motors? woman's view ' f
www.motorstoday.co.uk
A u tom o t iv e M a rk e t in g a t i t a b e a t
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A u t o m o t i v e M a r k e t i n g a t ' i t s b a s t mad test Honda Hybrid is By JUNE NEARY
motorways, town congestion and sheer volume of traffic, we’re tempted to invest more money in a family car than we’ve done in-the past for the extra peace of mind that superior build quality brings. The latest generation Volvo V70 estate
A
appealed to me far more than I expected it to. After all, it looks like a Volvo, solid and dependable ^ but not quite as dull as the car it replaced. My dark blue model certainly reflect
ed understated style and the practical greys of the interior were both smart and soothing. It took me a bit of time to get the hang of starting up and pulling away. There’s a hint of delayed reaction with the diesel variant that I tried compared with petrol cars, opening into a surge of power that’s quite alarming when you’re not ready for it, but stimulating when you know it’s there. That said, there was nothing else to
complain about.
The Practicalities Volvos are nothing if not practical.
Five passengers will travel in complete comfort and the boot space will swallow up a fair bit of kit, too. The driving posi tion is well thought out, with all the but
S a family we have always thought an estate car would suit us. And in this day and age of fast
For The Very
tons and switches close to hand and easy to identify. The rear end looks a little more sleeker
than before but Volvo hasn’t been divert ed from this car’s raison d’etre - lugging gear. Lots of it. The clever trick is that Volvo has disguised the car’s inherent boxiness with neat detailing like the split high-level tail lights. There’s a class-com- petitive, 540-litres of virgin space back there and a massive space can be liberat ed if you fold the rear seats down and stack your cargo to the roof line. The 40- 20-40 three part split/fold rear seat offers. 16 different combinations and the load- bay floor itself features aluminium rails and movable anchoring points. A sliding load floor is also offered as an option, as is a powered tailgate Safety? Take top-spec for granted; this
is a new Volvo, after all. From previous models you get SIPS side impact protec tion, WHIPS whiplash protection, an inflatable curtain of head-level side airbags and the DSTC anti-skid system'.
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There s also dual-stage airbag inflation (determined by impact severity) and Isofix mountings for the optional rear facing child seat to ensure correct fitting every time you install Junior. Then there’s a passenger airbag cut off switch and the Blind Spot Information System (BLIS). This acts much like an extra set of eyes and utilizes digital camera tech nology mounted
in.the door mirrors to monitor the areas 3m to each side and up to 9.5m behind the driver, producing a warning light if there’s anything lurking there.
Behind the Wheel Apart from struggling to get started
smoothly - my fault, I ’m sure - 1 can’t criticise the V70 D5 that I tried in terms of performance. The book says that its five-cylinder engine develops some 185bhp, if you know about these things, which takes the car to 60 in around 8.5 seconds. Given this, the average 40mpg I got with this model was very creditable.
For a larger car than I ’m used to, the
V70 handled beautifully. The power steering felt to me a bit lighter than I might have expected in a heavy car like this, but it’s responsive and relaxing. .On the motorway i t eats up miles
without draining the driver. If, like me, your longer journeys are few and far between, you’ll enjoy letting your hair down in th is anything but sluggish estate. As well as the D5 version I tested, you
can also order a 163bhp 2.4D diesel or a 136bhp 2.0-litre. Petrol-wise, there’s a choice between 3.0-litre T6 and the 3.2- litre petrol engines, plus a 198bhp 2.5- litre and a 145bhp 2.0-litre. A bio-fuel E85-compliant version of this engine with 144bhp is also available for order. I was pleased to see that DSTC dynamic stability and traction control is standard on all cars while the T6 model features Instant Traction all-wheel drive. As well as speed-sensitive power steering with three settings, the V70 also features an
intelligent power parking brake th a t automatically disengages when the accel erator is pressed. There’s also an innova tive dual-stage integrated rear child booster seat that works in tandem with the V70’s extended curtain airbags to provide unparalleled child safety.
