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Aion UT: Chinese EV to rival Volkswagen ID 3 from under £30k

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 00:01:00 +0100

"China's version of the Mini" looks to offer Brits more kit than other electric hatchbacks for similar money

Chinese newcomer Aion will challenge the Volkswagen ID 3 and MG 4 EV with the UT, an electric hatchback priced from less than £30,000.

Due in showrooms from October, it officially offers 268 miles of range and can be charged from 30-80% in 24 minutes.

It's powered by a front-mounted electric motor with 204bhp, giving a 0-62mph dash time of 7.3sec.

Designed in Milan, Italy, the UT is slightly longer and wider than the ID 3, owing to Chinese buyers’ demands for interior space.

GAC-owned Aion has previously described it as “China’s version of the Mini”, owing to its small footprint and upmarket aspirations.

As with the larger Aion V SUV (the brand’s debut model in the UK), the interior goes big on digital touchpoints, with a 14.6in infotainment touchscreen and an 8.8in instrument display.

In Chinese-market examples, the front seats can be folded flat to form a bed-like arrangement with the rear bench – although it remains to be seen whether this functionality will be offered in the UK.

Aion claims the UT will offer “high-quality materials” for the class. For example, its windowsills are moulded to give the impression of stitched leather, despite being plastic, while the backing of the doorcards has a geometric finish that mimics carbonfibre.

The UT will be offered in a single trim level, but there will be an optional package that adds luxuries such as ventilated front seats, a panoramic glass roof and a powered tailgate.

Aion said it has tweaked the UT’s chassis to suit pockmarked British roads, creating a different set-up for the springs, dampers, bump-stops and anti-roll bar compared with European and Chinese examples.

Jaguar's next-gen interior stays true to 'copy nothing' promise

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 00:01:00 +0100

Classy, richly-appointed interior is a statement for the brand, showcasing a new take on luxury

The arrival of the new Jaguar Type 01 interior pictures created one of those ‘everyone around the laptop’ moments in the office to have a look when they landed.

The reaction as we opened the files for the first time? Muted appreciation. No dropped jaws. Lots of ‘ahhh yeahs’ and ‘oooookays’.

In reality, nothing was ever going to top the unveiling of the original concept car almost two years ago, one whose exterior was so dramatic and shocking that we actually had to remind ourselves whether Jaguar did ever show pictures of the interior. It did, and the production version stays true to it.

The Type 01’s interior looks classy, upmarket and almost Scandinavian in its use of light and materials. It’s a world away from the Jaguars we’ve come to know in modern times but also just as far away from anything bearing the Range Rover brand. Jaguar is very much going to do its own thing, and these pictures show it.

The Type 00 concept made such a statement that Jaguar could only double down on that for production. To do any less or water it down would have undermined the very essence of the project.

Given the close visual relationship between the concept and production interiors, the same will be true for the exterior and those proportions. Jaguar has told us as much.

The interior was such a small part of the story then – as it was always going to be, with that styling and those proportions on the outside – but will become a far more important one in production. It isn’t showy and demonstrates a different way of being classy beyond anything high-tech or more traditional in its take on luxury.

It’s to Jaguar’s credit that this car makes as big a visual statement now as it did when we first saw it in December 2024, and it’s the design that lives long in the memory after the whole ‘woke’ rebrand campaign furore around it has been forgotten.

It has been a long time coming, the new Jaguar. Too long. Getting here has been messy. Mistakes have been made, things have been said that can’t be unsaid. But at the end of it all does come a tangible reinvention for the brand, something different and a chance for success.

We’re now only weeks away from seeing the finished thing.

Jaguar Type 01 interior revealed - luxury GT majors on "hidden" tech

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 00:01:00 +0100

Sleek production interior of the new-era electric GT is unveiled ahead of car's full reveal in October

Jaguar has revealed the bold interior of the new Type 01 electric GT ahead of the car's full unveiling in October.

The new four-seater will kick-start the British brand's reinvention as an all-electric luxury marque. But while prototypes of the Type 01 have been seen testing extensively - and been driven by Autocar - this is the first time Jaguar has shown any of the car without camouflage.

The interior takes clear inspiration from that of the controversial Type 00 concept and the firm calls it "a concept car vision brought to production".

The most notable feature of the design is a large 'central spine' - termed a "signature art piece" by Jaguar - that runs the entire length of the cabin between both the front and rear seats.

The spine divides the interior into four sections, each with its own individual seat. One of the images also confirms that the Type 01 has a low, swooping ceiling that features panoramic glass.

The driving position appears to be low-set and the dashboard is notably clear of instrumentation. There is a large digital information display screen in front of the driver, but only a small touchscreen console for heating and infotainment controls rising from the central spine. Jaguar refers to this as "hidden on-demand technology", which, it claims, has been integrated directly into the car's architecture.

There is also a distinct division between the driver and front passenger sections in the design of the dashboard.

An overhead image shows that the 'strikethrough' motifs on the dashboard also appear on the top lip of the bonnet in an attempt to fuse the interior and exterior design.

Another notable feature is that the car lacks a traditional rear-view mirror - the images also confirm that, like the Polestar 4, the Type 01 will not have a rear window - but instead has a digital rear-view camera. Unusually, the screen for this is located at the base of the windscreen, matched to the height of the wing mirrors.

Jaguar cites travertine stone and "the rich textures of artisan textiles" as influences for the cabin, with select elements chosen to add to the premium feel, such as the brass-inspired finish of the central spine and top of the doors, which feature Jaguar's leaper logo embossed into them.

Jaguar boss Rawdon Glover called the Type 01 "unmistakable from every angle", adding that it "has an interior like no other".

The Type 01 will be shown at Monterey Car Week in California this weekend in a new camouflage wrap. Its unveiling is scheduled for 6 October in New York.

Vauxhall Astra driven: is the PHEV the pick of the line-up?

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 00:01:00 +0100

Plug-in hybrid version of British family stalwart gets a fresh look and a longer electric-only range When price is largely removed as a factor, choosing a powertrain becomes a matter of personal preference and use case – putting the power in the buyer's hands.That's what Vauxhall has done with the revamped Astra for this mid-life facelift: the hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric versions of the Volkswagen Golf rival all start at the same price, regardless whether you choose the hatchback or Sports Tourer estate body.Given the industry trend, that might prompt many buyers to look towards the EV, which we've reviewed separately, but there are plenty of buyers who aren't ready to make that leap yet, for all manner of reasons. And for those reasons, the PHEV version feels like it could be the sweet spot in the line-up for many, offering genuinely useful real-world electric running with the convenience of a combustion engine.

Vauxhall Astra Electric Sports Tourer review: more range for UK stalwart

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 00:01:00 +0100

Quiet British success story continues with a fresh look and bigger battery for EV version The Vauxhall Astra is one of the UK’s best-selling cars of recent years, racking up more than three million sales across 46 years and eight generations. Yet it often feels a bit underappreciated. It’s hard to imagine the Astra’s demise would garner the same coverage granted that of its shorter-lived rival, the Ford Focus.But it should be celebrated, because this longtime Volkswagen Golf rival is still going strong, battling valiantly against SUV hegemony. It has just received a mid-life update and now offers a more extensive line-up than ever: you can pick either a hatchback or Sports Tourer estate body and pure-petrol, hybrid, plug-in hybrid or fully electric power.Vauxhall has made much of offering pricing parity across both bodystyles and the three electrified powertrains (the pure petrol remains the cheapest), but that’s a bit deceptive: thanks to the UK government's Electric Car Grant, the EV is actually £1500 cheaper than either the hybrid or PHEV even before you account for lower first year VED and BIK rates.All this makes this Astra Sports Tourer Electric a bit of a bargain, even in top-spec £32,495 Ultimate trim tested here (an entry-level Griffin will set you back £28,495).

