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Why buy new? Bag a B9 Audi A4 for less than £20,000

Sat, 7 Nov 2026 07:00:00 +0000

Need a low-key premium exec saloon or estate? A B9 A4 is the answer

You might buy a BMW 3 Series for its performance or a Mercedes-Benz C-Class for its badge, but what about an Audi A4? For its discretion?

Putting sporty versions aside, the A4 saloon doesn't exactly shout from the rooftops. The B9 generation considered here arrived in 2015, at first glance appearing much like its predecessor.

However, on closer inspection the new model was sharper and more assertive-looking thanks to its sculpted sides, serrated headlights (matrix LEDs were an option) and subtle aero. By adopting Audi's then new front-drive MLB Evo platform, it was a bit longer, too, and slightly roomier.

Power was provided by a choice of petrol and diesel engines trumpeting lower emissions and improved economy. In the petrol corner was a turbocharged 1.4-litre producing 148bhp (it's smooth but a bit lacking when the car is full) and two 2.0-litre engines: one produces 187bhp, the other has 249bhp and was reserved for Quattro versions.

Diesel engines were represented by a pair of 2.0-litres making 148bhp and 187bhp and a 3.0-litre V6 with 268bhp. Ultra variants of the 2.0 diesels were tuned to deliver even better economy.

From 2017, petrol and diesel engines were identified by a new naming convention, respectively 35, 40 and 45.

With the 2019 facelift, the diesels became mild hybrids with revised power outputs. The 134bhp diesel was the 30 TDI, the 161bhp engine the 35 TDI and the 201bhp engine the 40 TDI. The dual-clutch automatic S Tronic gearbox remained a popular option.

Today, there are slightly more petrol A4s for sale than diesels, but if you tow or the idea of 70mpg appeals, you need the latter engine.

Being front-wheel drive, the A4 was never going to best the rear-drive 3 Series from a steering and handling perspective. So it's smooth and comfortable instead? SE and Sport versions are certainly that, but the larger-wheeled and more stiffly suspended and lowered S Line and Ultra A4s are easily unsettled; optional adaptive suspension brings a welcome improvement.

Some owners have reported rattles and buzzes from the dashboard, but otherwise the B9 A4 looks and feels premium. The cabin is roomy, although the driver's footwell is cramped and the pedals are offset to the right. Practical touches include a back seat that splits 40/20/40.

There are four trims: SE (xenons, 17in alloys, parking sensors, infotainment with connectivity), Sport (sports seats and a sat-nav), S Line (bodykit, sports suspension, 18in alloys) and Black Edition (19in alloys, black colourways). The most obvious styling changes with the 2019 facelift were restyled LED headlights and a broader and flatter grille.

Inside it gained a new infotainment system and the standard fitment of Audi's virtual cockpit. SE trim became Technik.

One last thing: from 2017, the so-called expensive car supplement, also known as the luxury car tax, was introduced on new cars costing from £40,000, with or without options. It's currently set at £440 and is added to the vehicle's regular road tax charge. It starts in the car's second year and applies for five years, meaning that depending on its price when new, a qualifying A4 registered in 2022 is still subject to the charge until 2027.

What we said then: "Audi has conformed spectacularly to national stereotype with the new A4, giving us aerodynamic and material efficiency to the envy of all of its German compatriot manufacturers." 4 November 2015

AN OWNER'S VIEW

"My A4 has done 170,000 miles and still drives beautifully. It spends most of its time on the motorway, where it's smooth, quiet and rock-steady. It's a manual, which in my experience is better for quick overtakes.

"My car was registered in 2017, and it's a 2.0 TDI Ultra SE so very economical. It's had a couple of problems: most recently, the ABS light came on and has stayed on. The brakes work fine, though, and it passed its MOT!

"I can't afford to get the system reset, so I'll put up with it for now. The other problem occurred around five years ago, and again involved the brakes. It was a faulty brake pressure sensor that cost £200 to fix." Dan Barnes

BUYER BEWARE...

Engine: At around 70,000 miles the 2.0 TFSI can start using more oil. All engine types are known to suffer coolant leaks. With diesels, check invoices for records of DPF work.

Gearbox: Make sure the S Tronic 'box shifts smoothly (some drivers report theirs lurching). If it's a Quattro, check the rear diff casting is dry.

Suspension, brakes and tyres: Test the electronic parking brake, making sure it deploys and releases without fuss. Try a few emergency stops to test the ABS - there have been issues with the control unit. Feel for steering wheel tremble, suggesting alignment or balancing issues. Listen for noisy suspension on speed humps. Where fitted, cycle through the adaptive suspension settings. Be sure you can tolerate the stiff ride on larger wheels.

Body: Lots of A4s are ex-lease cars and while superficially tidy may show evidence of repairs - some good, some bad. Check panel gaps and for overspray. Feel for damp carpets in the boot and cabin. Be sure the headlights work, because LED units are expensive.

Interior: A4s wear their mileage well. A shiny steering wheel and worn pedal rubbers may indicate a higher mileage than displayed. Cross-check MOT mileages online. Be sure the air blower, infotainment and cameras work and your phone connects. Listen for noisy trim and suspension.

Recalls: The A4 is the subject of no fewer than eight recalls, ranging from a suspect front backrest (recall released 2017) to, where fitted, a hinged towing bracket with a faulty hinge-locking module (2021).

Also worth knowing: Official Audi servicing isn't the cheapest, but pay-monthly plans ease the pain. To find the right one for your A4, go to the service area on Audi's website and enter its registration number and mileage.

For a 2020-reg A4 2.0 TFSI 40 with 57,000 miles, Audi quoted us 24 payments of £19.99 for the Standard plan (two oil services and two MOTs).

HOW MUCH TO SPEND

£2000-£7999: Lots of early, starship-mileage diesels.

£8000-£12,999: Early diesels and 187bhp petrols with mileages a touch below 100k, rising to 20-reg mid-mileage 148bhp petrols.

£13,000-£19,999: Peak A4 shopping territory, with a huge choice of engines, specs and mileages, up to 2020-reg.

£20,000-£28,000: More facelift examples, ranging from 23-reg TFSI and TDI 35 models showing around 40,000 miles up to super-low-mileage 24-reg cars.

Grandland grand tour: A rapid, relaxing Parisian fling in my electric Vauxhall

Sat, 7 Nov 2026 06:00:00 +0000

An important mission in Paris awaits – is the Grandland Electric the right car for the job?

My summer trip across France in colleague James Attwood’s BMW iX3 has given me confidence in the idea of longer journeys in an EV, so when daughter Elsa asked if I’d give her – and most of her worldly goods – a lift to Paris for a year of studying abroad, I had no hesitation in taking the Grandland Electric.

Two warnings to note. First, the Vauxhall’s bootlid isn’t steel – as I found when I ordered a magnetic UK plate and it promptly fell off. Second, you’ll need a Crit’Air emissions sticker if you’re going into a major city in France, and don’t trust a quick Google search when buying one.

I was served a number of scam websites charging £40 for this vital pass, which you’ll need to access low-emission zones even if you’re in an EV, but then discovered I could get it for just €5.11 (about £4.40) from the official government site. Then the only thing left to do was pack (grateful once again for the huge boot) and disable the automatic main beam function: the Intelli-Lux headlights adapt to avoid dazzling oncoming traffic so don’t need deflectors.

Because I was going to be out and back within 24 hours, I booked myself on to an evening LeShuttle from Folkestone. Taking the Channel Tunnel is by far the quickest way to get to the continent and there are other advantages too – such as being stuck on the next available train when I was running early.

I was surprised to find my car wasn’t considered large and was directed to the top deck, which was a bit of a squeeze. But looking at it in situ, it’s really more of a tall estate car than a traditional rugged SUV. LeShuttle is a fast and relaxing way to travel and soon spat us out in France.

We’d booked an overnight in Amiens and the Grandland made swift progress on the autoroute, whose smooth surfaces suited the firm ride. Only a fair amount of wind/road roar disturbed the peace. The car did demand a bit of correction to stay on track too, particularly in crosswinds.

Although it’s quite comfortable cruising at the 130kph (81mph) limit, economy takes a steep dive if you do. My total average dropped from 3.5mpkWh to 3.3mpkWh during the trip, and I reckon we were returning well under that at those speeds, dropping the range below 200 miles.

With no chargers at our cheap motel, I was up at dawn to plug in at a nearby supermarket while Elsa slept, before another toll-road blast to the outskirts of Paris, then the inevitable crawl around the Périphérique and into the middle of town.

Sadly, Paris underground parking is designed for Twingos, not Grandlands, and after squeezing in through the narrow, steep, concrete-lined entrance, I spent most of the day worrying about how we’d get out again. But with Elsa safely installed, she helped me emerge unscathed and, after an emotional goodbye, it was back on the road bound for Calais.

On a previous trip to Bordeaux, I’d been amazed by the number and quality of charging options, but the Parisian trail appears to be less well served. So upon leaving the capital, I plumbed in a major shopping centre, but the promised 300kW stations were out of service and the best I could find was a 150kW unit a walk away from the supermarket where I’d planned to stock up.

Although the Vauxhall has a maximum charging rate of 160kW, the most it received was 120kW and it took over an hour to add 55kWh (I’m becoming convinced that charging rate is even more important than battery capacity), so I opted for a couple of brief top-ups en route rather than another lengthy wait.

That aside, it covered nearly 700 miles in two days with ease and I arrived home far less exhausted than I’d expected. Mission accomplished.

Only diesel will do: 2000 miles in six days with Mercedes E450D

Sat, 7 Nov 2026 05:00:00 +0000

When a flight isn't available, only a big diesel will do - and they don't get much better than this

How often do any of us use our cars for the exact purpose they were designed for? I'd wager the answer is 'not very'.

As I creep off LeShuttle and into the French daylight, I think about the death of the big diesel estate. Audi and BMW have dropped their mile-munching load luggers from sale in the UK, and you can sort of understand why. Great Britain isn't a large island, after all, so who really needs the ability to haul a wardrobe from Plymouth to Inverness on one tank?

Well, I do - but not on our poky little rock in the sea. I've got a full tank of Rudolf's finest, it's 790 miles to the northern tip of Denmark and I'm behind the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz E450d Estate. And I'm wearing sunglasses. Hit it.

I probably ought to explain what I'm doing. Every September, the motoring journalists of Europe flock to the bleak but charming seaside town of Tversted as part of the judging process for Car of the Year.

I've flown to the Tannistest for the past few years, but airline schedules have changed, so if I'd tried the same thing this year I'd have found myself at a loose end at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport for eight hours. So I've chosen to drive and to do so in a car that was designed to crush continents.

France goes as quickly as it comes and I cross into Belgium, a land of average speed cameras that turn flowing motorway traffic into a single blob, making the feeling of making progress impossible. As I reach Brussels, the traffic gets even worse, slowing to a crawl through mile after mile of roadworks. In anything else I'd be seriously annoyed. Cocooned in the E-Class, though, I'm miraculously unbothered.

It's immediately clear to me that one of this car's biggest talents is the ability it has to disconnect you from the annoyances of the road, cosseting you in a cathedral of luxury as you float along on the air suspension.

Even at low speeds the ride is impressive, taking in nasty potholes as if they weren't there at all, while the lightness of the control weights does a stellar job of keeping me at ease.

Brussels is cleared and normal progress resumes, the quietness, the velvety ride and the multifunction massage seats turning what would have been a drag across the Low Countries into something of a blur. I cross the border somewhere near the old Zolder Formula 1 track, passing into a short and utterly unremarkable section of the Netherlands.

Before long I'm in Germany. I know this partly because of the signs but mostly because a BMW M6 Cabriolet has just blasted past me at approximately Mach 2. It's an invitation that looks awfully tempting, despite my aim to use as little fuel as I can.

At present, a litre of diesel will cost you €2.40 (£2.03) out here. I check the trip computer and see the Mercedes has been barely sipping since crossing the Channel, having averaged an impressive 48mpg.

It would be nice to keep this up, I think - and then I remember how rare it is that I find myself on an unrestricted autobahn and decide to plant my right foot. Unfortunately, this Sunday afternoon is surprisingly busy and I don't really find the space to stretch my legs as I waft past the gargantuan steelworks of Duisburg.

However, as the sun sets past Osnabrück, the traffic begins to thin out. I select Sport mode, feel the air suspension hunker down to its lowest setting and get childish with the throttle.

The way the E450d gains speed is oddly sedate. There are no kicks to the head from gearshifts or moments of stasis: it just gently pushes you onwards at a seemingly constant rate of acceleration with a level of serenity that completely belies the serious speeds at which you soon find yourself.

The turbocharged 3.0-litre straight six up front is a real masterpiece, generating a staggering 553lb ft of torque from just above idle all the way up to 2800rpm and allowing the car to simply surge forward. As 367bhp propels me towards Dinklage, I realise that driving quickly on an unrestricted autobahn is possibly one of the most exhilarating experiences this side of base jumping.

As I approach 140mph, I feel like I'm looking a mile down the road, my saucer-sized eyes searching for even the slightest hint that someone might pull into lane three. Middle-lane hogs are a nuisance in the UK; over here they're a genuine threat to your life.

As I'm using all of my brain function to ensure the road ahead remains clear, the one thing I don't have to worry about is the car itself. It remains unbelievably planted at high speed, the steering wheel rock-solid in my white-knuckled hands, and the only real signs that I'm doing more than double the UK speed limit are the animalistic yet slightly muted howl of the wind and the speed at which things are approaching through the vast windscreen.

I hit the 155mph limiter and back off, the car staying stable under braking as I exit the autobahn and enter my hotel for the night.

The next morning, I rise early and make a run for the Danish border, a mere 200 miles north, at a more sedate pace. With the engine sitting at just 1500rpm at my chosen cruising speed of 80mph, the three-pointed star at the end of my bonnet leads the way through a grey dawn.

I'm making good progress until I hit Hamburg, catching the rush-hour traffic. Frustrating, but at least it gives me plenty of time to admire the incomprehensibly large container ships moored right next to the autobahn.

The roads empty again as I approach Denmark, stopping only for an eye-wateringly expensive fill-up at the last fuel station before the border. Even with far more high-speed running than I'd planned for, I've still covered almost 600 miles on one tank with range to spare.

After a refill, a 225-mile slog up the spine of Jutland awaits. Frankly, the less said about this section the better. This is a very pleasant country, with gently rolling hills and lush green fields, but you do get extremely bored seeing these two things over and over again.

Even this car can't make this trip go past quickly, so it's a relief when I finally park up on the beach and find road test editor Matt Saunders ready to meet me for dinner.

Flash cut to two days later and I'm once again approaching Hamburg, having travelled the length of Denmark twice on a single tank of diesel.

This time I don't bypass the city, instead heading straight into its heart. It's a busy old place with surprisingly narrow roads once you get into the warehouse district, but the E450d takes it firmly in its stride, the low windscreen scuttle allowing me to easily place the car on the road and the light steering letting me palm my way around the city with ease.

I've come here to visit Miniatur Wunderland, the world's largest model railway. As I wander around marvelling at the scale of the place - more than 10 miles of track across 12 layouts, populated by 292,000 figurines, 11,800 cars and 52 flying planes - I get a call from my hotel in Lüneburg, saying that I must be there before 8pm, as that's when the check-in desk closes.

A quick check of Waze tells me that I won't be there until 8.15pm. Ah.

What follows is a mad dash for the historic city. Escaping Hamburg, I find myself on a blissfully quiet stretch of unrestricted autobahn, and once I hit that magic 200kph (124mph) mark I don't fall below it again until I reach my exit.

When did I arrive? 7.53pm. It's what this car was made for, after all...

The next morning, I set off across the countryside at a much more relaxed pace, eager to eke out the last little bit of diesel in the tank. In Comfort mode the E450d will shut down its engine and freewheel along at the speed limit, something that allows me to get all the way to Ralf Schumacher's karting centre before I need to replenish the tank I've covered 659 miles with. That's 49mpg - impressive stuff.

Germany slips by as I cruise the 250 miles to a little town called Dietzhölztal, high in the rolling hills of the Rhenish Massif. The twisting passes around the town reveal a new dimension to the E450d, letting me see its less relaxed side.

Obviously it's no Lotus Elise, but 2140kg has rarely felt so light, and I quickly traverse the hills. The steering is so much better than you would expect, not giving you all that much feel but compensating with wonderful weighting in a rack that's so well sped, while the four-wheel drive system operates with ruthless efficiency.

I've decided to visit Dietzhölztal for one reason and one reason only: to check out the recently opened National Auto Museum. It's possibly the most impressive such museum I've ever visited, situated in a former factory and populated by a collection of cars amazing enough to keep me there for days. With everything from a Tatra 77A to a Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Roadster on show, it's all I can do to keep my jaw off the floor.

Mind sufficiently blown, I head north-west for my overnight halt in Cologne, and when dawn breaks I set my sights on Calais.

On my way, I stumble across Europe's largest open-cast mine, populated by a fleet of 100m-tall excavators that are among the largest vehicles on the planet. They're so large that they're officially referred to as landships - a moniker I don't think would be ill-fitting if applied to the E450d, owing to the ease with which it travels unthinkable distances.

I'm watching my fuel gauge all the way back to France, hoping and praying that I can make it on one tank. It's a little touch and go at times, but some gentle driving means that by the time I reach the Eurotunnel I've still got 50 miles of range showing up on the dashboard.

Filling up, I reflect on my journey. I've covered just shy of 2000 miles across five countries in six days, which is no mean feat. I

s there a better car for the job? Based on how relaxed I still feel, I think not. Bravo, Mercedes.

VW Group could put Chinese tech architecture in 75% of European cars

Fri, 6 Nov 2026 13:51:31 +0000

ID Unyx 08 is first car co-developed by VW and Xpeng, and could be a global tech flagbearer

Firm evaluates adopting electricals developed with China's Xpeng across core models in its home market

The Volkswagen Group is evaluating whether to deploy its China-developed electrical architecture across the majority of its future European core models – a move that could dramatically reshape the German firm's global engineering strategy as it battles to cut costs.

According to internal discussions confirmed by Group board member and Volkswagen brand CEO Thomas Schäfer, up to 75% of the firm's core models in Europe (spanning the Volkswagen, Cupra and Skoda brands) could eventually use the China Electronic Architecture (CEA).

Developed in partnership with Chinese EV maker Xpeng, the CEA is described as “a zonal electronic and electrical architecture with high-performance central computing” that “enables software-driven innovations across all powertrain types”, from combustion to hybrid to electric.

The proposal signals a significant shift in Volkswagen's regional strategy. The firm currently relies on the CEA for the Chinese market and is developing a separate RVT electrical architecture with American EV maker Rivian for the western hemisphere.

The RVT architecture is set to make its debut on the production version of the ID Every1, Volkswagen's upcoming electric successor to the entry-level Up, which is tentatively scheduled to be unveiled at the 2027 Munich motor show.

Speaking on the Volkswagen Group's evolving software strategy at an event in China, Schäfer outlined the complex geopolitical and financial calculations driving the debate.

"First of all, it's clear that we need two architectures ultimately. One is CEA and one is RVT for the western hemisphere," he said.

"We are at the moment looking at the most cost-efficient way of making it ready for the volume segment and we are investigating if the CEA is indeed the right one for Europe.

"The minute you start making either software architectures of vehicles ready for Europe, complying with all the European rules and regulations, you make the cars more expensive here in China or you create a variant.

"So there's always a debate: do you make the cars here in the most competitive market more uncompetitive in order to have an advantage in Europe or is it better to stay separate?"

While Schäfer cautioned that no final decision has been made, he indicated a strong leaning towards adopting the Chinese technology for the European market.

"I believe it will be," he said, "but we're not finished yet."

The potential pivot comes as Europe's largest car maker faces intense pressure to lower EV development costs and fend off fierce competition from Chinese rivals.

How the Skoda Peaq takes family luxury to new levels

Fri, 6 Nov 2026 13:30:00 +0000

The all-new Peaq represents a bright new future for Skoda, one in which it combines its traditional strengths of usability and value with a generous helping of luxury

Think Skoda and you probably think practicality, smart touches and lots of space for your money. The brand has built its reputation on giving families the things they actually need, without asking them to spend a fortune in the process.

But luxury? That's perhaps not the first word that springs to mind.

That is changing with the arrival of the all-new Skoda Peaq, the largest and most luxurious vehicle the brand has ever produced. It's a seven-seat electric SUV that's packed with the sort of features you'd normally expect to find in considerably more expensive cars.

And yet, despite all that extra luxury, Skoda hasn't forgotten one of the qualities that has made it so popular in the first place: value for money. Prices start from £51,980, making the Peaq cheaper than many direct electric seven-seat rivals.

Luxury and value? That's got to be peak Skoda. So, what exactly does the Peaq bring to the table?

Learn more about the Skoda Peaq

Enormous space

Skoda has always been rather good at making the most of the space available inside its cars, and the Peaq takes that idea to another level. It's the largest Skoda ever made, measuring almost five metres long, 1.7 metres tall and just over 1.8 metres wide, with more than 2.9 metres between its front and rear wheels.

Those are some serious dimensions, and they translate into a cabin with plenty of room for seven occupants. First and second row seats can recline, while third row passengers have more than enough space to get comfy – giving everyone the opportunity to properly relax, while the optional adaptive suspension helps keep the ride positively cloud-like.

And, naturally, there's plenty of room for luggage, too. With all seven seats in use, the Peaq offers 299 litres of boot space. Fold the rearmost seats down and that increases to a whopping 890 litres, while the usual collection of hooks, cubbies and smart storage solutions means there's plenty of room for all the smaller things a family tends to bring along.

Relax Package

Let's be honest, sitting around waiting for your electric car to charge at a rapid charger isn't the most exciting, or comfortable, way to spend your time. Usually, you're stuck sitting in the same position you've been in for the last few hours, with little opportunity to properly kick back and relax. That's where the Skoda Peaq's optional Relax Package comes in.

Spec it, and your Peaq will be transformed into a portable airport lounge. The upgraded Relax front seats are officially certified for back health by the German AGR institution and come with massage functionality, electrically adjustable leg rests and Comfort pillows. In other words, you can stretch out, put your feet up and get properly chilled.

You can also kick back and watch YouTube or a movie on the Peaq's large, 13.6in central touchscreen.

The Relax Package also brings a handy fold-away table, which can act as a sturdy workstation for your laptop or somewhere to put your drinks, snacks and other goodies while you wait for the battery to recharge.

Although, as it happens, you won't necessarily have to wait that long. Thanks to its monster 199kW charging capability, even the largest-battery Peaq can charge from 10-80% in around 28 minutes.

Panoramic sunroof with Dynamic Shade Control

As we've already established, the Škoda Peaq doesn't do things by half, and that attitude extends to its optional panoramic sunroof with Dynamic Shade Control.

