The latest episode of My Week In Cars finds Steve Cropley and Matt Prior talking a little more about the Munich motor show since Steve’s return, where he spent some time interviewing the new Renault boss, Francois Provost. Our duo help a reader choose a new car (or two), Prior doesn’t believe that young people are falling out of love with cars, the Sir William Lyons award for budding young journalists returns, and so does the Citroen Berlingo. Make sure you never miss an Autocar podcast. Subscribe to our podcasts via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Podcasts or via your preferred podcast platform. And if you subscribe,…

Leapmotor has reprised plans to build cars in Europe as part of an expansion that includes the imminent launch of two new, more European-friendly models.  The Chinese brand, of which Stellantis owns a majority of the international rights, will build cars in Spain, according to Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa.  Speaking at an event for financial group Kepler Cheuvreux, Filosa is reported by Automotive News Europe as confirming Spain as the European production site for Leapmotor from 2026, although he didn’t say which factory or model. The report claims the Zaragoza plant, which currently builds the Peugeot 208, Opel/Vauxhall Corsa and…

A Ford Escort RS 1800 that sold at auction in July for a record £276,848 is evidence of the growing appeal of modern classics to the Gen X and millennial generations, who now have the money and desire to realise their childhood poster-car dreams, say experts. Backing the claim, the same experts point to a similar model sold in 2015. Compared with July’s example, which was merely a restored former press car, this RS 1800 had been rallied by Ari Vatanen and Roger Clark, yet it sold for just £85,500, or £118,800 if adjusted for inflation. Peter Haynes, marketing and…

For reasons we will come to, you are unlikely to deploy the Grenadier’s full firepower often. However, do so and it’s unexpectedly brisk. Top speed is 99mph but our petrol test car took just 8.0sec to stomp its way to 60mph, in much the style of Joe Marler 10 metres out. The 30-70mph dash in kickdown takes a more leisurely 8.1sec but a mid-ranking Range Rover isn’t much quicker.  This powertrain isn’t lacking in character, either. Likeably gruff on start-up, BMW’s straight six is well mannered when unprovoked but has a rich blare when extended. It would be mostly unrecognisable…

Mercedes is exploring an electric version of the AMG GT sports coupé – but it needs to “justify the investment” said the performance brand’s boss. AMG has already confirmed an electric successor to the GT 4-door Coupé will arrive next year, previewed by the GT XX Concept (below). It will be the first car to sit on the 800V AMG.EA platform, which will also be used for the brand’s incoming super-SUV due in 2027. Now AMG boss Michael Schiebe has said work is underway to see if a battery-electric version of the two-door GT is viable. “There is an emotional discussion and a rational discussion,”…

It should have been a hit, and a big one. All the ingredients were there. The Honda CR-Z reprised a much-loved sports coupé of the 1980s, its high grade innards borrowed from one of the late 20th century’s most far-sighted conceptions and its chassis tuned by a Japanese gentleman well used to viewing his rapid progress via either one of his mount’s front door windows. Yes, the Honda CR-Z was fine-tuned by Japanese drift king Keiichi Tsuchiya, its hybrid mechanicals owed much to the 1999 Honda Insight – the world’s first mass-produced hybrid – and, despite Honda’s denials, it was…

It’s hugely satisfying, but there’s also a sense you’re scratching the surface and that to really extend and exploit the Spider you need the gloves-off, helmet-on environs of a circuit. Does that undermine the McLaren’s bid for victory in this company? That’s a tough one because – cliché klaxon alert – there are no real losers in this test. Each of these cars has a distinctive character and, depending on your needs and mood, you could happily make space on your driveway for any one of these special sun-worshippers. However, we don’t pull punches here at Autocar, so here we…

Everyone’s got a story. From slipping and sliding around an abandoned field to stalling innumerable times in a whisper-quiet side street, it seems nobody’s first time driving a car goes all that well. Yet, on most occasions, it’s a tale told through a smile. What should be a deeply overwhelming experience ends up being joyful, and I reckon it’s all thanks to that most unsung of automotive heroes, the driving instructor. They teach us about everything from biting points to brake distances with a seemingly universal dry wit, maintained despite a background of long hours, months-long waits for test slots…

Karl Ludvigsen, one of the greatest ever writers on motoring subjects and our distinguished guest on this week’s Autocar Meets podcast has had many careers. Car-obsessed from his earliest years, he trained in the US as an engineer and designer in the immediate post-war years, beginning a parallel career as a motoring writer and editor almost immediately. As he explains in a fascinating hour’s chat with Steve Cropley, he progressed rapidly into big company management positions, moved to Europe, and was the director of Ford of Europe in charge of model development through the first “fast Ford” era, leading the creation…

That JCW styling extends to the interior too. Both cars get special JCW sports seats with exclusive knit detailing around the head and shoulder area. The rest of the seats are wrapped in MINI’s soft, sumptuous Vescin synthetic leather, and decorated with contrast red stitching to amp up the sporting ambience. The seats are comfortable and supportive, with chunky bolsters that helped keep us in place on some of the more unforgiving, snaking B-roads. In fact, the whole interior really stands out in this class for just how upmarket it is. All of the materials look and feel premium, and…

European Union president Ursula von der Leyen will work with car industry bosses to develop a new ‘E-car’ category of small affordable cars in a bid to help safeguard the industry. In July, Stellantis chairman John Elkann and then Renault Group boss Luca de Meo proposed creating a class of small cars with fewer safety regulations that would be cheaper to build and emit fewer lifecycle emissions. The proposal was loosely based on Japan’s kei car class, which accounts for around 40% of the Japanese domestic market. At this week’s Munich motor show, numerous car industry bosses – including new Renault Group chief François Provost, the BMW Group’s Oliver…

BYD’s Ferrari-rivalling Yangwang brand will enter the UK, but not until 2027, according to the firm’s Europe chief. The Chinese giant will launch its Denza brand in Britain next year with a three-car line-up designed to take on premium rivals such as Porsche and Audi – and the more extreme Yangwang will follow soon after. Stella Li, BYD’s vice-chairman and Europe boss, said the push to bring both brands to the UK comes because it is one of the “leading countries for premium car sales, and so is very important for our Denza brand – and very important for Yangwang in the future”. According to…

Our choice: Toyota C-HR PHEV Creating a strong first impression is often vital for business success, which is where the Toyota C-HR shines. Now in its second generation, the high-riding crossover has gone for bold this time around and its coupé-inspired looks and neat two-tone paint job help it stand out from the company car crowd. Better still, there’s substance to go with the style. Underpinned by the brand’s TNGA architecture, the C-HR is good to drive, with natural and poised handling and a fluid ride. It’s also boosted by a new, smooth and refined plug-in hybrid drivetrain that develops…

To celebrate the launch of Renault 4 E-Tech electric, Renault is giving one lucky winner, and a guest, the chance to enjoy an unforgettable weekend getaway in Paris. The prize includes return first-class Eurostar travel from London St Pancras, departing Friday 31 October 2025 and returning Sunday 2 November. On arrival at Gare du Nord, a private transfer will whisk you to a luxurious 5-star hotel, where you’ll enjoy a two-night stay with travel insurance included. On Friday evening, you’ll dine in style at the Michelin-starred Restaurant Le Meurice Alain Ducasse. With €1,310 to spend on the night, you and your…

The GT Hybrid had to look totally spectacular, too. Obviously. Getting rear arches positioned just so relative to the long-tail body meant extending the underlying 992 wheelbase by 100mm via the suspension. The tracks are also wider. Quite a lot wider, in fact – more than a wheel offset. It has necessitated new, elongated suspension links, which are beautifully machined, with geometry designed to retain the functionality of the Turbo S’s active anti-roll bars and rear-axle steering. Remapping these systems was not really an option, says Mallock. To illustrate the complexity of modern cars, he tells me that when they swapped…

The production version of the Skoda Vision 7S seven-seater will arrive next year as the firm’s new electric flagship, with chiefs claiming it can play a key role in further strengthening the brand. The new EV will sit above the Elroq, Enyaq and forthcoming Epiq in the Czech firm’s growing bespoke EV line-up and has been described by CEO Klaus Zellmer as Skoda’s new flagship. The concept version of the Vision 7S was shown in 2022, introducing Skoda’s new ‘Modern Solid’ design language, which has since been applied elsewhere. The production version, which like the Eloq and Enyaq will use the Volkswagen Group’s MEB…

Renault will give the Megane a radical “hot hatch” facelift next year, in an effort to revive the EV’s stark downturn in sales. The current Megane launched in 2022 as one of the first of Renault new-age electric cars. While successful at first, after four years sales have dipped rapidly: down 67% (to 10,082) in the first half of 2025 compared to the year before.  This has coincided with the brand launching newer – and cheaper – EVs in the Renault 4 and 5 within the past year, which have racked up more than three times the hatch’s sale. Now,…

The radically styled Skoda Vision O concept previews the next-generation Octavia and the firm’s new design language – and shows Skoda is committed to the estate car in the electric era. The new concept is described by the Czech firm as representing “the brand’s electrified future”, with a production vehicle confirmed to arrive in “the next decade”. While Skoda has only described it as sitting on a “future platform of the Volkswagen Group”, Autocar understands the concept will morph into the next-generation Octavia EV and will use the SSP platform that will also underpin the closely related Volkswagen ID Golf. Measuring…

Mercedes-Benz will launch the third-generation GLA crossover late next year, chairman Ola Källenius has confirmed. The smallest member of the brand’s MMA-based compact car family will be sold in both electric and hybrid forms, replacing the first-generation EQA EV and the second-generation ICE GLA. The entry-level EV is seen as a key model for the German firm to compete with some of the best selling compact electric cars on the market, such as the Volkswagen ID 3 and MG4. The petrol model will take on the Volkswagen Golf. Speaking at the launch of the new Mercedes GLC EQ ahead of the Munich motor show, Källenius said the GLA “will be coming by the end…

Skoda’s new baby electric SUV, the Epiq, is edging closer to a 2026 launch with the unveiling of a near-production show car at the Munich motor show. Giving a “concrete glimpse” of Skoda’s answer to the Renault 4, the Epiq concept was revealed alongside the Volkswagen T-Cross and Cupra Raval with which it will share a platform, powertrain and production line. Skoda revealed the first Epiq concept last year, but this heavily evolved second iteration is expected to arrive in showrooms mostly unchanged. At 4.1m long, the Epiq will be the smallest of Skoda’s electric SUVs – sitting underneath the 4.4m…

Jaguar Land Rover is working with cybersecurity specialists and the police following a targeted cyber hack which has shut down production until at least Tuesday. The British brand has been rebuilding its internal IT systems since they were breached on Monday, which also caused dealer sales, handovers and parts ordering to stop. Autocar understands dealers are now manually registering cars while the systems remain down. Meanwhile, the majority of workers at JLR’s production sites in the West Mldlands and Merseyside have been told not to return to work until 9 September. JLR told Autocar in a statement on Saturday that “our retail partners remain open”,…

Original list price: £22,995 Price after grant: £21,495  The Renault 5 is one of the most talked-about cars of the year, and for good reason. It’s fun to drive, comfortable and has a class-leading interior, as well as a good, usable range between charges. Drivers can choose from either a 40kWh or a 52kWh battery for up to a claimed 250 miles. You can charge up to speeds of 100kW too.    Renault Alpine A290 Original list price: £33,500  Price after grant: £32,000 With excellent handling, a punchy powertrain and old-school charm, the Alpine A290 shows that the hot hatchback still has a place…

The biggest question for most EV buyers when researching a new car is how far it can go between charges. The Xpeng G6 is hoping to get potential suitors to think differently: not how far it can go but how fast it can recharge.  The G9’s 336-mile WLTP range is pretty strong. But its charging speed of 525kW is industry-leading (and faster than any charger you will currently find in the UK).  A 10-80% fill up takes 12 minutes and the battery is mahoosive. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We’re already talking about charging speeds while many of…

BMW has shown the new electric BMW 3 Series for the first time and confirmed it will arrive next year badged i3. Revealed in camouflaged form at the launch of the new iX3 electric SUV on Friday, the car has evolved from the striking Vision Neue Klasse concept that was revealed in 2023.  The saloon will become the second model in the company’s Neue Klasse range.  This will be the first time BMW offers a 3 Series-sized model with an electric powertrain in Europe. When it arrives next year, it will be the smallest EV the brand offers. It inherits its name from the seminal BMW i3 electric…