Audi Q7: Big, bold seven-seater is a diesel diamond

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 23:01:00 +0100

The third-generation Audi Q7 gets more tech, more luxury and more practicality The Audi Q7 doesn’t need an introduction, does it? It’s been around since 2006, and it is to seven-seat SUVs what Hovis is to bread. Well… maybe the posh Hovis, anyway.This new, third generation looks to be a well-hewn evolution. It sits on the new PPC platform - which is a heavy evolution of the MLB Evo platform that underpinned the previous Q7, Bentley Bentayga and many more. Petrol and plug-in hybrid powertrains will join the range in the first half of 2027, but the Q7 launches in the UK with the 48v mild hybrid, 3.0-litre turbodiesel V6 that I drove out in France.

JCB Hydromax smashes hydrogen land speed record

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 18:22:12 +0100

Andy Green hits 406.320mph to claim his third land speed record with 1600bhp twin-engined hydrogen-combustion slipstreamer

British engineering firm JCB has smashed the land speed record for a hydrogen-powered vehicle, with the innovative 1597bhp Hydromax machine averaging 406.320mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah – with driver Andy Green cementing his legacy with a third record.

The Hydromax is a 32-foot slipstreamer powered by a pair of hydrogen-combustion engines built by JCB that combine to produce 1597bhp. The 4.8-litre hydrogen engines are upgraded versions of the units JCB currently produces for its line of diggers, with Riccardo helping to rework them with the fitment of special radiators, intercoolers and racing-spec turbochargers.

Under FIA land speed record rules, the Hydromax had to complete two runs in opposite directions on a 10-mile course in under an hour, with the average speed taken across a measured mile in each direction. Green hit 400.623mph on the first run and 412.135mph on the return, setting an average across both runs of 406.320mph (663.267kmh).

JCB boss Lord Bamford said that "as achievements go, this is right up there in terms of engineering". He added: "It's huge this can be done, to prove an internal combustion engine can be run sensibly on hydrogen with zero emissions, and at very little cost.

"JCB is all about looking forwards. We need to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, and I believe very strongly hydrogen must be one of the solutions."

The previous record for a hydrogen-powered vehicle was 302.877mph, set by the University of Ohio’s Buckeye Bullet 2 hydrogen fuel cell challengers in 2009. The previous unofficial speed record for a hydrogen combustion car was 185.5mph, set by a BMW research prototype in 2004.

The success gives JCB a second land speed record, 20 years after Green piloted the twin-engined Dieselmax to a new diesel mark of 350mph. Former RAF wing commander Green also set the outright land speed record of 763mph with Thrust SSC in 1997.

JCB staged the record attempt both to showcase its growing hydrogen engine business as a potential route to zero-emissions for industrial equipment, which often operates in locations that lack electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and also to promote its growing US ambitions, including a new factory in San Antonio, Texas.

FEATURE: We drive (and jump) JCB's mad Digatron monster truck

The Hydromax set the new land speed record in a dedicated sessions on Bonneville Speedway held to FIA rules. In preparation JCB took part in last week’s Bonneville Speed Week event, albeit with each engine downtrend to 600, rather than 800bhp.

On that occasion, with a the team set a record of 368.347mph in the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA) Blown Gas Streamliner class. That mark did not count as an official land speed record because of differences in how the events are regulated.

Following Speed Week, JCB’s engineers switched out both engines for brand-new units, which were tuned to give their full 800bhp. Each engine powers its own axle through a six-speed transaxle gearbox, with their fuel coming from a pair of 700bar hydrogen tanks.

The tubular chassis, multi-link suspension and carbon composite driver’s cell was developed by British engineering firm Prodrive, while Goodyear produced custom tyres that can cope with far higher speeds than those used for Dieselmax – which ultimately limited that car to 350mph.

Reports: Dealers shown Ford Mustang saloon with hybrid V8

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 16:24:39 +0100

Autocar rendering showcases how the Mustang could be stretched into a saloon

New 'Mach 4' will be priced from equivalent to £30k and complete the 0-60mph dash in less than 4.0sec

Ford is firming up its plan to take on the BMW M3 and Audi RS5 with a four-door version of the Mustang, and dealers in the US have reportedly been shown the final design.

The transformation of the venerable muscle car into a super-saloon was first reported by Autocar in May 2024. Now, according to Automotive News and the Wall Street Journal, US dealers have been given a first look at the model ahead of its arrival, citing insiders at a conference.

Automotive News reports the saloon will take the already-trademarked Mach 4 name into production (both as a nod to the Mach 1 range-topper and to differentiate it from the Mach-E electric SUV) and that it's similar in size and shape to the Porsche Panamera.

Dealers were told that pricing would start below $40,000 (£30,000) in the US, claimed the report, and that it will be capable of completing the 0-60mph dash in under 4.0sec.

Those who saw the car reportedly said it uses a hybrid powertrain – potentially based around the 5.0-litre V8 engine used by the Mustang coupé.

Speaking to Autocar two years ago, Ford CEO Jim Farley pledged to “never build a Mustang that isn’t a Mustang” – and the latest information suggests the Mach 4 will be true to the muscle car brief.

Farley added: “For instance, there will never be room for a small, two-row Ford SUV with a Mustang badge stuck on it. But could we do other Mustang body forms – a four-door or whatever? I believe we could, as long as these models have all the performance and attitude of the original.”

Farley also said that Ford will continue to build V8s “as long as God and the politicians let us”.

Although the US has all but dispensed with emissions regulation under president Donald Trump, hybridisation could be key to Ford offering a derivative of its 'Coyote' 5.0-litre V8 in markets such as Europe and Asia, where emissions regulations are becoming increasingly tight.

The Wall Street Journal suggested the Mach 4 could go on sale by the end of the decade, but there’s no indication of whether it could follow the coupé in being exported globally.

Ford’s European passenger vehicles chief, Christian Weingärtner, recently told Autocar that it would consider offering global models here if it foresees sufficient demand for them.

He said the company was “willing to also go into other segments beyond” small and family-sized crossovers, citing “great opportunities” for larger cars.

Global appeal is likely to be a key consideration in the development of the Mach 4: Farley said the move to go global with the Mustang a decade ago was “a big risk” but it had “paid off”.

Yet he also shunned the prospect of an electric Mustang to follow the Mach-E: “I look at other users of pure-electric power such as Formula E, and even companies like Rimac, and I just don’t think that would be right for Mustang. Great for other Fords – look at the worldwide success of Transit – but not for Mustang.”

When approached by Autocar about the Mach 4 reports, Ford declined to comment.

Public charging reliance pushes EV fleet running costs to match 50mpg petrol car

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 12:38:59 +0100

Increased expense of public chargers drove a 15% increase in fleets' EV energy costs during the first half of 2026

An increased reliance on expensive public chargers have pushed fleet EV charging costs to rise 15% since 2025, averaging 13p per mile, according to Rightcharge.

The company analysed “tens of thousands” of fleet charging sessions processed through its automated expense platform during the first half of the year, totalling 1.5 million kWh of electricity across home and public chargers – data that's usually used to help company car drivers recoup those costs from their employers.

This showed that fleets aren’t always making use of the cheapest available charging rates. The average cost of charging an electric car was 46.9p per kWh in the first half of this year, compared with 40.5p in 2025 – a 15% increase.

For a typical EV, travelling 3.5 miles per kWh of electricity, that’s an average cost of 13p per mile. Singling out fuel costs, a petrol car would break even at 49.5mpg (based on the Department for Transport’s average pump price of 145.9p per litre) over the same period.

The same EV could cost as little as 6p per kWh or 2p per mile (equivalent to 387mpg) if charged at home on a cheaper overnight energy tariff, but Rightcharge’s data shows that real-world costs are significantly higher.

Fleets spent 23.8p per kWh on home charging in the first half of the year – 7p per mile, or over three times more than the cheapest rates. At equivalent prices, a petrol car would need to average an unlikely 97.6mpg to break even.

