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Why we’re running it: To find out if the reborn, revamped Corolla can cut it with the best in the hugely competitive family car class Life with a Toyota Corolla: Month 3 Petrol, not battery power, when the temperature drops - 8th January 2019 Winter weather is not a Corolla’s friend. Cold morning starts are now commonly met with the gentle grumble of the petrol engine, rather than silent electric gliding – and the reversing camera can be rendered largely useless by even a bit of grime. Still, a gunked-up camera persuaded me to head to the car wash. The results (above) are worth it. Mileage: 5074 Familiarity breeds content in the easy-going Corolla – apart from a few niggles - 2nd January 2019 The Corolla has become an understated star of the Autocar fleet. It’s far from the grandest or flashiest machine in our car park, but its relaxing and efficient demeanour makes it an easy car to spend time in and it has become a po[CENSORED]r choice for long motorway journeys. Interestingly, it seems we’re not alone. Since running the Corolla, I’ve heard from two readers who picked one to replace diesel-powered BMWs (a 520d and 320d Touring). Both admitted that going from a BMW to a Toyota might seem a strange move, but they were high-mileage drivers drawn in by reduced company car tax (due to lower emissions) and lower potential running costs. Winning over owners of premium-badged cars demonstrates the success of the Corolla – but it also shows the sort of machines that it might be judged against. And while our overwhelming impression is one of quiet contentment with the car, it did make me think about some of the minor irritations and foibles that have emerged as the miles have racked up. So, in the spirit of clearing the air for the new year, this seems like a good time to run through them. One of the best bits of our Corolla is the latest version of Toyota’s hybrid powertrain, which uses a 2.0-litre petrol engine. It’s great, a step forward from the 1.8 version used in the Prius (and also available in the Corolla) and a really refined, economical powertrain… but there’s a catch: having that bigger engine means there’s less room in the boot. In the 1.8, the battery used to store energy for the hybrid unit sits with the engine under the bonnet. But because the 2.0 engine is physically bigger, the battery simply doesn’t fit. So Toyota has put it in a space usually used for the boot. That means the boot has a raised floor and reduced space, with 313 litres of storage to the 361 litres of the smaller hybrid. There’s still a decent amount of storage space but it does mean the Corolla is lacking compared with class rivals and those who often lug large loads might struggle a bit. The raised floor also makes it frustratingly shallow, as I discovered recently when attempting to stack several boxes of academic journals and paperwork (long story). Although smaller boots are common on some plug-in hybrid variants, the trade-off with those is the electric-only running and extra economy. There’s no such reward for the compromise with the Corolla. The other source of our frustration is the Corolla’s infotainment system. It’s not terrible, but it features a number of minor interface niggles that add up. One example: you can store only six radio presets. If you then opt to scroll through the available DAB stations, they appear in a random and often changing order. Another frustrating design flaw is found when typing postcodes into the navigation system. For some reason, numbers are on a separate ‘keyboard’, which can be found only by going through a sub-menu. Thankfully, I spend more time listening to podcasts than the radio, although the Bluetooth interface is also somewhat frustrating. I’ve experienced similar irritations with other firms’ infotainment systems, but with those, I’ve been able to plug in my phone and use Apple CarPlay, which offers an improved and more intuitive experience. Except CarPlay doesn’t work on my Corolla’s infotainment, so I’m stuck with Toyota’s system. The good news is that new Corolla models are now being sold with an updated infotainment that is compatible with Apple CarPlay. Hopefully, the update will be offered to current Corolla owners. Still, the fact that Toyota has upgraded its infotainment system should be welcomed, a positive sign it is refining the edges of the Corolla where it can. That will be key to ensuring it can keep new buyers used to cars with more upmarket badges on board – and in a state of quiet, understated contentment. Love it: Easy steering Handling isn’t the sportiest but it’s consistent and pleasingly effortless to position the car on the road. Loathe it: Reversing camera Useful but prone to getting dirty very quickly in winter weather. Mileage: 4843 Life with a Toyota Corolla: Month 2 Comfort trumps fancy features - 4th December 2019 There’s seemingly nothing particularly special about the Corolla’s seats. They’re not performance-honed buckets, or swathed in leather. They do offer a heating function but, mostly, appear to be really quite ordinary. So why do I mention the Corolla’s seats? Simple: they’re exceptionally comfy, without being overly