The Final Quarter

Last, but by no means least, comes the updated Audi A3, a sister car to the revised SEAT Leon, Škoda Octavia and Volkswagen Golf, all of which were announced late last year.

This is the fourth incarnation of the A3, a model that shares its modified MQB underpinnings with the aforementioned models from the VW Group. This new era sees the discontinuation of the 3-door model, which only sold in small numbers, and the Cabriolet, which served a niche market. Besides this Sportback model, there will be a saloon derivative and possibly a coupé version in the future.

Compared with the outgoing Sportback, this updated A3 sees a small increase in width and length which should provide slightly more headroom and legroom for passengers. Luggage capacity remains at a modest 380 litres with the rear seat backs in place, rising to 1200 litres when folded. This is considerably less than the capacious Škoda Octavia. The entry level model comes with the traditional 60:40 seat split whilst the Sport derivative offers a 40:20:40 configuration for more flexibility. Design-wise, the new model is more striking with predominant body creases and sculptures, giving the car more visual appeal than previously.

There has been a radical overhaul of the interior with a Virtual Cockpit replacing the standard analogue instruments. Accompanying this is a 10.1 inch infotainment display which is now integrated into the centre console rather than being atop the dashboard. As with its sister models, technology has advanced dramatically from the outgoing model. The interior has embraced a cockpit-style ambience with the dashboard angled towards the driver, non uniform positioning of the air vents, and a wide centre console. For models with automatic transmission, the traditional gear selector has been replaced with a toggle-style switch, also fitted in the Leon, Octavia and Golf.

A3 Sportback front

A3 Sportback rear

A3 Rear Seats

A3 Dashboard

A3 Saloon front

A3 Saloon rear

A3 Dashboard

Familiar engines will be offered, albeit slightly updated on previous offerings. There will be the usual regular petrol and diesel combustion engines with mild-hybrid technology for slightly lower running costs, and a plug-in hybrid model. With diesel engines fast losing their popularity across the globe, the 1.5-litre 150 PS petrol unit is expected to be the pick of the bunch. For the majority of drivers, this offers good acceleration and fuel economy both with 6-speed manual and 7-speed DSG automatic gearboxes .

There will be a range of trim levels depending upon the different markets where the car is sold. It would appear that standard features will include 16-inch alloy wheels, cloth seats, a 10.1-inch touchscreen with sat nav, a 10.25-inch Virtual Cockpit and LED headlights. The Sport model comes with part-leather upholstery, larger wheels, dual-zone climate control and driving mode selector. For luxuries such as 18-inch wheels, LED rear lights with sweeping indicators, ambient interior lighting, privacy glass and sports seats, one will need to invest heavily in the S3 model. The car wouldn’t be an Audi if it didn’t entice purchasers with a host of optional extras, all of which load the basic price considerably. Many ‘extras’ on the A3 are standard on models from its sister companies and it goes without saying that the Leon, Octavia and, to some extent, the Golf, are all better buys.

As before, the A3 will appeal to the buyer who wants to stand out from the crowd and is prepared to pay more for a brand name with a better perceived interior. However within this segment, the Škoda Octavia is still considered the car to beat, especially now the model has been updated and moved slightly upmarket. An upper spec Octavia, with more options as standard, is likely to cost less than an entry-level A3, so one pays the money and makes the choice!

 

Tradition Rules The Roads

Despite the continued demand for SUV vehicles, sales of traditional hatchbacks and saloon models still outstrip the latest trend …

Almost every major manufacturer now offers at least one SUV in their model line up, with companies such as Audi and BMW offering a broad range to cover every market segment. In fact, such is the current craze for SUVs, that prestige car makers like Aston Martin are jumping on the bandwagon, Personally, I think such a move is detrimental to the marque, as is the case with off-road vehicles from Rolls Royce and Bentley. It’s highly unlikely that a buyer is going to invest €220.000 (£200,000) to take a vehicle off-road so they are basically purchased as status symbols.

Like MPVs before them, the trend for SUVs will undoubtedly burst at some point. Few are actually used for their designated purpose and all cost more than the equivalent saloon car on which they are based. Furthermore, handling is not as agile and ride comfort suffers as a result. Of course, there are advantages, notably that most boast a higher ride with increased ground clearance although smaller, crossover models such as the SEAT Arona and Volkswagen T-Cross offer little advantage.

Savvy manufacturers are still investing heavily in their traditional core models as well as offering a range of SUVs. Two new models coming on to the market this year are the VW Golf (now in its eighth generation) and the Škoda Octavia sporting its fourth design since the model name was resurrected in the late 1990s. The Golf is still one of the biggest sellers in the entire VW model range whilst the Octavia represents over 40% of Škoda sales from an eight-model range. Such a high precentage cannot be ignored and, following the introduction of the Scala a year ago, the new Octavia will move slightly upmarket with a more sporting profile.

