Author: Tom Wiltshire

SUVs. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, they’re here to stay – and have been one of the fastest-growing market segments for several years now. Encompassing everything from tiny crossovers to the very largest of luxury off-roaders, this segment has gone from being small-time fare to containing some of the most profitable cars on sale.

But how exactly did the modern SUV come to be? We’ve leafed through the history books and found seven of the cars that – at least in Europe – helped push the crossover into the mainstream.

Matra Rancho

The Matra Rancho’s achievement list reads like the specification of any modern crossover. Rugged styling, a car-derived platform, greater practicality than its hatchback sibling and an awkward name? All present and correct.

However, the Rancho came out in 1977 – years before SUVs became viable as family transport. It was pretty popular on the continent, but their nature as a work vehicle and the unlovable nature of its quirky styling means not too many survive.

Jensen FF

Sure, a gorgeous 2+2 grand tourer may not immediately occupy the same space in your head as a humble mumsy-bus, but the FF had one important distinction – four-wheel-drive. In fact, it was the first proper road car fitted with a 4WD system, as previous models had all been unashamed off-roaders.

The concept of fitting 4WD to a car that has no intention of ever leaving tarmac is one that’s been successfully applied to a huge number of SUVs and crossovers since.

Nissan Qashqai

The Qashqai wasn’t the first SUV, or even the first hatchback-based crossover, but it marked a step-change in manufacturer strategy. Nissan was the first brand to realise that the future of family transport lay in these jacked-up vehicles, and so it didn’t bother to replace its Almera when it reached the end of its life – concentrating solely on the Qashqai.

It’s definitely a strategy that’s worked – the car has been sold in its thousands since its launch in 2007, and remains one of Europe’s best-sellers.

Toyota RAV4

In 1996, Toyota released the RAV4, and with it came the acknowledgement by manufacturers that their rugged off-roaders were mainly used by families rather than farmers. The name RAV4 actually stands for Recreational Active Vehicle with 4WD – showing that this car was better suited to a camping holiday than tackling the deepest, darkest wilderness.

By giving buyers what they wanted – chunky styling, a modicum of off-road ability and raised ground clearance but without the associated lack of finesse on tarmac – Toyota created a wildly popular SUV that’s still a global best-seller.

Range Rover

Land Rover was known only for one model until the release of the Range Rover – it was rugged, tough, and a nightmare as soon as it got onto a paved road. But the Range Rover was different, adding luxury features, coil springs and a sense of imperious superiority for everybody who drove one.

The Range Rover’s only become more luxurious as time has gone on, and easily ranks as one of the world’s top luxury SUVs today.

Volvo XC90

Big families spent the early 2000s gravitating towards MPVs, but these family buses weren’t exactly stylish. That’s why big families with a little more cash to splash preferred the SUV – and Volvo capitalised on this by releasing the XC90, which offered the versatility of the former and the style of the latter.

It also concentrated heavily on safety, and it’s recently been claimed that not a single person in the UK has died in an XC90 since its 2003 launch. That’s a big deal for a kid-carrier, and one that’s cemented the XC90 as a popular choice for the safety-conscious.

Porsche Cayenne

Porsche was the first sports car manufacturer to acknowledge the SUV-shaped elephant in the room. It realised that by releasing a Porsche SUV, the resulting profits could be used to further development for its iconic sports car line.

That has left Porsche with two distinct lines of products – its SUVs pay the bills while its class-leading sports cars keep the brand’s image alive. Neither could exist as well as it does without the other, and it’s a sort of partnership that many brands have emulated since.

If you’re in the market for a convertible, winter is the time to buy. A rise in demand during the summer months pushes prices up, meaning that while the weather outside is frightful you may be able to bag yourself a real bargain.

But even a modern convertible can be a pretty miserable thing in the winter months, so it’s worth choosing your model carefully to ensure you’re not left freezing cold, fishtailing and generally miserable. We’ve rounded up a few of the convertibles you can buy that can tackle the worst the Great British winter has to offer.

Mercedes SLC

Mercedes’ dinky SLC Roadster is a car for those who like to look good – and appreciate the prestige of the three-pointed star. It’s also an absolutely smashing choice for anybody who wants to use their convertible as a daily driver, as it features a folding hardtop – far more secure and refined than a fabric soft-top.

The brilliant AirScarf features too, consisting of vents mounted in the headrest to keep you warm even when the roof’s down.