fancy. Bit like the Corolla as a whole, really. Mileage: 3892 Back to the top UK Corolla versus Texan one: Houston, do we have a problem? - 20th November 2019 My hire car booking contained that familiar clause: Toyota Corolla or similar. To hire car firms, the term ‘similar’ is often applied in only the loosest of contexts – so it was a surprise when I arrived at Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport’s rental car centre and was given the keys to a new Toyota Corolla. Clearly, a locally produced Toyota Tundra (sold in state bearing a sticker reading ‘built in Texas, built by Texans’) would have been more regionally appropriate, but my rental did turn a weekend stopover to visit family in Texas into an impromptu comparison between a purely combustion-engined Corolla and the hybrid version I’ve been running. Besides the powertrain, there were obvious differences between the two Toyotas. ‘My’ Corolla is a hatch in well-equipped Excel trim, arriving on our fleet fresh from the factory. The Texas Corolla was a US-market ‘sedan’ with just under 10,000 miles racked up by likely not very careful non-owners. It also came in classic minimal-option hire-car spec, with the most basic upholstery and several functions disabled. (For example, pressing the ‘map’ button was simply rewarded by a message saying ‘map app not installed’.) As with many global cars, the Corolla is tuned for the different demands of each region, which meant the power steering was much lighter on the US version and the suspension far softer. Even so, the quality of Toyota’s latest TNGA architecture shone through: the US Corolla remained a light, nimble, easy drive and placing it on the road was a cinch. Undoubtedly, my European Corolla definitely rides and handles a bit better but the difference wasn’t the gulf you might expect – and much of it was likely down to the higher quality of British roads compared with Texas’s cracked and bumpy sun-baked concrete highways. But the most fascinating comparison was the powertrain. The US Corolla’s 1.8-litre petrol engine wasn’t bad by hire car standards, but compared with the smooth 2.0-litre petrol-electric hybrid I’ve been living with, it was annoyingly gruff and asthmatic, especially under low-speed acceleration. Asking for a sudden burst of speed was often met with more noise than response and I didn’t realise how accustomed I’ve become to silent, electric-only coasting when lifting off the accelerator. It also makes a huge difference to fuel economy, which was particularly obvious because the driver display screen in both versions features the same ‘eco driving’ graphic, showing current and long-term fuel economy. I’m used to extracting around 50mpg from my hybrid Corolla, with the ability to obtain close to 500 miles from a tank of petrol. But in the Texan Corolla, I could manage only 39.2mpg (imperial, not US). Of course, petrol is substantially cheaper in Texas than in the UK – how does 61 pence per litre sound to you? – which offsets that reduced economy. But just imagine how cost-effective a hybrid Corolla (which has now been launched in the US) would be to run in Texas. It would leave a lot of spending cash for BBQs. Cost aside, the Corolla’s hybrid engine is just substantially nicer to run and greatly adds to the pleasure of driving it: the difference was big enough that it didn’t really feel like the same car – but merely something similar to it. Perhaps when the hire car firm wrote ‘Toyota Corolla or similar’, they were onto something… Love it: Heated seats Not needed on Texan hire car, very useful for cold British mornings. Loathe it: Infotainment Lack of Apple CarPlay compatibility is irritating on both sides of the Atlantic. Mileage: 3628 Back to the top A lesson in a light left foot - 6th November 2019 I was feeling pleased to have edged the Corolla’s average fuel economy to an indicated 50.9mpg. Then Steve Cropley racked up more than 500 miles on a long weekend – and returned it with the car showing 56.6mpg. Having thought I was using the hybrid powertrain efficiently, I’ve been left seeking tips from Autocar’s resident hypermiler-in-chief. Mileage: 2487 Life with a Toyota Corolla: Month 1 It offers an intoxicating hit of hybrid power, without the challenges of EV addiction - 16th October 2019 Self-charging hybrid. It is, at face value, an innocuous phrase. Yet in the electrified car world, the concept of a ‘self-charging hybrid’ seemingly has the ability to cause as much social media controversy as whatever random brain fart Elon Musk has dumped onto Twitter today. The self-charging hybrid terminology has been introduced as a subtle rebranding of what have long been known simply as hybrid systems: an internal combustion engine aided by an electric motor powered by a battery charged using purely recaptured energy. The new phrase seems a way to differentiate such ‘classic’ hybrids from more recent variants such as mild and plug-in systems. But the self-charging hybrid moniker has raised the hackles of some EV fans, who feel it’s a way of making hybrids sound ‘greener’ and more electrified than they are. They also note the systems don’t really self-charge because, ultimately, the only power