Rightcharge attributed the rise to fleets' increased use of public charging networks, up from a 28% share of electricity in 2025 to 41% in the first half of the year.

Public chargers are on average 3.5 times more expensive (at 80.9p per kWh) than plugging in at home, producing per-mile costs in line with a petrol car at 28.7mpg.

Such is the discrepancy between home and public charging costs that the latter accounts for 41% of fleets’ electricity consumption but a massive 70% of their total charging bill. Rapid chargers can be priced at anything from 55p and 91.5p per kWh.

Depending on where drivers plug in, that’s a difference between £16.50 and £27.45 for a 30kWh charge – a 50% top-up something like a Hyundai Kona Electric or Volkswagen ID 3 Pro.

Home and public charging also produces very different usage patterns. The data shows 71.2% of home charging sessions take place outside business hours, suggesting drivers plug in overnight; rapid charging was the opposite, with 80.5% taking place during work time.

Freddie Winterbotham, Rightcharge's head of strategic partnerships, said the results show a need to understand where and when drivers plug in and educate them on the cheapest available networks.

He commented: "The savings from electrification are real, but they're the reward for managing charging well, not something that happens automatically. They slip away when nobody is watching the numbers. Win buy-in and the cheaper charging choice starts to look like the easier one."

Two years until EV pay-per-mile tax - but mileage blockers threaten scheme

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 12:09:00 +0100

Hard-to-detect tech is used illegally on UK roads – prompting fears about its use with incoming eVED

The government's pay-per-mile scheme for electric cars and plug-in hybrid vehicles, which is due to start in two years' time, faces a major threat from devices called mileage blockers that are easy to buy and to fit and freeze a car's odometer, an investigation by Autocar has found.

Pay-per-mile charging, officially called eVED, is scheduled to start in April 2028 as an extra tax placed on EVs and PHEVS to recover income lost from fuel duty, given these cars can run fully or partially on electricity. The tax will start at a rate of 3p per mile driven in an EV and 1.5p per mile driven in a PHEV, and drivers will need to self-declare their mileage annually.

Concerns are growing that when the scheme is introduced, drivers will fit mileage blockers as a means of avoiding or reducing this levy.

The devices, which range in price from around £200 to £900, are not illegal to sell and are marketed for use on cars being tested or developed away from the road. It is, however, illegal to use a car on the road fitted with one.

Autocar's investigation has found that hundreds of drivers and businesses are buying and fitting these devices (such as that pictured below) each week, with the aim of reducing or avoiding paying a mileage penalty at the conclusion of a PCP or a lease.

Mileage blockers are available for many popular petrol and diesel vehicles and, increasingly, for electric and hybrid ones. Suppliers claim that when installed in a car's on-board computer, the device prevents a vehicle from adding mileage data to any ECU or module as well as, where enabled, to the ignition key. They claim a blocker is easy to install but difficult to detect.

Given that difficulty to detect, there are additional fears that increasing numbers of EVs and PHEVS previously fitted with the devices will enter the used car market (potentially without the current owner knowing), boosting the number of clocked cars already in circulation.

Posing as a customer, an Autocar reporter contacted a leading supplier of mileage blockers. The reporter said he owned a Volkswagen ID 3 registered in 2022 and was interested in buying a mileage blocker for the vehicle. A salesperson said the firm could supply a device that was safe and reliable. The salesperson added that each month his business sold 500 blockers to retail customers and 250-300 to the trade, and that new devices were becoming available each month.

"Our supplier in Germany has just cracked the post-2024-model VW Passat and hopes to have cracked the rest of the 2024 VW range within the next few months," he said. "Also, they are just about to finish developing blockers for Omoda, Jaecoo and Chery vehicles."

The law makes no mention of mileage blockers but simply states that selling a vehicle whose mileage has been altered and not disclosing that fact is illegal.

The company that Autocar contacted states that a mileage blocker is a "legitimate tool for research and development purposes" and warns that driving a car on the road fitted with one is illegal. However, it also explains that mileage blockers are popular because "they have the potential to save drivers from big fines and higher insurance quotes" and "are becoming increasingly popular in the UK as more people look for ways to save money on their motoring costs".

Commenting on the availability of mileage blockers for the VW ID 3 and other Volkswagen Group vehicles, a spokesperson for VW said: "Mileage blockers are available to buy online for most vehicle makes but are designed for specific circumstances only. It is illegal to use them on public roads and anyone installing one risks safety and a criminal conviction if they subsequently sell the car without telling the buyer the mileage has been altered. If our technicians discovered a blocker when inspecting a vehicle, they would alert the customer to its presence."

Autocar shared the results of its investigation with Cap HPI, a vehicle data checking service.

Wendy Swaine, the company's expert in vehicle provenance, said: "The only reason people tamper with a car's mileage is for financial gain – for example, to avoid paying the mileage penalty on a PCP or lease contract and, from April 2028, perhaps also to reduce their eVED liability."

Peter Golding, CEO of FleetCheck, a fleet software management company, said the introduction of eVED will greatly increase the temptation to clock a car. "If you're covering 20,000 miles a year in an EV, your eVED bill will be £600. For a few people, the ease with which that amount can be reduced will be difficult to resist. This is an issue that has very real potential to increase the number of clocked vehicles on the used market."

Presented with Autocar's findings, a spokesperson for the Treasury, which is responsible for the implementation of eVED, said it is "considering further options to mitigate against odometer tampering and intends to engage with manufacturers, the leasing industry and insurers to minimise fraud".

The spokesperson added that "any necessary legislative, regulatory and technical steps will be taken to widen existing law and strengthen enforcement".

British firm updates McLaren P1 with new lightweight battery

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 12:00:36 +0100

V Engineering's new solution helps to keep the hybrid hypercars on the road while improving performance

Berkshire-based McLaren specialist V Engineering has announced a replacement battery pack for the McLaren P1 that is 23kg lighter than the original – and boosts the car's electric range.

The P1 arrived in 2013 as one of three pioneering hybrid hypercars, alongside the Ferrari LaFerrari and Porsche 918 Spyder. More than a decade on, some examples’ batteries are beginning to degrade, affecting their performance.

Although manufacturers offer their own upgraded replacement packs (McLaren’s own Gen II offering for the P1 is around 46kg lighter than the Gen I), a cottage industry is emerging in offering wider support for the cars.

V Engineering said its Project Continuum battery can store nearly three times as much energy as the original, having a capacity of 12.4kWh compared with 4.7kWh.

This extends the P1's electric range from its original six miles, although V Engineering has yet to confirm to what extent.

It instead highlighted more consistent track performance: the bigger battery means the P1 can deploy its electric motor more frequently and for longer bursts.

Indeed, V Engineering claimed the battery has been engineered to meet the requirements of Formula E – the premier electric racing series globally – and that it brings no penalty to the P1’s performance.

A price has yet to be confirmed but, given the P1’s rarity, is expected to be a significant sum. P1s themselves currently trade for several millions of pounds.

V Engineering said the first battery installations will begin next spring, forming part of a wider effort by the specialist to “futureproof” the P1.

Renault mulls Clio reinvention, next-gen 5 alongside new models

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0100

Firm will target 'uncovered sub-segment' – and won't rely on retro style

Renault is currently considering next-generation versions of both the ultra-successful 5 and Clio - but boss Fabrice Cambolive said the French manufacturer's "first objective" is to add some "purely new models" to its existing line-up.

The brand has enjoyed considerable success in recent years by adding retro-themed EVs, such as the 4, 5 and Twingo, alongside a growing line-up of hybrid models, such as the Clio, and including a range of new SUVs that have adopted classic nameplates.

While he didn't rule out more retro-inspired models, Cambolive insisted Renault won't fill its line-up with them, instead saying any such model "has to fit into the modern era". He added: "You can go retro if you have a purpose, but if you don't have one, you will fail."

