Category: News

What is it?

“No more boring cars” was the bold proclamation of Toyota president Akio Toyoda last year, but even the brand’s executives will admit the Corolla nameplate doesn’t exactly stir the soul. A reputation for unparalleled reliability and dependability the world over is a fine thing to have, but for the new 12th-generation model, Toyota’s chasing a bit more dynamism and soul.

The rebirth of the Corolla name is significant too, as it marks the first time since 2006 that Europe’s received the same C-segment car as the rest of the world – hence the death of the ‘Auris’ nameplate.

What’s new?

Vast quantities of Corolla today. First up, mid-spec 1.8 Hybrid in Touring Sports estate form. Looks sharp enough from the front. pic.twitter.com/kKnf8DvepY

— Tom Wiltshire (@mctreckmeister) February 13, 2019

In short, nearly everything. The new Corolla is based on the TNGA chassis platform, with the same underpinnings as the new (and impressive) Rav4 as well as its Camry and Lexus ES sister cars.

A choice of three body styles – hatch, estate (or ‘Touring Sports’) and saloon – gives plenty of choice for buyers, but those hoping for a diesel will be disappointed. Where a high-powered diesel would otherwise sit in the line-up is a new ‘high-performance’ hybrid powertrain. It’s Toyota’s first acknowledgement that buyers don’t necessarily want to sacrifice power and cruising comfort when they make the switch from diesel to hybrid.

What’s under the bonnet?

The bulk of the engine line-up is hybrid – although a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol remains at the bottom of the range, paired with either a six-speed manual gearbox or a CVT automatic.

Both hybrids are CVT-only, and the range kicks off with the same 1.8-litre powertrain as found in the current Prius. Its overall power output of 120bhp isn’t necessarily the issue, but accessing that power can be slightly painful – the CVT’s habit of sending revs spiraling at the merest twitch of the throttle soon becomes tiresome.

The 2.0-litre unit is far better, with its modest power increase making for a far more relaxed drive. Both hybrid powertrains are superb in town conditions, though – quiet, refined and with enough shunt off the line to keep up with traffic. They’re also very efficient, with NEDC CO2 figures as low as 76g/km.

What’s it like to drive?

The old Auris was rather a dull steer, and although the Corolla is an improvement it’s definitely not going to give the Ford Focus a run for its money. The main issue is with the over-light and remote steering, which doesn’t inspire much confidence when pushing the Corolla into bends.

There are some good points, though. Body roll is well contained, and the Corolla hides its weight – even the bulky hybrid battery pack – when slinging it about in faster corners. It’s also fairly comfortable, likely thanks to its standard multi-link rear suspension on all models.

As a first for the Corolla, Toyota’s also fitted optional adaptive dampers, which allow the driver to choose between Sport and Comfort modes. In reality, the former is unlikely to get used much – the powertrain simply doesn’t encourage spirited driving.

How does it look?

The Corolla uses a vast array of cuts and slashes to bring interest to its bodywork and the result looks pretty good – even if it doesn’t have the same classy simplicity as something like a Golf.

Nevertheless, the Corolla does accomplish something that others fail at – namely, its three body styles of hatchback, saloon and estate all look well sorted and like they were designed from the outset as such, rather than afterthoughts.

The Corolla’s tidy design looks best in one of the two top-tier trim levels – Design or Excel – mainly because of the larger alloy wheels on offer that tie the design together. Lower-spec Icon and Icon Tech look a little lost on their dinky 16-inchers.

What’s it like inside?

Toyota’s listened to customer feedback on the interior. Previous Auris owners complained about rear legroom, so it’s been extended to equal anything in the class bar the Skoda Octavia.

Buyers weren’t fans of the ‘joystick’-style gear selector either, so it’s been replaced with a more conventional – albeit less space-efficient – traditional automatic selector. Elsewhere, the car takes its fundamentals from the new Rav4, including the partially digital instrument panel and the eight-inch centre touchscreen.

The overall ambience in most models is a little dark and forbidding owing to the sheer amount of black plastic, but as with most Toyotas everything feels built to last. There’s plenty of adjustment to the driving position, visibility is good, and material quality is excellent – if not as plush as on a Volkswagen Golf. But you’d be kidding yourself if you said it was exciting.

What’s the spec like?

The Corolla starts at above £21,000 – slightly expensive by the class standards on paper but not at all when you look at the equipment bundled in. Chief among this is the inclusion of Toyota’s Safety Sense 2 pack on all models, which brings pre-collision alert, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, auto high beam and road sign assist. You’d need to pay extra for most of these on all but top-spec models of the Focus or Golf.

LED headlights are also standard, as are dual-zone climate control, a reversing camera and that eight-inch infotainment system. For Icon Tech models, navigation and all-round parking sensors are added.

Next up is Design, with 17-inch alloy wheels, automatic wipers and mirrors, privacy glass and LED foglights, while range-topping Excel brings 18-inch alloys, matrix LED headlights, keyless entry and partial leather upholstery. It’s an impressive equipment list and one that definitely offsets the car’s slightly higher price. There’s still no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, though.