Value for Money Prices for the V70 estate models start
from £26,495 - or from £27,995 for the 185bhp D5 diesel version I tried. As usual with Volvo, you can order the car to any one of a variety of different trim packages.
Could I Live with One? The V70 is an impressive executive
contender that’s also an admirable fami ly car. If, like us, you’re into ‘need not speed’, then this estate should suit you beautifully, meeting day to day needs while still offering a reasonable level of driving enjoyment. I could certainly live with this Volvo.
I
T has taken some time but the viable hybrid car is final ly with us.
Until fairly recently
petrol/electric hybrids were bought by publicity seekers or sanctimonious politicians. Real people were priced out of the market by fledgling technology that often proved impractical and unreliable. That’s no longer the case and
cars like Honda’s Civic Hybrid now offer excellent fuel economy, low emissions, decent perform ance, everyday practicality and an affordable price tag. Small wonder th a t Honda is
rather proud of this model. The electric motor is five per
cent more compact than th at of the old Civic IMA but hikes power by 20 per cent. Now good for a full 113bhp
Best choice and value in the area 04 04 Ford Focus C-Max 1.6 LX Aslra \
•Metallic Blue •Central locking •Power steering
v - , , 0756 C o r s a 3Door
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04 04 Agila
Expression •name Red •One Owner •Economy and space
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05 55 03 53 05 05 03 53 04 54 03 03 02 02
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06 56 Audi
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0554 Citroen
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Accrington Road, Burnley ;
0 Edisford Road, - Clitheroe - ’
•! North Val North/Valleyley Road,’ Colne
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Tel: 0845 223 2338 Tel: 0845 223 2340 Tel: 0845 223 2341 Calls charged at local rates ^
: Open 7 days. Mon - Frl 9.00am to 7.00pm Sat 9.00am to S.OOpm Sun 11.00am to.S.OOpm. <
www.perrys.co.uk Prices correct at lime ol going to press, Models shown for illustration purposes only. Specifications may not be correct and wo take no responsibility for errors. Written quotations on request, subject to status. This advert replaces all previously advertised offers. Terms and conditions apply +3 b
04 04 03 03 03 03 01 Y 03 53 03 53 0151 00 W 96 P 02 52
02 02 99 S 01 Y 99 V 97 R
AUDI A3 2.0 TD1170 SP0RTBACK, 6 speed, silver, 5dr, climate, 1 owner, only 10,000m i l e s ..................................................................... ..................................£17,500
BMW 318 Cl SPORT 2.0 COUPE, In mystic blue met/lemon leather, MV's etc., one lady owner, FSH, 62,000 miles ................................................: .............................£12,750
MINI COOPER Chill Pack, electric blue met/half leather, John Cooper body kit. air con, CD, 17'alloys, stripes, one lady owner, 7,000 miles................................ £11,995 AUDI A3 2.0 T01140,3dr, sport, 6 speed, dolphin grey met, 1 owner, 65.000 miles, FSH .................................................................................................................£11,995 BMW 3181SE 2.0 TOURING ESTATE, steel blue met, CD, cruise, 1 owner, only 30,000 mis, FSH.......... ................................................................................................£11,995 MINI COOPER CHILI PACK red/black roof, black half leather, TLC, CD, aircon, 41,000 mis, FSH................................
MERCEDES C180 ELEGANCE AUTO, light blue met/grey cloth, 2 owner vehicle, . . . . 65,000miles,FSH .........................................................