Renault is aiming for a balanced line-up, Cambolive said: "You should be on one-third iconic cars, like R5, R4 and Twingo; one-third saga cars that are not icons but in the mind of people, like Clio and Scenic; after that you have to let your designers propose something purely new. You are dead if you just live in the past.

"Our first objective now is to bring into the market some purely new models, because we don't have to count on the past with R5 and Clio."

Cambolive gave no firm details about what those new models might be, although he said he doesn't see room for additional cars in the current line-up. But he noted a trend towards offering global cars that are then heavily localised for each region.

Reinventing the Renault Clio

While the new Clio has only just been launched and has still yet to reach the UK in right-hand drive, Cambolive said that, ahead of the next-generation 5, Renault is prioritising "seeing what will come after today's Clio".

Given the likely product cycle, the next-generation Clio is unlikely to arrive until the mid-2030s.

Cambolive added: "We feel that in Europe, we have a kind of uncovered sub-segment, which is the B-hatch-segment 'low drive' [non-SUV], where we need to invent the successor of Clio, and this is what we are working on now.

"We are trying to understand the potential of the B-hatch, and at which size: a B-hatch now should be 4.1-4.2 metres. How do you cover this, when you need to have not an SUV but a hatch? And which type of car should you go for: sportivity, practicality, versatility and so on? This is what we are trying to anticipate with Clio for the next generation."

Pressed for details, he said the next-gen Clio "shouldn't be retro", explaining: "Clio is a kind of saga car, and we have to think about the new Clio in this way, not to try to put the new Clio in the totally electrified world. It's a little too soon to answer you. I don't know if we will have a combustion engine at this stage."

Notably, the next-generation platform that Renault is developing can accommodate both pure-electric and range-extender powertrains.

Cambolive said: "What we're saying is that in 2030 we want to be 100% electrified, out of which 50% is BEV, and now the trend is going even higher towards BEV than what we said. It means it's a little too soon to answer to you but, frankly speaking, we will be in a pure-electrified world [when the next Clio arrives]."

Renault 5 to 'change the game' again

Cambolive said Renault will renew the 5 for a second generation but added: "I don't know if we will reinvent the R5 in five years, but we will try to come with something which is a game-changer in terms of the appeal of the car."

For that process, he said: "We are in a phase where we try to understand the recipe of R5, because it's not obvious to say 'it's a success because of this, this and this'.

The firm will shortly introduce a major update featuring more powerful motors and a bigger battery. As part of that engineering programme, Cambolive said the team "detected some weak points on the car" but noted: "The good thing is we detected those weak points before people were giving us feedback on them, which shows they were able to think about the car without compromise.

"What is important is not to try to compensate for all the weak points of the car but to come with something with additional value, it can be another body type; it can be something based on another pleasure; it can be co-branding with somebody, like Mini is doing with Paul Smith. I don't know yet.

"It's difficult to really say what are the key factors of the success of R5, but I would say that the key factor is that we didn't make any compromise.

"That's because we didn't listen to people internally and externally who told me: 'You should put hybrid on the car. If you want to be successful, you have to have a combustion engine on the car.' But we didn't do it because we don't try to correct the weak points. We emphasise the pleasure and the added value in the life cycle."

New Marsien GT unveiled as 819bhp Porsche 959-inspired supercar

Mon, 10 Aug 2026 18:00:00 +0100

Son of 1980s tuning hero reveals road-focused take on 911-based supercar, having built 40 desert racers

Marc Philipp Gemballa, the son of 1980s tuning legend Uwe Gemballa, has revealed a new road-focused, Porsche 959-inspired supercar called the Marsien GT.

It's based on the Marsien, the genre-bending machine that was conceived to tackle sand dunes at speed. Its name is the French for ‘martian’, having been inspired by the Mars-like desert landscape of the UAE.

The new Marsien GT shifts the focus onto asphalt, sitting lower and stiffer than the Marsien. Based on the Porsche 911 Turbo S, it's intended to meld huge performance with “everyday usability”.

Key changes from the donor 911 include new carbonfibre bodywork and an engine transplant from Ruf, its twin-turbocharged flat six puts out 819bhp and 686lb ft of torque.

Buyers will, however, be offered an optional engine upgrade boosting output beyond 900bhp.

The Marsien GT also gets new double-wishbone suspension with KW dampers that actively respond to changes in the road surface.

Inside, it has a gearlever inspired by that mounted in the Porsche Carrera GT, and buyers will be able to choose from several interior packages with leather, Alcantara or carbonfibre detailing.

Just 30 examples of the Marcien GT will be built, priced from €770,000 (£658,000), excluding the price of the donor 911 (currently £205,245).

That production number has been chosen to mark what would have been Uwe Gemballa's 70th year, 40 examples of the all-terrain Marcien having been built.

Marc Philipp Gemballa's eponymous company is unrelated to the original Gemballa firm, which is known for its outlandish conversions of cars such as the original 911 Turbo and the BMW 635CSi.

The Marcien GT will make its debut later this week at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, a part of Monterey Car Week in the US.

Lamborghini Diablo Roadster reimagined with 542bhp V12

Mon, 10 Aug 2026 18:00:00 +0100

Iconic 1990s supercar is reimagined with input from the man behind the Aventador and Huracán

San Marino-based restomodder Eccentrica has turned its new-look Lamborghini Diablo into a V12 roadster.

It has retained the underpinnings of the Diablo, including the mid-mounted engine, but entirely overhauled the 1990s supercar to bring it up to modern standards.

The steel spaceframe chassis, for example, has been reinforced with carbonfibre braces and there's all-new carbonfibre bodywork.

Its track is wider than the original to improve handling while also exaggerating the Diablo’s signature proportions.

Eccentrica said it has also worked on the car’s aerodynamics to channel turbulent air around the cabin, rather than buffeting the driver and passenger.

The 5.7-litre V12 has been fettled for sharper responses, sending 542bhp and 442lb ft of torque to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox.

It can hit 62mph from rest in 3.8sec, putting it on a par in performance terms with many modern sports cars.

The Eccentrica V12 Roadster’s engineering was led by Maurizio Reggiani, the former chief technical officer of Lamborghini.

In that role he was responsible for the Huracán and Aventador, having previously performed key roles in the development of the Gallardo and Murciélago.

The V12 Roadster will make its debut at The Quail gathering – a part of Monterey Car Week in the US – on 14 August.

Prices are expected to tip £1 million, while the cost of a donor car ranges from around £200,000 (for a coupé) to £500,000 (for a roadster).

CUPRA Raval: How it spices up the small electric car formula

Mon, 10 Aug 2026 18:00:00 +0100

Stylish. Tech-packed. Utterly rebellious. Meet the new CUPRA Raval

Over the years, city cars have earned a reputation for being cheap-and-cheerful urban necessities: tiny dimensions, little in the way of luxury and engineered for efficiency rather than excitement.

Even in the age of electrification, that reputation has remained largely intact. Until now, that is. Enter the CUPRA Raval – CUPRA's first-ever A-segment EV. And if early drives are anything to go by, it's set to totally tear up the small car rulebook.

Named after El Raval, one of Barcelona's most vibrant districts, it pairs rebellious styling and punchy performance with next-gen tech and the sort of luxury and interior space you’d expect from a car a class or two above. Meld all that with a starting price of just over £23k* (plus the £1500 government grant) – rising to a smidge over £36k* for the red-hot, range-topping VZ – and the Raval begins to answer an intriguing question: what happens when a performance brand builds a city car?

Book your CUPRA Raval test drive

A shape that refuses to apologise

The CUPRA Raval was designed with a single objective: to stand out. It does not fail. The front end is led by what CUPRA calls a 'shark nose' – a taut, predatory snout framed by sharp creases creating visual tension. Matrix LED headlamps complete the face, and at 4046mm long the Raval is more compact than you might expect. It carries itself as though it doesn't know it.