For starters, it's the largest sunroof ever fitted to a Škoda, measuring more than 2.1 square metres. The result is a cabin flooded with natural light, adding to the airy, spacious feel.

But when you want a little less sunshine, there's no need for a conventional physical shade. At the touch of a button, Dynamic Shade Control changes the glass from brilliantly clear to perfectly opaque, almost like something you'd see in a Star Wars film.

Even better, the roof is split into nine independently controlled segments, so you can adjust the opacity of different sections individually. That means rear passengers can block out the light if they're having a snooze while those in the front can keep the view open.

Sounds by Sonos

When Škoda set out to make the Peaq its most luxurious SUV yet, a premium sound system was always going to be part of the package. So it teamed up with Sonos, the world-renowned audio brand best known for its high-end home sound systems.

The result is a seriously impressive setup, with no fewer than 16 speakers positioned throughout the Peaq's cabin to create an immersive 3D sound experience. There's a subwoofer – housed in an 18-litre chamber for deep, resonant bass – a centre-dash speaker and speakers built into the doors and door pillars.

The result is up to 755 watts of rich, detailed sound, with the speakers spread throughout the cabin so that everyone gets to enjoy the music exactly the way they want to.

Park your Peaq, even if you're not in it

One of the nicest things about modern luxury cars is that they increasingly take care of the little jobs for you, and the Peaq is no exception.

Its Trained Parking system can learn a particular parking manoeuvre after you've performed it once, allowing the car to repeat it whenever you return to the same location, such as your driveway. You simply control the accelerator and brake while the Peaq takes care of the steering. And when it's time to leave, the car can reverse itself out of the saved space, too.

Better still, you don't have to stay inside the car at all. The Peaq can perform these manoeuvres remotely, recognising a previously saved parking area and prompting you when it's ready to take over. You can then get out, approve the procedure through the MySkoda app and watch as the car handles the parking shuffle by itself.

Smart touches, everywhere

For all the Peaq's impressive luxury features, it's the smart little touches dotted around the cabin that remind you this is still very much a Skoda at heart.

Take the electric tailgate with Virtual Pedal. If you've arrived home with your hands full, simply wave your foot beneath the rear bumper and the boot opens automatically. There are also two wireless smartphone charging pads, which are illuminated and cooled to prevent your phone from overheating, as well as being magnetised to stop it sliding around while you're on the move.

There's wireless smartphone connectivity, too, allowing you to run Apple CarPlay or Android Auto through the large, 13.6in central touchscreen. You also get Skoda's 10in Virtual Cockpit which put puts key driving information right where you need it.

And that's perhaps the Peaq's biggest achievement. It might be Skoda's first true luxury car, but it hasn't achieved that by forgetting what made the brand successful in the first place. In other words, the Peaq hasn't abandoned the traditional Skoda formula. It's simply taken it somewhere considerably more luxurious.

All in all, if you had to say where the new Skoda sits in the luxury-car class, you could say it's right at the peak.

Learn more about the Skoda Peaq

EV emissions in spotlight as increased weight drives up tyre wear

Fri, 6 Nov 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Increased wear, owner neglect and driving style cited as factors, as particulate emission rules present new challenge

New research shows that increased weight and neglected maintenance cause EVs to suffer more tyre defects than combustion-engined cars - but experts say faster tyre wear won't erase their overall climate advantage.

According to a report by analyst New Automotive, for every 1000 MOT tests on cars three to eight years old, about 26 EVs recorded tread below the legal limit, compared with 18 petrol cars.

Cuts reaching the cords were recorded in approximately 30 EV tests, compared with 14 petrol cars. The comparison covered 1.6 million EV tests and 17.9 million ICE car tests.

"For a per cent extra weight of car, you get a percentage extra in tyre abrasion," said Nick Molden, founder of Emissions Analytics, calling it "a rough rule of thumb".

He added: "An EV would typically be 20% heavier than an ICE car. Before fitting specialist tyres, you're looking at 20% or so more wear on an EV."

The British Tyre Manufacturers Association (BTMA) has also found a higher tyre failure rate among EVs. Its latest figures put the failure rate for EVs at 6.0%, compared with 4.7% for diesels and 4.3% for petrol cars.

The BTMA points to greater weight and instant torque wearing tyres more quickly.

Darren Lindsey, head of the BTMA, said driver behaviour and maintenance are also part of the problem, explaining: "People tend to drive and forget now."

He argued that because EVs need less routine servicing, tyres can be overlooked.

Lindsey warned that the higher reported defect figure - roughly 80% higher than for ICE cars - shouldn't be interpreted as a direct measure of wear.

"That's probably down to how people are treating the vehicle," he said, pointing out that a defect could be "a cut in the sidewall", "a small bulge" or another problem that isn't simply down to tread wear.

Maintenance aside, Jon Andersson, Ricardo's global technical expert on emissions measurement and standards, pointed to several reasons why EV tyres wear more quickly.

"Mass is definitely an important factor - perhaps the most significant," he said. "But speed, braking, tyre characteristics, alignment, maintenance and driving style can all play a part."

CAN EV-SPECIFIC TYRES CUT WEAR?

Molden said specialist EV tyres are generally "just offsetting the added wear from the extra vehicle weight and torque" but that comes at a price: EV tyres, "in round numbers, are up to 50% more expensive than normal ICE tyres".

Molden said the main problem comes when "these heavy cars with high torque" are fitted with tyres "which are not suitable for that" and that the wrong tyre can double wear rates.

WHAT ABOUT EMISSIONS?

While EVs wear out their tyres more quickly, experts say increased degradation does not necessarily mean more pollution - but EV-specific rubber could bring its own set of concerns.

Andersson said wear and airborne emissions aren't equivalent: "A tyre with higher overall wear does not necessarily generate proportionally more airborne particle pollution."

Yet as impending Euro 7 abrasion standards compel manufacturers to create longer-lasting compounds, solving wear may simply shift the hazard. Molden said new compound formulations "will affect the toxicity of the particles".

That chemical profile remains a critical blindspot. University of Surrey professor Prashant Kumar, who studies the impact of air pollution on health, said tyre-wear particles can contain metals and chemicals whose long-term health impact "is not very well understood". Larger rubber fragments stay on the ground and are washed away by rain but finer particles "could become airborne" and pose a risk.

Asked to comment, the BTMA pushed back, saying any changes to materials or product design are subject to "extensive technical evaluation and scrutiny".

SUSTAINABILITY CONCERNS

If EVs wear through tyres more quickly, another issue is what happens to them once they are spent.

Molden said "around two billion" end-of-life tyres are discarded globally per year. Manufacturing more tyres would add to CO2 emissions, he said, but that wouldn't wipe out the overall CO2 advantage of an EV. He put this at "approximately 50% on a life-cycle basis", not including the impact of the tyres themselves.

He added: "Intuitively, the combustion engine produces a lot of CO2. Tyres on average last about two years, so there is no way going through tyres faster will negate the benefit of electrification."

WHAT'S NEXT FOR EV TYRES?

Volkswagen Mission Efficiency: Continental has developed a new compound for VW's new streamliner. The tyre has an 'industry-leading' rolling resistance around 25% less than needed to hit an 'A' rating under the EU's energy-efficiency label system. The tyres will influence Continental's next-gen EV compounds.

Citroen 2CV: Here 'digital twin' technology monitors the car's and the tyres' metrics (laden weight, temperature, pressures etc) to create a digital simulation of the tyre - its 'twin'. The car then adjusts its behaviour to suit - for example, ramping up the stability control in lower-grip conditions.

Classic cars can do the everyday: 2500 miles in my E30 BMW 325i

Fri, 6 Nov 2026 11:55:00 +0000

All eyes are on BMW's Neue Klasse era, but touring in my Touring shows the Old Klasse still shines

How did you celebrate 50 years of the BMW 3 Series? I may have taken it a bit far by buying this E30-generation 325i Touring from 1990.

Ever since selling my Porsche 944 four years ago, I've had a hankering to own an old car again. Something simple, light, moderately interesting and, above all, fun. The E30 ticked the boxes of being a relatively compact car (it's narrower than a current Mini Cooper C) with an interesting engine, rear-wheel drive and a manual gearbox.

It strikes that balance of being purer and more mechanical than modern cars but still comfortable and refined enough that you can take it on big trips quite easily. My parents got a 320i when I was two years old, so it was the first car I was really aware of, and my own first car was a 316i Touring too.

When I saw the ad, I immediately knew this was the one. It's a good colour combo and has factory air-con (which doesn't work, yet). It's also a manual car that's had a few choice performance upgrades over the years (a limited-slip diff and Bilstein dampers).

Some people say E30s are really expensive now. Compared with 10 years ago, when you could pick up a 325i for a few thousand pounds, I suppose they are.

On the other hand, this very nice example cost me less than a new Renault Clio. Just how nice is something I intend to find out soon by taking it to a classic BMW specialist to try, and hopefully fail, to poke holes in it.

Not just an MOT

Almost any 35-year-old car will have lived a life, and even though 91,000 miles is relatively low for the age, that's still plenty of time for components to wear out and rust holes to form. You can read all the buying guides you want before you view a car, but in the end you can never know everything.

Very soon after buying my E30 BMW 3 Series, I booked it in with Classic Bahnstormers for one of their 'appraisals'. Initially I was a little startled at the cost (£456), but then this isn't just a superficial MOT. They take it for the day for both the mechanics and bodywork guys to dig into it, take parts off and do a test drive.

The result is six sheets of A4 listing absolutely everything you could do to restore it to showroom condition-from the major stuff (leaky radiator and perished fuel hoses-eek!) to impossibly minor stuff (no rear ashtray illumination) - and an hour-long phone call to come up with a plan.

The takeaway is that my car is a really good one with next to no rust and I could probably get away with just doing some essentials. The trouble is I'm permanently in road tester mode, finding every functional fault. I've kept old cars going with ad hoc repairs and just ended up frustrated.

This one is probably a keeper, so it has to be right. I can live without ashtray illumination, but the air-con, suspension and central locking all need to work perfectly. This might get expensive.

A-B testing

The trouble with old cars is that you’re never sure whether a particular attribute is down to design, or that particular example with 92,000 miles and a mix of old original, new original and aftermarket components.

If I’m honest, I’m slightly disappointed with the ride and handling of my 325i. It has a slightly lazy front end and a crashy ride. I had suspicions that the Uniroyal tyres (decent quality but not very sporty tyres) and the H&R lowering springs weren’t doing it any favours. I needed some A-B testing to know for sure.

Fortunately, Autocar shares an office with Classic and Sports car, whose deputy editor Aaron McKay owns a very tidy 325i Sport, albeit a saloon from 1986. A plan was hatched for a car swap.

Aaron’s car has the same Bilstein B6 dampers as mine, but with standard M Technic springs, and rides much better, with no penalty in handling. The steering also feels a bit lighter but tighter and more incisive, and the gearchange is more precise.

It feels a bit quicker too, with less valvetrain noise (although it may just be masked by the naughtier stainless exhaust). Detail stuff, but all together, it really does tie the driving together.

It was really interesting driving the two back to back, and reassured me that there are gains to be made with my car. Between the tyres, the springs, some suspension bushes that need replacing and an overdue service, I think my car can easily be lifted to the next level.

Still a do-it-all car even after 36 years

I've been delinquent in writing about my E30 BMW 3 Series, but not because I haven't been driving it. My intention was to get a usable classic to actually use, and that's what I've been doing. So as I near a year of ownership, here's a rather-too-quick round-up.

A while back, I was attending a launch in the south of Portugal and, instead of flying, decided to drive there by way of the Portsmouth-Santander ferry. Because the Autocar long-term garage was full of plug-in hybrid SUVs, it had to be the E30.

It was at Classic Bahnstormers in Gloucestershire for a load of deferred maintenance, because the previous owner drove it about 1500 miles in six years and it had sat idle for 10 before that. I begged them to hurry up, they obliged and I set off on a 2500-mile road trip.

There's no better way to get to know a car, and the E30 turned out to be exactly what I wanted it to be. It doesn't feel like a modern car at all, but it does have the comfortable seats, noise isolation and grunt to eat miles like one.

It will sit happily at whatever fast motorway speed you like. Then, as the roads of central Portugal got more interesting, it turned fun and engaging. It's practical too, yet also narrow enough to fit through the alleys of medieval towns. And it returned 30mpg, which I think is pretty good

The MPG readout on the 'on-board computer', by the way, is dead accurate. Of course, it will still do old car things. The heater matrix started to leak blue coolant over the beige carpet, the headlining got soaked after a rainstorm, it now requires a lot of cranking to start and the driver's door needs a secret handshake to open.

Nothing that stopped progress, but clearly those issues need addressing soon.

Finally everything works. I think….

After my 2500-mile continental road trip – more than my 'E30' 325i Touring had done in the past 10 years – a few things needed sorting out. When I'd told the classic BMW specialist to hurry up before my road trip, they hadn't got round to fitting a new radio and fixing the air conditioning. But they have now.

By far the biggest cost was the heating and ventilation. A company in the US makes a kit to convert the E30's air conditioning to modern R134a refrigerant, with a new compressor, condenser, filter-drier and a bunch of lines and brackets, although fitting it to a right-hand-drive car is apparently a bit of a pain, as is replacing the leaking heater matrix.

Anyway, that was sorted out, along with the temperamental central locking system, the aerial that was letting water into the roof, and the slowly failing fuel pump. To finish things off, a new radio went in. I couldn't bear a modern one with blinking lights, so I went for a retro Blaupunkt Frankfurt, which looks exactly like the kind of thing it could have come with new, except it has Bluetooth and DAB..

It all took a couple of months because sourcing parts for old cars can take a while, and I did tell them to take their time because I wasn't going to drive it through road salt anyway.

I think I now have a 36-year-old car where everything works, but that does draw into focus other areas for improvement. It's still on aftermarket sport springs that are too hard and too low, and for a car that has a reputation for swapping ends, I find it disappointingly inert in the dry. I suspect the Uniroyal RainSport tyres aren't doing it any favours.

I see some original springs and better tyres in my future. It's just like a regular lease payment on a new car…

5000 electric Volkswagens hit with 80% charge limit over fire risk

Fri, 6 Nov 2026 09:53:11 +0000

Owners of some ID 3, ID 4, ID 7, Buzz and Cupra Born models are unable to fully charge until the battery is checked

Owners of some electric Volkswagen and Cupra models have been prevented from charging their cars past 80% over concerns that the battery could overheat and catch fire.

The Volkswagen Group is preparing to issue a recall for selected ID 3, ID 4, ID 7, ID Buzz and Cupra Born models produced between 2022 and 2025 in order to check that their battery components "meet quality standards".

A recall issued in other markets also includes Audi Q4 E-tron models produced during that period, but the SUV is not listed by the UK notice.

The notice applies to around 5000 cars in the UK, Autocar understands, of some 85,000 worldwide.

The affected vehicles are fitted with batteries from an unnamed supplier, containing components that "might not meet our high-quality standards" and could overheat when charged above 80% capacity, "posing a fire risk", said VW.

"This could result in serious or life-threatening injuries to people inside and outside the vehicle, as well as significant property damage," the company warned.

There have been no confirmed cases of injury, said VW, but some property damage has been reported.

Ahead of the impacted vehicles being checked, an 80% charging limit has been imposed via an over-the-air update, meaning owners are unable to use their car's full range in the meantime. Based on official WLTP figures for the ID 3, the 20% shortfall could amount to between 40 and 70 miles of lost range.

Volkswagen says it has contacted retail customers where possible and advised fleet companies of the move. It has also posted notices on the relevant brand websites.

The company advises that technical faults with the battery would not be "necessarily recognisable" so all 5000 cars will need to be checked. It has not given a timeframe for the process.

Owners will be contacted and some will need to take their car to a workshop for a physical safety check – lasting one hour – and battery modules replaced where needed.

Other cars can be checked and updated over the air, said VW, and owners will be given a date and instructions in due course.

Huge '9 Series' SUVs cracked China - can they beat Range Rover here?

Fri, 6 Nov 2026 08:00:00 +0000

China's largest, premium SUVs are set to go on sale in Europe after dominating their home market

The claim that China’s car industry is exporting its overcapacity isn’t being disproven by the recent decisions of brands including BYD, Freelander, iCaur, Jetour and Zeekr to sell 5m-long SUVs in Europe.

Chinese brands have been persuasive in selling us SUVs slightly bigger than our normal comfort zone of around 4.5m, but these Goliaths are well outside that.

This isn’t a targeted strategy but more a spray-and-pray, given that 5m-long SUVs here are a tiny category dominated by a handful of entrenched premium brands.

These ‘9-series’ SUVs (so-called because most have a 9 in their name) are a booming category in China as local brands look to more profitable segments. Without too much effort I counted more than 20 of these monsters on sale there, most launched within the past year.

Their specs are eye-popping. In an effort to derail Land Rover and the German premium brands, the likes of Aito, Leapmotor, Luxeed, Nio and Xiaomi have chucked the kitchen sink at their home-grown alternatives. Most are range-extender EVs, with 50kWh-plus batteries, an 800V electrical architecture for ultra-rapid charging, air suspension, sub-5.0sec 0-62mph times and lavish interiors.

The inspiration of the Range Rover and/or the Defender can be clearly seen in their designs. Either you’re off to the opera or Outer Mongolia. If it’s the latter, perhaps the Xiaomi Skynomad N90 might suit, with its camper van-style pop-up roof and one-touch bed mode for the second and third row of seats.

This voracious competition is gobbling up the established premium brands in China, which are losing sales at a frightening rate.

“In China the market is rapidly declining, and especially for the Western premium manufacturers,” said a gloomy Håkan Samuelsson, Volvo’s CEO, last month.

Most successful is the BYD Fangchengbao Ti7, which, astonishingly for a 5m-long SUV, sneaked into China’s top 10 best-selling models chart in August. This car is now available in the UK as the plain BYD Ti7 plug-in hybrid, starting at £47,995.

Other brands are being even more bullish. Geely-owned Zeekr is offering its opulent 9X, another huge plug-in hybrid SUV, for €119,500 in Germany and France.

Now comes the crunch. These behemoths meet or beat the local premium SUVs on tech. Spec for spec, they do on price too. But the brand aura carefully cultivated by the likes of JLR is a forcefield in Europe that the Chinese will find much harder to penetrate than in their own market. These are the rare Chinese models that are likely to remain niche.

Dacia considers Renault Bridger EV as Fiat Panda rival for Europe

Fri, 6 Nov 2026 07:00:00 +0000

Due to go on sale in India next year, production Bridger may also be offered in Europe by Dacia to cut emissions

Dacia is considering bringing the Indian-market Renault Bridger to Europe with electric power as part of a push by the Romanian brand to reduce its CO2 emissions.

The Bridger, revealed as a near-ready concept earlier this year, is a chunky, small SUV in the mould of the Suzuki Jimny. It was designed to sit underneath the slightly larger Renault Duster - an adapted version of Dacia's European SUV of the same name - in the French brand's Indian showrooms.

It will be launched next year in line with the Renault Group's strategy to significantly expand its global footprint by introducing market-specific models in key regions.

As with other international offerings, including the Renault Filante, Boreal and Niagara, the Bridger hadn't been planned for launch in the company's home market of Europe.

However, with the group's value-focused Dacia brand needing to electrify its line-up quickly and affordably, and with heavy incentives in place to build its cars locally, company insiders have revealed it could adapt the Bridger for the European market, where it would go up against the similarly conceived Citroën ë-C3 and Fiat Grande Panda Electric.

Electrification and reducing CO2 emissions are top priorities for Dacia, with the Romanian firm trailing its Renault Group counterparts on emissions, owing to its limited electric line-up.

Dacia is also reviewing its plans in light of proposed rules under the EU's new Industrial Accelerator Act. This could introduce super-credits for EVs built in Europe, which would be more generous for models that are less than 4.2m long.

Dacia has announced that it plans to launch four EVs by 2030 but hasn't named them. Autocar can reveal that they are the Spring, Sandero, Sandero Stepway and a fourth car.

That final slot was intended to be an electric version of the new Striker crossover, but plans for that have been cancelled, according to sources, and a European-built version of the Bridger is a contender to replace it.

Speaking at the Paris mator show last month, Renault Group CEO François Provost said the Bridger was "created for India but it could one day come to our markets too".

As reported by Autocar, Dacia is due to also add a production version of the Hipster microcar to its European line-up in the coming years, but that will sit outside the main car line-up as a Citroën Ami-sized quadricycle.

Pierre Henry

Rebranding or reblanding? Car logos are trading character for cleanliness

Fri, 6 Nov 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Vauxhall and McLaren are the latest to adopt bold, simple new emblems - but where's the individuality?

So the Griffin has become the latest prey of simplification syndrome, with the Vauxhall logo one of many that have in recent years been made increasingly basic and two-dimensional.

One aspect of the new look feels deliberate: the griffin has laid down her flag ('her' because in heraldry female griffins typically had eagle's wings, like Vauxhall's logo usually does, whereas males had spikes).

It's the first time in 111 years she hasn't held one aloft.

Could be a coincidence, could be because flag-waving apparently isn't perceived as quite such a done thing as it used to be and the griffin is evidently not one to be seen climbing a lamppost.

Seems a pity if it is culture war-related, but I imagine it will be back one day.

The second aspect of the redesign is less of a lifestyle choice and more of a modern necessity.

See also McLaren's recent redoing, the flattenings of Lotus (2019), Volkswagen (2019), Citroën (2023), and many more besides. Reblandings rather than rebrandings.

It's hard to hold designers to account for this. At least it's hard to hold company logo designers responsible.

Less so, perhaps, the hardware and software creators whose myriad technologies, despite their vast cost and complexity, have apparently limited ability to show complicated three-dimensional logos at different scales.

It's this which is largely behind so many logo redesigns of late.

Tricky or three-dimensional designs are out and simpler, more scalable, more easily presented monochrome styles, which must look the same on a poster or at a mere 120x120 pixels, are in.

Bit of a shame, this, I think. Curiously, in most aspects of life, as things evolve they tend to get more complicated.

All life on earth can trace its lineage back to single-cell organisms from billions of years ago.

Logos, seemingly not so much. They're now so often monochromatic, flat and simple-all driven not by the need for distinctiveness and certainly not to be more beautiful but to satisfy the demands of accurate replication, at any size, in any medium, without distortion, from a small screen to a big one, from being moulded into plastic to printed on a cap.

As a result, though, shorn of effects, colours, shading, shadow and reflection, they're starting to lose their individuality.

Sure, even in a small pixel icon there are lots of colours to choose from and lots of places to put them.

But there's also an almost limitless number of QR code variations, and can you tell those apart?

