Flash chargers are BYD's self-developed answer to Tesla's Supercharger network - and will quickly start to rival it for coverage, with around 3000 units planned to be installed across Europe by 2027.

The Chinese company said this rapid roll-out (focused on high-traffic areas and motorways) will result in there being a Flash charger roughly every 50km, or 31 miles.

There are currently around 20,000 Superchargers in operation in Europe, spread across 1500 sites.

Flash chargers are far more powerful than Superchargers, with their peak output of 1500kW representing a three-fold increase on the fastest of Tesla's devices.

However, while Flash devices are compatible with all EVs equipped with a standard CCS charging port, the maximum output can be achieved only by certain BYD-made cars equipped with two charging ports – starting with the Denza Z9 GT shooting brake, due here in September.

Future additions to the European Denza line-up, including the B5 SUV and D9 MPV, will also be equipped with Flash charging compatibility, because they use the new second generation of BYD’s Blade battery technology.

There’s no word yet on when the tech will trickle down to the mainstream BYD range. 

At top speed, a Flash charger can take the Z9 from 10-70% capacity in just five minutes and on to 97% in only another four minutes, claims BYD - and even in extremely cold temperatures (-30deg C) it will need only another three minutes.

The locations of the first UK Flash chargers remain unconfirmed, but BYD has said the nation's first Denza customers will benefit from 18 months of free Flash charging - similar to the free Supercharging offer Tesla gave to early Model S buyers.

Flash chargers take their power from on-site batteries, which will be filled overnight via the grid at off-peak prices. This means that BYD could ultimately charge significantly less than rival charger providers while massively outpacing them on maximum speed.

BYD UK boss Bono Ge told Autocar that "in the ideal situation, we want to be sub-50 pence per hour", which would have the Flash chargers dramatically undercutting rapid chargers from the likes of Ionity, Gridserve and Instavolt.

Ge said being able to charge around 50p per kWh would be "the sweet point" and suggested such a low cost could be possible because of the Flash chargers' potential to charge far more cars per day than rival devices, using energy secured at a lower cost.

"We do not want them to pay a more expensive price," said Ge about drivers of Denza EVs, adding that EVs from other brands could pay a higher cost depending on the commercial agreements reached with the firms that will operate the Flash chargers.

"If we work with CPOs [charge point operators], we will probably offer a special rate for BYD customers," he said, "and then we need to match their prices for non-BYD customers" to make the partnership profitable for both parties.

As well as established charging firms, BYD is in talks with various supermarket brands over setting up Flash chargers in their car parks. 

It claims to have 30-40 dealerships in the UK with the necessary power connections already, which have begun the process of securing planning permission for Flash chargers.

Ge said "the only concern" he had about building the UK's Flash network was securing planning permission - which is commonly cited as one of the main obstacles to setting up new charging sites. 

However, he said that working with existing charger operators will make this concern "a little bit less relevant", because they will have secured permission at the relevant sites already. 

"The challenge" in that regard, however, will be establishing "a commercial agreement" that suitably benefits both the operator and BYD. 

The prize, named after Mini inventor Sir Alec Issigonis, is presented to an individual in the automotive industry who has delivered exceptional success.

During two stints in charge of Lamborghini, Winkelmann has not only grown its annual sales from 1600 cars to more than 10,000, but has also provided stability and a clear vision for the marque’s future.

Having first joined after the launch of the Gallardo and Murciélago – its first cars under Audi ownership – he has since overseen the development of new products such as the Urus, tapping new markets. He has also transformed the historic Sant’Agata factory into a modern plant and electrified its supercars – all without betraying the character that defines a Lamborghini.

"What makes the Autocar Awards different is that we aren't just celebrating the very best cars on the road," said Autocar editor Mark Tisshaw. "Incredible cars don't just happen; they require immense bravery, vision and exceptional leadership. By honouring the individual trailblazers alongside the vehicles themselves, we recognise that great cars are always made by great people."

The Mundy Award, named after Autocar staffer Harry Mundy and given in recognition of engineering excellence, has been won by BMW’s Neue Klasse architecture. The basis of BMW’s forthcoming rebirth, it has already demonstrated its prowess under the iX3 SUV, which is among the finest electric cars yet launched.

The Editors’ Award, a special prize given in recognition of individual achievement, has been presented to Fiat CEO Olivier François for his role in returning the Italian brand to growth. He has overseen the development of its strongest line-up in generations – yet, as he told Autocar, his plan has taken more than a decade to come to fruition.

Horse Powertrain, the Renault-Geely joint venture working to give combustion engines a more sustainable future, has taken the Sturmey Award for innovation, named after former Autocar writer Henry Sturmey.

Ford Racing has won Autocar’s Motorsport Award, while Skoda CEO Klaus Zellmer has been recognised as 2026’s Outstanding Leader. BYD’s Bono Ge has been presented with Autocar's Outstanding UK Leader prize.

Meanwhile, Julian Thomson – responsible for the Lotus Elise, Range Rover Evoque and a number of striking Jaguars – has been recognised as Autocar’s Design Hero for 2026.

Renault took Best Manufacturer honours for its outstanding range of retro-futuristic EVs – the 4, 5 and Twingo – bringing electrification into the mainstream while also making it more desirable.

The Watt Electric Vehicle Company takes Autocar’s Innovation Award for PACES: a lightweight, scalable platform designed for niche and low-volume electric vehicles.

The full list of honours given to individual vehicles at the 2026 Autocar Awards, in partnership with Siemens, is as follows:

Five-Star Car: Mazda MX-5

Britain’s Best Driver’s Car: Porsche 911 GT3 Touring

Best Electric Car: Skoda Elroq

Best Hybrid: Honda Prelude

Best Large Car: Kia PV5

Best Value Car: Dacia Duster

Best Small Car: Renault Twingo

Best Dream Car: Morgan Supersport

Best Saloon: Mercedes-Benz CLA Electric

Future Classic, awarded in association with Classic & Sports Car magazine: Mini John Cooper Works

It wasn't the Kodiaq's only recent win, either. Škoda's flagship SUV also scooped What Car?'s Tow Car of the Year 2025 gong, a double that underlines just how capable and all-round impressive this car really is. So what exactly won over the What Car? judges? Here are the five big reasons.

Test drive the award-winning Škoda Kodiaq

Walk up to the Kodiaq for the first time and it's immediately clear this is a car that punches well above its price point. Step inside, and that impression is reinforced from every angle. The dashboard is clean, modern and thoughtfully laid out – and a genuinely welcome change from the touchscreen-only approach that's becoming increasingly common in this class.

In a world where rivals like the Peugeot 5008 and Volkswagen Tayron have swept physical controls away in favour of glass-covered dashboards, the What Car? team gave the Kodiaq particular praise for bucking the trend. As its reviewers pointed out: "the Kodiaq's dashboard has actual physical buttons," with most functions managed through three large, intuitive knobs on the centre console – a refreshingly easy-to-use arrangement that makes adjusting the climate control a simple matter of reaching out and turning a dial, whether you're stationary or on the move.

The driving position is just as pleasing. Entry-level SE trim comes with manual seat adjustment including lumbar support – something that isn't available on an entry-level Peugeot 5008 – while SE L adds full electric seat adjustment. The seats themselves are supportive and comfortable, and the commanding SUV driving position gives excellent all-round visibility.

Škoda's ‘Smart, Spacious and Stylish' philosophy runs through every corner of the cabin, too, with thoughtful touches – such as felt-lined door pockets to stop items rattling and a well-integrated 13.0in infotainment touchscreen that “responds quickly to all of your prods” – making daily life that little bit easier.

The Kodiaq takes its name from the Kodiak bear – one of the largest species of brown bear on the planet – and it lives up to the name when it comes to interior space. This is a genuinely large family SUV, with an optional third row of seats and an enormous boot that puts many class rivals to shame.

Front and middle-row passengers are very well served. There's a generous abundance of head and legroom, and the middle row of seats slides independently, so second-row passengers can stretch out properly rather than perching with their knees up against the seatbacks. When it comes to the third row, “It’s quite tight climbing into the seats, but once in, there’s enough space for teenagers and adults to have reasonable leg room if the second-row seats are slid forward,” What Car? said.

It's the boot figures, though, that really illustrate the Kodiaq's class-leading practicality. With the optional third row stowed and five seats in use, the Kodiaq offers a massive 845 litres of luggage space – comfortably ahead of the Nissan X-Trail (565 litres) and matching the Land Rover Discovery Sport (840 litres). Fold everything away in a five-seat model and that rises to 910 litres. Even with all seven seats in use, there's still 340 litres of boot space – roughly the same as a Volkswagen Golf offers.

Round it all off with Škoda's characteristically generous approach to cabin storage – deep door bins, a sizeable glovebox, cupholders in the right places, and useful hidden cubbies throughout – and you have a car as practical as it is spacious.

The Kodiaq may be a big, family-focused SUV, but it doesn't drive like a car that's given up trying. What Car? picked the mild-hybrid 1.5 TSI e-TEC 150 as its recommended engine choice – a 148bhp petrol unit that's more than capable enough for everyday use, getting from 0-62mph in 9.5 seconds and delivering smooth, stress-free progress whether you're threading through town traffic or covering motorway miles.

Ride quality is one of the Kodiaq's strongest suits. What Car? described it as "really impressive," noting that it's better tied-down than the floaty Citroën C5 Aircross and far less jarring than the firmer Peugeot 5008 over bumpy surfaces, with “only the largest potholes and imperfections causing an audible thud”.

The steering is equally well-sorted. Light and manoeuvrable in town, it builds weight naturally as speeds rise and is precise enough to give real confidence when the road gets twisty. What Car? singled out the Kodiaq as the more enjoyable driver's car compared to the Citroën C5 Aircross, Land Rover Discovery Sport and Volkswagen Tayron when it comes to tackling a twisting road with a carload of passengers on board.

Safety rounds it all off: the Kodiaq earned a full five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP, with standard-fit automatic emergency braking and a wide suite of driver assistance technology across the range. Importantly for families, What Car? said “there are Isofix child seat mounts on the front passenger seat and outer middle row of seats, but not the third row on seven-seat versions.”

One of the key reasons What Car?'s judges named the Kodiaq their value champion for 2026 is how generously equipped it is even in entry-level SE trim. As the judges noted, when you buy the Kodiaq: "It isn't as though you'll have to skimp on standard equipment."

That SE trim includes 18-inch alloy wheels, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel and adaptive cruise control – features that might reasonably be expected as paid-for options on a car at this price point. Add in the crisp 13.0in infotainment touchscreen, a digital driver's display, automatic LED headlights, rear parking sensors and the full suite of driver assistance tech, and the Kodiaq feels considerably more expensive than its asking price might suggest.

Step up to SE L and you gain electric seat adjustment and the option to add Dynamic Chassis Control adaptive suspension. And for buyers who want genuine electrification, the Kodiaq plug-in hybrid offers an impressive official electric range of up to 76 miles – leaving the Peugeot 5008 PHEV's roughly 56-mile range well behind. (Bear in mind that the PHEV is only available in five-seat configuration.)

So what does all of this – the upmarket interior, the cavernous boot, the accomplished driving manners, the generous standard equipment – actually cost? The Kodiaq starts from £39,025 OTR, which for a seven-seat SUV with this breadth of ability, is a truly compelling value.

The Hyundai Santa Fe, a key rival in the seven-seat space, asks many thousands more and can't match the Kodiaq's running cost advantage. Yes, there are cheaper options – the Chery Tiggo 8 among them – but as What Car?'s judges were clear to point out, “the Kodiaq is more practical and far superior to drive, plus it has a more upmarket interior”, making it well worth the additional outlay.

All of which explains why the Kodiaq walked away from the 2026 What Car? Awards not just as Best 7-Seat SUV for Value, but as Tow Car of the Year too. It's a car without meaningful weaknesses, and one that makes a powerful case for anyone who needs a genuinely capable, family-sized SUV without paying a premium-brand premium to get it.

Now you’ve seen the five biggest reasons why the Škoda Kodiaq is a What Car? award winner, maybe it's time to see what the Kodiaq can do for you.

Due on sale shortly priced from around £23,000, the Dolphin G will rivals the likes of the Renault Clio, Volkswagen Polo and Toyota Yaris – but while most B-segment cars feature mild- or full-hybrid powertrains, the Dolphin G is a full PHEV.

It's powered by BYD’s Super Hybrid system, as used by the recently launched Atto 2 DM-i crossover, featuring a 128bhp 1.5-litre petrol engine and two electric motors: a 161bhp drive unit and a generator.

The system is described as “EV-led”, because the motors turn the wheels in most situations, and it can power from 0-62mph in 8.3sec.

The Dolphin G will be offered with a choice of two batteries. Active cars feature a 7.2kWh pack giving 25 miles of electric-only range, while Boost, Comfort and Sport cars feature an 18.3kWh pack for a range of 65 miles. 

The smaller battery can be charged at 3.3kW on an AC charger, while the larger battery can take 6.6kW AC and 39kW DC charging. 

The variants with the larger battery are expected to be priced between £23,000 and £25,000. 

Notably, the system also has a vehicle-to-load outlet, meaning the car's battery can power external devices.

The Dolphin G sits in the heart of the supermini segment, measuring 4160mm long, 1825mm wide and 1575mm high, with a wheelbase of 2610mm. That makes it 170mm shorter than the Atto 2 and the market's smallest PHEV.

It weighs between 1440kg and 1555kg, depending on battery size, and sits on 16in or 18in wheels. Boot capacity stands at a class-leading 425 litres.

An active air intake on the front bumper adjusts the airflow to the engine to optimise cooling and range, while there’s also a small rear spoiler. Cars in Sport trim get extra styling elements.

Inside, Active models feature a 10.1in touchscreen running a Google-based infotainment system, along with an 8.8in digital instrument display. Higher-end models feature a 12.8in touchscreen, plus features such as a panoramic roof, a head-up display and a 360deg camera.

First customer deliveries are due in the autumn.

Only a few years ago, EVs fell way short of the mark, with high price tags, limited real-world ranges and lacklustre charging speeds discouraging drivers from making the switch. 

Market trends now tell a very different story, with electric cars now accounting for more than a quarter of all new car registrations in the UK. 

Advancements in battery technology, public charging infrastructure and driving dynamics have changed the EV landscape, while falling production costs have democratised what used to be an expensive car class. 

Factor in their lower running costs and the UK government’s Electric Car Grant (ECG) and modern-day EVs make a strong case for themselves as the go-to choice for families and fleets.

The pool of choice is now bigger than ever, but which electric car should you actually buy? From long-legged family SUVs to performance derivatives that offer sports car-like thrills, we’ve put together a list of the best electric cars on sale today. 

We think the Skoda Elroq is the best electric car you can buy right now. Few compact SUVs can match its clever blend of versatility, range, maturity and sheer value for money. Plus several derivatives qualify for the band-two ECG, which means you can save up to £1500.   

Four years ago, the Skoda Enyaq emerged as a comfortable, reasonably priced, well-conceived mid-size electric SUV. 

Ostensibly the Skoda Elroq takes that formula and reworks it into a smaller, cheaper model. Yet it also represents a shift in design philosophy, all while being assertively strong in all areas.

It’s obligingly supple on typical dual carriageways and A-roads.Matt Saunders, Road test editor

Inside, it’s massive. The boot is particularly useful and among the largest in class (although that of the Renault Scenic is bigger) and the storage is on point. For instance, you can keep the charging cables in an underboot cubby or the storage net in the boot and the parcel shelf has multiple heights.

Adaptability also is high up on the list of reasons to buy. Top-spec models have a WLTP range of 360 miles, and even in our real-world testing 270-300 miles was easily achievable. 

Several versions, including the SE L 85 with a WLTP range of 355 miles, qualify for the £1500 ECG, which makes the Elroq an even more desirable proposition. 

Skoda Elroq

Skoda shifts its focus to EVs, starting with a Scenic-rivalling compact SUV

There was a lot resting on the shoulders of the iX3 well before it launched. BMW poured billions into the development of the Neue Klasse EV platform and at the same time adopted a radical new design language that will shape the brand for the foreseeable.  

Pleasingly for BMW, its efforts have paid dividends, with the iX3 climbing straight to the top of the class for its excellent range, charging speeds and handling dynamics. Fully charged, the iX3 can travel up to a staggering 500 miles and, thanks to 400kW ultra-rapid charging, it can boost its battery from 10-80% in a mere 21 minutes.

For now, the iX3 is a triumph. A firm ride and some usability grumbles preclude a perfect score, but here stands an electric SUV that shifts boundaries for range and charging.Illya Verpraet, Road Tester

Much thought has also been put into the iX3’s dynamic ability, too, which is showcased by its poised handling and finely-tuned steering. For a near 2.3-tonne car, it hides its mass well, although its passively damped set-up can make it a little stern-riding.  

You won’t find much physical switchgear inside, but iX3’s digital technology is advanced and easy to use. Particularly good are the ADAS, which are unintrusive and actually helpful, unlike many rival systems. 

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N takes the Korean brand's electric crossover and sends it into electric sports car territory.

Utilising a dual-motor powertrain, the Ioniq 5 N produces 641bhp and 549lb ft, hitting 0-62mph in a staggeringly fast 3.4sec. 

The electric driver's car has landed, and it will slot into most of our lives with ease.Richard Lane, Deputy road test editor

Hyundai claims it will do 278 miles on a charge, too, thanks to an 89kWh battery. During our time with the 5 N, it only managed around 230 miles on a charge. 

While it may feel heavier and much bigger than a traditional sports car, you can make it sound and feel like one. It has an inbuilt sound generator that lets you select several different 'engine' notes, working in tandem with simulated gearshifts.

A bit silly? Maybe, but it's more convincing than any other high-performance EV we've tested in terms of bridging the gap between piston power and electric. 

Despite its heft, the hot Ioniq 5 is dynamically impressive and has the feel of a big performance saloon, while the engine note and simulated gears add a layer of engagement that makes it feel like a genuine driver's car. 

See how the Ioniq 5 N stacks up against the market’s quickest machinery with our guide to the best electric sports cars

What we have here is the standout electric supermini. The Renault 5 effortlessly blends retro design with modern technology and does it all at an affordable price.

Inside, Renault has deployed colours and materials usually found in more expensive models, and it has all the latest tech, including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The 5’s vertical body control is miles more settled than the Mini Cooper's.Illya Verpraet, Road Tester

It’s available with two different powertrains. The cheapest has a 120bhp motor and a 40kWh battery, while the more expensive has a 150bhp motor and a 50kWh battery. So more money equals more power and more range. Pleasingly, all versions are eligible for the full £3750 ECG. 

Efficiency is the name of the game with small EVs, and the 5 paints a curious picture. During our time with a long-range model, it returned 5.0mpkWh in our everyday test, giving a range equating to 260 miles, surpassing the WLTP range of 253 miles; but our motorway driving test sent its efficiency plummeting to 3.1mpkWh. 

See where its ranks in our guide to the best small electric cars

The Taycan, despite being an EV, still feels every bit a Porsche product.

It deftly delivers close body control along with the perfect balance of communication in cornering forces, building up and abating in such neat, linear fashion.

More than its outright performance, I'm impressed by how nice the Taycan is to drive gently.Illya Verpraet, Road Tester

It’s also devastatingly fast in a straight line. In full-fat Turbo S form, it will officially do the standard 0-62mph sprint in 2.4sec.

Range depends largely on which model you choose, but the biggest-battery option gives the Taycan an outstanding 422 miles on the WLTP combined test.

Our own testing of this model resulted in 3.7mpkWh, making for a real-world range of around 360 miles, which is very impressive for such a car with so much performance on offer.

Access remains quite tight for a luxury GT. Rear passenger space isn’t too generous considering the size, but the driving ergonomics are nothing short of superb. And if you're after a bit more practicality there's always the Sport Turismo variant. 

Fiat went on the charm offensive for its reincarnated Panda, delivering plenty of substance to match its nostalgic styling. 

A lot of care has been put into the Grande Panda’s design; creative touches, like the embossed Panda logos, give it a standout character in the dog-eat-dog small EV class. 

Every time you look around the car, you seem to notice another detail. Real care has been put into the design of the Grande Panda.Mark Tisshaw, Editor

Priced from £20,995, the Grande Panda Electric makes 111bhp and 90lb ft for a fairly gentle 11sec sprint to 60mph. Fast it is not, but then this is a small EV that will be used for school runs and supermarket sweeps. It’s not the most dynamic to drive, but light steering and predictable handling make it ideal for nipping around town. 

Its range is officially up to 199 miles, and during our testing we managed around a highly respectable 185 miles on a variety of mixed-speed roads. 

Equally distinctive and appealing is the interior, which is roomy, is well-equipped, has proper physical buttons and isn’t spoiled by overcomplicated screens and technology. 

There's a lot to like about the Volkswagen ID 7, the German firm's first electric saloon (and indeed the ID 7 Tourer, its first electric estate).

A good choice for drivers looking to drive longer distances, the ID 7 comes as standard with a single-motor set-up, producing 282bhp and 402lb ft.

It rides very nicely indeed, handles with an intuitive ease that befits this style of saloon and is competitive in terms of the prosaic elements of EV ownership.Illya Verpraet, Road Tester

Longer-range cars are equipped with an 86kWh battery that offers a range surpassing 400 miles, with maximum charging speeds of 200kW. 

The ID 7 drives brilliantly for such a large, heavy car. It's not quite as sporty as a Tesla Model 3 or a BMW i4 but is very well rounded. It feels agile, offers more than enough poke and grips well in the corners.  

As for everyday practicality, the ID 7 possesses 532 litres of boot space and limo-like rear space. It really is the best in class in this respect, and the whole family will be comfortable. 

Many of Volkswagen's EVs have previously come under fire for poor material quality, but the ID 7 comes close to addressing most of these concerns, although the infotainment system is still frustrating to use and there's still a distinct lack of the material richness possessed by other premium options. 

The Tesla Model 3 is still as hugely significant for the American EV brand as it has ever been, helping to spearhead its continued charge in Europe. 

A great all-rounder, the compact saloon received a mid-life facelift in 2024, bringing with it a sharp design refresh, plus interior and technology updates. 

Even in its cheapest, lowliest form, this Tesla blends competitive saloon car practicality, striking performance and reasonable handling dynamism in a manner that makes it a fine all-rounder.Richard Lane, Deputy road test editor

Sensitive, direct steering is a huge draw for the Model 3, and it's fun and engaging in most driving situations. A 0-60mph sprint of 4.4sec is rapid, and few EVs will match it for the same price. 

Refinement and ride were weak points in the old Model 3, but this one improves things slightly. It's still not as comfortable as it should be, but it's far quieter than before. 

Range has increased too. While the old Model 3 offered 254 miles in its entry-level specification, the latest car manages 323 miles. And the Long Range Rear Drive version does 466 miles, which is far ahead of several rivals. 

Furthermore, 2026-model-year cars benefit from an indicator stalk rather than the irritating buttons that were introduced as part of the facelift two years ago. 

Prices start from around £40,000, which remains competitive in a market that's increasing in size year on year.

The Kia EV3 is one of the most well-rounded electric cars for the average driver; we even named it the Best Electric Car of 2025 at the Autocar Awards. 

It mixes practicality, performance, range and versatility in a reasonably affordable package and is the far more a§ppealing option among its rivals. 

Although it’s not quite the game-changer it seems at first, the EV3 is still quite the achievement, and is making the class that bit more competitive.Illya Verpraet, Road Tester

Importantly, it's a car with an atmosphere that would make those aged eight or 80 feel at home, and that's a feeling many cars can't achieve. 

Its large, 81.4kWh battery outshines rivals, enabling a range of 375 miles, but the clincher is its price, which kicks off at just £32,215. It's certainly a lot of car for the money.

A traditional long-legged limousine with one major change: an EV powertrain. The i7 is a BMW first and an EV second, in that despite its size and weight, it can still carve a line around a tight corner with absolute poise.

For drivers, the ambience is calming. There are clever designations of different leather and veneers, with secondary controls made out of cut glass.

Just 63dBA of ambient noise at a 70mph cruise is very impressive indeed.Murray Scullion, Digital editor

In the back, meanwhile, passengers can sit in airline-style twin seats. Complete with ‘sleeping seat’ positions and individual screens. Then there’s BMW’s roof-mounted 31.3in 8K Theatre Screen too.

It’s more technologically advanced and more spacious than any BMW 7 Series before it.

If you are considering a premium, long-range cruiser, find out where the i7 ranks in our guide to the best luxury electric cars

Price and range will likely be the biggest determiners when it comes to choosing an electric car, but there are several other factors to consider that are worth considering when trimming down your shortlist. 

Here’s what you need to look for:

Range

Why it matters: this determines how far an EV can travel on a single charge.

Price

Why it matters: most electric cars are dearer than their ICE equivalents, but price parity between the two powertrains is becoming more common.

Charging speed

Why it matters: having an EV that can accept faster charging speeds is useful when topping up at a public device.

Size and practicality

Why it matters: if your EV will regularly carry passengers and luggage, you might need an SUV, but if your EV will be used for shorter trips, a supermini should serve you well.

New or used

Why it matters: used electric cars are much cheaper and just as good as buying new—EVs that are only a few years old are great value for money.

Is an electric car the right choice for you?

Electric cars are great for: 

An EV may be less ideal if:

Each car in this list has been selected by our team of expert journalists. Collectively, we have tested every new electric car on sale today. 

When compiling a list of the best electric cars, we selected the best examples from a broad range of categories and segments, in order to cater for a wide range of buyers. For example, the best performance EV you can buy is the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, while the Kia EV3 is the best for daily use. 

We also assessed cars for their…

Range

Electric cars come in various shapes and sizes but range is a key selling point. We compared the official WLTP range of the car against its real-world figure, driving the cars on a diverse range of environments, such as motorways, rural backroads and in urban traffic to get a fair reading. We also measured the car’s efficiency in mpkWh to see how the EV managed its energy usage. 

Ride and comfort

We assessed each car's ride comfort, body control and steering response on different roads. We also analysed interior comfort, cabin noise at various speeds and rolling refinement. 

Performance

We evaluated the acceleration and braking performance of each car, both with and without full loads (passengers and luggage). 

Interior space

Head and leg room was measured both front and rear, while the cabin width and boot capacity were also taken into account. We also assessed each car for its ease of child-seat installation.

Technology

We tested each car’s on board infotainment systems for responsiveness and each of uses, while also assessing how easy it was to pair a smartphone. The advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) such as the lane keep assist, we assessed for their integration. 

The firm has developed a string of electric Demonstrators in recent years, including the Supervan 4.2, an F-150 Lightning Supertruck and a Mustang Cobra Jet 2200.

The vehicles have competed in the Pikes Peak hillclimb, appeared at events such as the Goodwood Festival of Speed and been used as testbeds to develop Ford’s high-performance EV powertrains.

Speaking exclusively to Autocar, Ford Racing boss Mark Rushbook said that the decision to build the range of electric Demonstrators rather than compete in a category such as Formula E was “because we did not feel existing electric series were right for us".

He continued: "That's not a knock on those series, but we wanted the ability to truly learn with a free canvas, and a series like Formula E does restrict you. With the Demonstrators we can do whatever we want, whether it’s a Transit or an F-150, a Mustang Mach-E or even a Mustang coupé.

"We can do what we want and we can learn what we need to about the motor, battery cell technology, the controls, the calibration, aero and so on.”

But with Ford adjusting its future plans to put more of an emphasis on hybrid and combustion powertrains, Rushbrook said its Demonstrators would shift from a pure EV focus.

“We’ll continue to do Demonstrators, but we’re not going to restrict ourselves to full electric,” he explained. “We still have a lot of electric cars in our future, but we also have a lot of hybrids coming, and we also have a lot of combustion vehicles coming. So we’ll do more demonstrators, but you will see more powertrain technology in them, not just full-electric.”

Rushbrook highlighted hybrids as one key area in which Ford was keen to push development. The firm is building experience through its Formula 1 power-unit partnership with Red Bull, and Rushbrook added: “We’re learning a tonne about hybrid powertrains in F1, but there’s more that we can learn.”

This new approach overcomes a major barrier because it’s modular and fits into the same space in the iX5 as the ‘Gen6’ high-voltage EV battery. There’s no intrusion into cabin space as there might be with more conventional tanks and, crucially, it allows iX5 Hydrogen models to be built on the same production line as other powertrain types.

The production X5 now supports five types of powertrain – petrol, diesel, BEV, plug-in hybrid and now FCEV – in what BMW calls a “technology-open approach”. All powertrain variants will share BMW’s new ‘Heart of Joy’ centralised control unit, combining drivetrain, braking and driving dynamics into one system.

BMW says the iX5 FCEV’s electric motor is exactly the same as the BEV version’s. But rather than one large battery, a hydrogen fuel cell stack generates electricity drawing on hydrogen stored in on-board tanks.

