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On Motor Week this week, we look at the all American Cadillac Seville. Ginny Buckley investigates the Renault Scenic, car of the year 1997. She tells us what it's like to live with and to drive. Mike Rutherford visits Caterham Cars and looks at the 21, the latest model from Caterham.

Finally later in the show, Ian Royale is at the Detroit International Motor Show, taking a look at a concept MPV, the Pontiac Thunder.

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Transcript
00:00 [Music]
00:27 This week, the all-American Cadillac Seville comes to Britain.
00:32 While stateside, we also look at huge MPVs.
00:36 While back in Britain, Mike Rutherford hares along in his Caterham 21.
00:41 Well, next week, we'll be driving the new Alfa Romeo 156, which is the 1998 Car of the Year.
00:49 But how good still is last year's winner?
00:52 Ginny Buckley investigates.
00:54 Now, I'm one girl who's always been a little bit wary of beauty competitions, cars or otherwise.
01:00 And the Scenic can shout out all it likes that it's Car of the Year.
01:04 But what's it actually like to live with and to drive?
01:08 Of course, this vehicle is from those rather clever people at Renault,
01:12 the people who credit themselves with inventing the people mover.
01:16 Although I'm sure the chaps at Chrysler would have a thing or two to say about that.
01:20 But nonetheless, the Scenic was always going to be something very different, and it hasn't let you down.
01:25 It's packed with a whole host of innovations,
01:28 not least of which is the rather alarming number of secret cubby holes and storage places,
01:34 one of which is neatly tucked down here.
01:37 Now, the only thing I can see with all these is that it could be a problem
01:41 remembering where you've stashed all your stuff.
01:45 There are airline-style tables that fold up from the back of the front seats,
01:49 all complete with the good old cup holders.
01:51 And each of these three seats in the back can be taken out to give you more space.
01:56 They all also move around independently and have their own three-point seat belts,
02:01 which means, of course, an end to the squabbles
02:04 over which of your three kids has to sit on the lumpy bit in the middle.
02:12 In fact, this centre seat can even fold down to become a table,
02:16 and if you want to take it out completely, you can replace it with a locker or even a portable fridge.
02:22 But hey, if you've got a fridge on board, then surely you'll be needing a PowerPoint.
02:27 What do you mean? Like this one, just down here.
02:30 A car that's really thought of absolutely everything.
02:34 Yes, there are floor pockets, door pockets, map pockets, every conceivable kind of pocket.
02:41 Perhaps this is Renault's idea of a game for the kids on a long journey.
02:45 Spot how many red cars you pass, let's play Spot the Number of Pockets in the Scenic.
02:50 In the two weeks that I've been driving this vehicle, there is just one thing that has driven me absolutely mad.
02:56 You come to it laden with bags with all your gear that you load in because there's lots of space for a lot,
03:02 and then you come to start it.
03:04 Key in the ignition and off you go.
03:06 But no, you don't, because this clever immobiliser kicks in
03:10 after you've had the vehicle unlocked for just 60 seconds.
03:13 So you have to do this, lock it again, unlock it again, and then you start it, and finally you can set off.
03:20 Now I know it's meant to be a security vehicle, but somehow it makes me feel as if it's protecting the vehicle from me.
03:28 In a world where we like our vehicles to fit comfortably into a certain category,
03:34 so we know just what it is that we're driving, the Megane Scenic has a class all of its own.
03:40 It's not quite MPV, but not quite family car.
03:44 But thankfully I can tell you that the Scenic shares its driving characteristics with a car rather than with an MPV.
03:51 Now this is the 2-litre petrol version, and it's really quite nippy and agile.
03:56 It gets in and out of traffic around town without any problems, it has good acceleration,
04:01 and it cruises quite comfortably out on the motorway as well.
04:04 The Scenic's steering is extremely light, and there is a hint of understeer as you hit some corners.
04:10 You know, I have to say that for me the steering is too light.
04:14 But I suppose that if you've been out all day and you're carrying heavy shopping bags and tired children,
04:19 which let's remember, this is what this vehicle's designed for,
04:22 then something with steering as light as this might be quite welcome.
04:26 As with everything else, the interior is also extremely well thought out.