Mercedes-AMG One finally driven: How F1-based hypercar shaped brand's new era

Fri, 6 Nov 2026 05:00:00 +0000

From mega-powered electric SUV to savage V6 hypercar, we drive the cars that define modern AMG

The last time I remember Autocar running a story reporting the experience of doing doughnuts from the unenviable vantage point of the passenger seat of one of the most powerful cars on sale, it was 1989, the car a Ferrari F40 and its intrepid pilot none other than a flat-capped, moustachioed Nigel Mansell.

It was not me in the passenger seat that day but the rightly famed and now sadly long departed sports writer Frank Keating. It was one of the greatest pieces of motoring journalism I can recall appearing between these covers and I’d urge anyone to read it, which you can do for free here this month.

Today, I’m afraid, you have me but, like Frank was, I am at least in one of the most powerful cars on sale.

Sadly, it’s not an F40, then and now my favourite road car, but a near 2.7-tonne electric SUV, the latest in a line of bespoke Mercedes-AMG products that began with the gullwinged SLS back in 2009.

We’re going round and round in expensive circles, the 1153bhp at our disposal grinding Michelins to dust while its intrepid test pilot demonstrates how easy or difficult the process of using such a device to describe a mathematically near perfect arc can be, depending on how far you twiddle a knob between the seats. Valuable stuff in a high and heavy five-seat family car, you will agree.

Now, this is not a full road test of the new Mercedes-AMG GT 63 SUV, because while I did drive it, and as fast as I could make it go, it was only for a few minutes within the confines of a vast test track and Autocar requires something a touch more rigorous before designating it a review. For that, you can read my colleague's fuller verdict here soon.

But my experience was perhaps indicative of where AMG is today as it prepares for 1 June next year – the 60th anniversary of former Mercedes engineers Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher getting together over a stein or two to form a little tuning company, borrowing its third letter from the former’s place of birth in Grossaspach, north-east of Stuttgart.

Unlike some such companies, the chaps enjoyed ever closer working relations with the factory, selling cars in Mercedes dealerships from 1990, launching their first co-developed car in 1993 (the C36 AMG) and selling a controlling interest to Mercedes in 1999, which six years later acquired the company outright.

I wonder what you think of when you think of AMG today. To me an AMG is a saloon or estate making sounds that I’d happily have played as I proceed feet first through the curtains under the big chimney. They’re there courtesy of some monstrous bent-eight motor under bonnet lovingly constructed by a single master craftsman or woman in Affalterbach, where the company has lived these past 50 years.

Except there’s a problem. You can’t buy a V8-powered AMG saloon or estate any more. Indeed, if you want a V8-powered AMG today, you need to buy a convertible SL grand tourer, a GT supercar, a G-Class or GLS off-roader or… well, you may still be able to buy a GLE SUV with the big banger under the bonnet, but on the website it’s claimed to be a bespoke car that can only be made to order with no price next to it. So good luck with that. There is, gloriously, the new CLE 646 coupé to consider, but given that it costs north of £600k and all 30 units have been sold already, it can hardly be called a C63 replacement.

AMGs today are otherwise powered by four- and six-cylinder engines, and they’re some of the best such motors in the world, but these are the string quartets and musical ensembles of the AMG world and sometimes you want the full symphony orchestra. We won’t dwell on the disaster that was the attempt to replace a 4.0-litre V8 in the C63 with a hybridised 2.0-litre four (a car now quietly removed from sale without so much as a tear-stained hankie to send it in its way). And, as we've already seen, the EVs are on their way in the form of the GT SUV outlined above and its already-launched GT 4-Door Coupé sibling with its great face for radio.

Now, to be fair, the GT SUV does make V8 noises. Loud V8 noises, a sort of K-tel compilation of AMG’s greatest V8 noises over the years all blended into one stupendous soundtrack if you choose the right mode. And it is unbelievably convincing, right down to the little electric motors in the seats that send shivers up and down your spine in time with every pop and bang on the ‘overrun’. Yes, really. But it’s not quite the same. It’s a battery versus a mechanical watch: both tell the time, the battery-powered one rather better if we’re honest, but there’s nothing like having a chunk of mechanical precision engineering on your wrist.

Not that Mercedes has in any way lost the ability to make genuinely extraordinary engines. Another thing I did that day was drive the AMG One, the only road car ever to feature an engine not loosely based upon but directly derived from a Formula 1 power unit. It is an incredible as it sounds. A 1.6-litre V6 developing 566bhp all by its little old self. To save you the maths, that’s 364bhp for every litre of capacity; the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport's W16 produces around 200bhp per litre.

For an engine designed to last not a few hours but tens of thousands of miles, that’s nuts. It is also unprecedented in the road car arena. And that’s before you’ve added the power from the MGU-H, MGU-K and the front electric motors that give it four wheel drive to provide a total system output of 1063bhp. Did I mention it also revs to 11,000rpm?

Yet despite all this, I thought AMG would drape a veil of civility over this powertrain (designed and developed in Northamptonshire, lest we forget), however gossamer-thin it might be. I thought wrong. If you thought that (A) modern F1 engines don’t make much noise, (B) that small engines don’t make much noise and that (C) small turbo engines make even less noise, you’re in for a shock.

The single-turbo V6 fires up with all the grace of a demolition charge going off behind your head. It’s so loud, so angry and so fabulously raw. Not the slightest attempt to tame it has been made, save that required to get it through homologation which might be its engineers’ greatest achievement of all. You may recall the company went to hell and back trying to get it to work on the road, leading to delays best measured in years and for the former boss of AMG and today chairman and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Ola Källenius to say to some investors at Monaco in 2022: "I will have to go back and check the meeting minutes, but I’m sure we were drunk when we said yes…"

I’m so glad he did. The One is unlike any other road car I’ve driven, because it doesn’t feel like a road car at all, least not in its raciest lower-than-rattler’s-belly mode in which I drove it. You sit bum down, feet up in a driving position more akin to a Le Mans prototype than any kind of normal road car. You then try – and fail – to make sense of the screen in front of you and the one to your right which is telling you the temperatures of myriad components I don’t even recognise. What I do see and understand, however, is that under each one is a little green box with the word ‘go’ at its centre. So I do.

It’s actually quite easy to drive slowly. Pull a paddle, press a pedal and you’re off. I’m following a GT Black Series – far and away the fastest series-production car ever produced by Mercedes, but context is all in such situations and here it is no more than what stands between you, what you know already is going to be a new driving experience and a whole stack of fun. Overtaking is verboten at this event, I guess because they don’t want me trying to find out whether it is car or driver that has the higher personal limit. So I instead I hang back half a lap and then let it do its thing.

It is the only supercar/hypercar I’ve driven that really does feel closer to a racing car than anything intended for the road. Despite its not-very-racing-car 1695kg kerb weight, the way it is set up combined with the vast amounts of downforce it generates, its bespoke Michelin Pilot Cup 2R tyres and the active torque vectoring across the front axle afforded by those electric motors makes it turn in flatter and faster than anything I’d hitherto have credited with being entitled to wear a numberplate.

Such is the lateral acceleration it can generate, when I call it a breathtaking display, I mean it in the most literal way. It is not just the fastest road car to lap the full Nürburgring Nordschleife, it is the fastest by over 14 seconds, dropping the quickest opposition ever to have tried by more than a second per mile, every mile.

And the good news is that the aroma of coffee is once more flooding the halls of Affalterbach. AMG is rolling out an all-new V8, hybridised to keep its emissions within the right window, and I’ll bet every tooth in my head that it will be reintroduced into all those medium and large saloons and estates that we were once so used to seeing with such power under their bonnets. And you don’t go to that kind of expense if you think your new engine is only going to last a few years.

So, from once fearing that AMG might be losing the V8 for good, it now seems it’s likely to be around for the foreseeable. And if that’s not worth raising a stein or two, I’m not sure what is.

Specification	Details
Price	Circa £2.4 million
Engine	V6, 1599cc, petrol plus MGU-H, MGU-K and two electric motors
Power	1063bhp at 9000rpm
Torque	na
Gearbox	7-speed single-clutch sequential, 4WD
Kerb weight	1695kg
0–62mph	2.9sec
Top speed	218mph
Electric range	11 miles (WLTP)
Economy	3.5mpkWh, 28.5 mpg
CO₂, tax band	224g/km, 37%
Rivals	Aston Martin Valkyrie, Ferrari F80, McLaren W1

Pod Power by EDF: The EV tariff that slashes your charging costs

Fri, 6 Nov 2026 04:30:00 +0000

Home charging should be the easiest and cheapest part of running an EV. Here's how Pod's tariff keeps running costs super low without any effort from you

It’s common knowledge that making the switch to electric driving can significantly reduce your daily running costs. That’s because charging at home can be between 55% and 85% cheaper per mile* than filling up at a petrol station – and that’s before you take into consideration the record prices currently at the pumps.

While charging at home is already significantly cheaper than petrol, the energy tariff you choose can make a big difference to just how much you save. Most standard electricity tariffs aren’t designed specifically for EV charging, and drivers on a standard variable rate can be paying as much as four times more than they need to for their charging. So, choosing the right tariff is key to unlocking the biggest savings from going electric.

That’s where Pod Power comes in. As experts in EV charging, Pod has partnered with EDF to create an energy tariff exclusively for Pod customers. Designed specifically with EV home charging in mind, it offers ultra-cheap off-peak rates, potentially saving you hundreds of pounds a year on charging**. The tariff also works seamlessly with Pod Rewards, the rewards programme where Pod customers can earn up to £100 a year in cash for ‘smart’ charging at off-peak times.

The result of all this is clear. By combining an exclusive bespoke, low-cost EV tariff with real cash rewards, Pod is slashing the cost of your daily motoring and putting money back into your pocket.

Here’s everything you need to know about it.

Become a Pod customer and start saving today

Made by EV experts, for EV drivers

Pod knows a thing or two about helping people make the switch to an EV. Founded in 2009, it has spent more than 17 years helping drivers make the move to electric and now has more than 300,000 customers across the UK, making it one of the country’s leading home-charging providers. Indeed, Pod powers more than five million miles of electric driving every single day.

And it’s earned its fair share of plaudits along the way. What Car? named Pod as the Best Value Home Charger Provider in 2025 and 2026, while its seamless, end-to-end home charger installation service is Which? Trusted Trader endorsed – the first EV charging company to receive the endorsement – following an assessment of its customer service and installation process.

And now, through its partnership with EDF, Pod is bringing that charging expertise together with the energy know-how of one of Britain's biggest zero-carbon electricity generators. The result is an offering designed to make charging at home as simple and affordable as possible.

A tariff that could save you hundreds

Pod Power offers an off-peak rate of just 6.18p per kWh, giving eligible customers seven hours of cheap electricity every night between 11pm and 6am. That’s the cheapest off-peak rate available – and it’s considerably less than the 26.32p/kWh rate of a standard variable tariff aligned with the Ofgem price cap. So, what does that mean in practice?

Take an EV covering 8900 miles a year – the distance the average EV driver covers annually in the UK – and averaging 3.5 miles per kWh. That works out at an annual electricity consumption of 2543kWh. If all of that charging takes place during the off-peak period, you’d pay around £157 a year with Pod Power, compared with around £669 on a standard variable tariff.

That’s a saving of more than £500 a year on charging alone – simply by choosing a different tariff.

Get rewarded for smart charging

Pod Power is only part of the saving. Customers can also earn up to £100*** a year through Pod Rewards by smart charging through the Pod Home app.

The app’s clever tech manages your charging for you, automatically charging your EV when electricity is cheapest, so you can make the most of the cheaper off-peak rate without having to manage your charging schedule yourself.

And because Pod Rewards is based on how much you charge, the more often you choose to smart charge your EV, the more you can potentially earn – up to £100 a year in cash on top of the savings you make with Pod Power.

The Pod Home app also gives you control when you need it. Packed with user friendly features, it has a simple boost function that lets you start charging straight away, while you can lock your charger remotely, keep track of your charging activity and manage multiple EVs from one place.

One simple decision

There’s no need to work out your charger, installation and energy tariff separately. Pod brings them together through Pod Drive, giving you two ways to get a Pod Point charger: buy it upfront from £999 or subscribe from £34 a month. Either way, the charger is yours to keep.

Whichever option you choose, you can access Pod Power and Pod Rewards, bringing together cheap overnight charging with the opportunity to earn up to £100 a year in cash for smart charging.

It’s one simple decision that takes care of your home charging from the moment you make the switch to electric – while helping keep your EV’s running costs down.

Become a Pod customer and start saving today

* https://www.smarthomecharge.co.uk/guides/home-charging-costs/

** 8900 miles a year at 3.5 miles per kWh, 2543kWh annually, all charging off-peak. Savings calculated against a standard variable tariff aligned to the Ofgem price cap. Individual savings will vary. Figures correct as of 1st October 2026

*** Maximum figure. The amount a customer earns depends on how much they charge

UK car sales: third of buyers go electric but Jaecoo 7 claims top spot

Thu, 5 Nov 2026 16:09:13 +0000

Car makers approaching ZEV mandate targets after high fuel prices boost EV sales – but ICE car claims crown

Electric car registrations in October reached their highest share of total UK sales this year, at almost 33%, as the overall market continued to grow.

The Skoda Enyaq was the biggest electric seller in the month, followed by the Mini Countryman, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

The Jaecoo 7 was the UK’s top seller for the second consecutive month in October, with 3412 sales, closely followed the Ford Puma, which remains the UK’s overall best-seller for the year.

Volkswagen remained the UK’s favourite brand, with a market share of 9.0% in the month, while BMW overtook Audi for second spot with a 5.6% share. Sales overall grew 5.4% to 152,730.

Chinese brands again shone in October, but their combined market share of 21.3% was lower than for the month of September, when it stood at a record 23.3%.

MG remained the leading Chinese brand in the UK, recording an 85% increase in sales over the same month last year, landing it in fourth spot ahead of Kia and Skoda. Jaecoo was ninth and BYD 10th.

Strong EV sales in October came without the might of Tesla, which recorded just 282 registrations after its September push, when it topped electric sales in the country.

Instead Kia was the number-one EV seller, according to data from independent transport researcher New AutoMotive.

The EV share for the month came within a whisker of reaching the government’s mandated figure of 33% for the year.

The EV share has steadily risen throughout 2026 as buyers have reacted to the rising fuel prices caused by the Iran war, plus the increased availability of more affordable EVs.

The overall EV share for the year stands at 30.4%, although flexibilities in the ZEV mandate system means car makers need to reach only 24.6%, according to calculations by New AutoMotive.

Car makers are hopeful that the government’s review of the ZEV mandate will lower the rising EV sales targets, which are currently set to hit 80% by 2030.

The rise of EVs and plug-in hybrids has bitten into demand for petrol cars, which accounted for 37% of sales, down from 41% same month the year before.

Diesel meanwhile dropped to a new low of 3.8%, recording just 5811 sales in October.

Hybrids also suffered after sales dropped 5% in the month. PHEVs meanwhile grew by 30%, overtaking hybrids with a 15% share versus a 12% share.

"Depressing yet exciting": When Brits were invited on Soviet road trips

Thu, 5 Nov 2026 15:31:13 +0000

Tourist coaches in Red Square, Moscow, in 1967 | Credit: Getty Images

Amazingly, the USSR lifted the Iron Curtain to foreign drivers in the '50s and '60s – but they did keep a close eye…

The common perception of the Cold War period is of two isolated worlds, divided by an unmoving, impenetrable Iron Curtain. Yet in fact communist nations did accept tourism from their capitalist rivals – encouraged it, even.

And while the prospect would have scared many, Autocar found in 1957 that “a road journey through the USSR may be undertaken without apprehension”.

Back in 1928, we had run a report from a war correspondent in which he recalled the revolutionary days of 1921, when some rural people “in their hunger had learned a very ugly form of cannibalism” and “night after night, the dead silence was disturbed by the crack of revolvers from the prison”, and promised: “If you know enough Russian, you can listen to the youths denouncing you as they gather round your car, and asking why, since all men are equal, you should drive while they walk.”

Funnily enough, those quotes weren’t picked out for posters or brochures by Intourist, the state travel agency formed in 1929.

Having successfully run Arctic cruises and opened a London office, in 1935 Intourist began offering motor tours on which Brits could drive their own cars.

For the modern equivalent of £2130, each got “three meals daily, the specified ‘sights’ in Moscow, Novgorod and Leningrad [St Petersburg], services of interpreters, garage of cars and the Soviet visa”.

Of course World War II broke out soon after, and the offer wasn’t reinstated until 1957. Geopolitical relations were tense (the USSR had threatened to nuke Britain amid the Suez crisis, then brutally put down an anti-communist revolution in Hungary), yet incredibly several thousand Brits expressed interest.

Two bigwigs from the RAC took the first tour, reporting in Autocar that, after completing “a mass of formalities” and grillings from border agents, they had “covered 4315 miles in 15 days, through blazing heat and lashing storms”.

“The Brest-to-Moscow highway is a mild imitation of an autobahn,” they continued. “High speeds can be maintained consistently and easily, though vigilance is necessary, for the surface is apt to be uneven.

“Whenever our Standard halted, it became immediately the centre of an admiring crowd, eager to fire questions at us on all sorts of topics.”

The problems were the scarcity of fuel stations and their low-octane petrol, the length of time needed off work and the high cost (£5410), due to unfavourable exchange rates.

Despite this, not to mention the ever-looming spectre of nuclear apocalypse, a few thousand Brits visited the USSR in 1958.

One reported in Autocar on a 1963 holiday with his wife and children in their Riley 1.5 – complaining of inedible food, scarce signage, lane-hogging lorries and threat of arrest for using the wrong roads or taking photos in the wrong places.

In 1973, another writer “made the mistake of driving at night – an extremely hazardous experience. Soviets have a habit of driving without any lights, and it was common for them to become irate when passing our lit minibus.”

“The boredom and long hours on the road are worthwhile just to be able to visit the capital,” he added. “The Kremlin, overlooking Red Square on one side and the Moskva river on the other, the colourful cupola domes of St Basil’s and GUM, the world’s biggest department store, are all sights that had to be seen. The wide thoroughfares, too wide for normal traffic, some of the grotesque buildings and the grey, sullen faces of the people all add up to make Moscow an interesting city.

“We found the USSR depressing yet nevertheless exciting. The people were always friendly and extremely helpful and showed great interest in our travels and in our Ford Transit.

“Intourist became more and more disorganised as we proceeded deeper inside Russia. However, they always managed to keep a check on us and knew exactly where we should be at any given moment.”

We visited once more in 1979, on our way home from Sweden in the all-new Saab 900 Turbo. We found it curious how “the border guards were the only Russians who showed the slightest interest in it” but the unrestricted, dreadful roads were ideal “for proving the worth of a fast, rugged car with improved handling and good ride qualities”.

Perhaps the reason so few people realise that Westerners could duck the curtain, then, was because very few would’ve had any desire to do so.

A personal experience - I actually did it

One of the few who did take up the offer was Autocar reader Terry Dudleston, whose parents took him to Moscow in their Jaguar MkVIII M in 1960.

"A lot of the roads were just dusty dirt tracks, and at times our average speed was about 10-20mph," he recalled.

"I can still smell the low-octane petrol, which did cause some pinking even though the Jaguar’s ignition was retarded.

'We were allowed into the Kremlin, obviously with a guide, and we were always aware of being shadowed by men in dark coats – probably KGB – keeping a close eye on us wherever we went.

"The food in Russia was mainly borscht, which was ghastly, but all our guides and translators provided by Intourist were very friendly and helpful. The Jaguar created a lot of interest from locals.

"The whole holiday took four weeks and, as I was only 12 at the time, I probably didn’t appreciate the enormousness of the whole trip and experience."

Car makers win reprieve as EU eases 2035 emissions rules

Thu, 5 Nov 2026 14:45:44 +0000

Credit: Getty Images

Brussels lowers CO2 reduction targets from 100% to 87.5%, paving way for combustion cars to remain on sale

The EU will allow more ICE cars to be sold after 2035 after its Environment Committee approved a proposal to lower CO2 reduction targets to 87.5%, down from 100%.

The committee also voted in favour of a proposal to allow “vehicles running exclusively on eligible fuels” (VEEFs), including biofuels, to be classed as zero-emissions as well as establishing ‘super-credits’ for small and ultra-efficient electric cars built in the EU.

The vote on 4 November was given a cautious welcome by European car industry body the ACEA, which acknowledged the “pragmatic” approach and extra flexibility.

However, the ACEA said more was needed: “For passenger cars this remains too limited in scope and duration to adequately address the industry’s concerns."

Toyota called it a “welcome step” while also calling for more flexibility in a statement to Autocar.

European car makers have been pushing to allow more ICE car sales after 2035 as they struggle to lower the cost of EV batteries.

ICE cars are more profitable for this reason, even as EV sales have soared across Europe this year on account of the increase in petrol and diesel fuel prices.

The 87.5% figure refers to the reduction from the 2021 baseline target and now gives car makers room to sell more combustion-engine models.

A projection by the green lobby group Transport & Environment estimates that car makers could avoid falling foul of the new rules in 2035 even with a 50% sales mix for range-extender EVs.

Under the changes, car makers will have to offset up to 7.5% of their emissions by using credits for EU-made low-carbon steel.

Those companies building EVs up to 4.2m long in the EU will qualify for super-credits meaning every car they sell will count for 1.4 EVs, thus allowing them to sell more ICE cars.

Ultra-efficient EVs over that size would collect credits worth 1.2 sales if they’re made in the EU.

No details on the efficiency targets were announced, but it will probably focus on those achieving above 15kWh per 100km, or 4.0mpkWh.

The UK is currently negotiating for cars made here to qualify under the scheme.

Other concessions made to manufacturers voted for by the Environment Committee include reducing CO2 emissions for vans by 35% in 2030, compared with 40% in the original proposal and 50% under the existing rules. The 2035 target would decrease from 100% to 80%.

The changes are part of a wider package of measures designed to strengthen automotive manufacturing in the EU as it comes under attack from more agile Chinese competitors offering cheaper electrified models.

These measures include accelerating the development of an EU-made battery value chain as well as reducing the legislative burdens.

Mercedes-AMG GT 63 EV: £160k hyper-saloon makes up for the V8

Thu, 5 Nov 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Porsche Taycan chaser brings 1169bhp, game-changing drivetrain tech and eerily convincing ICE sensations

Somewhere between Malaga and the Ascari circuit, focused on driving a car this powerful on roads this demanding, I lost sight of the fact that the new Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupé was electric.

Mostly because the driving experience just feels so alluringly familiar. For starters, it's very deliberately not silent in its more sporting driving modes. Select the AMGForce option and it sounds for all the world like a traditional combustion-engined AMG model: loud, brutish, unapologetic.