Production issues at Jaguar Land Rover’s Halewood plant, caused by a targeted cyber hack earlier this week, will last until at least Tuesday, it has been reported. Workers have been told not to return to work until 9 September, the Liverpool Echo reports. Production at the site is understood to have been halted since 1 September. It follows a cyber attack in which hackers claimed to have exploited a flaw in the British car maker’s IT system. A notice sent to Halewood workers on 4 September stated: “Friday September 5 and Monday September 8: the leadership team has agreed that production…

The Atto 2’s interior has the big picture covered. There’s a good-sized split-level boot, whose capacity is rated 50 litres greater in the case of the upper-tier Comfort model than in the lower-tier Boost, for reasons that BYD has yet to explain; but which is an ample size either way. The second-row seats have enough leg- and headroom for grown adults to travel, and plenty of useful storage around them. And up front, there’s a matching roomy feel, and mostly good comfort and adjustability from the driver’s seat; all except for the non-adjustable integrated-style head restraint, which tended to poke this tester…

BYD will offer the Seal 6 in three trims: Boost, Comfort Lite and Comfort. The Boost has a smaller, 10.1kWh battery and just 181bhp. That gives it just 31 miles of electric range and the resulting 60g/km of CO2 output means it doesn’t qualify for particularly cheap company car tax. I drove the Comfort Lite, which gets the bigger, 19.0kWh battery and extra power. That gives it 62 miles of electric range, so it should attract just 9% company car tax. The Superb PHEV gets 10 miles more out of a similarly sized battery, though. I’d need to spend more time…

Mini has signalled its renewed interest in high-performance models with a new pair of stripped-out John Cooper Works concept cars. Named The Skeg and The Machina, they are based on the electric and petrol Cooper JCW hatchbacks and have been developed with clothing firm Deus ex Machina. They draw on the firm’s histories in fashion and motorsport. While neither will make production, they are the first cranked up Mini JCW models since the GP went out of production with the last-generation hatch in 2023. The Skeg draws on surfing culture. It receives new bodywork made from fibreglass – the same material as high-quality…

But while the AOA “recognised that there should be greater incentive and reward for good, accident-free driving” and would be able to offer this thanks to advancements in computing, it also penalised cars “of higher than average performance” when sorting them into seven groups. Furthermore, foreign cars were usually pricier than British ones to insure, despite “tremendous improvement in importers’ organisations and their dealer networks” in many cases. This was a difficult time for the UK’s insurance industry: as car ownership soared, up to 100 new companies piled into the market, pulling down premiums and profits – and many of them quickly…

Hyundai has previewed the design of the striking electric hatchback concept it will reveal at next week’s Munich motor show. It has also revealed a name for the show car: Concept Three – which all but confirms the eventual production car will be called the Ioniq 3, and closely related to the Kia EV3 – as Ioniq 9 is to EV9. The design sketch suggests Hyundai’s hatchback will be more closely related to the rakish Ioniq 6 saloon in its styling, than the 1980s-inspired Ioniq 5 crossover or the monolithic Ioniq 9 SUV.  In profile, it resembles a race-inspired two-door…

The new Kia EV5 is now open to order from £39,295 and with a maximum range of 329 miles, ahead of deliveries starting later this year. The new crossover is effectively an electric Kia Sportage equivalent, and is the Korean firm’s fifth bespoke electric car to launch in the UK, arriving hot on the heels of the EV4 hatchback that lands in the next few weeks.  The Ford Explorer and Skoda Elroq rival will be offered with just one powertrain and battery in the UK from launch, as part of a bid to “keep the buying process as simple and understandable…

“Instead of spending three or four years designing and developing a product, we are using our expertise beyond our R&D and manufacturing and showcasing our knowledge of selling EVs.” Dunsmore points to various images of the S04 on display at the Acciona Campus in Madrid, headquarters of the energy conglomerate that owns Silence. “Just look at the diversity,” he says. “You’ve got retirees, but you’ve also got young people, because the L6 S04 can be driven by 16-year-olds [in the UK], or 14- and 15-year-olds in Europe. With the rising costs of insurance and driving lessons, only around one-third of 17-…

Popular donor vans included the Volkswagen Type 2, Ford’s Transit, Rootes’ Commer FC, BMC’s Morris J2 and J4 and Vauxhall’s Bedford CA. Camper vans’ heyday ended in 1973, when they and caravans were hit with the new value added tax, raising prices by around 10%. Other buying guides from Autocar included those for caravan accessories: shock dampers, jacks, brackets, awnings, battery-powered televisions, porta-showers, ‘chemical sanitation’ (not bogs?) and even a periscope. Not everyone was in on the craze, of course. “For as long as I can remember, I have been against caravans,” wrote our man David Phipps in 1971. “They…

The engine pulls strongly, positively; in really lovely linear fashion. I prefer the throttle response in its sportier mode. The pedal is heavy so it feels like there’s less stiction. The brake and clutch are heavy too, but both pleasingly so. The gearbox is the weak point. Kamm can and does weld in and machine out some components to bring them back to better than production tolerances, but the lever is still a wand whose vagueness is at odds with the enhanced precision elsewhere. They’re working on their own five-speed transaxle. You can spec three different final drive ratios and…

Recently I found myself back in Ireland, this time bound for the south-west, in a personal capacity – a prenuptial rendezvous in delightful Dingle, home of Fungie the dolphin who lost his pod and an implausibly large number of drinking establishments. Most of the guys turned to Michael O’Leary to get them to Limerick and ended up hiring Hyundai Tucsons from there. With the new BMW M4 CS in for its road test that week, and in on-brand green, fate was a bit kinder to me. I collected a friend who lives in Pembrokeshire and we took the ferry to Rosslare. …

Matt is Autocar’s lead features writer and presenter, is the main face of Autocar’s YouTube channel, presents the My Week In Cars podcast and has written his weekly column, Tester’s Notes, since 2013. Matt is an automotive engineer who has been writing and talking about cars since 1997. He joined Autocar in 2005 as deputy road test editor, prior to which he was road test editor and world rally editor for Channel 4’s automotive website, 4Car.  Into all things engineering and automotive from any era, Matt is as comfortable regularly contributing to sibling titles Move Electric and Classic & Sports Car as he is writing…

Audi has hinted its upcoming concept will take inspiration from the original TT, as well as 1991’s Avus show car and historic racing models. As previously reported by Autocar, the concept, set for unveiling at the upcoming Munich motor show, will preview an all-new look for the brand under design boss Massimo Frascella.  Audi CEO Gernot Döllner previously said that the design would be “a bold step for the brand” and that it would “would look to the future and the strengths of Audi design, for clarity and to bring that to the future, not copying the past”. This is a sentiment…

Chery UK CEO Gary Lan said the Chery brand saw a big opportunity for a value player in the UK. “If you look at the percentage of cars available below £40,000 in the UK, that has shrunk dramatically in the past few years. But the desire for those cars hasn’t.”  Lan added that the UK launch had been the result of 20 years of preparation in ensuring the company could build cars to the “higher standards of regulation, quality, durability, reliability” and have strong residual values. Repeating a pledge made earlier this year, Lan said Chery group was open to…

Skoda has reimagined the cult-classic Felicia Fun pick-up as an electric off-roader based on the previous Vision 7S concept. Designed by Julien Petitseigneur (pictured below), it was devised to capture the “beach vibe” of the 1990s car, ditching the Vision 7S’s second and third rows of seats for an open bed. There is a prominent rear spoiler, similar to that fitted on the original Felicia Fun, and the rear lights are tinted pink in reference to the car’s seaside inspiration. The pop-out second row of seats that became a signature feature of the original Felicia Fun have not been reprised, although Skoda claimed…

The Volvo XC70 has been reborn as a ‘long-range’ plug-in hybrid SUV capable of travelling more than 124 miles on electric power. The new car will sit beneath the XC90 in Volvo’s line-up and takes clear styling cues from that car and its electric EX90 sibling. It will initially be launched in China, but the Swedish firm has confirmed that it’s planning to bring the car to Europe “at a later stage”. The XC70 is designed to help Volvo’s transition to electrification by offering a PHEV with an extended electric-only mileage to customers unwilling to make the switch from an ICE model. Volvo boss…

All versions will come with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. More notable will be the 2026 introduction of a new full hybrid (HEV) powertrain – a first for Volkswagen. This is understood to be similar to Toyota’s ‘self-charging’ system, with a petrol engine working in tandem with a small electric motor for reduced emissions and optimised fuel economy. Precise details of this new system remain secret, but it will be offered initially with either 134bhp or 168bhp, and up to 226lb ft of torque. The electric motor will be powered by a battery of unspecified capacity under the back seat,…

Stability at consistently high speed on long, open motorway stretches is another strong point. It tracks straight and true with minimal driver input deep into triple-digit territory. There’s a real sense of calm, especially in Comfort mode, where the chassis breathes with the surface. Part of this can be attributed to the aerodynamic measures Porsche has integrated: the ride height lowers automatically by 10mm above 44mph (20mm in Sport Plus mode) and by 30mm above 84mph. That blend of effortlessness and involvement is what ultimately defines the driving experience. The Turbo has the performance to astonish, but it’s the fluency…

The 2977bhp Yangwang U9 has hit almost 300mph, smashing the top speed record for an electric car. The official speed of 293.54mph was achieved at the ATP test track in Germany. It surpasses the 272.61mph set by the Aspark Owl. The feat was completed by the hardcore Track Edition variant of the Chinese supercar. Each of its four motors puts out 744bhp, meaning power is boosted by 1689bhp over the standard car. This top-rung U9 can hit 62mph from rest in 2.36sec. Key to the record was the car’s independent torque-vectoring system, said Yangwang. Controlled by road-monitoring sensors, each motor is adjusted…

JLR has recreated the Land Rover Series 1 that was gifted to Winston Churchill for a new special edition – but now with a 400bhp 5.0-litre V8 and a price of nearly £300,000. Named the Classic Defender V8 Churchill Edition, it’s the latest creation from the British company’s Works Bespoke arm and is limited to just 10 examples.  They can be specified in either the 90 (hard-top or soft-top) or 110 bodystyle of the Defender produced between 2012 and 2016. Costs, including VAT, start at £279,000 for the 90 and rise to £295,200 for the 110. The soft-top 90, priced…

Audi has unveiled the new Q3 Sportback, with a fresh look and a new interior.  It follows the June launch of the technically identical third-generaiton Q3 SUV – one of the German car maker’s best selling models. Compared with that car, the Q3 Sportback differs only by a raked roof that is 29mm lower for a “sportier appearance”. Surprisingly, this doesn’t affect rear luggage space, which is rated at 488 litres. The Q3 Sportback features a new exterior design that significantly departs from its predecessor. It borrows many lighting elements from the new A6 Avant, including slimmed LEDs at the front and a similar…

The Covid lockdown may have forced a lot of taxi drivers out of the trade, but Mo explains in the film that this was exactly the stimulus he needed to become one himself. With time on his hands, aged 17, he knuckled down to learning the Knowledge. Two years later, he’d passed all the tests but had to wait until he was 21 to get his licence. “I’m having the best time,” he says. Even the taxi driver who took me to Taxi House admits that, despite everything, he “loves” the job. Will McNamara be as sanguine? “We’ve had taxis since Cromwell’s…

It turns out, though, that the car buying public doesn’t care that much at all if what lives beneath, say, their Audi is similar to what lives beneath their Skoda. I’ve heard people say “it’s basically a Volkswagen underneath” about a Skoda to convince themselves they’ve got a well-engineered budget car. But I don’t think I’ve heard someone say the same about their Porsche Cayenne. They seem contented that Porsche has done extra work somewhere and that it was worth paying for. And since it turns out that few people seem to care either way, in my experience car makers today…

I’m here, and in a Santa Cruz, because I’m looking for a better way to end the historic Route 66 driving tour, which runs from Chicago to Los Angeles, loosely following the passage taken by early pioneers travelling in search of a better life. I drove it a few years ago and enjoyed it but had wondered if there was a more interesting path from one side of the US to another, particularly as local enthusiasm for Route 66 feels like it wanes the further west you get: there’s a bit more going on than in America’s quiet middle, where…

JLR isn’t among those, but it does have a significant presence at the event. “For students to turn up here with their car already prepped, some of them are having struggles, some of them are flying through scrutineering, all of that builds into their determination, their ethos and showing that they are made for industry,” Dan Hammond, an engineering manager at the company, says. He adds: “It’s that level where you are getting involved outside of the curriculum on an engineering subject. The technical skills can absolutely take you a long way, but those core soft skills, those business behaviours and how they’re…