BMW 8 Series Convertible

BMW’s latest 8 Series is notable as it features xDrive four-wheel drive across its entire model range. This rear-biased system is designed to be good fun on tarmac, but as the roads get slippery it can shunt 100 per cent of the engine’s power to the front wheels if necessary, ideal for sticky situations.

The triple-layer soft-top should keep you toasty inside, and the load bay is long enough to accommodate a couple of pairs of skis. Let it never be said BMW doesn’t know its market.

Range Rover Evoque Convertible

Strictly speaking, a soft-top Landie isn’t a new idea – the old Series models as well as the Defender all offered a fabric roof, but the Evoque was the first to take the true Convertible formula and apply it to a Range Rover.

Purists despair at the further softening of what’s already the most fashion-led Land Rover model ever, but it’s hard to deny that it actually looks quite good and offers open-air thrills with SUV styling.

Audi TT

The Audi TT may be small and compact, but it’s actually got some serious all-weather credentials. As always, Audi’s well-known quattro all-wheel-drive system is present and correct here, which means that the TT will be able to conquer conditions which would leave other sports cars spinning in circles.

It’s also got a well-sorted cabin with good ergonomics and, most importantly for this time of year, excellent heated seats.

Audi S5 Cab

Audi knows a thing or two about making performance models with all-wheel drive – mention the word ‘quattro’ to any car enthusiast and you’ll likely be mopping up a puddle of drool as they reminisce about the 80’s legend.

But Audi doesn’t just stick quattro on its saloon and estate cars, and the S5 Cabriolet also offers it. In some ways, it’s the best of all worlds – you get a slickly-designed soft top, with a powerful V6 engine, surefooted all-wheel drive and four rings on the bonnet. What’s not to love?

Jeep Wrangler

Very few cars can challenge the Jeep Wrangler when it comes to go-anywhere ability, but one thing that’s often overlooked about the rugged machine is its status as a convertible.

Opt for a four-door model, and you’ll have the ability to spec either a full canvas roof, giving all occupants the open-air experience when taking on even the toughest of terrains, or an electric folding unit that allows for convenient touch-of-a-button usage.

Porsche 911 Cabriolet

The Porsche 911 has long held a reputation as the everyday sports car, boasting comfort and practicality at a reasonable price — oh, while also being hailed as the benchmark for driving dynamics.

That’s all true of the car in its various Cabriolet forms, too. We’d go for it in Carrera 4 GTS spec here — blending genuine performance with bags of style, and a useable all-wheel-drive system that can prove crucial on the slippery roads winter often brings with it.

Lamborghini Aventador S Roadster

Many supercar owners will be tucking their prized possessions away for the winter, but with the Lamborghini Aventador S Roadster — that won’t be necessary.

Ok so simply tagging onto the ‘it’s all-wheel-drive, it’ll be fine’ tagline may sound a stretch — and it kind of is — but if you’re planning to showboat over the colder months, then it’s handy to have that increased traction. Plus there’s nothing to warm the eardrums like a belching V12.

Mercedes C-Class Convertible

Need a convertible with four adult-sized seats? The Mercedes C-Class is one of your best options, with plenty of room for the festive journey home and a boot big enough for several hefty presents.

Being a Mercedes, it features the brilliant Airscarf system, while the triple-layer fabric roof will keep out the very worst of the winter chill. It also looks the absolute business, which while we acknowledge isn’t actually that important in winter, it’s certainly a plus.

Winter, particularly here in the UK, is cold. Temperatures fall, ice appears on windscreens across the country and getting in and out of a car is a far less pleasurable experience than it is in summer.

However, if you’re looking to change cars at this time of year, then there are a few optional extras which you can add (or look out for, in the case of a used vehicle) which can take the edge off the chill. Here are seven of the top ones.

Heated steering wheel

This is a pretty obvious one, isn’t it? A heated steering wheel can completely transform your winter driving experience, allowing you to keep your hands warm when on the move.

It’s an optional extra we’re seeing on more and more cars, and is becoming standard on a few too. Keep an eye out if you’re buying a used car – it’s something you’ll want fitted.

Heated seats

Heated seats have been for a little while now, but that doesn’t make this option any less welcome on a wintery morning. Just a click of a button, and a heated seat can change a cold cabin into a warm, comfortable place to be.

You’ll also find the rear seats heated on some cars too, which means your passengers don’t have to sit in the cold while you enjoy some added heat up front.