The synthetic revs rise and fall, the seat vibrates and the paddles trigger a jolt that feels, absurdly, like a gearshift. It's a carefully orchestrated illusion, all played through a series of speakers, and for a mile or two on those Andalusian roads in the mid-ranking GT 55 4Matic+, it worked a treat.

This is AMG's first dedicated electric model, built on the AMG.EA platform with an 800V electrical architecture and axial-flux motors developed with Yasa, the British firm that Mercedes-Benz acquired in 2021.

A GT SUV will follow early next year, then a GT SUV Coupé, giving AMG three models to take on the Porsche Taycan and Cayenne Electric and Lotus Emeya and Eletre.

The GT 63 4Matic+ is the flagship 4-Door Coupé. Its three motors – one front, two rear – deliver up to 1169bhp and 1475lb ft of torque in 63sec bursts (appropriately), dropping to a sustained 721bhp and 811lb ft during constant throttle running.

The GT 55 4Matic+ uses the same drivetrain layout, serving up 816bhp and 1328lb ft, and settles for a milder continuous output to protect the battery and motors under sustained load.

The GT 63 hits 62mph in a claimed 2.4sec and 124mph in an even more impressive 6.4sec. Top speed is limited to 186mph with the optional Driver's Package or 155mph as standard. The GT 55 dispatches 0-62mph in around 3.0sec, although final figures are unconfirmed.

The motors are of axial-flux rather than radial-flux construction, allowing a flatter, lighter housing than any electric motor AMG has used before. Each rear unit measures just 80mm in width and weighs 24kg.

A 106kWh battery sits low in the floor and centre tunnel, with 2660 cylindrical cells and oil cooling. AMG claims 600kW peak charging, enough to add 286 miles in just 10 minutes, it says. During a demonstration at Ascari, the GT 63 pulled a mind-boggling 637kW, hinting at conservative claims. The WLTP range is put at between 370 to 432 miles, depending on the model.

At 5094mm in length, 1959mm in width and just 1411mm in height, the 4-Door Coupé sits 40mm lower than its V8 forebear.

An adjustable rear spoiler and active diffuser contribute to aerodynamics, but the shape is cleaner and less aggressive than the figures suggest.

Inside, the driving position is a real strength. You sit low, not perched above the battery, with a substantial centre console separating the front seats. The seats provide excellent support and the relationship between wheel, pedals and instruments sets up a fittingly sporting driving position.

A 10.2in instrument display and 14in central touchscreen dominate, along with an optional 14in passenger touchscreen. Crucially, AMG has retained physical controls - most enticingly the three rotary dials marked Response, Agility and Traction, which form the AMG Race Engineer system, each offering nine stages of adjustment. It's a tangible, tactile interface for an ostensibly software-defined car.

Boot capacity is 415 litres; there's no frunk.

On the road, the 4-Door Coupé feels less like a Taycan rival and more like a rethinking of what a fast electric saloon can be. Around town and on secondary roads in Comfort, it's remarkably civilised.

The steering is nicely weighted, the ride settled and the damping excellent – fluid, with impressive shock absorption. It breathes with the road and is superbly controlled, never floaty or brittle.

Switch to Sport+ mode and the character shifts. The throttle sharpens, the ride firms up a notch or two and the synthesised soundtrack, constructed from over 1600 audio files sampling the two-door GT R's twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8, transforms the experience.

It should be ridiculous – and in a way it is. But the AMGForce also heightens the interaction between driver and car, providing clear reference points of throttle position, speed, lateral load, steering angle and braking force. Turn it off and those reference points vanish, leaving you with a car that's undeniably fast but oddly mute.

There's more to it than synthesised noise, though. Turn in to a bend, feed in power and you feel the rear axle helping the car around. By varying torque between the rear wheels, it encourages the GT to rotate towards the apex, allowing you to open the steering earlier and accelerate away hard. It's progressive rather than abrupt, with sufficient feedback to feel natural.

Adjust the agility dial and you can alter how eagerly the rear axle joins in. Keep it restrained and the car feels safe and secure. Dial it up and the rear end responds sharply, allowing you to use the power to pull the nose tighter into the line.

Out on the Ascari circuit, everything scales up. With the electronic systems relaxed, the active rear axle allows the GT 63 to adopt a remarkably adjustable attitude through tighter corners. You can lean on the chassis harder than you would on the road, and it obliges with composure that belies its mass. There's reassuring stability through faster sweepers, while huge carbon-ceramic brakes deliver strong, consistent stopping power lap after lap.

What's most impressive is how approachable it all feels. The GT 63 isn't a car that demands heroics; it simply asks that you trust it and, from what we've seen so far, it doesn't disappoint.

The AMG Active Ride Control air suspension uses hydraulically linked dampers instead of conventional anti-roll bars to stiffen up in corners and softens on straight. The suspension uses forged aluminium double wishbones up front and steel and aluminium multi-links at the rear.

Rear-wheel steering turns up to 6deg, adding to the sense of agility. Underbody Venturi panels also drop down at speed to suck it to the road. The low-mounted battery provides the basis for a centre of gravity that's described as being significantly lower than the old ICE car's.

Body control is excellent, the car resisting roll in a way that defies its substantial 2460kg kerb weight.

The 4-Door Coupeé is not subtle, not restrained and certainly not cheap – but it is genuinely impressive.

The AMGForce function will divide opinion. Some will find it annoying; others will recognise it as an acknowledgement that electric performance, however brutal, lacks the sensory richness of internal combustion. AMG has chosen to simulate it rather than ignore it, and, far from feeling like a gimmick, it adds a layer of theatre that makes the car feel special.

Less potentially divisive are the undeniably impressive technical leaps this car makes: its axial-flux motors are a genuine game-changer, the charging speed lets you top it up almost as quickly as an ICE car and the chassis is a masterclass in controlling mass without ever feeling inert.

Sales have already begun in the UK, with prices ranging from £103,275 for the dual-motor GT 53 4Matic+ to £120,095 for the GT 55 4Matic+ and £159,860 for the GT 63 4Matic+.

The concern was that pure-electric drivetrains would ultimately soften the character of AMG models. But on the right road with AMGForce doing its thing, this proves the opposite.

Mercedes-AMG GT 63 4Matic+ 4-door coupe
Price	£159,860
Engine	Three permanent magnet synchronous electric motors
Power	1169bhp (721 bhp continuous)
Torque	1475lb ft (811 lb ft continuous)
Gearbox	1-spd reduction, 4WD
0–62mph	2.4sec
Top speed	186mph (with Driver's Package); 155mph (standard)
Range	370–432 miles (WLTP combined)
Battery	106kWh usable
CO2, tax band	0g/km, 4%
Key rivals	Porsche Taycan Turbo GT, Lotus Emeya R

The best small electric cars 2026 – driven, rated and ranked

Thu, 5 Nov 2026 08:00:35 +0000

Longer real-world range, rapid charging, and sensible price tags prove you don’t need an SUV to go electric. We rank the best small EVs on sale

Cast your mind back just a few years and small electric cars were tough sells, being compromised by a short real-world range, slow charging speeds and a steep list price.

Today the landscape could hardly be more different. The small electric car segment has been revolutionised by evolving battery technology, falling production costs and government incentives sparking a renaissance at the compact end of the market.

Crucially, the latest generation of small EVs proves that you don’t need an SUV to reap the rearwards of electric motoring. Thanks to the development of energy-dense battery packs and space-efficient platforms, car makers are now able to squeeze all the benefits of an EV into a much smaller package, without sacrificing on range or usability.

But while the class has taken big strides in terms of price and range, the class has never been more vibrant, with buyers able to choose from chic, retro-styled superminis to sensible budget-friendly commuters.

The question is, which small electric car is the best? Our expert team of road testers have driven, tested and evaluated every one on sale. Key contenders on this list have also been extensively assessed through our instrumented road test, in which we gather raw data at MIRA proving ground in order to deliver the most definitive verdict possible.

Best small electric cars at a glance

Car Model	Best For	Starting Price (UK)	Official Range (WLTP)	Boot Capacity
Volkswagen ID Polo	Range, comfort and charging speed	£23,945	200–281 miles	441 litres
Cupra Raval	Handling and practicality	£26,995	203–277 miles	441 litres
Renault 5 E-Tech	Chic styling and all-round ability	£21,495	192–248 miles	326 litres
MG 4 EV Urban	Practicality, space and value	£23,495	200–258 miles	577 litres
Nissan Micra	Mature ride and refinement	£21,495	196–257 miles	326 litres

The best small electric cars

We think the Volkswagen ID Polo is the best small electric car on sale. This is an electric supermini that makes zero compromises on range, charging, comfort and practicality and brings with it the grown-up completeness and refinement of the Golf in a much smaller package.

Equally compelling is the Cupra Raval, which brings all the goodness of the ID Polo but in a lower, firmer and sportier package.

If you’re after something with retro chic, the Renault 5 and Fiat Grande Panda Electric will both appeal on the design front.

Finally, for those who want a small car that maximises practicality and passenger space, the MG 4 EV Urban is the standout value champion.

My Volvo ES90 suffers a very traditional setback - then a brand new one

Thu, 5 Nov 2026 07:00:00 +0000

We though a puncture was bad enough, until our home charger stopped working

Your car can be as fancy-pants-new and technology-led as you like, but whatever you do, it’s bloody hard to get away from the oldest motoring tribulation in the book: a punctured tyre.

Now, on this particular occasion, I’d only driven five minutes down the road to a gong bath. At a guess, I’d say most of you reading this aren’t gong bath-goers, so in case you wondered it’s essentially lying down and listening to the sound of large metal percussion instruments intended to relax you.

So there I was, post-gong bath, in a happy haze of relaxation, when I stepped back into the Volvo ES90 and heard a ping. Low tyre pressure. The relevant screen said the nearside tyre was 31psi while the rest were 40.

My zen state dissipated. I drove straight home, given it was so close, and didn’t take long to find an awkwardly angled nail deep into the tyre, along with the considerable sound of air quickly escaping.

There was little I could do at the time – the ES90 comes equipped with a temporary puncture repair kit rather than a spare – and, as expected, when I woke up in the morning, the tyre was royally flat. I called Volvo Assist (you receive three years’ free cover from a car’s registration date) and within a few hours a mechanic turned up.

He was hoping to patch it or pump up the tyre enough that I could drive it to the nearest dealership, eight miles away, but the nail was so awkwardly positioned that he determined the best option was a tow. Less than two hours later a flatbed truck arrived and took the car to Volvo North West London.

Not long after that, friendly Jamie from said dealership called to inform me they had the correct tyre and the ES90 would be ready to collect the next day. Honestly, if it wasn’t a Volvo-owned car, I would have gone to the tyre place round the corner for convenience, but it was good to see how Volvo’s services tie together to help its owners.

Going from that age-old issue to one far more modern: charging a drive battery. After Ohme installed my home charger, I kept getting this notification on my phone: ‘Charging Error. Your car is charging slower than expected! Is the battery full? Please check your car!’

The battery wasn’t full and, because I’ve not yet had to charge my car urgently, I hadn’t been paying close attention to how long it was taking to charge. That was until a BMW iX3-owning friend used my charger overnight and returned in the morning to find its battery was only half-full…

I checked the app and it was charging at a rate of about 3.6kW, rather than the expected 7kW. I told Ohme and it remotely diagnosed a problem with the current transformer clamp. So an engineer came and changed the CT clamp, but that didn’t address the charging power issue.

At that point it was determined that a CT clamp wasn’t required to manage the electrical load to protect it from cutting out, because I have a 100A electricity supply (rather than, say, 60A), which is – ahem – ample for the household.

Now the Ohme app shows a maximum charging rate of around 7kW, so hopefully it’s all resolved now. Watch this space.

Why F1 picked Rwanda for a new race over France and Germany

Thu, 5 Nov 2026 06:00:00 +0000

As Formula 1 returns to Rwanda, motorsport’s commercial future collides with traditional racing heartlands

There's no place on the Formula 1 calendar for a grand prix in France or Germany, but there will be in the next few years for one in Rwanda. That sums up the state of play, for not just F1 but the majority of international sport today. Traditional heartlands are no longer sacrosanct, especially when untapped regions of the world offer rich returns.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Uninspiring Paul Ricard hasn't been mourned by many F1 teams, drivers or fans (who aren't French) since it dropped off the schedule after 2022, although it's faintly astonishing that Germany hasn't hosted a race since the one-off Eifel GP at the Nürburgring in Covid-affected 2020, especially with Audi having joined Mercedes on the grid. But if F1's eye-watering hosting fees can't be met by either private or public investment, no country should be entitled to a place at the table, especially if demand can be met elsewhere—and there sure is demand for F1 today, given its progress as a global force under Liberty Media since 2017.

In the Rwanda case, a return to Africa for the first time since 1993 would certainly be a good thing and is long overdue, as Lewis Hamilton has consistently pointed out. The new 10-year deal, due to kick in during the early 2030s, once an ambitious new race track is built, is another major landmark for F1 chief Stefano Domenicali and his team, in the wake of the successful US expansion in Miami and Las Vegas. Rwanda is justified by F1's claim of a 100 million-strong following on the African continent, even without a grand prix, and a high percentage of them are under 35. It's great to expose motorsport to fresh eyes, even if it's a shame that fans in countries where racing is rooted must now travel beyond their borders to get their fix.

Naturally, for a country haunted by the atrocities of genocide well within living memory, there's an underlying seam of controversy. Claims of sportswashing followed the announcement last month, for a nation that still has questions to answer on its human rights record. But we've said that before, haven't we? For F1, as in football, boxing and the rest, such queasy inconveniences tend to skim off the surface, along with any suggestions that such massive funding—said to be drawn from a mix of private and public sources—could be spent in ways that might more directly improve the lives of local people.

"Rwanda is one of the world's great success stories," said Domenicali. "A nation of extraordinary natural beauty and stunning landscapes, combined with resilience and courage to overcome and be reborn from challenges of its past. It is a nation filled with ambition, creativity and determination... to become a destination for international investment, innovation and opportunity."

From a sporting perspective, the plans for a circuit based in Bugesera, not far south of the growing capital city of Kigali, are enticing. An initial design for a 3.6-mile, 17-turn layout inspired by established great circuits also includes 200m of elevation change. Ex-F1 driver and two-time Le Mans winner Alex Wurz is involved, which bodes well. Since stepping away from the cockpit, the Austrian has shown the personal qualities that would make for a great FIA president one day.

There's no guarantee the Rwandan GP will happen—not until the circuit exists. But at face value, there's more reason to think it will than it won't. How we feel about that, conflicted or otherwise, is almost beside the point.

Congratulations to Jason Smyth for becoming the first back-to-back Formula Ford Festival winner in the much-loved showcase's 55-year history. But boy, the old junior proving ground is as competitive and contentious as it ever was in its 1970s/1980s/1990s heyday.

Thankfully run in crisp, dry conditions in the wake of Storm Boelo, the grand final at Brands Hatch left a bitter taste for Smyth's rivals Niall Murray and Jordan Dempsey. Let's just say Smyth put up a 'robust' defence while leading from pole position in his Team Dolan Van Diemen. How previous two-time winner Murray came to grief, edged on to the grass by Smyth and into a spin on the run up to Druids, was sadly all too predictable. The winner was lucky to avoid a penalty—but as I well remember from the day Jenson Button left Dan Wheldon spitting Clearways gravel at the close of another contentious final way back in 1998, there are always two sides to every story.

By the time you read this, the Formula Ford swarm will have swept in and out of Silverstone for the Walter Hayes Trophy follow-up, and the British autumn wouldn't be complete without either. Rwanda is welcome to F1, as long as some heartland motorsport traditions are kept alive and continue to thrive.

Radical new Toyota Corolla hybrid set to nudge 100mpg

Thu, 5 Nov 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Crucial new iteration of hugely popular hatch will offer HEV, PHEV, EV and ICE on same platform

Toyota will launch the new Corolla by 2030 with the option of an all-new hybrid system that promises to return almost 100mpg in daily use.

Previewed by a rakish, futuristic concept at last year's Tokyo motor show, the 13th generation of the world's best-selling car will be a complete technical and visual departure from the current model.

As well as ushering in a bold, new-look design language, the next Corolla will be the first to use a new 'multi-pathway' platform that can accommodate all types of powertrain — including, for the first time in the Corolla, pure-electric power.

The new architecture will also host a next-generation hybrid system that is claimed to bring significant improvements in packaging and efficiency compared with the system used by Toyota's current models. Based around a new 1.5-litre petrol four-pot — which can operate with or without a turbo — the new hybrid powertrain is said to be capable of 15% better fuel economy too. Toyota has not disclosed official forecasts but points to the ability of the current Aygo X to achieve mid-80s MPG figures in the real world, suggesting almost 100mpg would be feasible on the road.

The system has also been engineered to be as compact as possible so that it can fit in the new generation of 'EV-first' platforms that will underpin Toyota's future line-up. The engine itself is 10% smaller than the 1.5-litre engine used by today's Aygo X and Yaris — despite having an extra cylinder — and the electric element has been similarly downsized, courtesy of a new motor with a smaller inverter and power control unit.

By making the combustion element of the drivetrain smaller, Toyota will be able to offer ICE cars with the same interior space as their EV counterparts while also enabling lower, sleeker silhouettes, which boost aerodynamic efficiency and thus cut fuel consumption — important for both EVs and ICE cars.

Crucially, engineering a hybrid drivetrain into an EV platform means that combustion and electric versions of the same car can be produced on the same line. This reduces the amount of investment needed in retooling factories and enables Toyota to react more flexibly to changes in demand.

The modular new platform is described as EV-first because, as Toyota Europe R&D boss Thiebault Paquet explained: "The battery-electric vehicle is the most challenging.

"If we want to make that efficient, we want to have the best possible aerodynamics. Also, for the customer, we want to create a good value proposition with packaging space — so we have decided that this is the base platform.

"We don't want to make any compromise. As a result, we need to find a way to integrate the plug-in hybrid and hybrid powertrains [into an EV platform]."

Toyota is also aiming to recoup some of the substantial development costs associated with its new platform and powertrain by selling the new hybrid system to other manufacturers — with its modularity and compact nature touted as chief selling points.

Powertrain boss Timothy D'Herde said: "Thanks to making this powertrain very compact, we also strongly believe in the opportunity from a business point of view — because having this highly efficient, very compact powertrain will allow this to be integrated in other OEMs' platforms."

Toyota says it is in conversation with potential buyers already, including at least one unnamed UK manufacturer. Lotus has used Toyota engines in its lightweight sports cars for more than 20 years, but with the Emira set to swap its Toyota V6 for a new hybrid powertrain supplied by Renault-Geely-owned Horse in the coming years, it remains to be seen which UK firms will take Toyota up on its new hybrid system.

Life after China: Can the US save Europe's luxury car makers?

Thu, 5 Nov 2026 05:00:00 +0000

As Chinese gold rush ends, JLR, Audi, Volvo et al go after wealthy Americans with massive SUVs and local factories

The streets of America are paved with gold, according to the traditional émigré’s wishful thinking.

Europe’s premium car makers have done pretty well to fill those streets with their products, but the US market has now taken on a greater significance as their extended gold rush in China looks to be ending.

Audi announced in October that it would spend $4 billion (£3bn) on building a new plant in Georgia, with production of SUVs slated to start in the early 2030s, belatedly following its German rivals BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

Meanwhile Britain's JLR is expanding sales in the US with the promise that this market will eventually match the size of its entire global business today.

JLR has already lit a fire under its ambitions, with a 52% increase in wholesales (sales to dealers) in the US and Canada across the three months ending September.

Led by sales of Range Rover and Defender models, North America now accounts for a third of all JLR sales, while its once-largest market of China is down at just 7% after sales collapsed by 46% in the quarter.

Mercedes too is growing in the US, promising to invest $7bn in its American operations, including $4bn into its SUV-focused plant in Alabama.

Mercedes so far has mainly focused on larger models for US production but recently announced that it will also build the smaller GLC there.

Sweden's Volvo has also said that it will start building its GLC rival, the XC60, at its plant in South Carolina.

The push to localise in the US is partly to avoid tariffs slapped on imports by president Donald Trump in 2025, which add 15% to the cost of EU-built cars and 10% to the cost of UK-built cars.

But the bigger reason is that the US is a safe haven full of wealthy car buyers who genuinely appreciate European luxury and are prepared to pay for it.

They are becoming crucial to premium car makers after this year’s mass abandonment by Chinese buyers, who turned out to care very little about the heritage behind the propeller, three-pointed star or four rings when presented with objectively better electrified models from home-grown brands.

“The US is one of the most profitable markets and the most promising markets,” Arno Antlitz, CFO of Audi parent company the Volkswagen Group, told investors on its third-quarter earnings call.

In addition to localising production, premium car makers are developing models specifically targeted at US customers and their love of massive SUVs.

Audi will start sales next year of its 5.3m-long Q9, which will look to pick off Range Rover, Mercedes GLS and BMW X7 buyers.

BMW is going one step higher with a new model above the X7 “tailor-made for the US market”, CEO Milan Nedeljković said on the company’s third-quarter earnings call.

Porsche and Volvo are also planning range-topping SUVs, with the latter's CEO, Håkan Samuelsson, saying: “Our cars should not look small when they park beside a Range Rover [in the US]."

JLR is planning a new US-built Defender model developed with Stellantis, reported to be a pick-up and expected to hit a more retro note than the existing SUV.

These behemoths could have also worked in China, given that market’s headlong rush to buy 5m-plus SUVs, but that looks increasingly unlikely, given the collapse in demand for European premium models there this year.

Sales in Europe won’t be nothing for these halo models, but mainly they're designed to grab the attention of Americans and tempt them out of their Cadillac Escalades.

“A one-size-fits-all [approach] will not work in the future; we need much more regional approach,” said Samuelsson on Volvo's third-quarter earnings call.

The US is a rich seam of gold for car makers that get it right. For example, the average selling price of Mercedes cars in the North America in the first nine months this year stood at €64,323, which was 58% higher than it achieved in Asia.

In his pitch to investors earlier this year, JLR CEO PB Balaji told them that the US was already the most profitable market for the company.

JLR plans to “pivot its entire organisation towards the US”, revealed Balaji, explaining that buyers were only going to get richer.

“The sheer number of millionaires and billionaires, the sheer amount of wealth transfer [inheritances] that’s going happen in the next few years, the pedigree of our brands, the [low] level of delivery in that market over the last few years - everything gives us the right to win in the US,” he said.

The market also offers protection against increasingly confident Chinese premium brands, which have been have been effectively banned through tariffs and other barriers.

But the car makers shouldn’t expect to smoothly pivot from China to the US.

“You can’t just take these volumes and just move them into North America as a release-valve market,” said Patrick Hummel, autos analyst for investment bank UBS. “There is not that much growth.”