Verdict

There are few surprises with the new Corolla, but is that such a bad thing? Toyota’s taken what the old car did very well – ease of driving, low cost of ownership and a reputation for reliability – and added a few key improvements that should attract plenty of new buyers. The high-powered hybrid powertrain is something of a novelty but it’s an excellent addition to the range, while generous equipment levels and all that safety kit are sure to be selling points. Business buyers should also find its running costs very attractive indeed, particularly with that super-low CO2 figure.

Birthday celebrations usually mean a few things – cake, candles and parties, to name but a few. But for Jaguar, a birthday celebration means taking a convertible F-Type sports car and transforming it into a fully-fledged rally car, in tribute to the XK120 which raced off-road 70 years ago last year.

And what a present to itself. Jaguar has taken its four-cylinder F-Type and thrown all manner of rally-grade kit at it. There’s an FIA specification roll cage, uprated brakes and race seats with six-point harnesses; then you’ve got a full fire extinguisher system and a hard-to-miss bonnet-mounted light pod sitting proud up front. It looks the part, that’s for sure, and when pictures of it emerged at the back end of last year, the motoring press wondered if they’d ever get a chance behind the wheel.

Thankfully, this wasn’t a show pony destined to be retired after the news story landed – we’ve actually been out to drive the F-Type rally car.

Slide into the cabin past the tubular roll cage (Jag had to cut out the F-Type’s usual roll hoops to fit it) and you find yourself sat in a familiar space. The F-Type’s regular steering wheel is right in front of you – even its heating function still works – and though the central display is flashing busily away at you (all of the car’s systems, including ABS and traction control have been disengaged) it all feels pretty standard. Save for the large carbon-fibre lever to the left of you, that is – it’s the rally car’s new fully mechanical handbrake.

There’s no roof, and there’s no option to put one up, either. Jag chucked the roof system in the bin to save weight, so if it rains, you get wet. And if there’s mud, you get muddy. Simple. Jaguar also fitted the mechanical limited-slip differential from the V6 powered road car for added traction, too.

Though it’s never been in competition, and it’ll never likely feature in one, it feels every bit the fully-fledged rally car on start-up. Jaguar cut the centre box out of the exhaust, and it means that even on idle it barks and chatters like a rally car should.

The gearshift is standard F-Type, and it’ll even shift in full automatic mode – though realistically it’s best used in manual selection.

Immediately there’s less response from the steering compared to the road car, and you can blame this on the increased ride height (up some 40mm) and the 16-inch gravel-specification wheels wearing chunky 255/55 Maxsport tyres. So while initially it feels a touch floaty, you learn to deal with the way the wheel works, and use the 298bhp available to swing you around the corners.

Because it’s so adjustable, it’s something you’ll keep doing, too. Tip it in to a corner, feed in the power and the back end will step out pretty much instantaneously. It’s not a snap movement; the power delivery is predictable and the steering, though lighter than usual, is quick enough to counteract it without too much fuss.

As a result of the ABS being disconnected, it’s easy to lock up the wheels under braking, and when accelerating hard again, those rear wheels will happily light up through first, second and third gears. Gearshifts are ultra-quick, too.

The biggest sensation you have when driving it is just how much communication there is. You’re strapped into the car, with the gravel and dirt rushing up underneath you, so you get a great impression of the surface you’re travelling on. The high-quality damping does a great job of evening out much of the bumps, too. However, the biggest thing you have to overcome is dropping down steep bankings and sliding through ruts in a F-Type; it’s a car you’re so used to treating carefully on the road that being this brutal with it feels a touch unnatural – initially, at least.

You can try and drive it neatly, but most of the time it’s happiest going sideways. And as a project built for fun and not angled towards serious competition, this feels like the best thing for it to be doing. We gave the carbon-fibre handbrake a go – more because you can’t not try out a carbon-fibre handbrake – and it helps when navigating tighter hairpins, but realistically the F-Type is so eager to rotate that it isn’t needed most of the time.

As far as birthday presents go, the F-Type rally car is right up there. It may not be a serious affair, but in terms of offering sheer enjoyment and fun, it’s hard to beat. We just wish they’d made more than two – and stuck a number plate on the front and back.

Everyone loves a life hack. From hanging creased clothes in the shower to get them straightened up, to using an old sweet tin to store change — there’s a life hack for pretty much anything.

That includes your car, too. Our lumps of metal designed for transport may not be something we often think about ‘life hacking’, but there are a few little tricks you can do with your motor to make life that little bit easier. Here are our tips…

Lowering kerb-side mirror when parallel parking

No matter how hard you try, if you parallel park on the regular you’re almost certainly going to kerb a wheel one day — or if you’re not that good at it, every day.

Well, fear not, as you can avoid doing this with a simple drop of the mirror. Once stopped safely before the manoeuvre, lower the kerb-side door mirror until you get a view of the rear wheels. Now you’ll be able to place the back of the car close to the kerb without having to risk whacking it accidentally. Just remember to be careful at the front…

Hold the key fob lock button to raise all the windows

We’ve all done it on a hot summer’s day. You’ve had your window down to catch some fresh air, parked up and then walked away before realising you’ve forgotten to wind it back up again.