His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has introduced a new rate for claiming back the cost of using public chargers for drivers who use company-owned EVs. It follows criticisms that the single-tier system wasn’t matching what they were spending. From 1 September, drivers will be able to claim 8p per mile for journeys where they charged at home or a higher rate of 12p for using public networks. It’s the first time the Advisory Electric Rate (AER) has differentiated between those two costs. Both rates will be adjusted every quarter, using the weighted average efficiency for electric company cars over the last three years (currently…

Audi is priming a track-focused special edition of the RS3 as it celebrates the hot hatch’s signature five-cylinder engine, before it’s killed by forthcoming EU emissions regulations. The new variant has been spotted testing on the Nürburgring Nordschleife for the first time ahead of its launch, expected to take place early next year. It sports several racing-inspired modifications, including a more aggressive front splitter, new canards and a chunkier rear spoiler, intended to maximise its pace on circuit.  The RS3 prototype also wears a new set of brake calipers, painted blue rather than the standard black, hinting at extra stopping power…

The Nissan X-Trail Nismo has been revealed in Japan as a sporting version of the brand’s family SUV, gaining a more aggressive look and chassis upgrades. Key to the package is a set of new swing-valve dampers supplied by suspension firm KYB, said to provide more effective bump absorption at low speeds than conventional items. These, said Nissan, provide an improved trade-off between body control and ride comfort. It rides on new 20in alloy wheels shod with Michelin Pilot Sport EV tyres, measuring 20mm wider than those fitted to other grades of X-Trail. The car’s electric power steering system has also…

Mercedes-Benz is in advanced talks about potentially using BMW’s four-cylinder petrol engines for a wide range of future cars, as part of a radical rethink of its ICE strategy prompted by slower-than-expected take-up of its EVs. A Mercedes source has told Autocar the two firms are already at high level of planning and negotiations, and an announcement on whether it will go ahead expected before the end of the year. Autocar has approached BMW for comment. The potential tie-up – first uncovered by Germany’s Manager Magazin – would have BMW providing a new generation of petrol engines for use in Mercedes models ranging from the CLA through the…

BYD will launch the Atto 2 crossover in the UK next month, priced from £30,850. Available to order now, it plugs the gap between the Dolphin hatch and Atto 3 SUV to give BYD a footing in the competitive electric crossover segment. Its starting price places it in the crosshairs of the Jeep Avenger and Hyundai Kona Electric. However, BYD is positioning it as a more premium offering in the segment, with plans to go after slightly more expensive rivals such as Smart #1 and Volvo EX30.  To that end, the company cites the quality of standard kit offered in…

Chinese tech giant Xiaomi is planning to start selling its new electric cars in Europe within the next two years. Historically best known as a manufacturer of consumer electronics (primarily its hugely popular smartphones), Xiaomi launched the SU7 saloon as its first EV in 2023 and announced plans to become one of the world’s five biggest car makers.  With its second EV, the YU7 SUV, now also on sale in China, Xiaomi Auto is one of the fastest-growing car brands in its home market, with more than 80,000 cars delivered in the last quarter alone (a near-200% yearly increase), and is…

We’re a quarter of the way through the 21st Century, and in the last 25 years the car industry – and the cars we drive on the roads – have undergone a dramatic transformation. So for an upcoming special issue of Autocar we’ve decided to celebrate the 25 most significant cars of the past 25 years. The Autocar team has drawn up a list, featuring one car from every year from 2001 until 2025. We weren’t looking for the best, fastest or biggest-selling: we’ve judged them purely by the impact they had on their firms, the industry and car buyers.…

I can’t quite believe it: there are now no lifted estate cars on sale in the UK. With confirmation that the new Subaru Outback won’t be coming here, they’re all gone. What ever happened to the Seat Leon X-Perience, Vauxhall Insignia Country Tourer and Toyota Corolla Trek? Then there was the Skoda Octavia and Superb Scout duo, Mercedes’ All-Terrains, Volkswagen’s Alltracks, Volvo’s Cross Countrys and Audi’s Allroads. If they’re seemingly so unpopular, why do I love them? First, a history lesson – and it starts with, of all people, the Americans. A nation of households owning multiple land yachts creating a new…

Like the exterior, the interior of the new C3 is identical to that of its ë-C3 electric counterpart. This means there are some very welcome physical switches and buttons for the heating and ventilation and a 10.25in touchscreen left simply for the navigation, music and wireless smartphone mirroring (either Apple CarPlay or Android Auto).  The new C3 also gets a clever head-up display that’s projected onto a strip running across the top of the dashboard. It’s neat and tidy and more cost-effective than traditional displays, while also high enough to not ever be obscured by the steering wheel, unlike in Peugeot’s i-Cockpit.…

Volkswagen has released the first official image of the new second-generation T-Roc ahead of its imminent reveal, showcasing the new car’s sharply raked roofline. As previously reported by Autocar, the second-generation T-Roc is due to be unveiled in the coming weeks, ahead of an expected debut at September’s Munich motor show – where Volkswagen is also tipped to reveal the ID 2X baby SUV. It will be the brand’s first model to use a new full-hybrid powertrain that is also bound for the Golf and Tiguan. It will work similarly to that used by Toyota, capable of driving the wheels using either a petrol engine, an electric motor…

“Of course there were some tough times,” says Thomson. “I remember being in Thailand once, turning on a Teams call late at night and being confronted by a grid of about 10 angry builders wanting to talk about drains and electrical supply. But we worked it out. That was just a low point. We’re really happy with what we have now. It’s working brilliantly.” Easily GM Design Europe’s best-known piece of work so far is their concept for a Corvette C10 – one model beyond the C9 that is approaching production as a replacement for today’s C8. It is one of three…

I’m told a television programme called You Bet! still exists, which some of you might remember from the 1980s, while some others among you might not quite believe existed. A contestant would come on – a scientist, perhaps – and tell a panel of celebrity judges that they reckoned they could do something unlikely, like tell the temperature of a jug of water to within half a degree centigrade, perhaps even more accurately, by dipping their nose in it. I’m fairly certain that example actually happened and I’m not making it up. The judges would then bet on whether said…

And another thing, to drive home this affinity. Until the recent arrival of Adrian Hallmark, Aston’s CEO was Amedeo Felisa, who once occupied the very same post at Ferrari. We have yet to see quite such a high-profile transfer in the other direction, but who knows what the future holds? Mr Hallmark is rated. All of which is to say, if you want to compare Aston and Ferrari, there’s no end of criteria. Yet the comparison that hits hardest and means the most remains Il Classico. We’re talking grand tourers, especially the V12 ones. Maybe I’m too romantic, but for…

Amid a sea of better-appreciated and well-appointed UK race tracks, Knockhill has a knack for holding its own. It is Scotland’s only FIA-approved track and is notorious for its narrow, complicated and steeply undulating twists and turns – and this coming weekend, it will host the seventh round of this season’s BTCC. I can’t wait. I think of it as the UK’s Laguna Seca: one of its corners, Duffus Dip, has a sharp downward gradient much like the Californian track’s Corkscrew. If you’ve never driven on it before, you will begin each lap with blind faith before negotiating the steep,…

Between the two channels of the substantial rear diffuser are the dual exits of a re-engineered exhaust system that has been designed to “deliver a deep and balanced V12 soundtrack”. A new roofmounted air intake “adds to the orchestral cabin experience as owners explore the full 12,100rpm rev range”. The GTR also receives a heavy chassis overhaul that bolsters its on-track potential with stiffer, lighter suspension components, a wider track, larger tyres and new solid engine mounts that, GMA says, boost dynamics while avoiding the noise and vibration that usually come with such an arrangement. The interior is more trackfocused than…

Best for: Interior versatility  Price: £19,525 Hyundai has dipped its toe into the world of affordable EVs with the Inster, a small city car with a rugged and characterful appearance.  Measuring somewhere between the Hyundai i10 and i20, the Inster is genuinely small and appears similar in stature to the Suzuki Ignis. Power comes from a single front-mounted electric motor. Power ranges from 96bhp to 113bhp and a 42kWh battery is included as standard. A larger, 49kWh battery is also available, giving the Inster a maximum range of 229 miles. Standard kit includes a heat pump, two 10.25in dashboard screens and lots of safety software. It’s fairly…

Nissan has driven a Qashqai fitted with its new e-Power hybrid powertrain the length of the UK – from Land’s End to John O’Groats – on a single tank of fuel. The powertrain, which was recently updated to improve its efficiency and refinement, yielded 75mpg in the hands of Nissan engineers while completing the 837-mile drive. That marked an improvement on the result achieved by Nissan on the same journey in 2007, when a 1.5-litre diesel-engined Qashqai clocked 67mpg. According to Nissan, the e-Power car’s trip took 18 hours (over two days) and the car reached John O’Groats with enough petrol left in its…

Skoda also says the “steeply raked” windscreen and “gently sloping roofline” are “design cues that have characterised Skoda’s most successful estate models”. The Superb and Octavia estates are among Skoda’s best-selling global models, with the Octavia Combi, particularly, ranking as its top seller in certain markets. As a result, Skoda “is committed to continuing the estate bodywork legacy into the future,” said the company. Exterior designer Jounggeen Kim shaped the Vision O’s silhouette and said his task was “to apply the Modern Solid language to an estate car”.  He designed the concept to be an “all-in-one” proposition and said: “This car is…

The cars in this list have been chosen by our team of expert journalists who have collectively driven, assessed and scrutinised every car from the last 20 years.  When selecting the best used cars, we set out to find the best examples from several different categories, including SUVs, estates and performance cars. We also tried to focus on models which offered good reliability, strong value for money, sensible running costs and genuine driver appeal.  Value for moneyWhile value for money is largely subjective and varies depending on the type, age and mileage of the used car you’re hoping to buy,…

BMW is readying a new flagship hardcore off-roader to rival the Mercedes-Benz G-Class and Land Rover Defender. Set to be produced alongside the X5, X6 and X7 at BMW’s Spartanburg plant in the US from 2029, the new seven-seater will be the company’s first model conceived for serious off-roading since 1937. Unlike the off-road-package X5 currently on sale in the UK, the new model – codenamed G74 – has been conceived as part of a push to tap into the luxury off-road market that is dominated by the Defender and G-Class. A senior BMW manager told Autocar that development work for the…

Mercedes-Benz is taking direct aim at Volkswagen Golf and ID 3 with its new third-generation GLA crossover. The smallest member of the brand’s MMA-based compact car family will be sold in both electric and hybrid forms, replacing the first-generation EQA EV in the second half of 2026 and the second-generation ICE GLA in early 2027. Pictures of the new GLA testing reveal that it will have a sportier, more coupé-like silhouette than today’s model, with a distinctive front end featuring Mercedes’ new ‘Iconic Grille’. Autocar understands the car is expected to grow in size to just over 4500mm in length, allowing for a more…

The striking Kimera Evo38 has been revealed in finished production form ahead of its debut at Monterey Car Week, bringing almost 600bhp, mild hybridisation and four-wheel drive. A vision of “what would have been” if the legendary WRC-winning Lancia 037 had continued being developed beyond 1992, it is an evolution of the Italian firm’s debut model, the Evo37. The most notable development is a move from the rear-wheel-drive set-up that defined the 037 – it having been the last such car to win a constructor’s title in the World Rally Championship – to four-wheel drive.  Power is sent to the front wheels…

When choosing the best electric SUV, you need to consider factors beyond just range and price. Here’s what to look for: Driving Range Why it matters: Range matters with all EVs as it ultimately determines how useful they are. • Be realistic about how far you drive. A 200-mile EV offers enough range for most, usual situations. If you regularly road trip, you might want to expand your search to something with 300 miles.• If you mainly use it for short, urban trips, cars with 200 miles of range should cover it. These tend to be cheaper and more efficient…

The Brouillard’s owner has emphasised the bespoke nature of their creation with an outlandish green-over-green colour scheme, with the exposed carbonfibre lower body sections tinted to match the satin paintwork.  The interior upholstery is coloured accordingly, including the equestrian-inspired tartan.  The substantial redesign showcases just how far Solitaire customers can go in making their car unique. But Heyl said it is important that whatever a customer demands, the final product must still be recognisable as a Bugatti. ”It must retain our trademark signatures that have become the DNA of the brand: the horseshoe grille, the Bugatti line on the side,…