Heated arm rest

A heated arm rest isn’t something you’ll find on all cars, but it’s a feature we’re big fans of. It’s an optional extra on the Mercedes S-Class (though other Mercedes models do feature it), and it works in partnership with the heated seats and windscreen to create a wraparound heating effect.

It may not sound like something you essentially need, but give it a go and we’re sure you won’t regret it.

Heated windscreen

Though traditional heated windscreens use the ventilation blowers to direct air up towards the screen, new versions feature heated elements in the glass to help quickly and effortlessly de-ice the windscreen.

Ford’s latest QuickClear system is a particularly effective interpretation of this and makes short work of even the thickest ice.

Multi-zone climate control

Multi-zone climate control allows everyone in the car to get their section of the vehicle to just the right temperature. It means that should those sat in the back feel the cold a little more than those in the front, they can adjust the temperature to suit.

This is a feature we’re seeing in far more cars than before, giving buyers better options when it comes to in-car heating and ventilation.

Kodiaq Blanket

There’s a clever new option pack available with the Skoda Kodiaq – the ‘Sleep Pack’. This includes headrests with ‘wings’ which allow you to sleep without lolling over, and also a pack of blankets – ideal for keeping passengers warmer during the older months.

There’s nothing quite like a blanket to help warm you up and fortunately enough, the Kodiaq has them fitted with this pack.

Volvo pre-conditioning

This is a particularly useful setting during winter. Available on Volvo’s range of plug-in hybrid vehicles, the pre-conditioning feature allows you to pre-programme the car’s temperature before you get in.

It means that the car will heat up for a pre-determined time, ensuring that it’s toasty warm for when you decide to get in. And it’s all done via a smartphone app.

With the UK’s mild winters, going so far as to make the switch to winter tyres on your car might seem like prepping a fallout shelter in case of a light breeze. But, even in the UK, tyres specially made for snow, ice and wet roads can be a real boon for safety — and in areas that get plenty of snowfall, they could even be thought of as essential.

That said, a good set of winter tyres cost as much as a good set of summer ones – so it’s definitely best to make sure you’ll make proper use of them before taking the plunge.

What are winter tyres?

Put simply, winter tyres are tyres that have been specifically crafted to work particularly well in snow, on slippery roads and in wet conditions. They’re made with a different kind of rubber than summer tyres – meaning that while the latter will harden up and lose grip at cold temperatures, winters will remain soft and grippy.

Winter tyres have a more aggressive tread pattern than summer alternatives, which ultimately reduces their grip on dry roads but increases it massively on wet ones.

Narrower grooves prevent snow building up and clogging winter tyres, so they’re better suited to driving on snow too.

Benefits

Many people believe winter tyres are only effective in sub-zero conditions, but that’s not necessarily the case. In fact, the softer rubber compound used in these tyres aids grip over summer rubber at temperatures below seven degrees Celsius – which, depending on where you are in the country, can make them useful for several months.

Winter tyres significantly affect grip and traction on snow and ice, too. According to tyre manufacturer Continental, a car fitted with winter tyres will be able to brake from 30mph in 35 metres – eight metres shorter than one on summer tyres.

On ice, the difference is even greater – Continental claims an 11-metre difference even when braking from as slow as 18mph.

For those who regularly head abroad in their own car, it’s also worth noting that winter tyres are required equipment in several colder European countries through the winter months.

Cons

Winter tyres aren’t particularly useful once the temperature warms up. The soft rubber compound means they move around significantly when the weather’s hot, and you’ll notice a reduction in handling and grip. Stopping distances will be increased, and the tyres will wear more quickly than summer rubber would. Your fuel economy will also decrease.

This of course means that if you’re buying winter tyres, you’ll need somewhere to store them when the temperature increases. Some motorists simply buy the tyres, and have them switched over at a garage, while others purchase another set of (usually basic steel) wheels for the winter months. Either way, you’ll need a large shed or space in your garage for four tyres, with or without wheels. Alternatively, some companies do offer summer storage for a fee.

You will also need to disclose the fitment of winter tyres – especially if it also involves changing the wheels – to your insurer. Despite being a safety-related purchase, it’s considered a modification to your car and as such you need to tell your insurance company. It’s unlikely to increase your premiums, though.

Winter tyres vs 4WD

We’ve all seen them – drivers who think that because they’ve got four-wheel drive believe that they’re invincible in the winter. They’re usually the ones who also think flooring the throttle is the best way to get out of a snowdrift – you’ll often find them entirely stationary, yelling at their car for not magically finding grip on sheet ice.