Now you’re going to have to head back to the car, turn the ignition back on and put it up again, right? Not if you drive a recent VW Group car, (Volkswagen, Seat, Skoda, Audi to name a few) — or a Honda NSX for that matter. Take the key fob and just hold down the lock button for a few seconds, and watch as the glass comes back up.

Place the parcel shelf between seats when folded flat

Having the ability to fold rear seats down in a car is great, but it does leave a problem of knowing what to do with a parcel shelf. Say you’ve bought an Ekedalen too many on a recent visit to Ikea, and you need to take advantage of the extra boot space — but there’s the pesky parcel shelf. Do you shove it in with the rest of your cargo, strap it in the front passenger’s seat or even just leave it?

Actually, there’s the fourth option — sliding it behind the front seats. It’s a simple little trick that’s easy to forget about, but having seats folded flat does tend to leave a gap just behind the occupants furthest forward, perfect for sliding the parcel shelf in.

Keep food warm with heated seats

Nobody likes cold fast food. You’ve done the drive through, gotten home and then opened up your brown bag of delight to find frozen nuggets and cold chips — it’s grim, really.

Well, you can at least try to counter that if your car is blessed with heated seats. Stick your food on the passenger seat (in the container, of course) and stick the heating element on full blast. Of course, this is only effective to a point and results will vary depending on the seat itself and how hot your food was when you got it — but it’s worth a crack.

Check your tyres with a 20p

For tyres to be legal for use in the UK, they must have a tread depth of at least 1.6mm — and ideally, you’d want a fair bit more than that. Checking this could be an issue for most though, as you’d need a dedicated tool to know how much tread is left.

Step in the humble 20p coin. See that little outer rim? That’s 2.7mm in depth — perfect for ensuring your tyres are in good nick. If the tread stops below it, it’s probably a good time to start looking for replacement rubber.

Boost your locking range with a key fob to the head

This one may seem like a myth, but really, it works! Ok so science suggests it could just be the act of raising the key fob higher, therefore allowing a better range of signal, but there’s also some research claiming that your head could effectively be working as a giant infrared signal booster.

Next time you’re in the supermarket car park, give this one a go — even if passersby might offer an odd look or two in the process.

Automatic transmission has been around in one form or another for nearly a century now. Invented in the 1920s but popularised in the 1940s by Cadillac and Oldsmobile, the concept of removing one of driving’s toughest skills is one that’s remained attractive right up to today.

Automatic transmissions historically have been there to take the load off – removing the need for a driver to depress the clutch, select the gear, release the clutch and – in vehicles without synchromesh – to match the engine and transmission revs to ensure a clean change. Instead, drivers are simply able to select ‘Drive’ and set off without a care in the world.

In recent times, they’ve also become the choice of transmission for serious performance machines, able to deal with extreme power more safely and effectively than a human driver could.

But not all automatic transmissions are the same, so what are the different types? How do they work, and is there any difference to the user?

Torque Converter/Traditional automatic

For most of the last century, a torque converter automatic was near enough the only choice you had. These gearboxes use a fluid coupling known as a torque converter, which acts as a connection between the engine and gearbox.

This torque converter allows the slippage of a clutch with no danger of components wearing out. It also has no issues coping with serious amounts of power – great for modern performance cars.

Early torque converter automatics had several distinct pros and cons. The fluid nature of the torque converter with no solid connection between engine and gearbox, combined with a severe lack of gears – usually three or four but often as few as two – meant that efficiency was somewhat lacking.

Performance took a hit too, and torque converter automatics were slower than their contemporary rivals. On the plus side, though, they’re the easiest and most reliable kind of automatic transmission, and they’re also very smooth – ‘slushbox’ wasn’t always an insult back in the day.

In modern torque converter autos, these problems have been nearly ironed out. The modern torque converter is one of the best transmissions you can buy – capable of providing super-smooth shifts when you’re just bumbling along, or razor-sharp ones when you put your foot down. A mechanical lock engages when the engine and gearbox are running at the same speed, reducing losses through the transmission. Modern autoboxes can also have as many as eight gears, helping performance and economy.

You’ll find the modern torque converter in everything from small economy cars to the most luxurious and powerful machines on the market. Nowadays, there’s really no disadvantage to ordering one – unless of course you prefer the involvement of a manual gearbox.

Dual-clutch

As the name suggests, a dual-clutch gearbox operates two robotised clutch mechanisms. Usually, one deals with odd-numbered gears and one deals with even-numbered gears, and the two hand across between each other for rifle-quick gearchanges.

The Volkswagen Group was the first to put a dual-clutch box into a production car – on the 2003 Golf R32. From there, it made its way across performance vehicles to become the automatic transmission of choice for the whole Volkswagen Group – you’ll find it on everything from superminis to supercars. It’s not just a Volkswagen innovation, either – many manufacturers have a dual-clutch box in their stable.