A small high-voltage lithium ion buffer battery provides the bursts of energy for acceleration and stores energy during regenerative braking.

The new Hydrogen Flat Storage system holds enough compressed hydrogen at a pressure of 700 bar to give the iX5 a range of 385 miles. Early prototypes were equipped with a pair of tanks storing 6kg of hydrogen for a range of 313 miles.

Being able to produce a fuel cell car on an existing platform where a compressed gas fuel storage system fits in the same space as an EV sibling’s battery is significant for making an FCEV viable to build and sell.

Given the X5 architecture can support five different drive system variants, it should be possible to scale manufacturing to match demand rather than relying on bespoke manufacturing, which is how FCEVs have been made in the past. That should be a good fit with what is still a limited worldwide hydrogen refuelling infrastructure.

The Hydrogen Flat Storage system consists of seven slim tanks replacing the larger twin tanks of the early cars. Each one is a ‘Type 4’ design, which means it’s constructed from carbonfibre-reinforced composite wrapped around a polymer liner.

The tanks are connected in parallel, hold a total of 7kg of hydrogen and can be refilled at a hydrogen pump in under five minutes. The seven tanks are integrated into a metal frame and controlled by a single, main, central control valve rather than operating separately.

It forms part of the overall fuel cell powertrain, at the heart of which is the latest ‘Gen3’ fuel cell system developed with FCEV veteran Toyota. BMW says the pilot fleet of 100 iX5 Hydrogen prototypes was successfully tested worldwide and in 2028 will become its first hydrogen-powered model to enter series production.

The incoming ninth-generation Hilux sports a rather swanky new front, as part of a redesign that Toyota calls ‘all-new’, although the word ‘all’ is doing heavier lifting here than even the load bay is able to.

The Hilux can now be had with a battery-electric powertrain, but its the 48V diesel that will remain the volume choice.Matt PriorEditor-at-large

To recap, the famously indestructible Hilux is one of two major volume players in the UK’s double-cab pick-up truck market, beside the Ford Ranger, although Toyota is expecting a lot more competition from both incumbents and new entrants.

The Hilux retains its separate body-on-frame design from last time, although the chassis’ side-rail thickness has been increased, the front crossmember has been stiffened and redesigned to accommodate electrically rather than hydraulically power-assisted steering and the front suspension towers have been strengthened.

There are double wishbones at the front with redesigned lower arms, new bushes and a stiffer anti-roll bar; and a rigid rear axle suspended on leaf springs. The spring and dampers rates have been retuned all round.

We’re getting only the double-cab variant this time, no single-cab, despite last year’s benefit-in kind tax increases that vastly reduced demand for the former.Matt PriorEditor-at-large

There are new mounts for the engine and body as well, plus the body receives 36 new spot welds for better stiffness and isolation. 

By autumn 2026 Toyota is going to offer a rear-seat delete option, fitted and homologated in the UK before registration when cars land here, which will restore the double-cab to commercial tax status (not unlike the way it turns Land Cruiser 4x4s into commercial vehicles).

Toyota says users would prefer that over the single-cab Hilux, because it gives them somewhere dry and (relatively) secure to store gear, which is what they mostly use the back seats for anyway.

The load bed is the same as before except for new steps at the sides and rear. There are more basic variants elsewhere, but here we get a 48V mildly hybridised 2.8-litre four-cylinder diesel engine making 201bhp, which is carried over without mechanical change from the previous Hilux, where it made its debut in 2025. 

There’s a fully electric version too, but this 48V diesel will remain the volume choice. It comes exclusively with an automatic gearbox.

There will be four trim grades, Active, Icon, Invincible and Invincible X, with pricing from around £44k-£54k.

Inside the Hilux has been given a new, latest Land Cruiser-style fascia. The dash top sits 35mm higher than it did (it now aligns with the door tops), it’s still button-heavy (which is fine), there’s a 13.2in touchscreen (also fine, given it doesn’t have to do too much) and most of the driving controls can be configured via the steering wheel (ADAS) or a grouping on the lower central dash (4WD, drive modes).

There are two gloveboxes, a good amount of stowage and physical climate controls.

Head room is more generous than leg room in the rear seats, but I’d expect most buyers to delete them anyway.Matt PriorEditor-at-large

The seats have been given thicker padding and a thicker surface material, and the driving position still feels good, a couple of months gap since I last drove a Mk8 Hilux.

The bonnet has been reprofiled along with the front end, and the bulges look a bit unsettling from the driver’s seat: they angle towards the middle, restricting your view of the far side of the truck and making it feel like a bit like you’re pointing the prow of a boat. 

I imagine you would get used to it, like the nose design, which looks more, well, ‘designed’ and modern.

Gratifyingly, the door mirrors remain large and the Hilux retains its (relatively) modest 1855mm width, which could be particularly helpful on worksites or in the sticks.

The Hilux fires to a muted and softly rounded dieselly idle. With the gear selector slipped into D and your foot off the brake pedal, it will creep forwards gracefully, assuming you’ve disengaged the electronic parking brake – another new feature on the Mk9.

Throttle travel is deftly judged, but response varies according to the off-road drive modes: softer in Rock, sharper in Sand, say.

The 2.8-litre four-cylinder engine remains as it was: torquey but thirsty for a diesel.Matt PriorEditor-at-large

There are 2WD high, 4WD high and 4WD low ratios on the six-speed gearbox, with a Sport mode or a manual override selectable. There’s also a lockable rear differential and a hill-descent control.

There are no 0-62mph times quoted, but one could imagine it at around 10sec - or perfectly decent for a car of this type.

If you ask little of the drivetrain, it mooches around very amiably. Work it more and the gearshifts are more notable, to coincide with a four-cylinder thrum that is of course less smooth than a six (as is available in the Ranger). But I can see why people choose a double-cab as their daily (I’ve run two Rangers as mine happily).

The turning circle is 12.6m, the towing limit is 750kg (unbraked) or 3500kg (braked) and the bed payload is 1025-1065kg.

The steering is light at low speeds and builds weight for an improved feeling of security as speeds rise. It’s still quite a slow rack but, given the turning circle is tight, a turn of the wheel isn’t too sluggardly. There’s no distinct road feel to speak of but it’s accurate and weighted towards the comfortably light side.

You can tell, though, that this is a separate-chassis truck with a heavy unsprung rear because of the way it knobbles down the road, with small shimmies reaching from road to driver’s seat, giving it an unsettled, albeit quite absorbent, ride.

It's not as car-like to drive as a Ford Ranger but still very respectable on the road.Matt PriorEditor-at-large

It’s the only hint of a lack of refinement really, with noise levels reasonable and decent isolation and stability otherwise. My test truck carried a big bladder of almost 200 litres (200kg) of water in the load bay, which will have contributed to keeping the ride less deflected by bumps (many trucks feel too stiff when unladen), albeit presumably with the trade-off that once the water starts shivering it would enhance lateral body movement.

Regardless, the Hilux is perfectly decent on the road. Off-road, the Hilux is mega. The wade depth remains at 700mm, because Toyota placed the starter-generator up high, approach angle is 29deg, breakover angle is 24deg, departure angle is 24deg and ground clearance is 309mm.

In our experience with the previous Hilux, only its long wheelbase means it won’t go where stock versions of, say, the Jeep Wrangler will in the rough.

If there’s a notable change for this generation, it’s how light and muted in feedback the steering remains off road, making it more relaxing over prolonged rough terrain.

The official figures say that the Hilux will return nearly 29mpg. We will see about that when we get a car in the UK for a more extensive test, but it's quite believable.

No pick-up is cheap these days, but running costs are of course of high priority for both the maker and the user. We expect the Hilux to be competitive and, if previous versions are to go by, to be extremely durable.

The Hilux is a truck that feels more composed and refined in all situations than ever before but just as ready to put a shift in when the ground – or the political situation – turns gnarly.

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 for Autocar. He has a racing licence, and some malfunctioning classic cars and motorbikes. 

Unlike a conventional restomod, Boreham's super-light Escort is an entirely new creation, rather than being a modernised or re-engineered version of an existing classic car.

It's officially licensed by Ford and described as "the first brand-new road-going Ford Escort Mk1 in more than 50 years".

The RS was revealed initially in 2024 and has now been shown in full – with final specs – at the London Concours classic car show, ahead of Boreham beginning production in the coming months. 

Pricing starts from £295,000 before options and taxes – so £354,000 in the UK – and just 150 examples will be built in total, in right- or left-hand drive.

Weighing just 895kg, the RS is available with a bespoke naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine that's said to combine motorsport learnings with "modern engineering precision" to deliver a "visceral, analogue driving experience". 

Named Ten-K in reference to its screaming 10,000rpm redline (demonstrated in the below video), the 2.2-litre lump weighs just 85kg yet sends an impressive 326bhp and 155lb ft of torque through the five-speed dog leg manual gearbox to the rear axle.

Boreham has yet to release performance figures but, based on a power-to-weight ratio of nearly 300bhp per tonne, the RS should be well capable of keeping pace with most modern sports cars off the mark.

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The RS will also be available with a reworking of the storied Twin Cam engine that powered the Escort to competition success and a powerplant derived from Ford’s current offerings. 

The Twin Cam has been upsized from 1558cc to 1845cc and its twin Weber carburettors have been replaced by fuel injection. The changes net an extra 73bhp for 182bhp. This is sent to the rear wheels via the original four-speed gearbox, with straight-cut, close-ratio gears.

The RS is based on the two-door Escort RS bodies that were produced by Ford’s Advanced Vehicle Operations in Aveley, Essex, before it was shut in 1975. Boreham digitally recreated the shell and used computer simulations to re-engineer it for improved handling, adding extra bracing and widening the wheel arches.

Ford Escort

Ford's Escort nameplate returns on this only-for-China saloon. Does it continue Ford's tradition of building sharp-handling cars?

It also developed a new rear axle made from aluminium and titanium and moved the rear dampers from their original canted position to a more conventional vertical orientation.

Power steering, anti-lock brakes and traction control are omitted to match the driving experience of the original car.

It’s also fitted with coilover suspension and an automatic torque-biasing limited-slip differential that’s said to provide “controllable and predictable” oversteer.

As well as all the changes under the skin, Boreham employed Wayne Burgess – formerly head of design for Jaguar SVR models, including the XE Project 8 – to bring the Escort up to date aesthetically.

For example, its chrome bumpers and main indicators were removed to match the look of contemporary race cars (such as the Alan Mann-developed Escort that won the 1968 British Saloon Car Championship), while the new LED headlight design mimics the cross-shaped tape that was applied in period to prevent light housings from shattering. 

The interior design combines references to the original, such as its six-clock instrument panel and two central air vents, with modern accoutrements.

is also working on a plan to revive the Ford RS200. Like the Escort, this will be built from the ground up as an “entirely new” creation.

Available to order next month from around £80,000, the latest generation of Audi’s seven-seat family 4x4 has been completely restyled inside and out as it moves onto the Premium Platform Combustion architecture that underpins its A5, A6 and Q5 siblings. 

While the outgoing Mk2 evolved the rakish, curvy form of its predecessor, the new car adopts a straighter-edged, two-box silhouette that boosts roominess and emphasises its practicality credentials. 

Audi calls it a “striking and confident exterior” treatment and says the aim was to create a “commanding silhouette” – which will be carried over and extended for the closely related Q9, a new flagship SUV model arriving in the next few months to rival the BMW X7 and Range Rover. 

Unlike its predecessor – and its platform-mates – the new Q7 eschews a multi-powertrain line-up at launch in favour of a sole 3.0-litre diesel V6, which is offered in two states of tune and drives all four wheels. 

This will be the first outing in the UK for Audi’s new-generation V6 TDI powerplant. It is mated to a conventional belt-driven 48V starter-alternator but also adds a powertrain generator and an electric compressor, which uses a motor to spin the turbo, rather than exhaust gas – reaching 90,000rpm in just 250 milliseconds to boost response and torque output across the rev range. 

As standard, the mildly hybridised six-pot produces 242bhp and 369lb ft of torque but it can be optionally upgraded to 295bhp and 465lb ft – making it slightly more powerful than the same-sized V6 diesel that could be had in the previous Q7. 

Audi has yet to give full performance details but says the set-up ensures “a linear and fast response, impressive mid-range acceleration with even more direct pedal feel, increased efficiency, and improved long-term durability”. The firm also compares the power delivery characteristics to those of an EV, given the smoother torque curve afforded by the more consistent turbo input. 

On its own, the 48V generator produces 24bhp and 273lb ft, chipping in under hard acceleration and to allow engine-off running for short distances at low speed. 

Audi has not said if it plans to expand the Q7’s engine offering. The outgoing car came with a broad mix of petrol and plug-in hybrid powertrains in addition to diesel – including a 500bhp twin-turbo petrol V8 in performance-oriented SQ7 guise, which has not yet been confirmed for a revival. 

The Q7’s dashboard is dominated by the same full-width infotainment suite that’s fitted to other recent Audi models – equipped with an in-built ‘self-learning’ voice assistant that can control key functions and uses ChatGPT to answer questions on the move. 

It’s the centrepiece of a cockpit that majors on technology and personalisation. Highlights include electrically adjustable air vents, cooled magnetic charging pads, an opacifying panoramic roof, a 4D sound system with headrest speakers and in-seat actuators, and a raft of bespoke colour and trim options. 

For the first time, the Q7 is available with five, six or seven seats – all electrically adjustable – though Audi has yet to confirm if all configurations will be offered in the UK. Boot space is pegged at up to 670 litres with the third row stowed, expanding to a huge 2075 litres with the middle row folded as well. 

The Q7 rides on steel springs as standard but optionally offers two types of air suspension: there’s a conventional adaptive set-up with electronically controlled dampers, and at the top of the range a ‘sport’ system that lowers the ride height by 30mm and stiffens up the chassis for improved agility. Both come in combination with all-wheel steering, which shrinks the low-speed turning circle and boosts stability at higher speeds. 

Precise details of which versions will come to the UK, and how much they’ll cost, will be revealed next month.

Flash chargers are BYD's self-developed answer to Tesla's Supercharger network - and will quickly start to rival it for coverage, with around 3000 units planned to be installed across Europe by 2027.

The Chinese company said this rapid roll-out (focused on high-traffic areas and motorways) will result in there being a Flash charger roughly every 50km, or 31 miles.

There are currently around 20,000 Superchargers in operation in Europe, spread across 1500 sites.

Flash chargers are far more powerful than Superchargers, with their peak output of 1500kW representing a three-fold increase on the fastest of Tesla's devices.

However, while Flash devices are compatible with all EVs equipped with a standard CCS charging port, the maximum output can be achieved only by certain BYD-made cars equipped with two charging ports – starting with the Denza Z9 GT shooting brake, due here in September.

Future additions to the European Denza line-up, including the B5 SUV and D9 MPV, will also be equipped with Flash charging compatibility, because they use the new second generation of BYD’s Blade battery technology.

There’s no word yet on when the tech will trickle down to the mainstream BYD range. 

At top speed, a Flash charger can take the Z9 from 10-70% capacity in just five minutes and on to 97% in only another four minutes, claims BYD - and even in extremely cold temperatures (-30deg C) it will need only another three minutes.

The locations of the first UK Flash chargers remain unconfirmed, but BYD has said the nation's first Denza customers will benefit from 18 months of free Flash charging - similar to the free Supercharging offer Tesla gave to early Model S buyers.

Flash chargers take their power from on-site batteries, which will be filled overnight via the grid at off-peak prices. This means that BYD could ultimately charge significantly less than rival charger providers while massively outpacing them on maximum speed.

BYD UK boss Bono Ge told Autocar that "in the ideal situation, we want to be sub-50 pence per hour", which would have the Flash chargers dramatically undercutting rapid chargers from the likes of Ionity, Gridserve and Instavolt.

Ge said being able to charge around 50p per kW would be "the sweet point" and suggested such a low cost could be possible because of the Flash chargers' potential to charge far more cars per day than rival devices, using energy secured at a lower cost.

"We do not want them to pay a more expensive price," said Ge about drivers of Denza EVs, adding that EVs from other brands could pay a higher cost depending on the commercial agreements reached with the firms that will operate the Flash chargers.

"If we work with CPOs [charge point operators], we will probably offer a special rate for BYD customers," he said, "and then we need to match their prices for non-BYD customers" to make the partnership profitable for both parties.

As well as established charging firms, BYD is in talks with various supermarket brands over setting up Flash chargers in their car parks. 

It claims to have 30-40 dealerships in the UK with the necessary power connections already, which have begun the process of securing planning permission for Flash chargers.

Ge said "the only concern" he had about building the UK's Flash network was securing planning permission - which is commonly cited as one of the main obstacles to setting up new charging sites. 

However, he said that working with existing charger operators will make this concern "a little bit less relevant", because they will have secured permission at the relevant sites already. 

"The challenge" in that regard, however, will be establishing "a commercial agreement" that suitably benefits both the operator and BYD. 

The electric hot hatch was unwrapped in concept form at La Sarthe last year, but this is the finished product - ready for showrooms in the coming months with a design that Peugeot says "is incredibly close" to the original show car.

The first new Peugeot GTi model since the hot 308 retired in 2021 is also its most powerful yet, with its single front-mounted electric motor producing 278bhp and 254lb ft of torque for a 0-62mph time of 5.7sec - slightly quicker than its Alpine A290 rival.

Technically, it's a close relation to the Abarth 600e, Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica Veloce and upcoming Vauxhall Corsa GSE, which means it also gets a mechanical limited-slip differential to increase its agility in the bends.

Beyond the hefty power increase of 124bhp over the standard e-208, the GTi also gains bespoke hydraulic bump stops, a rear anti-roll bar and a unique steering tune that's said to boost responsiveness. 

It also rides 30mm lower and has significantly widened tracks – by 27mm at the rear and 56mm at the front – for improved poise and stance. 

As previewed by the concept, the visual makeover extends to a prominent rear spoiler and diffuser, a beefier front lip and striking 18in alloy wheels with a design inspired by the distinctive 'pepperpots' of its hallowed 205 GTi forefather.

Further details will be revealed on Friday 12 June as Peugeot marks the 100th anniversary of its first Le Mans race by taking to the circuit in three GTis - painted red, white and blue to celebrate the brand's French heritage.

UK sales of the new hot hatch will begin towards the end of the year. 

The standard e-208 tops out at around £28,000, so we expect the e-208 GTi to reach the mid-£30,000s, which would line it up neatly against the A290.

Vauxhall-Opel has confirmed the new Astra is one of "at least" four new models it will launch by 2030, alongside the next-generation Corsa, a new SUV co-developed with Leapmotor and an as-yet-unnamed new car that is expected to replace the current Mokka.

To be built at Opel's base in Russelsheim, Germany, the new Astra will move onto parent company Stellantis's new STLA One modular architecture - which offers the flexibility for electric and hybrid drivetrains and will underpin the majority of upcoming Stellantis cars in Europe.

Vauxhall hasn't given a precise launch date, but the facelifted version of the current Astra is just arriving in showrooms now, suggesting its replacement is at least three years away.

Speaking to UK media following the announcement of the new Astra, Opel-Vauxhall CEO Florian Huettl hinted at a dramatic reinvention for the firm's longest-running model line, to meet changing customer demands in Europe's crucial C-segment - most pertinently the increased popularity of SUVs.

"Whenever we look at what the next generation of a well-established car such as the Astra should be, looking at the evolution of the segment is a big deal of our work," he said.

"The hatchback segment continues to decrease. We see a lot of flow to other segments, namely the SUV bodystyles. Sometimes as smaller cars get more mature and provide more performance, people move down; and then also people move up, for example, as family life evolves."

Huettl's allusions to the increasing popularity of mid-sized SUVs – Europe's most popular type of car – gives a strong indication that Vauxhall could transform the Astra into more of a crossover than a conventional hatchback for its next generation - just as Ford is set to do for the replacement for the Astra's main historic rival, the Focus, in the coming years.

Indeed, he added that the Astra name "doesn't mean necessarily that it's a traditional hatchback", alluding to a body shape that could straddle multiple segments in a bid to maximise its appeal.

However, he did confirm that whatever form it ends up taking, the next-generation Astra will continue to offer an estate (or 'Sports Tourer') body option, because it remains "hugely popular" in Opel's native German market. 

"What I can tell you for sure is that there will be a station wagon, because that's what our home market requires, and this is what we will serve," said Huettl.

He said the new car "will certainly be a BEV", but STLA One can accommodate various types of hybrid drivetrain - which Huettl suggested could mean the next Astra follows the current car in offering a range of different fuel types. 

"STLA One isn't limited to BEV only in its capabilities, so we're currently looking at the right calibration of powertrain offer," he said.

"The market is highly dynamic: the electric market this year is really going through the roof, and we see a lot of demand coming depending on certain stimulus measures, but also we feel that with the current global situation people seem to value a bit more the independence [that comes with] fossil sources of energy."

Estate version of newly facelifted family car arrives with plug-in hybrid powertrain

Huettl said that no final decision had been reached on specific types of powertrain: "We don't have to make it yet. We'll make it in due time."

Stellantis has confirmed that STLA One will be equipped with LFP battery technology and 800V charging hardware, which means the next Astra EV is likely to offer a far greater range than the current one, which uses an adapted version of the CMP combustion car platform.

Vauxhall had previously been planning to resurrect the long-defunct Manta badge for a segment-straddling crossover flagship offering a choice of powertrains but put the project on ice in light of uncertainties in the car market. 

Based on the revealed details, the new Astra would seem to neatly fill the gap left by that cancellation, but Huettl emphasised that it's a separate programme rather than a rebranding. 

"The new Astra will be a new Astra," he said. "It will deliver the values and the product proprieties that our customers look for, which means a high level of practicality, loading space, long-distance driving comfort and all of that."

"There's absolutely no link" to the Manta programme, he added, and that model is "not something that today is part of our development process".

Instead, Opel-Vauxhall is well advanced on the next-generation electric Corsa, which will share the STLA One platform with the larger Astra and is likely to be sold alongside an updated version of today's hybrid Corsa; and a new mid-sized SUV based on a platform supplied by Stellantis's Chinese joint venture partner Leapmotor, due in 2028.

It's a question put to me in an interview recently, to which a previous interviewee had said that, in times gone by (maybe even now), only the British would be barmy enough to stand in a small, cold shed and decide that a world-class small sports or racing car might roll out of the doorway.

I think there's a bit more to it than that, and that in creating what is today a world-leading array of companies, from niche sports car or component makers employing a handful of people to top-level racing conglomerates (10 of the 11 Formula 1 teams have their headquarters or significant operations in Britain), opportunities played their part too.

Weather is one of those opportunities. It's not so cold here in winter that standing in a shed with a little heater in the corner is beyond us; if it snowed consistently for six months of the year, we would go skiing. And it's not so warm that in summer you can't stand or drive around a disused airfield without melting; if it were, we would nap more.

Then there are those airfields. Since an Australian friend of mine once noted that "you guys are obsessed with the war" and I thought she might have had a point, I'm wary about how often I bring it up. But when it comes to the question 'what makes Britain a leading car racing nation?', World War II is impossible to ignore. Britain liked motorsport and sports cars before 1939, but it was afterwards that our global dominance became really established, because the war left plenty of facilities for use.

Pick a British race circuit or test track and I'd say there is as good a chance as not that it was once a wartime RAF base, later turned into a motorsport centre. As the launch site for the liberation of Europe, Britain had dozens of airfields which, when later disused, had inviting runways and perimeter roads.

In 2020, I wrote a feature about former RAF bases that could have become race circuits but didn't - and barely scratched the surface of it. In the late '40s, it wasn't always easy to get ministry permission to go racing but airfield perimeter roads and runways weren't in short supply.

When prospective racers first arrived at RAF Silverstone in 1947, having gained the land-owning farmer's permission for a weekend race meet, a man from the Air Ministry, which still technically ran the place, came and turfed them off. They quickly arranged to go to nearby Towcester race course instead, but within touching distance they could have also tried their luck at RAFs Bicester, Finmere, Upper Heyford, Croughton and more - and since then, three of those have hosted car testing. The racers returned to Silverstone - permission in hand - in 1948, and by 1950 it was hosting an F1 grand prix.

Post-war, aluminium was also plentiful, with an excess of it from scrap military aircraft (and a steel shortage) the primary reason that the Land Rover was developed with an aluminium body. Being light, available and easy to manipulate with hand tools, aluminium was the perfect material to introduce to a shed and plonk on top of, say, an Austin 7 chassis.

And yes, the Austin 7: let's not understate its importance either. It popularised motoring in the '20s and '30s and was winning races even then. As early as 1939, the 750 Motor Club was established "to promote sporting use of the Austin 7".

Being small, cheap, light and built in large numbers, there was ample supply of its simple, A-shaped chassis. It's what Lotus founder Colin Chapman first used to make racing specials (without the Austin, there would today be no Caterham). And 7 Specials are still a big part of the '750' scene today. I've had as much fun racing a 7 as I have anything, and many of the biggest names in motorsport history cut their teeth on 7s.

Just barmy people in sheds, then? Maybe, but you can find those the world over. Every species needs a habitat in which to thrive - and for the fast car enthusiast, Britain has had plenty of it.

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The new seven-seater – which Autocar has driven as a prototype (below) – will use an extended version of the MEB platform that underpins the smaller Enyaq and Elroq, and face off with the likes of the Peugeot E-5008 and Mercedes GLB Electric.

New sketches released by the brand show how the big SUV will be defined by Skoda's minimalist new Modern Solid design language, which was first deployed in its entirety on the little Epiq crossover.

Headline features include the distinctive 'tech deck' grille motif at the front, the T-shaped LED light clusters, thick D-pillars and what Skoda calls a "volcano-shaped" front bumper. 

Karl Neuhold, who led the exterior design, said: "In designing the exterior of the Skoda Peaq, we consistently applied the Modern Solid design language, combining clean lines, balanced proportions and distinctive elements. 

"Precisely sculpted surfaces and clearly structured details create a confident, timeless presence, while signature features such as the T-shaped headlights and Tech-Deck Face express Škoda’s identity in a new electric era.”

Skoda will reveal the Peaq at a dedicated event in south-eastern France on 23 June, before a market launch after summer. 

Who doesn’t love a literally named car? Smart Fortwo, Hyundai Coupe… erm, Toyota (M)id-Engined, (R)ear-wheel-drive (2)-seater? There’s a lot to be said for a consumer product that just does what it says on the tin and doesn’t have over-blown aspirations of universal applicability, so you immediately know what it is.

Here’s another good example: the new Skoda Peaq - so called, obviously, because it’s the largest, plushest and most expensive car the Czech firm has yet made (and not, as some thought, as a contrived phonetic tribute to the late VW Group supremo Ferdinand Piech). It’s a characteristically no-nonsense approach to model designation that’s in keeping with the brand’s ‘Simply Clever’ ethos - even if, slightly confusingly, it’s launching at the same time as a much smaller crossover called the Epiq - a name with similarly superlative connotations. And where does Superb fit into that? Maybe ‘Good’, ‘Gooder’ and ‘Goodest’ would’ve been cleaner.

Anyway, the Peaq will be unwrapped in summer as the fourth entrant into Skoda’s swelling family of pure-electric models. At 4.9m long, it’s around 250mm longer than the Enyaq, Skoda’s current EV flagship, and 110mm longer than the combustion-engined Kodiaq, to which it will basically serve as the electric equivalent - complete with seven seats. 

The heavy camouflage of our test car leaves a lot to the imagination, but the finished product won't be too far removed from the Vision 7S concept which previewed it – and Skoda’s new ‘Modern Solid’ design language – in 2023. You can see the bold new T-shaped light clusters, for a start, and the Peaq will follow the Epiq in wearing the striking ‘Tech Deck’ motif on its front end.

The Peaq rides on the same VW Group MEB platform that underpins Skoda’s other EVs - albeit with a bit more metal between the axles. My test car had a single 282bhp motor on the rear axle and an 86kWh battery which claims more than 380 miles of range, and can charge at up to 195kW. This battery will also power the 90X twin-motor range-topper, with 295bhp, while the lower-powered ‘60’ entry version will use a smaller, slower-charging 59kWh battery and a single 201bhp motor. Expect prices to range between £50,000 and £60,000 - in line with toppier versions of the Kodiaq, and significantly undercutting the likes of the Kia EV9, Volvo EX90 and Hyundai Ioniq 9. 

Probed on the possibility of a hot vRS version, product bosses would only grin and tell us that “anything is possible” - so expect that to follow closely behind the standard car.

So far, so familiar - but aside from being its biggest model yet, the Peaq does introduce a number of significant firsts to the Skoda range: there’s a one-pedal driving mode, vehicle-to-load charging functionality, an electrochromatic panoramic roof, a pair of magnetic phone chargers, a Relax package with a reclining seat and fold-out table, a jazzy Sonos sound system, and the door handles are electrically retractable (don’t worry, they have a hammer function to bash themselves out when frozen, and will deploy automatically in the event of a crash). 