When reviewing company cars, we evaluate them against a range of practical, technical and user-focused criteria, as well as considering their monthly costs using the UK government’s benefit-in-kind percentage rates.  1. Efficiency Efficiency is important in any car, but company car drivers often have long commutes and will hit high mileages. When reviewing cars, we compare real-world efficiency measurements with the WLTP figures that are made up of laboratory tests. All the cars on this list are broadly efficient and long-legged.  2. Interior comfort and space We measure leg room, head room and storage space. Cabin noise levels at motorway speeds and…

The Bentayga’s fundamental chassis and body-in-white have been little changed since its 2015 launch, but substantial design and technology upgrades – including the addition of new bodystyles and powertrains – have helped to keep Bentley out near the front of an increasingly busy super-SUV field.  The Aston Martin DBX and Lamborghini Urus have fully embraced their supercar-on-stilts billing, gaining angrier styling, even more outlandish power figures and more heavily dynamically oriented chassis set-ups as part of recent updates, while the Rolls-Royce Cullinan – also recently lightly overhauled – continues to stand alone in the very highest echelon of luxury SUVs,…

Put simply, it’s a nice place to be when you’re munching through miles. Packed with useful tech That upmarket cabin is lifted further by its clever use of technology. In-car tech should be about making your life easier – and the MINI Countryman Electric is a great example of how to do that. It’s filled with cutting-edge systems that have been put together to make each and every journey more comfortable and that bit safer. To that end, every single Countryman Electric features a big 9.4in circular infotainment system front and centre – it’s an OLED screen too, so its…

These losses are atop the models’ regular year-on-year depreciation. Setterfield said: “The Korando’s falls seem to have been caused by uncertainty and confusion in the marketplace as the brand transitioned from Ssangyong to KGM. Astra diesels with above-average mileage are now suffering increased penalties, while the Evoque’s figure can be explained by an increase in used volumes following a shortage of supply.”  Consumers unsure about buying a diesel are unlikely to be reassured by these wild extremes. Fortunately, these cars aside, the bulk of the sector is actually quite stable, with the average three-year-old diesel worth just 2.1% less than…

The first cars to receive the UK government’s new Electric Car Grant (ECG) have been revealed – and one is already one of the cheapest EVs on the market. The six have been deemed eligible for the £1500 grant (the lesser of the two) and all come from French manufacturer Citroën. They are the ë-C3, ë-C3 Aircross, ë-C4, ë-C4 X, ë-Berlingo and new ë-C5 Aircross. In the case of the ë-C3, the ECG reduces the starting price to £20,595, which drops it below rivals such at the £21,035 Fiat Grande Panda Elettrica and the £21,950 BYD Dolphin Surf Boost (the bigger-battery version).  Only the smaller-battery Dolphin…

Volkswagen has launched a £48,360 limited edition of the ID 3 GTX that reimagines the classic Golf Fire+Ice special from the 1990s. Taking the same name as its forebear, the ID 3 GTX Fire+Ice was previewed last year by an eponymous concept and will be limited to just 1990 examples worldwide. Its arrival marks the start of an effort by Volkswagen to release low-volume specials across its ID range in a bid to increase the appeal of its EVs, as it did with earlier ICE models. The German brand says it wants to show how specials, like 1995’s Golf Rolling…

I’ve found that in most conditions, I barely scratch the surface of its performance, preferring to pop it in less aggressive Chill driving mode rather than seeking out opportunities to go for a blast as I might in, say, a BMW 3 Series. The range has improved as we have transitioned from late winter to mid-summer, and across a full year I’d expect better than my 3.8mpkWh average. If ultimate distance is your ambition, it might be worth tracking down a single-motor car; reader Fred Reschen reports that he gets 5mpkWh on longer journeys in his Long Range RWD. Fred…

You might have heard that Caterham has found a new engine supplier in Horse (decent name, I think), a joint venture between Renault and Geely. Horse engines will go into Caterham’s Academy racing cars (which I have driven) from next year to replace the Ford 1.6-litre Sigma engine, which Ford hasn’t made in years. Caterham has been assembling race car engines from a stock of blocks and bought-in parts and stopped using it in road cars some time ago. The Sigma is a nice engine. Autocar had one in a 140bhp Supersport long-termer that we ran in 2012-13, and I spent a lot of…

In some ways, I’d say so – but not all. The Mach-E GT wasn’t the most efficient EV you could spend £70,000 on before Ford jacked up the ride height by 20mm and fitted those all-season tyres to it. As the Rally, it will do a little over 210 miles as a touring electric range, which meant it arrived at our Welsh rallying idyll with about 75% battery capacity showing, with the nearest rapid charger a good 25 miles away. Focuses the mind, that. I won’t be ruining the verdict, however, to tell you that the Mach-E survives a fairly long…

Gregory was also a director at Brands Hatch, so the Kent circuit staged a trial run on Boxing Day 1957 – and, this being a success, the host to the first points-scoring BSCC round in early April 1958. Enjoy full access to the complete Autocar archive at the magazineshop.com In cold and dry weather, the first saloon race proved “quite the most interesting of the afternoon”, we reported. “It was won almost as a foregone conclusion by Jack Sears, adding yet another victory to his string of successes with the Austin A105. But in the sub-1200cc class, tremendous battles were…

Lenders won’t have to pay millions of pounds in compensation to buyers over potentially mis-sold finance deals following a Supreme Court ruling. Announced on Friday afternoon, Lord Robert Reed ruled that buyers weren’t mis-sold finance by dealers chasing high commissions. In his verdict, he said he would also  allow lenders to submit appeals against future cases brought forward by buyers, in effect putting to an end any mass compensation payout. The case has been heard by the UK’s highest court since April and was centred around non-discretionary lender-paid dealer commissions that were tacked on to car finance deals without the knowledge of buyers. In some…

Honda has given the Civic a new face in a round of mid-life updates for the hybrid hatchback. The company says its Volkswagen Golf rival has been “refined in response to customer feedback”, with the front end reworked for a “more assertive” look. The upper and lower grilles have been sharpened and accentuated by their contrasting black gloss finishes, while the bumper has been restyled with “bolder character lines”. There’s a new colour-coded front spoiler and the front foglights have been removed in line with the cleaner treatment. Honda said the Civic’s LED headlights can “ensure optimal visibility is maintained” in…

In a recent interview with Autocar, Mardell revealed that he had driven the new GT and said it was the “most fun I’ve had” in his time as JLR boss. “It was stunning in terms of its speed, its acceleration, its performance, but also how it delivered the power with a real sense of character,” he said. “The chassis team are really excited about the possibilities of the vehicle.” Speaking more generally about Jaguar’s prospects as an all-electric luxury brand, Mardell said he was “certain we will have wait lists which are significant relative to the volumes we aspire for with the…

Not long after I’d had a grand old moan about the Panda’s starter motor, a remarkably clean example of a Renault Clio RS 182 came up for sale. It’s a car I’ve wanted for yonks and the numbers just about made sense, so it all felt like the stars were aligning to give me a way out. I’d just started organising all of the paperwork in preparation for a part-exchange when the dealer asked for a 10% deposit – oh, and it would be non-refundable. When they then said they couldn’t send a picture of the Clio’s underside, alarm bells…

DS has hinted at introducing performance-focused models in a bid to ramp up its premium credentials. Despite racing in Formula E for more than a decade and creating some racy concept cars, DS has yet to develop a fully fledged performance model. However, speaking at the recent London ePrix, new CEO Xavier Peugeot told Autocar he was thinking about bringing the idea to fruition. “There is no closed debate, so why not?” he said. “It might be consistent for us to think about even more powerful versions of our models, of our engines, that would align with our commitment in Formula E.”…

Being a relatively affordable EV, the 500e evidently wasn’t the kind of car developed with a lavish budget to spend on soft-touch materials and expensive-feeling switchgear. Nevertheless, its designers have struck some good compromises here. A lot of the surfaces are hard plastics, but the design is pleasingly retro, with bright body-colour panels in the dashboard, fabric inserts in the doors and lively seat upholstery. The row of climate control buttons just under the infotainment touchscreen is unique for the 500e, and the physical controls are welcome but do feel flimsy and, being gloss black, are just as susceptible to fingerprints…

The electric version of the Maserati MC20 supercar could still see the light of day if the market picks up, says Maserati, after it cancelled the model earlier this year, citing insufficient demand. Promising huge power and similar dynamics to those of the V6 car, the MC20 Folgore would have been the first electric supercar on sale – the circa-2000bhp Rimac Nevera, Pininfarina Battista and Lotus Evija meriting full-bore hypercar status. Its potentially seminal status was ultimately its downfall, though, with nothing comparable on sale against which it could be benchmarked. Maserati wasn’t confident it would attract a sufficient number of…

Plug-in hybrids sold in the UK could avoid planned changes across Europe to how CO2 figures are calculated in a bid to keep their appeal to fleet buyers. Under the changes, the European Commission’s latest Euro 6e-bis emission standard will assume a lower share of a PHEV’s electric-only mileage, resulting in a more representative (and higher) CO2 figure.  This would result in tax hikes and therefore a loss of the benefit-in-kind incentive that has driven the powertrain’s popularity among fleet buyers. However, the UK has revealed “easement” plans to continue encouraging the take-up of lower-carbon vehicles.  What are the EU’s changes? The European Commission’s latest Euro 6e-bis emission…

Given this is effectively the estate version of the M4 CS, it won’t surprise you to learn that the two are pretty similar to drive. I got to try them back to back at Thruxton Circuit and on the nearby roads, and while you can just about feel that there’s an enlarged boot throwing its weight around on turn-in, it’s pretty minor stuff. Most of all, though, this is an incredibly versatile, competent and therefore confidence-inspiring track car, particularly on the Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres. This rubber’s enormous grip and the M3’s natural balance mean it stays very stable…

Autocar’s Drivers of Change awards will return on 13 November following a successful launch earlier this year and this time will champion diverse talent in the industry. Held in association with the SMMT at Stellantis’s UK headquarters in Coventry, the second edition of Drivers of Change will celebrate new talent from across the industry – individuals who are either apprentices or in the first two years of their career. The goal of Drivers of Change is to celebrate the automotive industry as a place where you can have a thriving career irrespective of your background and to promote the industry as a great place to work…

Official economy: 62.8mpg Our economy: 56mpg The Honda Jazz is another economical option in the real world, complete with an EV-only mode and some enticing numbers on paper.  Power comes from an e:HEV full hybrid system, which combines a 1.5-litre petrol engine with a battery and two electric motors to produce 120bhp and 187lb ft.  Honda quotes a figure of 62.8mpg, but our tests returned slightly less economical 56mpg. Still, impressive nonetheless. It’s not far off the Toyota Yaris, and the Honda actually comes closer to hitting its claimed figure.  Rivals like the Yaris and the Clio might save you more…

There’s a light to warn of the impending rev limiter, but unless I deliberately take it there, I’ll have probably naturally felt the urge to shift up a gear by then. And while the sound is all authentic, there is a symposer (a tube and a vibrating membrane) to accentuate the induction noise. By today’s standards, 100bhp per litre is modest and so is a redline in the mid-6000s. That redline and power output are figures an old 1.7-litre Ford Kent Crossflow would be familiar with. And if I told you that the Horse engine reminded me a bit of…

Many have led hard lives, though – these were sub-£1000 cars for a long time – so buy carefully. A Chris Bangle masterpiece, and not half bad to drive either. The five-cylinder 20-valve engine, offered in both naturally aspirated and turbocharged forms, has the most exotic feel, but the four-cylinder option, a descendant of the Delta Integrale powerplant, still has the means to entertain. Rust is by far the biggest issue: inspect the sills, subframes, wheel arches, footwells, boot floor, exhaust… Basically, just give the whole thing a thorough going-over. Interior plastics are prone to developing a horrid sticky finish, too. Running…

Have you seen the Twisted TBug? Twisted, the friendly, Yorkshire-based modifier of classic Land Rover Defenders (and now owner of a marine division as well), has started offering a Volkswagen Beetle Baja Bug restomod too. (If it starts doing Hillman Imps, our respective garages will look even more alike.) Unsurprisingly, the TBug looks somewhat nicer than my Baja Bug, because Twisted are people who are used to doing things properly. The interior looks trimmed beautifully, the stance is just so (I’m tempted to have a word with the front end of mine and a grinder) and there’s a reinforced chassis, a…

Skoda has also been truly innovative by developing three clever Smart Dials on the dashboard. The pair of outside dials allow you to control various aspects of the cabin ventilation system, including temperature and airflow direction, plus the heated seats. The centre dial, meanwhile, allows you to control functions such as the car’s driving modes, audio volume, and even zoom in on the satellite-navigation system’s map. Autocar was full of praise, saying: “It’s a brilliantly simple, yet tactile and intuitive system.” #5 Luxury equipment As we said earlier, the new Skoda Superb is the sort of car that would make…

