CONTENTS

Britain’s biggest and best car buyer’s guide

What’s new? 15 First drives, new models and news

Test centre 47 The UK’s most thorough car comparisons

Star Cars this month

Triple test SUVs, p66

Mercedes-Benz A-Class

Why the five-door hatch is better equipped to steal sales from BMW

Reader Test Team

16 20

Up close with the world’s first petrol-electric MPV: Toyota’s Prius+

20

First drives

Audi A1 Sportback p29 Audi A4 Allroad p33 Audi A4 Avant p34 BMW 5 Series M550d p35 Citroën C1 p31 Hyundai i30 p33 Jaguar XF p28 Peugeot 208 p24 Peugeot 508 RXH p28 Porsche 911 Carrera p31 Porsche Boxster p26 Renault Mégane p34 Vauxhall Ampera p35 Vauxhall Insignia Biturbo p33 Volkswagen Passat Alltrack p29

24

29

New Subaru XV vs Audi Q3 and BMW X3 66

Can Subaru follow in the tracks of these premium SUVs?

The big test: small family cars New Hyundai i30 vs Ford Focus vs Vauxhall Astra vs VW Golf

Twin test: city cars New Fiat Panda vs new Seat Mii

Quick test: hot diesel superminis New Audi A1 vs Mini Cooper

Twin test: compact executives New Audi A4 vs new BMW 3 Series

Our cars It’s been an eventful 12 months for the Seat Alhambra MPV and Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer – our photographers covered more than 60,000 miles in them. We also welcome a Range Rover Evoque to the fleet and have updates on 16 other long-termers

Your cars Readers give their verdicts on the Citroën C4, Mazda CX-7, Skoda Octavia vRS and Volkswagen Scirocco, plus reader polls

48 62

76 75

82

99

News

New SUVs on the way p38 and ‘Help older drivers’ call p40

Coming soon Brilliant cars just around corner p42

48

8 | MAY 2012 whatcar.com