The 13.6in touchscreen is vertically oriented for the first time, as well, which Skoda says allows for clearer segmentation of content: you can have the map or camera views at the top, in your line of sight, and the buttons at the bottom, so you can reach them easily without lifting your arm from the sliding centre armrest - which does feel much more natural and gives you a better chance of jabbing the icon you were aiming for. 

Otherwise, though, the crisp graphics and logical menu structures are all familiar from other Skoda models, so broadly speaking the upright screen makes little difference to how you interact with the car while moving, the only real negative being that installing the screen this way meant there wasn’t enough space for the neat, clicky Smart Dials from the Superb and Kodiaq. 

A 170mm increase in wheelbase and flatter floor translates to a tangibly roomier cabin than that of the Kodiaq: Skoda claims 58mm more legroom in the second row and a significant 84mm increase out back. I had to slide the middle row all the way forwards to get comfortable in the rearmost seats, so they’re definitely still off limits for taller passengers, but kids will find them plenty spacious - and there’s still a decent 299 litres of capacity behind them (measured to the roof). That rises to a whopping 935 litres with them folded – slightly up on the Kodiaq – and there’s a 35-litre front boot, too, but that’s best just used for the charge cables. 

On the road, it feels predictably (and pleasingly) like a big Enyaq - which is to say impressively composed, sensibly tuned and surprisingly manoeuvrable. The satisfyingly weighted steering is responsive and quick enough to help mask some of its substantial bulk, even on the tight and highly congested roads around Lake Como, and the 9.9-metre turning circle of this RWD version – smaller than a Golf’s – means you don’t miss the rear-steer systems that are fitted to some more expensive cars of this size. 

It rides as smoothly as its smaller siblings, too; no Peaq will come with air suspension, but even on steel springs and with chunky 20in wheels (you can also have 19s or 21s), it was commendably unfussed by the more challenging sections of our route - if a little boomier inside, perhaps, by dint of its more cavernous cabin.

My test car was equipped with adaptive dampers as part of the Dynamic Chassis Control package, with 14 levels of adjustment ranging between Comfort and Sport, but as tends to be the case with such systems the default middle-ground setting provides the best real-world balance - the sportiest setting being overly twitchy in its reactions and the other extreme a bit too treacly and languid.

As for outright shove, there’s more than enough of it. I didn’t get much beyond 40mph in my time at the wheel, and didn’t have an opportunity to prove the incongruous 7.1sec 0-62mph time, but the Peaq feels decently energetic off the mark - with smooth take-up and a nice, linear acceleration curve that mitigates the tiresome, dizzying head-lolling you sometimes get with generously endowed EVs.

I’d wager this mid-rung powertrain will emerge as the sweet spot in the line-up, with the cheaper version likely to feel a bit short on puff and stamina, and the 4WD variant sacrificing a good chunk of range and refinement for the sake of a few extra bhp and improved rough-road ability.

Skoda cites the Peugeot E-5008 as the only real direct rival for the Peaq, with Europe’s EV seven-seater market otherwise largely composed of high-priced premium options and Chinese newcomers. Much rests on our first exposure to the finished car, which we’ll drive towards the end of the year, but all signs point to this being a real contender for supremacy in a segment that’s still in its early days.

The new models will all sit in the B-and C-segments. They comprise a Bronco-inspired 'multi-energy SUV; a small electric hatchback that could revive the Fiesta name; a crossover that will be built on a Renault platform; and two further plug-in hybrid crossovers that are tipped to be produced in collaboration with Geely.

Ford dominated the UK sales charts for decades with models such as the Fiesta and Focus. But its market share has slumped in recent years, in part due to the decision to axe both of those models and convert its Cologne factory to produce the Explorer and Capri electric SUVs, which are built on a Volkswagen Group platform.

However, Ford has insisted that it remains committed to the European car market and the firm's Europe chief, Jim Baumbick, has declared: "We don't just want to compete. We're here to play to win."

Ford's revamped European strategy includes a major focus on the most popular B-and C-segments, which account for around 80% of sales in the region. All five new models will be between 4.0m and 4.65m long.

The firm's new-look European line-up will be led by a compact SUV that, as first revealed by Autocar, will be part of the global Bronco family, with styling modelled on the hugely successful US-market off-roader.

The new model will be produced from 2028 onwards at Ford's Valencia plant alongside the existing Kuga SUV, with which it is expected to share Ford's C2 platform. The move is part of a plan by Ford, previously outlined to Autocar by company boss Jim Farley, to turn the Bronco from a single off-road model into a global brand.

Baumbick said the new European Bronco would be true to the US model's heritage but would also be "produced in Europe and sized for the European market", adding that "it will be a high-volume model".

The electric hatchback and crossover, also due in 2028, will be produced for Ford by Renault as part of a previously announced partnership between the two firms. They will sit on Renault's RGMP Small platform (formerly Ampr Small), as used by the Renault 5 and Nissan Micra.

However, Ford insists they will be bespoke propositions, with their driving dynamics and rally-inspired styling dictated by Ford.

Baumbick said: "To a customer, it's the things that [you] see, touch and feel that need to be different to make it authentically a Ford.

"Our job is to work with partners to assess the capability, and the bandwidth of the [Renault] platform gives us the variables to inject and differentiate the driving experience for a Ford, so we're not just buying a list of parts.

"This is not a cafeteria style of development. This is making a strategic choice on a world-class set of platforms and partners that then gives us the tools in the toolkit to do what our development teams do best, to use that toolkit to create a different experience. I assure you that you will see a completely different vehicle."

Baumbick declined to comment on whether the new hatchback would revive the Fiesta name and sources at the firm have insisted that a final decision has yet to be made. But he said that "certainly the history and the heritage" of some of Ford's classic model names "is not lost on me".

Ford will also launch what it describes as two "rally-bred crossover models" that will use a multi-energy platform and arrive before the end of 2029. While Baumbick refused to be drawn, it is expected that these will be jointly developed with Chinese giant Geely.

Ford is believed to be in negotiations with Geely to sell part of its Spanish plant to the firm, which owns Volvo and Polestar, and potentially collaborate on platforms.

Baumbick highlighted the importance of strategic partnerships to Ford in giving it the scale and volume required to compete in the European market-but he hinted it could also include Ford producing cars for other firms on its platforms.

The current Puma was launched in 2019 and is offered in petrol and electric forms. Christian Weingärtner, Ford's Europe passenger vehicle boss, told Autocar that the model was "up for renewal" and Ford was considering its future. But he insisted those future plans were "not directly related" to the similarly sized new cars being launched in the coming years.

All five of the new vehicles are claimed by Ford to be 'rally-bred', drawing on its long history of off-road competition. The focus on its off-road heritage reflects a similar strategy Ford has taken with its US line-up in recent years.

Based on the success of the revived Bronco, its more road-biased Bronco Sport sibling and Raptor variants of its pick-ups, the firm has focused on becoming "the Porsche of off-road".

Ford will use its rallying heritage to follow a similar path in Europe, believing that this approach will reinforce its history of producing cars with strong driving dynamics. The company's aim is to ensure that Fords offer superior driving dynamics to rivals, something that the firm became particularly known for in Europe with models such as the Fiesta and Focus, which were honed by dynamics guru Richard Parry-Jones.

Weingärtner told Autocar: "We need to combine the heritage with the future. If you look at the market today, what sets us apart is that we've been here for more than 100 years."

He added that this needed to be reflected in the dynamics of every vehicle Ford produces.

He said: "If the only reason to buy a car is price, then heritage matters not at all-but there are more reasons to buy a car, and this emotional connection people have with Ford matters.

"But heritage alone doesn't sell vehicles: it needs to be a good proposition, and having a sporty car is what people like to drive. We're convinced that, say, having a lot of touchscreens in a car doesn't necessarily make it the best car. Driving dynamics is something Ford has traditionally been really good at, and we'll double down on this."

This doesn't mean that all new Fords will be hardcore rally-infused models, but rather that their handling traits will emphasise fun driving. Weingärtner insisted that Ford would be able to accomplish that on platforms developed by a different company.

"We can't just have that as a marketing slogan. It needs to be injected into the core technical elements of the vehicle," said Weingärtner. "That's what we're going to do with the dampers, suspension and all those kinds of things [so it] will be true to Ford.

"The charging system of an EV platform might not be ours, but that has nothing to do with how a vehicle drives. The driving dynamics, all the things that matter, all the tunable elements and the design that will all be true to Ford."

Ford Pro, the firm's commercial vehicle arm, has long been the main profit driver of its European operations and in the future will push further into developing software-based services enabled by more advanced EVs. But it will expand its product line-up too, including the new Transit City electric van that has been developed with Chinese firm JMC.

Ford will also launch a new Super Duty variant of the Ranger pick-up, which is intended for use by emergency services and the military as well as in heavy-duty industries such as forestry and mining. It can tow up to 4.5 tonnes, has a payload of close to 2.0 tonnes and features beefed-up suspension and extra underbody protection.

Ford has used the Super Duty badge in the US since 1999 for a range of extreme commercial variants of its F-Series pick-ups.

Powered by a twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre engine aided by three electric motors, the mid-engined Nuvolari is the fastest and most powerful production car the German firm has ever produced. 

It features Formula 1-inspired technology including active aerodynamics, a carbonfibre body and a torque vectoring four-wheel drive system.

Due to arrive early next year and limited to 499 units, the Nuvolari is the first car that will go into production showcasing Audi’s new design language, first previewed by last year’s Concept C. 

Revealed in near-production form, Audi claims that the Nuvolari is the "next tangible evidence" of its renewal after the Concept C. 

Döllner added that the supercar “brings together outstanding design and a new speed of innovation with a lot of technical content”.

Serving as the flagship of Audi’s new-era line-up, the Nuvolari is pitched above the R8 that it effectively succeeds in terms of both pricing and ethos.

Similarly to how the two generations of its predecessor (which went out of production in 2024) shared their technical underpinnings with the Lamborghini Gallardo and Hurácan, the Nuvolari shares its powertrain technology with the fellow Volkswagen Group brand’s new Temarario.

Rather than reviving the R8 title, it moves away from Audi’s traditional alphanumeric badging convention and takes it name from Tazio Nuvolari, one of the most successful pre-war grand prix racers, who latterly drove for Audi predecessor Auto Union.

The Nuvolari was developed in around 14 months after being given the green light in March 2025, with that timeline set so that it could be launched in Audi’s first season competing in F1.

Audi’s new technical boss, Rouven Mohr (who joined the brand from Lamborghini, where he oversaw development of the Temarario), said that “our entire team has once again demonstrated its technical expertise, innovative strength and dedication” in making the car.

Mohr told Autocar that the Nuvolari was developed by a “cross-brand team” involving engineers from Audi, its F1 team and Lamborghini.

Audi sends its mid-engined flagship in search of supercar scalps, and largely succeeds - even if rivals like the Porsche 911 Turbo S provide greater driving thrills

Mohr added: “The Concept C was the visualisation of the new design language, but 'Radical Next' can be more than design, it can be product and technology.”

The powertrain is based around the same 4.0-litre V8 used in the Temarario, which on its own offers 789bhp and 538lb ft of torque and can rev up to 10,000rpm.

That is supplemented by three axial flux electric motors, each of which produces 148bhp.

Two of the motors are oil-cooled and mounted on the front axle, delivering up to 1586lb ft. The third motor is mounted between the mid-mounted V8 and the transmission. The motors draw power from a 7.3kWh battery, compared with a 3.8kWh unit in the Temarario.

Total system output is 987bhp, which is notably 80bhp more than the Temerario, despite the individual maximum output of the engine and motors being the same. The increase is due to a bespoke torque map and software and the larger battery.

It’s enough to power the Nuvolari from 0-62mph in 2.6sec – 0.1sec quicker than the Temarario – and onto 124mph in 6.8sec. Its top speed is more than 217mph. 

Mohr said: “The character of the two cars is completely different. If you would drive the car, you would not know that there is a similarity of the powertrain, you would never come on the idea, because this car really drives more from the Audi perspective. It gives you a very direct feeling on being relaxed and fast, but you can be fast like hell. An Audi always has to be stuck on the performance daily-user capability and a very high precision.”

The hybrid powertrain features an advanced torque-vectoring system that is branded as Quattro Predictive Ride. Audi refers to it as the “next generation of all-wheel-drive”. 

It essentially takes data from various sensors, measuring steering angle, acceleration, yaw rate and grip to distribute torque to the wheels as needed. It does this by controlling the front motors and can also utilise the brakes as needed and adjust the active aerodynamics to reduce slip.

There are various drive modes, selected via a steering wheel-mounted dial: E-Hybrid, Balanced, Dynamic, Dynamic+ and Track.

The Nuvolari's energy management system can adapt to driving conditions, grip levels and "driver intent", blending coasting and brake recuperation to optimise energy recovery.

The front motors are responsible for a significant portion of the braking energy on the front axle, and in total up to 0.3g of deceleration can be generated by the electric system alone.

The launch control function also makes used of the stored electric energy to offer maximum acceleration.

The Nuvolari sits on 21in wheels, with Bridgestone Potenza race tyres measuring 255/35 at the front and 325/30 at the rear. 

The brake-by-wire system with carbon-ceramic discs has been designed to blend with the energy recovery functions. There are ten-piston fixed callipers with 420x40mm discs on the front axle and four-piston 410x32mm discs on the rear.

Audi claims the cooling system increases heat dissipation by up to 21% compared with normal carbon-ceramic systems and claims the system can handle deceleration loads on par with an F1 car.

The Nuvolari is built around a spaceframe body and is the first production Audi to feature a carbonfibre exterior, with most components made from carbonfibre reinforced polymer (CFRP), similar to an F1 car.

The various parts are pre-shaped and then cured at high pressure and temperature, a process that is claimed to maximise structural performance while minimising weight.

Certain parts of the car that are exposed to high temperatures use heat-resistant materials.

The exterior bodywork has been honed for aerodynamic performance and includes a front splitter and dramatic rear diffuser. 

Audi F1 drivers Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hülkenberg are said to have produced feedback to fine-tune the aerodynamic development.

Also derived from F1 are the Nuvolari's active aerodynamics, which can balance downforce, drag and aerodynamic balance. The active rear wing has three settings: Closed, Low Downforce (LD) and High Downforce (HD).

There are large front air intakes to aid the cooling of the brakes and boost thermal management of the motors, plus an S-duct (technology previously seen in F1) that adds downforce at high speeds and provides extra cooling for the powertrain.

In Dynamic, Dynamic+ and Track modes, the rear wing operates automatically and will shift to the LD position on straights to boost top speed. There's a manually selectable drag reduction system (DRS) that further lowers the wing. Under braking, the wing will then automatically adjust to HD position; in this mode, the Nuvolari can generate more than 400kg of downforce.

Audi wouldn’t be drawn on the weight of the Nuvolari but, with its carbonfibre body and aluminium frame, it's expected to tip the scales lighter than the 1690kg (dry) Temerario.

Design

Thanks to its short 14-month development time, the Nuvolari will be the first production Audi to feature the new design language being introduced by new styling chief Massimo Frascella.

It therefore gives strong clues as to what to expect from the next generation of the firm's more mainstream models. 

The exterior is largely shaped by the aerodynamics, with an interpretation of the reduced, vertically oriented 'Singleframe' grille previewed by the Concept C - which will be a feature of the next-generation of Audi models. 

The square grille on the Nuvolari is reminiscent of the one featured on the Concept C but features a number of small square elements, which are angled to optimise aerodynamics.

The version of the Nuvolari shown at the launch event was finished in Titanium, Audi's new signature colour, as already seen on its F1 cars and the Concept C. 

Notably, at the rear of the car the Audi rings found on the top of the adjustable rear wing are milled from aluminium and then set flush inside the carbonfibre bodywork.

The interior also showcases the brand’s renewed focus on simplicity, with what it claims is a “driver-centric approach”. The key functions are all placed within the driver’s field of vision.

The colour accents used for various controls are inspired by the Auto Union Type C racer campaigned by Nuvolari in the late 1930s.

The cabin also uses colour to split the cabin into two zones. The front section is finished in darker tones, claimed to aid concentration, while the rear of the interior is finished in a lighter tone called Shadow Dune.

Pricing details for the Nuvolari haven't been made public, but it is expected to start from around £500,000. Deliveries of the 499 examples are due to begin in the first half of next year. 

The M2 xDrive has been revealed ahead of it going on sale in late summer, priced from £74,255 - around £4000 more than the standard rear-driven M2. 

That's also around £12,000 more than its closest comparable rival, the five-cylinder, 4WD Audi RS3 hot hatch; the M2 is now the only mainstream two-door sports coupé on the market, having outlived the Porsche 718 Cayman, Toyota GR Supra, Alpine A110, Jaguar F-Type and Audi TT RS.

It's powered by the same 3.0-litre turbocharged 'S58' straight six as the existing M2 but gains a new pre-chamber combustion process, dubbed M Ignite, which will be rolled out to all M cars from mid-2026 to make them compliant with the new Euro 7 emissions rules.

BMW said this new technology, developed in racing, "significantly reduces fuel consumption under high loads" while maintaining the performance characteristics of the S58: "instantaneous response and linear power development into the higher reaches of the rev range".

It also still offers an "emotionally stirring soundtrack", according to BMW. 

As with the xDrive versions of its bigger M3 and M4 brothers, the all-paw M2 trims the 0-62mph sprint time slightly, from 4.0sec to 3.7sec, and comes equipped with the Active M differential which varies power across the rear axle to improve grip and poise.

BMW said this means it "offers drivers the inimitable M feeling through all four seasons of the year, in almost any road conditions and in all weathers, without any trade-off in performance".

In normal driving, the M2 xDrive still drives its rear wheels exclusively, with the fronts called upon when they can't send any more power to the road.

It can also be locked in two-wheel-drive mode, with the DSC deactivated - which "unlocks a driving experience of remarkable purity".

Whereas the rear-driven M2 can be optioned with a manual gearbox, the M2 xDrive is automatic-only.

Undercutting the rival Cupra Born and Renault Megane, it offers an official range of 300 miles and can be charged at up to 174kW, giving a 30-80% refill time of 17 minutes. 

It sends 215bhp and 177lb ft through its rear wheels for a competitive 0-62mph sprint time of 6.7sec. 

The B05 will be offered in just one trim level, bringing a panoramic sunroof, 19in alloy wheels, electrically adjustable front seats and a 14.6in infotainment touchscreen that controls many key functions.

Autocar has already had an early taste of the B05 in its native China. Our first impressions can be read below:

In China, the Leapmotor B05 electric hatchback is called the Lafa 5 – the only model in the firm’s rapidly growing line-up with a ‘proper’ name. What pressing corporate strategy underpins that decision? Apparently company founder Jangling Zhu thought it sounded nice.

That’s according to Tianshu Xin, CEO of Leapmotor International, the joint venture with Stellantis that distributes the firm’s cars internationally. He says Zhu “wanted something different” because “this car is very sporty and aimed at different customers”.

Disappointingly, the Lafa 5 has been rebranded the B05 for international markets so that it fits more logically into the line-up alongside the similarly sized B10 SUV. Although 'B' is used by Leapmotor for what are traditionally C-segment models, so make of that what you will.

Regardless of its name, a short early taste of the B05 on a Chinese test track suggests Zhu is right that this is a different propositio from the firm’s other models – and one not without some appeal.

Measuring just under 4.5m long with a wheelbase of 2.7m, the B05 sits in classic Volkswagen Golf family hatchback territory – although as an EV with a rear-mounted motor powering the back axle, the Volkswagen ID 3 Neo is a more direct comparison.

But I mention the Golf because there are definite hints of Wolfsburg’s finest in the styling of the B05. No bad thing, I’d say. It’s actually quite pleasant up close and definitely not another generic Chinese offering.

The standard B05 is offered with a range of power outputs and battery sizes, although the UK will only take the most powerful version with the biggest battery. That means it will offer 215bhp of power, yielding a 0-62mph time of 6.7sec, with a 67.1kWh battery giving a range of 300 miles on the WLTP test cycle. Efficiency officially averages 3.91mpkWh and it can be fast charged at up to 170kW. That’s competitive for a car of this class.

The B05 features Leapmotor’s ‘cell-to-chassis’ battery pack, which is integrated into the car’s structure, allowing the cabin to sit a bit lower to the ground than some skateboard-platform EVs.

It has MacPherson suspension struts up front and a multi-link arrangement at the rear, and Leapmotor claims the chassis has been co-tuned with Stellantis to match European expectations.

The B05 also has frameless doors, which are somewhat rare on a car of this class and price point. Leapmotor seems very proud of them, and they do add a touch of class.

Inside, there’s a big 14.6in HD touchscreen and an 8.8in LCD driver display. My test car was in full Chinese spec, and my Mandarin wasn’t good enough to delve through every sub-menu, but through the screen you can set the drive modes (Normal, Eco and Sport) and adjust the brake regen and steering speed.

There aren’t as many buttons as I'd like, although key controls are at least hard-coded to the bottom of the touchscreen. I’d have liked more steering wheel adjustment, especially since the driver display seemed to be mounted unusually close to the wheel.

But it’s otherwise a comfortable place to sit. It’s light, thanks to a panoramic sunroof, and the materials feel hard-wearing, if not exactly premium. There’s plentiful storage, the front and rear seats are comfortable, there’s a 345-litre boot and there's a notable amount of space in both the front and back of the cabin.

My test car featured a few quirks, such as a fold-out tray table on the passenger side of the dashboard, which probably won’t reach the UK.

It’s worth noting the generous kit list is standard. The only option will be a choice of interior colours – and even then the choice will be light or dark grey.

I won’t pretend that a few laps of a short Chinese test track are enough to form any definitive impressions of the B05’s dynamics (or how its ADAS functions might function in the real world), but it’s clear there’s some potential here – if you keep expectations in check.

This isn’t a rocketship EV under acceleration, but it’s responsive enough, and its handling is quite direct. It maintained reasonable composure when trying to corner vigorously, with body roll kept reasonably in check. Over speed bumps and a cobbled section, the ride held up well.

UK pricing is yet to be finalised, but the B10 starts from a shade under £30,000, so you can slot this in below that. Which could make it a tempting prospect as an affordable alternative to the likes of the ID3 Neo, Cupra Born and Renault Megane.

The B05 adds a whiff of dynamism to the Leapmotor formula. It feels unlikely to match class leaders, but stylish design and plenty of kit could make it a tempting budget alternative.

Driving-Fun, one of Europe’s largest track day organisers, plans to continue building existing Westfield models and develop new road and racing models for what it sees as a strong and active body of enthusiasts.

Since its formation in 1982, Westfield is estimated to have put around 16,000 cars on the road.

Its new ownerm Dutch-born Peter Tunissen, founded Driving-Fun from scratch 20 years ago instead of going to university like his friends. Today, his company stages more than 100 track days per year, owns two hotels at the Nürburgring and has its headquarters at a track of its own, Circuit Meppen, located about three hours east of Amsterdam, just over the German border in Lower Saxony.

Circuit Meppen is located the grounds of a former power station, where Driving-Fun already has a 10,000sq ft factory that Tunissen believes will be ideal for the continuing manufacture of Westfield cars and kits, as well as the spare parts that he already knows are urgently needed by existing owners.

Tunissen said his deal extends only to the Westfield side of the failed UK business. The Chesil side, set up to manufacture Porsche 356 replicas, remains unsold, although the UK vendors say “conversations” are currently under way with potential buyers.

Westfield’s former boss, Nigel Trilk, said he knows Driving-Fun and Tunissen well from previous contacts and believes he is “a very positive person with great vision”.

Tunissen made clear that the Westfield acquisition “is definitely not just a routine business decision”. For years he admired the British-built cars’ combination of high performance and affordability and eventually decided to join the Netherlands’ thriving Westfield Cup racing series, which has been popular for decades and, unlike many series, survived the Covid pandemic in a healthy state.

Today, Tunissen uses Westfields for arrive-and-drive customers at Driving-Fun, as well as running more serious race cars. He estimates that there are around 60 race-eligible cars in the Netherlands alone, plus 300 road cars in the country's thriving Westfield Club.

However, he is acutely aware of the concerns of the UK’s much larger Westfield community, spearheaded by its “amazing” Westfield Sports Car Club.

Although it's less than a month since he started discussing a deal, Tunissen is already talking to two Westfield-literate UK businesses and will soon choose one to become the company’s hub in this country.

The ambition, he said, is to make increasingly rare spares freely available as soon as possible and to contain costs that might otherwise become inflated by uncontrolled EU importation costs.

For the future, Tunissen and Driving-Fun intend to have their new manufacturing facility running as soon as possible and to develop the cars along racing lines to suit customers’ well-communicated desires.

The previous owners recognised that too but never quite managed to get a range of well-developed models to market.

Tunissen is likely to benefit from some of that previous product development work, which ran to “several millions” of investment in chassis and engine development.

In the meantime, to signal his ambition and good intentions, Tunissen is planning a Europe-wide Westfield owners’ jamboree at Circuit Meppen on 21-23 August, hoping especially to attract many UK visitors.

He said he will work at top speed in the meantime “to have something good to show our visitors.”

More details will soon be available via a new website, but Tunissen invites all enquirers to contact him via westfieldsportscars@circuitmeppen.com in the meantime.

Westfield was established in 1982 by engineer, racer and Lotus enthusiast Chris Smith, who named both the new business and its cars after his house in Dudley, just west of Birmingham.

He started making fibreglass-bodied, selectively re-engineered versions of the Lotus Seven and Lotus XI but within a few years ran into legal trouble with Caterham, whose owner Graham Nearn had bought rights to the Seven directly from Lotus founder Colin Chapman.

The Westfield Seven’s shape was altered to the court's satisfaction and it became the Westfield SE, the company’s most successful model, which until recently was still in production.

In 2007, Smith sold the Westfield business to Frank Turner, a former director of Lucas Aerospace, who with his son Julian turned it to engineering projects as well as continuing car making.

Under the Turners, Westfield built the famous autonomous passenger pods at Heathrow Airport, then acquired Chesil before hitting the buffers in 2022.

The third British ownership, voluntarily terminated when a key investor recently and abruptly withdrew, lasted only four years before Peter Tunissen's Driving-Fun took over this month.

These systems need to be designed, with roughly equal importance, to help customers make sense of batteries and motors on the one hand and to gently upsell them to the more expensive model on the other. I'm not sure they're succeeding with the former, but they're getting the hang of the latter.

I've written in the past about how it's a struggle to make fast EVs truly appealing. When a normal Audi A5 gets a four-cylinder engine and the S5 gets a V6, you know which one you really want. But when the base Q6 EV is silent and already very fast, why would you pay more for an SQ6 that feels broadly the same but has less range?

One possible solution is to subtly downplay the cheaper one and hope nobody notices and just upgrades. If you value order and mathematical regularity, you might have noticed something odd about the line-up of the new Volvo EX60. It goes P6, P10, P12, which begs the question of what happened to the P8. What Volvo has done is give each one a different-sized battery - something it can easily do by filling the pack with more or fewer cells. Notably, the P6's battery is substantially smaller than the P10's.

Because the P6 only has a single motor and is therefore a bit more efficient than the dual-motor P10, the gap in range isn't huge (380 versus 410 miles), but it definitely exists. This hierarchy gives you a neat range walk, in which each version has both more power and range than the one below it. More is better. So buy the spendy one. Simple. BMW has done something similar with the new iX3, giving the single-motor 40 variant a smaller battery than the dual-motor 50. Which brings us back to the case of the missing P8.

Manufacturers don't tend to comment on future products unless they're backed into a corner or want to soft-launch something, so there's nothing official, but it's easy to see what a P8 would look like: big battery, and single motor for a range of around 450 miles. It would be the EX60 we'd recommend, but I don't actually think Volvo will build it. I suspect the illogical naming is partly to keep the option open just in case but mainly to give people another reason to pony up the extra £3000 and go for the one that's not just two but four Ps better.

This whole thing also makes me wonder how much range a person really needs. Until now, the answer has always been more, because when that 300-mile WLTP range turns into a 200-mile real-world range, and you subtract another 50 for comfort, and have to deal with a patchy charging network, you need all the safety net you can get.

Now that we're seeing 500-mile WLTP ranges, 400kW charging and forests of fast chargers popping up at most service stations, you might well be happy to settle for a bit less. When I'm road testing a car, I tend to do between 500 and 600 miles in the week that I have it. The road test involves draining the battery for the low-charge acceleration run and the charging test, and with really long-range EVs like the iX3, that takes a bit of planning. If you do 50 miles a day, it might not need charging for a whole week.

Of course, the counterpoints are being able to drive to the south of France without inconveniencing yourself and the luxury of being able to stop when and where you want, instead of your lunch break being dictated by your car.