Autonomous driving and the technology behind it played a significant part at this year’s Shanghai motor show. For over a decade, the industry has believed that there won’t be a sudden leap from conventional cars to fully automated self-driving cars. Instead, it has expected ADAS features to gradually increase in sophistication until they become capable of taking over control of the car. Currently, the focus for car makers and suppliers is the transition from level two to level three, as laid down by the SAE’s six levels of driving automation. Up to level two (like the latest adaptive cruise control with…

Tesla will launch a cheaper variant of the Model Y in a bid to increase sales after posting one of its worst ever quarterly sales declines. In January, Tesla boss Elon Musk to launch a range of “more affordable models” by this summer in a bid to broaden its appeal. Rather than an entirely new model, this has instead amounted to a stripped-out version of the American EV brand’s best-seller. Production is scheduled to begin from around August or September. Musk hasn’t said whether other affordable models, such as a new Model 3, are planned. Nor has he provided more information, such as which markets the new…

Best for: Space Early in its UK presence, Kia occupied a strong position, offering British families seven-seater transport and solid peace of mind, but trends change and the spacious Sedona is almost forgotten. Instead, the Sportage SUV has taken on the role of large family car in the Korean brand’s range, in the process losing some of its earlier off-roading ability.  The emphasis is on the ‘some’ and not ‘all’, as the Sorento remains equipped with mechanical four-wheel drive but with the addition of sophisticated hybrid and plug-in hybrid options alongside the familiar 2.2-litre diesel. Unlike the Skoda Kodiaq, the Sorento retains…

Car buyers are set to learn which models qualify for the UK government’s new Electric Car Grant (ECG) on August 11. Speaking at a briefing to announce the UK’s latest automotive manufacturing figures, Society of Motor Manufactures and Traders (SMMT) boss Mike Hawes confirmed the August date and said he expected around one third of electric cars on the market to qualify for the grant based on the criteria set out by government. This criteria includes not just a £37,000 cap for a qualifying model but also science-based targets around emissions from a car company and its models’ manufacturing location.…

The Range Rover Evoque-rivalling Jaecoo 5 will go on sale this summer, priced from £24,505. The 5 will become the second model in the Chery-owned brand’s UK range following the popular 7, which has amassed 8399 sales so far this year. At launch, the 5 will be powered by a 145bhp 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine. Details on the EV variant will follow in the “coming weeks”. Visually, the Jaecoo 5 is a shrunken version of the 7, with near-identical front and rear end designs, but with a shorter wheelbase and a more raked roofline.   The entry-level 5 comes with a 13.2in vertical touchscreen,…

The interior is basically untouched compared with the regular car. Which means it’s neatly laid out, expensively put together with physical controls for most things. The view out is reassuringly straight forward considering the size of the car. The roof can be opened in 14-seconds and closed in 16-seconds. It works at up to 31mph and can be remotely operated via the key fob too. The operation to get the roof up and down is a touch fiddly, requiring a couple of stabs at the metal switch rather than one long hold. With the roof closed there’s 219 litres worth…

Is the Tesla Model 3 relaible? Reliabilty is good overall, but the Model 3 is known for some issues surrounding build quality. Early cars had large panel gaps (see Also worth knowing below) and misaligned trim, and some of the materials used inside weren’t particularly durable.  Anyone prospective owner concerned about the lifespan of the Model 3 can take some comfort from the fact that there are plenty of examples in the classifieds that have covered more than 100,000 miles. Battery: Degradation is unavoidable, but Tesla claims that after 200,000 miles, the battery in a Long Range car will have lost only 15% of its…

The future of the B-Class remains uncertain, but Autocar understands Mercedes will stick to its original plan and cease production of the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer rival at the end of 2025. The extension of the A-Class hatchback’s model cycle coincides with a broader reshuffle of Mercedes’ compact car line-up. Following the launch of the CLA, the CLA Shooting Brake is set to go on sale in the UK before the end of the year. The EQB will also bow out by the end of 2025. A new generation of the GLB, to be sold with the choice of ICE…

The new Isuzu D-Max EV will be priced from £59,995 (excluding VAT) when it arrives in UK showrooms next February. The Japanese brand’s first EV – and one of the UK’s first electric pick-up trucks – swaps the existing D-Max’s diesel engine for a pair of electric motors.  One is mounted on each axle, giving combined outputs of 188bhp and 240lb ft of torque for a 0-62mph time of 10.1sec and a top speed north of 80mph. Power is supplied by a 66.9kWh battery under the floor, which is good for a WLTP range of 163 miles and can be…

To that end, the CLA starts from more or less a clean-sheet design. It introduces a brand-new platform, rather than building on that of the EQS and EQE. It represents quite a departure for Mercedes, which has thus far kept its electric and combustion platforms separate. This new architecture supports both, being primarily designed for EVs, with hybrid options to follow. The same applies, naturally, to future SUV derivatives. Although catering to different propulsion concepts is in some ways a compromise, it does allow Mercedes to build them all on the same line in Rastatt, Germany, and therefore be more…

An overwhelming majority of car makers have craved the return of incentives to boost demand for electric cars in the UK, with ever-greater desperation since the start of 2024. The ZEV mandate introduced by the government 18 months ago meant manufacturers faced significant fines for not selling enough EVs, and barely an interview with a top UK executive from a legacy car maker has gone by – several in this column – without them saying they need government help to hit those targets because there is not enough true market demand for EVs.

MPVs are already playing an important role in China, the world’s biggest car market, where manufacturers such as Zeekr, Lynk&Co, Li Auto, Denza and Xpeng have each launched luxurious three-row people movers with technology and refinement to rival limousines like the Mercedes S-Class and BMW 7 Series.  Vidal suggested that this quest for efficiency could ultimately prompt an all-out rethink for Europe’s most popular type of car: “What could kill SUVs? That’s the interesting question. Maybe MPVs could come back in a sexier, desirable shape or form.” However, he said, MPVs would be broadly comparable with SUVs in terms of…

Facing a flat market in Europe, falling sales in China and a fragile situation in the US, UK car makers are looking hungrily at a huge market that is predicted by some to be on the cusp of explosive growth. India has always been a tough prospect, particularly for premium makers, because of extremely high tariff barriers for those wanting to export cars there. But an agreement reached between the UK government and India to reduce tariffs on ‘high-end’ cars from 100% to 10% suddenly brings the world’s most populous market into play.

This is the new electric Range Rover, in still-secret prototype form. And we’ve driven it off-road. Join Matt Saunders here as he guides you through the new Range Rover EV’s technical details, some of which are still to be confirmed. What we can tell you is that it’ll have two motors, one at each end, totalling 542bhp. There’s a 118kWh battery underneath the car too, which because it’s a stressed element helps make this the strongest Range Rover yet built. It may well be the heaviest too, but we’ll know more about that when final details are released, ahead of the car’s launch…

There’s little style or vibrancy to the Jazz’s cabin, which is pretty plain compared to bolder and more colourful supermini interiors.  Dark, soft-touch materials, coupled with the glossy white trim around the gear selector and on the steering wheel, make the Jazz feel pretty subdued inside. That being said, build quality is high, and there’s a solidity to its various fixtures and fittings. Plus there’s soft-touch materials on key touch points like the steering and door handles.  All of your primary points of contact – be they the drive selector, the controls for the air-con system, or even the buttons…

Grants to incentivise sales of electric cars are set to return as part of a tier system that will reward better subsidiaries to UK-made vehicles, reports The Telegraph. The outlet claims that £640 million in taxpayer cash will be used to fund the move as part of new plans to boost retail sales of EVs.  Official details of the fund will be fully announced on Tuesday by the Labour administration the transport secretary Heidi Alexander told The Telegraph. An extra £60m will also be announced to fund the building of more public chargers. She said: “We do know that the high upfront purchase…

The eBay Lounge is still powered by its original 1.7-litre V4 petrol engine, for example, albeit modified to burn E5 fuel, and has the four-speed gearbox it left the factory with. The only major change, apart from Stevens’ redesigned event space, has been its conversion from left- to right-hand drive and the addition of a pop-up roof. “During the early discussions, we agreed it would have no silly 21in wheels or be lowered,” says Stevens. “Instead, we said it must respect the original design and specification and not spoil it with a sad caravan interior.” On that point, Stevens was…

The Civic donates the Prelude its architecture, plus its 2.0-litre Atkinson-cycle engine and drive system dubbed e:HEV. It’s worth spending a bit of time on this because it’s not straightforward, and when the Civic first arrived, Honda used the term e-CVT or something like that, which is rather misleading. The engine predominantly acts as a generator, because it’s the electric motor, around 180bhp (tbc exactly), that drives the front wheels.  However, Honda, like a few other companies, thinks that an electric motor on its own doesn’t offer enough driver interaction. And an engine revving an engine at a constant speed…

The pauses didn’t help, nor not knowing quite when they’d come. And there was more than one kind of pause to be experienced aboard a Smart Roadster.  The most obvious, and persistent, was the between-gears interruption generated by the automated manual transmission. The Roadster’s gearbox was not an especially speedy shuffler of clustered cogs and its six gears meant that, unless cruising, you’d experience perpetual ascents and descents of its generous ratio set. And if you left the ’box to think about its own shifting, you’d find that you were never quite ready for the moment when it chose to…

A good interior also has to match the essence of the car, whether it’s a car that’s more angled towards the driving experience, or a car where you’re more connected to your surroundings through connectivity features – a car designed for long distances, for example. And a good interior has to use the right materials. High-quality materials can make a huge difference in both physical and perceived value, so it’s important that all the touchpoints close to the driver and the passenger are of the highest possible quality. Exquisite interior design has always been a core pillar of Audi’s Vorsprung…

Its name, which reprises the word ‘Type’ used for so many great Jaguars, also suggests that future nomenclature won’t stray too far from the past. Although the Type 00 is a two-door car with forward-hinged dihedral doors and built on a shorter-than-production wheelbase, it tells us plenty about the forthcoming saloon. We already know this is a low, lithe car in the old Jaguar mould, with a raked roof, a long wheelbase and a uniquely long bonnet. It’s also one of a new wave of cars that ditches a heavy and fundamentally useless rear window and uses twin side cameras,…

All engines make some kind of noise. Mostly though they only make one or two which, if you’re lucky, are pleasant. In the Mistral’s case I think I counted at least six distinctly different sounds.  And if you time it just right, or get your throttle position just-so, you can actually pick and choose the ones you want to hear.  You can lightly accelerate to get a significant turbo whistle; at around 2000rpm on a steady throttle there’s a really pleasing offbeat induction gurgle; and on lift- off from heavy acceleration there are some very amusing whooshes, like you’ve just…

BYD is going after the Land Rover Defender in the UK with the new B5 – a premium plug-in hybrid 4×4 with competitive off-road stats and supercar levels of power. Launched in China last year as the Bao 5, the Defender 110 rival has made its UK debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed ahead of a showroom launch early next year. It is one of three models from BYD’s new SUV sub-brand Fangchengbao, but will be badged Denza in the UK and positioned as a sibling to that premium brand’s Z9 GT shooting brake – also headed to the UK. Denza…

I think it would be a project that wasn’t so much in the public limelight, but had a very big impact on the way the industry works in our technical discipline. A number of years ago we worked on developing a groundbreaking new software technology for aerodynamics simulations, which gave us a significant advantage in accuracy and flexibility. People thought it couldn’t be done, so when we went public with it, it took the entire industry by surprise, because we showed that it was in fact possible, and we were the first team to achieve this globally. Aerodynamic innovation has…

JLR has revealed a bold new logo for the Range Rover brand, as it prepares to launch the luxury SUV marque’s first electric model later this year. Appearing in a recent presentation to investors, the new emblem – featuring a pair of Rs in the brand’s trademark minimalist, wide-set font – is the first designed for Range Rover since it launched its original car in 1970.  JLR told Autocar, however, that the new badge is not intended to replace the spelled-out ‘Range Rover’ script that has adorned the front and rear of each Range Rover model since the brand’s launch.  “The Range Rover Motif has…

Aston Martin has revealed the Vantage S, the third-generation sports car’s most track-focused incarnation to date. It is the first time the S suffix has adorned a Vantage since 2018, and the new model follows the recently revealed DBX S as Aston brings back the badge for its highest-performing models. While the 671bhp Vantage S is the most powerful series-production version of Aston’s entry-level sports car yet (disregarding the extremely limited V12 Vantage of 2022), attention has been focused specifically on making it as quick as possible on track. To that end, engineers have worked to increase cornering speed and…

