expensive rivals, making it feel like great value for money for safety-conscious families.

Vauxhall Corsa – 5,820

While used examples are often associated with rowdy youths, the recently introduced new Corsa is a far more grown-up affair. Benefiting from Vauxhall’s new Groupe PSA ownership, it looks smart, has plenty of on-board technology, and it’s even available with an all-electric version for zero-emissions motoring.

Mercedes-Benz A-Class – 5,351

Much like the Mini, the A-Class represents a more affordable entry to premium brand ownership. The latest model has moved the game on considerably, featuring one of the most impressive and tech-heavy interiors in the segment.

Kia Sportage – 4,988

The SUV segment is big business, and Kia has made an absolute winner with the Sportage, which brings all of the big car features you could want into an affordable package without scrimping on quality. It’s recently had a small update, too, with a new mild-hybrid engine offered.

Tesla Model 3 – 4,718

Tesla’s affordable electric car for the people has proved its place on the best-sellers list was not just a flash in the pan. Falling under ‘other’ in the sales charts because Tesla doesn’t officially reveal its data, the Model 3 is hugely appealing to EV buyers because even in its ‘basic’ £40k form it’s fast and full of tech, with tonnes of brand appeal. Tesla’s ‘no dealership’, online-first buying process arguably made it more resistant to shutdowns, too.

Range Rover Evoque – 4,399

Another car that’s seen an update fairly recently, the Evoque proves premium SUVs don’t have to be the preserve of the rich elite. With smart styling and a fancy interior, it’s easy to see why British buyers are queuing up to support this British brand’s best-seller.

The Volkswagen Transporter holds the record for the world’s longest production run for a commercial vehicle as it celebrates 70 years since the first model was built.

It has seen many iterations since first entering the world in March 1950, and is perhaps best known for its cult classic camper configurations. However, it is now one of the best-selling vans on the market.

First introduced to the world as a van prototype in 1949, the first ‘T1’ production models were built between 1950 and 1957. Using a rear-mounted Beetle engine and gearbox, it was offered as a panel van, passenger van and eight-seat bus. In 1951, the iconic Samba model was revealed with all-round windows and a sunroof.

The T2 generation, built from 1967 to 1979, saw minor upgrades fitted across the range, with the pop-up roof camper van a particular hit with buyers. It was also well ahead of its time, with an all-electric version going on sale.

Between 1979 and 1992 the T3 was built with a wider body, more passenger and cargo space, and a diesel engine. In 1985 it was updated to include catalytic converters, turbochargers and all-wheel drive.

The first model to look similar to what we know the Transporter as today was the T4, introduced in 1990, being front-engined and front-wheel drive for the first time. From 2003 to 2015, the T5 was offered with improved interiors, a variety of petrol and diesel engines and all-wheel drive options.

The latest generation T6 was introduced in 2015 and received a facelift last year. These vans feature more car-like cabins, advanced safety equipment and digital connectivity.

With the real motorsport world in coronavirus-enforced lockdown, online racing has seen a surge in popularity. F1 has jumped on the bandwagon to host its first Virtual Grand Prix to replace the postponed Bahrain Grand Prix.

The event saw a combination of former and existing F1 drivers, such as Nicholas Latifi and Nico Hulkenberg, take on YouTube gamers such as Jimmy Broadbent and ‘Cyanide’. Even a few celebrities such as singer Liam Payne, golfer Ian Poulter, and F1 legend Johnny Herbert got behind the ‘wheel’ for the event.

Current McLaren F1 driver Lando Norris was the big-name draw, though, bridging the gap between competitors after having amassed a huge online following for his virtual racing streams as well as his real-world exploits.

Here are some of the highlights on and off the track from a chaotic Bahrain Virtual Grand Prix.

Lando Norris has technical difficulties

Regular viewers of Norris’s Twitch streams will know he has technical difficulties from time to time, specifically with the F1 2019 game randomly quitting while he’s streaming. It happened during qualifying for the Virtual Grand Prix, forcing him to start last.

However, to add insult to injury, it happened again during the formation lap for the race, leaving Norris with his head in his hands and out of the race. Temporarily, at least…

Lando Norris phones a friend

With Norris starting from the back of the grid, he decided to call a few friends for advice. Fellow F1 driver Max Verstappen had some wise words, suggesting he should just turn off his computer and watch everyone else.