So on reflection, I don't think we've seen the end of the range race. Modern EVs probably have 'enough' range, but 'enough' is tedious, isn't it? It's nice to have a bit more. As batteries get smaller and cheaper, small and affordable cars will really benefit and luxury cars can rekindle the days of 1000-mile diesels.

But what to call them? I look forward to the Volvo EX60 Knight Industries Two Thousand. Actually, that does sound a bit like a printer with delusions of grandeur.

It will go on sale later this year with two bodystyles: a straight-edged SUV and a more rakish Fastback. It's an affordable family crossover "designed for the three regions" Fiat sells in, according to CEO Olivier François: Europe, Latin America and the Middle East and Africa.

It "completes the Panda and Grande Panda families", he said, "but it's a different animal" that is intended to bolster Fiat's "revenue, margins and brand". 

As a bigger sibling to the Grande Panda, it will be built on Stellantis's value-oriented Smart Car platform, which also underpins the similarly positioned Citroën C3 Aircross and Vauxhall Frontera.

The Grizzly is believed to be slightly larger than its siblings, however: Fiat said it's "under 4.5m" long, while the C3 Aircross and Frontera are just under 4.4m long.

It will be offered with the same choice of petrol, hybrid and electric powertrains as the Grande Panda.

The Grizzly forms part of a wave of new Fiat products aimed at bolstering the Italian brand's coverage of the affordable car market and attracting new buyers. 

Also on the way is a new four-seat microcar (pictured below in green) to sit above the Citroën Ami-based Topolino and a new electric city car inspired by the original 1980s Panda.

This new sub-£15k entry EV will be produced at Stellantis's Pomigliano plant in Italy alongside a reborn Citroën 2CV, taking heavy design influence from its 1940s forebear.

Unlike Citroën, Fiat didn't go so far as to preview the design of its new entry EV, but François promised that "the real design is not the revival of an icon, it is literally the next icon".

'The Donald' may favour big V8s, but the first official car of any US president was powered by steam. It seems it was secretary of war William Taft who instigated the government's purchase of two White Pullman tourers in 1907.

"The cars perform countless missions for the Secret Service men and for other government officials at the 'summer capital," reported Autocar. "They have not been out of commission for an hour, despite the fact that the first 'run to the hill' is at 7am and the last at 1am. The machines are now regarded as absolutely indispensable to the expeditious handling of government work."

No wonder Taft kept using them after replacing Theodore Roosevelt – who famously preferred horseback or a train – as president in 1909.

Other world leaders had been driving for a long time by then. You might assume the first would have been Kaiser Wilhelm II, seeing as the car had been invented in Germany, but he considered it a "transitory phenomenon", not buying in until the 1900s.

Actually, one of the first was, maybe surprisingly, the sultan of Turkey, and Abdulhamid II chose a British EV. With a chassis by the Acme & Immisch Electric Works of London, his dogcart could average 5-6mph for three or four hours.

Several Indian maharajas were also early adopters of motoring although Waghji Rawaji II of Morvi's enthusiasm got the better of him when, on a tour of British industry in 1897, he requested to travel at 40mph.

"At Coventry he was taken out on a car, and the driver 'let her drop' down Meriden Hill," we reported, "the speed probably approximating 20-22mph. Long before they reached the bottom, however, his Highness called for some application of the brake, and expressed himself as fully satisfied with speed travelling. What he would have said had the forty miles speed actually been attained we can well imagine."

His contemporary from Tikari was much braver, coming to Britain in 1906 to actually race his Renault at Brooklands and do the Shelsley Walsh hillclimb in his De Dietrich.

Another eminent Asian motorist was the emir of Afghanistan, having been wowed by a Wolseley-Siddeley on a 1907 tour of India. A few years later he ordered £30,000 worth of machinery from the British firm (£3.1m today) after it successfully traversed the fearsome Khyber Pass. Wanting Afghans to drive and maintain his cars, Habibullah Khan sent a large group to Mumbai to learn the nature of this new invention.

His son would inherit his interest – and on a visit to Britain in 1928, he was given a demonstration of Vickers-Armstrong's madcap new cross-country car, which could switch between normal wheels and a tracked tread.

The Tank Museum today labels this concept as "idiotic", being "very uncomfortable and hard to drive", so it's little surprise that Amanullah Khan didn't buy in. Then again, the tsar of Russia had owned something similar many years prior – a Rolls-Royce with a tracked rear and skis under the front wheels. This was kept in service for Vladimir Lenin after the 1917 communist revolution and still survives in a Moscow museum.

Like old Habibullah, Nicholas II was also an admirer of Wolseley: he gave one to a German princess when she married a Greek prince in 1903.

Enjoy full access to the complete Autocar archive at the magazineshop.com

Cars also found early regal favour in Africa: the sultan of Zanzibar had a Daimler from 1901, then emperor Menelik of Ethiopia took the wheel in 1907-perhaps encouraged by his nephew Ras Makonnen, who had been "most highly interested and delighted" with his first car ride when visiting Birmingham in 1902.

Perhaps the keenest ruler of all, though, was Spain's King Alfonso XIII, who we called 'the motoring monarch'. He enjoyed driving his own cars and in 1921 joined the throng surrounding Chitty Bang Bang on race day at Brooklands.

It shouldn't be underestimated how much clout royalty gave a car maker in this period-as shown by a 1913 Mercedes advert in Autocar.

"The world's best car," it declared. "The car which set the fashion to the world. The car of emperors and kings." Sixteen of them were listed beneath, from our Edward VII and Franz Joseph I of Austria to Japan's Taisho and Egypt's Abbas Hilmi II.

The German joined Mini from Designworks, BMW’s Californian design consultancy, in October 2024 but has yet to have an opportunity to make his mark, given how new the British marque’s range is (the Cooper hatchback and Countryman SUV arrived in 2023 and the Aceman crossover a year later). 

In his first meeting with UK media, Hampf told Autocar that “you will see my work in an upcoming LCI” – ‘life cycle impulse’ being the BMW Group’s term for a major model update. 

Hampf said this will be an “important milestone” for the Mini brand, steered by “customer feedback from this generation”. 

Given the line-up is still relatively fresh, it’s likely that a restyled Cooper and Countryman will arrive late next year and a refreshed Aceman in 2028. 

To this end, Hampf also hinted that Mini is working on an off-road-focused variant of one of its existing models, saying: “We’ve witnessed the trend of the outdoor lifestyle and driving out of the city to spend some days in nature. Can our car do this? Certainly, so expect something in that direction.” 

This would most likely be based on the Countryman, given that it’s the only Mini currently available with four-wheel drive and its raised ride height would lend itself naturally to such a “lifestyle” vehicle. 

While Hampf’s initial focus will be on facelifts, he did confirm that work has also begun on the next entirely new generation of Minis, which are expected to arrive in the early 2030s.

Of the Mini brand’s many design signatures, Hampf highlighted proportion as the most important, saying: “You can ask a Brit or a German or an Italian – you can ask a five-year-old – and they will recognise a Mini based on the proportions of the car, especially when it comes to the Cooper.” 

To that end, Hampf committed to the future of the three-door variant, despite all rivals having abandoned this format, saying: “The three-door hatch will always be our anchor and it will always be the product that we will care for as much as possible. 

“You’ve seen some experimentation with the Countryman’s size, and even the Cooper has grown in size, but that’s not necessarily a design decision: it’s based on regulations, pedestrian safety, sensor technology and the customer’s desire to have [ADAS] functionality in their cars.”

“Mini has the largest portfolio in its history,” said Hampf, pointing to the three-door and five-door Coopers, three-door Convertible, Countryman and Aceman. “That’s good for now. However, you see we’ve always explored how to branch out from the Cooper and offer more.” 

Hampf has gone through Mini’s back catalogue of concept cars to inform any new opportunities, and he said he “loves things like the Urbanaut [MPV] and Rocketman [city car]”, while the Superleggera [roadster] was “super-nice”. 

Nonetheless, “there has to be a business proposition” for any new model that Mini does decide to build, and Hampf asked of the Superleggera: “Is it only for fun?” 

As for the Rocketman, the 2011 vision of a Mini closer in size to the 1959 original, Hampf said: “The size discussion about Mini – growing smaller or bigger and so on – we have every day. 

“You have to see what’s happening in the world: as long as people prefer to buy bigger cars than smaller cars, it can be dangerous for a business to say ‘we’ve watched the micro-mobility market and there are certainly cities like Paris, Madrid or Milan where this works really well’. 

“Quite frankly, I’m 1.9m [6ft 2in] tall. Maybe this is my personal opinion, but a Mini was always good for going out to the market in the morning, driving your kids to school and going to the opera in the evening. Try to do that with some of these concepts.” 

Hampf added: “I can’t do things that aren’t cool. I’m not saying that going smaller is not a possibility, but it has to fit into today’s lifestyle as well.” 

John Cooper Works, Mini’s high-performance sub-brand, is expected to adopt more distinctive styling to further set its cars apart from regular models. Hampf said there is “air to the top” of the JCW range and drew a parallel with the differentiation between BMW’s M Competition and M performance cars, suggesting that a more extreme take on the Cooper-based JCW hot hatch is in the works. 

This won’t be another track-focused GP model, however, suggested Hampf: “We’ve done something right in not only thinking of the GP, which we’ve done in the past.” 

Hampf pointed to Mini’s recent collaboration with fashion brand Deus Ex Machina as “one experiment” regarding the evolution of JCW, with “bigger tyres and bigger spoilers”. It is possible that, given “such positive response” from the public, toned-down versions of the two Deus Ex Machina concept cars (named The Skeg and The Machina) are being primed for production. 

A record 25,630 JCW cars were sold last year, an increase of 59.5% compared with 2024. Mini pointed to the UK, Japan and Australia as instrumental markets. Mini CEO Jean-Philippe Parain recently told Autocar that there are “still some possibilities” to expand the JCW offering, saying that it would push the hot hatches “very strongly”.

The multinational giant recently announced a £52 billion transformation plan that will include 110 new models. The move will involve significant cuts in spending, the use of new, shared platforms and 70% of investment going to four key ‘global’ brands: Fiat, Jeep, Peugeot and Ram.

Stellantis will introduce a new catch-all architecture, STLA One, on which the bulk of those new vehicles will be built, with increasing shared technology. 

Despite that consolidation, European boss Emanuele Cappellano told Autocar that the plan will actually lead to greater differentiation between brands.

“We really don't want to be misunderstood when we talk about what is a global brand, what is a regional brand, which is a specialty brand,” said Cappellano. “We are not ranking the brands in terms of relevance. The point is how we can be smart in terms of capital allocation.

“The main difference between a global brand and the regional and specialty brands is just the timing for the first application of investment.

"So with the STLA One platform for the B- and C-segment, Peugeot is the global brand. That means we are going to invest first in launching a Peugeot-branded model on that new platform, new electric architecture, the STLA Brain [software stack] and new technology like steer-by-wire.

“In the meantime, we're working on the following launches on the same platform, where most of the effort, in terms of capital expenditure, is on diversifying – really diversifying – the models and line-up and not just rebadging.

"So you will have the new Peugeot first and after that you’re have a new Vauxhall that is not a rebadged Peugeot, then an Alfa Romeo, a Jeep or whatever.”

Cappellano said that the investment on each model would go on design first, “because we need to change the design, body type and shape and brand attributes”, along with “all the features that are characteristic for each and every brand".

“What we understood, and this is basically what is the driver of this decision, is that our brands, especially the mainstream brands, are recognised for very specific product attributes," he said. "So we need to enhance those product attributes in the future with investment for that brand.”

Cappellano insisted that STLA One is an entirely new architecture and not a development of the STLA Medium that it effectively replaces, because “the only way to be competitive in BEV is to have a dedicated native-EV platform”.

This comes four years after the British luxury brand introduced its debut EV, which has since surpassed the V12-powered Ghost saloon and Phantom limo to become its second-best-seller, after the Cullinan SUV.

The Series II brings a host of technical advancements that should feature on Rolls' second EV, a Cullinan-style large SUV expected in 2027.

Chief among these is a new battery cell technology, coming courtesy of parent company BMW.

It is said to increase the Spectre's maximum range by 18%, from 329 to 390 miles, and cut charging times by 14%.

The new 'Gen6' cylindrical cells are the same as those fitted to the facelifted BMW i7, where they boost range and charging speeds by a similar amount by virtue of better cooling and greater energy density.

Like the 17, however, the Spectre continues to use a 400V electrical architecture.

Both versions of the Spectre are now more powerful. The standard dual-motor, four-wheel-drive powertrain puts out 593bhp, up from 577bhp, while the more performance-oriented Black Badge edition gains a 21bhp uplift to pump out 671bhp – as much as a Le Mans hypercar.

Torque is up too: in Normal mode, the regular Series II has as much as 749lb ft at its disposal, while the Black Badge can call on a thumping 811lb ft in its Spirited mode.

Equal focus has been placed on expanding the range of personalisation measures that Spectre buyers can apply through Rolls-Royce's increasingly lucrative Bespoke division.

Rolls-Royce Spectre

Rolls-Royce fights the habit of 120 years and launches its first electric car

As well as a new Ethereal Blue factory paint option and striking hand-finished 23in wheels, the Spectre can now be equipped with a "significantly expanded" range of interior trim options and an iced Black exterior package that swaps most of the chrome elements for matt black items.

Rolls-Royce quotes an entry price of £300,000 for the Series II but, because so many are so intricately customised, it's rare that two examples of the Spectre are the same and many cost far more than that. The average Rolls sold in the UK ends up costing more than £500,000. 

Duality twill

New for the Series II is a bamboo-based rayon upholstery embroidered with an 'RR' logo pattern. It can incorporate up to 2.6 million stitches and 10 miles of thread and takes up to 25 hours to put together.

Placed perforation

Buyers can have their leather seats laser-cut to reveal 'unique artworks underneath'. This night sky motif comprises nearly 80,000 individual holes.

Interior panel

LED dashboard display - inspired by the mist of the South Downs in Sussex - has been expanded across the car and now features 8108 individual pixels. There's a new clock too, influenced by 'precision aviation instruments'.

Brindled walnut

'Tiger stripe' veneer is made using wood from non-fruiting walnut trees and eucalyptus fibres. It's sealed with 'a fine powder of glass flakes' for a shimmering effect.

Chief among the design tweaks is the move from the signature quad-light front fascia to a more conventional twin-lamp arrangement.

That makes the new Spur the first Bentley saloon with two headlights since production of the S2 ended 64 years ago. 

Meanwhile, the small vent on the front wings has been removed and the boot now has smoother surfacing.

The S variant returns with a plug-in-hybrid powertrain that combines a twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine with a single electric motor for 671bhp and 686lb ft of torque.

This is delivered to all four wheels through an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox and an electronic limited-slip differential.

This allows the 2.5-tonne limousine to complete the 0-62mph sprint in 3.6sec, before topping out at 191mph.

The S also receives the active anti-roll bars and dampers used by the hardcore Speed and extra-luxurious Mulliner models, said to have been tweaked to “deliver maximum sporting appeal”. 

Alongside the new look, the Flying Spur gains the Naim for Mulliner sound system that was developed for the limited-run Bentley Batur – an option that costs £25,000 before taxes.

Order books for the new Flying Spur are open now, with customer deliveries due to begin between October and December this year.

Traditionally, a REx is a type of series hybrid, which means the electric motor turns the road wheels and the engine works as a generator, charging the battery.

Modern REx engines are small, light and tuned for high efficiency, and they run at a constant speed when the battery needs charging.

A REx has something in common with a PHEV in that both can be plugged in to charge the battery and run in pure-electric mode.

The main difference is that with a PHEV, both the engine and the motor are used to turn the wheels.

Both PHEVs and traditional full hybrids like the Toyota Prius are described as 'parallel hybrids', because the engine and motor can drive the wheels in parallel, ie at the same time.

Like other hybrids, a REx has the disadvantage of being more complex than pure EVs in the sense that they incorporate a mixture of both combustion and electric drivetrains.

Another potential downside is that a REx could go for longer periods with the engine lying dormant – but most are generally started periodically by the car’s electronic systems for a ‘maintenance cycle’.

RExs are ideal in parts of the world where the EV public charging infrastructure is sparse, and they are popular with Chinese manufacturers, which is a powerful incentive to make the technology easily accessible.

A REx's high-voltage battery is a lot smaller and cheaper than that of a pure EV, too, making a turnkey REx drivetrain a cost-effective solution.

Suppliers including Horse Powertrain are now beginning to offer modular REx units, complete with integrated power inverters, which any manufacturer can buy and incorporate into its vehicle range.

Horse, a collaboration between Renault and Geely, is producing a number of REx solutions, including its small, ‘suitcase-sized' C15 unit, which can be installed at the front or rear of an EV platform.

ZF is also starting volume production of modular REx units this year. One example is the eRE+, which operates as a generator but can also be connected to the car's wheels by means of a clutch to give four-wheel drive.

Happening upon a finished Polestar 5 for the first time, the car basking in soft morning light outside a hotel on the outskirts of Marrakesh, is enough to momentarily halt the chitter-chatter. The car's snout, so low and wickedly tapered, has you wondering how it passed pedestrian impact regulations, quite apart from leaving room for the suspension top mounts. It has a menace that arouses some deep, primordial uneasiness, but the effect is spectacular and pure Polestar. An endless wheelbase then separates alloys snug in their arches before the spearish silhouette ends in a Kamm tail that has a whiff of the sci-fi Volkswagen XL1 – an effect enhanced if you opt for the Magnesium matt paint.

The 5 is a striking car – as it would be, having faithfully taken the lead of the show-stopping Precept concept of 2020. But pulling on the aesthetic thread unravels an even more interesting story. How is it that the proportions – beneath which lurks an output of 737bhp, rising to a ludicrous 871bhp in the top-ranking version – are so harmonious, and so unlike anything else in Polestar’s stable?

In the era of cost constraints and engineering rationalisation, the surprising answer is that the 5 has its own platform – one made with bonded sections of extruded aluminium in the Lotus spirit. It’s a curiously artisanal turn for a mainstream manufacturer, especially given that the Polestar Performance Architecture has limited potential to spawn other creations beyond the upcoming 6 roadster. Candidly, the 5 and its ultra-stiff underpinnings are unlikely to generate much profit. Yet it was important for its maker that this car be precisely as imagined, because it will serve as Polestar’s flagship. It’s the manifestation of the brand’s deepest values: electric performance in an elegant, reductive GT package.

It gets more interesting when you learn that, while production will be split between Polestar parent company Geely’s Chongqing and Wuhan plants in China, the development was undertaken largely at Horiba MIRA near Nuneaton by a 500-strong team of mostly British engineers.

The harsh reality is that many of those engineers, plenty of whom have decorated careers with stints at Lotus and McLaren, are now out of a job. Polestar quickly disbanded the facility at the end of the 5’s five-year development cycle. There’s no plan for another such project – not when Polestar already has Geely’s CMA, SPA2 and SEA platforms to use (as it has done for the 2, 3 and 4 respectively). The company is if anything spoiled for choice, which makes its decision to construct the 5 on a bespoke sporting platform both highly laudable and a bit bewildering.

With Lotus Elise-style construction, a super-thin battery and little chassis electrickery, this could be a purist’s Porsche Taycan

Prices start at £89,500 for the 737bhp Dual Motor model, for which you get an 800V electrical architecture, four-wheel drive, a 0-62mph time of 3.8sec and 421 miles of WLTP-rated range. Above that sits the Performance with 871bhp, a 0-62mph time of 3.1sec and 346 miles of range. Both cars use a slim, 112kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt battery, an in-house-developed rear motor capable of 600bhp or so and another motor from ZF on the front axle. An RWD variant is potentially in the works, though its purpose would be to lower the entry cost to the range, rather than to be a driver-centric special.

Neither model features rear-wheel steering, active anti-roll bars or air springs – common currency in modern super-saloon circles. In fact, the Dual Motor version uses passive dampers; you need to spend £15,000 or so more on the Performance to have three-mode magnetorheological technology. With perfect weight distribution, a low centre of gravity and the geometries for the double-wishbone suspension devised for the 5 and the 5 alone, Polestar says hefty additional technologies were surplus to requirements.

Whether a car some 5.1 metres in length, weighing in at exactly 2500kg and with a truly alarming turn of pace might have benefited from some of those chassis toys is something we will get to – but before that, the cabin.

Courtesy of the 5 having a wheelbase only 5% shorter than that of a BMW 7 Series, this is a vast, limousine-like space with rear leg room notably better than what you will find in a Porsche Taycan. Neither the hulking depth of the shell backs for the impressive front seats nor the controversial lack of a rear window can diminish the sense of space – or light, which floods in through the full-length glass roof. The beltline and scuttle are also well drawn, the 5 ensconcing its occupants in traditional GT style without feeling intimidating from behind the neat steering wheel, which can be positioned just so for most drivers.

Only when you come to adjust the position of the contoured, old-school helm do habitual Polestar issues temper the positive vibes. You have to make this adjustment using a combination of the pin-sharp central touchscreen and unlabelled haptic controls on the steering wheel spokes. It’s the same for the mirrors, and numerous other major controls are accessed solely via the screen. Polestar executives are by now visibly weary of explaining that they’re aware the situation isn’t ideal and the next generation of cars will be better. But for now, the lack of quick access to major controls blights the 5’s otherwise lavishly wrought and ergonomically sound cockpit – notwithstanding the puzzling absence of a glovebox.

Competence in the GT class also means the ability to carry luggage, and the 5 is strong enough in this respect. The boot floor is high but space is good if not overly generous at 365 litres (Taycan 407 litres, BMW M5 446 litres). The sculpted rear seatbacks also fold forward almost flat, unlocking capacity fit for a tip run (as if you'd endanger the soft Bridge of Weir leather). There’s another cavity in the frunk, albeit a shallow one best reserved for dirty charging cables. Charging, by the way, is at up to 350kW, meaning 10-80% in 22 minutes, although only 11kW is possible from an AC supply.

The reason we’re in Morocco is that, to show off the 5’s capability, Polestar marketers wanted to drive a car from Gothenburg to the edge of the Sahara. Autocar was invited along for the final leg from Marrakesh to Ouarzazate, and it’s a fortuitous allocation, because the roads out here are varied and present similar challenges to those back home. We spent most of our time in the Dual Motor – so how good is it?

Any luxury four-seater with a power output close to that of an Aventador SVJ is going to make headlines with its performance and, yes, the speed is monumental. Not that you’re under pressure to deploy it. Tip-in response is neat but unhurried in the default map. It can be sharpened up a touch if you like, but the 5 has an ever-easy manner and plenty of travel in the accelerator pedal. It won’t snap your neck unawares.

If you do floor it, as you will at least once, the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 EV tyres on the Dual Motor bear the brunt of the car’s torque – a 599lb ft thunderstrike – well. However, there is an ever-present and unsurprising feeling that the chassis electronics are the arbiter of what really reaches the wheels in those incipient moments of thrust. It’s not usually a problem, but the tuning is on occasion a bit of a blunt instrument, joylessly pegging you back. As usual with Polestar, you can’t fully deactivate the stability or traction control systems.

There are then three modes for the regenerative braking – a good spread that includes coasting. Alas, you cycle through these not with paddles but via shortcuts on the touchscreen – next to other too-small icons that deactivate the lane keeping assist and speed limit bong. Pedal feel for the four-piston Brembos is unproblematic, neither swelling nor sapping confidence but simply allowing you to shed speed quickly and consistently.

So the 5 is rapid rapid but far from roguish. Of more interest is the interplay between its excellent steering, unusually long wheelbase and passive damping control. Together these elements result in enjoyably transparent handling of real breadth and class. The 5 changes direction keenly and establishes mid-corner balance quickly. The body is kept in close control while avoiding undue sportiness and always retaining rough-road suppleness.

The steering is then at its best in its lightest of the three maps, when it’s linear and lightly elasticated but with a firm, reassuring core in the motion. It’s less rich in feedback than the helm of a Taycan but more carefree and inviting of fingertip control and, without wanting to over-egg the 2.5-tonne pudding, just a little bit Lotus. Very few cars of this size and heft can find such an undemanding and pedigree-feeling flow.

The Performance variant, on the three-mode Magneride dampers, is just a little less cohesive, although this could partly be due to our car’s optional 22in forged wheels. An ample 21in is standard and we wouldn’t advise against opting for the 20in design.

The huge wheelbase that provides so much directional stability, and lays the ground for an unflustered ride on almost any surface you might throw the car over, also prevents the 5 from being truly entertaining if ever the desire takes hold. This chassis doesn’t invite you to have the back axle teetering on the brink of rotation on a trailing brake, as any flavour of Taycan will. And without rear-wheel steering, the 5 does require babying around tighter corners (this is relative, note: the 5 will feel devastatingly agile compared with any V8 super-saloon of just one or two generations ago).

On fast corner exits, the lack of a limited-slip differential as well as Polestar’s stability-minded set-up, which enlists the front axle early and generously, inhibits genuine poise and fun. But these are niche traits desired only by mad enthusiasts, who should still consider a Taycan first.

For everyone else (95% of people in the market), the 5 deserves its moment in the limelight. Here is a daily-usable performance saloon with supercar pace and a lovely, spacious cabin, built on a bespoke aluminium platform, with looks to stop traffic, for less than six figures. Be assured that its frustrations will irk at this price; Polestar knows it needs to course correct on some of its control interfaces. But in a world where it would have been all too easy to leave the 5 as a rakish concept in the Gothenburg archives, we should celebrate the fact that Polestar actually made it, and made it well.

Polestar 5 Dual Motor Launch Edition

Price £89,500 Engine Two permanent magnet synchronous motors Power 737bhp Torque 599lb ft Gearbox 1-spd reduction gear, 4WD Kerb weight 2500kg 0-62mph 3.8sec Top speed 155mph Battery 112kWh (total) Range, economy 421 miles, 3.5mpkWh CO2, tax band 0g/km, 4% Rivals Lotus Eletre 600, Porsche Taycan 4S

A saloon is all well and good but the SUV is now king, so that’s what we have here. On the same underpinnings as the CLA comes the new Mercedes-Benz GLB. It takes over from both the old piston GLB and its electric EQB sibling. It launches as an EV, but hybrid versions will follow soon. Like its predecessors, the GLB is slightly unusual for a car of this size in offering seven seats. In a market flooded with coupé-aping SUVs, that could give it really distinguishing utility.

In launching the super-aerodynamic CLA first, Mercedes has set an impossibly high standard for the GLB, because the CLA impressed us with its Tesla-chasing efficiency and its mature, balanced ride and handling. Those key strengths will be necessarily diminished in the GLB as a result of being a taller, heavier SUV.

However, if it can maintain enough of those qualities, while adding a useful dose of family-friendly practicality, the GLB could be another winner for Mercedes.

Like the previous generation, the new GLB is part of a set of compact Mercedes, together with the CLA saloon and the upcoming GLA crossover. All of them use the new MMA platform, which stands for Mercedes Modular Architecture rather than anything fighty. The modular part refers to the fact that it can accommodate both electric and petrol-hybrid powertrains. It is designed as an EV first, hence why the petrol engines are limited to a couple of variations of the same transversely mounted 1.5-litre four-cylinder. The bigger GLC will keep its ICE and EV versions separate, because to have more powerful, longitudinal engines would involve too much of a compromise.

Keeping the focus on the electric version, all GLBs in the UK have the same 85kWh (usable) NMC battery. A GLB 200 with a smaller battery exists but won’t be offered here. There’s a choice of the single-motor GLB 250+ or the dual-motor GLB 350 4Matic. Both have their main 268bhp drive motor on the rear axle – a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) with a two-speed gearbox. The 350 4Matic adds another 80bhp PMSM on the front axle with a disconnect clutch to stop it creating drag when not in use.

The front luggage compartment is a usefully square shape with 127 litres of capacity, so you can use it for more than just storing the charge cables. Opening it requires pulling a lever in the interior.Matt SaundersRoad test editor

As is expected of a new premium EV, the GLB has 800V electricals for improved efficiency and fast charging (up to 320kW). As standard, it’s not compatible with 400V charging stations (such as Tesla Superchargers), but a converter is available as an option from launch. Note that, even then, DC charging speed on a 400V charger is limited to 100kW.

Suspension is fairly conventional, with struts in the front and a multi-link in the rear. All versions ride on steel coil springs, but high-end versions (AMG Line Premium and Premium Plus trims) come with adaptive dampers.

In the UK, the GLB always comes with seven seats – the five-seat version that trades the third row for extra underfloor boot space isn’t offered here. At just 4728mm in length, the GLB is one of the shortest seven-seat SUVs around. Even the Peugeot e-5008 is a bit longer (4790mm), whereas the Kia EV9 is a size up at 5015mm. At barely more than two metres across, the GLB is narrow too: 2028mm compares with 2108mm for the e-5008 and 2270mm for the EV9. That should make it unusually wieldy but doesn’t bode well for interior space.