source is that petrol engine. I mention this debate not from any wish to wade in (please don’t @ me, etc) but because it highlights how classic hybrid systems, po[CENSORED]rised by Toyota for the past two decades in the long-running Prius, can be seen as both a fundamental step on the road to electric motoring and a technological cul-de-sac the world is quickly moving on from. I’ve been pondering that while pottering around in our Toyota Corolla, which features the latest version of the firm’s hybrid system, using a 2.0-litre petrol engine. It’s been on my mind in part because hybrid sales have been on the up recently, aided by car firms massively expanding such offerings to help meet ever-tougher EU emissions regulations. But mostly I’ve been pondering it because the Corolla serves as an excellent advert for hybrid-based electrification. At slow speeds, the EV mode allows the Corolla to run exclusively using the electric motor, offering the sort of peaceful progress you’d expect from an EV. The transition to the engine is, for the most part, serene – so much so that at low revs it can be hard to tell you’ve started burning petrol. Even at higher speeds, the hybrid plays a useful role. It can draw on the instant torque of the electric motor to sooth acceleration and allows for electric-only running at speeds of up to 70mph. I’ve found a quick lift of the throttle pedal during motorway cruising will prompt the switch to electric mode, and you can then reapply power without the engine coming back to life. It’s not all positive: with the 2.0-litre engine, there isn’t room under the Corolla for the motor’s battery (not a problem with the 1.8 unit). It’s been shoved under the boot, restricting luggage space – a notable drawback you’d usually only expect from a more expansive plug-in hybrid. Still, the payoff comes in the form of fuel consumption. So far, I’ve been averaging just over 50mpg, compared with under 40mpg for the similarly priced 1.5-litre pure-petrol Ford Focus I was running previously. Of course, you’d expect even better fuel economy from a plug-in hybrid, while a full EV would clearly use no petrol at all. But such cars cost more to buy, and come with the travails of charging. These issues will be resolved in the coming years but, for now, there are people unwilling or unable to choose one. For now, a hybrid such as the Corolla is an ideal solution for many. It costs around the same as a similar car powered purely by petrol, is no more complicated to run and comes with at least some of the benefits of electrified power. There’s another aspect. Having experienced the smooth, silent running of an EV, I feel a pang of annoyance whenever the Corolla’s petrol unit does cut in. It showcases the potential of electric power. So while others might call hybrids like the Corolla self-charging, I’ve come up with another title: an EV gateway drug. It’s a step towards electrification – and will leave you wanting more. Love it: Cruising comfort Smooth power deliver and easy steering make long motorway journeys a breeze. Loathe it: Sat-nav keyboard Why do I have to go through a ‘change type’ sub-menu to enter numbers for postcodes? Annoying. Mileage: 2029 Back to the top Comfortable in the least enjoyable setting - 9th October 2019 A long slog round the M25 during a rainy rush hour is never pleasant, but does at least showcase the Corolla’s strengths. It’s an exceptionally easy car to drive in heavy traffic, thanks to the light steering and smooth hybrid powertrain – especially since the usual frustrations of stop/start motoring are tempered by being able to glide quietly on battery power. Mileage: 1472 Back to the top Welcoming the Corolla to the fleet - 2nd October 2019 I have a confession to make. I have just been given the keys to a new Toyota Corolla and I am… excited. Genuinely. Is that normal? That doesn’t feel like it’s normal. Excitement has rarely been an emotion you’d relate to a Corolla, despite – or perhaps because – it’s the world’s best-selling car. The Corolla has always been seen as safe, dependable, a little bit average. It’s arguably an unfair tag: previous versions of the Corolla have featured numerous innovations and some impressive performance versions – including huge motorsport success in touring cars and the World Rally Championship. It’s a car with a proud automotive history: earlier this year, I made the case for it to be named our automotive ‘icon of icons’ at the Autocar Awards. It didn’t win our public vote, predictably. And that’s because, despite those notable highs, the standard road-going versions didn’t exactly set pulses racing. The Corolla has always just been sort of… there. As a result, when the Corolla disappeared from the UK in 2006 – replaced by the Auris hatchback – it didn’t attract the attention you’d expect from the loss of such a long-running nameplate. People shrugged, and moved on. And now it’s back. But people aren’t shrugging nonchalantly any more. Because the new Corolla looks really very nice. It’s stylish and dramatic, and underpinned with on-trend tech and plenty of nice flourishes. It’s actually quite interesting. It really is, I think, a little bit exciting. But is that