However, after calling various McLaren team members for strategy advice, Lando saved his best insult for good friend and fellow F1 racer George Russell, who has struggled for pace in a poor Williams F1 team. He said: “I’m starting last on the grid and I wanted to call the person with the most experience starting from the back row of the grid”.

Chaotic start

With a wide variety of sim racing experience and abilities, a chaotic start was perhaps not surprising.

A massive incident happened before they’d even reached the first corner, with Nico Hulkenberg and Luca Salvadori bumping wheels causing the former to spear across the track, taking out Dino Beganovic in the process.

Then, a few corners down the line, Esteban Gutierrez tangled with Nicholas Latifi sending both into the wall with debris flying across the track.

Johnny Herbert gets creative

Few would have expected F1 legend Johnny Herbert to be at the sharp end of the racing, but by turn two he was out in front – after qualifying 16th.

Had he simply capitalised on the chaos at the start? No, the 55-year-old had massively cut the first corner by simply driving across the grass. He received a 10-second penalty for cheating and was quickly overtaken by the leaders, ultimately finishing outside the top 10.

Landobot makes moves

With Lando getting booted out of the race his car came under the control of the game’s ‘artificial intelligence’. It meant that his computer-controlled McLaren became a ‘ghost’ that other drivers couldn’t interact with, meaning it dodged all the early crashes to find itself in fourth place when Lando got back in and running.

Other racers were quick to praise Landobot, with Jimmy Broadbent noting that he’d tried to overtake but was outbraked into the corner.

Esteban Gutierrez vs. Nico Hulkenberg

Once the chaos died down and the field spread out the battles became fascinating. Former F1 drivers Gutierrez and Hulkenberg were involved in the overtake of the race, with an incredible dummy by the former that saw him sneak up the inside into turn one on lap 11.

The drivers then went toe-to-toe through the next two corners before Hulkenberg stole the spot back in the DRS zone.

Jimmy Broadbent vs. Lando Norris

The battle of the race saw YouTuber Broadbent – famous for streaming his races from a shed in his mum’s garden – go up against McLaren F1 star Norris.

In the final lap of the race, Norris caught Broadbent out into turn one with a fantastic move around the outside that looked to seal the deal. However, he lost the place in the DRS zone before cutting back once more to regain it in the following corner.

The pair then went side by side through the curves somehow avoiding contact, again going side by side into turn 10, where Norris baited Broadbent into braking too deep into the corner to take his place once more.

It all came to a head into the final corner with Broadbent attempting a move around the outside. The pair touched as Norris moved across to defend leaving the F1 star in the wall and settling for fifth.

Guanyu Zhou wins

Far out in front was Chinese racer Guanyu Zhou, who competes for Renault in Formula 2. Following early battles with GT racer Philipp Eng, Zhou had a strong race that saw him push on to a commanding win ahead of Stoffel Vandoorne in second and Eng in third.

Anthony Davidson’s lonely race

There were high hopes for Davidson, who is a simulator test driver for the Mercedes-AMG F1 team. However, after technical difficulties saw drivers have to restart the game, the Brit missed the memo and continued the original race.

It meant he did a full 29 laps against computer-controlled racers unaware the real race was going on elsewhere…

The Geneva motor show will go ahead as planned next week despite the first reported case of coronavirus in Switzerland.

Show organisers have emailed a statement to attendees to say they have met with senior staff at Palexpo, the exhibition centre that’s hosting the show, to make a decision based on the latest information provided to them.

They have been in contact with the general directorate of health of the republic and canton of Geneva’s medical advisor, with the advice being that the show can open as planned.

However, with areas of nearby Italy quarantined and the first confirmed case of coronavirus in Switzerland, organisers have ‘developed an action plan that can be adapted as necessary in real time’ and will ‘continue to monitor and reassess the situation regularly’.

Earlier this week, Geneva International Motor Show managing director Olivier Rihs told the PA news agency that a decision to close the show could be taken up until the morning of the event, and throughout its run, but that currently “everything is going ahead as planned”.

He added: “The advice from the authorities here in Geneva is that the show can continue – and they are the only ones who can say yes or no to the show going ahead. We have had no exhibitors pull out. They are all here and building their stands.”

The motor show attracts 600,000 visitors each year from around the world. The 2020 show opens to the press on Tuesday March 3, with public days beginning March 5.