The fact is, while four-wheel drive does increase traction in certain situations, it can’t help at all if the tyres can’t grip the road. A two-wheel drive car on winter tyres will usually beat a four-wheel drive car on summer tyres any day of the week.

Four-wheel drive also does absolutely nothing to improve stopping distance or grip when turning. It should be considered a good addition to winter tyres, but definitely not an alternative.

Do I need winter tyres?

It really depends on your personal situation. If you’re a very low-mileage driver and don’t really need to venture out, you’ll likely make it through the winter simply by avoiding travelling when the weather gets really bad.

For moderate or high-mileage drivers, winter tyres are a really worthy investment, and could even save you from a sticky situation. This becomes especially true of those who live in the North of England or Scotland, or a rural area where the roads aren’t necessarily gritted as often – or at all.

As we’d recommend with summer tyres, going for a reputable brand – and not a cheap Chinese product – is key. Check independent review sites too for the best in grip and handling. The good thing about winter tyres is that they’re rarely on for more than a couple of months at a time, and so you can expect to get several years of use out of a set.

What about all-season tyres?

All-season tyres are considered somewhat of a halfway house between winter and summer tyres. They don’t really have any of the massive positive or negatives of either, and if you really don’t have space to store a second set of tyres can be a good addition to your car. Just remember performance will be reduced compared to a summer or winter tyre in their ideal conditions.

What is it?

Two big buzzwords dominate the latest Toyota RAV4. The first is SUV – a segment the brand an early adopter of with the original RAV4 back in 1994, and one that, by its own admission, it’s now lagging behind in.

The second is hybrid. So confident is Toyota in its hybrid powertrains that you won’t be able to specify the RAV4 with anything but in the UK. Can it really be blamed, with the anti-diesel rhetoric still at the forefront of buyers’ minds?

However, there’s more than just a powertrain that makes up this new RAV4. It’s in fact been the recipient of a serious rebirth, aimed at making it a true alternative to the most popular petrol and diesel SUVs in driving dynamics, interior ambiance and cost of ownership.

What’s new?

There’s a whole new chassis architecture under the skin of the RAV4. The platform, catchily named TNGA-K is the same that underpins the Lexus ES as well as the Toyota Camry and Avalon in the US. It’s heavily related to the GA-C version which sits under the skin of the Prius, C-HR and Lexus UX, too.

That brings with it an all-new body covered in cuts and slashes – a distinctive if divisive styling language – as well as a seriously improved interior inspired by the C-HR.

What’s under the bonnet?

The previous RAV4 offered a petrol engine, two diesels and a hybrid model. For this generation though, it’s hybrid or the highway.

It takes the form of a 2.5-litre petrol engine running the super-efficient Atkinson cycle, mated to an electric motor. It’s paired with, inevitably, a CVT gearbox, and can offer front- or four-wheel drive via a second motor on the rear axle.¬

Power output is an impressive 215bhp for front-wheel drive models or 219bhp for four-wheel drive cars. That actually equates to pretty rapid acceleration for both – the latter can crack 60mph from rest in under eight seconds, the former just over. You’d need to opt for a pricey 2.0-litre TDI 190 version of the Volkswagen Tiguan to match that, and put up with higher emissions to boot.

Where all that work pays dividends is in the running costs and specifically CO2 emissions. The RAV4 emits just 102g/km in its cleanest form – supermini-rivalling levels of emissions. Crucially, it’s a massive 18g/km undercut from its main competitor, the Honda CR-V Hybrid. That’s good news for company car drivers. Fuel economy is diesel-like too, at around a claimed 50mpg.

What’s it like to drive?

Driving the new @ToyotaGB RAV4 today. Streets apart from the old model. Divisive looks… pic.twitter.com/UMMVu7yULV

— Tom Wiltshire (@mctreckmeister) January 16, 2019

Saying this handles like a thoroughly well-sorted compact crossover is less faint praise than it appears, and is certainly something we couldn’t have said about the RAV4’s predecessor. It’s all down to that new platform – TNGA makes the RAV4 57 per cent stiffer than its predecessor, but wider and lower, with fatter tyres and shorter overhangs. It also increases ground clearance for a little extra off-road prowess.