04:31 It's functional and everything laid out just where you'd like it to be.
04:34 My only gripe really is the handbrake, which is a little bit awkward to reach.
04:39 You've got to remember that the Scenic was designed to get you, your family,
04:45 and all the clutter you carry around with you from A to B in relative ease and comfort.
04:49 And it really does just that.
04:51 It's extremely easy to drive, and in no time at all you will feel comfortable behind the wheel.
04:57 Don't let the size put you off because it really isn't a problem.
05:01 It's extremely easy to park, extremely easy to drive.
05:04 The only thing I would say is that you do experience a fair amount of body roll,
05:09 which is quite normal for a vehicle of this height and this weight.
05:13 If you haven't experienced it before, it will seem a little bit strange,
05:16 but don't let it worry you. You soon become used to it.
05:19 And trust me, driving it is really not a problem.
05:22 Now, it may drive more like a car than an MPV,
05:25 but thankfully it's got a lot of the features that we love so much about the MPVs.
05:30 It has this wonderful high driving position.
05:32 You're sat up here on the road and you can see everything around you.
05:35 It also feels extremely light and airy, and there's loads of space,
05:40 another thing that you get from an MPV.
05:43 Now, these two factors when combined means that you have a lovely position behind the wheel,
05:48 and visibility is absolutely excellent.
05:51 That's not only very good for the driver, but also good for the passengers,
05:54 and particularly the kids that are stuck in the back seat on those long journeys.
05:58 So yes, I have to say the Scenic is one beauty that really deserves the accolades bestowed upon it.
06:08 It claims to be an activity vehicle, and that it certainly is.
06:12 But you know, it may be packed with every conceivable gadget and gizmo,
06:16 but for me, it's missing the ultimate '90s accessory,
06:20 a big fluffy dog and a couple of kids.
06:23 Well, I like to start off with a threat or a warning.
06:30 And I think this is fair to say that I'm about to formally advise the motoring associations
06:40 that if they don't start doing their job properly and changing their ways,
06:44 they're going to have some competition.
06:47 No, we won't be seeing another huge empire like the AA or RAC being formed,
06:54 because that would take millions of pounds and lots of ivory towers and office blocks
06:59 and huge staffs and chief executives earning hundreds of thousands of pounds a year.
07:04 No, nothing like that. I'm talking about a motoring pressure group.
07:08 I mean, let's look at the AA for a minute.
07:11 It's an organisation that's into everything from home repairs to insurance to selling a recovery service
07:20 to everybody from motorists to the car industry.
07:23 Their clients often are motor manufacturers. Just think about that for a minute.
07:28 Here we have an organisation that should be battling on our behalf,
07:32 battling on behalf of the ordinary private motorist.
07:35 It should be criticising some car manufacturers, and yet its clients are car manufacturers.
07:40 If you like, the people buying the service from the AA are the manufacturers.
07:46 It's pretty complicated, but I think what I'm really trying to say,
07:50 what I absolutely believe, is this.
07:53 That the AA and the RAC have lost their way.
07:56 They're no longer the voice of the motorists. They're big businesses.
08:00 They're involved in all sorts of things.
08:02 You've only got to look at the British Grand Prix this year to see
08:05 how heavily the RAC were involved in sponsoring that race and the fortune that must have cost them to do so.
08:13 And I mean a fortune.
08:16 And I think what they need is to get back to their roots almost
08:22 and then start fighting the battle for motorists.
08:25 And I think, and I do not exaggerate, I think they should take the government to court on certain issues.
08:31 If John Prescott turns round the Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Guru for the British government
08:39 and says that we shouldn't have two car families, we should get rid of that second car.
08:44 If he turns round and says, yes I'm thinking of limiting access onto certain motorways because they're too busy,
08:49 so I won't let you use slip roads so that you can join that motorway that takes you to work.
08:53 I think a motoring association, and all we've really got is the AA and the RAC,
08:57 I think they should take Mr Prescott to court and say, sorry pal, you're not allowed to do that.
09:04 I mean we've seen people like, what's his name, Scumbag, Swampy,
09:10 complaining about roads being built, saying that people should use public transport.