excitement genuine and merited, or is it merely the result of the intrigue of Toyota attaching a previously moribund nameplate to a moderately dramatic family hatch? That’s what I’m aiming to find out in the coming months. Certainly, first impressions are good: the Corolla’s styling reflects Toyota’s recent trends, with a mix of sharp edges and rounded elements. It’s slightly less dramatic in execution than the Prius or C-HR, but the result is probably a better balance: it would stand out in a line-up of family hatches, but it’s not so extreme that it’s going to scare anyone off. Still, it undeniably has presence and character – not something you could say about some previous versions of the Corolla. That this Corolla – representing the 12th generation of the model – is different from its titular predecessor is of little surprise. The world has changed since 2006 (the iPhone didn’t exist back then, for one thing…). But it’s also a substantial step forward from the Auris it directly succeeds in the UK (this car was first unveiled as the new Auris before a late name change). It’s built on Toyota’s new TNGA platform, and is being offered in the UK with a choice of two versions of the firm’s long-established hybrid powertrain (or self-charging hybrid, as Toyota’s marketing department would have it – a controversial turn of phrase we’ll discuss further in a future report). Having sampled the 1.8-litre unit several times in the past – it’s taken from the Prius, and also featured in a C-HR we had on our fleet last year – we’ve opted for the new system featuring a 2.0-litre petrol engine, with an output of 178bhp. It’s the powertrain our road testers have favoured, and from initial impressions I can see why: it’s quiet and impressively refined, with near-seamless switching between electric and combustion power. Plus, from our early runs, we’ve been getting pleasingly close to the official 54.3mpg WLTP-rated fuel economy. As well as that powertrain, we’ve opted for the top-spec Excel trim, which comes with plenty of kit as standard, including a reversing camera and sensors, LED lights, park assist and Toyota’s Safety Sense suite of driver assistance systems. The only real option available to us was the paint colour: we plumped for Sterling Silver, a £795 extra over the base white. That raised the price of our car to £29,870, which puts it close to the 1.5-litre Ford Focus ST-Line I ran prior to this – and which, as our favourite family hatch, represents the benchmark the Corolla must beat. The stylish design doesn’t carry over quite so well to the interior. It’s a bit more ordinary, and controls such as the touchscreen – complete with welcome but slightly infirm physical buttons around the edges to select key features – feel a little on the budget side. It’s not an unpleasant place to be, by any means, but it’s not as pleasant as the Focus – which, in turn, isn’t on a par with offerings from the likes of Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz. From early impressions, the Corolla also isn’t as sharp in terms of handling as the Focus, a feeling emphasised by the very light steering. But it makes up for that in refinement: it feels remarkably easy to drive for long motorway runs, with a sense of quiet contentment helped by the hushed, efficient powertrain and single CVT gear. The hybrid system can run purely on the battery and, were it not for the little ‘EV’ symbol on the display, at times it’s hard to notice whether the engine has kicked in or not. It feels like a car that has something different to offer in the crowded family hatch market, and I’m looking forward – and yes, excited – to find out how that is reflected in the coming months. That the new Corolla can create such emotions is already one big tick for it. It’s no longer a car that’s just there – and it might just be an ideal family car for right now. Second Opinion My wife crinkled her nose when I told her what I’d just brought home (we used to own an Auris). Keep an open mind, I said. Sure enough, once she set eyes on the Corolla, she made the sort of approving noises I’d expected. First impressions were of a sharp, attractive hatchback that has plenty of room for the kids and is very easy to live with. There might even be a hint of character in there. Let’s see if the dep ed can find it. Damien Smith Back to the top Toyota Corolla Excel 2.0 Hybrid specification Specs: Price New £29,075 Price as tested £29,870 Options Sterling Silver paint £795 Test Data: Engine 4-cyls, 1987cc, petrol plus electric motors Power 178bhp @6000rpm Torque 140lb ft @ 6000rpm Kerb weight 1340kg Top speed 112mph 0-62mph 7.9sec Fuel economy 50.4-60.6mpg CO2 89g/km Faults None Expenses None