Ineos will sell the extreme portal-axled version of the Grenadier 4×4 shown at last year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, with prices starting at €170,000 (£147,000). Called the Grenadier Trialmaster X Letech, it can be had as both an SUV and a pick-up, with a choice of BMW-supplied 3.0-litre straight sixes powered by petrol or diesel.  Built by German firm Letech, it replaces the regular Grenadier’s coil suspension with a new portal-axle design with five reinforced links at its front and rear ends, and offset wheel hubs. Combined with a set of 18in Hutchinson Industries beadlock wheels and 37in BFGoodrich tyres, this…

BMW Vision Driving Experience Four motors, five downforce-producing fans and 13,269lb ft of torque: the Vision Driving Experience is BMW’s manifesto for driving enjoyment in the electric age. The firm’s performance machines will still be rear-biased, for example, and they will use control electronics that can respond 10 times more quickly than those fitted to previous-generation M cars. This car will make its first UK appearance at the Festival of Speed. Everything you need to know about the BMW Vision Driving Experience Denza B5  BYD’s premium offshoot is going after the Land Rover Defender with the new B5, a body-on-frame…

The Lamborghini Urus will continue as a plug-in hybrid for its next generation after the electric variant was pushed back to the middle of the next decade, CEO Stephan Winkelmann has told Autocar. Winkelmann blamed the decision on the unpredictability of ever-changing regulations – something that may also delay the arrival of the car maker’s first EV, a production version of the Lanzador concept that is due to be launched in 2029. The Urus, Lamborghini’s best-selling model, was due to go fully electric for its next generation before the end of the decade – a plan announced when the Urus…

Mayländer’s three laps are a breathtaking display of on-limit control, interspersed with savage acceleration and ferocious braking. Commitment like this is essential when there are 20 F1 cars looming in his rear-view mirror, he says: “Especially when there’s debris on the track, the drivers don’t always know and maybe get frustrated because I’m holding them back. I try not to, but safety comes first.” Back at the garage, he describes how, on race day, he and long-serving co-driver, Richard Darker, will have been strapped into their Vantage at the pit exit with the engine running for at least 10 minutes…

In sport, winning often cures everything, and the mood in the team has lifted as McLaren has started to win regularly. Thynne says success helps “drive the team forward”, but he adds that it’s important everyone understands they can’t rest on their laurels. “F1 is an extremely complex sport and things can go wrong,” he says. “When you’re celebrating success you still have to push reliability, push performance and push every opportunity to score points. “You have to be humble, but ultimately working in F1 is a privilege because you’re at the pinnacle of motorsport. You can never expect an outcome:…

In short, the GTI goes down the road competently and dependably. But then so does a regular Golf. If anything, the less racy version does it with more fluidity and more progression, along with more feel from its slower steering. And if it weren’t for non-switchable ESC, it would do it with more throttle-adjustability. If involvement ranks higher on your list of priorities than grip and raw speed, a Golf 1.5 TSI is more fun. And on adaptive dampers and smaller wheels, it’s naturally more comfortable, too. Track notes Where the lower-rung Golf would definitely struggle, however, is on track.…

“Dad was always looking forward. He saw what other companies were doing and wanted to raise Lotus’s game,” he replies. “We had gone from the Elan to the Esprit, but this extraordinary car still had (the Elan’s) handling characteristics… so you had your foot in both camps.” Wandering around the gathered Esprits gives you a measure of how Lotus sweated the model for all it was worth with, by my reckoning, 22 derivatives produced during its life – possibly even more. As well as the S1s, all the models from different designers are represented – X180 (Peter Stevens), S4 (Julian…

Fiat will begin production of the new 500 Hybrid in November – and the first official pictures reveal it has received an overhauled interior and a six-speed manual gearbox. More than 100,000 examples of the new model are expected to roll off production lines each year at the company’s Mirafiori plant in Turin. Both hatchback and cabrio models will be sold. The first images of non-camouflaged pre-production models show that it will look identical to the electric 500e except for a reworked front grille to feed more air to a petrol engine. That engine will be the same 1.0-litre three-cylinder mild-hybrid Firefly engine that powers the old 500 and Fiat Panda. The new Fiat adopts…

Coupé, Targa, cabriolet, pick-up – the Citroën C3 Pluriel was all of these things, and sometimes more. It was also close to being a concept car that you could actually buy, the ingenious flexibility of its bodywork just the kind of thing to be demonstrated by a group of fixed-grin models dancing to overloud music on a motor show press day.  It wasn’t a pretty car, but there was something chubbily appealing in a shape lent extra glamour by the contrast-colour arc of its A-pillars, roof and D-pillars. The Pluriel’s headlights and tail-lights were pretty groovy for their day (2003,…

The Honda 0 Series SUV concept is here – and it looks set to change its maker forever. Everything from its platform and body to the way it’s manufactured is brand new, and its on-board technology is totally unlike anything we’ve seen before – even from a company that has been making humanoid robots since 2000. That being said, this is an electric SUV that is trying to compete in a hugely crowded market space, therefore it has to be exceptional if it’s to win your attention. Join Jonathan Bryce by clicking on the video above as he talks you…

Ariel has marked the 25th anniversary of its Atom spaceframe sports car with the new 4RR – the most powerful version yet.  With its uprated Honda four-pot sending a huge 525bhp and 406lb ft to the rear axle, the new special edition is far more powerful than even the outrageous, 475bhp Atom V8 from 2011. Ariel has not quoted any performance figures, but the standard Atom 4R, on which the 4RR is based, has 400bhp and claims a 0-62mph time of just 2.7sec. The 4RR is expected to roughly match that car’s 680kg kerb weight, which would give a stunning power-to-weight…

When it comes to interior design, Renault’s recent efforts have moved far beyond the vaguely plasticky, grayscale creations of the not-so-distant past. The Scenic E-Tech is another example of the brand’s upward trajectory, with its blend of tactile materials and, in the case of our Iconic-grade car, some brighter hues that along with the panoramic roof bring a commendably bright and warm atmosphere. The halo feature of the cabin is that roof, which, claims Renault, is the first in a mass-market car that can be fully or partially opacified in segments, thanks to polymer dispersed liquid crystals. It can also…

Geely, the Chinese firm that owns LEVC, Lotus, Polestar and Volvo, is launching its eponymous car brand in the UK. The first model bound for UK showrooms will be the Geely EX5, an electric crossover pitched against the Skoda Elroq, Kia EV3 and Renault Megane. UK specifications have yet to be confirmed, but Geely said the EX5 has been assessed by Lotus Engineering to evaluate whether it requires retuning for European roads. Globally, the crossover is offered with a choice of 49.5kWh or 60.2kWh battery packs, with the latter yielding a range of up to 264 miles on the WLTP test cycle.…

The Range Rover Sport SV has been made a permanent member of JLR’s model line-up. The super-SUV arrived in 2024 and was sold in limited numbers as part of Edition One and Edition Two batches. JLR has now added two variants to the Range Rover Sport line-up: a standard SV and a more hardcore SV Black edition. Both are powered by a BMW-derived 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged petrol V8, putting out 626bhp and 553 lb ft of torque. In the standard SV, this is good for a 0-60mph time of just 3.8sec and all the way to a limited top speed of 165mph.  The Black cuts the sprint time…

“They’re quite soft,” Page told Autocar, “and what we’ve related it to, actually, is an owl, in its soft feathers on the bottom. “I like to pick characters or animals to reference things, and what I looked at then was the peregrine falcon, which has a sharper, more edgy wing profile. We’ve taken away the tail feathers to give it that speed. It was about purifying and simplifying the wings.” Page added that he took inspiration from luxury watches in refreshing the look of the central B element: “Instead of just a flat surface, it’s got a glass piece and…

Hyundai will reveal a electric crossover, likely an electric alternative to the Bayon, in “the next few months” as it pushes to expand its EV offerings. Understood by Autocar to be twinned with sibling brand Kia’s incoming EV2, the crossover will plug the gap between the incoming Inster and the Kona Electric. This size, thought to be near to that of the combustion-powered Bayon, will position it as a rival to the likes of the Renault 4 and Volvo EX30. It will be revealed “in the next few months”, new European CEO Xavier Martinet said, with a launch currently confirmed by Hyundai for the…

The Volkswagen Multivan and its camper van counterpart the California have gained the four-wheel drive with the introduction of a new plug-in-hybrid powertrain. Priced from £54,525 in the Multivan and £71,295 in the California, the new system comprises a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, a six-speed automatic gearbox and two electric motors (one per axle).  They combine to put out 242bhp, allowing the van to complete the 0-62mph sprint in 9.0sec. A 19.7kWh lithium ion battery gives an electric-only range of up to 59 miles, depending on the chosen model; the California is less energy-efficient, due to its extra weight. The battery can…

Autocar understands the site will be known as Agratas South West, but it remains unclear whether that holds any implications for future Agratas facilities in other parts of the country. The factory, which will create 4000 jobs, will initially make batteries for Tata Motors and JLR (formerly Jaguar Land Rover) – brands that sit under the Tata Group umbrella – before later expanding to produce cells for different applications, such as commercial vehicles, two-wheelers and energy storage solutions. Tata is looking locally to fill the 4000 jobs needed for its new gigafactory. There will also be thousands more created within…

A successful one, admittedly – young Krief was rolling around in the back of DS Citroëns and had a soft spot for his father’s Peugeot 504 coupé (the Pininfarina one, he reminds me), so delectable metal was on the scene. But it wasn’t the impetus.  Engineering was the job he always wanted to do, “so I combined cars with my passion”, he says. Engineering was the desire, cars the vessel. The balance has since shifted, and Krief today can’t imagine engineering anything else. He says: “The thing I learned, and that I now know would be difficult not to have, is…

It’s very simple: I get targets from an engineering perspective. We’re focused on ability, on approach angles, the torque, weight distribution, everything. We’re working on an e-beam and a special axle design. We have 35in wheels. You have to have the sway bar disconnect. But we can combine the tradition of an off-road car with the innovations of an electric vehicle, and we can see a real sweet spot.” Scout vehicles will be offered with electric or range-extender powertrains. They will be ‘software-defined vehicles’, designed around advanced computer systems that allow for over-the-air updates and the like. Huhnke describes it as “heritage combined with innovation”. That…

It made sense, because her husband, an American, was already a paint supplier there. Aston Martin paint is quite different from Ford Transit paint, she found: “I started off thinking five jobs an hour would be easier than 60 jobs an hour, but that was completely wrong. True, Aston paint was very different – many more coats and lots of polishing – but the big difference was the fact that the operators had so much to remember. The Transit takt (process) time was around five minutes, explains Miller, whereas at Aston it was more like 25 minutes. People had to remember…

The company will pivot instead to Hyper Hybrid PHEVs with Lotus sports cars also in-line for an electrified drivetrain. The first Lotus plug-in hybrid will be the Eletre and will go on sale in the first quarter of next year, starting in China. Hethel was to build a planned electric sports car when Emira production ended but lack of enthusiasm in the market forced Lotus to postpone to the car indefinitely. “Is the market ready for an electric sports car? I don’t really know the answer to that yet,” Lotus Europe CEO Windle told Autocar in May. Windle had been pushing…

The Mercedes-Benz EQS arrived “10 years too early” for its radical styling to be accepted by buyers, according to its designer. The electric saloon was launched in 2021 as the flagship in a new line of Mercedes EVs but has failed to generate as many sales as its combustion-engined counterpart, the S-Class. A significant reason for this struggle has been its progressive design – such that Mercedes introduced a more traditional-looking grille as part of the car’s 2024 update, to appeal to the more conservative buyer. “I think the EQS is probably 10 years too early,” Mercedes-Benz design chief Gorden Wagener…

Is the Mini Hatch reliable? Overall the Mini is a reliable, well built small car that shouldn’t cause you any major problems. Indeed, it is not totally free from mechanical gremlins, but by now any recalls will have been addressed and dealers, as well as independent specialists, are familar with the issues that might afflict them.  For more peace of mind, the Mini Hatch ranked fifth out of 19 cars in the small car class in the latest What Car? Reliability Survey, with an impressive overall rating of 97.9%.  Engine: Be wary of Cooper S Minis built between 2014 and 2015:…