Fortunately, EV architectures open up possibilities to utilise a car’s footprint very effectively. With no engine to package and a simpler drivetrain, there is useful interior space to be won, but it’s an art that car manufacturers are only just starting to get to grips with.

Mercedes has done well here, because the GLB offers the same sort of leg room in the second and third rows as the much larger Kia EV9. Because the sliding and reclining second row in such cars introduces so much variability, this is quite hard to measure, but we were surprised how accommodating the third row is in the GLB. With the second row slid forwards just a bit, even tall adults are able to sit in the rearmost seats with some degree of comfort.

Mercedes still needs to work on interior quality, because this centre air vent pod will flex if your knee leans on it, and our car wasn’t free of squeaks and rattles.Illya VerpraetRoad Tester

What helps a lot in this respect is how the seats relate to the floor. While in some EVs it can feel as if the battery is taking up a substantial proportion of the cabin height, this is not the case here. The front seats are raised on plinths, which keeps plenty of space free underneath for the second-row occupants’ feet, without making the driving position feel artificially high.

The second row also feels set adequately high to give passengers a natural seating position without affecting head room (950mm under the headliner, 1020mm if sitting further forward, under the glass roof). The relative narrowness of the cabin means it doesn’t feel quite as spacious as some, but a decently large glass area stops you from feeling hemmed in.

The third row is always a compromise in cars like these, and while in the GLB the seats are only 250mm off the floor, the cushions are sculpted to still offer some thigh support. There are Isofix points for child seats.

Sliding, tilting and stowing the second and third rows of seats is all done manually. While the lack of electrical adjustment may not sound very premium, we prefer it this way because it’s quicker. Everything is sprung in such a way that doesn’t need much muscle to move it about.

Where the GLB clearly has to concede to the EV9 in terms of space is with the boot. With all three rows up, the boot area becomes very short, with plenty of intrusion from the tops of the seatbacks. Fortunately the frunk is a useful 127 litres, though opening it requires pulling a lever.

This isn’t a seven-seater with lots of amenities, though. You will look fruitlessly for tray tables or clever storage boxes. The second row gets a pair of air vents and USB ports; the third row lacks even those.

All the way up front, the GLB is essentially a taller CLA. The seats are softer than usual in Mercedes, but are generally comfortable, with good support, although we have two gripes. The first is that the range of cushion angle adjustment is quite limited; the other is that adjustments are generally not as easy as they should be. There are basic electric controls on the door, but lumbar support is buried in the screen, as is the heating.

In general, the screens do a lot of heavy lifting and give the cabin quite a stark appearance; some more physical controls and warm materials wouldn’t go amiss. Fortunately, the screens respond quickly, with clear graphics and logically laid-out menus. The voice control is one of the best around, and the built-in navigation is clear and adaptable. The Burmester hi-fi in our Premium Plus test car produced a full sound.

One other feature that’s reserved for the Premium Plus is the passenger screen. Mercedes says it’s safer in a crash than holding a tablet, but apart from that we fail to see the point of it. You can play basic games on it, but this isn’t particularly ergonomic, and while it will stream media well enough, you obviously can’t take it in the house to finish the movie you started watching during a drive.

What’s a particularly poor piece of design is that the screen is visible from the driver’s seat. Using the monitoring camera for the ADAS, the car will notice if the driver looks over and will pause whatever is on the screen, which is annoying if the passenger is watching something, and doesn’t really solve the distraction issue either.

Our test car was the GLB 250+, the single-motor long-range version that Mercedes reckons will take the majority of sales in the UK. In other words, the same powertrain as in the CLA 250+ we tested last year, but with 187kg of extra weight to lug around. As it happens, a kerb weight of 2216kg on Horiba MIRA’s scales is not a bad result for this size of car. We have not weighed any of its direct, single-motor competitors, but even going by claimed weights, most rivals apart from the seven-seat Tesla Model Y are heavier.

The net result of that extra weight compared with the CLA is creditably slight. Needing 7.2sec to reach 62mph, the GLB is only 0.3sec slower than the CLA. The gap widens with speed, as wind resistance takes hold of the GLB’s bluffer shape. It’s also notable that, unlike the CLA, the GLB lost some performance when the battery was at a low state of charge.

On all GLBs, you can adjust the level of trailing-throttle regen by pushing the column-mounted gear selector forwards and backwards. AMG Line cars add paddles that do the same job. It feels oddly redundant, but it’s nice to have options.Matt SaundersRoad test editor

The GLB posts perfectly respectable numbers for a family car with no sporting ambitions, but it can’t be ignored that the Model Y reaches motorway speeds noticeably sooner and with greater ease – after all, Mercedes is the only marque in this class to employ a two-speed gearbox on the rear axle.

The gearchange is imperceptible most of the time but does manifest itself as a slight hesitation around 60-70mph when accelerating hard. Occasionally, you can also feel it kick down with sudden acceleration. Depending on your viewpoint, you will find it adds some much-needed texture to the EV experience, or that it sullies its purity.

With only 70bhp more, the dual-motor GLB 350 4Matic shouldn’t be viewed as the high-performance model, but having tried it briefly at the GLB’s launch, we can confirm it adds a useful turn of pace, plus the improved traction on slippery surfaces you’ll most likely buy it for.

Overall, drivability is well managed. We would have liked the standard drive mode to have a slightly calmer accelerator, but there is actually an interesting progression to it. Unlike in a Tesla, it’s not entirely immediate, but nor is there an obvious hesitation after you press the pedal, as with many Chinese EVs. Instead, it seems to mimic the build-up of propulsive force you get with a torque-converter automatic gearbox, which is quite pleasing. The brake pedal is nicely progressive, and it’s possible to cycle through various regen modes on the fly, including freewheeling, one-pedal and adaptive modes.

One of the weaknesses of the CLA is its long braking distance in the wet. We speculated that Mercedes fitted tyres that disproportionately favour efficiency over wet performance. Our GLB test car was fitted with Continental EcoContact 7 tyres and performed much better.

It’s something of an Autocar cliché to recommend the version with the fancy suspension and the small wheels – a spec that, no matter the car in question, few people ultimately end up ordering. With the way the GLB range is structured in the UK, you simply can’t have both. Lower trims have smaller wheels and passive suspension, whereas AMG Line Premium and Premium Plus have 20in wheels with adaptive dampers.

The good news is that you can’t go too far wrong. The standard suspension is dubbed ‘comfort’, with a fairly gentle set-up. Our test car had the adaptive option, which feels set up with a similar philosophy, one that’s quite refreshing in the way it lets the suspension breathe over undulations. At the same time, the body doesn’t move any more than is necessary, and the finer isolation of vibrations and secondary impacts is impressive as well. With 64dBA at 70mph, the GLB is a creditably refined cruiser, too.

None of this comes at the expense of handling. Sport mode firms up the suspension for just a little more precision and body control in the corners, but even then the GLB maintains an impressive level of ride comfort. The steering is perfectly progressive, with a gentle, oily-slick feel that transmits a bit of feedback. With the rear axle pushing the car out of the corner, it all makes the GLB a fluid, intuitive car to pilot.

Whereas the CLA has the same wheels and tyres front and rear, the GLB adopts a staggered set-up. Lower-end versions have 215-section tyres in the front and 235 in the back; higher-end ones like our test car have a 235 front and a 255 rear. This means the GLB defaults more readily to understeer than the CLA, and isn’t as keen to neutralise it on the power. That’s obviously not the end of the world in a family-friendly SUV, but the staggered sizes also mean owners won’t be able to rotate the tyres for even wear.

In terms of ADAS, the GLB’s mandatory safety systems are mostly unintrusive and/or easy to disable. The adaptive cruise control is decent, but can occasionally react less than smoothly. To get active active steering assist and automatic lane changes, you need to subscribe to 'MB Drive Assist' after you take delivery. It's £35.90 per month, or £849 for 36 months, which seems rather expensive and inconvenient for something that comes as standard on plenty of Kias.

Prices for the electric GLB start at £46,100 for a GLB 250+ Sport, which isn’t as stripped out as you might expect from an entry-level Mercedes, because you don’t have to pay extra to get heated seats, the big centre screen, the panoramic sunroof or adaptive cruise control. It’s also the only version to get normal door handles, which is surely a benefit rather than a drawback. The flush pop-out ones on our test car were well behaved, but we struggle to see the added value. The base version’s all-black and grey interior does look a bit sombre, though.

Successive trims add more equipment such as keyless entry, AMG styling and privacy glass but, if upgrading, we would only bother with the top AMG Line Premium Plus. At £56,800, it’s some £10k more than the base version, but it does get you the adaptive dampers, matrix LED lights, acoustic glass, heated steering wheel, Burmester stereo and a choice of more luxurious interior trims. For the 350 4Matic, add around £5000.

The only directly comparable car is the Peugeot e-5008, which is a good few thousand pounds cheaper, even in 400-mile long-range guise. At least, it is in cash. Mercedes has fairly attractive finance offers that can make the GLB comparatively very good value, depending on trim. The Kia EV9 is quite a bit more expensive in any case.

Given all the work Mercedes has done on efficiency, we found the GLB a little disappointing in that respect. We saw about 3.3mpkWh in normal use, and while 2.9mpkWh and 4.0mpkWh are decent touring and ‘everyday’ numbers for a car of this kind, they are the same as for the bigger, more powerful BMW iX3 50 xDrive, and far below those for the Tesla Model Y RWD. Holding over 200kW past 50% state of charge, the GLB put in a very strong DC charging performance.

The GLB can’t rely on being a technical showcase the way the CLA could. Its more utilitarian shape means it can’t achieve the same efficiency as the saloon, and the novelty effect of some of the tech and innovations has worn off somewhat.

However, the GLB does successfully take the CLA’s base and adds impressive practicality. It remains compact and wieldy on the road, while offering real seven-seat SUV interior space. The excellent drivability, ride and handling we loved in the CLA also carry over to the GLB and remain a highlight.

Mercedes should continue to work on drivetrain efficiency and try to inject some warmth and quality into the interior. The bottom line is that the GLB is a relatively compact and well-priced EV with the practicality and driving sophistication of a bigger, more expensive car.

As a road tester, Illya drives everything from superminis to supercars, and writes reviews and comparison tests, while also managing the magazine’s Drives section. Much of his time is spent wrangling the data logger and wielding the tape measure to gather the data for Autocar’s in-depth instrumented road tests.

He loves cars that are fun and usable on the road – whether piston-powered or electric – or just cars that are very fit for purpose. When not in test cars, he drives an R53-generation Mini Cooper S or a 1990 BMW 325i Touring.

As Autocar’s chief car tester and reviewer, it’s Matt’s job to ensure the quality, objectivity, relevance and rigour of the entirety of Autocar’s reviews output, as well contributing a great many detailed road tests, group tests and drive reviews himself.

Matt has been an Autocar staffer since the autumn of 2003, and has been lucky enough to work alongside some of the magazine’s best-known writers and contributors over that time. He served as staff writer, features editor, assistant editor and digital editor, before joining the road test desk in 2011.

Since then he’s driven, measured, lap-timed, figured, and reported on cars as varied as the Bugatti Veyron, Rolls-Royce Phantom, Tesla Roadster, Ariel Hipercar, Tata Nano, McLaren Senna, Renault Twizy and Toyota Mirai. Among his wider personal highlights of the job have been covering Sebastien Loeb’s record-breaking run at Pikes Peak in 2013; doing 190mph on derestricted German autobahn in a Brabus Rocket; and driving McLaren’s legendary ‘XP5’ F1 prototype. His own car is a trusty Mazda CX-5.

The upgrade to the full Band 1 grant of £3750, up from the previous Band 2 grant of £1500, means the EV4 in entry-level Air trim now starts at £30,995. It offers 201bhp and a range of 273 miles between charges.

That's £560 less than the equivalent EV3, despite the EV4 being a larger car – and despite the two models being closely related in their technical make-up, sharing batteries and motors.

The EV4 is now cheaper because the EV3 still qualifies only for the lower Band 2 discount of £1500.

That's because it's built in South Korea, whereas the EV4 is built in Slovakia: the ECG takes into account the emissions from the car's supply chain, and shipping the EV3 over from east Asia raises those significantly. 

The fastback version of the EV4, which is likewise imported to the UK from South Korea, doesn't receive the ECG whatsoever, being too expensive at £40,495.

The upgrade in the EV4 hatchback’s banding brings its pricing back into line with key rivals that had already qualified for the full £3750 discount.

These include the Mini Countryman E (priced from £29,555), Citroën ë-C5 Aircross Long Range (from £32,565) and Renault Scenic E-Tech (from £33,245). 

Meanwhile, the smaller Kia EV2 Long Range – which is assembled in Slovakia, using a European-made battery – is expected to be upgraded to the full £3750 grant in due course, cutting its price from £27,995 to £24,245.

Kia UK already offers its own discount of £3750 on the long-range EV2, but that will be replaced by the ECG if this model variant receives approval for Band 1 status.

Korean firm adds a lower-slung electric hatch to its SUV-rich EV line-up

Typically, car manufacturer model codenames mean little to anyone but car manufacturers – but not always.

German car aficionados aren’t alone, for example, in nodding sagely at the casual mention of a W124, a W140, an R107 or, super-keenly, a W198. Some Mercedes-Benzes, it seems, are so legendary that to refer to them by their proper names seems almost to do them an injustice.

The Mercedes-Benz 190E established the modern-day template for the C-ClassMatt PriorEditor-at-large

How Stuttgart would love it if the new W205 C-Class comes to earn that kind of reverence. Assuming that significance gives any clue to overall stature, it certainly should.

Daimler-Benz started making recognisable compact executive saloons in the 1950s, with the four-cylinder W120 series. The seminal moment for the modern C-Class came, though, with the launch of the original C-Class’s immediate predecessor: the 1982 Mercedes 190 and 190E.

This was the W201, and it was followed in 1993 by the W202, which first bore C-Class badging. Mercedes introduced a two-door coupé version alongside regular saloons and estates with the W203 in 2000.

This is the first Merc, however, based on an all-new aluminium/steel hybrid rear-wheel drive platform that’ll be adopted for a whole phalanx of bigger sibling models. From body to chassis to powertrain to interior, it’s a sign of things to come from Mercedes.

There’s plenty riding on it. At the car’s launch, Daimler boss Dieter Zetsche confirmed that, despite the army of smaller, cheaper front-drive models launched of late, the C-Class remains the company’s biggest-selling model. And the Stuttgart firm put its money where its mouth is by investing in creating not only an estate version but also W205 coupés and cabriolets, but there was more to come as Mercedes' AMG division has also launched hot and ballistic versions of the C-Class in the shape of the C 43 and C 63.

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class, launched in 2013, suggested that Merc was rediscovering top form. So is the C-Class destined for greatness?

This generation of C-Class has generally held up well, not being blighted by the rust they have previously been associated with. That said, rattles are commonplace on the interior (which really should have been better screwed together) and the four-cylinder petrols can suffer from turbo and thermostat failure. Both are expensive to rectify. For more information, read our used buying guide. 

‘MRA’ is the new initialism for those amused by the occasional game of platform architecture bingo.

Standing for ‘Modular Rear-drive Architecture’, it was applied first on the C-Class but has gone on to serve underneath many of Mercedes’ bigger rear-drivers as well.

Mercedes has decided that four links are better than three, as far as suspension is concernedMatt SaundersRoad test editor

It allows the car to be about 100kg lighter than its predecessor, model for model, with an underbody constructed of almost 50 per cent aluminium, a lightweight material that’s still rare in compact executive saloons. The car is 95mm longer and 40mm wider, new for old.

The six-speed manual gearboxes fitted to entry-level models are new, and the seven-speed 7G-Tronic Plus auto (which more than 80 per cent of C-Class buyers choose) is kept on.

The range of engines consists of 134bhp 1.6-litre, 168bhp and 201bhp 2.1-litre, four-cylinder turbodiesels in the C 200 d, C 220 d, C 250 d and C 300 h models respectively, and a 181bhp 2.0-litre turbo petrol in the C 200 and C 350 e, while the range will be headed up by the 3.0-litre V6 C 43 and the 4.0-litre V8 C 63. The coupé and cabriolet models come with the same engine range bar the hybrid models and the inclusion of the C 300 - which uses the same 2.0-litre petrol engine but produces a hefty 242bhp.

The C-Class’s suspension is made up of a revised version of the five-link rear set-up that Mercedes has been faithful to for decades, and an all-new multi-link front axle alleged to offer excellent grip and stability.

The new system, similar in type to a conventional double wishbone arrangement, allows for better wheel location under load and higher levels of lateral grip and cornering stability.

The four-link set-up not only accepts both steel and air springs but also allows Mercedes to completely decouple the moving chassis links from the spring strut, which makes for freer axle kinematics and better ride tuning.

The car’s front suspension towers are among the many component parts of the body-in-white that are made of aluminium — cast in one piece for peerless strength, and then bonded, riveted and screwed to the adjacent steel pressings with a layer of glue acting as a barrier to prevent galvanic corrosion.

Over and above which there are four suspension options available: steel springs and ‘selective’ variable-rate dampers in standard Comfort, lowered Sport and even further lowered AMG Sport tunes – and an Airmatic self-levelling air suspension configuration, a first in the segment.

There are five trim levels: SE, Executive Edition, Sport, AMG Line and AMG, while the cabriolet and coupé share the same trims minus the Executive Edition models. However, as seems the craze at the moment, Mercedes will allow you to tweak and alter your car in a similar vein as BMW Individual. Thus, if you want your new C-Class to look and feel sporty inside but appear conservative outside, you can opt for the AMG Line interior with the more subtle SE exterior, or vice versa.

Despite the C-Class’s growth spurt, it still just about fails to offer its market sector’s last word in occupant space. Adults travelling in the car’s back row could be ever so slightly better provided for, particularly on foot space and knee room.

Still, people who buy compact executive saloons probably seldom need enough space for large adults in the back – and if you don’t, this cabin has probably everything that you ever wanted from a junior German saloon.

The only possible demerit is that the space in the rear is a little tight for adultsSteve CropleyEditor-in-chief

On material quality and standard of finish, the Mercedes is breathtakingly good. Among the highlights are shining, stippled metallic air vents and air-con controls, which are the first thing that your gaze alights on.

But they set a standard that the rest of the cabin effortlessly continues. The below-the-line mouldings are every bit as solid and smooth as the more visible plastics.

The minor switches for releasing the bootlid and disabling the rear windows are as classy as the door lock and headlight consoles. Mercedes simply looks to have over-spent its rivals on absolutely everything – and has outperformed the standard set by many full-size, £60k limousines in the process.

Opt for the entry-level SE trim and you'll find 16in alloy wheels, auto wipers, cruise control, a reversing camera and Mercedes' Collision Prevention Assist Plus system fitted as standard, while inside occupants are treated to a 7.0in infotainment system with DAB tuner, multimedia interface and touchpad, and 4-way electrically adjustable front seats.

Upgrade to the fleet-friendly Executive Edition and you get heated front seats, Garmin-powered sat nav, front and rear parking sensors, and 17in alloys, while the Sport models get LED headlights, a lowered suspension, folding and dimming mirrors, and leather sports seats. The range-topping AMG Line specs include, 18in AMG alloy wheels, an aggressive bodykit and sports suspension. 

Those opting for the beefy AMG models also get a bespoke trim for their fire-breathing monsters. The C 43 comes with a bespoke AMG bodykit, brake calipers and details, Artico leather upholstery and red seat belts, while the C 63 comes with a mechanical rear axle differential lock and a Nappa leather upholstery. The range-topping C 63 S comes with much of the same equipment except for 19in alloy wheels, grey seatbelts and AMG performance seats.

The driving position is sound, the seats excellent and the instruments supremely readable. Storage space is discreetly and securely provided in lidded compartments.

The only jarring, superfluous feature is the touch-sensitive pad housed atop the familiar rotary controller for the multimedia set-up, which is about as intuitive as it is effective and necessary.

Ornate speaker grilles betray a C-Class that’s fitted with Mercedes’ 590-watt Burmester surround-sound stereo — a £2270 option once you’ve paid for the necessary Comand Online multimedia set-up as well.

Predictably, it sounds magnificent. But the car’s standard Audio 20 system probably sounds more than decent, benefiting from Merc’s unique FrontBass front bulkhead resonance chambers, as seen on the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and SL before it.

You don’t have to splash out on Comand Online to get Merc’s new touchpad, as it's standard on all models. It works fairly well when recognising letters for the sat-nav but can be hit and miss when skipping tracks on the audio set-up.

Generally, it requires more precision and concentration to operate with your left hand than is advisable when driving. To us, the neighbouring scroll wheel controller is a better input mechanism.

As usual from Mercedes, Bluetooth phone connectivity is easy to operate, call quality is good and the car’s voice recognition system works very well. Excellent attention to detail from Stuttgart, as ever.

The model we’re concentrating on here is the C 220 d, because its likely to be among the more popular choices in the UK.

There are two things of note here: the amount of performance that the 168bhp C 220 d offers, and the manner in which it offers it.

Mercedes really needs to ensure that its new diesel engines are as quiet as possibleMatt PriorEditor-at-large

First things first, then, and the raw performance figures: the C 220 d is marginally slower to 60mph than the (manual, admittedly) BMW 320d Sport that we tested previously. The BMW managed the sprint in 7.7sec to the Merc’s 8.1sec.

Although the fitment of a seven-speed automatic transmission to the variant we tested, which understandably doesn’t have any nonsense like launch control, is a significant factor in that difference, the pattern is repeated in the arguably more relevant 30-70mph through-the-gears time: BMW 7.4sec, Mercedes 8.1sec.

The Mercedes has a slight advantage in fourth gear – 10.5sec versus 10.8sec – but, by and large, the BMW shades it. Still, the C-Class feels perky enough, with its best work done through the mid-range, which is okay because the automatic transmission is reluctant to shift into higher gears too early.

It’s sometimes recalcitrant if you’ve asked it for a downshift into the higher echelons of a lower gear’s rev range, too. Little change there, then, which means that, we suspect, most owners will never trouble the manual override on the auto ’box.

What the gearbox does mean, however, is that the C-Class is a quieter car than the BMW. Actually, it’s quieter even at idle, where its 44dB clatter is 4dB less than the BMW’s, and it’s a couple of decibels quieter at other speeds.

Partly that’s because the auto doesn’t let the revs stray too far out of their comfort zone if it can help it, and partly it’s just because it’s generally more hushed. The ride’s pretty quiet, too, on the Airmatic suspension, but we’ll come to that in a second.

The air-suspended C-Class is the most intriguing of the line-up, but it takes no more than 50 metres to know that this is not a baby Mercedes-Benz S-Class in character. In fact, in those first few miles, it’s difficult to work out quite what it is.

Most of the expected absorbency and isolation of air suspension is there, but at town speeds there is quite a lot of intrusion over sharp surfaces, which thump through to the Mercedes' cabin in a sometimes fairly unpleasant fashion – more so than the usual ‘sproing’ you get with air springs. It’s enough to make you wonder why you’d bother with air at all.

The air-suspended version's flawed ride is at its best on motorways and its worst in townMatt PriorEditor-at-large

It’s not helped by steering that quickens off centre, which is fine, only without any notable increase in steering effort as it twists, which isn’t fine. Combine it all, plus a primary ride that gently lolls, and you’re left with an impression that this isn’t an entirely happy car. It works best at motorway speeds and provides some justification for its existence.

Once on line, though, a C-Class is a pretty relaxed, stable cornerer. The stability control system is fairly deftly tuned, allowing very little slip, and it can be switched off, but this is no great driver’s car and presumably makes little claim to be.

After a little slip, an ‘off’ stability control steps in with heavy hands. The rear-drive architecture offers quite a natural balance, but a BMW 3 Series is more rewarding, consistent and engaging for people like us. The brakes resist fade well, mind. However, it may lack the poise and likeability that the Audi A4 offers.

But the air-suspended model left us sufficiently confused and concerned that we wanted to try some alternatives. The Comfort-suspended Mercedes, on 16-inch rims, gained some pliancy over surface imperfections at the expense of excessive softness.

The steering weights up as it ought to, and although it’s less pliant than the Comfort set-up and less isolated at high speeds than Airmatic, it feels most like a junior executive car should.

It’s hard to avoid the thought that, had Mercedes halved the number of suspension options and doubled the amount of tuning it put into each one, the C-Class would have gained a more competitive chassis.

It’s all good news for prospective owners here. Our market experts expect the C-Class to outperform its rivals on residual values by no small amount if you buy now.

Meantime, although Mercedes is adopting its customary position slightly above equivalent BMW and Audi models on list price, it’s going the extra mile to deliver value for money on equipment.

Newness ensures class-leading residuals for the C-Class; it comes out on top against the likes of the BMW 3-Series and Audi A4Steve SutcliffeEditor-at-large

Starting with SE trim, the C-Class comes with 16in alloy wheels, a reversing camera, cruise control and rain-sensing wipers outside, as well as DAB radio and a 7in infotainment screen inside. An Executive Edition upgrade swaps the alloys for 17in ones, adds active parking assist, heated front seats and Garmin-powered sat-nav.

The Sport trim includes electrically folding door mirrors, LED headlights, sports seats, leather steering wheel and an ambient lighting package, while the AMG line gains 18in AMG alloys, AMG body stying, uprated brakes, sports suspension, and AMG pedals and sports seats inside the cabin.

Our information suggests that the car will be competitive for fleet drivers on contract hire, as well as on CO2-derived benefit-in-kind tax.

On real-world fuel economy, the C 220 d we initially tested gave up a little to an equivalent BMW 320d – but only 10 per cent or so on our touring economy test and less than two per cent overall.

This will easily be a 50mpg car for anyone who cares to drive it with efficiency in mind.

This latest Mercedes C-Class is the embodiment of a growing suspicion in some quarters that rival Audi might be on to something when it comes to prioritising where it spends its development budgets.

Audi could engineer its steering systems and chassis to be more engaging if it wanted to, but it chooses to invest more heavily elsewhere.

The Mercedes isn't as good to drive as a 3-Series, but it does make the BMW appear bit less outstanding overallNic CackettRoad tester

The new Mercedes-Benz C-Class, then, follows this path.

It’s better inside, by a mile, than most of its rivals and is competitive in key areas, but it comes with a chassis that falls well short of the excellence achieved by the class-leading BMW 3 Series and the newest arrival - the Audi A4, seemingly no matter which version you choose.

People keener on spreadsheets than we are have presumably satisfied themselves that this offers the best return on investment.

But although it might keep them happy, and the interior and general ambience will satisfy everybody, those keen on driving will be left a little unfulfilled, and that’s enough to keep the Mercedes-Benz C-Class separated from the class lead by a short head.

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 for Autocar. He has a racing licence, and some malfunctioning classic cars and motorbikes. 

Up until the introduction of the firm’s third showroom model, the controversial new Super Sport Utility Vehicle that this week’s road test is focused on, Ferruccio Lamborghini’s eponymous company had built mainly mid-engined supercars – and in numbers that only began to exceed 2000 units a year earlier this decade. The dark days of 1980s Mimran brothers ownership and of receivership, and the Volkswagen Group’s 1990s resurrection of the company, didn’t seem that long ago.

Bi-polar Urus asks you to suspend your disbelief as it goes from track-guzzling berserker to refined road car, with the practical trappings of an SUV, at one flick of the leverSimon DavisRoad tester

After the Urus, however, Lamborghini has become a different company entirely. The site of the firm’s Bolognese headquarters has doubled in size, and it expects to produce more than 8000 cars in 2019 – enough to comfortably outstrip upstart McLaren’s success, and to finally put it on a level footing with eternal rival Ferrari in global volume terms.

But what might Ferruccio himself have made of the decision to turn to a car like the Urus to finally realise his ambition of getting even with Enzo? Well, by getting into the usual exhaustive detail, we should shortly be in position to make a good educated guess.

The current management certainly seems to approve – much as that should hardly come as a surprise. Chairman and CEO Stefano Domenicali claims it is “a true Lamborghini in terms of design, performance, driving dynamics and emotion… and a perfect fit within the Lamborghini family”.

Time to find out if – and if so, exactly how – a 2.2-tonne SUV built on a shared platform can hope to deliver in those rarefied terms.

Price £167,000 Power 641bhp Torque 627lb ft 0-60mph 3.3sec 30-70mph in fourth 5.1sec Fuel economy 19.0mpg CO2 emissions 335g/km 70-0mph 43.3m

The Urus range at a glance

Lamborghini’s SUV line-up currently comprises of one stand-alone model. As such, there is no need to choose engines or trim levels for your Urus: it’s a 4.0-litre V8 with 641bhp or nowt. That said, the options list is a fairly extensive one: wheel sizes range from 21in to gigantic 23in affairs; there’s a range of gaudy interior upholstery colours to choose from; and there’s plenty of optional carbonfibre panelling. More sensible options include a handsfree tailgate and additional active safety systems.