The Raval’s flanks are clean and purposeful, with flush illuminated door handles sitting almost invisibly into the bodywork. Every surface has been optimised as part of a comprehensive airflow strategy, melding front air curtains, aero-optimised wheels and a rear spoiler. The result is the lowest drag coefficient of any CUPRA yet built. The rear doubles down on the theme with a full-width light bar, an illuminated CUPRA badge, 3D light effects and a prominent diffuser.

The colour palette deserves a paragraph of its own. This is the first CUPRA to offer Plasma Iridescent paint: a finish that shifts between Cyan, Blue, Indigo and Rose Red depending on the angle of light. It’s just another way the Raval will generate conversation at the charging station. Matt finishes including Manganese and Century Bronze are also available, along with the option of a contrasting roof in Manhattan Grey or Midnight Black. Up to eight alloy wheel designs – from 17 to 19 inches – let buyers complete their look.

Built for drivers

Open the door and the Raval's interior makes an immediate statement. The redesigned steering wheel features physical buttons alongside dedicated satellite controls for driving modes and regenerative braking paddles: hardware you'd expect in something considerably more expensive. A 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and 12.9-inch touchscreen form an enormous, clean digital surface.

The centrepiece of the cabin, however, is the lighting. CUPRA calls it ‘Smart Light Next Generation’, and it goes far beyond ambient mood-setting. Integrated into the dashboard, it communicates with the driver: flashing for blind-spot warnings, pulsing during flat-out launches and shifting through colours as driving modes change. Dynamic door projections – a first for this class of car – pour vivid light patterns onto the door panels themselves, casting fluid graphics that ebb and flow with the driving experience. It’s theatrical, immersive and thoroughly addictive.

Materials rise impressively with the trim level. The entry-level Pulse trim uses sport seats in recycled fabric. Immersive trim brings electrically adjustable bucket seats in Dinamica microfibre (73% recycled). Feel trim introduces vegan leather bucket seats. At the top sits the Ahead Pack featuring Cup bucket seats with 3D-knitted upholstery – knitted per order from 100% recycled material sourced near Barcelona, another class-first – and 3D-printed dashboard inserts. In a car costing £24,000–£36,000, it’s an impressive level of bespoke detail.

Performance: more than the numbers suggest

Even the standard Raval is built on engineering most small EV rivals cannot match. The chassis sits 15mm lower than the base MEB+ platform, with track width widened by 10mm on both axles. Progressive steering, front and rear disc brakes, and a 'one box' electronic braking system – the first in a CUPRA, merging brake servo and ESC modules – give the car a coherence and pedal feel absent from most A-segment competitors. Dynamic Chassis Control adaptive suspension offers up to 15 levels of adjustment, from urban compliance to a noticeably firmer CUPRA mode.

Power options range from a 135PS motor with a 37kWh LFP battery through to 210PS with the 52kWh NMC battery. One-pedal driving is standard across the range. Its regenerative braking is calibrated with atypical precision, bringing the car to a complete halt without the brake pedal, and quickly becomes the only way you want to drive it around town.

The VZ: a hot hatch with EV running costs

Then there is the VZ. With 222bhp covering the 0-62mph dash in 6.8 seconds, CUPRA's range-topper doesn't merely compete with the Alpine A290, MINI JCW and Abarth 600e Competizione. By the early consensus of those who have driven them, the VZ could come out on top once it’s tested on UK roads. The gap between the VZ and the lesser Ravals isn't just a power upgrade – it's an almost entirely different chassis.

The VZ rides on bespoke DCC Sport suspension, 5% stiffer than the standard adaptive set-up. It’s shod with 19-inch wheels on wider 235mm tyres, and most significantly, it gains an electronic slip differential that continuously monitors driving conditions and redistributes torque between the front wheels for maximum grip through corners. Sport steering knuckles increase negative camber and raise the roll centre, giving the front axle a directness that borders on telepathic. ‘ESC Off’ mode is available for the committed exploring up to and even slightly beyond the Raval’s limits on track.

The Raval combines the instant-response urgency of an electric motor with a chassis balance that invites commitment rather than demanding caution. At a price that undercuts the A290 and JCW, the VZ's performance-per-pound case is compelling.

Its ‘E-Launch’ feature adds some extra theatre to its arsenal. Activate it and the cabin transforms – ambient lighting shifts, the instrument cluster animates, an interior sound ceremony builds – before the car fires off the line with a ferocity that is startling for something small and front-wheel drive. You will not use it every day, but it’s sure to elicit a grin when you do.

The CUPRA Raval is what happens when a brand refuses to accept that 'sensible' is good enough. CUPRA's history is built on taking mainstream platforms and extracting something extra from them. The CUPRA Formentor did it for the SUV class. The CUPRA Leon VZ did it for the family hatch. The Raval does it for the small EV – and it does so at every price point where it’s offered, not just with a VZ badge.

Its design is deeply desirable for the money. Its interior, at its upper levels, is unlike anything else in the class. Even the standard chassis is impressively well-resolved. And the VZ is, by the early consensus of those who have driven it, easily one of the most exciting small electric cars you can currently buy.

Book your CUPRA Raval test drive

* All prices shown are CUPRA's recommended on the road prices (Recommended On The Road Price or ROTR). Actual prices are set by CUPRA authorised retailers in their sole discretion – always obtain these prices from your chosen CUPRA retailer. The Recommended On The Road Price includes the standard UK delivery charge, number plates, new vehicle registration fee, the first year's Vehicle Excise Duty and VAT (calculated at 20%). Images shown may not reflect base specification and depict optional cost options

Gordon Murray poised to reveal new McLaren F1-inspired supercar

Mon, 10 Aug 2026 16:41:04 +0100

Teaser image, brightened by Autocar, reveals resemblance to S1 LM – and therefore F1

New model from Special Vehicles arm will be revealed this week and could be inspired by McLaren F1

Gordon Murray Automotive will reveal a new limited-run supercar later this week – and it could take inspiration from the legendary McLaren F1.

Founder Gordon Murray will lift the covers off the latest model from the firm’s Special Vehicles division on Friday, as part of a display at The Quail, a part of Monterey Car Week in the US.

The new car will follow the Le Mans GTR and S1 LM, both of which were inspired by the McLaren F1 GTR, for which Murray was responsible for in the mid-1990s.

One of the five S1 LMs that are due to be built recently sold at auction for $20.6 million (£15.2m), breaking the record for the most expensive new car ever to go under the hammer.

A teaser image released by GMA leaves much imagination, but it appears to be a more road-focused take on the S1 LM.

It shares that car’s rear haunches, distinctive door-mounted air ducts and roof scoop but lacks its large rear spoiler and aerodynamic addenda.

Given the S1 LM paid tribute to the F1 GTR, a more reserved version would pay tribute to the road-going F1 – often regarded as the greatest supercar of all time.

Murray said only that the new supercar will be “something very special”.

It will be displayed alongside the Le Mans GTR and several examples of the T50, GMA’s debut supercar, powered by a 664bhp V12.

UK government announces £130m investment in automotive tech

Mon, 10 Aug 2026 14:02:47 +0100

Bentley, Nissan and more will receive investment as industry transitions towards electric and connected cars

The UK government has announced a £130 million investment in the nation’s automotive industry, in a bid to speed up its transition to building electric vehicles.

Half the investment has been provided by the public purse, and it will be matched by the industry.

Among the biggest names to receive investment are Bentley, Nissan and electric motor manufacturer Yasa, but a number of smaller companies and start-ups will also receive funding.

This will support more than 1800 jobs, the government said, and demonstrates new prime minister Andy Burnham's desire to reindustrialise the nation – of which the automotive industry is a key part.

Cars are the UK’s most valuable goods export, totalling £47.7 billion in the year ended April 2026.