The government has announced plans to bring forward its ban on selling new petrol and diesel vehicles to 2035.

Its original plan was to do this by 2040, and continue to allow hybrid models to be sold. However, the new plan is much stricter, banning all but fully electric models from being sold on the new market.

What does that mean for the average motorist, though? Let’s take a look…

What is the government proposing?

Nothing is set in stone, but Boris Johnson plans to use the COP26 climate conference being held in the UK in November to encourage other countries to set ambitious emissions reduction targets.

As part of this drive, the government will consult on bringing forward the planned ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles from 2040 to 2035 – and earlier if possible.

Will hybrid vehicles be banned as well?

Originally, it was expected that any model with an electrified element of its powertrain would still be allowed on sale.

However, under the new proposal, hybrid vehicles would be banned from sale in the new car market – only fully electric and hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles would be exempt.

Can I still buy a used petrol or diesel car when the ban comes into effect?

Once the ban comes into effect, the only petrol and diesel vehicles that will be on sale will be in the used market. This will include hybrid models.

Will electric cars be suitable for people who live outside cities?

Range anxiety is a legitimate concern for EV buyers. It occurs when the number of miles left in the battery gets low and the driver isn’t sure if they can get to a charging port in time. For this reason, EVs tend to be marketed to city dwellers who have easy access to charging and travel fewer miles per journey.

However, a recent study by Honda found that EVs are also popular with those in rural areas. This is because these people are more likely to have a house with a driveway and can easily refill their battery.

Phil Webb, head of car for Honda UK, told the PA news agency that “people are going down the electric route because their nearest petrol station is 15 – 20 miles away, but all they want to do is pop to the shops or take the kids to school… They’re in control of when they charge it – overnight for example – and no longer have that inconvenience of having to go out of their way to a petrol station.”

Will I have to get rid of my petrol or diesel car when the ban comes into force?

No. For now, there are no plans to force people out of their older petrol and diesel cars and into electric versions. However, given that bans on petrol and diesel vehicles in city centres are becoming more widespread, it’s likely that it’ll become harder to drive your traditionally powered car throughout the UK without issue. We’ve got no indication as yet whether incentives for drivers to buy electric cars will be increased or decreased, either.

Why is the ban happening at all?

The ban on petrol and diesel vehicles in the UK is all about addressing climate change and driving down the country’s emissions.

"If the UK is to lead the global zero emissions agenda, we need a competitive marketplace and a competitive business environment to encourage manufacturers to sell and build here. A date without a plan will merely destroy value today"@MikeHawesSMMT https://t.co/zmGBk5ZTDK pic.twitter.com/dq5zfGRyQc

— SMMT (@SMMT) February 4, 2020

Not only that, but air quality targets will be more easily met if combustion-engined cars are taken off sale.

Are other countries following suit?

It’s not just the UK that is planning to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars. Norway is looking to achieve the goal by 2025, and India is planning to do the same by 2030 – if it’s economical. Israel has pledged to ban the import of all petrol and diesel-powered cars by 2030, with only natural gas and electric cars permitted, and all new vehicles in the Netherlands will need to be emission-free by 2030, the same time scale France is aiming for, too. Germany hasn’t set a timeline as yet, but it’ll most likely be in line with the UK and France’s plans.

What does the car industry have to say about this?

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, an industry body that represents car manufacturers, accused the government of ‘moving the goalposts’.

Chief executive Mike Hawes said: “With current demand for this still expensive technology still just a fraction of sales, it’s clear that accelerating an already very challenging ambition will take more than industry investment.”

Hawes also pointed to the fact there’s still no clarity on the future of the plug-in car grant and the fact that the UK’s charging network is ‘woefully inadequate’.

Aston Martin’s hypercar collaboration project with Red Bull is set to continue, despite the pair concluding their partnership in Formula 1 at the end of the 2020 season.

The British luxury car maker announced today that Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll had bought a £182 million, 20 per cent stake in the company, which will see his Racing Point F1 team rebranded Aston Martin from 2021.

It will bring an end to the four-year-old Aston Martin Red Bull Racing partnership that has achieved 12 F1 race wins and 50 podiums.

However, Red Bull Advanced Technologies (Red Bull Racing’s technological and engineering department for external clients) has announced that it will continue to work with Aston Martin on the Valkyrie hypercar project.

