Skip advert
Advertisement

1,400cc Club: The quirkiest and coolest 1.4-litre cars

Auto Express celebrates 1,400 issues by driving our favourite 1,400cc cars from the last 25 years

Auto Express has reached the incredible milestone of 1,400 issues, and to celebrate we’ve gathered together 10 of the quirkiest and coolest 1,400cc-engined cars of the last quarter of a century or so.

Like Auto Express itself, the fashion for 1.4-litres started in the late eighties, when the cheapest company car choices needed to have engines that squeezed in below the 1,400cc threshold. The way that Benefit in Kind tax is calculated has changed a lot since then, but the appeal of 1.4-litre models remains.

Advertisement - Article continues below

The best new cars coming in 2016

From the Rover 214, our first-ever cover star, to the ultra-modern Volkswagen Golf GTE and everything in between, the 1,400cc engine has been at the heart of some of the cleverest and most characterful cars to hit the UK’s roads. 

So join us as we celebrate an Auto Express landmark with a very special road test gathering.

Plus don't forget you can pick up your copy of our special 1,400th issue in shops now.

Click the links below or on the left for the 1,400cc cars that have made our list.

Skip advert
Advertisement

New & used car deals

Audi A3

Audi A3

RRP £26,295Avg. savings £3,290 off RRP*Used from £11,944
Skoda Kodiaq

Skoda Kodiaq

RRP £39,025Avg. savings £3,590 off RRP*Used from £13,495
Omoda 5

Omoda 5

RRP £23,990Avg. savings £1,429 off RRP*
Toyota Yaris Cross

Toyota Yaris Cross

RRP £27,145Avg. savings £2,285 off RRP*Used from £15,875
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

New Tesla Model 3 Standard slashes entry price and running costs
Tesla Model 3 Standard - front

New Tesla Model 3 Standard slashes entry price and running costs

A new cut-price version of the best-selling electric saloon offers 332 miles of range and the lowest insurance rating of any Tesla
News
9 Jan 2026
Sleek new Zeekr 7GT offers over 400bhp for less than £40k
Zeekr 7GT - front

Sleek new Zeekr 7GT offers over 400bhp for less than £40k

If you don’t yet know the name Zeekr, you soon will, because this high-end Chinese brand is coming straight for BMW
News
9 Jan 2026
New Kia EV2 preview: range, charging, walk-around and prices
Kia EV2 - front

New Kia EV2 preview: range, charging, walk-around and prices

Small, cute, versatile and packed with tech, Kia’s EV2 could set new standards in the compact electric SUV class
News
9 Jan 2026