Citroen C3 Pluriel

Citroen’s quirky supermini cabrio has gone under the knife, and these are the first official pictures.At the front of the revised C3 Pluriel, the brand’s famous badge features larger chevrons than before, while new smoked headlamp lenses and darker indicators have also been added. The bumper now includes a large mesh air intake, and the rear light clusters get a black background to replace the silver trim that was used on the outgoing car.

Improvements to the cabin on all models include a polished chrome finish on the door handles, air vent surrounds and gearlever. The fresh Pluriel also offers a choice of three interior trims and a broader range of exterior colours than its predecessor.The revised line-up will go on sale in time for the summer. Prices aren’t likely to change, so the entry-level 1.4-litre petrol variant will start at £12,995. With its clever retractable hood, the Pluriel can be used as a conventional supermini or with the full-length sunroof open. Owners can even remove the side rails completely to convert it into a proper cabriolet.Source

T-Cut Color Fast Scratch Remover

You'd be hard pressed to find a second-hand car on the road without a scratch on its bodywork. When you’re running a vehicle every day, it’s sure to pick up the occasional blemish. And if the mark isn’t too major, you could try tackling the problem with this new product from top maker T-Cut.The Color Fast Scratch Remover combines a blemish-lifting formula with colour, to help whisk away unsightly marks. It comes in six of the most popular shades – black, red, silver, blue, green and white – and is claimed to incorporate microscopic nanoparticles, which help make the job easier.

We tried the product out on two different-sized scratches. The first were minor blemishes on a blue Citroen Saxo, caused by grit in a polishing cloth. We applied a small amount of Scratch Remover in a swirling motion, and were surprised at the results. After buffing, the mark had gone.The second test was on a scrape on a silver Skoda Octavia. This really was a job for a bodyshop, but the T-Cut still covered up some damage. It’s said to work best on scratches you can’t feel, and our test suggested this is the case. But while the Scratch Remover is a decent product, it’s pricey for 150g.Source

Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X

Driving
This car is all about performance, and the Evo X delivers incredible pace. It’s available in three power outputs, and even the base 290bp car accelerates from 0-62mph in 4.7 seconds. The engine is a gem, but the big news is the availability of a VW DSG-style twin-clutch transmission, called Sport Shift Transmission. Lightning-quick changes make this one of the best semi-autos we have ever tried. The car’s handling is also brilliant. Lots of technology means that grip is super and body roll is kept to a minimum. It’s amazingly surefooted, while the steering provides excellent feedback. Of course, stiff suspension produces a firm ride, but Mitsubishi has got the balance right – it feels composed in day-to-day use, yet remains hardcore enough not to alienate diehard fans.

Marketplace
The 10th incarnation of the legendary Mitsubishi Evo is the car, bosses hope, to be a genuine alternative to a BMW M3. The four-door model certainly provides plenty of road presence, thanks to a bold nose, flared wheelarches and short overhangs. It’s more subtle than before, though all models still get 18-inch wheels and a rear diffuser incorporating twin exhausts. There are three variants – the FQ-300, FQ-330 and FQ-360, the latter distinguished by its carbonfibre front splitter and ‘shark’s tooth’ spoiler above the rear window. There are also two trims, GS and GSR. Just the single 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine features, in various states of tune, with the option of either a five-speed manual or the SST semi-auto. Rivals include the Subaru Impreza STi and the Vauxhall Vectra VXR.

Owning
The interior, while no match for premium opponents such as the M3 and Audi RS4, offers a far better environment than the Impreza. The soft-touch dash, neat switchgear and three-spoke steering wheel give it a modern feel. It’s just a shame the dashboard looks so much like that in the Outlander compact 4x4 – and, thus, the same as that in the Citroen C-Crosser and Peugeot 4007. However, the driving position is good, Recaro sports seats are excellent and the practical bodyshell, coupled with a long wheelbase, means there’s lots of space for five and their luggage. Equipment levels are good, too. Prices are competitive and retained values strong – and Mitsubishi has stretched service intervals, from a previously-unacceptable 4,500-mile regime to a much more sensible 12,500-mile schedule. This should help save some money for fearsome fuel and insurance bills!Source

• Rating:
• On the road price: £27,499
• For : Sheer pace, excellent engine, brilliant semi-auto, easier to live with
• Against : Stiff ride, interior not a match for German alternatives

Citroen C5 is a crash test hit... and more

French firm's five star hit in crash test, dazzled drivers in shades shock and self-clean screen wipes out wipers

Five-star Citroen is a crash test hit
Top honours in the latest round of Euro NCAP crash tests went to the new Citroen C5. The saloon was the only car to get a full five-star rating for adult protection. The BMW X3, Suzuki Splash, Daihatsu Terios and Renault Kangoo were also evaluated, with each being awarded four stars for adult protection.

Dazzled drivers in shades shock
Thousands of drivers are in the dark over road safety. A study by German motoring safety body TüV found that nearly 10 per cent of UK motorists put on sunglasses while travelling at night to avoid being dazzled by other vehicles. The Europe-wide probe revealed that 71 per cent of owners in the EU are bothered by headlight glare from fellow road users.