Mercedes-AMG is preparing to phase out the controversial four-cylinder plug-in hybrid drivetrain from the C63 and GLC 63, marking a strategic shift in the brand’s engine line-up. Speaking to Autocar at the unveiling of the Concept GT XX in Germany, a senior insider confirmed that future petrol-powered Mercedes-AMG models are set to adopt either an updated version of today’s in-line six-cylinder engine or an all-new V8 featuring a flat-plane crankshaft, similar in design to that used by the GT Black Series. “Technically, the four-cylinder is one of the most advanced drivetrains available in a production car. It’s also right up there on…

“Some might see it as a sports car, others as a grand tourer,” said Schäfer. “It merges both worlds. But the most important thing is it must evoke desire.” Its most striking design element can be found up front, where AMG’s Panamericana grille has been reshaped into a more concave, oval form with 10 vertical strakes. This is flanked by recessed headlights and a deep splitter.  Elsewhere, the bonnet features functional vents to extract heat, the windscreen is steeply raked for improved aerodynamics and the roof receives a defined central channel. Along the flanks, frameless doors with flush handles and…

If there’s one thing you want a Skoda Superb to be, it’s roomy. And rest assured, this one is exactly that. By our measurements, typical rear leg room has increased by 65mm over the outgoing model – already a very spacious car. The flat estate roofline means that head room is generous too, and it combines with large side windows to make for a real sense of space, as well as outstanding visibility. Boot dimensions have remained more or less constant, which is to say: very big. As befits a Skoda, the boot has plenty of pop-out hooks and bins,…

The Innovation Award went to British firm Protean Electric, for its pioneering work in the field of in-wheel motors. The McLaren Artura has come of age after some well-placed improvements, and proved its worth with a convincing victory in our contest to crown Britain’s Best Driver’s Car. The Artura shone because it was a true mid-engined supercar that offered incredible versatility, making for a machine that would be as comfortable on a commute to the office as blasting round a test track. The Alpine A290 is our Best Fun EV for showcasing that an electric car can offer fun, involved…

MG is poised to launch a new Tesla Model Y rival at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The brand posted a preview image to social media stating that “all will be revealed” about “the beginning of our next chapter” on 10 July, without giving further details. The image appears to show the IM6 crossover, suggesting that MG is poised to launch the more premium-focused brand in the UK, as it has done already in the right-hand-drive Australian market. Given the Australian precedent and that the preview was posted by MG, it is possible that the IM brand – a joint-venture between MG owner SAIC, e-commerce…

Take it as read that, alongside the dust fests, the Octa can also handle the mucky stuff – traditionally a Defender’s bread and butter. Outside of Octa mode, it still has the regular car’s suite of terrain settings, only now with the benefit of the increased approach, departure and breakover angles. Horiba MIRA’s off-road course gets considerably more difficult than what you can see in the images on these pages and our test car lapped it up. And so to the road. Much has been made of the Octa’s potential for width-, weight- and height-defying dynamics and, in many respects,…

Is software the engine of automotive’s future? Autocar has partnered with Siemens to answer that crucial question in a free webinar this Wednesday – with Red Bull Racing now confirmed as a special guest. As its role in vehicle development and functionality becomes ever-more important, there are huge questions over what software means for the automotive industry. How can our cars get better after we buy them? What does it mean for vehicle design and development? Is it the most important tool in the Formula 1 pit garage? We’ve got exactly the right people to answer those questions. Siemens is…

Top events The British Grand Prix (6 July) has to be at the top of your must-see list, but affordable, general-admission race-day tickets are selling out fast.  Don’t worry, though, because there are plenty still available for the Silverstone Festival (22-24 August), an event that promises to be just as exciting as the circuit celebrates 75 years as a Formula 1 championship venue (it was the first back in 1950) with a cavalcade of legendary F1 cars. Admission-only tickets for the Goodwood Festival of Speed (10-13 July) are selling out fast too, so get your skates on. At least there’s the Hagerty…

As for the 959, “its two-stage turbocharging system gives it performance that is more typical of a blown engine than the F40’s”, we said. “Up to 4300rpm, only the first turbo puffs into the cylinders of the flat six; above that, the second blower comes in. This makes it feel rather leisurely below 4500rpm. Then it suddenly explodes as it begins to dispense real power.” There was another side to all this, however: “The F40’s advantage is clear when the sky is blue and the Tarmac fairly smooth, but the 959 is a car which permits massive acceleration and deceleration…

The brains behind the Yo-Go buggies is Samuel Bailey. The automotive engineer wanted to give Londoners an alternative to the expensive electric car and found the answer in China, where the buggies are built by a company called Marshell. Each has a small 5kWh battery powering a 4kW electric motor and giving a range of 30 miles. Charging is via London’s lamp-post network or a roof-mounted solar panel, which, after a day’s sunshine, can provide a six-mile top-up. However, for all its clever electronics, a Yo-Go buggy is still a golf cart, right? In fact, the vehicle is homologated for…

I am going to talk cars in a moment, I promise, but it’s front of mind: the other week I had to put up a gatepost. Or rather two of them, joined back to back, at a pretty normal height of 1.5m but overall a hefty 20cm by 40cm thick. I knew I’d need tools for this. In no definitive order, I needed a tape measure, T-square, spirit level, sledgehammer, ratchet strap, chainsaw, drill (with a very long bit), spanner (preferably ratchet), club hammer and crosshead screwdriver and coach bolts. If I’d been missing any single item, the job would…

Join our WhatsApp community and be the first to read about the latest news and reviews wowing the car world. Our community is the best, easiest and most direct place to tap into the minds of Autocar, and if you join you’ll also be treated to unique WhatsApp content. You can leave at any time after joining – check our full privacy policy here. used cars for sale In partnership with Newsletter Get all the best car news, reviews and opinions direct to your inbox three times a week. You can unsubscribe via any email we send See our full privacy notice for more…

EV drivetrains and particularly batteries are developing at a remarkable pace compared with the combustion engine. As a result, range has increased but probably even more marked is the desire to bring charging times in line with ICE refuelling. BYD recently announced its Super e-Platform along with the latest ‘flash-charge’ version of its lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) Blade battery, which is promised to get close to ICE refuelling times by recharging in six minutes. The new platform is claimed to support charging at up to 1000kW, which seems incredible given the typical rapid-charge rate was 50kW just a few years ago. The…

EV drivetrains and particularly batteries are developing at a remarkable pace compared with the combustion engine. As a result, range has increased but probably even more marked is the desire to bring charging times in line with ICE refuelling. BYD recently announced its Super e-Platform along with the latest ‘flash-charge’ version of its lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) Blade battery, which is promised to get close to ICE refuelling times by recharging in six minutes. The new platform is claimed to support charging at up to 1000kW, which seems incredible given the typical rapid-charge rate was 50kW just a few years ago. The…

The Mercedes-Benz 190E will return to top-flight motorsport in 2026 when German engineering firm HWA enters its new Evo into the Nürburgring 24 Hours. It will campaign two examples of the Evo, which was inspired by Mercedes’ 190E DTM racer and the homologation special that it spawned, into the race’s SP-X class for special vehicles. It has yet to detail how extensively modified these cars will be, but they appear to remain visually faithful to the original DTM cars, with a low and wide-set stance, turbofan-style wheels and minimal aerodynamic changes from the road car. The Evo is powered by a 3.0-litre…

Kia updates its fastest car and borrows one or two tricks from that other powerful Korean EV If you were to just read the spec sheet of the heavily updated Kia EV6 GT, you might wonder what the point is.Three years ago, Kia surprised us with the original version of its hot EV. These were the dark days before our world got lit up by the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. Here came Kia with a car that didn’t just have a power figure to raise eyebrows but was supposedly capable of pushing plenty of traditional driver’s car buttons too. I remember…

The V12 class may be an endangered species today, but these two uber-GTs show the world they’re not going down without a fight – but which is best? These epic new Aston and Ferrari V12s have brought a famous old rivalry back to the boil. Our colleagues Matt Prior and Richard Lane took them to some heavenly roads in Scotland to find out which car is king of the V12 class today. If you want to compare Aston and Ferrari, there’s no end of criteria. Yet the comparison that hits hardest and means the most remains Il Classico. We’re talking grand…

Adapting it for Duster duties cost a little more, mainly for the reinforced sills and ride height, but from there, for the extra-large Bigster, the only major change has been to extend the A-pillars by 50mm. Every kilogram is managed, too. The reason the Bigster doesn’t offer a seven-seat interior is because Dacia worked out only 25% of buyers in the segment consider them but the added weight would require strengthening for the rear axle, which would add expense across the range. Ergo the Bigster is a five-seater only, being ruthlessly focused on the main audience. Which brings Le Vot to his second point:…

That’s in part because of the brief the development team was set, described by chief vehicle engineer Hiroki Isobe as: “Efficiency, efficiency, efficiency.” Plenty of sleek aerodynamic elements help the new body to achieve that improved drag coefficient of 0.25 (the Mk2 Leaf’s was 0.28) and thereby maximise range, and there’s now a bespoke heat pump for the heating system. With the biggest 75kWh (usable capacity) battery pack fitted, the Leaf has an official range of 375 miles. But the main focus has been on offering real-world range at speed, and indeed Nissan claims it can cover more than 200 miles…

Honda will show a concept car hinting at a new city-focused EV at next month’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. Named the Super EV Concept, it is an A-segment hatchback to rival the Hyundai Inster, Fiat 500e and upcoming Renault Twingo, with styling that draws on the previous Honda E supermini. Technical details remain thin on the ground, but Honda said it is intended to show how a small, affordable EV can be fun to drive. It has already been tested in the UK as part of a broader international roll-out. The Super EV Concept will be unveiled in full at the Festival of…

The Audi Q3 has returned for a third generation, bringing a fresh design and a quite radical interior operational change. One of the German car maker’s best selling models – having sold more than two million globally since its 2011 launch – the crossover will arrive in September priced from £38,300. While sporting a much-changed new design compared to the previous model, one of its most interesting changes comes inside, where traditional control stalks have been replaced with a new solid block with buttons.  What Audi refers to as its ‘steering wheel control unit’ houses everything from drive selection and…

What’s common to most vRS cars I’ve driven, whether powered by combustion or electrons, is that you can potter around and not really notice you’re in the sporty one. In this latest one, the seats are outstandingly comfortable, and it’s not much noisier at a cruise than a regular Elroq. Adaptive dampers are standard and, at the softer end of the 15-point adjustment scale, the ride is properly wafty – to the point of floatiness in the most relaxed setting. Even the energy efficiency, often an issue on hot dual-motor EVs, is fine. I got 3.4mpkWh on a spirited route…

Luca de Meo has stepped down from his role as the CEO of Renault Group after five years in the role – with reports suggesting he will take over running the firm that owns luxury brands Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent.  The Italian joined the French company from Seat-Cupra five years ago, quickly launching the bold Renaulution business plan, involving the revival of the Renault 5 as an EV, an influx of new SUVs and the transformation of Alpine into an electric performance brand. The 58-year-old’s plan helped revive the firm’s fortunes. The Renault Group said that de Meo had decided to…

Just before BMW and Volkswagen had their fight for ownership of Rolls-Royce and Bentley, the small Crewe-based subsidiary of the Vickers engineering company had been attempting to design the latest version of the best car in the world. It was a bit like asking a yacht-maker to build a destroyer. But producing underfunded contenders for the “best car in the world” title had long been the company’s task. Rolls-Royce had been saddled with this mission ever since it really had made the best cars in the world, 60 to 70 years previously, and had proudly proclaimed the fact. By the…

Even on passive dampers it rides well, and not to the detriment of handling: the steering is great and the whole car rotates quite nicely into bends. If you behave, this diesel will even do 60mpg on a run. It’s one of very few cars where my ‘reviewer brain’ can switch off and I just enjoy the drive. My time with it has been perfectly timed with my house move. I let a removals firm do the heavy lifting, but the Superb came in very handy for runs back and forth to sign paperwork and to ferry smaller items from Kent…

Matt is Autocar’s lead features writer and presenter, is the main face of Autocar’s YouTube channel, presents the My Week In Cars podcast and has written his weekly column, Tester’s Notes, since 2013. Matt is an automotive engineer who has been writing and talking about cars since 1997. He joined Autocar in 2005 as deputy road test editor, prior to which he was road test editor and world rally editor for Channel 4’s automotive website, 4Car.  Into all things engineering and automotive from any era, Matt is as comfortable regularly contributing to sibling titles Move Electric and Classic & Sports Car as he is writing…