While JLR, Mercedes and BMW posted increases this year in the US, Audi, Volvo and Porsche sales in the country were all down in the nine months to the end of September.

“The US is very challenging. It has proven to be a difficult market to find profitability in,” said Samuelsson. “The consumer sentiment in the US right now is at a 50-year low. And on top of that you have tariffs. On top of that you also have changes in regulations and electrification.”

Volvo was perhaps hit hardest by Trump's decision to roll back electrification targets and slash EV purchase incentives. The company wrote off the equivalent of £84m in the third quarter because it would no longer receive credits paid by rival companies that weren’t as far along the electrification journey as it was.

Trump’s sudden U-turn on electrification has hurt all European car makers selling in the US, widening the gulf between model strategies there and in their core European market.

Volvo, for example, is well on the path to going fully electric in Europe but has to develop plug-in hybrid and even 'self-charging' hybrid drivetrains for the US market.

“The US is electrifying slower than the rest of the world, so we need to have a new car that is also flexible,” said Samuelsson.

The huge swing towards Democrats in the mid-term elections further complicates future planning for the premium car makers, given the party could reverse the Republicans' anti-EV stance.

The likes of Volvo, BMW and JLR are realising that electrification could present them with a chance to grow sales in the US by being more canny in terms of regional targeting, especially given their Europe-honed advantage over the few home-grown premium incumbents, like General Motors' Cadillac.

Volvo, for example, has split its US organisation into four regions, said Samuelsson: “For example, [we have a] boost plan around California which is actually quite highly electrified and fits very well to our electrification strategy."

JLR too is confident its new EV products such as the Range Rover, Range Rover GT and Jaguar Type 01 can help it grow its American share by unlocking new markets.

“In Los Angeles you'll find a lot of our products, but just go a little bit up north into San Francisco and you will not find us; we are not there in Seattle,” said Balaji. “The reason they don't want us is that there's no electric vehicles.”

However, the idea that American growth can balance sales lost in China is fanciful, especially given that everyone will be chasing the same limited pool of customers.

“It has been a nice couple of decades, where the growth in China has basically allowed you to grow everything from the R&D department to other nice-to-have things,” said Hummel.

"Now is the crunch time where you just have to right-size the entire organisation, including the overheads in Germany, to [cope with] the new realities. You can't rely on the US market to really offset that weakness in China."

EV drivers in conservation areas miss out on relaxed charger installation rules

Wed, 4 Nov 2026 12:36:25 +0000

Government has loosened planning process for home chargers – but many households aren't included

Electric car drivers who live in one of the UK’s many conservation areas could face extra costs and delays when installing home charging equipment, despite recent changes to planning rules aiming to speed up the process.

Historic England told Autocar that nearly two million households are located within conservation areas across England, which are not included in the new permitted development rights that make it easier for motorists without driveways to install cross-pavement charging infrastructure.

This means people living within those boundaries without off-street parking may still need planning permission for both the charger and the pavement channel.

Historic England doesn't have data for how many conservation area homes lack driveways, but the national average is around 40%.

The government’s plan to streamline the charger installation planning process – announced last month – has raised questions about how the new rules will work in conservation areas in Oxfordshire and Hertfordshire, where councils are already running cross-pavement charging schemes.

Oxfordshire County Council, which has 260 conservation areas, according to Historic England, told Autocar that it was “temporarily pausing new applications from residents” in these protected locations. It's also “holding applications that are conditionally approved, rather than risk residents incurring unnecessary planning costs”.

It added that it's working with local planning authorities to clarify the requirements for homes in protected locations. “When these matters are resolved, applications will reopen,” a spokesperson said.

Shayne Rees of Gul-e, which installs cross-pavement charging channels for the council, said a few dozen applications had been affected by the decision.

According to Rees, the council is trying to get on “rock-solid ground” before advising residents about the new rules. “I think we're talking days and weeks,” he said, rather than months.

Meanwhile, Hertfordshire County Council, which is running a cross-pavement charging trial with St Albans City and District Council, is taking a different approach.

It said it will “continue to consider applications for cross-pavement charging channels on a case-by-case basis”, including those in conservation areas.

It will add an additional step to its initial assessment to check whether an applicant lives in one of St Albans’ 19 conservation areas. If so, they will be advised to obtain the necessary planning approvals and directed to the relevant local planning authority.

Of the three such applications so far, one has been approved and the other two are still being considered.

According to AA president Edmund King, Hertfordshire County Council charges a £200 non-refundable assessment fee, while installation of a pavement channel normally costs £1200 after the subsidy. Those living in conservation areas also have to pay for planning permission for the charger.

Michael Goulden, founder and CEO of cross-pavement charging company Kerbo Charge, warned that the residual planning requirements for residents in conservation areas could put drivers off switching to an EV.

“There are already deterrents when people think about going electric,” he said. “People are leaving behind something they know and understand for something new.”

Getting planning permission for a cross-pavement charger “could take up to three months”, Goulden said, although he added that “it can be a little quicker”.

Goulden also wants to make planning applications less complicated, saying: “What we don’t want people to do is have to submit architectural drawings or in extreme cases carry out wildlife impact assessments."

Instead, he suggested that residents could submit a marked up photograph showing where the charger and pavement channel would be installed.

Historic England said it's “supportive of initiatives to design installations that are compatible with the historic character of conservation areas” and is considering changes to its guidance.

King added: “There obviously needs to be a balance between protecting our historic streets and helping people make the switch to electric, but these two objectives shouldn't be mutually exclusive.

"With discreet chargers and properly installed pavement channels, councils and government should be able to develop a simpler, proportionate approach.

"Home charging is one of the big advantages of running an EV, so we shouldn't create a two-tier system where having a driveway or simply living on the wrong historic street determines whether you can easily access it."

Peaq and Epiq: Meet the cars shaping Skoda’s electric future

Wed, 4 Nov 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Skoda has doubled its electric offering in one fell swoop with the all-new Epiq compact SUV and Peaq SUV

Confidence. As any sportsperson will tell you, it is the foundation on which you achieve peak performance, which in turn leads to epic success. Well, Skoda is a brand that is absolutely brimming with the stuff, demonstrated by the launch of its two new, trailblazing electric cars: the Epiq compact SUV and Peaq seven-seat SUV.

They bookend Skoda’s existing electric lineup – consisting of the award-winning Elroq and Enyaq – and introduce an all-new direction for the Czech brand in the form of a new, daring design language, reams of cutting-edge tech, and all the smart, spacious and stylish Skoda features you’d expect. Here’s everything you need to know about them.

Experience Skoda’s electric range

Skoda Epiq: a new generation of electric compact SUV

The Skoda Epiq is the new entry point to the company’s battery-powered offerings. With a starting price of less than £25,000, not only does it undercut some rivals by thousands of pounds, but it also represents a watershed moment of achieving near price parity with many petrol-powered alternatives. The result: Skoda’s electric expertise is now accessible for more people than ever before.

The Epiq has been developed on Skoda’s new MEB+ electric vehicle platform, which is designed for smaller EVs. This flat-floor, wheels-at-each-corner architecture has allowed Skoda to do what it does best: maximising interior space. Despite its city-friendly exterior dimensions, the Epiq is easily capable of carrying five adults, while its 475-litre boot is one of the biggest in its class, complete with all the clever hooks, cubbies and netting you’d expect of a Skoda.

The exterior of the new Skoda Epiq has been shaped with the brand’s new Modern Solid design philosophy, which features the now-distinctive Tech Deck face first seen on the Elroq electric SUV and a new T-shaped design for its front and rear LED lights. But the design isn’t form over function; a drag coefficient of just 0.275Cd means the Epiq eases its way through the air instead of shouldering it aside, which makes it a highly efficient electric vehicle.

On the topic of efficiency, there are two battery options available to Epiq customers – a 37kWh and a larger 52kWh. This means the Epiq offers up to 272 miles range (WLTP) and can be fast charged in under 25 minutes.

And there are two power outputs of 135PS and 211PS available from the electric motor, which drives the front wheels for the first time in an electric Skoda. Acceleration is punchy regardless of which version you go for, with 0-62mph covered in as little as 7.1 seconds. It also features one-pedal driving, making driving in-town seamless.

The interior of the Epiq also features the essence of Modern Solid, so it isn’t just spacious, it’s also the sort of space that makes you feel good about being in it. The Epiq envelops you in an area that feels stylish, functional and luxurious; it helps you to feel confident about and enjoy any journey, no matter whether you’re commuting to work or heading off for a long weekend of outdoor activities.

There are two trim levels, SE L and Edition, and the standard equipment roster on SE L is lengthy; it includes LED lights at both ends, a digital driver’s display and 13-inch central touchscreen, wireless smartphone connectivity, keyless start/stop and adaptive cruise control. Single zone climate control and rear parking sensors are also standard. Edition trim enhances the offering by adding sat-nav, a heated steering wheel and heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, wireless smartphone charging and a rear view camera. And of course, you can stay in touch with your Epiq at all times using the MySkoda app.

First Edition models – which are only available in a limited number at launch – come with a number of unique styling touches, including orange door mirror caps, a strip on the wheel trims, a black roof, and 20-inch alloy wheels.

Learn more about the Skoda Epiq

Skoda Peaq: a new level of family luxury

Even for a brand that’s known for designing and building exceptionally spacious vehicles, the all-new Skoda Peaq is the company’s definition of ‘going big’.

The Peaq is an all-new electrically powered seven-seat SUV designed for the sort of families who prefer spending their weekend adventuring rather than sitting at home. To that end, it’s the biggest car Skoda has ever made at nearly 4.9 metres in length – and that means you can bring all of the family along, as well as the next-door neighbours. There’s more than enough room for seven adults to be perfectly comfortable on a day out. Indeed, the nearly 3.0-metre wheelbase also translates into a vast amount of legroom for all concerned.

And the Peaq has your back if you want to carry luggage along with the living and breathing cargo. So, with all seats in use there is still 299 litres of boot space behind the rearmost seats, a huge 890 litres when the two rear seats are folded flat, and a van-like 2075 litres when all the seats are folded down. And if that isn’t enough, there’s also a 37-litre frunk under the bonnet, which is perfect for storing charging cables and suchlike.

The word ‘large’ doesn’t merely describe the Peaq’s dimensions, because it can also be used about the car’s battery, which is the largest ever fitted to a Skoda EV. This huge 91kWh battery allows the car to cover up to 395 miles between charging stops, and it can be recharged at speeds up 199kW, which means a 10-80% top-up takes around 28 minutes, barely enough time to consume a sandwich and a brew.

Better still, like the Epiq, the Peaq is a car that likes to share, so you can use its battery to power other electrical devices, such as a caravan or an electric bicycle. Or a kettle. Whatever suits you, in truth.

This gargantuan battery powers a choice of powertrains, called the 90 and 90x, the latter of which offers the security and extra traction of four-wheel drive. Power outputs range from 286PS to 299PS, which means any Peaq is properly fleet of foot, covering the 0-62mph sprint in as little as 6.8 seconds.

There are three trim levels available, called SE L, Edition and SportLine. Even SE L cars are well equipped with items such as a 13.6in central infotainment touchscreen with haptic controls, a 10in digital driver display, wireless smartphone charging, a heated windscreen, heated seats in the front and rear, and electric tailgate with Virtual Pedal, LED headlights and a mobile digital key that allows you to use your smartphone or smartwatch to access the vehicle.

Edition cars add a mix of real and artificial leather upholstery, matrix LED headlights, an illuminated Tech Deck face, Remote Park Assist and Trained Parking. SportLine models feature 20-inch alloy wheels, gloss black detailing, sports seats, a heated steering wheel and cloud-like Dynamic Chassis Control.

There are several options that can elevate your Peaq experience further. Spec the Relax Package and your Peaq will be transformed into a portable airport lounge. The upgraded relax front seats are officially certified for back health by the German AGR institution and come with massage functionality, electrically adjustable leg rests and Comfort pillows. In other words, you can stretch out, put your feet up and get properly chilled while waiting for your car to top-up on a public charger.

The Peaq is also available with the biggest sunroof ever fitted to a Škoda, flooding the cabin with natural light and adding to the light, spacious feel. Better still, it’s fitted with Škoda’s new Dynamic Shade Control. At the touch of a button, you can change the glass from brilliantly clear to perfectly opaque, like something you'd see in a Star Wars film.

Moreover, the roof is split into nine independently controlled segments, so you can adjust the opacity of different sections individually. That means rear passengers can block out the light if they're having a snooze while those in the front can keep the view open.

Finally, as you’d expect of a Škoda, value for money is key, which is why the Peaq’s pricing starts from just £51,980, which undercuts many of its direct seven-seat electric rivals by thousands of pounds. In fact, the price is about the only thing about the Peaq that isn’t big.

With the launches of the all new Epiq and Peaq models, Škoda has doubled its electric-vehicle offering in one swoop, and in the process has made a Škoda SUV available to a far wider customer base.

The new Epiq is a small SUV par excellence, because as with many other Škodas, it packs a vast amount of space and luxury into a comparatively diminutive footprint, which makes it both great to spend time in and completely unintimidating to drive. It’s the perfect car for the small family of today.

Meanwhile, with the new seven-seat Peaq, Škoda has entered the luxury-SUV arena with a car that offers a vast battery range, a huge amount of cabin space, copious amounts of standard equipment, and high-end ambience that makes you feel great about simply being in it.

These two new models are indicative of a Škoda that’s looking to the future. And with them it has every right to feel confident about that future.

Learn more about the Skoda Peaq

Why car makers won't slow EV push - even if ICE age extended

Wed, 4 Nov 2026 07:00:00 +0000

Manufacturers now seem likely to stick with EVs due to demand, rather than government policy

If the UK or the EU were to water down emissions legislation to give combustion-engined cars a longer exit route, would we see anything different in terms of the new cars launched?

One industry expert thinks not.

"The manufacturers are going to change exactly nothing," Patrick Hummel, automotive analyst at investment bank UBS, said recently. "If anything, I would accelerate the rollout of a proper EV portfolio."

The environmental lobby has long been pushing governments to stay strong on the 2035 timetable for phasing out new combustion-engined cars, but a statement like this from a big bank indicates that something major has changed.

Sell-side analysts like Hummel provide investment clients with detailed reports on the financial health of companies. These reports are figure-heavy, often impenetrable to outsiders and largely free of emotion (when not discussing Tesla). If the strategy of the target company isn't working financially, the next report carries a 'sell' message for clients to offload their stock.

EVs have been financially problematic. The cost differential with ICE vehicles couldn't be priced in, because demand wasn't there, reducing profits. But this summer that changed.

EV demand has soared as the gulf between the cost of fuelling ICE cars and EVs has widened sharply. New EVs now promise long ranges at prices little different from ICE equivalents. At the same time, charging infrastructure has markedly improved, achieving what Hummel calls the "triple parity" that finally shifts consumers.

Some car makers are still sacrificing profit margin to sell EVs, but others aren't. Volvo, for example, says its new electric EX60 makes a bigger profit than its ICE sibling, the XC60.

"It shows that you can make money on BEVs," the company's commercial head, Erik Severinson, told investors recently.

Car makers, then, have little choice but to speed up the EV rollout or lose out.

Hummel referenced Volkswagen's problem of waiting lists for its new ID Polo small EV extending into summer next year: "They decided on a ramp-up a couple of years ago, now they're surprised how many people actually want the car." Not every potential ID Polo customer will wait, he said: "They might shop for a BYD in the meantime."

Two years ago, we were mid-gloom about EVs after the early-2020s enthusiasm didn't pan out - now they're hot property again. No one knows what's next, but it's clear that fortune favours those with the quickest reactions.

India's Mahindra prepares 2027 UK launch with bold SUV trio

Wed, 4 Nov 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Long-range, tech-heavy SUVs – designed in Oxfordshire – primed to lead Indian giant's UK push

Indian car-making giant Mahindra is planning to launch in the UK next year with a range of striking electric SUVs designed in Oxfordshire, Autocar has learned.

Plans for Mahindra entering the UK market date back to 2016, when the company launched the battery-powered e2o city car and outlined a strategy to build a line-up of pure-electric models in the UK, where its Formula E racing team was already based.

The slow-selling e2o was dropped after a matter of months, but Mahindra rekindled plans for a full-scale UK entry in 2022, when it revealed five electric SUVs styled at its newly opened Banbury design studio and confirmed that it was targeting a European rollout a year later when it showed the chunky, Jeep-style Thar.E off-roader concept.

Now concrete plans are finally taking shape and Autocar has learned that Mahindra is only around a year away from putting cars in showrooms, with three of its UK-designed electric SUVs lined up to lead its push in the market.

Autocar understands that customer clinics have taken place as part of Mahindra's efforts to define its positioning and gauge its commercial potential in the UK.

Early pricing information suggests it will pitch its cars at the upper end of the mainstream market, in a similar space to the likes of Cupra and DS.

A source familiar with Mahindra's plans told Autocar that one of the brand's first UK cars will be the dramatically styled BE 6 (pictured above) – priced from around £41,000 to face off with the Tesla Model Y, Ford Explorer and Renault Scenic.

Based on Mahindra's self-developed Inglo platform for EVs, the BE 6 is offered in India with a choice of 59kWh, 70kWh and 79kWh batteries (the biggest sourced from China's BYD) for a claimed range of between 345 and 424 miles, and a choice of 225bhp and 278bhp rear-mounted motors.

Mahindra is understood to be targeting a simple line-up in Europe, with each of its models offered in just one mechanical specification – like Chinese brands Omoda, Jaecoo and Leapmotor – but it remains to be seen which combination of motors and batteries it will export.

An undisguised BE 6 prototype has been spotted testing on public roads near Mahindra's Banbury base, suggesting that homologation is under way on UK-spec cars.

The larger XEV 9e (below) – a similar size to the BMW iX3 and Audi Q6 – shares the BE 6's platform and drivetrains and is tipped to sit above it at £48,000.

Both cars feature a striking, tech-heavy cockpit with a panoramic digital display hosting the driver cluster and a central touchscreen – optionally accompanied by a separate touchscreen for the front passenger.

In addition, the smaller SUV can be had with an unusual 'halo' structure around the driver, inspired by Mahindra's Formula E single-seaters.

Mahindra has shown an additional, range-topping SUV to its UK focus groups, mooting a starting price of £52,000. This is understood to be a model not yet on sale in India – most likely the BE 07, a chunky mid-sized SUV (shown in concept form below) based on the Inglo platform with a similar footprint to the new Mercedes-Benz GLA.

Mahindra didn't comment when approached by Autocar, and it isn't yet known how the firm plans to scale up its retail presence in the UK.

COULD INDIA BE THE NEW CHINA?

Although India is the world's fourth-biggest producer of cars, the only models it currently sends to the UK are the Suzuki eVitara – built in Ahmedabad by market leader Maruti Suzuki – and its badge-engineered Toyota twin, the Urban Cruiser.

But last year India slashed exorbitant import tariffs on UK-built cars from as much as 110% to 30%-50% and it will eventually reduce that to 10%. The slackening of India's fiercely protectionist policies has been touted as an enabler of freer trade between it and the UK, which would have particularly positive implications for the UK's premium car manufacturers.

The UK government has reciprocated with a similarly structured approach to reducing import fees on Indian cars, paving the way for Mahindra to finally make good on its long-planned launch in the market – and possibly for further Indian-made cars to come.

Can BYD beat Renault? £26k Dolphin G PHEV takes on Clio

Wed, 4 Nov 2026 05:00:00 +0000

BYD's smallest PHEV is an intriguing new kind of supermini. Can it topple a fresh but familiar Clio?

For a market segment that emissions and safety requirements were supposed to have driven into oblivion by now, the European supermini class seems to be in rude health.

Four superminis in particular retain spots in our continent's top 10 best-sellers chart, which is proof that the appetite of European drivers for compact, efficient, well-priced cars, fundamentally straightforward in outlook and primarily petrol-fuelled, is ready to withstand almost anything.

The Renault Clio is one of those four (along with, for the record, the Dacia Sandero, Peugeot 208 and Opel/Vauxhall Corsa). Its success so far this year has been fuelled by the introduction of the sixth-generation version, which we're about to get to know a bit better.

The Clio has had to adapt to survive—to grow, mature and electrify—since the original model sashayed onto the scene back in 1990. Yet somehow it remains the closest thing the class has to an archetype. The defining and enduring, sophisticated yet simple, universally appealing and successful small European hatchback.

Today, in Denmark, we find out what chance it has of surviving its next existential threat. To date, the Chinese manufacturers that have been rapidly establishing their presences in various key European territories—chiefly the UK—have focused their attention mostly on bigger cars. There have been few serious Chinese tilts at fighting Europe's true heavyweights: its best-established, best-loved miniature heroes.

The BYD Dolphin G, however, is clearly a very serious car. This is a European-style supermini, made in China for now but destined for BYD's new factory in Hungary, with a brief to take on the indigenous population. And—spoiler alert—it's a rather good one.

First impressions

The Mk6 Clio has been on sale in Europe since the beginning of 2026, but won't arrive in the UK until early 2027. It's slightly longer and wider than the Mk5 we have now, on a longer wheelbase but using the same CMF-B platform. More interesting still, to us, is its altered, coupé-aping roofline and raked rear window; its slightly mean, pouty expression; and the fact that Renault uses words like 'technical' and 'resolute' to describe it. This is a Clio that Renault wants you to admire and desire—but categorically not because it's bonny or cute.

The Dolphin G is nearly 50mm longer but, more strikingly, 150mm taller than the Clio, and a lot less rakish. In its detailing, it's fairly sophisticated: a lot more so than the unrelated, fully electric Dolphin supermini of 2023. But in its overall shape, it's still like the kind of superminis that Europe was buying a decade or so ago: slightly tall and gawky but smart—and friendly-looking, just a bit MPV-influenced and not especially stylish.

It looks a little as if BYD split the difference between two design proposals: one bold and distinct, the other just a boil-washed, hatchback take on a Seal or Sealion. Like they couldn't quite understand the concept of putting so much unique personality into something so little.

I think it's fair to record that you might well buy the new Clio just for the way it looks—if it happens to be to your taste. With the Dolphin G, you still probably won't—but, to our eyes, it's well past the threshold of respectability.

Under the bonnet

This wouldn't be 2026 if we weren't talking about electrified powertrains—Renault will offer the Clio with a conventional 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol engine and a manual gearbox, if you would prefer one, but it expects the majority of buyers to choose a full hybrid, like our test car.

While the Mk5 Clio E-Tech uses a 1.6-litre engine, the new one moves to a 1.8-litre petrol motor and a bigger battery, with power swelling from 141bhp to 158bhp. Renault's innovative '4x2-speed', hybrid-specialised, clutchless automatic gearbox is carried over, though, as is the 48bhp main electric motor.