Dual-clutch boxes are extremely fast to change under load, and the way power is passed between clutches means there’s little to no drop in power as the gears are switched. They can also be very smooth, making for a relaxed and steady progress.

Economy and performance are not affected badly and in some cases can even be better than their manual counterparts.

In debit, dual-clutch transmissions can suffer from hesitation. The gearbox’s electronic controller has to predict what the driver will do and react accordingly, and it doesn’t always get it right. This is most obvious in stop-start traffic, where the dual-clutch box can be hesitant, and when pulling away from a barely-stopped position, such as at a roundabout.

Dual-clutch transmissions can also be very fragile – early Volkswagen DSG boxes have a rather high failure rate, as do other, more modern ‘boxes such as Ford’s Powershift.

CVT

The CVT, or continuously variable transmission, is a very interesting kind of automatic gearbox. It’s particularly interesting in that it doesn’t really have gears – instead, it uses a single infinitely variable ratio to give theoretically any number of ‘gears’. This allows the engine speed to be altered at will to allow for maximum fuel economy, increased performance, or a mix of both.

Traditional CVTs work via the use of v-shaped between two cone-shaped gears. Altering the diameter of the cones – in parallel so that the belt remains taut – changes the gearing, allowing the car to choose its own ratio.

Other systems use planetary gears while some utilise cone-shaped rollers and pivoting wheels.

CVT gearboxes do have operating losses, but the ability to run the engine at its most efficient speed – rather than whichever gear is closest – means they can be very efficient indeed. The payoff is a rather odd, disconnected feel – CVT gearboxes tend to send the engine’s revs spiralling every time the driver puts their foot down, leading to an unpleasant ‘rubber-band’ effect as the road speed catches up with the engine speed.

Some manufacturers have attempted to get around this by engineering in ‘steps’ to their CVTs – essentially points where the transmission will hold its representation of a ‘gear’ and simulate a ‘box with stepped ratios. This can make the drivetrain feel a little less unnatural, but somewhat moots the point of having infinitely variable ratios in the first place.

CVTs are very popular for use in hybrid vehicles. Their smooth nature makes them more natural to use when switching between electric and petrol power, and they help keep the engine at its optimum point for recharging the car’s internal battery.

Automated manual

This type of transmission is fading out of use, but remains in place on some cheap cars and small automatics. It’s the smallest, lightest and cheapest way to get an automatic into a vehicle, but has several disadvantages.

Automated manual gearboxes leave the existing manual clutch and gearbox systems in place and merely robotise the action – it’s like taking a manual car and giving the driver’s left arm and leg a bionic makeover.

The pluses are, as mentioned, light weight and low cost. These gearboxes are very simple and very efficient, and don’t add many components to the car.

On the downside, their simple nature simply doesn’t work very well. Humans can change gear with a single clutch because we know what we’re doing before we do it – robots have to catch up, and the resulting gearshifts are poor, jerky and extremely slow. It’s generally recommended to avoid an automated manual gearbox if you can.

A driver has been caught on police dashcam hogging the middle lane of a motorway for three miles.

Posted on Twitter by the Central Motorway Police Group, which covers the Staffordshire Police and West Midlands Police areas, the footage shows a Citroen Berlingo travelling in the middle lane of the M6 Toll near Cannock at just over 60mph.

Even when another motorist comes up behind them, flashes and drives around them, the driver fails to move over to the inside lane.

At one point, they even move into the outside lane of the motorway – for what appears to be no reason whatsoever.

The tweet stated: “Lane hoggers. Drivers [sic] biggest pet hate. This driver has been reported after being followed down an otherwise empty toll road in Cannock for three miles. The video speaks for itself.”

A follow-up tweet added: “The driver had been driving for just over a year and had even had extra tuition on motorway driving. It’s clear he didn’t pay attention. Driver reported for driving without due care and attention.”

Middle-lane hogging is when vehicles remain in the middle lane longer than necessary, even when there aren’t any vehicles in the inside lane to overtake.

Rule 264 of the Highway Code states that when driving on a three-lane motorway: “You should always drive in the left-hand lane when the road ahead is clear. If you are overtaking a number of slow-moving vehicles, you should return to the left-hand lane as soon as you are safely past.”

Driverless cars are a hot topic in the motoring world at the moment. Everyone’s talking about them; manufacturers, politicians and transport chiefs are all nattering on about the future of autonomous vehicles. But what are they, and what do they mean for the future of motoring? We’re going to try and clear things up.

The government is predicting that driverless cars could be in full use on the UK’s roads by 2021, following an announcement that advanced trials of automated vehicles could move forwards. Though more autonomous vehicles could be appearing on our road, it’s still some way off before they’re let loose on our streets without strict safety parameters.

Transport Minister Jesse Norman recently said: “Thanks to the UK’s world class research base, this country is in the vanguard of the development of new transport technologies, including automation.

“The Government is supporting the safe, transparent trialling of this pioneering technology, which could transform the way we travel.”

But are they safe?

The safety of autonomous vehicles was questioned recently after a 49-year-old woman was killed while crossing the road in front of a self-driving vehicle in Arizona. The issue is the co-habitation of road users and the driverless vehicles – until people are sure on how to interact with them, accidents will still happen – which is why trials are being undertaken in such controlled environments to begin with.