We tested the all-wheel drive RAV4 on a short off-road course, more challenging than anything most owners will put it through. It should be able to cope perfectly well with the occasional muddy lane or steep driveway.

As for on-road handling? It’s up there with some of its best competitors. The RAV4 handles directly, without too much body roll. Decent grip levels and a late-acting ESP system actually make it quite fun in the corners. It’s not quite as reassuring as a Seat Ateca, but hits back with a better ride, even on the larger 18-inch alloys of our Dynamic test car.

How does it look?

Previous RAV4s could be criticised for looking a little bland, but Toyota’s ensured the same criticism can’t be levelled at this model. It’s immediately recognisable, with polygonal styling leading to distinctive cuts and slashes across its bodywork.

Round the front, the wide, downturned grille and prominent nostrils give the RAV4 one heck of a snout – though it’s verging on ugly. The rear is relatively generic, though inoffensive.

Toyota reckons 60 per cent of drivers will opt for one of two top-spec trims, which bring projector LED headlights, 18-inch alloy wheels and – in the case of the Dynamic trim – optional two-tone paint finishes. These go a long way to smartening the RAV4 up.

What’s it like inside?

The interior of the RAV4 is a really mixed bag. Some aspects really are below par – the infotainment, for one, which is dated, difficult to use and completely lacks the sort of smartphone connectivity that we’ve come to expect from new models.

Materials too aren’t quite there, with hollow-feeling plastics on areas of the centre console and particularly fake-feeling leather refusing to play nicely with the quality switchgear and few soft-touch materials scattered about. It’s ergonomically very good, however, with comfortable seats, bags of adjustability for the driver and chunky, easy-to-find buttons and dials.

Space is a strong point, too. The rear seats are really commodious, and a six-foot passenger can happily stretch out behind a driver of a similar size. With 580-litres on offer, the boot’s not half bad either – 83 litres up on the CR-V hybrid.

What’s the spec like?

Toyota’s not going to bring an ‘entry-level’ RAV4 into the UK, so the relatively high starting price is for a very well-equipped model. All models come with the brand’s Safety Sense 2 pack – bringing adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, autonomous emergency braking and traffic sign assist. There’s also auto lights and wipers, LED headlights, 17-inch alloy wheels and an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system.

Step up to Design grade and the wheels are upgraded to 18-inches, navigation is added to the infotainment system and you also net keyless entry and a power tailgate. Range-topping duties are shared between luxurious Excel and ‘sporty’ Dynamic – both gain projector headlights, power adjustable and heated front seats and blind-spot monitoring, but Dynamic models feature gloss black trim and optional bi-tone metallic paint.

Cost of ownership is a big deal to Toyota, and predicted class-leading residuals and the promise of ultra-low running costs go some way to alleviating the slightly high entry price. The brand reckons a company car driver will save more than £120 a month in tax alone compared with a similarly specified Volkswagen Tiguan diesel, for example.

Verdict

There’s an awful lot to like about this new RAV4 – it drives well, is spacious and comfortable inside and, provided you don’t push it too hard, has the potential to be a superbly relaxed and very efficient cruiser. The rough-and-tumble interior could be a hit or a miss depending on your requirements, but there’s no arguing with the efficiency figures – achieving such low CO2 is seriously impressive. It’s a shame, then, that the technology under the bonnet isn’t matched by that in the interior. Keen drivers and tech snobs look away, but everyone else in the market for an SUV should at least give this hybrid hero some consideration.

Of all the scary acronyms listed under ‘safety’ on a car’s specification sheet, there’s one that’s rather more useful than the rest. That acronym is AEB, and it stands for autonomous emergency braking.

The descriptive name tells you most of what you need to know. Autonomous emergency braking is designed to bring a car to a stop, or at least slow it down significantly if it detects that a collision is imminent and the driver hasn’t reacted.

It’s a system that’s becoming more common on modern cars, but how exactly does it function? We reveal all…

What is AEB?

AEB refers to a collection of components which are capable of braking for the driver in an emergency situation. It consists of actuators to apply the brakes, a set of scanners – cameras, lasers or radars – to ‘see’ the road ahead, and a computer to decipher which objects constitute threats and which ones don’t.

The only part of the system you’ll see is the scanner setup – usually positioned in the front grille or behind the rear-view mirror. These locations give the best view of the road ahead, and ensure that the system can ‘see’ as far as possible.