“Britain invented the modern motor industry and we’re determined to ensure the next generation of vehicles are designed and built here too,” said industry minister Blair McDougall.

Ian Constance, chief executive of the Advanced Propulsion Centre – a non-profit organisation that bridges the industry, academia and government – said the funding “is about strengthening the UK’s capability to design, develop and build the technologies that will define the vehicles of the future”.

Manufacturing

Some £8m in funding has been given to two consortiums bringing together the industry and academia, with a view to bringing new products and processes to market.

Bentley, together with EV battery start-up Ionetic, is working to localise the production of cells and packs for future cars.

Wire harness manufacturer Q5D Technologies leads the other group, which also comprises Artifex Interior Systems, JLR and the University of Warwick.

Its project, named AutoLoom, looks to industrialise a Q5D technology that replaces manual assembly of vehicle wiring looms with a fully automated process using computer-aided design.

Connected and autonomous vehicles

Nine projects in the UK’s connected and automated mobility (CAM) industry have been awarded an undisclosed sum.

These include Nissan and the University of Warwick’s Warwick Manufacturing Group, whose ADventure project aims to create an autonomous mobility service for cities.

Meanwhile, brake manufacturer Alcon, together with the University of Surrey and autonomous vehicle technology firm EVIE, is working on a brake-by-wire system with anti-lock brakes and electronic stability control for use in level-four autonomous vehicles.

Level four autonomy takes full control away from the driver, albeit within geofenced locations – such as for local driverless taxis.

Highway services firm Ringway, autonomous vehicle firm Fusion Processing and gritter manufacturer Econ Engineering will develop and trial autonomous impact protection vehicles and road gritters.

Other CAM projects being funded include the development of autonomous airport vehicles, which will be trialled at Teesside airport, as well as others in artificial intelligence and radar technologies.

Commercialising new tech

Ten companies will be given £9m in government funding that's intended to speed up the development and commercialisation of technologies for future EVs.

Yasa’s Project Resilience will demonstrate an electric motor free of rare-earth metals, which is hoped to improve the industry’s sustainability and insulate it against geopolitical threats to supply chains.

Greentech Industries will build the UK’s first automated disassembly plant for EV batteries, while semiconductor manufacturer Nexperia will develop a new transistor architecture to improve the efficiency of EVs’ electrical systems.

Meanwhile, battery company Eatron Technologies is working on a 48V (mild-hybrid) battery management system using semiconductor firm Infineon’s next-generation computer chips.

Start-ups

A total of 16 small companies and start-ups will be given £2.7m in government funding, for projects focused on subjects including material recycling, electric motor design, cybersecurity and connectivity.

A further five companies will receive £26.9m from the government, aiming to scale up domestic lithium production, manufacturing of mass-market axial-flux electric motors and advanced power electronics.

This 47-seat, 12.7-litre Kia is a metaphor for Korean industry

Mon, 10 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0100

You know Kia as a car maker - but it's an absolute industrial mega-power at home

It was the biggest Kia EV9 I'd ever encountered.

So big it could easily be identified even as it loomed over the horizon. But then, squinting through eyes bloodshot from the time difference to London, it dawned on me the Godzilla EV9 was no such thing but was in fact a coach.

A Kia Granbird Premium, no less, hauled by its 12.7-litre diesel six, which Google tells me can still be paired with a manual box. It was the vanguard of a long convoy heading to the Namyang R&D facility we'd just left, to shuttle workers home. But it had looked just like an EV9.

This was a striking reminder of industrial eclecticism - a realm where car makers stretch far beyond the products we deal with here at Autocar.

Honda makes everything from snow blowers to business jets; hop aboard the tram in Vienna and you're effectively going for a ride in a Porsche; Subaru at one point made Apache helicopters under licence for the Japanese army and more recently has provided the wing boxes for Boeing 787 Dreamliners. And of course there are the commercial vehicles and car line-ups, but rarely are these made to look so similar.

Kia is perhaps the greatest exponent of using the same design cues across its portfolio, as I came to appreciate on a recent trip to Seoul. It's very possible that Karim Habib, the company's Lebanese design chief, has already left an equally omnipresent mark on the world's roads as Willy Hofmeister, even with his six-decade head start.

Everything from the tiny, kei car-ish Ray to the mammoth Telluride SUV to the Tasman pick-up to the Granbird has the same look. The Bongo III compact pick-up is a notable exception, although its time will surely come. And Kia sensibly draws the line at its military portfolio, of course.

Or does it? The KMTV 6x6 cargo truck is a mine-resistant troop carrier useful for the crushing of insurgencies in the Philippines and for anti-terror operations in Chile. But inspect the ugly snout and, in a fabulous bit of covert branding, you will see the panels are discreetly stamped to show the Kia DRL bracket motifs. Pretty amusing-but the underlying story here is one of almost incomprehensible scale.

In South Korea, Kia and its sibling brands under the umbrella of the Hyundai Motor Group (HMG) really are everywhere. They aren't simply props in the scene but often the scene itself, especially at rush hour, when the traffic is nose to tail, five lanes abreast.

There's no comparison in Europe, because even Milan's Stellantis-scape is dotted with German machinery and, in France, one of the most patriotic countries when it comes to indigenous car maker loyalty, not every single lorry or van you see is built by Renault.

HMG's industrial dominance in South Korea is staggering. Never mind the Genesis-badged limousines and the crossovers and hatchbacks by Hyundai and Kia. Almost all the trucks, and the buses, and the refrigerated vans, and the fire engines, and the dustbin lorries, and the ambulances you see are also made by HMG. Oh, and the trains. Even the signals that keep the railway network running smooth. And remember that HMG also makes the steel for its various vehicle bodies. The degree of self-sufficiency is extraordinary.

At which point you begin to wonder how much this company is contributing to its country's GDP. The answer is thought to be around 10% - a jaw-dropping stat that puts HMG alongside Samsung and LG as one of the countries foremost chaebols (the typically family-controlled conglomerates that make up the meat of the Korean economy). As for market share, HMG's coverage is perhaps comparable only to Avtovaz in early post-Soviet Russia - a closed economy, let us not forget.

The only gap in that coverage is given away by the sight of the odd Porsche 911 in Seoul. HMG, for all its breadth, doesn't currently make a pedigree sports car. But even this is about to change, with Genesis keen to go GT3 racing. If that Magma project comes good, a road-going counterpart will be required.

Then the hegemony will be complete. A street corner in Gangnam will feel uncanny - as though you're wearing 3D goggles, immersed in an HMG corporate showroom. Everything will have been built by the same people. Deeply impressive, surreal and a little bit unnerving.

Sports car looks, VW Golf dependability: Bag an Audi TT from £2k

Mon, 10 Aug 2026 08:00:00 +0100

Smart second-gen coupe offers choice of Golf GTI, V6 and even diesel power

So you'd love a sports coupé, but you really need a practical daily driver and you want to pay no more than the price of a leggy supermini? Step forward the Audi TT. As a fun, usable and attractive everyday cruiser, it's hard to beat for the money.

There have been three generations of it and here we are focusing on the second, or '8J', built between 2006 and 2014 and now available from just £2000.

Despite its age, the TT still has a modern appearance, with crisp lines, taut-looking surfaces and muscular arches that shroud meaty wheels-a natural evolution of the Bauhaus-inspired Mk1.

If you're coming to a Mk2 from the Mk1, you'll notice far more change inside than out. It's still beautifully made, but the dials and switches are much more contemporary and the driving position is more reminiscent of a true sports car's. The seat is set low (well, as low as it can be on this Volkswagen Golf-based platform) and you feel pleasantly cocooned by your surroundings.

Unlike with some sports cars, there's a very usable, 290-litre boot in the Coupé, or 700 litres with the rear seats folded to make an ideal two-person tourer. Those seats are best left to small kids. The Roadster loses the back seats entirely but still has 250 litres of luggage space.