The ultra-exclusive road car is in the final stages of development, with the first batch of 150 road cars due to be delivered to customers at the end of the year. It will feature a Formula 1-inspired hybrid powertrain, with an electric motor and battery system developed by EV experts Rimac mated to a 6.5-litre V12 petrol engine, promising a combined output of 1,160bhp and 900Nm of torque.

Stroll’s investment in the company has put an end to weeks of speculation. Chairwoman Penny Hughes said Aston Martin’s “difficult trading performance in 2019” put severe pressure on its liquidity and left the company with “no alternative” but to secure significant investment.

UK motorists will continue to be able to drive in the EU after Brexit and until the transition period is over.

The existing rules allow motorists to drive in EU countries on a full UK licence, but there had been concerns that permits would be required to drive on the continent after January 31.

However, in a statement to the PA news agency, the Department for Transport (DfT) said: “Under the withdrawal agreement, arrangements for drivers (both commercial and private motorists) will remain as they are now during the transition period.

“This means that UK motorists will be able to continue to drive in the EU as they do now, until 31 December 2020. UK motorists will therefore not require an International Driving Permit (IDP) alongside their UK driving licence when driving in the EU as a visitor during this time.

“Whether IDPs will be required to drive in the EU from 1 January 2021 will be subject to future relationship negotiations.”

After numerous delays, January 31, 2020 will be the day the UK leaves the EU after MPs voted in favour of the Withdrawal Agreement Bill. After that date, the UK will enter a transition period, where many of the existing agreements with Europe will remain in place. From January 1, 2021, any new deals that have been negotiated will come into force.

Under current rules, when driving in countries outside the EU, UK motorists may need an IDP, which is a small booklet that can be bought for a small fee.

What is it?

If you know your Porsche lineage well, you’ll know the 356 of 1948 was the genesis of the firm’s now-iconic sports car range. That stunning model is the inspiration for this new 911 Speedster model, which started life as a concept but now enters production in limited numbers.

It bears design cues from the classic model, but with modern, motorsport-inspired underpinnings. You might be taken aback by the £211,599 price tag, but with the 911 R and 911 GT3 serving as the ‘basis for development’, you’re getting the combination of two of the most highly sought-after Porsches in modern history with retro-inspired styling.

What’s new?

Although largely based on the previous-generation 911 GT3 and sporting the Speedster name that’s been used on various Porsche models before, this is an all-new variant, being the first time the German firm’s GT division has been given the chance to make a drop-top.

Its stand-out features are the elegant roof – it’s manually operated and tricky to get to grips with – and the double-bubble rear section into which it folds, giving the Speedster its classic silhouette. There are also various weight-saving measures such as the carbon-fibre bonnet and interior door pulls, while downforce is optimised through aerodynamic exterior parts.

What’s under the bonnet?

This being a Porsche 911, rather than sitting beneath the bonnet, the Speedster’s engine sits hidden away behind the driver. Famously rear-engined, this particular example is powered by a 4.0-litre, naturally aspirated six-cylinder unit making 503bhp and 470Nm of torque. 0-60mph comes up in 3.8 seconds and the top speed is 193mph.

And, when conditions allow you to give it full throttle, it feels every bit as fast as those numbers suggest – and then some. The fat rear tyres bite into the tarmac and there’s barely a moment’s hesitation before you’re absolutely catapulted forward, your eyes focused on a pinprick on the horizon as the straight-six’s raucous soundtrack dominates every other sense.

That’s not hyperbole, either. That something with such elegant styling features can be this stupid-fast is fantastic.

What’s it like to drive?

‘When conditions allow’ is an apt caveat for this test, though. Taking a 503bhp sports car to the deserted roads of the Northumberland wilderness is a recipe for greatness. Just not in November.

With the rain lashing down and roads resembling rivers, a full throttle blitzkrieg quickly feels more like a kamikaze mission as all that power tries hard to cut through endless standing water. Then there’s the steep roadside drops, keen to compound the misery brought on by any overeager throttle inputs.

And yet. Even driven well within its capabilities, the theatre of the occasion – the engine’s delight at being revved towards 9,000rpm and the noise that accompanies it – means the weather doesn’t dampen spirits.