AEB systems usually detect objects long before they become a threat. Say you’re following another car in traffic – the AEB system will more than likely know it’s there. If that car stops, however, and you continue moving towards it, then it becomes a threat.

The AEB system won’t apply until the last possible moment. It’s not there to take over braking for the driver – it’s there to prevent a collision if the driver’s incapacitated, distracted, or unable to stop the car themselves. For that reason, it usually applies as much braking force as possible without locking up the wheels. You’ll definitely notice when AEB’s engaged.

How does it work?

Early AEB systems used laser scanners, and were limited to a short range of vision in front of the car. For that reason, they usually only operated at low speeds of below 30mph.

These scanners were also incapable of detecting smaller objects, so wouldn’t necessarily avoid a collision with a cyclist or pedestrian.

Thankfully, radar and camera scanning systems have improved AEB beyond recognition. Today’s systems are very clever indeed, and as well as being able to detect and differentiate between solid objects, cars, cyclists, pedestrians and even animals, they can work all the way up to motorway speeds.

Most systems use a combination of a camera and radar, with a few exceptions – such as Subaru’s Eyesight – using a stereo camera setup instead. The technologies allow AEB systems to place an object accurately in space, and then monitor its progress. The computer can then use algorithms to figure out if that object will become a threat to the car.

AEB systems are now so commonplace that Euro NCAP tests them separately in its crash safety assessments.

Do I need AEB?

If you have an older car, you’re flat out of luck – AEB can’t be retrofitted. For those buying a newer car, it’s definitely a box worth ticking.

AEB’s often part of a larger ‘safety pack’, if it’s not fitted as standard – so while it may be pricey, it can include items such as lane-departure warning and blind-spot monitoring. It’s pretty easy to make the case that any additional safety systems are ‘worth it’ – but in the case of AEB, it’s especially true.

AEB has been proven to reduce injuries and save lives. The University of Adelaide in Australia’s research concluded that AEB could reduce fatal crashes by as much as 25 per cent, and crashes where injury occurred by 35 per cent.

Even avoiding a small rear-end collision with AEB could save you the cost of the system in insurance and repair costs alone. It’s for these reasons we recommend specifying AEB wherever possible – and why organisations such as Euro NCAP and Thatcham research are lobbying manufacturers to introduce it as standard equipment on all cars.

For many businesses, a van is as much of an essential as an accountant or a uniform. These vehicles are the lifeblood of the country, delivering goods and services all over the place. However, new models can be expensive.

So why not save some pennies and go used instead? There are undoubtedly some drawbacks – a potentially hard life with previous owners, the lack of the most sophisticated safety and emissions equipment and possible repercussions in the future regarding pollution being some of the most pressing. However, the savings in cost can be substantial, and many owners or operators actually prefer the simplicity of the older models.

Here are five of the best you can pick up for under £10,000 – without VAT, assuming this is a business purchase.

Ford Transit Custom

This list wouldn’t be complete without the Transit – the best-selling commercial vehicle in the UK and a real institution among British businesses. The range was split into the larger Transit and mid-sized Transit Custom – both of which are brilliant vans.

The Transit Custom is fantastic to drive – perhaps the best-driving mid-sized van out there – yet retains a superbly square and practical load bay and a vast number of potential configurations. Opt for the mid-spec 123bhp engine and you’ll have plenty of shunt for heavy loads too.

Vauxhall Vivaro

This British-built van has been a competitor to the Transit for many years. The current incarnation can be had for well under our budget, and uses a range of superbly smooth 1.6-litre diesel engines – with some pretty beefy power outputs if you opt for the top-end models.

The Vivaro also features a really solidly-built, no-nonsense interior – and as the current model’s internal dimensions are identical to the old model, there’s a vast array of racking and storage solutions available for the load area.

Mercedes Sprinter

For some businesses, the allure of a three-pointed star is a little too hard to discount. Luckily, Mercedes’ range of vans is well-respected and well-proven, and the large Sprinter is perhaps the best of the lot.

Known for tight driving dynamics, superb build quality and good reliability, plus the premium allure that that badge gives you, the Sprinter is a great and versatile choice for any business looking to move a little bit upmarket.

Citroen Berlingo

From large back down to little. The Citroen Berlingo is another nameplate that’s been around for a long time, but such is the longevity of the model that it’s only in its third generation. We’re looking at the second-gen model, however, which benefited from a range of super-efficient engines and a car-like driving ambiance.