Out on the road, the TT takes the sure-footed and entertaining mien of a Golf GTI and adds a dose of character and involvement through a more recumbent driving position that puts you closer to the road. The light, somewhat numb steering and the TT's tendency to understeer mean it's not quite a true driver's car like the Porsche 718 Cayman or BMW Z4, even in its feistiest forms, but it's still impressively capable-especially with Quattro-badged four-wheel drive-and entertaining.

It also delivers a more civilised cruising experience than a Cayman or Z4. The cabin is quiet and refined and the heavily bolstered bucket seats are comfortable on long journeys. The firm ride never becomes harsh but strikes a canny balance between sporting and outright comfort. Find one with 'Magnetic Ride' adaptive dampers and you can choose between properly impressive body control in Sports mode and supple suspension in Comfort mode.

As for engines, the 'EA113' 2.0-litre turbo petrol shared with the Mk5 Golf GTI is reliable, quick and reasonably efficient: you get 197bhp and 40mpg on a run.

The 3.2-litre VR6 is torquey and charismatic but expensive to run-£735 road tax and 25-30mpg in exchange for only an extra 50bhp. But, good lord, the noise...

It sounds incongruous in the context of a sports coupé, but the 168bhp 2.0-litre diesel is highly recommendable. It's the cheapest to run, cracking 50mpg even with standard-fit four-wheel drive, and it's cheaper to tax. But be aware that it's not ULEZ-compliant.

For the 2010 facelift, Audi introduced the 'EA888' petrol engine in 158bhp 1.8-litre and 208bhp 2.0-litre forms, but owners have reported poorer reliability than with the 'EA113'. Meanwhile, the thirsty VR6 was replaced by the TTS with an uprated 'EA113' 2.0-litre petrol producing 268bhp: it's fast, but no more fun.

The TT also got the full-fat RS treatment in 2009, with 335bhp, or 355bhp in the Plus, from a five-cylinder 2.5-litre turbo petrol. It's ballistically quick, and a true supercar slayer on a back road.

An owner's view

Oliver Deichmann: "After some careful research, I bought my Mk2 Audi TT five years ago to replace my Mk1. It needed to be ULEZ-compliant so that excluded the diesel, but I still wanted reasonable running costs. From what I read, the 2.0-litre 'EA113' engine would be most reliable and indeed, after 30,000 miles, it has proved impeccable, all while returning 40mpg on a run."

Buyer beware...

Engine: The reliability of the 'EA888' engine has been affected by high oil consumption (due to tired piston rings), timing chain tensioner failures (especially on cars from 2012 and earlier), carbon build-up on intake valves and coolant leaks from the water pump/thermostat housing. Seek a well-maintained example.

Thermostat: On the 'EA133', some owners advise replacing the thermostat at the same time as the cambelt and water pump, to save potential labour costs later. It's a cheap part but tricky to get to if starting the job from scratch.

Gearbox: The standard six-speed manual is reliable and enjoyable to use. The optional dual-clutch automatic (S Tronic) is fast when working well but has the potential to throw up big bills (at least £1000). Look out for slow, jerky shifts or a warning light. Service it every five years.

Electrics: Check they all work, including the retractable spoiler in the bootlid, which can be an expensive fix.

Body: Most of the major panels are aluminium. While that keeps the TT's weight below 1500kg, it means repair costs are more expensive (and more likely to be botched). So inspect the body carefully before buying.

Bonnet release: The release handle is brittle and can break, preventing access to the engine. A metal aftermarket alternative is a worthy upgrade.

Also worth knowing

Manuals outnumber autos two to one, although it's more of an even split for the TTS. Roadsters command a small premium over the more commonplace Coupés.

Trim levels became Sport, S Line (stiffer suspension and sportier cosmetic details) and Black Edition (dark trim) from the facelift. Keep a lookout for key options such as adaptive dampers, the Bose sound system and lumbar support.

Insurance and tax varies greatly between variants. VED can sting-£735 for the VR6, around £400 for the RS and S, about £300 for the lesser petrols and £200 for the diesel. Insurance groups run from 30 to 45.

How much to spend

£2000-£3999: Mostly early cars with 100,000-plus miles. You'll pay a small premium for Roadsters and VR6s.

£4000-£6999: Plenty of reasonable-mileage, pre- and post-facelift cars. Black Editions fetch a healthy amount more than equivalent Sport and S Line models.

£7000-£12,999: TTSes become available here. Expect to pay £10k for a tidy, low-mileage one with a good history.

£13,000-£22,000: This kind of money buys a TT RS - one of the most affordable circa-4.0sec 0-62mph cars out there. Manuals are rare, and so is the more powerful Plus model.

The best car BMW never built? Driving the sublime E46 M3 Touring

Mon, 10 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0100

For £130k, Petroyle Restorations will sell you an M3 Touring that's just like the one BMW almost made

BMW didn't make an E46-era 3 Series M3 Touring, but if it had, it would have looked pretty much like this.

We're not guessing at that, by the way. BMW revealed a design concept it had produced in 2000, and it looked precisely like this, but it didn't put the idea into production.

A quarter of a century on, however, it has become the chosen basis for what you see here. What to call it? Not quite a restomod - it's mechanically an M3, just in a bodystyle BMW never made. It is as if BMW had built an M3 Touring and had it restored to original condition.

Anyway, it's the product of Petroyle Restorations, an Oxfordshire restorer that does extremely good work. And it's quite a simple idea.

First, take a BMW E46 3 Series Touring shell. It can be any model, but a tidy one helps. Petroyle founder Gregg Alvarez says there are plenty around, and they can either be very good or quite bad.

Next, find an M3 that is mechanically sound and whose body condition doesn't matter – there are plenty of tatty Cabriolets, for example, which fit that bill; the mechanicals are often better than the bodywork. Then marry the oily bits from the M3 into the body of the estate. Job done.

There's a bit more to it than that, of course. Touring bodies had in the boot floor a spare wheel well which doesn't allow clearance for the exhaust system of the M car's 3.2-litre straight-six engine. So that has to be cut out, and a carbonfibre panel is inserted.

Ditto the wings of, say, a 318d, which don't allow room for an M3's 18in wheels or track. Front wings on Tourings are shorter than on the coupe/convertible, too, so these are made in carbonfibre. Likewise a rear bumper and side sills. And if you want a carbonfibre front bumper and roof, Petroyle will do those for you.

The rear quarter panel, though, sculpted around the wheel arch to match BMW's original, remains steel and is shaped and welded into place as part of a much larger panel. The rear doors remain the same as standard too, because that's how BMW treated the concept – it decided against melding the rear wheel-arch sculpting into the door, which would have necessitated new tooling.

Then it's a case of removing the drivetrain and running gear of the M3 and inserting it into the Touring bodyshell, although again there is a little more to it than that - it would take me about eight years and I'd still end up with a host of permanently illuminated warning lights, but for professionals it's not so hard.

Things are given a makeover as they need on the way, and a common E46 issue where the rear axle carrier panel can crack is addressed (kits are available for these); usefully, it helps stiffen the shell a bit, too. But the result is very similar to how BMW would have made it had it done so at the time.

Alas it did not, but there will be 50 of these Petroyle Tourings, and I suspect Alvarez will have more orders than vehicles, not least because a starting price for the Touring is £130,000. (Other BMW-based projects, it should be noted, will come down the line in time.)

So sure, that's a lot for a car that's mechanically identical to a 25-year-old M3, but by a lot of restomod standards £130k is buttons. This just happens to be a very neat idea put into small-series production.

I ran an E46 at the start of the year so I know well how much I like the interior and overall size of a this-era car. Petroyle will either retrim the inside or find a nice existing one as customers prefer; this demo car has had some nice work done.