So far, owners have suggested that the Urus is very reliable - perhaps unsuprising considering it's VW Group siblings also have a good reputation. Nevertheless, the cost of servicing, tyres and insurance will make up for that - it's important to maintain Lamborghini or specialist history and approved tyres for resale value. 

For more things to watch out for, read our used buying guide. 

So does this self-proclaimed ‘super-SUV’ look super enough? On balance, our testers thought so, even if all were in agreement that the Urus is no modern-day LM002 in terms of raw presence.

The silhouette is most similar to that of an Audi Q8 – hitherto comfortably the most striking car of this ilk – though the roofline tapers much more dramatically and is considerably lower in general. The Urus is also wider than many full-size SUVs such as the Range Rover, and its aluminium bodywork wears enough creases and gaping air intakes to remind onlookers that Lamborghini is, above all else, a maker of shamelessly brash supercars.

Door handles seem like an untidy afterthought. Much neater are the doors themselves, which are frameless front and rear. Note also the aggressive glasshouse, which tapers to a point. Very supercar.Matt SaundersRoad test editor

Mechanically, there is less scope for debate: the Urus is unquestionably super, and equipped with a more powerful derivative of the ‘hot-vee’ twin-scroll, twinturbocharged 3996cc V8 found in the Porsche Cayenne Turbo. It is a wildly potent engine, delivering 641bhp and 626lb ft, with the latter arriving as soon as 2250rpm and helping the 2285kg Urus accelerate from rest to 62mph in a claimed 3.6sec and on to a top speed of 190mph.

Downstream sits a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission with lock-up clutch, its lower ratios clustered for maximum performance. Torque is then split between the front and rear axles by a central Torsen differential, delivering 60% rearwards in normal driving but increasing that to as much as 87% when needed.

Meanwhile, in the car’s Neve (snow) and optional Terra (off-road) and Sabbia (sand) driving modes, up to 70% can be delivered to front axle, to maximise traction. There are six modes in total, including Ego, which is borrowed from Lamborghini the Aventador and allows the driver to combine different settings for steering, gearbox and engine response, exhaust note and the suspension. At 13.3:1, the electromechanical steering is also almost supercar-quick.

Elsewhere, the chassis technology on offer is much as you might expect of a product with class-leading aspirations. There is active torque vectoring via the rear differential, and four-wheel steering is said to effectively either shorten or lengthen the wheelbase to the tune of 600mm, depending on cornering speed.

The Urus is also the first Lamborghini to feature active anti-roll bars, and carbon-ceramic brake discs measuring 440mm at the front are standard-fit, gripped by 10-piston calipers. Consequently, the Urus (which wore optional Pirelli P Zero Corsa tyres for our track testing) should stop as well as it goes – which is to say better than a 2.2-tonne SUV has any right to.

The Urus’s interior is comfortable, accommodating, tech-laden and versatile. It has great visibility, a yawning boot with more than 600 litres of storage space, and can carry five adults without a serious squeeze. In fact, it has all of the practical, convenient qualities you’d expect of a big SUV – and which, until this car, you’d have expected to find in a Lamborghini about as much as a flight yoke and rudder pedals.

If the car’s cabin has a failing, it may only be that Sant’Agata has underestimated the sort of detailed material richness that it needed to put into a £160,000 luxury car in order to lure people out of certain rivals and hold onto their deposits. Or perhaps it overestimated the lengths to which it needed to go to make the Urus feel like an authentic, exciting Lamborghini at the expense of other factors.

Parking brake and auto-hold buttons aren’t the only examples of Audi switchgear in the Urus. Perhaps a bit more could have been done to jazz such controls up.Richard LaneDeputy road test editor

You can choose between electric memory sports seats (standard and 12-way adjustable), as fitted to our test car, and more luxurious 18-way-adjustable front chairs as an option. Even the former offer an effective blend of comfort and support, although one tester noted that a little bit more lumbar support wouldn’t have gone amiss.

A thin-spoked, flat-bottomed steering wheel sits in front of a driving position that, though clearly much higher and less recumbent than the Italian firm’s norm, still feels more swept back and sporting than you expect it to. A relatively slim glasshouse, a lowish roofline and ‘fast’ A-pillars also tell you that this isn’t the average utility car. Just in case you miss any of the above, though, the car’s dashboard has the same Lamborghini-trademark hexagonal design motif recurring from its air vents and cupholders to its instrument binnacle – all there just to add supercar flavour.

The variety and sensory appeal of the trim materials to be found on the car’s various consoles could both be slightly better. Our test car’s mix of black leather with piano black and brushed aluminium trim was pleasant enough but little different than you might find on an Audi at half the price. Other material options are available, but Lamborghini clearly doesn’t have the in-house expertise in colour and trim of its sister brand Bentley – and, in this kind of car, you can tell.

That the Urus makes use of what is effectively a reskinned version of Audi’s latest MMI Navigation Plus infotainment system will come as no disappointment to anyone who happens to already own one of Lamborghini’s more ‘traditional’ models.

The Lamborghini Infotainment System III (LIS III) is made up of two high-resolution touchscreens, one positioned directly above the other. The top screen is used to operate the vast majority of the system’s features – think sat-nav, radio, vehicle settings, telephone etc – while the secondary screen predominantly controls the climate settings and a handful of other shortcuts.

While the system might benefit from the same slick software and sharp graphics (albeit in a different style) as the Audi set-up, it also comes with the same pitfalls – namely that a lack of physical buttons can make it a touch tricky to interact with on the move. Still, it’s light years ahead of the system you’ll continue to find Lamborghini in an Aventador.

Defining the style in which you want the Urus to make its way forth means engaging first with the car’s ‘tamburo’ driving mode selector: a slightly plasticky edifice of a lever at the base of the centre stack that, annoyingly, only allows you to cycle through the car’s set menu dynamic calibrations (Strada, Sport, Corsa, Sabbia, Terra and Neve) in one direction.

Select Strada and that 641bhp turbo V8 remains surprisingly muted, the gearbox progressive in its step-off, and the car generally fairly comfortable and refined, and no more imposing to use than many other luxury SUVs. You suspect one key part of the Urus’s dynamic brief was to be the Lamborghini that anyone could drive, and it’s an undeniable success in those terms.

The pure savagery of the way in which the Urus shoots off the line under a full launch control start is something to behold. I don’t mind admitting that it actually made me squeal.Simon DavisRoad tester

Flick down into Sport mode and the ramping up of the car’s control weights and its response rates, of the vocality of its engine, and of the gearbox’s prevailing state of alert are all stark. All of a sudden, the Urus wants you to be excited. And even though the exhaust starts to bellow at twice the volume than it was before, you can’t miss the sheer quantity of digitised V8 warble that’s coming from the car’s door speakers, or the impression that your level of sensory arousal is being manipulated in quite heavy-handed fashion. Moreover, as suited as it may be for service in a heavy SUV, that turbo V8 engine doesn’t quite have the extravagant charismatic swagger to seem perfectly at home in a Lamborghini – with or without the digital modification.

It certainly has the minerals, mind you. The Urus’s accelerative potency is nothing short of staggering. You won’t know whether to laugh or scream when you first witness what 2285kg of jacked-up metal, leather and glass feels like when it rockets to 60mph from rest in a frankly preposterous 3.3sec, and then hits 100mph in less than 8.0sec: more than a second quicker by that latter measure than was the last BMW M5.

Suffice it to say, the Urus is a quite formidable thing to witness in full flight, fully deserving of its ‘super sporting’ description. Given that breathtaking outright performance potential, however, the car’s drivability and tameness in daily use may be an even greater tribute to its creators.

The Urus’s handling character presents itself to you in layers. At first, you’re pleased to find that a car so tall and heavy, with the Urus’s extra-high performance level, grip level and response rate, can be so easy to engage with. Surprisingly light at the wheel in Strada mode but also wieldy-feeling and manoeuvrable, the Urus makes itself very unobtrusive to simply potter about in.

Get up to everyday travelling speeds and you access the next layer of its dynamic identity, where the car surprises every bit as vividly for its fleet of foot and agility as it does for its sheer straight-line grunt. Around tighter bends and junctions, the crisp instinctiveness and keen precision with which you can guide the car really are striking; a step above even what most performance SUVs at lower price points can do.

Out-lapping a lower, lighter Merc-AMG GT63 isn’t a bad way for a fast SUV to impress. Lambo felt as fast through the faster bends, and quicker still down the straights.Matt SaundersRoad test editor

Body control can be adjusted through three particular adaptive damping settings using the dedicated Ego (read custom) driving mode. It’s always impressive for lateral control, so you rarely get the sense that roll will be allowed to figure at all as part of the car’s cornering composure, let alone penalise it. Vertical tautness is quite marked at all times, and makes for ever-present composure on better surfaces, becoming slightly reactive over uneven A- and B-roads – but smoothing out nicely and becoming more fluent as you add a bit of pace and switch to the firmer damping modes.

The last layer of the car’s handling repertoire is only accessible on a track – and preferably one with plenty of room for experimentation. Here you feel as if you have to overdrive the Urus slightly to get peak grip, performance and poise; and, with so many active handling and drivetrain systems in play, you’d be lucky to realise exactly when you were about to ask that bit too much of the tyres or chassis. Here, the Urus feels a bit brutish – and it falls short of the last word in truly absorbing handling balance, adjustability and control feedback.

But just witnessing the sheer pace, grip, cornering stability and handling composure that something so large and heavy can generate will still make your eyes pop out.

It isn’t great at making plain exactly how it’s clinging on so hard – but you do wonder if, with so many active chassis systems in play, clearer communicative facets wouldn’t actually make handling less natural, and the car less drivable overall at the limit of grip, rather than more so.

The standard carbon-ceramic brakes offer good bite and a level of retardation that didn’t deteriorate much during our circuit laps. Grip is evenly distributed and turn-in remarkably sharp, so that you seldom miss an apex on a balanced throttle even at really high pace. Pick up the power early when cornering and there’s only a limited amount that you do to adjust the car’s outbound cornering attitude, though – as well as only a slightly filtered and vague sense of the grip level remaining at each axle.

The Urus adopts a different ride and handling compromise than most fast 4x4s; so much we’ve already described. Few will be surprised to read, then, that it doesn’t have the capacity of an Audi Q7, a Bentley Bentayga or a Range Rover to throw a silken blanket over the road surface, or to take its occupants to a level of on-board luxury they might find in a big car with much less sporting priorities.

As we’ve already detailed, the car’s ride is certainly more than averagely comfortable, even over quite tricky B-road topography. But its clever anti-roll bars, dampers and air springs aren’t clever enough to prevent a little bit of head toss at times – particularly in the softer damper modes, or when you’re perhaps under-utilising the capacity for outright body control that’s bound up in the suspension.

The ride seems a little bit noisier than the luxury SUV norm, owing to those 22in alloy wheels and the relatively firm load pathways through which the vibrations they make can travel up into the cabin.

Interestingly, though, it was a factor that didn’t show on our noise meter – according to which the Urus generates 65dB of cabin noise at 70mph, which is precisely as much as we recorded in both a Bentley Bentayga and an Audi SQ7.

As we’ve discovered, the Urus is unlikely to cause its owners too much anguish in purely practical terms. Even on British roads, rolling refinement is impressive and, rear head room notwithstanding, the sound interior ergonomics are broadly comparable with more mainstream rivals, including the Porsche Cayenne Turbo.

As the world’s fastest SUV, the Urus is also priced quite keenly. Costing around £160,000, it significantly undercuts not only the existing entry point to Lamborghini ownership – the Huracán supercar now costs near enough £200,000 – but also the W12-engined Bentley Bentayga Speed, which is the only SUV of comparable performance and eccentricity. On the other hand, the Cayenne Turbo, which shares much of the Lamborghini’s driveline and chassis hardware (if not quite the same dynamic prowess), costs almost £60,000 less, and the same will likely be true for the upcoming Audi RS Q8.

Residual forecasts appear strong but, with no bona fide rivals, its performance is a mite difficult to gaugeSimon DavisRoad tester

But unusually for a Lamborghini, the Urus also looks set to cling onto its value more doggedly than rivals – notably the Porsche and Bentley, whose respective residual values of 55% and 50% after three years and 36,000 miles can’t touch the 62% managed by the newcomer. The recently announced Coupé version of the Cayenne Turbo is forecast to manage just 48%. In relative terms, it makes the Lamborghini a surprisingly rational purchase.

The Lamborghini Urus was always going to be a car to inspire greater esteem with use. Even so, we weren’t quite prepared for how our regard for the Urus would be transformed by driving it as widely, and as hard, as an Autocar road test allows.

You might not like the idea of this car, and most testers agreed that its particular design would have benefited from a freer and more imaginative hand.

Italy’s latest ‘mostro’ has a driving experience to blow your mindRichard LaneDeputy road test editor

But once you accept that companies such as Lamborghini aren’t to be blamed or scorned for building the cars their customers ask for, you can only really applaud what the Urus does. And, although there could be more really telling bull-brand DNA at this car’s combustive core and perhaps a few more really convincing luxury touches, once you’re fully versed in everything the Urus does, it’s very hard to maintain quite as much circumspection about what it is.

For the affect it has on your notions of how fast and agile an SUV can be, this car is like the original 2002 Porsche Cayenne all over again – just positioned at a higher price point.

Seat recently ended a long drought of new model launches with facelifts for the Ibiza supermini and Arona crossover, the first substantial investments in its line-up since the launch of the fourth-generation Leon in 2020, and will follow up with new mild-hybrid engines for the duo next year. 

However, with the recent retirement of the Ateca and Tarraco SUVs, Seat is down to just three models, all petrol-powered, and has given little indication as to what the future holds, as the company diverts the bulk of resource and investment towards its fast-growing Cupra sibling.

Now, though, CEO Markus Haupt has given Autocar the first clues that the first all-new Seat models in years could be on the horizon, as the company continues to invest in the value-oriented marque.

Asked whether Seat still had a role to play in the context of Cupra’s plans to significantly expand its line-up and become a leading global premium brand, Haupt said: “We cannot imagine our company without Seat. Seat is the heritage of our company and has made history in Spain and other countries. 

“So it’s a very important message: we still are investing in the Seat brand. Next year we will have mild-hybrid versions of [the Ibiza and Arona], and both cars are still running at a very high rate.”

He pointed to the fact that the Ibiza was Spain’s best-selling car in February as testament to the brand’s ongoing popularity and said there was no immediate need to reconsider its viability in the short to medium term.

“When we face up to 2029 and 2030 and CO2 [emissions regulation] becomes harder than today, for sure there will come a point where we need to discuss what the future of this brand can be," he continued. 

"For that, we probably still need to work on the cost of electric car platforms, because today it would be very tough to have a Seat that is able to earn money with the costs we have. 

“Someday the discussion will pop up on what to do with Seat. But until then we have a clear strategy to keep betting on the models we have.”

Asked whether Seat will still be selling new cars in 2035, Haupt said “I hope so”, emphasising the brand’s different positioning from Cupra and the different role it plays globally as a provider of affordable, ICE-powered cars.

“The brand position is completely different, the customer base from both brands is different," he said, "and we cannot forget overseas markets, where electrification is still not as it is in Europe.

“So we are very happy. It’s part of the strategy of what we are doing now. It’s not just a causality. We still bet on both brands very strongly.”

Asked about the prospect of Seat selling a cheaper version of the Cupra Raval electric supermini, perhaps with a shorter range and less equipment, Haupt responded: “We would never do that, because I think we need to keep both brands differentiated. Raval will always be a Cupra, and just de-contenting Cupra cars and making Seats out of them is for sure not the right strategy for us.

Seat Ibiza

Once a superstar in the supermini class, can the elderly Ibiza find a new lease of life?

“I think both brands deserve their own DNA and both brands have to find their own way. So for sure we will not see a Raval with a Seat logo.”

Haupt said all future Cupras will be bespoke, rather than warmed-up versions of Seats, like Cupra's Ateca and Leon were, as part of a push to strengthen the brand’s DNA and carve out a more distinct position in the market.

“If I look back, I think it was a clever move, and we used a good opportunity with the Leon, but also part of the strategy looking to the future is to have a completely different portfolio for both brands. 

“So I don't think we will repeat something like that. It was a good opportunity, and the proof of it is the Cupra Leon is working, and the Seat Leon is working. So we did a good job there, but now it's about keeping both brands truly on their DNA.”

It's been three decades since I last drove a 1970s Rolls Corniche convertible - or the Shadow saloon from which this and the Corniche coupé are derived - yet the spread of the Lady's wings is unforgettable. So is the graceful, strolling motion of the silent '70s suspension beneath us. This is the first in a small series of electrically powered Rolls-Royces from restomod company Halcyon, a Surrey-based start-up that opened its doors three years ago and will busy itself for the next few years restoring and modifying 120 Rolls-Royces from this special era, half electrified and half with their original 6.75-litre pushrod V8 engine still in place.

The project is the brainchild of three young engineers - Matthew Pearson, Charlie Metcalfe and Will Burdett - who met at Bath University, worked together on the university's Formula Student programme and launched themselves after graduation into the modern UK motor industry. For a time they went in different ways, but always kept in touch. "We'd talk about building cars that people like us could get enthusiastic about," says Metcalfe. "We'd been through the Covid era, and it seemed to us that people were too pessimistic about the future of cars, and especially EVs. That led us to the idea of a series of electrified Rolls-Royces. After all, this was a company that had spent a century trying to build powertrains as quiet and refined as electric motors..."

The trio decided Shadow-era Rolls-Royces were right for the job. The cars were perfect for electrification: big enough to carry batteries unobtrusively and for their weight (and weight distribution) in electrified form to parallel the original. With help from early investors they set up business, along the way launching an adjacent company called Evice Technologies to offer the know-how affordably to other small firms. The specific models they alighted on were Shadow 2s (and offshoots) made between 1977 and 1980, because it was a well-developed car by then and there were few engineering changes during those years.

Then they bought an old Shadow and started spending evenings in the workshop getting to know every nut and bolt, and daytimes hatching a business plan. They now have a plan: to restore and electrify 60 Shadows and Corniches (both coupés and convertibles) - plus another 60 V8-powered examples - at an initial rate of six a year, ramping up to 15. The 800V EV powertrain is their own and uses the best proprietary technology. Bodies (Halcyon will accept owners' cars or find donors) will get bare-metal restorations and be rebuilt with a high degree of owner customisation.

After a donor car is found, Halcyon will charge you £450,000 for its restoration and electrical conversion. For a Great Eight (V8) resto, you'll pay £420,000. Clearly, bespoke paint, trim and options cost extra, but against the eye-watering prices seen elsewhere, these ones seem realistic.

The car we encountered was the first finished EV, an elegant metallic blue Corniche convertible with a 400bhp electric motor driving its rear wheels, a battery bank of 77kWh giving 250 miles of range and a charging speed capability of up to 230kW. If you insist, you can have a 500bhp motor, plus a 94kWh battery that increases your range to 300 miles.

The test car's interior was a special picture, combining familiar-looking features - such as twin-dial instrumentation, organ-stop ventilation controls and an original 1970s switch-block - with a beautiful bespoke steering wheel and a lovely hand-crafted metal fascia plate.

I've had no close relationship with EV conversions of classics, but some I've seen harm the car's character and styling. This Halcyon Rolls does the reverse. It has the kind of powertrain Rolls owners love, and its body enhancements only improve the essential character. Most of all, it imbues a 55-year-old Rolls with modern convenience and reliability. That's proper car conservation.

We joined Pearson and Metcalfe to drive a route near Box Hill, Surrey, on roads that are fun but also bumpy and a bit narrow. Would they be okay for a car this big? Interestingly, this Corniche weighs 'only' about 2.2 tonnes, the same as the common- or-garden Ford Capri EV I drove to our location. It's also 8cm narrower. Which is to say it's no longer a big car, just substantial.

Performance and top speed figures are still being arrived at, but 0-62mph could well be in the 7.0sec region - especially since a limited-slip differential, just fitted, has allowed Halcyon to remove an artificial torque limit placed on the car to cull wheelspin on wet roads. The car now gets its full 435lb ft and feels very powerful. But it still has a carefully drawn throttle map, so it glides gently away from standstill, feeling as smooth and quiet as any Rolls ever made.

The steering wheel is smaller in diameter than they used to be, but it's still thin- rimmed for a perfect period feel. I suspect this car will understeer when pressed, like they all used to, but who will drive one hard? The ride is laid-back. The steel wheels have beautiful standard hubcaps and Avon tyres, and the spring and anti-roll bar rates are very relaxed. The one concession to modernity is a set of adaptive dampers.

Mainly this electric Rolls is as easy and smooth as any. Henry Royce would be proud.

Following the launch of the new 308 hatchback and 408 crossover, Peugeot has adjusted pricing for the 208, 2008, 3008 and 5008 to bring its entry points down and make "the brand more accessible to a wider range of customers" in all segments.

The move affects all trim levels and powertrain types, including petrol, plug-in hybrid and electric models.

The most significant saving can be achieved on the e-3008 electric crossover, which with the 73kWh battery and 207bhp motor now costs £36,995 - down from £46,060 previously. 

But that chunky discount brings the crossover below the £37,000 threshold for the Electric Car Grant, for which it is now set to qualify, meaning a further £1500 off to take the final price to £35,495 - for a total reduction of 23%.

Meanwhile, there's another hefty discount of nearly £8000 available on the larger, seven-seat e-5008 with the same drivetrain, which now costs £40,595, down from £48,650.

The reductions mean that more Peugeot models now fall under the threshold for the Expensive Car Supplement (£40k for ICE cars and £50k for EVs), which adds £440 to the annual VED bill in years two to six, making for another overall saving of £2200 over six years. 

Elsewhere, there have been reductions of between £2000 and £3500 on the hybrid versions of the 208, 2008, 3008 and 5008 - and buyers can get up to £5000 and £6000 off certain versions of the e-208 and e-2008, respectively. 

Peugeot's managing director, Nicola Dobson, said: "These changes strengthen Peugeot’s position in the mainstream market by making our range more accessible than ever to both retail and fleet customers. 

"We’re broadening our appeal while continuing to offer the sophisticated design, high-quality interiors, engaging driving experience and innovative technology for which we are known."

The Chinese company – which now has four SUV brands in the UK and could soon add the reborn Freelander as a fifth – will supply platforms and drive hardware for the Japan-focused brand.

Chery holds a share of 27.27% in the Singapore-based business, matching that of Chinese manufacturing group Jiangsu Yueda. Japanese vehicle parts maker Autobacs Seven and Chinese battery firm Gotion hold 18.18% apiece, while Japanese machinery firm Anest has the remaining 9.09%.

The first Emta model is a boxy, 3.4m-long city runaround built to Japan's kei car regulations. As yet unnamed, it will use Chery electric drive technology and a battery from Gotion to compete with local segment leaders including the Honda N-Box, Nissan Sakura, Daihatsu Tanto and Suzuki Hustler.

Precise technical details are unconfirmed, but the Emta kei car is likely to borrow components from Chery's smallest Chinese-market model, the QQ Ice Cream microcar, which has a 27bhp motor on the front axle and claims around 100 miles of range.

Meanwhile, Gotion will supply the batteries, Autobacs will handle the sales operation and Anest will manage quality. 

The cars will initially be built in China by Yueda, which produces Kia models for the Chinese market - and previously the radical HiPhi X crossover for Human Horizons.

Emta's founders have indicated that it could eventually build cars in Japan if its launch is successful.

The kei car will be followed by three more Emta models by 2029: a supermini, a small crossover and an MPV. 

There's no indication of any plans to expand the brand beyond Japan - and CarNewsChina reports that Chery will primarily be a shareholder in the business, rather than playing a leading role in operations and expansion.

Emta will follow Chinese giant BYD in attempting to shake up Japan's highly competitive kei car market, which accounts for a third of the country's car sales and has historically been occupied almost exclusively by local manufacturers.

The BYD Racco was revealed last year – and has been tipped for export to Europe if local regulations on small, affordable EVs make such an endeavour cost-effective. 

When it comes to the transition to electric vehicles, Isuzu would be one of the last brands to come to mind for most drivers. But the fact is that even the most agricultural manufacturers are being squeezed by CO2 emissions targets and EV sales mandates, meaning changes have to be made.

Hence an Isuzu D-Max EV joins the seven-year-old diesel D-Max, which will remain on sale for the foreseeable future.

It swaps the turbocharged 1.9-litre four-cylinder engine for a pair of electric motors, one mounted on each axle.

Combined power and torque are 188bhp and 240lb ft, providing a 0-62mph time of 10.1sec and a top speed of 84mph. 

This D-Max EV is offered solely with a 66.9kWh battery, which produces a meagre range of 163 miles, although that’s still more than Toyota’s upcoming Hilux EV (estimated at 159 miles).

DC charging speeds are poor, at 50kW, but it does have access to 11kW three-phase AC charging, meaning a top-up can complete from empty in six hours.

Given that most farmers and fleets will have access to on-site charging, the lack of rapid charging isn’t much of an issue.

Much of the electric D-Max’s underpinnings, including its chassis, are taken from the diesel. That said, Isuzu has added a bespoke de Dion suspension system, rather than the leaf springs.

The shift to electric power does slightly affect the Japanese pick-up’s off-road capabilities (which we’re yet to test): ground clearance and wading depth are 210mm and 600mm, compared with 230mm and 800mm for the diesel, although its approach and departure angles remain at 30.5deg and 24.2deg.

The inside is largely familiar too. There are heated seats with hard-wearing leather upholstery, robust plastics throughout and useful sockets to power various devices. There’s even a manual handbrake.

The only noticeable differences are the addition of paddle shifters to adjust the regenerative braking strength and a power gauge that displays energy recuperation rather than engine revs.

The cabin also uses an 8.0in touchscreen, paired with a 7.0in digital driver’s display. It looks and feels dated to navigate but does at least feature wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The D-Max EV comes with a suite of safety technology as standard, including adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assistance.

Its ADAS beep and bong a little too frequently, but the driver monitoring system is at least unintrusive and only intervenes when absolutely necessary. 

The D-Max EV comes as a utilityfocused Extended Cab truck, with a 1785mm loadbed, or a more car-like Double Cab with 1520mm of space. I drove the latter version in range-topping eV-Cross trim.

A dual-motor powertrain is standard across the range, with 188bhp and 240lb ft of torque. Isuzu quotes a 0-62mph time of 10.1sec and a top speed of 84mph.

The EV’s smooth, quiet electric motors are a welcome change from the diesel D-Max’s unrefined engine.

While not by any means quick, the EV’s permanent four-wheel drive and instant responsiveness allow it to hit 0-62mph almost 3.0sec faster than the diesel.

We would have liked a little more power from a dual-motor powertrain, but the D-Max EV is certainly capable of easy motorway overtakes and overall carries its weight very competently. 

The D-Max EV is a doddle to drive and place on the road. It lacks the SUV-like handling of the best-in-class Ford Ranger (which doesn't offer electric power), but body control is reasonable enough and there’s plenty of grip in reserve.

As with the diesel D-Max, ride quality at low speeds is fidgety, and the EV feels far bouncier when pushing on with an empty cargo bay. 

Aside from the silent powertrain, it’s all a very standard affair for a pick-up, meaning its on-road abilities are mostly unimpressive but by no means awful in any department.

Its load-lugging abilities draw back some major points: both its payload capacity and braked towing capabilities are identical to those of the diesel, at 1000kg and 3500kg. 

The D-Max EV is expensive, priced from £59,995 before VAT. Our range-topping eV-Cross cost £62,495, which is both higher than electric rivals and around £20,000 more expensive than the nearest comparable diesel. 

That price certainly sounds high if you're buying with cash, but there are gains here for those considering the D-Max EV as a company vehicle.

As of April 2025, double-cab pick-ups (those with four doors and two rows of seats) are classed as cars rather than light commercial vehicles when bought as a company car. Pure-ICE pick-ups therefore now incur a hefty 37% benefit-in-kind tax bill but electric ones incur just 4%. Hence a 20%-taxpayer will pay £30 annually for a D-Max EV, compared with about £240 for the equivalent diesel model.

For utility fleets and company car buyers, the D-Max EV stands out as an intriguing option in the electric pick-up segment.

It delivers a driving experience comparable to its rivals while boasting class-leading figures for both towing capacity and payload.

However, the practical impact of maximising these capacities on its driving range remains to be seen. 

Three years after launching the technically ambitious but commercially divisive four-cylinder GLC 63 S E-Performance, it has stepped back from the highly complex plug-in hybrid formula used by that car in favour of something that feels far more natural for a fast mid-sized SUV: six cylinders, less complication and a much sharper focus on drivability. In the process, Affalterbach has fundamentally reshaped its GLC line-up.