Maintenance costs for these dinky vans tend to be pretty low, and for those with big families the Multispace passenger models are some of the most practical vehicles on the market in terms of passenger space on a small platform.

Volkswagen Transporter

Often considered as the classy alternative to the Ford Transit, Volkswagen’s Transporter can trace its lineage back to the iconic Microbus of the 1960s. Not that the current model – or its predecessor, the T5 (that we’ll be focusing on here) share anything with the air-cooled originals, but the spirit is still there – as evidenced by the vast numbers of people who recreate the past by turning them into campervans.

As a working van, though, the boxy Transporter is still up there with the best. Its premium image and car-like cabin are some of the best in the business, and a range of typically strong VW diesel engines also helps.

The town of Harlech in Wales could soon hold the world record for the steepest street, after it announced it intended to challenge the current incumbent.

The town claims that Fford Pen Llech has a gradient of 36 per cent, a degree steeper than the record holder – Baldwin Street in Dunedin, with a gradient of 35 per cent.

The city on New Zealand’s South Island is notorious for the road, which has become a smash hit – attracting tourists from all around the world. Local businesses have been trading on the title for the past two years since gaining the record, and the 350-metre-long street has found fame on social media.

Measurements are being taken at Fford Pen Llech and a decision on the record attempt is expected later this month.

However, the mayor of Dunedin Dave Cull seems unfazed by the attempt. He told the Guardian that the street had been challenged before and had ‘seen them off.’

“If Wales turns out to have a steeper one we will just have to arrange one of our periodic earthquakes and tilt Baldwin a bit more,” he joked.

Steepest street is just one of Guinness’ many road-based records. Among the holders are Australia’s Highway 1, which at 9,000 miles is the world’s longest continuous road and Lombard Street in San Francisco which is the world’s twistiest.

If you’ve looked at the specifications of any new car in the last couple of years or so, you’re very likely to have seen lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist or even lane-follow assist on the list.

It’s no accident (no pun intended) – these systems have become virtually essential for modern cars, and even play a part in Euro NCAP crash tests. In fact, the European Commission aims to make it compulsory equipment by 2020.

But what exactly is lane-departure warning – and is it something you should be looking out for when you choose your next car? We unravel the mystery…

What is it?

This system comes in three flavours – lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist and lane-follow assist, and each is slightly more sophisticated than the last. The basic system, lane-departure warning, does exactly what its name suggests.

If you stray out of your lane on a marked road, lane-departure warning will give you a visual, audible or haptic notification – sometimes a combination of all three. This could involve a buzzer, dashboard icon, or even vibration of the seat or steering wheel.

Lane-keep assist is more involved. It features actuators in the steering assembly, which can actually twitch the wheel back into line – preventing you from drifting out of your lane altogether.

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Finally, there’s lane-follow assist, which keeps your vehicle in the centre of its lane with no intervention – allowing the driver to take their hands off the wheel for brief spells if necessary. It’s considered a level 2 autonomous driving feature.

All three systems are disabled if the driver is indicating, so legitimate lane changes shouldn’t trigger any warning.

How does it work?

Lane-departure systems use a camera assembly, usually mounted high up in the windscreen, to track the white lines of the road, both solid and dashed. The camera’s positioning allows it to see the maximum possible distance ahead – usually at least as far as the driver can.

The system tracks the positioning of the lines, and should the car exceed given limits it assumes the driver has drifted out of their lane. It then activates warnings and, depending on the system fitted, can steer the car back into line.

The camera is often used for multiple applications, such as forward collision alert, autonomous emergency braking or even automatic wiper speed control.

Lane departure warning will only usually activate when the car is travelling over a certain speed, limiting it to relatively straight A-roads and motorways. That’s a good thing – after all, you don’t want your car buzzing at you for every movement across white lines on a roundabout or in a supermarket car park, for example.

Can it be fooled?

It certainly can. Lane departure systems rely on footage from a camera, and we know how easily they can be compromised.

Dirt or excess water over the lens will disable the system, as it simply can’t see the road markings ahead.

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— BATCH (@JRRBatchelor) July 11, 2016

Equally, poorly maintained roads with faint, broken or incomplete white lines may confuse the computer. It’s just a good thing the roads of Great Britain are so fastidiously maintai… oh. Right.

Then there are situations where the white lines don’t necessarily correspond to where you should be going. One example of this is in roadworks or contraflows, where the lanes are marked out with studs and the white lines haven’t been covered over. You may need to force your way past the lane-departure system in instances like this, or merely switch the system off.