Which manufacturers currently offer some level of autonomous assistance?

Quite a few, actually. You’ll find some partial self-driving tech in cars from Audi, BMW, Citroen, DS, Fiat, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar, Kia, Land Rover, Lexus, Mazda, Mercedes, Nissan, Peugeot, Porsche, Renault, Seat, Skoda, Subaru, Suzuki, Tesla, Toyota, Vauxhall, Volkswagen and Volvo – phew! It’s fair to say that most cars do incorporate the technology, but it mean that they include features such as adaptive cruise control, rather than full assistance.

Levels of autonomous assistance

You may have heard about people discussing the various levels of autonomous assistance, and they’re categorised from one to five.

Here’s what they mean.

Level 1
Introduced around 1990s/00s

Level 1 autonomous assistance is, as expected, the base level. It means that just one element of the driving process is taken over by the car – but the driver is very much still in charge. This level of assistance has been around for some time now, pioneered by early cruise control systems.

Level 2
Current day

Level 2 autonomy represents pretty much where we are today.

Computers are now clever enough to deal with multiple functions, and means that the car can take control of steering, throttle and brake functions, but it still requires the driver to show that they’re in charge of the car by putting a hand on the steering wheel.

Level 3
Estimated 2020

Level 3 takes things up a notch.

It means that all of the safety-critical functions can be controlled by the car, but the driver must still be able to intervene should they need to – this isn’t completely ‘hands-off’ tech yet.

Level 4
Mid 2020s

Things are getting serious at Level 4. This sees cars capable of being fully autonomous, albeit in selected areas – most likely inner-city ones. Dedicated lane markings and infrastructure will be required to ensure that the cars keep on the straight and narrow, too.

Complex mapping systems will combine with advanced cameras, sensors and artificial intelligence to determine where the car needs to go. The driver may need to intervene at certain points, but for the most part it’ll mean hands-free driving.

Level 5
Late 2020s/early 2030s

Level 5 will see the vehicles derestricted – they won’t have to operate within certain areas or environments. It’ll simply be capable of driving anywhere, without the need for a driver. There won’t be a need for a steering wheel or traditional ‘controls’; these vehicles will be fully capable of operating themselves.

It’ll free up space inside the cars themselves and, because of that, they’ll probably look more like lounges on wheels. That’s what we predict, anyway.

 

Timeline predictions

It’s worth noting that this timeline is based on predictions by many different manufacturers. Though various dates are pitched by different car makers, most agree that the bulk of progress will happen between 2020 and 2030. It’s a real technology race at the moment – each company is charging ahead to develop their own systems quicker than the next. It’s why these dates are estimations – some may get there sooner than others.

Engine placement doesn’t factor in a great number of car buying decisions these days – because the default position for a car is to be front-engined. If you’re looking towards more performance-oriented machines though, engine placement makes a huge difference – totally impacting how a car looks, drives and handles.

Here, we’ve rounded up the three possible engine layouts – front, mid and rear – with the advantages and disadvantages.

Front-engined

As mentioned, the vast majority of cars on the road today are front-engined. Of course, there are plenty of reasons for this. For a start, most cars, especially smaller ones, are front-wheel drive, so packaging the entire drivetrain up front makes a big difference to the amount of passenger space on offer.

Front-engined cars come in two flavours – front-front, and front-mid. This simply refers to the engine position in relation to the front axle, with front-mid cars having the majority of the engine block positioned behind the front wheels for improved weight distribution.

Having the weight over the driven wheels also improves traction, for front-wheel drive cars at least. Of course, many rear-wheel drive cars are front-engined too, and in this application the layout’s greatest strength is in its even weight distribution.

Front-engined, front-wheel drive cars can be prone to understeer under acceleration – this is due to the car’s weight moving towards the rear and off the driven wheels. Rear-wheel drive cars suffer less with this, but can be difficult to manage in slippery conditions.

In terms of driver appeal, front-engined cars still have a lot going for them. Virtually every hot hatchback on the market is front-engined and front-wheel drive, for example – making them cheap, predictable to drive and easy to handle for less experienced motorists. Front-engined, rear-wheel drive cars, meanwhile, are often considered the ‘ideal’ layout for a sports car – you’ll find this layout on everything from the bargain Mazda MX-5 to the hugely expensive and accomplished Ferrari 812 Superfast.

Mid-engined

Most vehicles considered ‘supercars’ are mid-engined – a layout that positions the engine ahead of the rear axle but behind the passengers. Right where you’d expect the back seat to be, in fact, which is why so few mid-engined cars offer more than two seats.

However, there’s more to life than packaging, right? The advantages of mid-engined cars lie in their handling – placing the car’s heaviest component, the engine, in the middle ensures perfect 50/50 weight distribution.

Having the weight in the centre also improves stability, making mid-engined vehicles seriously nimble while still having plenty of traction under acceleration.

