Seemingly endless cashback deals make the Citroen Xsara Picas­so cracking value new – and ensure used examples are cheap. You get space, comfort, refinement and low running costs in an affordable package, and with the arrival of the new model, second-hand prices will take a further tumble. To help you find a good one, our buying guide tells you everything you need to know.

SOURCE [Auto Express]

Checklist
Instruments: the digital display is prone to throwing tantrums, as is the switchgear, so check everything operates properly. For instance, do the stalks and temperature gauge work correctly? They’re potentially costly to fix, so being thorough could save you money.

Spare wheel: the spare wheel sits in a cradle under the car,
and because there’s no security mechanism, it’s a soft target for thieves. Make sure it’s still there and check out www.ospreyproducts.co.uk for a suitable lock.

Engine: the best Picassos come with HDi diesel engines, but these suffer problems with the injection system, as well as the ECU. They can be frustrating to put right, so make sure you take a test drive to check everything is working properly.

Bumpers: some models have parking sensors fitted, but even if your car has them, pay close attention to its bumpers. Judging where the sloping front and rear ends stop is tricky at the best of times, and scrapes are commonplace.

Electrics: clever multiplex wiring system fitted to the Picasso was designed to improve reliability. In reality it’s more problematic than a traditional wiring loom, so check that everything from the central locking to the wipers works as it should.

Prices
About £2,500 will bag you an early petrol Picasso, but it will have covered 100,000 miles, so spend closer to £5,000 for a 50,000-mile car. That should get you a 52-plate 1.8-litre with 45,000 miles on the clock. A 2.0-litre petrol 52 car with the same mileage is about £6,300. The best Picassos have the 1.6-litre HDi diesel, and start from £7,000.

What to look for
Don’t buy the 2.0 HDi, as the 1.6 HDi offers superior power and economy, and it’s worth the extra. There are lots of petrol Picassos available, but they can be slow, so make sure there’s enough performance on tap for your liking before taking the plunge.

Owner comment
David King from Bourne, Lincs, is on his second Picasso, and wants another. “Both cars have been 1.6-litre petrol models. They’re well equipped but with relatively little in the way of gadgetry, so there’s nothing to go wrong. I like the driving position and cheap servicing, but wouldn’t mind a little more power. I’ll probably buy a diesel next time, so the depreciation isn’t as savage.”

As a replacement for the Demio, the compact five-door five-seater Mazda 2 came on the market in 2002 and had been proven quite a success since its first appearance – especially the European market has accepted the tiny Japanese from the very first moment. The car is now due for replacement, and our spy-shots show it’s going to have an even more European design when it hits our shores in summer 2007.

The newcomer is again based on the Ford Fiesta and again engines will be mounted transversely driving the front wheels. Our pictures show an early prototype during a test-drive in Germany. The pictured prototype still has some black tape concealing the major styling changes at front- and rear end.

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Featuring a wider track and lower profile, the code-named X7 will be a much more aggressive appearance than today’s car. Like its predecessor, the new C5 will be equipped with hydraulic suspension, automatic parking brake, LED taillights and the AFIL system. Built in Rennes-la-Janais, the new model will share engines, gearboxes and numerous other components with the Peugeot 407, though Citroen states that 99 per cent of all visible parts will be specifically designed for the new C5.

Most-wanted engines will certainly be the diesels again which will be available as 2.0- and 2.2-litre HDIs (150 and 170 bhp) plus the sophisticated 2.7-litre V6 HDI with 208 bhp. With an overall-length of 4.75 metres, the new C5 will be yet another strong competitor to the also-new Renault Laguna 3. The interior will be characterised by a wider, more sporty yet elegant dashboard incorporating two LCD-screens – one in the centre-console and one right behind the steering wheel. Like the C6, C4 and all-new Picasso, the next-generation C5 will get a four-spoke steering wheel with a fixed centre section housing numerous controls for all kinds of functions.

The car is likely to make its official debut in autumn this year, possibly at the Frankfurt Show in September, with sales starting at the end of 2007 or in early 2008. 

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Hard to tell if these recent spy photos are really the 2009 Kia Mesa or not, but now that the Hyundai Veracruz has been unveiled it’s not much of a stretch to think Kia would want a three row SUV of its own. You can see a few styling cues from the Mesa concept in this prototype like its broad grille and boxy shape. Those six-spoke wheels also look straight out of the Kia/Hyundai parts bin. With the Veracruz scheduled to go on sale later this year, expect to see the Kia version hit the streets about a year later. The concept displayed at the 2005 Detroit Motor Show was powered by a six-cylinder engine, although the company indicated that the Mesa had enough room under the hood for a V8.

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Mercedes will abandon SBC in favour of conventional brakes, although they will boast features such as wet-weather disc wiping and wheel-selective cornering brake control. Optional ceramic-composite discs could be introduced top-down, starting with the AMG models. The next E class will ape the S-class’s wheel-arch extensions, rising character line below the door handles, massive bumpers, and greenhouse. A more sculpted wide-frame grille, the more geometric nasal air intakes, and the wedge-shaped profile should give W212 a sportier stance. Actually, early styling models show a certain affinity for the most recent efforts from Lexus – such as the rectangular quad headlamps, the C-pillar treatment, and the taillights.