Night wrangles with dawn when you wake up. Birds still slumber in their nests outside your room. By 5am you join other residents for pooja in the central prayer room of the colonial-era house that dates back 370 years. The chanting and clanging cymbals in the light of the oil lamps make for an ethereal experience. Suddenly, you feel more alive than you have ever been before. By 6am, with the birds now chirping in the trees outside the expansive windows of the yoga room, you carefully contort your body under the watchful eye of your instructor. After a flavourful Kerala breakfast, your masseuse leads you to one of the massage rooms. Moments later, you are slathered in warm oil and milk, that soothes your tired body. A robust and fruity aroma engulfs the room. Then, firm, but gentle hands knead the medicinal oils deep into your stiff muscles, at once invigorating and soothing. Welcome to the rejuvenating Ayurvedic massage that for millennia has been used to detoxify the body, heal ailments, and refresh the senses. In a world where hectic work-life combines with un-mindful living, Ayurveda with its herbal massages, complemented with yoga, meditation and pure vegetarian meals, allows you to restore the inner balance of your body, mind and soul. The Ayurveda Mana in Guruvayoor, a temple town two kilometres from the capital city of Kochi, is run in the Perumbayil family’s ancestral home. The family is one of the oldest aristocratic families in the area. The colonial-era home, set amid coconut, pepper and mango plantations, was converted into the Ayurveda centre. Guests with serious medical conditions as well as those seeking a detox routine are offered authentic and traditional treatments with none of the frills of luxury resorts. Kerala, a state in southern India, is the home of Ayurveda with a 5000-year continuous unbroken tradition of this healthcare system. Ayurveda, a Sanskrit word that literally translates to the Science of Life, is based on the five elements – Earth, Water, Air, Fire and Ether (space) and three constitutions or doshas - Vata, Pitta and Kapha. When these three constitutions are in balance the body is healthy. An imbalance in the doshas results in disease. The rich biodiversity of Kerala and its year-round pleasant climate has enabled the nature-based medical system of Ayurveda to flourish. Bordered by the Indian Ocean on the west and south and the lush green, sweeping mountains of the Nilgiris on the east, Ayurveda has been practised as a way of life, long before the system travelled the world as a holiday experience. Kerala’s tropical forests hold in their bosoms over 900 Ayurvedic herbs and medicinal plants. The western ghats that border Kerala on the east are bio-diversity hotspots. Walk down the forest trails, and you will arrive at one of many sacred groves that dot the land. These groves hold the secrets of ancient medicines. Athreya Ayurvedic Center’s Dr Sreejit is a seeker of such secrets. He underwent an ancient Ayurvedic treatment called Kutee Praveshika Rasayana, practised by yogis in the high Himalayas. This treatment supposedly halts the ageing process. That’s right. Forget those anti-ageing creams. The Athreya Ayurvedic Center on the outskirts of the Kerala backwaters near Kottayam has one of only three kutee huts in India, where Kutee Praveshika Rasayana can be experienced. In a kutee – a specially designed three-walled house with almost no light inside, you could, if the doctor deems you ready, undergo the treatment that goes back centuries. But 35 days in near darkness with no solid food and minimal contact with any life form, is rigorous on body, mind and soul and certainly not for everyone. For the rest of us mortals, Kerala offers numerous options where you could experience the rejuvenating power of Ayurvedic therapies while also enjoying the comforts and luxuries of a modern resort. The government helps in your decision-making through a strict accreditation system to ensure quality. Ayurvedic centres are classified into Ayur Silver (those with minimum facilities), Ayur Gold and Ayur Diamond – the highest rated facilities. At any of these centres, you can be confident the treatments are offered under the supervision of qualified doctors and masseurs. Kerala offers a strong Ayurveda healthcare infrastructure and the state boasts of the largest pool of qualified, trained manpower. The Somatheeram Ayurveda is the world’s first Ayurvedic hospital in a beach resort environment. Launched in 1985, the resort is situated on a hillock overlooking the pristine Chowara Beach in Kovalam. “We started Somatheeram to promote Ayurveda all over the world,” said Baby Matthew, founder of Somatheeram. “Those days there were only Ayurveda hospitals for locals, with limited amenities. We created this hospital with more than 20 doctors in an ambience where you don’t feel you’re in a hospital.” Today, Ayurvedic resorts dot the landscape of Kerala, from the hills of Wayanad to the beaches of Kovalam and the backwaters of Allepey. There are options for those on a budget and mid-range resorts. Or you could go all out and choose a place like the Carnoustie Ayurveda & Wellness Resort where you can opt for Ayurveda in opulence. Here you choose your own villa with a private pool, fusing traditional with modern. At any of these resorts, you can choose a day’s course or a full one. Full programmes, lasting seven to twenty-one days or more are like pressing your body’s reset button. Every individual will come away with a different experience of Ayurvedic treatments. So, take some time off from your busy schedule, and spend it on caring for your body, mind and soul at an Ayurvedic centre in Kerala. You will not regret it.