As we know from other Renaults, this is the kind of hybrid system that can run for short periods on electricity alone (at low speeds in town or maintaining a modest cruising speed out of town) but depends on its reciprocating pistons when there's meaningful work to be done. Which is to say nothing of the main technical difference between these cars: the Dolphin G can be plugged in and the Clio can't.

Using a high-compression, Atkinson-cycle, 1.5-litre petrol engine as a back-up and a generator, the Dolphin G's 161bhp main electric motor powers and drives it the vast majority of the time. And, in tandem with the 18.3kWh battery fitted to middle- and upper-tier models (compatible with both AC slow and DC rapid chargers), that means you can drive on electricity alone for 65 miles.

Yes, in a supermini. I would love to know how many superminis travel farther than 65 miles a day on average, but my guess is that 5% would be a very generous estimate indeed.

Is it fair to treat these cars as rivals, then? It's a reasonable point, albeit a redundant one, because right now there's no such thing as a PHEV supermini class in Europe. The Dolphin G becomes the only car of its kind with genuine, meaningful, home-chargeable, electric-only running. The closest things we've had to it have been range-extender EVs in the BMW i3 REx and Mazda MX-30 R-EV, both now departed.

Value for money

And then there's the price. You would expect a PHEV to cost more than a 'self-charging' hybrid, whichever class of the car market you happened to find it in. Sure enough, the Dolphin G will probably cost more than the Clio on strict like-for-like terms. But, while prices for the 2027 Clio are still to be announced, Autocar's sources suggest that Renault will probably hike those of the 2026 version by around £1000-£1500.

Which will put a range-topping Clio Esprit Alpine, very much like the one we've got here, within £1000 of a mid-range Dolphin G DM-i Boost—and could even make it more expensive on like-for-like monthly finance.

Away with any lingering doubts, then. Renault better consider itself on notice: these two cars are absolutely competing for the same money. And BYD is competing pretty hard.

On the inside

Two minutes spent hopping between seats confirms that the Dolphin G is the more spacious of the two cars here. Since it's the larger one, it ought to be. The difference isn't huge. To some people it won't be decisive either. But it's there.

Up front, for instance, there's plenty of space in both cars. The Clio's primary seat is set lower, the driving position better ergonomically, while in the Dolphin G you sit slightly higher and a little more over the controls.

But, perhaps because of its higher hip point, the Dolphin G is the kind of car in which an adult could travel in the back pretty comfortably, it having clear advantages over the Clio in terms of both leg and head room.

In the boot, meanwhile, the Dolphin G's practicality advantage is even clearer: 425 litres under the window line plays 309 litres, the Clio's carrying capacity still suffering significantly for the space taken by its hybrid system. Somehow the BYD packages a far larger drive battery yet compromises far less.

Is interior quality on the European car's side? Better check those preconceptions (the Clio, incidentally, hasn't been made in France since the turn of the decade; it comes to us from Bursa, Turkey, these days). Renault claims to have made this a real area of focus for the Mk6 Clio but, ignoring the material adornments of our test car (some Alcantara on the dashboard and door panels, a flashy-looking colour-fade foil running behind the steering wheel and some conspicuous coloured ambient lighting), I don't think you would know it.

The fascia rolltop is hard and shiny and the door mouldings are similarly cheap-looking. There's quite a lot of nasty gloss black plastic around the cockpit to smudge and mark and, besides a few nicely finished switches, not a great deal that feels solid or inviting to the touch.

The Dolphin G's decor is more monotonous and the atmosphere a lot less racy, but the actual built-in material quality is much better. At a background level, the moulded plastics, up high and down low, are more consistently well finished and solid-feeling. The fixtures and fittings, from door-release pulls to window switches to column stalks, all feel heftier.

There's very little colour or imagination on show; BYD has simply reproduced much the same silvery-chrome, bridge-of-the-Starship-Enterprise ambience that so many of its cars have. Its achievement is in having managed that, however, in a car that's still priced to cut through.

And it lends the Dolphin G an aura of big-car refinement that, by and large, its driving experience capitalises on.

On the road

You could argue that the car's main dynamic strengths (comfort, isolation and drivability) are a bit misplaced in a supermini and that buyers tend to want something more spirited and fun—like the Clio, at least in some ways. But the Dolphin G is a pretty rounded car to drive and doesn't make you feel at all like either its ride or its handling is the catch that you've been waiting to find. It just drives, and perfectly nicely at that.

The bottom lines are starker than you might imagine. BYD's hybrid powertrain is quieter, better-mannered and more pleasant than Renault's, but it also feels a lot more responsive and powerful. The Dolphin G's ride is also quieter and plusher than the Clio's (although the fitted alloy wheels of our particular test cars, at 16in versus 18in, will have played a part in this, and you will doubtless be able to have smaller ones on your Clio if you prefer).

On the road, the Clio isn't easy meat. It's notably the better-handling, sweeter-steering, more dynamically vivacious supermini of the two. It grips and corners in a way that escapes the Dolphin G, which rolls and floats just a little when it has to change direction and can't quite hide the extra mass that it's carrying.

Renault has at least tried to meet the classic supermini brief, then to make the Clio the zesty, agile, light-footed modern small car that most would want it to be. But, whereas the Dolphin G's hybrid system lifts it up and makes it surpass your expectations in so many ways, the Clio's hybrid system sells it short.

Put your foot down in the Dolphin G and you're away in an instant, the electric motor always primed and the engine rousing itself only in the background when needed. Do the same in the Clio and you have to wait a second or so for the multimodal gearbox to shift and for the rather noisy 1.8-litre engine to rev—only to be met with what feels, by comparison, like a pretty coarse and underwhelming style of delivery.

We will ignore the argument in favour of the Dolphin G concerned with significantly reduced running costs and electric running powered by special-tariff home charging, as transformative and convincing as that may be, because it would also be to unfairly mark down the Clio, which isn't a PHEV and never set out to be one.

The fact is that it's bested by the Dolphin G in too many and quite varied ways to finish anywhere other than second place here.

On another day, with a simpler powertrain, a manual gearbox and a lower price, the Clio might have better asserted its pedigree. It might do yet. Europe still has a lot to teach the rest of the world about the art of the small car and China still has much to prove.

Hybrid for hybrid, though, Shenzhen has beaten Paris in this particular struggle for a key supermini-class battleground. Europe's supermini archetype has been deposed—and doesn't that feel like a watershed moment?

Verdict

1st. BYD Dolphin G DM-I Boost

Smooth, spacious and well-built; the Dolphin G is a supermini with a real breadth of ability. It might not be a looker, but Shenzhen's new supermini excels on the inside and on the road.

2. Renault Clio Full Hybrid E-Tech 160 Espirit Alpine

Beneath the chic exterior lies a slightly lethargic hybrid powertrain - it's by no means a bad small car, but the Clio comes up short here in hybrid form. We suspect the 1.0 turbo petrol version, due in showrooms next year with the option of a manual 'box, will be a much better drive.

Specification	BYD DOLPHIN G DM-i BOOST	RENAULT CLIO FULL HYBRID E-TECH 160 ESPRIT ALPINE
Rating	4/5 stars	3.5/5 stars
Price	£26,990	£26,000 (est)
Engine	4 cyls in line, 1499cc, plus ISG and electric motor	4 cyls in line, 1789cc, plus ISG and electric motor
Power	209bhp	158bhp
Torque	89lb ft (engine), 155lb ft (motor)	199lb ft
Gearbox	1-spd reduction gear, FWD	4-spd/2-spd auto (engine/motor), FWD
Kerb weight	1555kg	1296kg
0-62mph	8.3sec	8.3sec
Top speed	112mph	112mph
Battery	18.3kWh (total and usable), LFP	1.4kWh (total and usable), NMC
Economy	202mpg	72.4mpg
Electric range	65 miles	na
CO₂, tax band	32g/km, 10%	89g/km, 23%

Hyundai Ioniq 3: Good value, great to drive - and different

Wed, 4 Nov 2026 00:01:00 +0000

Hyundai's entry-level electric hatchback arrives with head-turning style and a jaw-dropping price tag The financial case for ownership of an electric car is now gathering serious momentum. Whether you feel it’s doing that for the right reasons may depend on your view about whether EV owners should get most of their VAT back when they buy their new car, in addition to dodging fuel tax - which remains an especially touchy subject; at least until the new eVED system comes into force in 2028. But that, in a nutshell, is how the UK government is driving their adoption.The industry, however, suddenly seems to be doing an awful lot more itself to ‘drive the transition’. The nature of the car market means that EV prices don't - and won’t - slowly decrease by themselves as time goes on, but rather descend in sudden leaps as new products arrive with the latest cost savings priced in. So when one turns up that at once reflects such a leap, but that also qualifies for the biggest ‘ECG’ government subsidy available, it really makes waves.That’s what the Hyundai Ioniq 3 feels like: a transformational development for UK electric-car buyers - perhaps even for UK car buyers full stop. This isn’t another novel Chinese brand offering an unknown quantity for a necessarily eye-catching tag, after all. It’s one of the best-practiced and -established purveyors of EVs that the UK has yet seen, unrecognisable from the days when it was itself just another obscure Asian budget brand, with an electric model debutant ready to make just about every rival look tawdry, small, short-ranged or expensive. In some cases, all of the above.Hyundai has had a tough twelve months, but has an ambitious plan to increase total production by 1.3 million by 2030 – a number that requires the launch or facelift of 100 models by 2030. Go big or go home, as they say. A total of 41 of those new releases will be landing on European shores, and this is the latest of them.

BYD Shark PHEV review: A £47k Ford Ranger rival with 435bhp

Tue, 3 Nov 2026 13:56:00 +0000

Chinese pick-up undercuts rivals despite PHEV power and generous kit The financial argument in favour of double-cab pick-up trucks has taken a turn for the worse in the UK, because their previously enticing benefit-in-kind tax breaks have evaporated and they’re now simply viewed by HMRC as cars.But BYD thinks differently. The Chinese firm reckons this is an ideal moment to launch its new Shark in the UK – for the following reasons. First, it comes only as a plug-in hybrid, the BIK tax on which is around a quarter of that charged for comparative diesels. Second, BYD has seen how successful Ford has been with the PHEV version of its market-dominating Ranger (nearing 30% in an arena formerly dominated by diesels). And third, albeit unspoken, BYD wants to offer a full line of models here and a pick-up flags that intention.

New 2027 Volvo EX40: Sweden's crucial Elroq rival shapes up

Tue, 3 Nov 2026 13:30:57 +0000

Successor to ageing XC40 in the frame as Swedish firm lines up second EV on its new SPA3 platform

Volvo will follow the EX60 next year with a more affordable electric model on its radical new SPA3 platform, which is set to take on the Skoda Elroq and Ford Explorer as a successor to the ageing EX40 crossover.

Primed to begin deliveries after the summer, the new model will target "a large lower-priced market segment" than the EX60, which starts at £57,000 and rises to £70,000.

The EX40 successor is one of 13 new cars Volvo will launch globally by 2030. It will be designed and engineered primarily for the European market, in line with the company's new regionalised product development strategy.

Volvo is also working on a new flagship SUV for the US market, based on the XC90's SPA2 platform, and six models specifically for China based on modular architecture from parent company Geely.

A 420-MILE ELROQ RIVAL?

Volvo hasn't given any firm details of the next SPA3 car, but that early hint at its positioning would suggest a smaller SUV aimed at Europe's most popular C-segment, where Volvo currently fields the ageing XC40. That model was recently facelifted after nearly a decade on sale. Available with petrol and electric power, the XC40 remains Volvo's second-best-selling model line after the XC60, for which the new EX60 serves as an electric equivalent.

It looks likely that the new volume-focused model will replace the EX40 EV, which starts at £44,000, while the ICE-powered XC40 will remain on sale using the CMA platform.

Volvo has previously said that its new European line-up will eventually include "new low and high body types", hinting at a return to the saloon and estate segments from which it has pulled back in recent years. But the second SPA3 car's volume focus means an SUV is more likely, given the much greater popularity of taller cars in the region.

The platform can be used for cars ranging in size from the EX30 (4.2m long) to the EX90 (5.0m), and it has been engineered to offer packaging flexibility: the battery cells can be rearranged within the floorpan to accommodate different vehicle shapes.

The SPA3 platform introduces a number of significant developments from its SPA2 predecessor, including a new cell-to-body battery design, 'megacasting' production that reduces the number of individual parts and new-generation drivetrain hardware that boosts efficiency and dynamics.

If the new model is the same size as the EX40, it would be around 300mm shorter than the EX60. As such it is unlikely to share the larger car's 112kWh flagship battery option, which offers more than 500 miles of range. The mid-range 91kWh pack could potentially be accommodated, however, which would give the new model a range of more than 410 miles — beating most rivals at this price point — and still be capable of 370kW fast charging.

SPA3 PRESSURE MOUNTS

Volvo said introducing a second, higher-volume model using the SPA3 will accelerate its efforts to recoup the substantial development and production costs associated with the new, bespoke platform. This is especially important as it battles to recover from heavy losses in recent months and make good on its ambition to achieve an 8% profit margin.

Volvo will also be hoping that it can accelerate production of the new car far quicker than it has with the EX60, which six months on from launch has yet to achieve full-scale output.

Volvo says its crucial new BMW iX3 rival is "taking longer than planned to ramp up" because of the challenges associated with its cutting-edge new technology and construction.

The company says it has taken more than 50,000 orders for the electric equivalent to the best-selling XC60, but so far it has built just 5000 units since the model entered production in April. CEO Håkan Samuelsson has warned that the crucial new model's "financial contribution will be delayed as we are not ramping up to the plan we had before".

The new Horse petrol engine that can run underwater

Tue, 3 Nov 2026 08:00:00 +0000

Hydrolocking could be a thing of the past as Horse reveals the ultimate engine for off-roaders

Injecting water into a combustion engine isn't as daft as it sounds: it's useful in very high-performance turbocharged units, for example, to suppress detonation and allow higher boost pressure and more advanced ignition timing to gain more power.

Immersing an entire engine in water, though? That's something else altogether.

In early September, Horse Powertrain announced the waterproof B20 engine, which is capable of operating at a depth of up to 1.1 metres and is suitable for hybrids. It can also maintain continuous output under extreme high-load, off-road environments, including climbing 100% gradients. The 2.0-litre inline four makes 189-280bhp and 221-280lb ft, depending on conditions.

Large amounts of water entering an engine can destroy it instantly. Liquids like petrol and water are incompressible, so a fine mist vaporising as it enters the engine is fine but a significant quantity entering the cylinder on the compression stroke causes hydraulic lock, preventing the piston completing its compression stroke and causing severe damage. Although deep wading isn't new, with serious off-roaders using snorkels to let their engines breathe, submersion is still a challenge, as electrics and other parts need to be considered too.

The B20 meets one of the highest levels of the Ingress Protection standard, IPX8.

It's configured for efficiency, running on the Miller cycle, with 48% of the fuel it burns being converted into mechanical energy. High-pressure-injection, high-tumble intake ports promote ideal air-fuel mixing and contribute to efficient combustion.

The pistons are designed to maximise the 'squish' effect. 'Squish' describes a flat area near the edge of the piston crown mirroring a surface on the ceiling of the combustion chamber to leave only a tiny gap when the piston reaches the top of its stroke. As it does so, the fuel and air mixture is literally squished and squirted back into the centre of the combustion chamber, increasing turbulence and improving combustion.

The B20 also features a rigid, gantry-type aluminium cylinder block with integrated exhaust manifold and a simplified balancer-shaft system to improve its refinement. A variable-displacement oil pump avoids the need to consume any more energy in pumping lubricating oil than absolutely necessary, reducing fuel consumption.

IPX8 certification is achieved by the fully sealed structure and dedicated engine-to-transmission sealing. Electrical components and sensors are also IPX8-rated. The latter detect when the engine is submerged, then the control system makes changes such as limiting power or altering throttle response.

IM5 vs Model 3: How does MG's Tesla compare to the real thing?

Tue, 3 Nov 2026 07:00:00 +0000

Our Chinese sports saloon meets its American rival - does it feel up to scratch?

Car design has changed dramatically over the past few decades. In the 1990s it was all about smooth lines, with cab-forward silhouettes dominating the automotive scene.

These were followed by more complex designs, featuring defined body lines and smaller glass areas, as showcased by the 'Flame Surfacing' of Chris Bangle's early-2000s BMWs. Then, in the 2010s, large front grilles, LED headlights and sharper creases became the norm-and, inside, physical switchgear slowly gave way to minimalism and touchscreens.

In think it's fair to say that car design has never been so radical, transformative and, above all, divisive as it is in 2026. You only need to look at the Jaguar Type 01 and the Ferrari Luce to see that.

Bespoke electric platforms have enabled car makers to improve cabin space and create sleek, fastback silhouettes to optimise aerodynamic efficiency. Such EV trademarks can clearly be found on our MG IM5, with its long swooping body and expansive proportions.

It might come as a surprise to learn that the IM5's aesthetic was overseen by Slovakian designer Jozef Kaban, a former Skoda and BMW studio chief and the man who styled the bullish Bugatti Veyron.

Look closely at the IM5, however, and it's clear where Kaban and his colleagues gained inspiration for its design, with similar minimalist styling to the Tesla Model 3.

Several people have commented on its likeness to the ubiquitous electric saloon, so I decided to put this to the test by comparing the IM5 with my neighbour's pre-facelift Model 3 Performance.

Parked tail to tail, the resemblance between the two is clear to see, but there's no denying that each still has its own identity. For a start, the Chinese car has a much larger footprint and longer wheelbase that positions it above the American car, making it a closer rival to the Volkswagen ID 7 or BMW i5.

The Tesla is more compact, but both have a similar teardrop, cab-backward roofline that sweeps neatly all the way to the bootlid. On the IM5's rear, I can't help drawing a comparison to the Aston Martin DBX; even the rear light bar looks similar to that of Gaydon's hot SUV.

And while the Model 3 sports a more defined look, via sharper swage lines, the IM5 opts for softer surfaces and a smoother beltline, which is what most sets it apart.

As is the way with modern EVs, both use flush-fitting electronic door handles. Of all the things to come out of the EV revolution, this is one of the most annoying. In fact, you don't even pull the IM5's handles; you slide your hand behind the handle and it pops open automatically.

The Tesla's door handles feel more natural, but both cars would benefit from a normal pull mechanism. Technology abounds inside both cars, and it's interesting to see how MG has taken a similar approach to Tesla.

Take the side-facing cameras: the IM5's design is different to the Model 3's, but its placement and function is much the same, helping the driver by creating a 360deg view of the car.

Inside, the IMS adopts the same button-less, screen-heavy layout as the Model 3. It features a huge 26.3in display that incorporates both the digital instrument display and infotainment screen - but also a 10.5in touch-operated control panel for hopping between functions.

I'm not sure that this makes the MG any more slick to use than the Tesla, which has just one large 15in display. Happily it's responsive and graphically sharp, but there are far too many sub-menus to deal with - and I've counted a total of just 11 physical buttons inside the car.

As a result, usability isn't great, but the IM5 certainly feels a bit more refined and upmarket than its rival - although the current Model 3 is a step ahead of its predecessor in terms of perceived quality.

While the IM5 leans heavily on the minimalist playbook pioneered by the trailblazing Model 3, there's no doubt that its bolder proportions, softer lines and greater refinement help give it a character of its own in a highly congested corner of the market.

Evoque and Velar to retire as £90k GT becomes entry Range Rover

Tue, 3 Nov 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Range Rover moves away from the mainstream by dropping two cheapest models after 2027

The Range Rover Evoque and Range Rover Velar will not be replaced when production of the pair ends later this decade.

That will leave the upcoming Range Rover GT and the Range Rover Sport as two very different but similarly priced entry points to JLR's now stand-alone luxury brand, sitting underneath the full-sized Range Rover in a three-strong line-up.

Range Rover boss Martin Limpert confirmed to Autocar that while the Evoque and Velar will continue in production throughout 2027, each is now close to the end of its life after around a decade in production and no replacement is being developed for either.

The demise of these model lines is partly down to JLR's House of Brands strategy, which has spun off Range Rover, Defender and Discovery as stand-alone marques from the Land Rover parent brand.

Given the luxury positioning of Range Rover and the newly expanded roles for Defender and Discovery - the former with a new entry-level model called Defender Sport soon to join the ranks - it is now no longer necessary for Range Rover to cover such a large part of the market. Instead, Range Rover will focus on the upper end of the market and smaller, more affordable models will be left to Defender and Discovery.

Range Rover GT

The Range Rover GT will be launched at the start of 2027 as a more road-biased and saloon-style model, based on the new electric-first EMA architecture and built at Halewood, where the Evoque and Discovery Sport are currently produced. It will be priced from around £100,000 as an all-electric model from launch, but hybrid versions will follow and are likely to reduce the entry price to around £90,000 - close to the current Range Rover Sport.

The Defender Sport will share both the GT's platform and its Merseyside production line, which is undergoing a £500 million overhaul to prepare it for EVs. The Discovery Sport will end production in December to make way for the GT. It's likely that Evoque production will then end ahead of the Defender Sport being launched around a year later.

The Evoque was the catalyst for significant growth and profitability at JLR in the early 2010s and prompted executives at the time to mull whether the group's sales could top one million. The Evoque exceeded 100,000 sales per year multiple times in the mid-2010s.

Last year JLR sales were just over 400,000, but the strategy has shifted from volume models to more premium offerings with greater profit potential, particularly from Range Rover and Jaguar. The Evoque starts from just below £40,000 and the Velar at below £60,000 - price points that will be covered by Defender and Discovery models in the future.

The Range Rover GT has been all but revealed as a lightly camouflaged prototype and Limpert said it has attracted a positive reaction from investors and retailers, with more than 80% of interest in it coming from customers of brands outside JLR. Investors have noted the lack of a "bullseye" competitor for the model, added Limpert, giving Range Rover confidence that it has found a true clear space in the market as it did with the Evoque in the 2010s.

Limpert also corrected a common misconception that the GT was conceived as a replacement for the Velar. He said that was not the case and it is an original offering with a road focus alongside trademark Land Rover off-road capability - a wide brief that, he said, is "testing us" in the GT's development programme.

The Velar is built at Solihull on the older D7a platform shared with Jaguar's now axed 'volume' models, including the XE, XF and F-Pace. It never achieved the same level of success as the Evoque, sales topping at around half of the Evoque's at its peak.

No Range Rover facelift – yet

The Range Rover and Range Rover Sport ranges have recently been expanded with the addition of new electric versions, based on the same MLA platform as the petrol, diesel and hybrid models and with no real notable visual differences.

Despite the pair having been on sale for almost five years, there was no need to facelift them yet, said Limpert, because Range Rover designs are meant to be longer-lasting and customers had asked for any electric variant to be visually identical.