This is, of course, ironic given that the Lexus LS is famous for copying Mercedes, but Stuttgart still has plenty of time to hone the shape.
Driver assistance in general is a major theme for W212. Expect lane-departure warnings, an eye-movement monitor, traffic-sign identification, road-condition sensors, and stability control that accounts for crosswinds, camber changes, and tyre wear. We’ll get the usual V6- and V8-engines, plus a normally aspirated, 500-plus-bhp 6.3-litreV8 for the E63 AMG model.

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Based on a longer platform of the current Passat, the new Sharan will be out by the end of 2008. It will have a difficult task of getting the customers back to VW due to Ford’s great success with the S-Max and the new Galaxy. While Ford already has these MPVs out on the market, VW totally overslept the market and will have to struggle with the old Sharan for some more years. The first generation of Sharan and Galaxy were built in co-operation between Volkswagen and Ford in Portugal, but now Ford has its own Ford-built Galaxy out on the market.

According to SEAT’s President Andreas Schleef, there will again be a SEAT version of the new Sharan, likely to be called the Alhambra again.

Practically a ‘must have’ feature these days, a third seat row can be stored completely in the floor, like in the Opel Zafira. All engines will come from the Passat line-up with the 140-bhp TDI probably as the best seller. 4-motion will also be available as an option.

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Take a closer look at the front of this test car photographed just outside Saarbrücken in Germany where the car is going to be built and compare it to the official pictures released by Ford a couple of weeks ago. Can you spot the difference? The lower grille, the entire front skirt and the fog lights have been revised yet one more time before the car will pop up in show rooms in the next few weeks. They really seem to retouch cars until the very last moment …

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After some debate, the general consensus in the spy community now is that this vehicle is the forthcoming Z9 – a successor to the BMW Z8 and a competitor to the Mercedes SL. Originally thought to be the next-generation Z4, closer inspection suggests that this could be BMW’s SL-fighter. This prototype is clearly larger than today’s Z4, but that also supports earlier reports that the next-generation Z4 would be growing up a bit to make room for an entry-level Z2 roadster.

The most noteworthy details on this prototype are the side windows – a glass-to-glass like that of the Mercedes SL. Is that enough of a clue to prove this is the Z9? Quite possibly, especially when taking into account the slim, sleek convertible roof and considering that the Z9 is aimed squarely at the tin-topped SL, and is reportedly similarly equipped, and the clues further point to this as the Z9.

SOURCE: [Auto Express]

It’s got the class-leading Renault Clio and new Vauxhall Corsa in its sights - as well as the sales success of its predecessor. But let’s be clear. Meeting expectations in 2007 will require something very special. After all, the original Fabia accounts for half of all Skodas on the UK’s roads, and a total of 1.5 million have found homes around the world.

So the newcomer has its work cut out. Fortunately, first impressions are good. Longer and taller than the outgoing car, the Fabia shares its design with the Roomster compact MPV.

It has the same distinctive nose and upright, wraparound windscreen, while the angular rear and sloping roof panel can be emphasised with an optional contrasting roof colour, just like on the new MINI.

Inside, the old Fabia was notable for offering near VW levels of fit and finish in the non-premium market, and the new model is better still. The dashboard’s soft-touch panels fit together perfectly, and look especially good with a new two-tone colour option.

The front seats are comfortable, the steering adjusts for height and reach and there is more than enough headroom for two six-footers. Storage space is provided throughout, but the bins are a little small. There are two tiny gloveboxes, the upper one being air-conditioned to keep things cool.

But even though the Skoda feels big for the class, accommodation in the back is a disappointment - especially as it doesn’t have the sliding rear seats of some of the competition. Tall adults can just about sit one behind the other, but it leaves the cockpit cramped. A huge range of engines is on offer, starting with a 60bhp six-valve 1.2-litre, rising to a 105bhp, 1.9 turbodiesel.

We drove the two models likely to be the best-sellers, the 80bhp 1.4-litre turbodiesel and 86bhp 1.4 petrol. The latter unit is refined and smooth all the way to the red line. It can get a bit vocal when stretched, but 0-62mph in 12.3 seconds and a top speed of 108mph are respectable.

The diesel is the popular three-cylinder unit, which is noisy at idle, but surprisingly refined at speed. It’s more torquey than the petrol and delivers superb economy of 61.4mpg. The handling, meanwhile, is good, but it’s clear that the little car has been built for comfort rather than speed. The suspension swallows road bumps with ease, and at motorway speeds the Fabia is quiet and refined.

There’s some body roll in corners, but it is well controlled. And although the steering doesn’t have much feel, it’s direct and well weighted, while the brakes are powerful. So we ended our test drive very impressed. The Fabia has never looked fresher, and Renault and co. should be worried.

SOURCE [Auto Express]