The previous four-cylinder GLC 43 and PHEV GLC 63 have disappeared, replaced by a single six-cylinder GLC 53 conceived to balance genuine performance with everyday usability. The move mirrors changes already seen with the CLE 53 Coupé and Cabriolet, where AMG has begun moving away from heavily electrified four-cylinder powertrains in favour of larger-capacity six-cylinder engines with a more traditional character. In the GLC 53, the approach feels particularly well suited.

The first-generation GLC 63 used a turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 – still one of the defining engines of the modern AMG era. After the mixed reception for its four-cylinder PHEV replacement, the new GLC 53 feels much closer in spirit to that original model, even if the emphasis has shifted slightly away from outright aggression towards a more rounded and mature character.

Visually, the changes are restrained by AMG standards but suit the GLC well. The Panamericana grille immediately separates it from lesser models, while the deeper front bumper, larger air intakes and reshaped lower surfaces give it a noticeably more purposeful stance.

Broader front tracks and subtly reshaped wheel arches add extra visual width, while the rear receives a more prominent diffuser, quad exhaust outlets and a discreet roof-mounted spoiler. Standard 21in wheels fill the arches convincingly without tipping into the sort of visual excess that AMG has occasionally struggled with in recent years. Buyers can still choose between traditional SUV and sleeker Coupé bodystyles; I have the former here.

Inside, the GLC 53 follows the established Mercedes-Benz SUV formula, albeit with a noticeably sportier edge. Material quality is excellent throughout, while sports seats, microfibre trim and AMG-specific graphics for the digital instruments and touchscreen help give the cabin a more focused feel.

Mercedes' MBUX infotainment system remains visually impressive and highly configurable in its latest generation, although the continued reliance on touchscreen controls can still frustrate on the move. The driving position, meanwhile, strikes a convincing balance between SUV visibility and genuine sporting intent.

AMG's biggest changes have been made beneath the bodywork, however. In place of that divisive four-cylinder PHEV powertrain sits AMG's turbocharged 3.0-litre straight six, paired with a 48V integrated starter-generator providing mild-hybrid assistance and a nine-speed automatic gearbox driving all four wheels through AMG's fully variable 4Matic+ four-wheel drive system.

The engine develops 449bhp between 5500rpm and 6100rpm and 442lb ft from 2200–5000rpm, with overboost briefly raising torque to 472lb ft. AMG claims 0–62mph in 4.2sec and a top speed electronically limited to 155mph, or 168mph with the optional AMG Driver's Package (which is bundled into the £7500 Pro Performance Package in the UK).

This engine sounds richer, deeper and far more authentic than those in regular GLC models, with a genuine AMG edge under hard acceleration and crackles on lift-off in Sport modesGreg KableEuropean editor

More important than the numbers themselves, however, is the way the new drivetrain changes the character of the GLC. The straight six here restores the smoothness, flexibility and progressive power delivery that had been missing from the old four-cylinder PHEV, which often felt oddly artificial. It responds crisply at lower speeds, spins cleanly through the rev range and delivers its performance with genuine enthusiasm.

There's plenty of pace: the GLC 53 feels quick in almost any situation, with strong initial response, muscular mid-range performance and enough top-end urgency to make sustained acceleration genuinely entertaining. And crucially it feels fast without becoming intimidating.

AMG has also extensively revised the standard Mercedes GLC’s chassis. The GLC 53 receives adaptive Ride Control suspension with steel springs, variable damping control and rear-wheel steering as standard. An electronically controlled rear differential is additionally available through the optional AMG Dynamic Plus Package (another constituent of that £7500 bundle in the UK). The front end turns in keenly and the rear-wheel steering system gives the GLC 53 a noticeably more agile feel than its size (4.7m long by 1.9m wide) initially suggests.

Direction changes are clean and predictable, while the 4Matic+ system provides impressive traction when you're accelerating hard out of slower corners. What stands out most, however, is how composed the GLC 53 feels when pushed hard. The body remains tightly controlled and the chassis feels disciplined and secure, although the ride remains firmly on the sporting side of acceptable.

Even in Comfort driving mode there's a constant underlying firmness that never entirely disappears. AMG has clearly prioritised body control, steering precision and high-speed stability over outright suppleness, and on rougher roads the suspension can occasionally feel busy on those big, 21in wheels. The payoff comes when the pace rises. On smoother roads the GLC 53 delivers excellent damping control and very little unwanted body movement during quick direction changes or heavy braking.

Where the old four-cylinder PHEV sometimes felt engineered around a powertrain concept first and a driving experience second, this car feels far more cohesive.

It may lack the wild character of the original V8-powered GLC 63 but, as an everyday performance SUV, this is arguably AMG's best GLC-based model yet.

On sale now from £135,558, it sits beside the regular Supersport in the range and isn’t production- capped, so if you’re into one of the 200-250 Supersports that Morgan will make each year, just pick your preferred option.

The Supersport 400 is an evolution not a revolution of the base model, which is a car that we’ve been impressed by since it arrived a year ago, as the replacement for the Plus Six, with a 3.0-litre straight six from BMW making 335bhp.

Now that has been increased by 67bhp to 402bhp by moving to a slightly different derivative of the ‘B58’ engine. It can barely be financially worth BMW supplying engines to a company the size of Morgan but, as evidenced by its former relationship with Alpina, it’s a car maker that clearly likes to do enthusiast things for the greater good.

For this 400 variant of the Supersport, Morgan has moved from the ‘M1’ to the ‘01’ variant of the ‘B58’ engine – the same as used in the final edition ofthe Toyota GR Supra but with a specific tune that suits Morgan. BMW is happy to sign off Morgan doing its own thing provided that it uses its calibration partner, FEV.

Cooling has been improved to manage the extra power: a new front grille design lets 10% more air flow at the radiators. It has a freer-flowing exhaust too, with a motorsport-grade high-flow catalytic converter and middle muffler deletion.

BMW allows Morgan to have its own throttle tune, and the engine still drives through a ZF eight- speed automatic gearbox. However, there is a revolution here: the Supersport is the first car with this combination that doesn’t come with BMW’s widely recognised shift lever.

Instead there’s a optional bespoke unit designed and made from billet aluminium, which meets BMW’s durability and safety standards and finally looks in keeping with the Supersport’s interior. It can appear in the base Supersport too and is retrofittable to earlier cars.

That new gearlever lives within a cockpit to which you can introduce the (rather pleasing imo) option of Alcantara for the door tops, dash top and steering wheel rim. Otherwise it’s largely as you were in here: a two small seats and enough elbow room if you’re friends, with a bit of cubby space behind, a compact glovebox and a not-bad boot.

Fit and finish is simple and classy. There are some sensible ergonomic touches like bespoke buttons, multifunction rotary dials, a phone charging pad that places your phone high enough that you can safely read its map and BMW-sourced column stalks and paddles.

There isn’t the same level of robustness of feel of, say, a Porsche 911 to which the Supersport is similar in price, but that’s an inevitability of its low-volume, hand-built finish. If you really want precision and repeatable quality, they would have to bemade by the tens of thousands.

While Morgan would like the Supersport to be solid enough to move from the third or fourth car in somebody’s garage to the second, it remains a special car and it feels it. Besides, who else makes a car with these specifications and this layout?

The 1170kg Supersport lies in a land between true lightweight sportsters like Ariel Atoms and Caterham Sevens and major marques’ heavier roadsters.

It’s a unique experience in either base or 400 form. So you’re seated low and snugly, with an evocative view out past the three diddy windscreen wipers and across the shapely bonnet, wings and light surrounds. You’re situated well back in the car and visibility is good: the mirrors let you see the rear wings and that hardtop, which I have on today because of iffy weather, is very airy.

The driving position feels very straight and probably you will find your left leg rests naturally against the transmission tunnel. A right arm would rest on the door top if that were flatter, but it’s a laid-back, GT-ish driving position.

In BMW fashion, you can pop the gearlever to the left to engage its Sport mode, then push and pull it to shift ratios, or use the column-mount paddles, which I wouldn’t mind if they were a bit longer.

From standstill, the Supersport 400 has quite a strong urge to creep forwards. I suppose this engine- and-gearbox combination is more used to a heavy car and more servo-assisted brake pedal – and maybe an auto-hold function.

In this lightweight Morgan it can feel like it’s straining at its leash. So you may as well let it have it.

Goodness me. The result of a 20% power increase is that a sports car that was already fast has become bruisingly quick. I suppose there is some turbo lag but, given there’s such little weight to shift around, you don’t notice much. Peak torque of 369lb ft is developed from 1250rpm anyway, so there’s considerable shove in any gear, at any time. And if you wind it up towards its 6000rpm peak, it’s crushingly fast.

In the angriest drivetrain/exhaust mode, the standard sports exhaust (a £3110 option on the regular Supersport) makes some satisfying gurgles and pops, too. (Morgan owners are more likely than tuned-BMW M240i enthusiasts to turn them off in town, I imagine.)

Officially the Supersport 400 wants 3.6sec to reach 62mph from rest and its top speed is 180mph. I don’t doubt the former and have limited urge to attempt the latter.

Tweaks to the dynamics are relatively slight. This car gets, as standard, the regular Supersport’ optional Nitron-damped Dynamic Handing Pack (£3110), albeit with damping turned up to five clicks below maximum stiffness, as opposed to 15 below.

Geometry tweaks see a little less front camber and increased rear toe-in to give the car some more precision and agility.

A limited-slip differential is optional (£2425), and I’d suggest you tick the box, given this car’s capacity to break traction.

For all our talk of the Supersport being the most refined and sophisticated Morgan ever, there is still an old-fashioned feel to it. Perhaps more so in the 400 than the standard car, given the damping stiffness. There’s some jiggle to the ride that I don’t remember, but if that does prove too much, you can just pop it on jacks and click the dampers softer. I think well-surfaced B-roads or sweeping A-roads are where the Supersport 400 is at its best.

The steering is medium-light weighted and the right sort of speed, at 2.4 turns between locks, with a good turning circle. It’s stable at speed but builds response linearly and gives you a good feel for what’s going on.

The handing balance is pretty nice; it’s agile and capable of holding decent grip but, because you’re sited near the rear axle and because of the surfeit of grunt, it also has a very old-school, traditional high-powered roadster vibe, of wanting you point it in the right direction and light the touch paper. Like a miniature Ferrari 812 Superfast but with steadier steering. That’s not a criticism, by the way.

On a good day the Morgan should return around 35mpg and, at the moment, used Supersports are holding their values terrifically well. A car that’s this handbuilt in so few numbers should continue to do so.

The Supersport 400 is a thoroughly enjoyable Morgan. Sure, there’s more wind and road noise than you would get in a typical ‘second car’ in a garage, but it feels so much more special than that. It’s a bespoke, hand-built car.

There is an argument that, given the amount of hours that go into it and given that people want half a million quid for the typical restomod, any Supersport is actually good value (and since Morgan doesn’t always turn a profit, maybe it is too cheap). The 400 appears little worse value to me than the base Supersport, because it gets additional character and a few otherwise optional packs as standard. And it’s blisteringly fast.

Whether it will be a third or second car, it’s a really enticing sports roadster/coupe.

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 for Autocar. He has a racing licence, and some malfunctioning classic cars and motorbikes. 

It will replace BWT as the title sponsor of the Enstone-based outfit, which from 2027 onwards will be known as the Gucci Racing Alpine Formula 1 Team.

The team will adopt the Italian brand's colours, marking a departure from the French Racing Blue and pink livery it has run in recent years.

De Meo, who left his role as Renault Group CEO last year to take up a position as boss of the Kering Group, which owns numerous high-end brands including Gucci, was understood to have been key to the deal.

During his time at the helm of Renault, de Meo was one of the biggest proponents of the firm’s involvement in F1 and a driving force behind the decision to rebrand its team from Renault to performance brand Alpine.

Notably, the new deal showcases Renault’s commitment to keeping the team in F1 despite the decision to scrap its own engine programme at the end of last year in favour of a supply of customer Mercedes-AMG engines.

As part of the agreement, Gucci will create a new Gucci Racing brand, which it describes as a “business and experiential platform”.

De Meo said Gucci felt F1 provided “a unique platform for a luxury brand to push boundaries, spark meaningful connections and build long-term value and brand desirability”.

Flavio Briatore, who was brought in by his friend de Meo to serve as executive advisor to the Alpine F1 team, said that he was “excited about the possibilities” that the partnership would provide.

He added: “The Enstone team has a history of doing things differently to others and has previously shown that fashion can finish first in Formula 1.”

That is a reference to the fact that the current Alpine enjoyed some of its biggest success when funded by another Italian fashion brand, Benetton.

The Enstone-based squad began as Toleman in 1981 but was bought by Benetton – which has previously sponsored the Tyrrell and Alfa Romeo F1 teams – in 1985.

As Benetton and led by Briatore, the team claimed 27 race wins, with Michael Schumacher clinching back-to-back drivers’ titles in 1994 and 1995. Benetton then sold the team to engine supplier Renault for the 2001 season.

Since then, the team has undergone numerous rebranding and changes of ownership. It was known as Renault from 2001, then became the Lotus F1 Team in 2012, before Renault bought the outfit back in 2016. It was subsequently rebranded it as Alpine in 2021.

Ferrari’s second five-door car (after the Purosangue) and its first five-seater will go on sale priced at around £440,000, with UK deliveries set for spring 2027.

The Luce has four electric motors, one for each wheel, making a combined 1036bhp, with a 122kWh battery giving it an estimated range of 329 miles (subject to homologation).

In terms of performance, Ferrari says the Luce will be able to reach 62mph from rest in 2.5sec, travel from 0-124mph in 6.8sec - making it one of the firm’s fastest-accelerating models yet – and go on to a 192mph top speed. 

It’s also the largest Ferrari yet: at 5026mm, the Luce is 53mm longer than the Purosangue, while measuring 1999mm wide across the body and 1544mm high (45mm lower than its V12 sibling), with a 2961mm wheelbase.

The Luce’s design is primarily the work of LoveFrom, the design agency founded by industrial designers Sir Jony Ive – best known for designing the iMac, iPhone and iPad – and Marc Newson, another Apple alumni.

Ferrari has used design houses such as Pininfarina, Bertone and Zagato before, but it says that its relationship with LoveFrom has helped it think radically. 

Employees of LoveFrom, which has studios in San Francisco and London, have also been based in Ferrari’s offices at Maranello.

“We've been working hand in glove with Ferrari for the last six or seven years,” Newson said at the Luce’s launch in Rome. “It’s safe to say that we've been completely embedded within the Ferrari organisation.“

The Luce is a five-door hatchback with aft-hinged rear doors and a cab-forward design (the distance from driver’s seat to front axle is the same as in the 296 GTB), which affords it a spacious interior.

Rather than the focus of its styling being on downforce, as would usually be the case with Ferraris, more attention here has been paid to aerodynamics.

The design theme is for it to resemble a two-piece body; the black glassy volume contained within a coloured outer shell isn't dissimilar to the way the 12Cilindri’s glass and gloss black volumes look inserted inside its body panels.

“You might call it a glasshouse, or we like to call it a passenger cell,” said Newson. “Those things are intrinsically connected, but we like the idea of them as separate design elements.”

The Luce has ‘floating’ front and rear spoilers, each separated from the black form, allowing air to flow between the body and “this smooth, inherently aerodynamic object [inside],” said Newson.

While Ferrari doesn’t quote a number, because the car has to still generate some downforce to cope with its prodigious top speed, it says the Luce has the lowest drag coefficient of any roadgoing Ferrari: 25% less than the Amalfi, while generating the same kind of downforce. 

The Luce has been through two and a half times the number of CFD calculations as the Purosangue during its development, reflecting the importance of aerodynamic efficiency in an EV. “Drag means range [loss],” said aerodynamicist Matteo Biancalana.

The front-door strake vents air from the front wheel arches, while the rear wheel arches vent at the rear, and there are active cooling fins at the front to reduce drag. The windscreen wipers are mounted vertically at the windscreen edges to keep a smooth profile to the passenger cell.

The body-in-white is an entirely new aluminium structure, composed of extrusions, castings and sheets, into the floor of which is mounted a battery pack, which is also assembled in Maranello. Ferrari claims torsional rigidity is’’ up 35% over the Purosangue, while the Luce also has Ferrari’s first elastically mounted rear subframe, to improve NVH, from which the lower suspension arms and rear motor module are attached.

Elements of the Luce’s interior design had been shown in part before the car’s unveiling this week, but this is the first time Ferrari has shown the elements together inside the finished cabin.

The short-bonnet design and absence of a transmission tunnel free up enough space for the Luce to host Ferrari’s first five-seat interior, as well as 40/20/40-split rear seats with a 597-litre boot behind - Ferrari’s largest yet.

But the most notable elements of the Luce’s interior are surely the control surfaces that were previewed earlier this year, and which feature high-grade materials and physical buttons and dials.

“Just because the vehicle is electric, doesn’t mean we need to get carried away with electronics,” said Newson. The idea was to have “the minimum distraction possible.”

There's a small, thin-rimmed steering wheel reminiscent of classic Ferraris, as well as glass-fronted and -backed dials that feature both physical needles and high-definition digital displays. Most controls can be felt for rather than having to be looked at and all are engineered to feel heavy, or positive, to the touch.

“Jony and I are car enthusiasts, right?” said Newson. “We're petrolheads, I guess, for want of a better expression. We've owned Ferraris – old Ferraris, historic Ferraris. I'm an obsessive classic car collector. I've done the Mille Miglia 14 times. And I appreciate - we appreciate - the straightforward ability to be able to interact with things in a coherent, spontaneous way. And it occurred to us very, very early on in this process that, in fact, that was what Ferrari really fundamentally is about.”

Tactile and perceived material quality is high on the agenda too, said Newson: “There’s a sort of the litmus test that we applied to all of these objects, that every single one of them was beautiful; not only a beautiful object but a beautifully crafted object, a beautifully made object.“

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both supported and personalised ADAS preferences are available with one button-push on the steering wheel.

The Luce’s four electric motors produce a system total of 1036bhp and a maximum torque output of 739lb ft, which is heavily rear-biased, with 416bhp and 262lb ft produced by each rear motor and 141bhp and 103lb ft coming from each front motor.

The radial flux, permanent magnet synchronous motors are a derivative of the type used in the hybrid drivetrains of Ferrari’s GT racers and the F80 hypercar. The front motors can spin at up to 30,000rpm, while the larger rear motors top out at 25,000rpm, owing to their larger outer diameter, different gearing and a larger wheel diameter at the rear.

The motor and gearbox module at the front weighs just 65kg, with the rear at around 130kg.

With a motor for each individual wheel, the Luce can torque vector to improve agility or stability. The front motors will disengage in Range driving mode but otherwise always remain engaged in Tour and Performance modes.

The battery, weighing 630kg, is designed and built in Maranello and integrated into the car’s floorpan. Designed with Korean battery company SK On, it consists of 210 cells connected in series, arranged 14 per module, with 15 modules in the pack – one centrally at the front behind the front axle, then mounted two by two to the rear, where the last four are stacked two-high, beneath the rear seats.

They have a peak discharge rate of 830kW and a total capacity of 122kWh at 800V, with a usable capacity of around 11kWh. The Luce’s peak charge speed is claimed to be 350kW, although Ferrari says it will take 70kWh in 20 minutes, meaning a sustained rate over that time of 210kW.

The battery pack is designed and built in Maranello so that Ferrari – which says 90% of all of its cars are still on the road – can place new battery tech into its own pack design should it need to, even decades down the road - in a similar way to how it’s offering F80-derived packs for LaFerrari batteries now.

While the Luce weighs 2260kg, it has a centre of gravity that’s 95mm lower than a Purosangue’s and a yaw moment of inertia that’s 15% smaller. Weight distribution is 47:53 front to rear.

It has the largest wheels yet fitted to a Ferrari, with 23in, 9.5J front and 24in, 11J rear wheels, in two different styles – lighter five-spoke alloys or a more aerodynamically efficient turbine design, which gives maximum range.

Between them, suppliers Pirelli, Michelin and Bridgestone offer two normal tyres, two winter tyres and a run-flat option.

Ferrari’s chief product development officer, Gianmaria Fulgenzi, said the Luce will be “the most comfortable Ferrari ever produced”. The suspension is by double wishbones at the front and rear and employs an evolution of the 48V Multimatic TrueActive spool-valve dampers first used on the Purosangue, which negate the need for conventional anti-roll bars. Here, though, their internal ball screw pitch is increased by 20%, which better absorbs vertical impacts, and they’re 0.5kg lighter at each corner.

Ferrari’s engineers promise the Luce will be extraordinary to drive. Testing chief Raffaele de Simone said that “it behaves like… you have no idea. It’s a new sensation.”

With active rear steering, torque vectoring and the low centre of gravity, the steering response is said to be 15% faster than in the Purosangue, even though the rack is the same.

If you ask for a steering response at speed, “you don’t know if the main actors are the steering or the engines,” said de Simone, while insisting that “it’s very natural. It’s always linked to what you ask for.” The chassis and power, he said, “are fused together”.

Ferrari admits that much of its cars’ driver appeal is linked to their powertrains. To enhance the interaction of the Luce, in Performance mode there are amplified sounds, taken directly from the motors and gearsets as they mesh and amplified into the cabin.

“The sound is authentic; the sound is real,” said de Simone. “You can see where it comes from. We didn’t want a fake, nostalgic sound.”

Ferrari’s famous steering column paddles remain too, but instead of artificial gearshifts, such as in the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, the left-hand paddle increases regenerative braking while also reducing the amount of available power.

There are five stages, with the most severe pulling 0.33g under throttle-off deceleration, “more or less the same as the engine braking in a 12Cilindri in second gear,” de Simone said. The right-hand paddle reduces that and increases the amount of available power on full throttle.

You can pull any ‘gear’ at any speed, but extra power – around 0.2g of additional acceleration – is released with each upshift, with the top setting liberating the full whack.

“It’s not a fake gearbox. The power is cut in slices, not speed,” de Simone said. “We keep the interaction, to keep decision-making active.”

The idea is that, in lower-speed corners, you want the additional retardation and can’t use all 1036bhp anyway. “It’s not easy to manage full power” on low-speed corner exit, de Simone said.

Away from this manual mode, the automatic operation of the Luce has an “almost coasting” regenerative braking level, of around 0.05g, which is “the same as the Purosangue in eighth gear,” said de Simone.

UK prices for the Luce haven’t yet been confirmed, but it’s set to cost €550,000 in continental Europe, where it will go on sale early next year, with an estimate of £440,000 in the UK, plus or minus 10%.

Customer deliveries are due to begin next spring.  

Although the XC90 is the Volvo de choix for big families these days, the more traditional V90 estate still holds massive appeal, having only recently bowed out of production after nearly a decade. And not just because it's one of the prettiest wagons around.

The second car to use Volvo's then-newfangled SPA platform, it arrived as a long, low and sculptural model like no Volvo estate before it - and its strong Scandi-chic design still looks clean and fresh today.

The by-product of its added kerb appeal is that it is not quite as utilitarian and practical as its breeze-block forebears - the sloping rear screen precludes the fitment of a third row of seats, for example - but the boot is still a competitive 560 litres, even in the PHEV, and four occupants have plenty of space (although a fifth makes it tighter).

For outright space, the Skoda Superb, Volkswagen Passat and Mercedes E-Class have it beat, but if you're looking for something that's in equal parts stylish, relaxing and practical, the V90 should be right up the top of your list with the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series and Jaguar XF.

The interior is family-friendly but still very stylish. All the materials look and feel expensive, and the 9.0in portrait touchscreen still looks modern, even if it can be laggy, which is grating because of the dearth of physical controls.

Equipment is generous. Even entry-level Momentum trim has LED headlights, heated leather seats, sat-nav, Bluetooth, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist and DAB radio. On top of that, it has a powered bootlid, keyless start and rear parking sensors.

Plush, PHEV-only Swedish estate sticks by its tried-and-trusted morals against a tidal wave of SUVs

Used Inscription cars cost about 10% more than like-for-like Momentum models and get extra interior lighting, nappa leather seats and a larger, 12.3in digital instrument cluster, plus electric front seats and bigger alloys.

R-Design models have held their value best and offer firmer suspension for a sportier drive - but bear in mind that the V90 is very much a wafty and hushed cruiser, especially on adaptive dampers, and the R-Design's big wheels and stiffer dampers do unsettle the ride.

Handling is good across the board, though. The V90 has an encouraging level of body control for its size and supple set-up so can be briskly hustled along a twisty road.

All powertrains are based around a 2.0-litre engine, initially the 187bhp T4 petrol or D4 diesel, the 232bhp D5 or 247bhp T5, or the top-link 306bhp T6. The highest-power petrol and diesel came with four-wheel drive, but they have a poorer reliability record, so we would recommend the torquey D4 (expect mid-40s to the gallon) or pokey T5 (around 30mpg). The T4 is gutless and no more efficient than a T5.

All V90s are automatic, which is generally fine but early cars can be a bit jerky and hesitant.

If you have a home charger and are tempted by the blisteringly quick 401bhp T8 PHEV, note that there are well-documented problems and you'll get only 20 miles of EV running on a good day.

The V90 is a useful tow car, with the D5 and T6 rated for 2200kg and even the PHEVs being capable of pulling 2100kg. It's a workhorse, then, like all good Volvo estates have been, but with the tech and panache to slip into premium exec duties effortlessly. What more can you ask of a car that starts at £8k?

Engine: The high-output D5 (later B5) and T6 (later B6) use Volvo's PowerPulse compressed air system to spool the turbos quickly, reducing lag. Failure of the air compressor or associated hoses in this system is an occasional fault, leading to a loss of immediate performance, and can be expensive to fix.

Electric motor: Owners of plug-in hybrid T8s have reported a systemic issue with the 'ERAD', or EV motor, on the rear axle. These often fail after the warranty expires and £10,000 should be budgeted to fix it. So have it thoroughly checked out before purchase.

Suspension: Higher trims often feature rear or full air suspension. While it provides a superb, floaty ride and self-levelling, the air springs and compressors are prone to leaks and failure over time. Look for the car sitting unevenly when parked, and check for suspension warning messages on the dash. Volvo refuses to cover the system in extended warranties.

Body: The optional panoramic sunroof's drain tubes can become clogged with debris, causing water to accumulate and potentially leak into the cabin or damage the electronic modules located near the headliner.

Infotainment: The touchscreen has a tendency to lag and there are very few buttons to fall back on. Total crashes are usually solved by turning it off and on again. V90s from 2016 and 2017 need a 3G sim to offer wi-fi. Coverage will soon end, so if this bothers you, choose a newer model.

The V90 was facelifted in 2020 with some small but important changes. The petrol Ts and Ds became Bs, with the addition of mild-hybrid technology, which doesn't make the world of difference to economy or performance but it's nice to have if your budget stretches.

The hybrid line-up expanded, with a new 335bhp T6 offering a claimed 35 miles of EV range initially, before being upgraded with a new battery to 53 miles in 2022. The T8 also received this and a bump in power to 449bhp. Note that without any electrical assistance, the PHEVs will struggle to break 35mpg.

Core, Plus and Ultimate replaced the previous trim levels.

£8000-£12,999 Cars with over 100k miles and some with more than double that.

£13,000-£19,999 A range of pre-facelifted cars, from Momentums with average miles to top-spec, low-mile T8s.

£20,000-£32,999 A wide choice of facelifted models, including the last of the mild-hybrid petrols and diesels.

£33,000-£55,000 Plug-in hybrids from the last few years of production.

Sarah Hughes: "I ran a D4 R-Design for three years and 60,000 miles. For a car of its size, the economy was strong, hitting high-40s on a motorway run. The comfort is the biggest selling point: I've never sat in a better seat. The Pilot Assist [adaptive cruise and steering] made motorway journeys easy and the overall interior design and quality are hard to beat. Nothing broke, although the Sensus infotainment did occasionally have a 'Matrix moment' where it just froze and needed a restart to clear. My biggest gripe was the gearbox; it was often dim-witted and hesitant when pulling away."

Due to go on sale in the UK this autumn, with pricing tipped to start from under £20,000, the new model is a 4160mm-long supermini that is essentially a sibling to the Dolphin Surf EV.

It will rival the likes of the Renault Clio, Volkswagen Polo and Toyota Yaris – but while most rivals feature mild- or full-hybrid powertrains, the Dolphin G features a full plug-in hybrid powertrain.

While BYD hasn’t given full details of the layout of the Super Hybrid system, it's expected to be related to the system fitted in the Atto 2 DM-i small SUV, commingling a 1.5-litre petrol engine that acts as a generator for an electric motor that drives the front wheels.

BYD said the Dolphin G will offer a combined petrol and electric range of more than 621 miles, with full details to follow when the car is fully launched in June.

Notably, the Dolphin G is the first car that BYD has developed specifically for the European market – and it's likely to be produced at the firm’s new plant in Hungary.

