Meanwhile, the more...
Meanwhile, the more powerful 150bhp Fiesta ST - as featured exclusively in Auto Express last week - costs í‚á£13,595. That compares with the turbocharged Mitsubishi Colt CZT at just under í‚á£13,000, and í‚á£13,600 for the more powerful Renaultsport Clio 182 Cup. Buyers of the 2.0-litre ST have the option of twin body stripes over the car for í‚á£150, a pair of side stripes for í‚á£75 or both for í‚á£200.
Cheap as chips? Well...
Cheap as chips? Well sat-nav units are getting close, as a booming market means that prices are dropping constantly. At only ÷£129, the Maestro 3100 is the latest entry-level unit from Magellan. In fact, it’s so new that this is a pre-production model – and we’re the first magazine to get our hands on it.
Our set picked up a satellite signal in seconds and was ready to use in only two minutes. To see how well our unit worked, we programmed in a set route with a number of points of interest along the way.
The 3.5-inch touchscreen worked a treat, and although our sample unit could only deal with six-digit postcode entries, a spokesman for Magellan confirmed that the final production version will boast a full seven-digit search function when it arrives in stores at the end of this month.
The audio warnings were clear, but we weren’t as keen on the alerts. When approaching a junction, the system warned of its proximity, but then didn’t audibly confirm we were on the correct route until we were making the turn. Although this proved a little confusing, the maker has told us that the glitch will be ironed out
before the unit hits the shelves.
Magellan Maestro 3100 sat-nav, price: ÷£129, rating: 4/5, buy from:
www.magellangps.com