09:16 And then, when people want to use public transport to get around the country,
09:22 modest aeroplanes for example, a bus in the sky, a train in the sky, which is all an aeroplane is,
09:30 when they want to use aeroplanes from an airport, and that airport needs to expand
09:35 to accommodate all these people who want to use aeroplanes, public transport.
09:41 Dear old stinky Swampy turns round and says, no I don't want an expansion of an airport.
09:46 We need to start fighting as dirty as the people who are taking us on.
09:52 The Queensbury rules need to go out the window and we need to play them at their own game.
09:58 And if the AA and the RAC, and like I said particularly the AA,
10:03 because I rate the RAC higher than I rate the AA, certainly in terms of putting pressure on
10:09 and making noise and raising issues, the RAC do a better job to my mind than the AA.
10:14 If they don't do a better job representing the motorists, they're going to have me to deal with.
10:22 Big deal you might think, but I'm quite serious.
10:25 Unless they get their act together and start fighting back,
10:31 and start giving the bullies some of the same medicine that the bullies are giving us,
10:36 then there might just be another motoring association formed.
10:39 There'll be no fancy premises, it'll be very simple, it'll be more like a pressure group than a motoring association.
10:47 And I'll be the boss.
10:49 And I'll be out there fighting tooth and nail with the likes of John Prescott, Swampy,
10:56 and anybody else who wants to take away my freedom and my rights and my...
11:04 Something I've fought for and something I've earned, which is the motor car.
11:08 People all around the world are fighting for the privilege of the motor car,
11:12 fighting for the privilege of earning a little bit more money
11:15 so they can improve the quality of life and own a motor car.
11:18 We've been all through that, or more to the point, my father and grandfather went all through that,
11:23 so that somebody like me could have that freedom and that motor car
11:27 and that right to choose what he wants to do.
11:30 And I'm buggered if I'm going to let anybody like John Prescott or Swampy
11:35 or anybody else take that right away from me.
11:37 It's not me that should be saying that, it's the likes of the AA and the RAC.
11:42 So bloody well get on with it.
11:44 After the break, Mike Rutherford gets off his hobby horse and into his Caterham 21.
11:49 And we also take a look at the all-new Cadillac Seville, only on MotorWeek.
12:02 In a few weeks, the Cadillac Seville will be available at half a dozen selected dealers in the UK.
12:08 It may be one of America's best-selling luxury cars,
12:12 but the designers had Europeans in mind when the plans went together,
12:16 although I must admit you don't see many Euro cars with Northstar 4.6-litre quad-cam V8 power.
12:23 This was the first Cadillac to be launched outside of the USA.
12:27 Remember we showed it to you first at the Frankfurt Motor Show,
12:31 and the company's aim is to generate 20% of its sales outside of the American domestic luxury market
12:37 it has dominated since the original Seville was launched.
12:40 There are two versions, the SLS, that's Seville Luxury Sedan, and the STS, Seville Touring Sedan.
12:47 Inside, both versions of the car feature deep American hides and quality wood trims.
12:52 As you'd expect with an American car, you get electric everything as standard,
12:57 including an amazing eight-way seat, mirror and power lumbar settings.
13:02 Eight sensors detect your size and weight,
13:05 and after you select seat stiffness, lumbar support and lateral support,
13:10 the system continually inflates or deflates variable contour air cushions
13:15 to allow greater comfort over long journeys when you naturally move around in your seat.
13:20 The stereo is a state-of-the-art Bose system,
13:23 with woofers and tweeters galore throughout, as six-disc CD player is standard.
13:28 Stabilitrac is also installed on the Seville.
13:31 What? Well, let this nice General Motors lady explain how it works.
13:36 Imagine the driver has to change lanes or swerve suddenly to avoid a hazard.
13:41 The vehicle will tend to respond sluggishly at first, changing direction slowly.
13:46 However, once the body has started to yaw,
13:49 inertia will cause it to continue to yaw in that direction,
13:52 even as the driver turns the wheel in the other direction trying to correct the skid.
13:57 Throughout the maneuvers, Stabilitrac works to stabilize the car,
14:01 using precise control of the two front brakes
14:03 to help the car respond predictably to the driver's commands.