The fitment of such large wheels with the GTi’s low-set stance has required wheel-arch extensions, marked out with bright red stripes that match the body’s paintwork. The 205 references continue inside the e-208 GTi: the bucket seats are split between red and black panels, and the floor mats are trimmed in red too. Elsewhere, it’s the same cabin as the standard e-208 but with Alcantara added to the seats and steering wheel. Modifications have also been made to the e-208 GTi’s battery performance. While the 54kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt pack is the same as the standard car’s, Peugeot said it has adapted…

The Bigster’s E-Tech hybrid system with a new engine may be a substantial upgrade on the Duster, but by and large the way it operates is very familiar. Because there is no clutch, it always sets off on the electric motor, and because that is reasonably powerful, at 50bhp, the engine might not fire up for a long time, particularly at lower speeds. When it does, it may either sit at a fixed rpm to spin the generator and top up the battery, or it may power the car directly. It sounds somewhat coarse when it’s working hard, but because…

Hyundai has confirmed its new Ioniq 6 N performance saloon will be revealed at the Goodwood Festival of Speed next month. The company has also released new images of the hot saloon, showing its twin rear spoilers and a chunky diffuser influenced by the one fitted to the extreme RN22e concept car. Although not fully shown, the front end of the new Ioniq 6 N draws on the sporty new N Line variant of the standard Ioniq 6, which was updated earlier this year. The changes are intended to “maintain aerodynamic performance while achieving a smoother, more refined silhouette”, said Hyundai. Asked what else…

The Symbioz and Captur crossovers have become the first Renault models to gain the French firm’s new full-hybrid powertrain. The E-Tech Full Hybrid 160 system, announced in May, gets a combined 158bhp from a 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and two electric motors (a 48bhp motor and a 20bhp ISG). Those motors draw energy from a 1.4kWh battery, which is recharged via regenerative breaking and allows for unspecified short periods of electric-only driving. The new powertrain costs from £25,195 in the Captur and from £29,795 in the Symbioz. Renault has also added a new mild-hybrid petrol model to the bottom of the Symbioz line-up, priced from £27,395. This pairs a 1.3-litre four-cylinder…

CarPlay now runs across two screens and can control various in-car functions in latest Aston Martin models Aston Martin has become the first manufacturer to offer the second generation of Apple’s in-car smartphone mirroring system. Apple CarPlay Ultra dramatically expands the amount of screen space that the Apple interface can occupy, entering the car’s instrument display as well as its infotainment screen. This means users can display maps or media alongside the rev counter and speedometer. They will also be able to select one of various designs for the instruments, as well as personalised colours, backgrounds and screen layouts. Watch our video above to see it in…

The Audi Q5 has gained a plug-in hybrid variant, which offers up to 62 miles of electric-only driving. Badged E-hybrid Quattro and offered in both regular SUV and Sportback bodystyles, the new PHEV uses the same powertrain as the new Audi A5 and Audi A6 saloons and estates. The powertrain is centered on Audi’s 2.0-litre turbo petrol four. Paired with a gearbox-mounted electric motor, it delivers 295bhp for a 0-62mph time of 6.2sec and a top speed of 155mph. Electricity is drawn from a 25.9kWh (total) battery. The can be charged at a rate of 11kW by an AC charger or via regenerative braking (up to 75%),…

Apple CarPlay is to receive a major update aimed at increasing usability and introducing more customisation options. Arriving as part of the new iOS 26 software package for iPhones (previewed on Monday night and due in the autumn), the main focus has been to keep key information, like maps, more visible.  As part of this, incoming phone call notifications will no longer take up the whole infotainment display or cover mapping directions, instead being displayed in a more compact view.  Incoming messages will be made less distracting, said Apple, popping up as a small notifications at the bottom of the screen. Users will now…

The compact crossover, which was crowned 2024’s best-seller, leads the charts after a strong May We’re now halfway through 2025, and the Ford Puma is still holding firm as the UK’s best-selling car.  Not only is it clinging on to the top spot this year, but it also finished 2024 as the country’s most popular model. While it has been a successful start to the year for the Puma, the overall new car market is struggling slightly – but there are signs of progress.  New car registrations increased by 1.6% year on year in May to 150,070. Plus, electric car sales continued to…

Whether it’s the Toyota Corolla, RAV4 or C-HR, there is a certain consistency with Toyota interiors, so you know what to expect: not the last word in material richness and a slightly more disjointed design than German manufacturers tend to deliver, but you can count on form-follows-function ergonomics and impeccable build quality. It’s surprising, then, that the bZ4X is the opposite in many ways. Toyota’s designers have employed fairly sober shapes to nonetheless create a distinctive, likeably futuristic design. Thanks to the fabric on the dashboard and the convincing synthetic leather, it even feels quite plush on first impression. Spend…

The new owners of the Earl’s old firm kept the Talbot brand for London-made cars and started using Talbot-Darracq for Paris-made cars. In short order, they bought Wolverhampton’s Sunbeam and put the lot under the unfortunately named umbrella of STD Motors. Real excitement came in 1930 as Talbot ventured to Le Mans for the famous 24-hour race and upset the big players. Bentley scored a one-two with its 6.6-litre monsters, but Bugatti, Alfa Romeo, Mercedes and MG were all outclassed by Talbot’s 2.3-litre 90s – “really remarkable”, said Autocar. It then twice repeated this impressive feat in the following years…

Annual insurance premium £259.91List price £16,380 The cheapest car to insure in the UK, according to our research, is the Hyundai i10.  This is one of the best new city cars you can buy, thanks to assured handling and a roomy interior with more technology than many rivals have. You will have to opt for the underwhelming 66bhp three-pot engine to keep insurance costs down, though.

The answer can be traced to something that became common in media circles at the time, namely ‘lifestyle’. There had been hints of it in car magazines for years, not least through Performance Car columnist Clarkson, who had pioneered a blokey tone that was more akin to the emerging lad culture of Loaded, FHM et al. Max Power went several steps further, needling the establishment with its underground modded car cruises and something largely absent from car mags of the time: humour. How dare they. As the magazines evolved, so did the focus of some advertisers, shifting from the bread and…

Their exterior designs don’t feel too far from the regular parts locker, either: there are no wider tracks or requisite swelled arches, no muscular bonnet humps or indeed much you would describe as ‘bodykit’. Their 14in alloys look delightfully restrained now but surely acted as placeholders for 1990s buyers itching to redeem their Demon Tweeks gift card. It’s small wonder cars such as these were quickly modified to the hilt, no doubt tearing those noble insurability claims into tatters. That does, however, make it ever trickier to hunt down examples that haven’t been tuned, crashed or eaten by corrosion. The…

Aside from the city, Woodstock is in one of New York’s most liberal areas: it voted 58% Democrat in the 2024 presidential election. And it is to America what Glastonbury is to England: almost a parody of peace and love. On this Sunday afternoon there is, honestly, a drum circle on the village green, which is bordered by a vegan cafe and a herbal remedy shop. Then I notice something else: the Subarus. Lots and lots of Subarus. More in one place than anywhere I’ve ever been, by miles. In one car park (I realise this isn’t a scientifically rigorous…

Part drag car, part rally car, part low-flying aircraft. So we yump it We wanted to do a simple test – of all the most extreme off-roading vehicles you can buy, the new Land Rover Defender Octa, the Ariel Nomad and Mustang Mach-E Rally really are the cars to beat. But of these, which is the fastest of them all? All are very different vehicles. The Defender Octa is the top-of-the-range off-road biased version of a traditional luxury SUV. The Nomad is a totally different kettle of fish – it’s a totally uncompromising off-road dragster. And the Mustang Rally? Well,…

Although hydrogen-powered, the iX5 employs a system that mirrors the REx format: a fuel cell acts as an on-board generator, producing electricity to charge a buffer battery that then powers the electric motor. The vehicle has no mechanical link between the power unit and driven wheels – a layout that BMW aims to replicate with its combustion-equipped range-extender. BMW engineers working on the project told Autocar that adapting a combustion engine for this new application is not as straightforward as it might appear. “It’s not a simple case of taking the battery we use for our plug-in hybrids or pure-electric…

Technology giant Siemens has been named as the sponsor of the 2025 Autocar Awards, which will celebrate the people and organisations shaping the future of automotive – as well as the best cars on sale. This year’s awards ceremony takes place on 24 June, where Autocar and Siemens will name the industry’s most innovative and impactful individuals, and provide a platform for them to tell their stories.  As part of Autocar’s collaboration with Siemens, the two brands will also host a free, interactive webinar on 25 June in which we will delve into how software is defining the future of…

Inside, there’s an abundance of carbonfibre details, such as on the door skidplates and around the centre console. Pricing has yet to be announced, but it’s likely to cost notably more than the regular Civic Type R (£48,900). Only 40 will be built in total, with 10 of those bound for the UK. These will be sold on a first come, first serve basis, Honda said.  It’s the latest in a series of hot hatches to have been axed in the UK and Europe: Autocar last week reported the demise of the Focus ST, and that followed the Hyundai i30 N, pulled…

Part drag car, part rally car, part low-flying aircraft. So we yump it “You’re going to catch some air,” says Tristan England, driver of the JCB Digatron Monster Jam truck, the subject of this year’s Christmas road test. This was unexpected. If you’ll excuse the behind-the-scenes indulgence, sometimes we get a brief go in a Christmas road test vehicle, sometimes an extended run, but often – if it’s, say, the Space Shuttle – no go at all. Our first nose around the Digatron was in JCB’s test and demonstration quarry in Staffordshire, which is full of sharp immovable objects and…

The updated Kia Sportage will arrive in UK showrooms this summer, offering a choice of petrol or hybrid power. One of the UK’s best-selling cars, the crossover has been reworked to bring its styling into line with its newer stablemates, such as the Picanto, Sorento and electric EV3. The new treatment comprises column-like headlights and a blockier grille up front, plus new lights and a more prominent bumper at the rear. The changes mean it’s now slightly longer than previously (at 4540mm compared with 4515mm), but it remains the same height and width and the wheelbase is unchanged (at 1650mm, 1865mm and…

The new third-generation Nissan Leaf EV will be fully revealed later this month ahead of a market launch by the end of the year. In a new video showcasing some headline attributes, Nissan revealed new details and angles of the upcoming Skoda Elroq rival, which will enter production at Sunderland in the coming months. Nissan says that despite the new Leaf’s substantially different shape and positioning, its development has been heavily informed by learnings from the Mk1 and Mk2 cars.  “Leaf is an icon for us. It’s one of our core ‘heartbeat’ models,” said Nissan’s global product strategy boss, Richard Candler.…

The Nio Firefly, a Chinese rival for the Renault 5 and incoming Volkswagen ID 2, has been confirmed for Europe – and UK sales should soon follow. The electric supermini was launched in China in April, offering a range of 260 miles (albeit on the lenient CLTC test cycle) and a single rear-mounted 141bhp motor for the equivalent of around £12,500. Firefly was initially announced as a new brand, alongside Onvo, but the two were repositioned as sub-brands of Nio shortly after launch. Nio sold some 3680 examples of the Firefly in May, its first full month on sale, and it played a…

The new Bentley Bentayga Speed has been unwrapped as the brand’s quickest SUV yet, beating its predecessor to 62mph by half a second and going on to 193mph. It swaps the previous Bentayga Speed’s 6.0-litre W12, now retired, for a twinturbocharged 4.0-litre V8 that puts out 641bhp and 627lb ft – a gain of 15bhp and a loss of only 37lb ft. The smaller powerplant also plays a significant role in cutting the Speed’s kerb weight by 42kg to 2466kg. Helped along by a new launch control function, the super-SUV is now capable of completing the 0-62mph dash in 3.4sec,…

One local resident reacted to the large group of “weirdly clad” men hanging around in the dark by “retiring to her cottage in haste to bolt and bar the door”! The competitors had to not only cover 314 miles on narrow, usually dirt roads using feeble headlights but also brave challenging weather, with “many devoutly wishing they had carried at least one more coat”. Proceeding through the night, they had to endure an ice-cold mist and could barely see the road ahead. “There can be no doubt that Porlock proves one of the most exacting portions of the trial and on this…

The Haval Jolion Pro is now on sale in the UK – which will probably come as a surprise to you, so quietly has this Chinese brand arrived.  To be fair, it isn’t technically a brand here (unlike in Australia, where incredibly it outsold Volkswagen in 2024). Instead, it’s a sub-brand of GWM, like Ora, which makes the 03 electric supermini – previously known in infamy as the Funky Cat. ‘Jolion’ is a translation of the Chinese term for ‘first love’. How sweet. Other Haval models include the Big Dog and Cool Dog. Sure, why not? So to be clear, GWM…