Whilst technically the Octavia is a hatchback, it has always competed with traditional saloon models from some of its main rivals. Hitherto, the model has presented a conservative profile which is no bad thing as avant-garde designs date very quickly, but the upcoming model is sleeker and more dynamic. The new car retains the highly-regarded VW Group MQB platform but is now 19mm longer, 15mm wider, and has a 5mm increase in the wheelbase than the outgoing model. Luggage capacity in the hatchback increases by 10 litres to 600 litres whilst the estate version boasts an increased capacity of 30 litres.

Sharp waistline creases, a more upright frontal appearance similar to that of the Scala, and more pronounced lines help define the new Octavia which will no longer appear anonymous like the outgoing model. It will retain and improve upon the range of safety technology introduced when the outgoing model was facelifted in 2017 but the design of the dashboard is something of a departure from the norm. With the emphasis on eliminating as many obtrusive buttons and switches as possible, the layout is very minimalistic with most controls clumped together on either the newly-designed two-spoke steering wheel or above the central air vents that are now sited much lower than previously. Options that can be specified at a price include ambient lighting, a head up display, a collision avoidance system, turn assist and predictive cruise control.

Engines are the familiar petrol and diesel units currently available although the previous 1.6 115PS diesel is now uprated to 2.0 with the same power output. This is likely to offer a smoother driving experience for those opting for the lower powered unit. For the first time, the Octavia will also offer a plug-in hybrid variant, utilising a 1.4 litre petrol engine plus an electric motor to give a total power output of 204PS. The 13 kwh battery will provide up to 55 kms (31 mls) of travel.

Moving on to the new Golf, this continues its evolution from the Mk7 by remaining on the VW Group’s MQB platform. Much of the model retains virtually unchanged vital components although the car has increased marginally in size. Seeing as the Golf is instantly recognisable, each new model profile looks similar to the outgoing one but noticeable changes have been made to the front of the latest incarnation. Other design changes have basically just modernised the car a little.

With electrification now the topic of the moment, this technology will be a core feature in the engine range. There will be a plug-in hybrid GTE model with several other derivatives getting a 48-volt mild-hybrid setup. This system converts lost energy through braking into an ‘electrical’ boost to assist the engine when accelerating, contributing to increased fuel economy and lower emissions. It has been designed to work with the VW Group DSG dual-clutch automatic gearbox and will be a standard feature with the most powerful 1.0 litre and the 1.5 litre engines.

As with the Octavia, the cabin of the new Golf introduces sweeping changes. Physical buttons are minimised with the car’s main functions now controlled by a large infotainment touchscreen, steering wheel buttons and voice commands. Cabin temperatures and audio volume are operated by a swipe bar below the infotainment screen, a SIM card is installed ensuring the Golf is always online and updated, plus there is Android Auto and Apple Carplay smartphone connectivity. Interior space remains  broadly similar to the previous model, and the lithium-ion battery pack used in the mild-hybrid system is concealed beneath the front passenger seat, thereby not intruding into the 380 litres of boot space. However, this is miniscule compared with the 600 litres offered by the similarly engineered Octavia.

Safety technology abounds, including a driving assistant that applies the brakes to bring the car to a halt if either driver fatigue or ill health is detected. Improvements across the board to the new model will undoubtedly bring price increases and higher spec models will be competing with the likes of the BMW 1 series and Mercedes A class.

 

Top Of The Pops

This isn’t a reference to the latest trends in popular music but a look at the top-selling cars in Europe and UK colour trends in 2016 …

According to Autocar® a leading UK motoring magazine, only fourteen different models of car dominated the number one selling position in twenty-eight European countries. Furthermore, fourteen of those top positions were occupied by VW Group cars which comes as little surprise given their overall reliability and relatively conservative styling that doesn’t date as quickly as some manufacturer offerings.

Top of the popularity list is the Volkswagen Golf. This model was the preferred choice of new car buyers in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. Of these countries, only Germany and Sweden boast mainstream car manufacturers but, interestingly, Germans support their home industry whilst the Swedes relegate their native Volvo into second, third and fourth places. Even then, the combined Volvo sales still fell short of Golf purchases by nearly 5000 vehicles.

Unsurprisingly, given its space, practicality and value, the Škoda Octavia triumphed in its home market of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Poland and Switzerland. In the Czech Republic, buyers are very supportive of their own product as the Škoda Fabia took second place in the sales chart and half of all the country’s top-sellers are Škoda models. The Fabia also claimed second place in Poland making that country a lucrative market for the Czech manufacturer.