14:08 If the car is pushing ahead unresponsive to the wheel,
14:11 Stabilitrac precisely applies the inside front brake.
14:15 This gently slows the car, and the braking force that results
14:18 nudges the front end back onto the intended line.
14:23 If, however, the tail is swinging wide and the car is starting to spin,
14:27 the system precisely applies the outside front brake.
14:31 Again, the car is gently slowed,
14:33 and the braking force helps return the car to its intended path.
14:39 Of all the luxury cars in the world, only Cadillac has Stabilitrac,
14:44 the world's most advanced integrated stability control system.
14:48 Stabilitrac can automatically adjust the car's handling in all driving situations
14:53 to help keep you in control.
14:56 So ask yourself this, in the real world,
14:59 which car would you want to be driving should the unexpected arise?
15:04 So, there you have it, the all-new Cadillac Seville,
15:10 the most successful luxury saloon on the American market,
15:13 soon available here in the UK.
15:15 It may seem huge, both in size and engine capacity,
15:19 but take this on board.
15:20 The original Seville was developed as a compact, economical sedan
15:25 in response to the oil crisis in 1973.
15:28 In fact, the big-selling Cadillac then was a 6-metre-long Cadillac Fleetwood
15:34 with a gas-guzzling 8.2-litre engine.
15:38 Well, here we are, at the centre of the British motor industry.
15:42 Well, not quite, but almost.
15:44 We're at the premises of Caterham, the company from Dartford, Kent.
15:48 Seems like an unlikely place to have a car company, doesn't it?
15:51 But this is where they're based, this is where they build the cars,
15:54 and very successfully, too.
15:56 Last week, we looked at the Caterham 7, of course,
15:58 the famous car from the days back right to 1957.
16:02 Funny that, my date back to 1957.
16:05 But anyway, this week, we're not talking about the 7,
16:07 we're talking about the 21, Caterham's latest model.
16:10 It's another two-seater convertible, very much a convertible,
16:14 but the two cars really are chalk and cheese.
16:17 (music)
16:45 It's got Rover's 190 horsepower, 1800cc K-series engine,
16:49 which gives a specific output of over 100 horsepower per litre.
16:53 It's been developed over a four-year period by ourselves and Rover.
16:58 It's then mated to our own in-line, lightweight, alloy, six-speed gearbox,
17:03 which we have designed and developed in order to heighten the driving pleasure
17:08 of the Caterham experience, having a gear for every corner.
17:12 So you can have maximum fun, maximum enjoyment out of the car.
17:16 When we decided we were going to do a new car,
17:18 Ian had already left us and I approached him and asked him
17:21 whether he would be prepared to get involved.
17:23 He's also famous for doing most of the artist's illustrations
17:26 in the Autocar magazine, and I've always liked his style.
17:30 And we ended up in my barn with a massive block of polystyrene,
17:35 styling the car with chainsaws.
17:38 (chainsaw)
17:43 What about that incredible noise? How do you do it?
17:46 How do you take a humble K-series engine?
17:49 I mean, I've driven Vipers and other sort of genuine supercars.
17:55 I was driving a Lamborghini the other day, and I've got to tell you,
17:58 although the Viper does sound wonderful, I think yours almost sounds better.
18:03 Well, that particular engine runs on throttle body fuel injection,
18:08 so what you're actually hearing is the air intake noise.
18:11 And with the 7 and our heritage, a lot of people have harked back
18:16 to the intake noise that twin Webbers make.
18:20 And with the throttle body fuel injection, we can recreate that
18:23 on the Rover 190 horsepower engine.
18:26 (music)
18:47 With the 21, what we're looking at is applying traditional
18:50 Caterham values of nimbleness, agility, responsiveness, fun to drive,
18:56 in a package which is more practical than the 7, and we hope and believe
19:00 that it is a very sexy looking car as well.
19:02 You put all that together, and you've got a unique product.
19:05 Well, the cars you see here in the Caterham car park have so much in common,
19:09 but so little in common.
19:11 We were driving the Superlight last week with its K-series 190 horsepower engine.
