Diesel Car – Issue 338 – July 2015 – Performance and sports car issue

For more enthusiastic drivers, this is the issue of the year, with a focus on performance and sports cars. In our used car section there’s a buyer’s guide for the Mk6 Volkswagen Golf GTD, and our twin test this month sees a pair of muscular SUVs go head-to-head – the BMW X6 and Porsche Cayenne. We’ve also tested the sporty Peugeot 308 SW GT BlueHDi 180, the Volkswagen Scirocco GT with the 181bhp 2.0-litre TDI unit and DSG automatic transmission, as well as the Audi A7 Sportback Black Edition with 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged engine. We’ve also been driving Ford’s latest Kuga, with more powerful 178bhp 2.0-litre TDCi engine paired to Titanium X Sport trim, and in our EcoCar supplement, there’s a first UK test of the Volkswagen Golf GTE Plug-In Hybrid and we put the Ford Fiesta Zetec S 1.0T EcoBoost through its paces.

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For more enthusiastic drivers, this is the issue of the year, with a focus on performance and sports cars. In our used car section there’s a buyer’s guide for the Mk6 Volkswagen Golf GTD, and our twin test this month sees a pair of muscular SUVs go head-to-head – the BMW X6 and Porsche Cayenne. We’ve also tested the sporty Peugeot 308 SW GT BlueHDi 180, the Volkswagen Scirocco GT with the 181bhp 2.0-litre TDI unit and DSG automatic transmission, as well as the Audi A7 Sportback Black Edition with 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged engine. We’ve also been driving Ford’s latest Kuga, with more powerful 178bhp 2.0-litre TDCi engine paired to Titanium X Sport trim, and in our EcoCar supplement, there’s a first UK test of the Volkswagen Golf GTE Plug-In Hybrid and we put the Ford Fiesta Zetec S 1.0T EcoBoost through its paces.

With diesel power getting bad press of late, we are exploding some myths and explaining why diesels aren’t dirty anymore, looking at the science, the EU regulations and what is going to be happening to emissions standards in the future. If you want to read the facts about diesel without any of the politics going on, you really can’t miss this issue. We’ve also examined Volkswagen’s innovative new Trailer Assist system and celebrate diesel success in motorsport at the Le Mans 24 hour race.

Our cover story brings the first information on the facelifted BMW 3 Series, and we’ve got news about SEAT’s updated Ibiza and the new Skoda Superb Estate. We’ve been testing Audi’s brand-new Q7, the posh new Mondeo Vignale and driven Skoda’s all-new Superb in hatchback guise. We’ve been behind the wheel of a trio of new Hyundais – the facelifted i30 and i40 Tourer, together with the new i20 Coupé, and tested the revised Peugeot 208 hatchback and Partner Tepee. Rounding off a big month for new car tests is the latest DS 5, newly devoid of all Citroën badges, as the DS Automobiles company shifts upmarket to take on the premium sector.

There is of course all the favourites that you’ve come to expect, too, including Doctor Diesel, The Extra Mile, Marketplace, Meals on Wheels, Reader’s Drives and the most up-to-date data section in the magazine world, listing every diesel and alternatively fuelled car, as well as sub-100g/km tax-free petrol cars, too. There’s also the new EcoCar supplement so you can get your diet of tax-free motors.

Tested:

  • Audi A7 Sportback Black Edition 3.0 BiTDI quattro Automatic
  • Audi Q7 S line 3.0 TDI quattro Automatic
  • BMW X6 xDrive30d M Sport Automatic
  • DS 5 Prestige BlueHDi 180 Automatic
  • Ford Fiesta Zetec S 1.0T EcoBoost (123) 3-door
  • Ford Mondeo Vignale 2.0 TDCi AWD PowerShift (178) Automatic 4-door
  • Ford Kuga Titanium X Sport 2.0 TDCi AWD (177)
  • Hyundai i20 Coupe SE 1.4 CRDi 3-door
  • Hyundai i30 SE Nav 1.6 CRDi Auto 5-door
  • Hyundai i40 Tourer SE Nav 1.7 CRDi Blue Drive
  • Peugeot 208 Allure 1.6 BlueHDi 100 5-door
  • Peugeot 308 SW GT BlueHDi 180 Automatic
  • Peugeot Partner Tepee Allure 1.6 BlueHDi 120
  • Porsche Cayenne Diesel
  • Skoda Superb SE L Executive 2.0 TDI 4×4 (188) DSG Automatic
  • Volkswagen Golf GTE Nav 1.4 TSI Plug-in Hybrid
  • Volkswagen Scirocco GT 2.0 TDI DSG (181) Automatic

Long-term test reports:

  •  Audi A4 Avant SE Technik 2.0 TDI ultra
  • Citroen Grand C4 Picasso Exclusive+ 2.0 BlueHDi 150 Automatic
  • Ford Mondeo Estate Titanium 2.0 TDCi (150) Automatic
  • Kia Soul Maxx 1.6 CRDi
  • Peugeot 308 SW Allure BlueHDi 120
  • Renault Clio Dynamique MediaNav dCi 90
  • SEAT Leon X-PERIENCE SE Technology 2.0 TDI (181) DSG Automatic
  • Volvo V40 Cross Country D4 SE Nav Geartronic

Used Car Buyer’s Guide:

  • Volkswagen Golf GTD 2.0 TDI (2009-2013)

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