When short sections of dry road do appear, charging on is euphoric. The Speedster’s suspension is stiff, with the rough roads unsettling the car and ensuring you remain switched on at all times. But swallow some brave pills and it feels happier once you’re pushing on, with the ride smoothing out and the sharp handling reminding you that Porsche’s GT division is full of engineering magicians.

How does it look?

Porsche detractors often mock the fact modern 911s still look a lot like the old ones. So, with a new 911 here directly inspired by the most classic of all the firm’s sports cars, could this be just another cynical marketing ploy to play off the brand’s heritage? Maybe. Does it matter when it looks this good? Not a jot.

Up front sits the familiar oval headlights, with large intakes in the front bumper hinting at the performance hidden out back. However, it’s the roof that makes this car stand out. In place it looks great, with the sweeping rear sections producing some interesting design angles.

Drop the roof though, and the rear buttresses become more prominent, rising up from the rear section behind the passengers’ heads to evoke imagery of classic roadsters. The whole rear section pivots up to contain the roof, too, so even the simple act of removing or replacing the drop-top becomes an event.

What’s it like inside?

Inside, it’s typical Porsche fare, which is to say high-quality and restrained design. As standard, the model gets black leather upholstery with Speedster logos dotted throughout, black and white dials like the old 356 Speedster, and a badge between the seats to denote the serial number of each particular model.

It feels spacious for a two-seater, and despite being a performance-focused model, there are plenty of creature comforts and the feeling that you could conduct long journeys without tiring – though there are naturally some concessions to practicality in the cabin.

What’s the spec like?

With a starting price of £211,599, the Porsche 911 Speedster is suitably well-equipped, with standard kit including 20-inch black alloy wheels, leather upholstery, an infotainment system that can be deleted, free of charge, to save weight, and a choice between 18-way adjustable sports seats or full bucket seats.

Naturally, you can go mad with the options, though given the extortionate starting point, nothing feels too outrageous. There’s a Bose stereo for £1,002 and a leather luggage set for £5,276, for example. Meanwhile, our test car had extra leather and red stitching for £2,147, a front axle lift system for £1,599, and extra LED lighting in the cabin that took our car to almost £220,000.

Verdict

Just 1,948 examples of the Porsche 911 Speedster are being built, making this a special thing indeed. But it’s got more than just rarity on its side, marrying ballistic performance with a classic, iconic design.

Porsche’s GT cars are notoriously fantastic to drive, so it should be no surprise the first convertible GT continues this trend. With ballistic performance and an ultra-cool exterior design, the 911 Speedster almost justifies that ludicrous price tag.

What is it?

Pick-up trucks aren’t quite the institution in the UK that they are in Ford’s home in America. Out there, the F-Series trucks range from huge to ludicrously, unnecessarily, where-can-you-even-drive-it massive. However, here we get the Ranger, which is rugged enough to survive farm life and plenty big enough for our narrow streets.

In F-Series trucks, the Raptor badge denotes a whopping great V6 with sports car levels of power and chassis upgrades unseen this side of a rally car. Suitably ‘murica, then.

However, the newly introduced Ranger Raptor we get is rather more subdued under the bonnet, sporting a mid-powered diesel. ‘Subdued’ is a relative term, though, because it still stands out a mile here, amping up the standard car to 11.

What’s new?

This being a new model in the Ford Ranger line-up, pretty much everything you see is new, with the key upgrades being those that allow it to eat up any terrain at any speed. Perhaps the most important part is the new Fox Pro shock absorbers with position-sensitive damping, which smooth out the roughest roads and look fantastic in yellow, peaking out beneath the flared wheel arches.

Other kit that’ll aid your rally raids on the countryside include a terrain management system with six selectable drive modes to alter drive settings for different surfaces, front and rear ventilated brake discs and a front aluminium skid plate.

What’s under the bonnet?

The aforementioned diesel engine is a twin-turbocharged 2.0-litre EcoBlue diesel unit that makes 210bhp and, more importantly for such a car, 500Nm of torque. It’s mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission that’s been beefed up for the Raptor and gets new gearing.

As the performance figures suggest, this thing doesn’t exactly deliver blistering pace. What it does deliver, however, is muscular low-down torque that feels like nothing could slow it down. It’s perfect for off-road driving, dispatching steep inclines with as little fuss as if it was horizontal.

What’s it like to drive?