"The moment of crisis has come" in efforts to tackle climate change, Sir David Attenborough has warned. According to the renowned naturalist and broadcaster, "we have been putting things off for year after year". "As I speak, south east Australia is on fire. Why? Because the temperatures of the Earth are increasing," he said. Sir David's comments came in a BBC News interview to launch a year of special coverage on the subject of climate change. He told me it was "palpable nonsense" for some politicians and commentators to suggest that the Australian fires were nothing to do with the world becoming warmer. "We know perfectly well," he said, that human activity is behind the heating of the planet. What does Sir David mean by 'the moment of crisis'? He's highlighting the fact that while climate scientists are becoming clearer about the need for a rapid response, the pace of international negotiations is grindingly slow. The most recent talks - in Madrid last month - were branded a disappointment by the UN Secretary-General, the British government and others. Decisions on key issues were put off and several countries including Australia and Brazil were accused of trying to dodge their commitments. The World Has been getting warmer "We have to realise that this is not playing games," Sir David said. "This is not just having a nice little debate, arguments and then coming away with a compromise. "This is an urgent problem that has to be solved and, what's more, we know how to do it - that's the paradoxical thing, that we're refusing to take steps that we know have to be taken." Whar are those steps ? Back in 2018, the UN climate science panel spelled out how the world could have a reasonable chance of avoiding the most dangerous temperature rises in future. It said that emissions of the gases heating the planet - from power stations and factories, vehicles and agriculture - should be almost halved by 2030. Instead the opposite is happening. The release of those gases is still increasing rather than falling and the key gas, carbon dioxide, is now in the atmosphere at a level far above anything experienced in human history. As Sir David put it: "Every year that passes makes those steps more and more difficult to achieve." Why does this matter right now ? This year is seen as a vital opportunity to turn the tide on climate change. The UK is hosting what's billed as a crucial UN summit, known as COP26, in Glasgow in November. Ahead of that gathering, governments worldwide are coming under pressure to toughen their targets for cutting emissions. That's because their current pledges do not go nearly far enough. How much worse will problem get ? Assuming they are delivered as promised (and there's no guarantee of that), there could still be a rise in the global average temperature of more than 3C by the end of the century, compared to pre-industrial levels. The latest assessment by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) lays bare the dangers of that. It suggests that a rise of anything above 1.5C would mean that coastal flooding, heatwaves and damage to coral reefs would become more severe. And the latest figures show that the world has already warmed by just over 1C.