19:17 This vehicle here, the Caterham 21, the Caterham for the '90s,
19:21 has the same engine, the same horsepower, the same six-speed box,
19:25 but a very, very different animal indeed.
19:27 Chalk and cheese. You cannot compare the 7 with the 21.
19:32 The 21 is the sort of car you could climb into on a, I don't know,
19:36 a Friday afternoon and just thrash across Europe in.
19:39 It's a true sort of GT car.
19:42 It's got things like proper storage space for luggage,
19:45 and we've even got a glove box here in this wonderful, wonderful interior.
19:49 I just love this interior.
19:51 The problem with this car is, of course, that you can, for £28,500,
19:56 buy yourself something like a BMW Z3.
19:59 It's actually cheaper to buy the Z3, at least the bottom of the range version,
20:04 than it is to buy this Caterham 21.
20:06 Similarly, of course, with the Rover MGF, far less money,
20:10 but I think you'll agree.
20:12 I mean, the Z3 and the MGF can't touch the 21 for sheer on-the-road presence.
20:19 I mean, you know, this is a very, very special limited-edition car
20:23 in the truest sense of the word, very exclusive.
20:26 Have you ever seen one on the road?
20:27 For £28,500, not a bad buy at all.
20:31 Now, here at the Detroit Motor Show, everything is about excess and being big.
20:37 Americans do not, generally speaking, build small cars.
20:41 And if you thought driving your Discovery or, say, your Grand Voyager from Chrysler
20:46 was difficult getting in and out of your local supermarket car park,
20:49 how about this car from Ford?
20:50 This is the Ford Expedition.
20:52 It's even bigger than the Ford Explorer that we already see on our roads in Britain at the moment,
20:56 and it is truly enormous.
20:58 It's well over 200 inches long.
21:01 But if you thought this was long, come and take a look at what Chevy have to offer.
21:06 And this is even bigger.
21:09 It's the Chevrolet Suburban, the Chevy Suburban,
21:12 a car, if you can call it a car, or a truck as they call it here in the States,
21:15 that's been dubbed the ideal soccer mom's car.
21:19 Why's it called that?
21:20 Well, on a Saturday morning, the moms load the kids up in these sort of vehicles
21:24 and drive them off to the soccer matches.
21:25 There's seating for eight people in this,
21:27 and under the bonnet there's a 5.7-litre V8 engine,
21:31 which guzzles gas at an astonishing rate.
21:34 If you went to the petrol pumps back in the UK,
21:36 you'd probably have to put about £100 worth of petrol in to fill the tank up.
21:41 Here, it would probably only cost you about $30 or $40, which is amazing.
21:45 But it's an enormous car, it's electric everything.
21:48 Now, if you want one of these in the UK,
21:50 if you want the ultimate people carrier with bags of space,
21:53 you can import the Chevy Suburban into the UK.
21:56 The cost here in the States is about $40,000.
21:59 And just imagine driving one of these down a small country lane.
22:03 The thought is just astonishing. Rather you than me.
22:06 Well, it's the last press conference on this Sunday,
22:09 the first day of the Detroit Motor Show.
22:11 We've already been round all the stands, we've got all our goodies,
22:13 all our bits and bobs that we've been given, as you always do.
22:16 You end up going back with loads and loads of stuff.
22:18 And we're here at the Pontiac stand.
22:20 The Pontiac press conference is about to start any minute.
22:23 The journalists are here, they're getting restless, it's hot, it's been a long day.
22:27 And we're here to see something called the Pontiac Thunder.
22:31 It's under that cloth over there.
22:33 We don't know what it's going to be, but we'll find out in a moment.
22:36 The front is dominated by the Pontiac signature split grille
22:39 and accented by Ram Air hood scoops.
22:41 A unique rear feature is Thunder's integrated bike rack.
22:45 Built into the rear hatch, the bike rack folds out to accommodate and secure not one,
22:49 but two bikes.
22:51 The compact unit folds neatly and securely back into place when not needed.
22:55 Overall, this Pontiac concept looks great
22:57 and seems to address most of the needs of buyers in this market.
23:00 It makes the standard UK MPV like the Galaxy or a Spas look very conservative indeed.
23:06 [music]
23:25 [BLANK_AUDIO]