Disadvantages? Well, besides the packaging issue, mid-engined vehicles can also be more difficult to control if they do begin to spin out. That’s again due to the weight distribution – the centre of gravity being in the centre makes it more difficult to stop its momentum.

Rear-engined

It’s rather sad that there are only three rear-engined vehicles on sale in Europe today – the Porsche 911 and its variants, the Renault Twingo and the Smart.

That never used to be the case – in the middle of the last century, rear-engined economy cars were ten a penny, at least before the Mini popularised the front-engined, front-wheel drive layout.

In performance applications, it’s only Porsche that’s persisted with the rear-engined layout, but the German brand’s pretty much perfected how to make a rear-engined car drive and handle well.

Rear-engined vehicles offer brilliant traction, as the weight is always over the driven wheels, and as there’s so little interference with the front wheels the handling can be pin-sharp and accurate. Braking can also be improved, as the weight over the rear axle counteracts the car’s tendency to dip forward under braking and allows the rear brakes to provide a greater portion of the stopping power.

Having the engine slung out behind the rear axle means passenger space can be improved – the 911 still offers four seats.

However, balancing a rear-engined car is a tricky job – there’s a reason some older models were nicknamed the ‘Widowmaker’. They’re prone to ‘snap’ oversteer – where the weight slung out at the rear tries to swing forwards, causing a dangerous spin. This makes them perhaps the most difficult of the three main engine layouts to drive quickly.

It’s easy to assume that car manufacturing in Britain is a bit-player in the country’s secondary industrial landscape. But nothing could be further from the truth – and despite doom and gloom surrounding Brexit as well as falling demand for diesel vehicles, the UK’s manufacturing plants are still humming along very nicely, thank you.

It is true that most historic UK brands are now under foreign ownership – only three ‘major’ manufacturers that build in the country are actually UK-owned companies, and even then, they’re small potatoes at most. But with major manufacturers such as Toyota, Nissan and Jaguar Land Rover still operating a significant presence in the UK, it’s fair to say that UK manufacturing is still going strong.

Though there are challenges ahead, with the threat of a poor Brexit deal that could impact deliveries, apply import tariffs or make it difficult to build cars at all, car manufacturing in the UK looks set to continue for many years yet. Here are all the major manufacturers who build cars in the UK:

Aston Martin

You couldn’t have a list of the best British-built cars without featuring Aston Martin, surely?

It’s a firm as well associated with our shores as tea, driving on the correct side and being knocked out of the World Cup prematurely. Finding fame as the choice machine of super spy James Bond, it has grown to become a worldwide statement of luxury.

Better yet, every car it makes is produced here in Britain. Its current offerings are created in Gaydon, while Newport Pagnell plays host to its classic restoration arm. There aren’t any signs of it going anywhere either, with a new facility in St Athan, Wales, soon opening as the home of the DBX SUV.

Morgan

Doesn’t get more British than Morgan, does it? Hand-crafted in the Malvern hills, these cars have been around for an awfully long time – and they haven’t changed an awful lot since they were first put together, in fact. Yes, they use wood in their construction, but this is put alongside lightweight aluminium components and beautiful, hand-rolled body panels.

A new range-topping Plus 8 model is on the horizon – so keep your eyes sharp for a new generation of Morgan car. Just don’t expect it to be completely modern in its design.

Caterham

Enthusiasts claim that the Caterham Seven is as close to driving nirvana as it’s possible to get. We’d have to agree; there’s little not to love about the way these two-seaters drive, with their immediate steering and energetic range of engines. They’re quick, too – the range-topping 620R will crack 0-60mph in under three seconds, in fact.

And they’re still hand-built in the UK too – though of course, there is the option to build them yourself at home. It just depends on how confident you are with the spanners.

McLaren

When thinking of a supercar, most will imagine an exotic Italian machine, clinical German bruiser or maybe even something big and American. But one of the best manufacturers in the segment builds its cars in the unlikely town of Woking in Surrey — McLaren.

Since 2009, McLaren Automotive has gone from a newcomer to a heavyweight in the high-end market. All of its cars are handbuilt in Britain, with chassis and carbon fibre components produced at a new facility in Sheffield shipped to Woking for final assembly.

Mini

Mini’s been trading on its British identity since it was reborn in 2001 under BMW ownership – the latest models even have Union flags in the taillights. Though the brand may be German-owned, it’s not all toot, either – Mini produces its signature Hatch, Convertible, Clubman and Countryman models in the UK.

Engines are made at a plant in Hams Hall, Birmingham, body assemblies and subframes are made at a plant in Swindon and the whole lot comes together for final assembly at the flagship plant in Cowley, Oxfordshire.

Honda

The Honda Civic is one of, if not the, most iconic nameplates for the Japanese manufacturer — but it might surprise you to learn that most examples of the machine are made here in the UK.

Since 1994, Civics destined for the European market have been built in Swindon, including the high-performance Type R — which has even been exported to Honda’s homeland. The plant has also previously produced the CR-V, Accord and Jazz for Europe.

