Page 47 - Phonebox Magazine June 2024

the springs can feel a little wallowy when cornering or heading over a humpback bridge. At a settled speed on the motorway the ride is comfortable, while wind and road noise is kept down to an acceptable level.
The driving position is good with height adjustment offered as well as the usual ‘back and forth’. You can of course adjust the seat back angle and the steering wheel also goes in and out as well as up and down.
The car’s large glass area out front and to the side means there’s a light and airy feel to everything and you can see the road all round you very well.
There’s plenty of room for both front occupants, while rear seat passengers have a bit more of a squash to get in and comfy. Boot space is a generous 300 litres with the rear seats up (that’s three suitcase or four carry-on bags) and a useful 992 litres with all seats folded forward. An attractive steering wheel features ‘hand-free’ controls for radio, telephone and other items, although to make changes to, for example, the heating system, you have to go into the little 7-inch touchscreen display in the centre of the facia.
That screen also doubles as the display for add-on features such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, where it becomes the satnav monitor. It’s also where the view from the car’s reverse camera shows.
That should stop you bumping into anything behind you as you reverse into a space and, with those Airbump panels covering off the sides, it’s only the front of the car that you have to worry about. Drive safely...
AT A GLANCE: Power: 83 hp
Top speed: 103 mph 0-62mph: 12.5 secs Economy: 47.7 mpg CO2: 123 g/km Price: £17,805
At your service
A new study has revealed that 56% of British drivers – potentially 28 million people – believe they have been scammed or overcharged after taking their car to a mechanic. A further 40 million drivers admit to being fearful of the possibility of being conned or having to pay higher costs of repair than they should.
The survey, by car service experts Fixter, shows that more than a quarter (27%) of UK motorists would rather drive their car in poor condition than risk being scammed at the garage – a decision that’s fraught with danger, illegal in some cases, and a risk to other road users.
“Drivers are not only worried about the high costs of car maintenance, they often feel like they won’t be treated fairly at the garage and could be at risk of getting ripped off,” says Limvirak Chea, president of Fixter. “This clear lack of trust between drivers and mechanics can have devastating effects if drivers hesitate or avoid crucial car maintenance.”
Hole lot of damage
Almost half of incidents of damage caused by hitting a pothole is not immediately apparent, say safety experts. Around 45% of cases of vehicle damage to car tyres, wheels or suspension went unnoticed and unchecked, sometimes for weeks or months, new findings show. And more than a quarter of drivers (26%) said they only identified a problem with their car when they checked themselves, days after an impact.
One in five drivers (19%) only found out about car component damage when their vehicle was taken to a garage or repair centre, reveals the new PIT (Pothole Impact Tracker) report from automotive repair company Kwik Fit. It means that thousands of unsafe cars could be on Britain’s roads with their drivers unaware of the harm caused to their vehicles. The most-often damaged components were tyres (51%) while wheels (34%) and suspension (27%) also took a battering. One in eight (12%) pothole repairs included bodywork, 10% involved steering components, while 8% concerned exhaust damage.
June 2024 | Phonebox Magazine 47