Self-clean screen wipes out wipers
The days of the traditional car windscreen wiper are numbered. Italian styling house Fioravanti’s latest creation, called the Hidra, features a self-cleaning screen which has a water-repellent surface. The clever glazing technology comprises a hi-tech ‘sandwich’ of multiple layers of glass. And it could feature on mass-market production cars in five years’ time.Source

Citroen Berlingo Multi­space XTR

Here’s an MPV with attitude! This is Citroen’s rugged Berlingo Multi­space XTR.We’ve already brought you pictures of the standard car, which will be launched at Geneva this week, but this model has a more adventurous look. The only mechanical change is the increased ride height, which will be useful over rough road surfaces. Cosmetically, the XTR gains a bold two-tone bumper and grille, black plastic bodykit and chunky rubbing strips along its flanks. Inside, the new Berlingo has a roomier interior than its predecessor. The sense of space is helped by using as much glass as possible, including a panoramic sunroof. Among the innovative stowage solutions are aircraft-style overhead compartments, which are big enough to allow long items such as skis to be loaded up. A removable central storage cubby and an opening tailgate window – which lets you drop your shopping straight in – boosts practicality even further.In true MPV style, versatile seat combinations make the most of the space available. There are three separately folding or removable rear chairs, and even the front passenger seat can be taken out, creating a maximum space of 3,000 litres.Three diesel and two petrol engines will be available when the car goes on sale in the UK in summer. These include a 110bhp 1.6-litre HDi oil-burner fitted with a particulate filter to keep emissions to a minimum. Prices are yet to be announced, but a small premium over the outgoing model is likely.Source

Citroen C4 Picasso Lounge

Citroen really has got junior MPVs down to a fine art. The C4 Picasso represents attractive and innovative fam­ily transport, and it’s great value, too.But the French firm believes there is room for a more exclusive variant – one that blends all the style with greater luxury. Enter the new range-topping C4 Picasso Lounge.Designed solely for sale in the UK market, the Lounge is only available with the 2.0-litre HDi diesel engine mated to a six-speed automatic trans­mission. It adds £1,900 to the price of the Exclusive model on which it’s based – which means the newcomer weighs in at a rather hefty £23,995.Climb inside, and it’s immediately obvious where the money is spent. The standard five-seat Picasso interior has been replaced by four individual leather-trimmed chairs, each featuring adjust­able head and armrests. Sound-insulating laminated glass in the side windows boosts refinement, while a full-length sunroof adds welcome brightness to the otherwise monochrome cabin finish. On the outside, changes are kept simple – you can have your Lounge in any colour as long as it’s black. Chrome is very much the order of the day, with a thin strip highlighting the undulating side window profile, while the finishing touches are provided by a special front grille and polished 18-inch alloys.The driving position is very upright, so some owners may struggle to get comfortable. Selecting Drive using the slender column-mounted stick is simple, but the electronic handbrake takes a frustrating 10 seconds to disengage.Once up and running, the Picasso is slow to convert the engine’s power into forward motion, leading to jerky acceleration from a standstill.At motorway speeds, it’s much more impressive. The torquey engine pulls smoothly, inspiring confidence when overtaking, and the ride is as cosseting as you expect from the brand. But overall, the driving experience is compromised for a car that’s intended to pamper its four occupants. So while the Lounge is an intriguing con­cept, Citroen top brass might find that – as with the Avantime from rival Renault – buyers aren’t particularly drawn towards a model with the size but not the practicality of an MPV.Rating:
Rival: Vauxhall Signum
Generous kit and competitive prices set the Signum apart. But it’s let down by its gruff 1.9-litre turbodiesel engine, ageing Vectra underpinnings and oddball looks.Source

Fiat 500

The 500 is a cheeky charmer: Fiat has a sure-fire hit.

Driving
Fiat's reborn 500 is a great city car. The turning circle is tight, steering can be lightened via the City button, all-round visibility is good and dimensions are compact. But it isn’t so eager at higher speeds. The motorway ride isn't perfect, and can be patchy on urban roads too. As a result, the 500 can be tiring to drive over long distances. If you are after the perfect hot hatch handling you will be disappointed, too. It's a decent drive, but the Fiat falls behind its MINI rival on twisty roads. The 1.2-litre petrol engine is sweeter than the 1.4-litre, but not nearly as smooth, refined or flexible as a MINI’s 1.4-litre. The 1.3-litre diesel is torquey, if clattery. All this, however, fails to detract from the feelgood factor of being behind the wheel of such a cute city slicker.

Marketplace
What’s not to love with the 500? It’s so cute, it makes a MINI look bulky. The design is a triumph, with chrome detailing striking the perfect balance between retro charm and modern chic. Based on the Panda, safety is the key and the 500 is unique in this class in having seven airbags as standard. This helps it to achieve a five-star Euro NCAP crash test score. There are three base engines – 1.2, 1.4 and 1.3 diesel – and three trims, labelled Pop, Lounge and Sport. But the array of options is huge, including 12 paint colours, seven alloy wheels designs, two wheel trims, eight sticker kits, 10 different badges… Fiat counts nearly 550,000 combinations in all! The Fiat’s most obvious rival is the MINI, but the Toyota Aygo, Peugeot 107, Citroen C1 and Ford Ka are also competitors.

Owning
While the Panda is far more spacious, the 500 is still practical. The 185-litre boot is fairly practical and there’s lots of floor space, while the rear seat is fair, too. Up front, good seats are welcome, albeit set a little high, but it’s the dash that grabs your attention – the 500 has retro design features throughout. There’s a lustrous finish to the body-coloured fascia, which gives a solid, classy appearance. It all has real charm and character, so we’re prepared to forgive a few weaknesses – such as the steering wheel’s lack of reach adjustment, and a lack of material quality that dents the 500’s well-engineered feel. But it’s Fiat's dealer network that is one of the 500's biggest challenges. Our maintenance checks proved the situation is currently confused, with huge disparities in quotes for routine maintenance jobs. At least fuel economy, on paper, looks strong. Retained values aren’t bad either – if not as quite as good as a MINI. Source

• On the road price: £7,900 - £10,700
• For : Well equipped, surprisingly roomy, cheap to run, highly desirable
• Against : Flawed driving experience, lacks the MINI’s depth of quality