The designs will continue to evolve subtly with model-year changes - as hinted at by recently spotted test mules - but Limpert did say there is a desire to offer greater design separation between the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport in the future, to give each a bespoke visual character. They are currently similarly styled but drive differently and they have been pushed even further apart for the electric versions. Future updates will build on that.

Limpert confirmed that diesel will remain a powertrain option for Range Rover. The MLA architecture was also created with the capability of accommodating hydrogen power and this remains possible, but a significant market shift will be needed for this to become a serious prospect for production.

What's happened to Land Rover?

The new 2027-spec Range Rover and Range Rover Sport feature just one Land Rover badge, but there are no plans to phase out the parent brand's emblem on future models.

It sits within the front grille, where it acts as a 'trust mark' for Range Rover models to highlight their off-road capability, and Range Rover boss Martin Limpert said the Land Rover badge will remain visible on the brand's upcoming models.

The Land Rover badge will play a bigger role for Defender and particularly Discovery models, as they are in a much earlier part of their development as stand-alone brands.

JLR to speed up EV launches

The Range Rover electric models arrive at a similar time to the Jaguar Type 01, but despite being large EVs from a relatively small company, they are based on completely different architectures and share only brake discs, vehicle engineering director Matt Becker confirmed.

Becker said the requirements for Range Rover and Jaguar are so different that platform and component sharing was never a serious option. The drive units for the Range Rover, for example, are bespoke, in-house creations that are different from anything on the market due to their ability to cater for hardcore off-road driving.

The use of bespoke parts like this has caused a lengthy development for the electric Range Rovers but Becker said the cadence of launches will now increase and there will be no long gaps between launches, especially now that JLR's three platforms - EMA, MLA and JEA (for Jaguar) - have been developed and it is a case of spinning models off them.

Bentley Continental GTC: 'S' version is competent but confused

Mon, 2 Nov 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Crewe firm aims for greater driver appeal at a lower price point for its convertible GT The ranks of top-tier convertibles with power and art deco-esque opulence to spare have thinned out in recent years.Rolls-Royce stopped taking orders for the Dawn in 2022 and production of the Mercedes S-Class Cabriolet – an underrated gem especially in S560 guise – ended a year earlier. It leaves the subject of this week’s road test with the market for such cars almost entirely to itself.Or at least it does if you’re not considering the latest Bentley Continental GTC in its subtly more sporting S specification, as we have here. True, Bentley also purveys its only convertible model in full-blown 772bhp Speed guise, but while the S makes less power, it utilises the range-topper’s sportier chassis tune, and for quite a bit less expense (£35,000 less, to be precise). It’s therefore a car you might just consider instead of an Aston Martin DB12 S Volante, Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet or Maserati Grancabrio Trofeo, which can’t necessarily be said of the standard Continental GTC – or the pricier Speed.We will soon learn whether the S, as a sporting luxury plug-in hybrid convertible, really can compete so broadly, but it’s worth noting that the task of crafting a genuinely good open-air driver’s car from the tin-top Conti GT has, if anything, become harder of late. With the exception of the box-fresh Supersports, every model in the range is now fitted with Bentley’s hybrid powertrain. This is thought to add around 200kg to the kerb weight, thanks mainly to a 25.9kWh battery that contributes meaningful range.Factor in the reinforced sills, cross-bracing and A-pillar support that any convertible of traditional construction needs and, in the case of the Conti GTC S you’re looking at a claimed kerb weight of more than 2.6 tonnes. Can such a machine, shorn of some rigidity and with priorities rightly elsewhere, really offer driving satisfaction as an alternative to others mentioned?

Reaching new heights: 7 must-know things about the Skoda Peaq

Mon, 2 Nov 2026 07:30:00 +0000

Skoda is going all in on luxury with the new Peaq electric SUV, but it hasn’t forgotten its roots in the process

The new Skoda Peaq is appropriately named because it represents the absolute pinnacle of the Skoda range.

Not only is it larger, roomier and more luxurious than any Skoda before it, it’ll also go further and charge faster than any electric model the Czech company has ever produced. That’s thanks to a whopping 86kWh battery, which offers up to 395 miles of range and accepts charging speeds of up to 199kW.

As cover letters go, those figures alone already make the Peaq a pretty impressive candidate. But there’s much more to its CV than eye-widening numbers, so we’ve picked out seven of the most compelling reasons why the new Skoda Peaq should be at the very top of your electric SUV shortlist.

Learn more about the Skoda Peaq

It’s the biggest Skoda ever

As the biggest Skoda ever, the Peaq undoubtedly provides room with a view. It’s almost 4.9 metres long and 1.7 metres tall, plus almost two metres wide, all of which translates into the sort of cabin space the average ocean liner would rightly envy.

There’s also almost a full three metres between the front and rear wheels, which makes for vast amounts of passenger space. Second-row seats can slide and recline, while the third row has more than enough room get comfy, meaning that even with all seven seats in use, everyone has the ability to sit back, stretch out and enjoy the passing view through the large side windows and enormous panoramic roof with innovative Dynamic Shade Control (more on that in a moment).

Better still, with the Peaq there’s no need to send the luggage on ahead or simply go without for a few days. No, the Peaq has a simply gargantuan load-carrying capacity. Even with all seating rows in use, there are 299 litres available in the boot, which is more than some hatchbacks can manage. If the two rear seats are folded down, the Peaq has 890 litres of space, which is more than most estate cars can manage. And with all five rear seats folded flat, there are 2075 litres of space, which is more than some vans… Well, you get the point.

The boot is also full of smart compartments, cubbies and hooks to keep everything where you put it in the first place. So, if you need to carry a lot of people, a lot of stuff, or sometimes both, the Peaq is a peak choice.

It makes long trips easy

Let’s face it, the whole point of a big, luxurious SUV is being able to travel long distances in complete comfort. But in many rivals, there simply isn’t enough battery range to make long journeys genuinely effortless. Not so in the Skoda Peaq, which has the largest battery ever fitted to one of the brand’s models, at 86kWh.

This means that it can cover up to 390 miles (WLTP) before you need to recharge the battery, so you can set off from London and be almost in Edinburgh before needing to stop.

Better still, when you do need to recharge, the Peaq has a rapid-charging capacity of 199kW, which means that even though the battery is huge, it takes around 28 minutes to charge from 10-80% – barely enough time for a brew and a leg stretch.

So, after less than half an hour of stationary time, you have another few hundred miles ahead of you. Watford to John O’Groats, on just one charging stop.

And when you’re back on the road, you’ll get there briskly, too, thanks to the Peaq’s strong performance. It’ll do 0-62mph in just 6.8 seconds and has a top speed of 111mph, so cruising at the motorway limit is a supremely relaxed affair.

It’s brimming with tech

The Skoda Peaq is an absolute tech-fest, even if it doesn’t shout about it. Instead, its smart features are designed to make every interaction with the car as easy and seamless as possible. Take the electric tailgate with Virtual Pedal, for example: just wave your foot beneath the rear bumper and the boot opens automatically. Then there are two wireless smartphone charging pads, which are not only illuminated and cooled to prevent your phone from overheating, but magnetised to stop it sliding around while you’re on the move.

There’s wireless smartphone connectivity, too, allowing you to run Apple CarPlay or Android Auto through the enormous 13.6-inch central touchscreen. You also get Skoda’s crisp, 10inch Virtual Cockpit as standard which puts vital driving information right in your line of sight.

And when you’re parked, the Peaq can even help you switch off with its optional Relax Package. Recline your seat, raise the footrest and enjoy a gentle massage, all while your favourite music plays through the 16-speaker Sonos sound system. It’s less like sitting in a car and more like having your own little lounge on wheels.

It will keep you safe

When it comes to the safety of you and your passengers, the Peaq is nothing short of a fortress. Its high driving position and great visibility both help to prevent accidents in the first place, as does Travel Assist 3.0 – Skoda’s most advanced active safety system yet. It also comes with 10 airbags as standard, should the worst happen.

Just a few of the Peaq’s safety features include Lane Assist, which gently helps keep you on the straight and narrow, and Blindspot Assist, which lends you an extra pair of eyes on the motorway. Turn Assist monitors opposing traffic when you’re turning across it and can stop the vehicle to prevent an unplanned interaction, while Predictive Cruise Control helps maintain a safe distance from the car ahead.

And that’s just scratching the surface – in a Skoda first, the Peaq can even recognise traffic-light signals.

Sharing is caring

With most electrically powered vehicles, the flow of power goes only one way: from the national grid to the vehicle’s battery, via a charger. But not with the Skoda Peaq.

You see, the Peaq has the benefit of Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) charging, which means it can also send electricity back out to power other devices such as a kettle or even an e-bike, helping to make it the most versatile vehicle Skoda has ever produced.

Parking pressures? Your Peaq has it sorted

There’s no denying that over the past couple of decades cars have got larger. But unfortunately, the places everyone is expected to park them remain the same size as when they were built way back when. There’s a disconnect there that means parking can be more stressful at times than it used to be.

However, the Skoda Peaq has this completely covered, with numerous systems designed to take the pain out of parking. Take Trained Parking, which learns as you complete a parking manoeuvre in a familiar environment, such as at home, then carries it out on its own thereafter. There’s also Reversing Assist, which remembers the way the car parked itself and reverses the manoeuvre on the way back out – all you have to do is operate the pedals.

But wouldn’t it be cool if you could carry out these manoeuvres without actually being inside the vehicle? This could be particularly useful if you’re parking in a really tight spot.

Well, the Peaq is all over that, too, with Remote Trained Parking and Remote Parking. Once it has learned a parking manoeuvre, you can allow it to carry it out while you’re standing outside. All you need to do is keep a button pressed in the MySkoda app, and it’ll all happen before your eyes.

Stay in the shade. Or not.

Wouldn’t it be incredible if you could turn the sun off and on, like a light? Well, with the all-new Skoda Peaq’s optional Panoramic sunroof with Dynamic Shade Control, you can.

And this isn’t just any panoramic sunroof – it’s the biggest ever fitted to a Skoda. Obviously, you get all the benefits of a huge expanse of panoramic glass, which means you can lie back and watch the birds during the day, or the stars at night. But for those occasions when the sunlight is just a bit too strong, the dynamic sunshade feature allows you to dim the sunroof completely at the press of a button. Indeed, the system allows you to set nine different segments to either clear or dim mode.

As the largest vehicle that Skoda has ever produced, the all-new Peaq provides all the benefits you would expect, including vast cabin and load-carrying space, and a luxury interior for everyone to enjoy.

But it brings so much more, because it can cover huge distances in luxurious serenity, and won’t require a long stop to recharge when the battery becomes depleted. And when you are stopped you can recline your Relax seat and simply enjoy the ambience. You’ll be safe, comfortable, and the Peaq can take care of parking at journey’s end.

It really is the electric SUV that can do everything, which is what makes it the peak car to choose.

Learn more about the Skoda Peaq

The car that made Polestar is retiring, and its successor must deliver

Mon, 2 Nov 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Polestar's seminal EV took it from a go-faster division to standalone brand; now its success must be emulated

Polestar’s growth from Volvo performance arm to standalone EV brand hasn’t always been smooth, particularly recently: it has burned through cash, is dealing with a sales slump in China and, due to its Chinese ownership, its cars have been barred from sale in the US.

But in just nine years it has still achieved remarkable growth and, in a crowded market, established a strong and easily identifiable brand - largely thanks to the seminal Polestar 2, which has bowed out of production after six years.

This fastback has been a brand-builder in every sense: in fact, the brand was actually shaped to match the car. The early plans for Polestar were as a more premium Aston Martin rival but, when offered the chance to turn the sleek Volvo 40.2 concept into its first production car, the management team staged a major pivot.

The 40.2’s fastback bodystyle suggested a more mainstream premium performance brand, an electric-powered, Scandi-cool alternative to Porsche. Polestar bosses fully committed to the direction, and the sales success of the 2 quickly proved the market opportunity.

It helps that, at launch, the 2 felt special. It was one of the first cars to really offer a fresh, cool and credible alternative to the Tesla Model 3, while its decent dynamics and strong engineering gave it performance credibility. It may have been all stripped-back and minimalistic, but you noticed it on the road, and it was hard not to be drawn to it.

While it felt like a fresh take, you can still spot the Volvo roots of the 2, especially on early pre-facelift cars. But crucially, it still managed to feel like the first product from a new brand, rather than a Volvo spin-off. And the Tesla-rivalling credibility it garnered helped Polestar with the early production issues with the 3 and 4 crossovers as it expanded its line-up.

If anything, the 2 set the bar unforgivingly high for those models, and – with the exception of the low-volume 5 GT – it does a better job than its successors in realising Polestar’s vision of Scandinavian performance.

It’s the embodiment of what Polestar stands for at its best, and as the brand attempts to regroup and rebuild with a greater focus on delivering sales, its successor will have a vital role to play.

Models such as the new 4 SUV and upcoming 7 crossover will likely be the key to growing volumes. We live in the age of the SUV, after all. But it's vital that the next-generation 2 maintains the cutting-edge cool, dynamic sheen and sheer understated desirability of the original.

The 2 isn’t just the car that built Polestar, it’s the heart of the brand – and if its successor can capture the values of the original, it will set Polestar up well for the future.

Polestar 2 production ends, with successor due next year

Mon, 2 Nov 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Fastback proved a debut hit for Swedish EV brand; has bowed out after six years and 200,000 sales

Polestar has built the final example of its first series-production car, the 2 fastback, after six years and around 200,000 sales.

Production of the seminal EV has come to an end at Polestar's Luqiao factory in eastern China, several months before its successor is due to arrive on the market.

The news was first reported by Norwegian outlet TV 2 Broom, after Polestar stopped taking factory orders for its Tesla Model 3 rival in the country - and its home market of Sweden.

Polestar UK is still offering all variants of the 2, and Autocar understands the company has enough stock to meet demand until the arrival of the launch of the second-generation model - expected in the first few months of 2027.

The car that made Polestar is retiring, and its successor must deliver

As of February this year, Polestar had sold more than 190,000 examples of the 2 globally since it hit the market in mid-2020 - some 40,000 of those in the UK, the company's biggest market.

It's second in the sales charts to the newer Polestar 4 crossover now but still accounts for more than a third of the company's UK sales so far this year.

Its successor will play a crucial role in Polestar’s bid to hit 100,000 annual sales by the end of the decade, up from 60,000 in 2025.

Polestar has previewed a sleek new look for the new 2, which will be slightly longer than today's 4.6m car, and more overtly targeted at younger buyers, as Polestar seeks to diversify its target market - citing an average age of 45 across its current customer base.

CEO Michael Lohscheller told Autocar recently that the new 2 will "keep all the great things" about the outgoing fastback while adding "a few things the current 2 doesn't address in the most optimal way".

It will continue to be built in China, but Polestar hasn't confirmed whether the next car will retain Geely's Compact Modular Architecture (CMA).

Shared with the Volvo XC40, CMA is a flexible platform that can accommodate ICE, hybrid and electric powertrains. The 4 meanwhile sits on Geely's EV-native Sustainable Experience Architecture.

The new 2 will be the first production car designed by Philipp Römers, who joined Polestar early last year as the replacement for Max Missoni, who shaped the brand's current line-up.

Römers will give clues to the look of the new 2 – and the forthcoming Polestar 7 crossover – in the coming weeks with a bold concept car called the Formula 2030 (below), which will showcase a "bold evolution" of the Swedish brand's design language.

Early details suggest that Römers will preserve a broadly minimalist and subtle treatment for future Polestar cars, while introducing lower, wider stances and more obviously aerodynamically influenced silhouettes.

His refresh of Polestar's design is expected to be evolutionary, rather than revolutionary, and the next 2 is expected to be a visually obvious successor to the current car.

"It would be bad to do a design revolution, because the brand is so young," Römers told Autocar recently. “I don’t want to make a revolution. I want to do a bold evolution built on our values. That’s a big challenge, no question. Our brand awareness is still growing, so we have to build on our existing design language.”

It is likely that Polestar will emphasise the 2's saloon-like billing for its next outing, to differentiate it more obviously from the Coupé and SUV versions of the 4, which has a similar footprint.

When the 2 was launched in 2020, its closest comparable rival was the Tesla Model 3, but the mid-sized executive EV segment has ballooned in recent years and the Mk2 will contend with a broad spread of competitors from both legacy brands and Chinese newcomers - including the new BMW i3, Mercedes-Benz C-Class Electric, Hyundai Ioniq 6 and BYD Seal.

Exclusive Q&A: How GAC plans to win over European customers

Mon, 2 Nov 2026 06:00:00 +0000

With a European R&D centre coming in 2027, an established Milan design studio, and local production and parts supply, Ma Haiyang explains how GAC is engineering vehicles specifically for European drivers.

The rise of electrification has brought a raft of unfamiliar brands to the UK and Europe. And while many of them are simply exporting a pre-existing product to Europe, GAC says it has rejected this approach, instead choosing to root its design and engineering processes directly within Europe. At the 2026 Paris Motor Show, we caught up with Ma Haiyang, GAC Europe Regional Center President, where he told us about GAC’s philosophy to "define in Europe, develop for Europe", and spoke about plans for the brand's long-term vision, the launch of the locally tailored AION UT Cross, the rollout of a service network under this new service brand framework – GAC CARE+, and the strategic roadmap to achieving 210,000 annual European sales by 2030.

Autocar: How do European customers' tastes and expectations differ from those in other automotive markets?

Ma Haiyang: After a few years in the European market, three differences stand out most to us.

The first is that customers look at substance, not packaging. Europe's car culture is so mature, and customers really know their cars. They'll ask you how the chassis is tuned, what the safety rating is, whether the range is real – they won't buy just because your ads are loud. That's why we made GAC. THE ENGINEERS our brand proposition. GAC serves European customers through a relentless pursuit of detail, a firm commitment to standards, and a focus on long-term value.

The second is how differently people charge and use their cars. Some have a charger at home. Some rely entirely on public charging. Others take the family outdoors on weekends. Some drive hundreds of kilometers back home every week. Europe isn't a market you win with a single technology path. So what we bring to Europe is a full powertrain line-up of HEV, PHEV and EV, to meet those different needs.

The third is what people expect here – a small body with big capacity, for Europe's tight city streets. European streets are narrow and parking is tight, so customers want a nimble car. But they also want a roomy cabin, with space for camping gear and bikes on weekends. These needs look contradictory – but our engineers came up with a solution that nails both. The AION UT Cross we launched today has a class-leading 2,750 mm wheelbase while keeping the body compact and agile, so it's easy to drive and park in tight roads. The boot is 440 litres, there are 24 storage spaces, and we added roof rails. And the chassis is tuned the European way, too. So it has real ground clearance for the outdoors and can easily swallow tents, skateboards and more. One car, two ways of life.

Autocar: How important is the Milan Advanced Design Center to you? How does it help you build cars that resonate with European drivers?

Ma Haiyang: It matters a lot, and we're fully committed to it. Instead of just setting up an office in Europe, we established the design centre straight to Milan, so the people who actually live here can define the products.

What it does is very simple: it meets European tastes. Both the AION UT Cross and the AION UT were led by the Milan team – the two-tone floating roof, the signature light clusters, all came from there. This isn't "a Chinese design reworked into a European version" – it follows European design logic from the very first sketch.

On top of that, in 2027 we'll open a European R&D centre with a team of more than a hundred engineers. They'll cover the full loop: localized customer research, product definition, legal compliance; then powertrain and electric-drive calibration, chassis tuning, and intelligent driving and smart ecosystem development; plus on-site road testing and KD technical support.

Working hand in hand, the two centres make every step – design, R&D and definition – "from Europe, for Europe." That's how we can truly go deep into the local market and build cars that resonate with European drivers.

Autocar: You plan to set up an R&D centre in Europe. How will this help you build cars that better fit the European market?

Ma Haiyang: In the past, many brands built the car in China and then adapted it for Europe. What we want to do is "define in Europe, develop for Europe." The European R&D centre opening in 2027 will bring together a team of more than a hundred engineers. As we discussed, they'll own the entire R&D chain.

That means we can better understand how cars are used in Europe and get close to what customers really need. European road conditions, speed limits and regulations no longer have to be passed back and forth remotely – the local team deals with all of that on the spot. We can test the chassis again and again on European roads, instead of tuning it somewhere else and shipping it in. And product design and definition meet local regulations and European tastes from the very start. That's how you build cars that fit European customers better.

For us, this isn't just one more step in going local. It sends Europe a signal – GAC plans to be here for the long haul.

Autocar: What is GAC CARE+? Why is it good news for European customers?

Ma Haiyang: GAC CARE+ is GAC's global service brand. Its idea is "Always There, Always Care." It made its global debut at the Paris Motor Show, with Europe taking the lead. For European customers, GAC CARE+ covers the whole chain – from buying a car, to using it, to maintaining it.

It comes down to four areas. First, convenient service. Backed by our Rotterdam Parts Distribution Center, our parts order fulfillment rate is above 95%, with shipping within 36 hours on average – so you're never stuck waiting for a part. Our local European technical service team responds to repair needs within 48 hours. And with Allianz Partners, we offer three years of free pan-European roadside assistance.

The second is quality assurance. GAC offers an 8-year/160,000 km vehicle warranty and an 8-year/200,000 km power battery warranty, plus a 10-year unlimited-mileage anti-corrosion warranty and a 3-year unlimited-mileage paint warranty. And all dealer technicians are certified by GAC.

Third, customer care. In self-operated markets like France, we will open local-language call centres first, with native-speaker agents handling every question – and we'll gradually extend this across Europe to make service more considerate. We'll also keep delivering vehicle OTA upgrades so the smart experience keeps improving, and regularly organise owner events, providing care for the whole life of the car.

Fourth, the smart ecosystem. GAC also provides charging equipment that meets European standards. And the official app packs more than 40 features – remote car control, service booking, online consultations with engineers and more – so customers can handle most of their car needs without leaving home.

Autocar: What steps is GAC taking to ensure it has a long-term future in Europe?

Ma Haiyang: First, being here for the long haul. GAC has been in Europe for eight years, and we don't really see ourselves as a "newcomer." Over those years we built the Milan design centre, started local production in Europe, and put together a service network, step by step.

Second, going deep for the long term. We expect to open the European R&D centre in 2027, and by 2028 gradually build an engineering team of more than a hundred people, covering local product definition, compliance and user experience. On channel layout, we've already reached 30 countries. This year we plan to open more than 180 sales and service outlets in Europe, across our five core markets: the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain.

On product and technology, we work with several European tier-1 suppliers, and we also plan to introduce models like the GAC GS7 PHEV, covering the full PHEV, HEV and EV technology routes to meet European customers' different needs.