Life with an E-Class Estate: Month 3 A toasty behind should be my choice - 8th January 2019 The best bum warmers I’ve encountered were in a Bentley Continental GTC. Those in the Benz are pretty good but sometimes stop working after a while. I’ve had this on other Mercs too. It’s almost like they decide to shut down to prevent excessive irradiation of the nether regions. If so, I think that should be my choice, not theirs. Milege: 9651 Last time I wrote about the 300de, I promised the next report would be about anything other than the hybrid system. Which is going to be really difficult because, for reasons both good and bad, it affects everything from handling and ride through to performance and economy. And purchase price, running costs and practicality. But a promise is a promise, and so long as you don’t conclude that me explaining why I am not going to write about the hybrid system is in fact just a slightly cute way of writing about the hybrid system, it’s a promise I’m going to keep. I hope. So here goes. The miles are piling onto the 300de, largely because it seems perfectly suited to both types of journey that characterise my life on the road. There’s the 20-mile school run round trip for one daughter, for which it’s perfectly suited because it can do it all very cheaply and in complete silence for reasons I’m not allowed to talk about. And then there’s the 500-mile return trip to Durham, where the other daughter is at university. Or the 1000-mile round trip to Spa-Francorchamps, where, as regulars may recall, a few family members (actual and honorary) and I try to coax an old Ford Falcon into surviving the Spa Six Hours, far and away the best and best-known long-distance classic race of them all. We also always go to the little Friterie in the middle of the Masta kink on the old circuit, possibly the most terrifying corner in all motorsport. We almost always fail to finish the race and usually do so in spectacular style. I crashed it one year, had a wheel fall off in another, grenaded an engine in a third and so on and on. A couple of years ago, Chris Harris brought it in with the back of the car impressively ablaze. But this was perhaps our most disappointing year: with just 20 minutes of the six hours remaining, and the old bus going better and running higher up the field than ever before, a wire came off the back of the alternator, forcing the car to coast to a gentle halt somewhere out on the circuit. We always say that if you’re going to retire from a race, at least do it with a little chutzpah by exploding or something, but if ever there was going out with a whimper rather than a roar, this was it. So it was with a sense of overwhelming anticlimax and perhaps with the smallest of hangovers that the next day I loaded up the Benz and headed for home. And on such journeys, it is outstanding. The air-sprung ride is terrific, the refinement beyond serious criticism and the seats among the best in the business. But it’s not perfect. Why, for instance, do you have to turn off the navigation prompts after every stop, however short? Why can’t it just accept I hate being talked at by a computer? And why do the seat heaters turn themselves down after a while? Also, I think I’d spend some money getting a better sound system, the existing stereo being the absolute definition of ‘adequate’. Other than that, all is well. I’d like to tell you how cold weather affects the electric range, but that would be talking about the hybrid system, so it will have to wait until next time. Love it: Long-haul comfort The effortless ease with which it’ll transport you great distances and the splendid seats which ensure you remain pain-free throughout. Loathe it: It keeps piping up Having to silence the voice guidance after every stop, even if it’s just to refuel. Rivals can be set to permanently off. Why not this one? Mileage: 7889 Back to the top Life with an E-Class Estate: Month 2 Long-distance touring a speciality - 27th November 2019 There are many cars that could have done the five-hour journey home from Britain’s Best Driver’s Car 2019 as well as the Benz but, I expect, very few that would have been significantly better. After all that insanity, when you climb aboard it’s as if you can feel your blood pressure subsiding. And cars that can do that are both rare and special. Mileage: 7117

Few brands have a history so steeped in controversy as Burberry. The British heritage fashion house has been trying to claw back its reputation ever since news broke in July this year that they had burnt £28.6m worth of unsold stock allegedly to prevent counterfeiting. CEO Marco Gobbetti denounced the practice this month, saying this would no longer happen and swiftly adding that the brand would also no longer be using fur. The words “band aid” and “bullet wound” came to mind. If ever there was a sure-fire way to reinvent a brand’s reputation, it is with a fresh design lead and, on Monday night, London Fashion Week saw the highly anticipated debut of new creative director Riccardo Tisci. But his first collection for the British heritage brand didn’t mark the stark departure from Burberry’s core values that many were expecting. Instead, it toed a respectful line that embraced the brand’s provenance, with a light peppering of what might be in store for future seasons. The spring/summer 2019 collection was presented to a captive audience that, unexpectedly to many, was a largely celebrity-free-zone (except for Marina Abramovic who slipped into in the front row) in the disused South London Mail Centre. It was the catwalk that boasted the