Bosch European Motors

On the surface, today's announcement surrounding a new "Need For Speed" title is a joyous occasion for gamers and racing fans alike. But, taking a closer look reveals something hidden in plain site. That something is the 2018 BMW M5, which we can say with almost 100 percent certainty is sitting smack-dab on the front of the "Need For Speed Payback" cover artwork. The latest installment in the "Need For Speed" franchise was revealed earlier this morning with the cover art attached to the premiere trailer. Have a look at a spy shot and compare the photos yourself. Judging by previously snapped spy shots, the grille, bumper and headlight shapes match pretty well to the blue car in the photo seen here. The design also does not evoke 3- 4- or 7-Series styling; it looks like a 5-Series through and through. The 2018 BMW M5's inclusion in the latest "Need For Speed" game isn't far-fetched either. The car has been a part of the franchise for years and the 2018 M5 shouldn't be short on performance credentials. As for the game, "Need For Speed Payback" follows up 2015's reboot simply titled "Need For Speed." The game promises a "Fast and Furious"-like storyline, immense customization, and, of course, fast cars. Check out more about the game in the trailer above. BMW is expected to reveal the 2018 M5 later this year.

It also focuses on seat comfort, cabin refinement and a plush feel on the move. Elsewhere, the technology is familiar, with the brand鈥檚 128bhp 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine linked to a six-speed gearbox. The design uses many familiar Citroen cues, too, with narrow headlights, funky Airbumps on the doors and lots of plastic cladding. The rounded square motif is repeated inside on the chunky surfaces. There is a contrast in quality and texture between some panels. The cabin isn鈥檛 as strong as the Skoda鈥檚, and is more on par with the Sportage鈥檚 for finish. It does get plenty of equipment in Flair trim, though. A digital dash with an eight-inch sat-nav system is included, and smartphone connectivity is impressive. There鈥檚 also part-leather upholstery, cruise and climate control, parking sensors and a reversing camera. You can add keyless entry and a powered tailgate as part of a 拢790 pack, but the core kit list is generous enough that, as with the Kia and Skoda, you don鈥檛 really need any extras. Using downsized turbo engines like the Aircross鈥檚 has meant larger family SUVs have been able to turn back to petrol power.

The 230Nm of torque doesn鈥檛 match the Skoda, but it easily has the naturally aspirated Kia covered, which meant plenty of flexibility on test. This makes it relatively relaxing, and the ride just about manages to match the engine鈥檚 trait. The suspension feels very soft and the body control isn鈥檛 very tight, but it allows the car to pitch, roll and float to cosset occupants from small changes in surface or bumps quite nicely. But the UK鈥檚 road network is notoriously poor, so hit a rougher patch and the lack of control and soft set-up become a problem. The ride is inconsistent; sometimes it smothers bumps sweetly, sometimes a big depression will cause the wheels to clatter and knock the body off line. The extremely light steering can also cause the body to pitch over on the soft suspension if you鈥檙e too aggressive turning into corners. This means the Aircross clearly isn鈥檛 the most dynamic SUV, yet the Karoq is also more comfortable. Still, refinement is good and the gearshift is an improvement over other Citroens. The change still feels baggy, mind.

Here鈥檚 where the Aircross picks up marks. It boasts flexible seating that slides back or forth to prioritise either cabin space in the rear or luggage room. It feels as if the Citroen trails just a little behind the Skoda on space in either configuration, because the Karoq鈥檚 rear is cavernous given its footprint. But the newcomer has the edge on boot space, with an impressive 580 litres in its smallest configuration, compared with 479 litres for the Czech model. Push both cars鈥?benches forward and they鈥檒l reveal 720 and 588 litres respectively, so the Citroen鈥檚 advantage grows even further. While there鈥檚 enough space in the front, the gearlever location feels slightly awkward, and the row of controls tucked under the touch-sensitive buttons below the screen is partly concealed. Citroen finished 25th out of 26 brands in the makers鈥?chart of our Driver Power 2018 satisfaction survey and was routinely criticised in all categories.

Its dealers ranked 11th out of 28 networks, but still the lowest of these three firms. Safety is stronger, but Euro NCAP has yet to test the Aircross. Autonomous braking, lane departure warning and blind spot monitoring are standard, as are auto high-beam headlights. With this tech and the EMP2 platform鈥檚 proven strength, we鈥檇 expect a decent rating. The Citroen is the cheapest of our trio to buy and emits the least CO2, at 121g/km, which places it in the 25 per cent Benefit-in-Kind tax bracket along with the 124g/km Skoda. As a result, it鈥檒l be the cheapest company car option, with higher-rate earners having to contribute 拢2,511 per year. It鈥檚 拢2,544 for the Skoda. Kia does without a more modern turbocharged engine like its rivals鈥? so it emits an uncompetitive 162g/km of CO2, and this puts it in the 33 per cent BiK band. It鈥檒l cost higher-rate earners a much heftier 拢3,311 per year in tax contributions. 鈥淭he Aircross鈥檚 Airbumps have been designed to reduce car park dents on the doors, and are rapidly becoming a Citroen SUV design cue.