Toyota

Toyota’s been producing cars in the UK for longer than you might realise – its first model, a Carina E, rolled off the assembly line at Burnaston, Derbyshire in 1992 and is now proudly displayed in the British Motor Museum, Gaydon.

Since then, the Avensis saloon and Corolla and Auris hatchbacks – some of Toyota’s biggest-selling models – have been made at the plant. The brand’s commitment to manufacturing cars in the UK remains strong, too, with production of the all-new Corolla now taking place in Burnaston.

Nissan

While Nissan may have recently announced plans to can plans of producing the X-Trail at its plant in Sunderland, it’s not all doom-and-gloom for the Japanese firm’s operations in the UK.

The firm has had a presence on Wearside since 1984, with its factory up north producing cars for global markets — including Nissan’s home country. Currently, it builds the Qashqai SUV, Juke crossover and all-electric Leaf hatchback alongside sister-brand Infiniti’s Q30 and QX30.

Lotus 

Lotus may now be under the ownership of Chinese automotive giant Geely, but production remains in the same place it has always been — Hethel, Norfolk.

While it may not be a major player in the wider motoring scale, there’s plenty to celebrate in Lotus’ British engineering and production. Currently, it offers the Elise, Evora and Exige — all in various guises — and is showing no signs of going anywhere.

Bentley

A plant in Crewe is where Bentley, despite being under the ownership of the Volkswagen Group, chooses to hand-build its entire model line-up. The Continental, Flying Spur, Mulsanne and Bentayga all begin life in Crewe before being shipped out worldwide.

Rolls-Royce

Arguably the best-known luxury brand in the world, Rolls-Royce is, like Mini, owned by BMW – but that hasn’t stopped it from remaining thoroughly red, white and blue through and through.

The brand employs superior craftsmen and women at its plant in Goodwood, Sussex, controlling everything from the woodgrain used for the interior facings to the bespoke engines under the bonnet.

Jaguar Land Rover

Indian steel giant Tata owns Jaguar Land Rover, but operates most of its production lines in the UK. With the exception of the I-Pace and E-Pace, which are built at the Austrian Magna Steyr plant, and the Discovery, which has recently moved to a new plant in Slovakia, all of JLR’s models are built in Halewood, Merseyside, Castle Bromwich and Solihull in the West Midlands. Design and development takes place in Gaydon, a stone’s throw from the British Motor Museum, while Headquarters and Classic are based in Coventry.

Vauxhall

Despite being under the ownership of American GM for a large portion of its history and now being under the control of the French PSA Group, Vauxhall still has a manufacturing presence here in the UK.

Ellesmere Port in Cheshire is responsible for building the Astra in both Vauxhall and Opel guises. Uncertainty over the plants future has grown over the past few years, with job cuts by the hundreds, but for now at least it’s still going.

British sports car manufacturer McLaren will not halt production after Brexit as its chief financial officer says it is “well sheltered” from the economic uncertainty.

Despite most UK-based car manufacturers announcing plans to stockpile parts or halt production altogether, the supercar maker famed for its P1 hypercar and 720S sports car says it will continue building at its current rate.

McLaren group CFO Paul Buddin revealed the firm has been building up reserves of some key parts to smooth production issues, but he is confident the factory can continue at its current rate of 20 units per day.

He said: “The Woking production centre will not be held back or halted in any way in light of Brexit and we will continue to build at the current rate of 20 cars per day through the Brexit period – we are not planning a special shutdown.”

That’s not the same story for other UK-based car plants. Honda announced in January that it will halt production at Swindon for six days after Britain’s departure from the EU on March 29, while Jaguar Land Rover, Toyota and Vauxhall have all said they are either stockpiling parts, cutting jobs or planning to halt production lines after Brexit.

Some of these manufacturers only have space in warehouses for days’ worth of parts, not weeks, and delays at borders could see those production lines stopped for even longer.

The #720SSpider – a car that has looks every bit as jaw-dropping as its performance, with scenery to match. #McLarenInTheUSA #Arizona pic.twitter.com/Ep8bwCDq4u

— McLaren Automotive (@McLarenAuto) February 6, 2019

Buddin explained that McLaren brings in 50 per cent of its parts from continental Europe and as such has plans to boost reserves of these marginally – however, he doesn’t envisage Brexit causing the luxury car firm quite the same headache as more mainstream rivals.

He added: “We operate in a different way to the likes of Nissan and Toyota – they based themselves here to take advantage of the European Union; we didn’t. JLR’s issues are more diesel related and we don’t have any of that.

“We may increase part stocks generally across our range to smooth production through, but there is not one thing we can do to guard against it – it is a big unknown.

“But that said, Brexit is not impacting our investment in the UK. We announced our ‘Track 25’ plan in July 2018 and we said that our £1.2bn investment in the UK was going ahead irrespective of Brexit.

“For us, this is more of a short-term issue. We keep on top of developments with the government and potentially we might see disruption to imports into the UK, but we are prepared and ready to deal with that.”

Buddin pleaded for a deal that offered frictionless borders for import and exports.

He added: “We don’t want issues bringing goods in. We bring parts in and we export cars out and therefore we don’t want friction either way.