£8,995 £8,500
BMW 323I SE AUTO CONVERTIBLE 2.S, Silver, only 51,000 miles, FSH ..........£6,995 RENAULT SCENIC NEW SHAPE 1.4 EXPRESSION, red met/grey cloth, 36.000 miles................................................................................................................................£5,995
AUDI A21 .4 ,5dr, Jet black/grey cloth, alloys, CD, one lady owner, only 39,000 miles, FSH .........................................................................................................£5,500 RENAULT LAGUNA 1.8 DYNAMIQUE, steel grey met, half leather, sports seals, alloys, CD, air con, 42,000 miles................................................ ......................................£4,995 VAUXHALL C0RSA 1.0 LIFE, 3dr, peppermint green met, e/windows, CD, ins group 1, only 23,000 miles..... ......................................................................................£4,699 BMW 3181 SE, 4dr, oxford green met/black doth, climafe, alloys, 87.000 miles, full BMWSH....................................................................................................£4,500 FIAT PUNTO ACTIVE, 5 dr, silver, blue trim, 30,000 miles, SH, 2 owners..........£3,999 VAUXHALL ASTRA 1,6i CLUB, 5 door, silver, grey trim, 32,000 miles, FSH . . .£3,995 FORD FIESTA 1.3 FINESSE, 3dr, green, sunroof, 40,000 miles............................... £3,495 MITSUBISHI SHOGUN PININ GDI EQUIPPE, turquoise mel, 56,000 miles . . . .£3,595
FORD KA 1.3, metallic red, 31,000 miles, 1 owner____ FORD MONDEO 1.8LX, 5dr, silver, CD, air con, 81,000 miles. . . . . ROVER 751.8 CLUB, wedgewood blue, granite trim, 64,000 miles TOYOTA MR2 GT, racing red/blue black trim, 103,000 mis, to clear KIA RIO LX 1.3 5dr estate silver, 1 owner, 54,000 miles, FSH I —
KA COLLECTION silver/black trim, 18000mls, FSH ....................................................£3,750 -------------
£3,695
..................£2,995 ..................£2,995 ..................£2,800 £2,795
FORD FIESTA 1.3 FLIGHT 3dr, blue met, alloys, s/r, PAS, 51,000 mis, FSH . . .12,795 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA 2 .5 ,5dr, gold met Cd, aircon, root rails, 81,000 miles .£2,500 HYUNDAI ACCENT 1.31,3dr in silver, 1 owner, 23,000 miles................................ £2.495 PEUGEOT 2061.4 GLS, 3dr, met blue, blue trim, 82,000 miles, 2 owners . . . .£2,495 VAUXHALL ASTRA 1.6 AUTOMATIC, 1.6 Sdr blue outstanding for year.............£1,495
Turner Rd, Lomeshaye Motor Park Nelson B39 7DR ;
* OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT FUEL CONSUMPTION FIGURES:
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0% 10.9% TYPICAL APR TYPICALAPR
Walker Farrimond Citroen 01282 611 911
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www.walkerfarrimond.co.uk Urban cycle, Extra urban, Combined (Litres per 100km/mpg) & CO 2 Emissions (^km); Lowest: Cl 1.4 HDi (61fip) 5.3/53.3,3.4/83.1,4.1/68.9,109 Highest: Xsara Picasso 2.0i 16VAuto (137hp) Euro 4 12.5/22.6,6.4/44.1,8.6/32.9,205
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C 1 1.0 Cool 3Dr C 21.1 L Airplay-1- 3Dr C3 1.1 L Airplay+ 5Dr Xsara Picasso 1.6 VTX
from its 1.4-litre engine, this Civic also utilises a continuously variable transmission (CVT) to help optimise the engine’s torque
By ANDY ENRIGHT
to best effect. Of special rele vance is a combined fuel con sumption figure of 61.4mpg and carbon dioxide emissions of just 109g/km. I t also undercuts the Pnus on
price, with a £16,600 price tag in ES guise. There’s also a plusher EX vari
ant on offer for £19,300. The great thing about the
Civic Hybrid is the fact that it is outwardly so unexceptional. No onerous demands are placed on the owner in return for this tech nological showpiece. I t drives well, is easy and cost-
effective to own and has a few tricks up its sleeve. I t is so easy to become rather
pessimistic about the way motor ing is going but cars like1 the Civic Hybrid show th a t fun and responsibility can go hand in hand.
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www.motorstoday.co.uk motors IS ® 45
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