Do I need it?

Safety equipment is one box we’d always recommend ticking on a car’s options list, so if lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist or lane-follow assist (or any manufacturer rebranding of these systems) are available on your new car, we’d recommend opting for them.

However, do bear in mind that these are driver assistance systems – not driver replacement systems. All of them require the slab of meat behind the wheel to be in control at all times. Even systems that offer a degree of autonomy need the driver to monitor proceedings. Therefore, if you’re opting for these systems to make your life easier, you may be a little disappointed.

The issue of new car safety is one that never really goes away, which is why crash-testing is so important. Independent organisations, such as Euro NCAP, the NHTSA in North America or ANCAP in Australia perform these tests so that consumers are fully aware of how safe the car they’re about to buy is – and in some cases, to alert manufacturers of serious safety failings.

Euro NCAP governs the cars sold in Europe and the UK, so its results are important for consumers over here. In 2018, the organisation crash-tested 23 new cars – rating each out of five stars.

All but three of these cars scored four stars or above, but technicians at the organisation noted some real standouts. Here are the best and the worst…

Safest small family car – Mercedes-Benz A-Class

The A-Class is a small car packed with big-car features, so it’s no surprise that Mercedes fits a raft of standard safety equipment to protect its occupants. All A-Classes get autonomous emergency braking capable of detecting cars, cyclists and pedestrians, plus lane-departure warning. That helped it achieve a none-too-shabby 75 per cent score in the Safety Assist category.

More impressive were the baby Benzes’ scores for Adult, Child and Vulnerable Road Users – with 96, 91 and 92 per cent respectively. Those are remarkable numbers by any standards, and mean the A-Class is the safest small car NCAP tested in 2018.

Safest large family car AND safest hybrid car – Lexus ES

The replacement for the Lexus GS, the ES is able to call on the mighty parts bin of one of the world’s largest car manufacturers – Toyota – for its safety equipment. Its score of 77 per cent in the Safety Assist category reflects this.

Knee airbags for both driver and passenger contributed to a 91 per cent score for Adult occupants, too, with the only issue being poor protection of the rear passenger’s pelvis in certain situations. Not a bad rap sheet at all.

Safest large SUV – Hyundai Nexo

The Hyundai Nexo may look like a conventional – albeit sharply-styled – SUV, but underneath the skin lurks the first hydrogen fuel-cell car Euro NCAP has ever crash tested. Though scaremongers will reference hydrogen’s flammable nature and the pressurised way it’s stored, Euro NCAP’s proven that it’s not only safe, but is used in the safest large SUV it tested in 2018.

The Nexo only fell down on Pedestrian safety with a 67 per cent score, but scores of 94, 87 and 80 per cent in Adult, Child and Safety Assist categories are all exceptional. The Nexo proves the future can be just as safe as the present.

Least safe cars tested in 2018

Suzuki Jimny – three stars

The old Suzuki Jimny was on sale virtually unchanged for two decades – but Suzuki didn’t seem to take the opportunity to brush the new model up on safety. Lack of an active bonnet and a rudimentary autonomous emergency braking system harmed its safety assist score, while the car’s boxy bodywork and unforgiving panels mean pedestrian protection is pretty poor. Still. Adult and child occupant scores aren’t too bad, so the Jimny still scores three stars.

Jeep Wrangler – one star

Think Suzuki Jimny but on a bigger scale – the 2018 Wrangler is a reimagining of a classic, without too many changes to the recipe Jeep buyers know and love. The end result? A scary 50 per cent score for Adult occupants, thanks to poor protection of the legs and torso, and a truly miserable 32 per cent in the Safety Assist category – the Jeep does without even optional autonomous emergency braking or lane keeping assist.

Fiat Panda – no stars

Oh dear, Fiat’s not had such a good time of late. Just a year after the Punto hatchback scored a zero-star rating, the Italian brand’s smallest car is back with the same score. The Panda’s crash protection was rated weak for several areas, particularly the head, neck, and rear passenger’s chests. A measly seven per cent Safety Assist score rounds off this poor showing.

It’s worth mentioning that Euro NCAP tests are the textbook definitions of moving the goalposts – the Panda scored four out of five stars when it was first tested in 2011, and it hasn’t become less safe since then. Rather, the crash tests have become more taxing, and so cars that were good once simply aren’t up to the mark of today.