Mini reveals cleaner Countryman

WHAT’S NEW

Order books for Volvo’s first electric vehicle have opened in the UK, with the XC40 Recharge priced from £53,155.

Badged P8 to differentiate it from the plug-in hybrid Recharge model, the small SUV leads the charge for the firm’s electric range, which will grow to include five electric vehicles in the next five years.

The XC40 Recharge P8 has a range of 249 miles and can be charged to 80% of its battery capacity within 40 minutes at a fast charger. It makes 402bhp and has a 0-60mph time of 4.9 seconds.

At first, it will only be offered in R-Design specification, which includes 19-inch alloy wheels, leather and nubuck upholstery, aluminium inlays, a 12-inch driver display, high-end audio system and LED headlights.

Optional equipment includes 20-inch alloy wheels (£750), charcoal leather upholstery (£900), upgraded driver assistance (£1,550), and a climate pack (£775) that adds heated seats all around, a heated

Mini has unveiled i t s l a t e s t Countryman model, which sports an updated exterior, upgraded technology and cleaner, more efficient engines.

The design has been lightly fettled, with a new rear bumper and a front bumper that’s now fully painted in the car’s body colour, while the redesigned grille gets the typical Mini hexagonal look and a slim, steering wheel and heated front windscreen.

Volvo has continued its commitment to safety by redesigning the front end crash structure to account for the fact there is no longer an engine under the bonnet. The XC40 Recharge P8 is also the first Volvo to get a new version of Pilot Assist, the firm’s advanced cruise control system. one-piece chrome frame. LED headlights are now standard, complementing the LED rear lights that are shaped like the Union Flag.

The rounded headlights are framed by a band of light that acts as the daytime running lights but doubles up as the indicator, while LED fog lamps are also standard. Adaptive LED headlights are now an optional upgrade for the Countryman.

Vo l k s w a g e n i s introducing an entrylevel version of its new Golf hatchback.

Priced from £23,300, it is powered by a 109bhp 1.0-litre petrol engine with a six-speed manual gearbox, and is offered exclusively with the Life trim level. This Golf can reach 60mph in 10 seconds with a top speed of 126mph. Fuel economy is recorded as 49.6 to 53.3mpg, while CO2 emissions are 121-129g/km.

With Life trim, the Golf gets 16-inch alloy wheels,

Inside, not much has changed in the overall design, while split-folding rear seats open up boot space from 450 to a maximum of 1,390 litres.

There are a couple of new leather upholstery options, piano black interior surfaces are now standard, and a new silver surface upgrade is now offered.

The range of engines has been developed to lower emissions, with particulate automatic LED headlights, rain-sensing wipers, front and rear parking sensors and keyless start.

Inside is a digital instrument screen, a 10-inch infotainment system, adaptive cruise control and safety systems.

Dale Piper, product manager at Volkswagen UK, said: “The Golf is one of the UK’s most popular cars for new and usedcar customers. It offers compelling value for money – this entry point to the Golf 8 range is a great example. filters for petrol engines and AdBlue injection for diesel engines meaning all powertrains now meet Euro 6d regulations.

All-wheel-drive is available on four of the engines, and it’s standardfit for the plug-in hybrid model, which makes 217bhp and has an electriconly range of up to 38 miles.

Order books for the new Mini Countryman are open now.

“Featuring the latest technology and highest levels of quality – along with class-leading efficiency – this new 1.0-litre TSI 110 PS option brings the possibility of new Golf ownership to even more people.”

Elsewhere in the range, engine options include two variations of a 1.5-litre petrol unit and two 2.0-litre diesels. A mild-hybrid version of the 1.5-litre engine is also available, which uses a small electric motor to help reduce running costs and emissions.