Third, delivering on service. Every part of GAC CARE+ – shipping within 36 hours, responding within 48 hours, three years of pan-European assistance, the 8-year/160,000 km warranty and more – has to be lived up to.

We've also set a clear target: annual sales of 210,000 vehicles in Europe by 2030, to rank among Europe's leading mainstream new-energy brands. The path is getting these three steps right – product, manufacturing, and channel service.

Putting down roots in Europe isn't about a slogan – it's about doing all of this, year after year.

A lorry tried to kill this Jaguar XK V8 - but I made it a minter again

Sun, 1 Nov 2026 12:00:00 +0000

"It was opened up like a can of beans", but now this epic modern-classic Jag is fighting fit again

Chris Shepherd’s 16-year-old Jaguar XK 5.0 is immaculate but holds a horrible secret… “Before I bought it, it had had an altercation with a lorry,” says Chris. “The truck’s wheel nuts tore off the driver’s door skin and rear quarter panel. Basically, it was missing the driver’s side.”

Even so, when Chris was offered the damaged car by its owner, he didn’t hesitate to buy it and not just because he’s a sucker for a bargain.

“I own a bodyshop so it was no problem to repair it,” he says. “It needed a new door and rear quarter but an XK’s aluminium bonded and riveted body is much easier to repair than a traditional steel one, where you have to drill out all the spot welds, which takes ages.

It’s a better way of manufacturing too, because with steel there’s a greater chance of moisture being trapped between different sections and triggering corrosion.”

Not that aluminium is without its problems. “Dents are harder to fix than those in steel bodies,” says Chris. “For example, you’re limited on your pulling tools. Old aluminium gets very brittle and splits and cracks, although it’s more of a problem with older formulations.

It can corrode too. Some early Aston Martin DB7s and DB9s suffer it around the back of the roof and around the mirrors. That said, bonding and riveting is still a great construction technique.”

His Jaguar’s previous owner was glad to see the back of the car but at first Chris wondered why he’d sold it to him rather than claiming on his insurance. “In the end, I imagine the haulage company wrote him a large cheque to cover its repair, which he banked before selling the car to me. In my experience, a lot of people don’t bother to claim on their insurance. A lot of older people in particular don’t perhaps because they’re worried if they make too many claims, they’ll struggle to get reinsured,” he says.

Whatever the reason, Chris is just happy he was able to fix the XK such that you’d never know it had been opened up like a can of beans. “I love cars and I’m lucky that ones like this come to me at the right price,” he says. “The XK’s styling is on the money, isn’t it? And the sound – that V8 burble. It has plenty of power and is extremely comfortable.”

Chris has owned the XK, which was registered in 2010 and has done 70,000 miles, for only two months. It has joined his select collection of other motors: a Ford Sierra XR4x4 and a Mk2 Ford Escort RS2000 with a Burton 2.1-litre engine.

Until recently, it also included a Jaguar XJR 4.2. “It was fast but very different from the XK,” he says. “With its larger engine and a supercharger, the XKR was very entertaining!”

Chris’s partner has joined him for what he calls their “bimble out in the Jag”. While she gets a drink, he admits he rarely tells her he’s acquired another car: “She’ll just open the curtains and there it is!” It must be a wrench to part with any of them, I venture.

“Well, sometimes, to placate certain people, I occasionally have to move one on,” he says. “All cars are for sale, aren’t they? Even the XK. But if I then decide not to sell, I just explain that it’s a slow market...”

Volkswagen Golf Hybrid driven: Honda-style HEV nudges 60mpg

Sun, 1 Nov 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Wolfsburg goes after Civic and Corolla with its first full-hybrid, aiming to boost MPG in the city

Never a huge surprise to see us testing a new Volkswagen derivative, given the company's sprawling and ever-evolving portfolio, but when did we last test a new powertrain type from Wolfsburg? Possibly not since our first spin in the electric e-Golf a decade ago. So the new Golf Hybrid seems like a landmark of sorts.

It arrives following the recent demise of the stalwart diesel Golf in the UK but is pitched very differently to that car, with a petrol-engined full hybrid system that's engineered to cut emissions and boost efficiency about town, rather than achieve mega-MPG figures on non-stop motorway schleps.

Sitting between the eTSI mild hybrid and the eHybrid PHEV, the new Hybrid (capital H to avoid confusion, natch) will be offered in all trim levels and with either 134bhp or 168bhp (we're testing the latter version here), commanding a premium of around £1200 over the equivalent eTSI.

This powertrain will also be offered in the T-Roc crossover (see below) and the flexibility of the MQB platform means it could soon follow in other Volkswagen Group models.

The new set-up combines Volkswagen's ubiquitous 1.5-litre turbo four-pot with a small electric traction motor and a 48V starter-generator, with a 1.6kWh battery under the back seat providing enough juice for regular bursts of low-speed engine-off running.

For the sake of comparison, it's more like the Honda Civic's e:HEV powertrain than the Nissan Qashqai's e-Power system, in that the engine can either drive the wheels directly at a cruise, serve as a generator to top up the 1.6kWh battery (as a series hybrid) or work in tandem (as a parallel hybrid) with the electric motor to provide the full power output.

Like in the Civic, there's no traditional gearbox here either, with the Golf instead choosing different combinations of its power sources depending on load and speed. The electric motor drives the front axle at speeds of up to 37mph, beyond which point the clutch closes and the engine hooks up to the wheels through a single-ratio gearbox, which is said to be roughly equivalent to a sixth gear in a conventional automatic. You can’t manually select which power source drives the wheels, but the Sport driving mode favours series-hybrid operation for sharper acceleration while turning up the regen braking.

In WLTP testing, the electric motor drove the Golf for 66% of the time, while Volkswagen's own tests on public roads around Wolfsburg returned a 59% EV mix — a more realistic figure.

Volkswagen says the Hybrid consumes up to 11% less petrol than the eHybrid in urban running, and while official figures have yet to be revealed, it should incur lower VED and BIK tax figures too.

The company also touts the drivability benefits of a full hybrid, claiming it allows for the smooth take-up and easy in-town mooching of a pure-electric arrangement.

That largely bears out in practice: the Hybrid gathers pace predictably, comfortably and about as quickly as you could reasonably want — although the lower-powered version's 8.8sec 0-62mph time might feel a touch laborious.

Judicious applications of your right foot can keep the engine from waking up for extended periods, and indeed it drives much like an EV — albeit a slightly underpowered one.

When the engine does chime in to juice up the battery, it does so seamlessly and unobtrusively, thrumming away quietly at idle and doing nothing to change the driving characteristics while the car continues to be propelled exclusively by the electric motor in series-hybrid mode.

But place more demand on the system with a quick overtake or steep hill — and the engine quickly becomes more boisterous and thrashy as it takes over propulsive duties, emitting a fairly unpleasant drone that's at odds with an otherwise slick and modern driving experience.

This is exacerbated by the fact that as in rivals with a CVT — the revs are always out of step with your speed, creating the much-maligned elastic-band effect.

Plainly, this is a powertrain optimised for low-demand, low-speed operations — a remit that it serves admirably. Over the course of a hilly, 40-mile circuit around the suburbs of Nice and into Monaco (what was that about the Hybrid's lower tax implications?), I averaged 56.5mpg without trying too hard — which is about on par with what we have achieved on UK roads in the Civic and the Toyota Corolla. Volkswagen's engineers reckoned the mild-hybrid Golf would have returned nearer 50mpg in the same conditions.

It's worth noting that we previously recorded a 60mpg touring figure for the eTSI, but our relatively short and urban-focused experience in the Hybrid means we can't conclusively compare the two Golfs' efficiency credentials yet.

Assuming it only costs a few quid more per month than the equivalent eTSI, though, it's easy to imagine making your money back on fuel bills if you drive the Hybrid the right way — particularly with pump prices as they are now.

It's another interesting take on future-proofing the combustion engine, and for a certain type of buyer it could well be the best yet.

Volkswagen Golf Hybrid 125kW R-Line
Price	£35,200 (est)
Engine	4 cyls in line, 1498cc, turbocharged, petrol, plus 48V ISG and electric motor
Power	168bhp
Torque	229lb ft
Gearbox	1-spd reduction gear, FWD
Kerb weight	1484kg
0-62mph	7.5sec
Top speed	112mph
Economy	61mpg
CO₂, tax band	107g/km, 27% (est)
Rivals	Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla

How does the Volkswagen T-Roc Hybrid compare?

As Golf Hybrid is to Civic, so T-Roc Hybrid is to HR-V. Mechanically the crossover is identical to the hatchback, and the extra ride height and heft incur only a tiny efficiency penalty on paper — although a larger one on pace, with the 168bhp variant needing a whole extra second to hit 62mph from rest.

In practice, though, the T-Roc Hybrid drives much the same as the Golf Hybrid and likewise returns the highest MPG figures in high-traffic, low-speed areas, which means it would suit the same sort of city-slicking families.

It's worth noting that our Golf Hybrid test car was fitted with Dynamic Chassis Control (adaptive dampers) while the T-Roc rode on standard suspension and the hatchback was far more adept at smoothing out the kind of speed bumps, cobbles and potholes that blight our urban environments.

If you're going to choose the powertrain that best fits your surroundings and use case, you might as well pick a chassis set-up that suits too.

Noble M500 full test: Manual, V6 supercar is an analogue whirlwind

Sun, 1 Nov 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Back to basics supercar is back, and basic: a beefy turbo engine meets a manual gearbox When defining the long-awaited Noble M500, it’s possibly more impactful to list what it lacks rather than what it has.Features notably absent from this lightweight coupé include any form of electronic stability control or torque vectoring, airbags, a driven front axle, an automatic gearbox, anti-lock braking and, finally, need we even say it, driver assistance systems. You won’t even hear a chime to tell you to put your seatbelt on – perhaps because Noble Automotive believes that anybody who can be trusted with fully 413bhp per tonne paired with a wheelbase only a tad longer than that of a Volkswagen Polo has a degree of situational awareness.We will get to the full technical rundown in a moment, but conceptually this successor to the lauded M600 of 2009 is an old-school driver’s car – one that asks more than average from its owner, in order to reward them more richly for getting things right. It’s the only flavour of car Noble Automotive, still based at a small unit in Leicestershire and concerned with truly tiny production volumes, has ever shown any desire to make, all the way back to the M10 of 1999.The carbonfibre-bodied M600, with its McLaren F1-rivalling speed, £200k asking price (£320k if you adjust for inflation) and cult status, casts a long shadow. But at £180k before options and with two fewer cylinders, as well as a glassfibre body, the new M500 is positioned differently. Boss Peter Boutwood says that rather than outright performance clout and expensive materials, its appeal lies in rarity, personalisation and a dynamic purity few if any mass-market rivals can even come close to matching.What we will now discover is the extent of that appeal and whether the latest Noble can stand up to less expensive – but perhaps less captivating – alternatives from the household-name manufacturers.

When Rolls-Royce made a Mini: The lost art of small luxury cars

Sat, 31 Oct 2026 11:00:00 +0000

These low-volume, leather-lined, little oddities are climbing in value - time to make city cars posh again?

I think it remains difficult to make the case that a car maker should produce a very small car that's also truly luxurious.

As a mooted proposition, the conversation is usually only a few seconds away from somebody bringing up the Aston Martin Cygnet and citing it as an example of why this kind of car doesn't work: nobody wants one.

If you remember, the Cygnet was a gentrified version of the very compact (less than 3m long) Toyota iQ, which Gaydon pitched as a 'tender' for owners' real Astons.

Its other aim was to reduce the firm's fleet CO2 emissions. Beyond doing that, it's fair to say that it wasn't a roaring success.

But there is another very small compact luxury car, which either I'd forgotten about or-and this is possible, because it didn't get as much attention as the Cygnet even though they were around at the same time-just didn't really register even back then.

The Mini Inspired by Goodwood was unveiled at the 2011 Shanghai motor show, which then of course was considered a rather more niche show in a less important market than it is today.

It was a tie-up between the BMW Group's two British brands, Mini and Rolls-Royce, with Goodwood taking a Cooper S and applying walnut, leather, cashmere and lambswool, all from contemporary Rollers, to its interior.

The outside was discreet-a bonnet without the scoop was fitted-but mechanically it was unchanged.

Back then it was thought Chinese consumers liked luxury European brands. Some still do, although today rather more of them prefer homemade ones.

But even though the Mini Goodwood was a success, it had either fallen from or always remained completely outside my consciousness-until a friend of mine recently bought one of the approximately 120 that were sold in the UK.

It was more expensive yet, I think, more successful than the Cygnet. Mini said it wanted to make 1000 of them, and supposedly it did, while Aston made fewer than 800 Cygnets.

This despite the fact that the Goodwood cost £41,000 - almost £10,000 more than the Cygnet.

Curious, then, how it didn't garner the same reaction as the Cygnet (or worse). It was priced at £13,000 more than even the Mini GP from around the same time, which received serious mechanical changes, while the Goodwood had unique paint and 17in wheels.

Not that any of those prices seems that much now, in an age when Honda wanted £57,995 for one of the last Civic Type Rs. But in late 2011 a standard Cooper S was only £18,075.

Prices for used Goodwoods, like Cygnets, seem to have been through a dip and look on the rise, reaching upwards of £30,000 (Cygnets are £10,000 more).

Is this because they're niche trinkets? Or is it that the appeal of a luxury small car is becoming stronger to more than just me?

A small car is easier to park, and if it's narrow it can squeeze through gaps that bigger cars couldn't.

And if one's luxury car looks anything like the Aston or Mini, relatively unremarkable to those who aren't in the know, then they don't attract much attention either.

And nothing says luxury to me like time and discretion - although I admit that I might not be the target luxury audience.

It's also true that large luxury limousines, while often driven by their owners, are sometimes driven by hired hands, letting the owners enjoy the full experience of stretching out in the back seats, freed from the chore of driving itself.

Not, I'll admit, an experience you're going to get in the back of a three-door Mini hatchback (and even less so a Cygnet).

Still, 15 years on from the Mini Goodwood's launch, I still pine for the idea of a truly luxurious small car. And yes, next time I say it, someone will bring up the Cygnet in conversation.

At least now I have some kind of counter-argument: that there is another example, that prices for both show the idea is desirable, and that if the base car is good enough, it might still just work.

Still, I shall not hold my breath.

A game-changing EV for sub-£20k? How to bag a Hyundai Ioniq 5

Sat, 31 Oct 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Hyundai's Ioniq 5 makes a smart daily EV and, in performance N guise, is a smile fest

When it arrived in 2021, the striking-looking Ioniq 5 created quite a stir. Two years later, it caused another when the hot, 641bhp Ioniq 5 N landed a five-star car in this magazine's estimation. So is the Ioniq 5 a little bit naughty? In fact, with the exception of the N version, it's a sane and sober motor that gets all the EV things right, while also doing a great job of being a family car.

There are rear-and all-wheel-drive versions. Beginning with the former, the range opens with the standard-range 168bhp 58kWh promising 238 miles, or less in cold weather, followed by the long-range 214bhp 73kWh (298 miles). In mid-2022, this version was replaced by the 225bhp 77kWh (315 miles). With the 2025 facelift, the 58kWh was replaced by a 63kWh battery (273 miles) and the 77kWh by an 84kWh battery (up to 354 miles).

All-wheel-drive models have more power and dispense with the 58kWh and 63kWh batteries. They also have slightly reduced ranges. First up is the 301bhp 73kWh (267 miles), which was replaced from 2022 by the 321bhp 77kWh (298 miles). In 2025, the 77kWh battery was ditched for an 84kWh battery, which increased the range to 311 miles. At the top of the tree is the Ioniq 5 N with the 84kWh battery and a range, assuming you care, of 278 miles.

In 2023, we performance tested the rear-drive 225bhp 77kWh and were impressed with its clean but still urgent getaway and ample cruising power. Not the quickest in its class, we judged, but relaxing. We appreciated the selection of driving modes too. Early Ioniq 5s have quite soft suspension, but owners wanted something firmer and Hyundai duly obliged with stiffer dampers from 2023. These later cars are still quite soft-riding but, according to our testers, without the "extreme floatiness" of the original.

The chassis balance of rear-drive Ioniq 5s feels very rear-drive but the handling is a little loose. In contrast, all-wheel-drive models are characterised by strong traction and are more 'point and shoot'. Our road testers summed up the Ioniq 5 N thus: "Invites all drivers to get stuck in and have some fun."

The Ioniq 5 is an exceptionally roomy car. The rear seats slide and there are plenty of storage cubbies dotted around. The boot is a generous 520 litres too. The infotainment system looks dated in early models but that was addressed by the 2025 facelift. It's a shame Hyundai didn't also upgrade the interior trim, which feels scratchy in places.

You can have your Ioniq 5 in a choice of trims ranging from SE Connect (climate control, heated mirrors and sat-nav), through Premium (LED headlights, a powered tailgate and heated seats) to Ultimate (leather, privacy glass and a Bose sound system) and thence to Namsan Edition (digital side mirrors and 'relaxation' front seats). Worthwhile options to look for include the heat pump/Eco pack and battery heater on early cars and built-in vehicle-to-load capability. Find one with that lot and you'll have a quick, capable, comfortable and practical EV to be proud of.

An owner's view

“We have two Ioniq 5s in our household, which tells you all you need to know about how satisfied I am with the model. Mine was registered in 2023 and is a 77kWh Namsan Edition. It has done 39,000 miles and is reliable, comfortable and genuinely enjoyable to own. It has an excellent range. I recently completed a trip from Coventry to Southampton and back on a single charge. All the recalls have been completed, including replacement of both door wing mirror cameras, something anyone interested in buying one of these models should make a point of checking.” Rajiv Lahiri

Buyer beware…

Motor and Electrics: A recall concerning the possibility of a defective integrated charging control unit (ICCU) no longer charging the 12V battery and so putting the car in failsafe driving mode was issued on 6 May 2024. ICCU replacement delays have been experienced by some owners. Aside from this, batteries have been known to go flat due to parasitic draw and software issues. Make sure the four-year/40,000-mile service was done – it includes a battery coolant change.

Driveline: A recall concerning the possibility of loss of drive due to a failing of the rear inner driveshaft was issued on 13 May 2024. Some owners have reported driveshaft replacement delays. A whine may signal imminent failure of the reduction gear bearings.

Suspension, brakes and tires: Check remaining tyre life and alloys for scrapes (some wheels protrude noticeably). A recall concerning the possibility of the parking brake not holding was issued on 20 June 2022. Check if the wheel bearings have been replaced under warranty.

Body: Examine windows for tiny cracks (some cars have suffered). The front bumper is easily chipped. Note that early models don’t have a rear wash/wipe. Ensure the door handles close and wing mirrors fold when locking the car.

Interior: On post 2025-reg cars, check that wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connect. Be sure the infotainment screens work and don’t intermittently go blank. Check you can live with the sundry squeaks, rattles and buzzes reported by many owners. There’s a dealer fix for a noisy tailgate, a known problem.

Also worth knowing

From new, the Ioniq 5 has a five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty. The drive battery is covered for eight years or 100,000 miles. On Ioniq 5s produced before April 2024, the ICCU is covered by a 15-year or 186,000-mile warranty. Later models have an enhanced ICCU.

How much to spend

£11,000–£14,999: Cars up to 22-reg in a mix of trims, battery capacities and mileages, some as low as 40,000.

£15,000–£19,999: More of the above but now to 23-reg and some with 20,000 miles.

£20,000–£29,999: Facelifted 25-reg 84kWh cars start here from around £26,000 or you can bag a 2026 pre-reg 63kWh model for the same price.

£30,000–£39,999: Mainly late, low-mileage 84kWh cars, rising to 2026 pre-reg for £40,000 (£16,000 below list).

£40,000 and above: Cheapest 24-reg N models start here, plus you can take your pick of pre-reg cars.

Golf EV on ice as Volkswagen "simply cannot afford" development

Sat, 31 Oct 2026 10:48:43 +0000

Development of ID Golf paused while firm battles huge losses, but launch still planned for early 2030s

Volkswagen has suspended development work on its electric ID Golf as mounting financial pressure forces the firm to cut spending on future models.

The decision affects one of the German firm's most important forthcoming EVs, which is planned to enter production at its Wolfsburg home in the early 2030s.

“We simply cannot afford this work at present,” Volkswagen brand boss Thomas Schäfer said in an internal company interview obtained by German broadcaster Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR).

Schäfer confirmed that the suspension in development had been agreed by Volkswagen's board but stressed that the ID Golf would still eventually arrive, saying: “We're pausing it, not cancelling it."

In an official statement, Volkswagen finance boss David Powels said: “The market environment remains extremely challenging – and special items are weighing on our result.

"This makes it all the more important for us to systematically continue on our chosen course and sharpen our priorities further.

"We are improving our cost base and optimising working capital while maintaining a high level of investment discipline.

"One specific measure is therefore to temporarily pause development work on the future ID Golf at the Volkswagen brand until we can securely accommodate the necessary investments."

The decision raises fresh questions about the timing of the ID Golf, which had already been delayed by changes to Volkswagen's new 800V Scalable Systems Platform (SSP) for EVs and associated software development.

Originally expected in 2028 or 2029, the electric hatchback is now planned for introduction at the beginning of the next decade.

Volkswagen's works council said the latest interruption to the ID Golf programme need not delay its introduction, arguing that lost development time could be recovered.

The ID Golf is planned to follow an electric ID T-Roc onto the SSP, which will underpin a new generation of Volkswagen Group models.

As previously reported by Autocar, it will combine familiar design elements from earlier generations with new software developed through Volkswagen's joint venture with American EV maker Rivian.

GTI and R performance versions are also envisaged, while production of the existing petrol-powered Golf is scheduled to move from Wolfsburg in Germany to its Puebla plant in Mexico.

The suspension comes amid worsening financial results.

The Volkswagen Group reported a €5.82 billion loss in the third quarter of 2026, while the Volkswagen car brand recorded a €182 million loss, its first quarterly deficit since 2020.

The Group's latest financial statement reveals worldwide deliveries across its various brands fell by 9.0% to 6.01 million in the first nine months of 2026, with deliveries in China down 30.3% to 1.38 million.

Global EV deliveries by the Volkswagen Group declined 5.4% to 678,702, while those in China fell 42.5% to just 48,938. Operating profit fell from €5.4bn to €71m over the same period.

Volkswagen also recorded a €1bn write-down on assets in China, reflecting reduced sales expectations and lower-than-anticipated prices.

Schäfer acknowledged that growing EV sales were contributing to financial pressure, because Volkswagen continues to earn lower margins on electric models than comparable combustion models.

The pause in development leaves Volkswagen attempting to fund the platform, drivetrain and software technology intended to secure the Golf's future while simultaneously cutting the expenditure needed to develop it.