With chunky all-terrain tyres, those trick suspension dampers and four-wheel-drive, the Ranger Raptor is most at home adventuring where normal cars cannot. We took it green laning – which involves driving down unpaved routes in the countryside – and it was unflustered, even on the greasy clay surfaces of the South Downs. At any speeds, even when it gets bumpy, the suspension smooths the route out in carpet-like fashion.

Even when the going got particularly nerve-wracking, with sticky mud and deep puddles on a deeply rutted route, the brutish pick-up just kept ploughing through. As an aside, with mud kicked up and caking every panel, the Raptor looks fantastic.

Fortunately, out on the road, it doesn’t fall apart as you might expect an off-road focused vehicle to. It’s not the most refined at highway speeds, but road noise is surprisingly limited, meaning you can have conversations without raising your voice. It also refrains from lolloping about in corners, despite the soft suspension’s long travel.

How does it look?

Pick-up trucks have an inherent rugged cool to them, but the Raptor takes the idea and amplifies it to caricature levels – and the result is a fantastically OTT pick-up that definitely looks better the filthier it gets.

Styling changes over the standard Ranger include an F-150 Raptor-inspired grille, front bumper-mounted LED fog lights, durable sidestep boards, and chunky, flared wheel arches to accommodate the new tyres and suspension system. Our model was also fitted with optional Raptor graphics, which should be tacky, but somehow work here.

What’s it like inside?

The Ranger Raptor’s interior is a typical Ford affair, with customers coming to this model from the firm’s other cars or trucks likely to feel immediately at home.

For a workhorse model, Ford has bestowed a surprisingly plush interior upon the Raptor, with plenty of soft-touch materials and cosseting sports seats. The Blue Oval generally struggles to achieve a true premium feel, but here it works to give an air of justification to the circa-£50k price tag.

For a big truck, you might be surprised at the lack of everyday practicality, though. With the load bed cover items in the back are safe but chuck your weekly shop in there and you might find yourself clambering deep into the bed to retrieve loose vegetables after a drive through town. Therefore, the rear seats and footwell tend to play hosts to any cargo, which becomes problematic when you have passengers.

What’s the spec like?

The £47,874 price tag might seem a bit steep at first, but Ford goes some way to justify it with a hefty standard equipment list.

With regards to what’ll keep you out of trouble on the rough stuff, there are chunky all-terrain tyres, Fox Pro shock absorbers, aluminium skid plates, ventilated disc brakes front and rear, four off-road tow hooks, and selectable drive modes to optimise the electronics for the road surface.

Inside there’s a Raptor-specific suede trim with heated seats, leather steering wheel, an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system with sat nav, and a rear-view camera.

Other equipment of note includes bi-xenon headlights, rain sensitive windscreen wipers, privacy glass, a power converter and various collision avoidance systems. The only option added to our test car was the Raptor decal pack, costing £900.

Verdict

Truth be told, the standard Ranger could probably do 90 per cent of what the Raptor is capable of. However, it’s that extra 10 per cent that not only makes the pumped-up pick-up such an enticing prospect, but fully justified in its hefty price tag.

If you’re looking for something with more off road capabilities than you’ll ever likely need, which also looks great and packs plenty of creature comforts, the Ford Ranger Raptor is all the truck you could ever ask for. Just don’t expect blistering straight line performance from that diesel engine…

People who smoke in their cars could be knocking up to £2,000 off the sell-on value, according to vehicle valuation experts.

HPI says that many smokers are unaware of the smell and physical damage to the interior that smoking can cause, putting off future owners.

It also suggests that giving the car a deep clean can cost up to £150, but doesn’t guarantee the smell will be gone. In some cases, the smoke can work its way deep into the fabric, requiring a complete retrim to fix.

Furthermore, repairing marks, stains and cigarette burns that may have appeared can knock profits further down.

Fernando Garcia, consumer director at HPI, said: “Smoking in cars is bad news as far as re-sale health is concerned. The first thing a car dealer will do when looking at a car being sold by a smoker is knock down the price of the part exchange.

“A car for part-ex has to be made fit for re-sale and this becomes considerably more difficult and expensive when that car was previously driven by a smoker.

“There is often no obvious visual damage, but the smell of smoke is a major problem for motor dealers. Smoke becomes ingrained in the fabric of the car and climate control system, requiring a professional valet and a specialist tools to clean the air conditioning.”