“We just want some certainty. We want to know what the rules are and when we know that we’ll crack on with them. It’s the uncertainty of not knowing and the more time that passes the less time we will have to deal with it. McLaren is quite flexible and once we know what the rules are we’ll just get on with it.”

It’s fair to say that one of the most eagerly anticipated cars of recent times wasn’t a high-performance sports car, or a super-expensive luxury saloon. It was in fact the humble Suzuki Jimny – a tiny off-roader with barely 100bhp and the sort of design a five-year-old might come up with if you asked them to draw a car.

But one should never underestimate the value of rugged capability and sheer charm, because the Jimny has already proven wildly popular. In fact, with Suzuki in Japan allocating just 1,200 units a year to the UK, and well over 10,000 orders taken already, buyers may be in for a hefty wait if they want to get their hands on this pint-sized 4×4.

However, if you’re just after an exceptional off-roader but don’t want to pay the many thousands for a brand-new Range Rover or Toyota Land Cruiser, don’t fear – here are some of the best models you can pick up for the £15,499 price of a Jimny. Just without the wait.

Toyota Land Cruiser

There are many aspects of car ownership to be concerned about, but when looking into Land Cruisers you can at least rest easy that reliability isn’t one of them. These beasts can look pricey against similar vehicles of an equivalent age and condition, but in a nutshell a properly maintained Land Cruiser is likely to outlast the stable orbit of the moon.

They’re also near-unbeatable off-road and, in the era we’re buying from, packed with enough kit to keep most people happy. Expect leather upholstery and electric everything.

Land Rover Discovery

In contrast to the Land Cruiser, Land Rovers aren’t known for being endlessly reliable – but a few gremlins here and there are no reason to dismiss the Discovery. For a start, they’re fantastic family cars – the Discovery ‘4’ that we’re looking at will seat seven adults with ease.

Thanks to Land Rover’s clever ‘Terrain Response’ system, heading off-road need be no more difficult than simply flicking a switch and turning a dial – and soon, you’ll be happily plugging through the mud all the while ensconced in leather and wood. Lovely.

Jeep Wrangler

Jeep’s Wrangler shares a similar appeal to the Jimny, in that it offers old-school looks with a slightly more modern driving experience. At this price point you’ll be able to nab a decent example (though they do tend to command quite high prices used) but be warned – as good as they are on the rough stuff, they do tend to be quite wearing to drive on-road.

Nissan Patrol

The Nissan Patrol is big, brash and impeccably good off-road, making it a real contender against a new Jimny. For the same cost as the little Suzuki you’ll be able to grab a low-mileage example, powered by a 3.0-litre turbodiesel. With space for five and a big boot, it’s very practical too.

Old Suzuki Jimny

If you can’t deal with waiting for the new Jimny, why not just go for the previous model? Used prices have already started to creep up in response to the new car’s massive waiting lists, but you can still net yourself an absolute bargain. Prices range from a few hundred quid for well-loved older models to around £14,000 for a nearly brand-new example.

Clearly, the Jimny’s on-road manners leave much to be desired, but these little terriers will keep up with any larger machine on the rough stuff, and have proven truly tough over their two decades on sale.

Range Rover

The Range Rover was a bid to take the Land Rover formula of rugged off-road ability and give it a tickle to make it as good on the tarmac as a conventional car.

Nearly five decades of fettling later and the modern Range Rover is a genuinely wonderful thing – easily capable of competing with both a hardcore off-roader and a luxury limousine. Opt for service history before age and you’ll mitigate as many reliability woes as possible.

Subaru Forester

Think Subaru, and you’ll imagine one of two things. The first is probably images of youths in a McDonald’s car park revving their souped-up Imprezas — but perhaps also of cars that can tackle anything thrown its way.

Enter the Forester, a classic example of basic-but-reliable engineering. Over its two-decade life cycle, it’s gained a reputation as a machine for tackling mud, snow, shallow rivers and even Tesco car parks without so much as a problematic start up. Thanks to its popularity in the UK, early examples can be had for mere pennies — while late, low-mileage cars still come well into budget.

Fiat Fullback

Fiat and dependable off-roader might not be the choice play in a game of word association, but the Fullback certainly files under the category. That’s thanks to its Mitsubishi underpinnings, effectively being little more than a rebadged L200, this Thai-built machine has the ability to take on even the toughest terrains.

It’s also still a fairly new machine too, having been in production since 2016. Despite this, prices have fallen below the £15k mark towards the lower end of the market — meaning it’s possible to get a virtually new, larger machine than a Jimny for the same price.

Mitsubishi Shogun

The Shogun name has been applied to quite a few vehicles over the years, so it’s important to know that you’re buying the correct one. While Shogun Sports and Shogun Pinins are all interesting cars, it’s the big daddy we’re interested in – the full-sized Shogun.

Powered by a massive diesel engine, based on a super-tough ladder frame and with a boxy, no-nonsense body on top, the Shogun is a classic case of the rugged off-roader done right. The current model’s been around for donkey’s years, so your budget will grab you a car that doesn’t even look too out-of-date.