Executive vice-president Stella Li decided the European B-segment “as one of the most important parts of the market" and wanted the Dolphin G “to redefine what customers can expect from a compact car in the electric era”.

The compact PHEV will be the first in a planned range of B- and C-segment models that BYD is developing specifically for Europe, with Li having previously said the “goal is for customers to think of BYD as a European brand”.

Based on the Emira Turbo, with the Mercedes-AMG four-pot engine, the new Emira 420 Sport is named for its power figure in PS (414bhp), which represents a bump of 54bhp over the standard car and 14bhp over the warmed-up SE that arrived last year. 

Lotus says the car will crack 0-62mph in 3.9sec and achieve a top speed of 186mph – but more important than its straight-line stats are the dynamic advantages it offers over the regular Emira, with the firm claiming it has "been designed specifically to deliver even more performance both on road, and on track."

The 420 Sport, priced at £105,900, is equipped as standard with the Lightweight Handling Pack, which trims 25kg off the weight of the standard Turbo – taking it down to 1421kg – and boosts downforce by the same amount. 

It also brings a suite of subtle bodywork modifications in pursuit of optimised aerodynamics and cooling – which, Lotus says, improves track performance without increasing drag. 

There's a new front splitter with reshaped vents at the front and a new lip spoiler at the back. The sills have also been extended and the air intakes expanded, which is said to increase airflow to the radiators by up to 15% and improve brake cooling by 10%.

"With these upgrades, drivers are able to experience more consistent performance in demanding conditions, particularly on track," says Lotus.

The car also rides 5mm lower on its uniquely tuned suspension, wears high-performance tyres and comes with bespoke carbonfibre shift paddles that "combine with updated haptics for added responsiveness and engagement".

Buyers can further emphasise the 420's lightweight remit with an optional carbon styling package that swaps out the splitter, sills, vents, side pods, rear wing and diffuser for carbonfibre items. 

The 420 Sport also introduces to the Emira range a removable sunroof, to be rolled out as an option across the line-up, and features a louvred rear deck that nods to the old Esprit Turbo.

The 420 does not replace any current model in the Emira range, with the two existing four-cylinder variants and the V6 all remaining on sale – but it could be the last new version introduced before the sports coupé swaps its AMG and Toyota engines for a new hybrid V6 developed by Horse Powertrain in the coming years.

The new C-segment car will be based on parent company Stellantis's new STLA One architecture - which it will share with the same-sized, next-generation Peugeot 308 and Vauxhall Astra.

The platform, previously known as STLA Medium, is a 'multi-energy' structure that can accommodate both electric and combustion-engined drivetrains, and Alfa Romeo said it will offer both to broaden market appeal.

Confirmation of the new hatchback comes following the Stellantis investor day presentation last week, at which it outlined an ambitious plan to launch 110 new models globally, across all its brands and with a mix of powertrains, by 2030.

During the presentation, Stellantis's European boss, Emanuele Cappellano, confirmed that Alfa Romeo was developing a new mid-sized SUV to replace today's Tonale, along with an exclusive new sports car from its Bottega Fuoriserie bespoke division. Now, the company has revealed that those two models will be joined by a smaller hatchback.

A brief teaser of an unidentified model could be the first look at the new model, which the Italian brand said will "build on icons such as the 147 and Giulietta".

The Tonale successor and the hatchback are expected to share a basic footprint and much of their technology and drivetrain hardware - mirroring the relationship between the hatches and SUVs that Alfa's sibling brands sell.

The electric derivatives will be equipped with 800V hardware for rapid-charging capabilities, while the ICE versions will likely use the same array of mild- and plug-in hybrid systems available elsewhere in Stellantis's arsenal.

All could be offered with the STLA platform's steer-by-wire capability, as previewed recently by the radical Peugeot Polygon concept.

Alfa Romeo hasn't yet given a timeframe for the new models, but the Tonale – which unusually for a Stellantis model uses its own platform and drivetrains – will be up for replacement in 2029.

More precise details on the brand's mid-term strategy haven't been given, but it has today (26 May) issued a statement to clarify its plans following the Stellantis presentation: "Looking ahead, Alfa Romeo will leverage Stellantis's global scale while differentiating its offering to continue developing authentic Alfa Romeos, further strengthening its distinctive positioning as a unique and iconic brand."

The new hatchback, SUV and sports car will be sold alongside the little Junior crossover – itself due a refresh soon – with the current Giulia and Stelvio scheduled to end production next year.

Alfa Romeo had previously been almost ready to unwrap an electric replacement for the Stelvio but put the project on ice last year in response to wavering uptake for premium and sporting EVs. A long-mooted electric Giulia was expected to be close behind using the same mechanicals. 

Now the company appears to have gone back to the drawing board entirely on replacements for its two premium flagship models, saying only that it's "studying solutions to continue operating in the D-segment with new interpretations of the current line-up made up of Giulia and Stelvio".

It said it aims to remain "true to its performance-driven DNA while adapting to market evolution" and that any Giulia and Stelvio successors would "leverage flexible platforms" - no doubt the modular STLA architecture that can span from the B- to the D-segment.

"Further details will be communicated at a later stage," it said about potential larger models.

The all-electric, fourth-generation Porsche Cayenne is now an imminent arrival on UK roads. Before the summer is out, we should have Autocar’s very own set of benchmark measurements and numbers, a full set of impressions, and a definitive UK verdict on what might be Zuffenhausen’s most important and interesting electric model yet.

For now, we’ve tested the Porsche Caynne Electric on two separate occasions. As a regular SUV, and in both Turbo and base-model powertrain form, on Porsche’s first press launch in Barcelona back in March - and now subsequently in Cayenne Coupé form, as both Turbo and mid-range Cayenne S, in Munich.

The new electric version becomes the fourth Cayenne model generation in a near-25-year history. Back in 2002, the car arrived on a tsunami of scepticism from enthusiasts arguing that the sports SUV ‘wasn’t even a thing’; and who would want that swollen SUV-that-swallowed-a-911 abomination anyway?

Well, lots of people wanted it: more than 1.5 million people since then, in fact. The Cayenne has been one of the biggest sellers and biggest profit-makers for Porsche, and we have long passed the point where anybody questions the validity and demand for performance SUVs.

And yet still, the Cayenne is a magnet for controversy. It is not only battery-bowered but it's also - in Turbo derivative form - the most powerful series-production Porsche there has ever been. It makes 1140bhp and 1106lb ft of torque. Yes, you read that right.

Put it in launch control and this 2.6-tonne luxury electric family conveyance will give everything it’s got, in order to do 0-62mph in 2.5sec. Mind you, in default Normal mode it musters a mere 845bhp - so it’s a good thing that you’ve got the overtake button for 10sec of extra fizz to the tune of 1019bhp…

Even if you're modest enough to go for the entry-level Cayenne Electric, you’re still getting 436bhp and 616lb ft. Remember when even those numbers would have been shocking?

Here we are again, then, with Porsche’s halo SUV getting lips flapping left, right and centre. Read on to find out whether the regular body, or the Coupe, might suit you better; whether you're a Cayenne Electric type of person at all; and, assuming you are, which model would likely convince you to say 'when' (or possibly even 'enough already', or 'STOP!')

We've written it before, but it still holds true four model generations in. This formatively antagonistic fast SUV isn’t a good-looking car. Never has been; probably never should be. Because up yours, it’s a Cayenne.

Perhaps that’s why the more curvaceous Cayenne Coupe version exists, as an alternative to the regular SUV bodystyle. It has done since the third-generation Cayenne came along, and has accounted for roughly a third of global Cayenne sales since.

The Cayenne Coupe Electric gets an better-distinguished body than the equivalent ICE Cayenne, though, thanks to a more raked windscreen angle, and a roofline that extends some 24mm lower than that of a regular Cayenne Electric. Unlike the regular Cayenne Electric SUV, the Coupe also gets a panoramic glass roof as standard; and a carbonfibre one, if you want it, as part of a special Lightweight Sport package. On the inside, it can be had as either a four- or five seater.

But mechanically, the Coupe is entirely undistinguished from the ‘normal’ Cayenne Electric - which means you can choose from a 436bhp base model, 657bhp S- or an 1140bhp Turbo-. All have twin-motor powertrains, though the motors are differently geared as well as differently powered. All share the same 800v architecture and 108kWh drive battery.

The S is the sort of ‘Turbo light’ version, if you like (just as is the case of the Macan 4S vs the Turbo in that model lineup). Like the Turbo, it can be had with a torque-vectoring differential between its rear wheels (standard on a Turbo, optional on an S, unavailable on the base model). Just as on the Turbo, Porsche Active Ride active hydraulic suspension and four-wheel steering are options. All that’s missing, you might say, is the big cheese’s monumental power. Which, if you’re willing to be at least a little bit grown up about your choices, isn’t really that much to miss.

There’s some clever tech here too. The Cayenne Electric is based on the same platform as the Audi Q6 E-tron, but its battery gets new nickel-manganese-cobalt cell chemistry for better energy density. A maximum charging rate of 400kW means you can have a 10-80% charge in 26 minutes; or a 100-mile top-up will take as little as five minutes.

Meanwhile, the Cayenne Electric SUV's body scores a drag coefficient of just 0.25 (compared with 2.8 for the Q6) partly thanks to the active aerodynamics, which include huge vertical wings that erupt from the Cayenne’s posterior at higher speeds. In the Cayenne Coupe Electric, that falls to 0.23; and it's the Coupe, therefore, that offers the best electric range of the two, the S model stretching the WLTP Combined numbers as far as 414 miles.

Slip inside the Cayenne and you’re greeted by an all-new cabin architecture, at the centre of which is an intriguing touchscreen console that curves up over the meeting of centre stack and dashboard. Complete with a padded hand support to make screen prodding easier, fixed buttons for the climate control and system settings, and some of the best infotainment graphics you will see in any car, it’s pretty impressive - even if it does require a lot of familiarisation before you get the hang of where everything is.

A passenger touchscreen is also optional, although this will stray well into the ‘too much screen’ category for the preferences of those who don't like too much distraction and light pollution in their driving environment. Perhaps most importantly, the Cayenne’s interior has that unmistakable Porscheness to it. The frameless, curved driver’s readout, the precision of the graphics, the density of the materials around the cabin… Porsche interiors always feel on point, solid yet understated, and this one is just the same – provided you avoid the purple-themed screen background and ambient lighting, I guess.

The Cayenne S’s new-generation sports front seats are supportive, adjustable and comfortable - except, this tester found, for the fixed-position, ‘integrated’ head restraints. Surely an 18-way-adjustable chair should be clever enough to stop you from getting neck ache?Matt SaundersRoad test editor

Practicality is decent, with a huge amount of space in the rear seats for your passengers to lounge about. The optional panoramic roof with selectable opacity is rather nice and fills the cabin with light. Every model gets electrically folding rear seats, too, which makes it easy to extend the standard 506-litre boot to the maximum seats-down capacity of 1588 litres.

That’s not a huge boot capacity for a car that’s 4.93m long, but it’s competitive enough with rivals like the Polestar 3 and BMW iX. You can even tow up to 3.5 tonnes, which makes this one of the best EVs on sale for those who want to tow bigger loads. A 90-litre frunk is the Cayenne’s final practical flourish.

Move into the Coupe, meanwhile, and you likely won't find the interior coming up short on headroom in either row. Even a 6ft 3in test can sit in the back seats in comfort; where the Coupe offers either individual outer seats (with electric adjustment and powered door opening, if you prefer) or a three-seater bench.

We'll start in the obvious place here. What does 1140bhp and 1106lb ft feel like, out on the road, in an electric SUV from one of the world’s most prestigious performance brands?

Well, if you just get in and drive it about in Comfort or Normal mode, it feels incredibly civilised. Almost zen-like, actually. There’s tyre noise from the enormous 22in Michelin tyres but almost no motor whine; wind noise is subdued; and you breeze along, trying not to be tempted by the ‘push to pass’ button.

Activate launch control, mash the brake pedal and then mat the accelerator, and the launch control mode activates in a delightfully understated Porsche manner. Given the madness you’re about to unleash, it feels there should be sirens and flashing lights and big warning triangles - but the Cayenne just shrugs and gives a deliciously nonchalant mode warning on the driver’s display before, well, accelerating really fast.

I remember when I first drove the Nissan GT-R and did a full launch, it felt like the world detonated. Big noise, big vibrations, big drama. Huge, memorable, laugh-out-loud moments, even as you prayed that the grinding noises from the gearbox were supposed to be happening.

Oddly enough, the actual power delivery of the Cayenne Turbo reminds me of the GT-R’s. It’s a touch more subdued than the Taycan, and feels as if it has been tuned to be a bit gentler and more linear, to suit the car’s posh family runabout nature, so there’s a bit more nuance to it. But predictably, the Cayenne just feels uncomfortably rapid. Not undramatic - but it's so easy that it’s almost underwhelming, even as you try to persuade your stomach to unclench itself from your spine.

In more normal modes, the Cayenne’s throttle response is pleasantly responsive yet easy to modulate, and while the Taycan has more feelsome brake response, the Cayenne’s (whether you've added optional ceramics or not) are still some of the best brakes of any performance EV.

And what of the mid-range S model? Well, a 657bhp electric Porsche Cayenne is not, it turns out, in want of urgency, either. It doesn’t quite rocket off the line like the Turbo; but still, any car this size that can hit 62mph from rest in less than four seconds has to be considered a very serious performance prospect indeed. The S feels like the rubicon beyond which Cayenne Electric performance extends into the realm of the gratuitous; or, to put it another way, it's all the Cayenne Electric any really needs.

Porsche meters the car’s accelerator and brake pedal progression in suitably linear fashion, so the car only ever responds to either how you expect it to. Unlike in the Taycan, no gearshift is necessary in order for the car to keep piling on the pace, which it’ll do urgently all the way up to fast autobahn speeds. Regen, meanwhile, is controlled either through a handy shortcut ‘button’ on the central touchscreen, or via the selected drive mode dialled in via the steering-mounted rotary knob (if you want it off entirely, you can have that).

After all that, the standard Cayenne Electric’s 436bhp and 0-62mph time of 4.8sec sounds almost weedy, but in practice it’s a muscular and serene thing to drive that offers 90% of what even the Turbo can do for a lot less.

Most of the Cayenne Electric test cars we've driven so far have come with both rear-axle steering (which allows the rear wheels to turn up to 5deg) and Porsche Active Ride (which uses hydraulics to not only adjust suspension rates, but to manipuate individual wheels and vehicle body posture) fitted as options.

The latter has similar pitch- and roll-cancelling functionality as you find on the Taycan and Panamera, if you use Comfort driving mode. Its effect seems to be more understated in the Cayenne, though - but, even so, it can feel slightly less natural.

The Porsche Active Ride seems an indulgence when you're already spending well over £100,000, but it's worth the extra money for the remarkable breadth of ability that the Cayenne gains from it.Vicky Parrott

There are times, when steering just off-centre, that you can feel the Cayenne’s suspension actuators adjusting and tweaking the car’s posture, through both the steering rim and chassis; almost as if the tech needs a moment to think. Unlike the in Taycan or Panamera, the Cayenne wants to telegraph that moment - just as clearly as it does every other move it makes. It wants you to know about it. 

It’s only for the most fleeting instant; and after it, when the Cayenne Electric is committed to a bend or lane change, it’s an extraordinary-handling thing. Perhaps a shade less agile than its lighter ICE predecessors - but still incredibly poised, responsive and sports-car adjustable in its cornering posture. Until you return it from Sport Plus back to Comfort mode, that is - when it rides very well indeed.

The car's weighty, muscular, feelsome steering lets you know how the rear differential is working, for instance, to deliver real playfulness and adjustability into the handling. You need a quiet and generous stretch of sweeping switchbacks that are vanishingly rare in much of the UK if you want to twist the Cayenne into Sport or Sport Plus and find out what it can do. But if you manage to find an appropriate road, it's well worth doing that. You won't believe how ready such a big, heavy car could be to take some angle and rouse its traction control.

You can feel the power streaming to the rear wheels, and shuffling about laterally, as it punches the Cayenne out of corners with a tiny, deliciously naughty little squirm. For a car of monstrous power, it's astonishingly friendly and accessible on a good road.

Which isn’t to say that you couldn’t get into a frightening amount of trouble faster than you could say ‘launch control’. It will understeer if you go in with more confidence than sense. But it’s truly fun and truly engaging - and I’d even say that it’s characterful, if you really find space to let it show you what it can do.

The car's body control is also relentlessly composed. Excepting only those first few split seconds as you load up the suspension and steering, as mentioned earlier, it's astonishing how effective the Cayenne's intelligent chassis is. With this suspension, the Turbo delivers an almost eerie breadth of ability.

The standard Cayenne Electric, meanwhile, on its PASM adaptive air suspension, also has impressive dynamic range and ability. It doesn’t wallow and float too much; and while you’re conscious of the lean in corners, it’s still neat, tidy and satisfying on a right road. Maybe not nuanced and tactile in the way that the best Cayennes of the past have been, and in the way that the Taycan has managed lately - but it’s all that plenty of buyers will want or expect of a Cayenne Electric.

It’s strange to say it, given that EVs with 400 miles of range only arrived in recent years - but some buyers may feel that the Cayenne’s range isn’t quite enough.

There’s some clever battery tech and good aerodynamics here; it’s not like Porsche hasn’t done an impressive job with such a heavy, performance-oriented beast. But while cars like the BMW iX3 and Volvo EX60 may be closer rivals to the Macan Electric, if I were considering a Cayenne and saw that these other posh electric SUVs were offering 100 miles more range for substantially less money, I would pause for thought. We don’t know what the forthcoming BMW iX5 will manage in terms of range, but that may be another worry for Porsche.

Porsche is a master of the options list, and the Cayenne Electric is no different. Standard equipment is actually good, but most owners will still be tempted into a lot of optional extras.Vicky Parrott

If you’re interested in a Cayenne Electric - especially if you’re thinking of getting a Turbo - you may be more interested in the performance and image than in the efficiency and range; but they're always going to be concerns in the Porsche you buy for any journey, anywhere, on any day of the year. Moreover, this is a car that you can option up to be well north of £160,000 – and that’s before you’ve designed the matching Swiss-built Porsche watch to go with it. Should it really come with real-world range of 250- to 300 miles; when EVs costing half as much go 50% farther?

The Cayenne Turbo Electric is an astonishment of comfort, control, refinement, playfulness and savage brutalism.

Does it need this much power? Of course it doesn’t. I’d argue that its greatest achievement – which is the way it still handles on a good road with real depth of ability and reward – is achieved despite rather than because of that output.

Does it really amount to a better, even more dynamically extraordinary Cayenne, though? That’s how Porsche bills it; and some will agree.

This’ll sound very familiar; but I’d say it depends how you feel about a big, fast Porsche SUV without a burbling V8 engine in it. One that’ll do around real-world 300 miles on a charge, as a Cayenne S; or perhaps a little less as a Turbo or a base model. It'll then rapid charge very quickly - but quite possibly not as conveniently as dropping another £100 into your petrol tank used to be.

There’s not really any getting around the fact that, in some ways, this is even more Cayenne; and in other ways, it’s notably less. Naturally, people will love to hate this car. That’s nothing new for a Cayenne. Whether it’s the battery beneath its floor or the sheer vulgarity of its performance, there are more reasons than ever why that will continue to be the case.

And yet watching how returning Cayenne customers ultimately vote with their wallets - and whether they can be convinced that a car with a usage case as broad as the Cayenne's can really work as an EV - is going to be fascinating. 

It isn’t something we’ve been able to do in quite the same way, over recent years, as the Taycan and Macan have appeared. Porsche's gambling chips are on the table here. It feels a little like a critical, 'sliding doors' moment.

As Autocar’s chief car tester and reviewer, it’s Matt’s job to ensure the quality, objectivity, relevance and rigour of the entirety of Autocar’s reviews output, as well contributing a great many detailed road tests, group tests and drive reviews himself.

Matt has been an Autocar staffer since the autumn of 2003, and has been lucky enough to work alongside some of the magazine’s best-known writers and contributors over that time. He served as staff writer, features editor, assistant editor and digital editor, before joining the road test desk in 2011.

Since then he’s driven, measured, lap-timed, figured, and reported on cars as varied as the Bugatti Veyron, Rolls-Royce Phantom, Tesla Roadster, Ariel Hipercar, Tata Nano, McLaren Senna, Renault Twizy and Toyota Mirai. Among his wider personal highlights of the job have been covering Sebastien Loeb’s record-breaking run at Pikes Peak in 2013; doing 190mph on derestricted German autobahn in a Brabus Rocket; and driving McLaren’s legendary ‘XP5’ F1 prototype. His own car is a trusty Mazda CX-5.

Vicky Parrott has been a motoring journalist since 2006, when she eventually did so much work experience at Autocar that it felt obliged to give her a job.

After that, she spent seven years as a features and news writer, video presenter and road tester for Autocar, before becoming deputy road test editor for What Car? in 2013. After five years with What Car?, Vicky spent a couple of years as associate editor of DrivingElectric and then embarked on a freelance career that has seen her return to writing for Autocar and What Car? as well as for The Daily Telegraph and many others.

Vicky has been a Car of the Year juror since 2020, and the proud owner of a 1992 Mercedes-Benz 300-SL 24V since 2017. She aspires to own an Alpine A110 and a Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo.

When Tesla broke the mould in 2013 with the Model S, its battery comprised many thousands of individual '18650' cylindrical cells. The name is derived from the dimensions of each one, 18mm in diameter and 65mm long, so not unlike a domestic battery in shape.

An individual 18650 cell generates only a few volts but connecting them together in series gives the hundreds of volts needed for an EV traction battery. Grouping them in parallel provides capacity and increases current. Choosing the 18650 format was a clever move because it was already an industry-standard battery, but there are other formats too.

One such is pouch cells. The very first Nissan Leaf used pouch cells and, in that sense, the new Porsche Cayenne EV has something in common with it.

The Leaf was launched globally in 2010 and arrived in the UK two years later. It was capable of around 70-80 miles on a single charge of its 24kWh battery, which comprised 192 pouch cells, four in each of 48 modules.

The Cayenne battery is also made up of 192 larger pouch cells, 32 of them in each of six modules. But it's a world away from the little Leaf battery when it comes to capacity: its 113kWh gives the high-performance SUV a range of over 370 miles.

How are these incredibly powerful batteries made? Porsche assembles the modules at its Smart Battery Shop at Horná Streda in Slovakia using cells made in Europe. Once the cells have been manufactured, they are shipped into the plant for installation into the modules. A supplier equips the finished modules with high-voltage cables and associated connectors and an external contractor assembles the six complete modules into the high-voltage battery pack.

Assembly of the modules takes place in immaculately clean conditions, with strict standards protecting the components from electrostatic discharge. The pouch cells are tested and prepped and then stacked on top of one another with highly accurate alignment of the connectors.

These stacks are inserted into cell carriers and the cell tabs (connectors) are positioned and joined by automated laser welding. A foam material is added to stabilise and protect the stacks and thermally conductive materials inserted between the cells to aid heat dissipation.

After electrical, function and dimensional tests, insulation measurements and a thorough visual inspection, the modules are shipped to the contractor for final battery assembly. Production data for each module is recorded and Porsche says it will be able to trace each one even after many years.

Finally, before assembly into the cars, batteries undergo performance testing in Porsche's own analysis centre, where the focus is on longevity and charging capability.

That's true even if, like me, you drive one of the most economical cars on the market. So I thought it a particularly prudent time to see just how economical Toyota Prius that I've been running can be in everyday use.

I start on a fuel station forecourt, where I brim the Prius's 40-litre tank from near-empty and it costs me just over £60. (Last month it was £45.) For that you get 467 miles, the car tells me. Remember that number, because it will be important later.

Next, I head to the public chargers and top up the plug-in hybrid's 13.6kWh battery for around £7 (at 48p per kWh), which nets me 35-40 miles of real-world range. Of course, it would be much cheaper to charge at home, via a three-pin domestic socket or a 7kW wallbox.

The plan now is to drive until the car's two energy sources are drained. I have a few journeys to do over the coming days, starting with a commute to work (roughly a 140-mile round trip), a drive to Gatwick airport (200 miles or so) and then on to Hereford (around 260 miles).

But this won't be a sitting-behind-a-lorry, uber-MPG test like Matt Prior recently did in his Audi A2. Instead, I'm not going to change my driving style at all and the only thing I've really done to prepare is to pump up the tyres. If things go as expected, I'll need to fill up on my way to Hereford.

Another strand to this test is to discover what the Prius is like on a long journey. I've only had the car for a few weeks so this will be the most I've driven it to date, and on the widest variety of roads.

I don't have to wait long before I start finding out. Early on in the test, as I approach Four Marks on the A31, I begin to feel what Toyota has tweaked as part of its efforts to reposition the saloon from a taxi rank regular to a PCP shortlister: there's a whiff of potency.

Previously, the car's 2.0-litre petrol four and electric motor have paired together in a polite, no-frills way, working well especially at motorway cruising speeds. But as I hit some winding dual carriageways, I remember that they combine for 223bhp and a 0-62mph time of 6.8sec, which is quite sprightly. So I put my foot down – and it's quite a laugh, especially with that small steering wheel and low-set seat. Suddenly, I recall chief sub-editor Kris Culmer's short review when he handed back the keys after a go recently: "A Prius shouldn't feel that quick."

The Prius we were told we couldn't have goes on UK sale after all – and it's good

Given the way I'm driving the car, this test seems bound for an early end – and I'm on the M4 near Swindon when the 'you have 30 miles left' alert message appears. However, any doubters can hold their sniggering because this is on my way back from Hereford, some 500 miles since I filled up. I'm actually quite staggered. The on-board computer reads 62.4mpg and reveals that 39% of my total mileage since refilling has been done on electric power. I ran out of external charge 460 miles ago, so this has been via brake and engine regen, which is mightily impressive.

In total, it has cost 13p per mile, which is a revelation during a period of heavily inflated pump prices. And that number would have been even less if I'd charged the Prius via a cheaper home dock.

On the surface, the Prius might seem like a dull thing – a viewpoint many have been eager to share with me – and there are more exciting rivals (the Volkswagen Golf GTE and Honda Prelude to name two). But the Toyota's aero-centric design and clever underpinnings deliver something that honestly boggles the mind. I'm starting to really admire this car. It's an impressive machine.

Ever since, I've been obsessed with the genius of Zagato. Now, I'll be the first to admit that I'm not exactly qualified to talk at length about the intricacies of car design, and I'm also aware that, as a topic, this is about as subjective (and divisive) as they come for us car nerds.

But for me Zagato is the single greatest name in automotive design, elevated above the likes of even Pininfarina, Bertone, Giugiaro and other similar greats.

Founded by aeronautical designer Ugo Zagato, the Milanese coachbuilder opened its doors in 1919, and a vision for lightweight construction underpinned its design language from the outset. Zagato evolved over the next few decades, but that core requirement for lightness never stopped informing the company's output.

As different eras came and went, some truly stunning vehicles blossomed from those hallowed sketchpads. Particularly during the golden age of the 1950s and 1960s, the cars being penned by Zagato were elegant and dainty, with rounded overhangs and curvaceous, streamlined bodies that were made of aluminium and wrapped around shortened wheelbases.

Small, lightweight cars appeal to me greatly (ironic, because at 6ft 5in I would look ridiculous in any of them), and this is one of the fundamental reasons behind my love for Zagato, and where much of my appreciation for its designs lies.

The 1954 Maserati AG6/54 Stradale GT Zagato and 1963 Alfa Romeo TZ1 are perfect examples of this. They appear to be almost compacted around their own axles yet still capable of maintaining an effortless style and proportional elegance that will make you go weak at the knees. It's a mesmerising combination.

Then there's also the fact that many of Zagato's design choices were made to be functional in motorsport. I adore the fact that the company's signature and most attributable feature, the double-bubble roof, was dreamed up in the early 1950s as a way of increasing space for racers' helmets while maintaining a low roofline. Luckily, it just so happened to also look exquisite on any car it appeared on.

I also love the truly eclectic and random selection of cars that the beautiful, pointed Z emblem has appeared on throughout the company's 107-year history. Zagato has done design work for a staggering 46 brands, ranging from Ferrari and Maserati to Jaguar and Bristol to Toyota and Renault. Even the humble Hillman Imp got in on the act. If anything, this fascinating variety of starting points only makes Zagato's ability to design gorgeous cars all the more impressive.

Today, Zagato continues to design a pleasingly broad selection of seriously desirable products, such as the magnificent Alfa Romeo Giulia SWB Zagato and, more recently, the first offering from newcomer Bovensiepen. However, like most of the company's archive, Zagato cars today are usually one-offs or built in such agonisingly low numbers that you probably won't ever see one.

But that this is the only real criticism I can level at Zagato probably says quite a lot.