The Nissan Qashqai sealed first place in the tiny car market of Croatia and narrowly beat the Octavia to second place in the equally small market of Latvia. Renault claimed top spot in their home market of France with the Clio, which also was the favoured purchase in Portugal, a country that has an affinity towards small French cars. Other European markets share a variety of different models, none of which have dominance. Denmark car buyers favoured the Peugeot 208 whilst the uninspiring Toyota Yaris was top of the pops in Greece. Buyers in Hungary opted for the Suzuki Vitara which may be because it’s manufactured there but the Octavia was in a respectable second place. A strange choice of buyers in Ireland was the Hyundai Tucson, pushing the Golf into second place.

Fiat dominated sales in their home market of Italy with the Panda. With their twisty and often congested roads, it’s not surprising that an economical small car was first choice. The Fiat 500 was most popular in Lithuania where the Nissan Qashqai reached second place. The Fiat 500L took first place in the small car market of Serbia with the Octavia again coming second. Another country supporting their home market was Romania with the Dacia Logan and Duster in first and second places respectively. The Dacia is very much a budget product and is the Romanian arm of Renault. Prices are kept low by using discarded platforms and engines from earlier Renault models and benefiting from low manufacturing costs. The downside to these models is driving vehicles which are some ten years behind the times!

The final three best sellers are the Škoda Fabia which triumphed in Slovakia although the Octavia wasn’t far behind. Sales in Spain were dominated by the home-built SEAT Leon with their Ibiza in a close second place. Bringing up the rear is the United Kingdom where the Ford Fiesta was the number one choice. I’m sure there are people who think that the Fiesta is a British product but no Ford model is built in the country. It is most likely that Fiestas sold in the UK are manufactured in Portugal. The car is a strange choice given its odd styling and the fact that it depreciates at a higher rate than some comparable models from competitors.

Staying in the UK, an analysis was taken of the most popular colour choices for new cars. Monochrome colours are the most popular as white, black and grey take the top three spots. Of these colours, white dominates the charts with 20.51% of 2016 registrations. Blue remains the most popular primary colour and stood at fourth place with 15.38% of the market. Brown has fallen out of favour with demand down by 40.1% on 2015 sales. Somewhat strangely, beige has also dropped by 27.6%, possibly because buyers see it as an unexciting colour. Silver, which once dominated new car sales, found itself in sixth place in 2016, a drop of 7.5% on the previous year.

Of the top-selling ten cars in the UK in 2016, six were finished in black, two in white, and one each in grey and blue. Given the percentages shown above, it must be assumed that more of the less popular vehicles sold were finished in white!

Mid-Life Crisis?

In order to breathe new life into existing models, many manufacturers give mid-life facelifts to some of their cars.

As loyal readers of my blog will be aware, I have a penchant towards cars from the VW Group. I am not saying for one minute that other manufacturers don’t produce fine products, but personally I like the understated styling of VW Group models which don’t date at the alarming rate of some design offerings available today. Take the styling of the current Ford Fiesta as an example. This model compares directly with the Volkswagen Polo and Škoda Fabia yet depreciates some 7% more in value over a three year period. Most Japanese manufacturers appear to have lost the plot where styling is concerned, having adopted aggressive front ends and protruding tail-light clusters. This is simply the trend of the moment and avant-garde designs fast lose their appeal with the buying public. Whilst some would say that many VW Group products are rather staid, they continue to hold their value over the years and rarely look out of place amidst more futuristic offerings.

The question that one must ask is why models are given a facelift. Surely there would be no need for change had the designers got the product right in the first place. In reality, car makers want to keep their products in the forefront of the market place, and it is a constant battle to keep up with new and improved products from competitors. Facelifts therefore inject new life into existing models, extending their life for 18 months up to three years. In recent months, facelifts have been announced for the Audi A3, SEAT Leon, Škoda Octavia and VW Golf. The modified A3 is already available but buyers will have to wait until early 2017 for the updated models from the other marques.

To look at the aforementioned facelifted models, it is quite difficult to spot what is different. External changes include new or tweaked grilles, restyled bumpers, improved lights and new wheel designs. Most improvements are not visible from the outside as they centre around upgraded infotainment systems and enhancements to the power output of engines on offer. None of these are a bad thing and if they generate new life into a three or four year old product, it’s good news for the manufacturer. Limited changes to the exterior are also good news for the owners of pre-facelift models as only the diehard discerning buyer will be able to spot the differences.

Let’s start with the SEAT Leon. A reshaped front bumper now features a grille that has been stretched by 40mm, and the car is offered in three additional exterior colours. Interior trim has been upgraded and an electric handbrake and ambient lighting have been added. The new 115bhp 1.0 three-cylinder turbo petrol engine, already available in the Audi A3, Škoda Octavia and VW Golf; is now offered and the 1.6 diesel engine has had a power boost to 115PS. Add-on options include wireless phone charging, Traffic Sign Recognition and Traffic Jam Assist.