big names, no doubt as a way of keeping people’s focus. Tisci sent a star-studded line-up of models including Kendall Jenner, Stella Tennant, Jourdan Dunn and Lily Donaldson down the runway. Founded by Thomas Burberry in 1856, the fashion house has long been famed for its gabardine trench coats (a fabric Burberry himself invented in 1879) that were designed in 1912 to shield officers from the inclement conditions of the front lines. Each detail lending itself practicality, including shoulder straps that enabled soldiers to add epaulettes denoting their rank and D-rings on which to attach maps and compasses. But more than the trench, it is the instantly recognisable nova check of camel, white and red that has become synonymous with Burberry. It became so po[CENSORED]r in the Nineties that, in another tone-deaf move, Burberry decided to rein in its production of accessories that bore the plaid, apparently for fear of the brand being devalued by the “wrong” wearers. Announced as creative director in March this year, 44-year-old Tisci joins the brand from Givenchy, where he led the house for 12 years. Tisci follows on from his predecessor Christopher Bailey, who joined the brand in 2001 as design director to reinvent its image and catapult it into the luxury sphere. Over his 17-year-tenure, Bailey made the trench coat the must-have item for every fashion-loving woman (who could afford one). Showing the coats in metallic and studded versions, and casting celebrities like Emma Watson in his campaigns, Bailey dramatically increased revenue and he brought Burberry into the digital age, trialling the “see-now-buy-now” model of catwalk shows which, as it sounds, allowed viewers to purchase items straight from the catwalks, as opposed to waiting the usual six months for a drop. Unfortunately, profit targets were not met towards the end of his occupancy and shareholders docked Bailey’s pay by 75 per cent. His swansong was a jubilant return to the nova check, which he plastered on hats, capes and shirts. It resulted in an immediate streetwear revival of the motif. Kept tightly under wraps until the day of the show, Tisci teased fans with hints of his vision for the brand. First there was the complete overhaul of the classic Burberry logo for the first time in two decades, which the creative director posted on Instagram. The interlocking initials TB, designed by Peter Saville, have since dominated cities across the globe, wrapping across buildings, billboards and black taxis. In an emulation of recently revived brands like Gucci and Fendi, the emblem signals a return to 1980s logomania. Soon after, Tisci dropped the first item of his collection on Instagram and Chinese platform WeChat: a black T-shirt with the logo in white. It went on sale for just 24 hours. Tisci’s track record at Givenchy saw him transform the brand from a Breakfast at Tiffany’s elegance to one that oozed sex appeal through gothic-inspired lace, leather and bondage. Subverting the expectations of the French fashion house in much a similar way that Alexander McQueen did in 1996, he offered diverse models in his shows, became the first creative director of a major house to cast a transgender model when he cast Lea T in his 2010 ad campaign and designed gender fluid clothing such as skirts over leggings for men. Always knowing the power that the streets have upon sales, Tisci’s gorilla and Bambi-print sweatshirts were an instant hit and his celebrity fan base is one other brands would kill for, including Beyoncé, Rihanna, Kanye West and Kim Kardashian West. He left the brand when umbrella owner, LVMH, had hit record annual revenues. Today’s collection, heavy on homage, marked a careful transition into a new role for Tisci. Not throwing out the rulebook, he instead presented a vast collection that saw the brand’s military origins referenced in men’s suits (yes, there was lots of menswear), which were worn with umbrellas fastened to their backs like rifles. The trench featured heavily, with Tisci twists like edges pierced with brass rings, one covered in silver rivets, another with pearl and feather embellishment and some in a looser, edgier cut. The men’s included one yin-yang trench with a classic khaki bottom half and a black top half. And, of course, nova check made a proud appearance tweaked into stripes on pussy bow blouses worn with high-waisted trousers and inside trench linings. There were plenty of safe items: knife-pleated midi skirts and blazers and a palette of browns and beige. But elements of Tisci’s edgy predisposition shone through: fishnet, buckled Doc Martens-style shoes, slinky black evening dresses, writing scrawled on tops and sportswear stripes. There was a subtle injection of the new logo, seen in silk scarves worn tied into low buns, or hanging from belt hoops and as brass bag clasps. The gorilla and Bambi motifs from Givenchy snuck in, too, with one deer-print top reading “Did they kill Bambi?” An Italian designer in a British house, Tisci found it irresistible to sneak a few Brexit references into the collection, as several models walked the runway with red passports around their necks. Following the show, a number of items from the collection were available to buy on Instagram in further 24-hour-releases, creating a frenzy not dissimilar to that surrounding cult streetwear brand Supreme. Ultimately, it was a collection that marked a courteous transition into a new Burberry era. Tisci’s debut will have left the industry eagerly anticipating what’s to come, safe in the knowledge that the brand’s rich history has been spared the pyre.