Next the Škoda Octavia. This boasts a new front end which has already divided opinion. It features split headlights with LED daylight running lamps and a wider grille that more closely resembles the new Kodiaq SUV. The lower bumper section has been tidied up with crisp horizontal lines designed to emphasise the car’s width. The rear bumper has also been restyled and the tail-lights tweaked. Inside, it is the infotainment systems that boast the biggest change. All systems now come with capacitive touchscreens which are larger in size. Optional features include a customised key that can store multiple driver preferences, a heated steering wheel, folding tables in the backs of the front seats and new cup holders that are moulded to the shape of bottles allowing them to be opened with one hand.

Now for the VW Golf which has a re-profiled bumper, slightly modified grille and air duct styling, minor restyling to the front wings and revised headlights with LED daytime running lights and a new full LED main beam function. The rear receives full LED tail-lights and a newly designed bumper and the model benefits from new wheel designs and exterior colours. Inside, there are revised trims for the doors, dashboard and centre console and some models can be specified with an Active Info Display with 12.3in high-definition monitor in place of standard analogue instruments. Infotainment systems are enhanced with larger displays across all models together with new or updated driver assistant systems including  Traffic Jam Assist, Emergency Assist, Lane Assist and an updated City Emergency Braking system. Needless to say, most of these options come at a price!

Finally the Audi A3. Key updates include styling tweaks with Xenon or LED headlights as standard. The front grille has had a minor restyle along with the headlights meaning the car now more closely resembles the larger A4. As with the other marques, the Audi also boasts new exterior colours and wheel designs. The main technological enhancement is the option of a virtual cockpit display in lieu of conventional analogue instruments.

Prices for the revised models are unlikely to deflect far from existing prices although uncertainties over exchange rates may ultimately have an impact. It’s fair to say that the improvements and enhancements across all these models are good for the consumer as they reflect the latest developments in technology. They should also reap rewards for the manufacturers as they either retain or attract new customers to their product range whilst remaining competitive in a fierce marketplace so it’s hardly a mid-life crisis!

For comparison pre-facelift photos of these models, please refer to earlier blog posts.

When Less Is More

A few vital statistics …

Regular readers will already be familiar with my blog reviews and comparisons of cars from the Volkswagen Group. One aspect that I generally omit is the overall size of each vehicle, so to make amends, I am detailing the vital statistics of four comparable vehicles. These are the SEAT Leon, Škoda Octavia, VW Golf and the Audi A3. Each car compared is a 5-door hatchback, and for price comparison purposes, uses SE trim specification. Obviously, despite the same name, levels of trim in each car do vary considerably with the Skoda offering some of the highest and the Audi the least.

Firstly, the SEAT Leon. This is currently priced from £18245 (approx €23720) for a 1.4 TSI 125PS Manual in SE trim.

Wheelbase 2636mm Front Track 1549mm Rear Track 1520mm Length 4263mm Width 1816mm 1975mm with mirrors. Boot space ranges from 380 litres with rear seats up to 1270 litres with seats folded.

Now, the Škoda Octavia. This is also currently priced from £18245 (approx €23720) for a 1.4 TSI 150PS Manual in SE trim.

Wheelbase 2686mm Front Track 1549mm Rear Track 1520mm Length 4659mm Width 1814mm 2017mm with mirrors. Boot space ranges from 590 litres with rear seats up to a whopping 1580 litres with seats folded.

Next, the VW Golf. This is currently priced from £19710 (approx €25600) for a 1.4 TSI 122PS Manual in SE trim.

Wheelbase 2636mm Front Track 1549mm Rear Track 1520mm Length 4255mm Width 1799mm 2027mm with mirrors. Boot space ranges from 380 litres with rear seats up to 1270 litres with seats folded.

Finally, the Audi A3. This is currently priced from £20700 (approx €27000) for a 1.4 TFSI 150PS Manual in SE trim.

Wheelbase 2636mm Front Track 1535mm Rear Track 1506mm Length 4310mm Width 1785mm 1966mm with mirrors. Boot space ranges from 380 litres with rear seats up to 1220 litres with seats folded.

It doesn’t take a genius to see how similar these vehicles are. The Leon, Golf and A3 all share the same MQB platform whilst the Octavia benefits from a stretched version of the same platform. The Leon and Golf are virtually identical in size, right down to the luggage capacity. Despite the A3 giving the impression of being a large car, it is actually shorter than the Octavia. As is to be expected from Škoda, the Octavia delivers considerably more for your money and offers boot space to rival cars in the segment above, proving once again that less is more! Ultimately, the final choice is down to styling as all the models are extremely well built and share the same mechanical parts.