The driving position's great and visibility is good, as it often was on cars of this era, and it just feels a bit more compact and usable than many modern performance cars. And yet it doesn't feel like an old performance car, if you follow. An E46 today is completely usable.

What's it like, then? Much as you would expect, and hope, it drives like a BMW M3 Touring should. Petroyle fits new springs and dampers, and the Touring mooches down a road with composure, compliance and hints of its purpose.

The steering is weighty and slower than you'd expect in a modern electrically assisted car, but they need that in big, new heavy cars to make them feel more agile. The Touring weighs 1570kg and is 1780mm wide across the body, so it doesn't have to act agile, but it's thoroughly easy to place and easily responsive, with a great balance.

The drivetrain is terrific, too. This example has more than 100,000 miles on it, but you wouldn't know it. In our turbo, multi-clutch automatic era there is a bit of throwback feel to driving a naturally aspirated car that spins to nearly 8000rpm and makes 'only' 338bhp when you get there, but it's worth the effort.

Petroyle has added some polybushing to the gear linkage to help tighten that up (BMW's shifts can be a bit rubbery), and it's extremely satisfying to get the changes right, to let the engine sing out and to make what is by the latest standards modest- looking and modest-sounding progress.

So you have to work the engine to 5000rpm before you're greeted with a mere 269lb ft? One, that's part of the fun. And, two, it's not like 0-62mph in 5.2sec was ever slow, right? This car is great to drive.

It's also E46 Touring-practical. The rear seats could take adults, the boot is 435 litres and it retains that lift-up rear window that's handy for dropping bags in or not letting the dogs out.

I sometimes wonder what would be the ideal money-no-object daily driver: a Range Rover, a Mk7 Volkswagen Golf R with no badges, maybe a quick Audi of some kind? Today, actually I think it's one of these.

How BMW plans to cut costs without shutting plants

Mon, 10 Aug 2026 05:00:00 +0100

BMW's profit margin for the first half of 2026 dipped to 3.6% but it's targeting 8-10% by the 2030s

Job cuts, more direct selling to customers, cheaper parts and fewer model variants are the key elements to BMW’s cost-cutting programme, the firm's new CEO has said.

The pressure to cut costs at the premium brand increased sharply after profit margins dipped to 3.6% in the first half of the year as a result of collapsing sales in China.

“The figures in the first and second quarter are not satisfactory,” CEO Milan Nedeljkovic told analysts and media on the company’s earnings call in late July.

Nedeljkovic, who took over the top job from Oliver Zipse in May, outlined a number of headwinds faced by the company, including China, tariffs, global trade barriers and regulations. “To address these challenges, we are taking immediate decisive action,” he said.

The ultimate goal is to return the company to its target margin of 8-10% per year, which is now forecast for the beginning of the next decade. But Nedeljkovic acknowledged that won’t be easy. He said: “We know we have hard work to do on the road ahead.”

The jobs cuts were the most eye-catching part of the promised cost savings, and while BMW execs didn’t give a number, they also didn’t push back too hard on the 8000 figure (from 150,000 employees globally) quoted in the German press.

However, unlike the Volkswagen Group, BMW was adamant that these won’t involve plant closures or affect production staff at all. Instead, the cuts will come from “indirect functions in Germany” and will largely involve voluntary redundancies.

“The production footprint is in our case quite balanced and well loaded, especially looking to Europe,” said Nedeljkovic.

China is where BMW has excess capacity, at around 830,000 units, after sales fell 20% to 261,999 cars in the first half of the year. But the company argued that it hadn’t properly ramped up production at its newest facility in Shenyang, north-eastern China, and that it cost very little to leave it idle.

Instead, BMW will focus on running the company leaner, and reducing costs in development, sales and production while still leaving room to grow. This is not a company that envisages selling fewer cars. “We are aware of the headwinds. But nevertheless we do see growth in future as a core element," said Nedeljkovic.

Reforming sales was very prominent in the mid-term cost-cutting plan, with Nedeljkovic strongly backing the agency model for Europe, where the manufacturer takes over the sales process from the dealer.

BMW is one of the few to continue with the direct sales model, which the industry enthusiastically embraced following the lead of Tesla and then mostly abandoned as the difficulties of taking on the sales task from dealers became apparent.

Done successfully, it can cut costs and that is what BMW is banking on. “Direct sales is one of the major changes in our business activities,” said Nedeljkovic. The company is planning to roll it out “step by step” for the BMW brand after launching it with Mini.

The second element of the mid-term cost-cutting is cheaper parts negotiated with suppliers. This was described by Nedeljkovic as “increasing the speed of development through further standardisation and commonality in engineering solutions and components”. BMW looks to be following a Chinese innovation we’ve recently written about that leans on suppliers to deliver standard parts or software that aren’t necessarily specific to one company. “We are not giving up any performance or any specifications… but we have to realise that the supplier offer has increased over time,” said Nedeljkovic.

Another cost-cutting element will be – of course – greater use of AI “to further automate processes… as well as accelerating decision-making”.

Further into the future, BMW said it is “re-evaluating which technologies, model variants and drivetrains we will need”. The Volkswagen Group has made similar comments about streamlining its line-up and, like VW, BMW didn’t go into specifics about which models or drivetrains would get the chop.

When pushed, Nedeljkovic was quick to offer reassurance that BMW would keep the model variety it already has. “We are a premium manufacturer. This characterises us,” he said.

He also committed to keeping the drivetrain variety that BMW has made a crucial element of its offer, despite the costs associated with that. Instead, the cuts will come country by country. He didn’t give an example but BMW has already pulled its plug-in hybrid models from China this year.

BMW remains optimistic, particularly when it comes to its Neue Klasse models such as the iX3 that have made such a splash in Europe and are about to land in China. Despite the crash in sales for BMW’s core combustion-engine models in China, the company didn’t follow Mercedes in writing off investments there.

The firm pointed to strong European and US sales as evidence that it remains on the right track. “I would like to emphasise that the basic strategic direction of the BMW Group is not fundamentally changing,” said Nedeljkovic.

Analysts liked the message. “Management's latest restructuring actions and early demand for the Neue Klasse platform support our expectation that profitability will begin to recover from 2027,” said Rella Suskin, equity analyst at Morningstar, in a note.

BMW will expand on its long-term plans at its capital markets day in September but expect more confidence that it can weather the China storm and other headwinds.

Driving a Renault 4 the length of the UK – on solar power alone

Sun, 9 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0100

Can an everyday EV drive the full 1000-mile length of the UK powered purely by British solar energy?

The Easee Sun Run is proving anything but easy. A Cornish sea fog – the kind smugglers would have relished - has rolled in, blanketing the sun. We can't even see the array of solar panels 100 metres away in the field next to Roskilly's organic ice cream dairy.

On Toby Roskilly's computer, it shows that the amount of solar energy he was planning to pass from his panels into our Renault 4 Plein Sud is minuscule. The start time of the first attempt to drive the length of the UK in an EV powered solely by solar energy looks to be in jeopardy.

Thankfully, our mobile power guru, lan Peniston of Power Logistics, has a solution: a 300kWh OnBio lithium ion battery trailer that he's had charging outside for several days to cover off this very eventuality.

"By charging from the trailer, at least you can then get to Land's End to start the record attempt," explains the man who ensured that there were no mid-performance power cuts on Taylor Swift's concert tour. Still, we're now on the back foot before we've even begun our 1000-mile, five-day road trip...

It's critical for our success to know that only pure solar energy was charging the Renault's battery, but Peniston assures us that "every drop of power from the farms and the OnBio battery is 100% solar-no mix of grid or even wind".

A few weeks earlier, I'd been in the Canadian Arctic working on a test to charge an EV from the sun at-40deg C and the limits of solar energy. We had half-joked that our success in the Arctic would make doing this in the UK easy - and so the idea for this run was born.

Easee, a Norwegian maker of hardcore EV chargers, came on board, as did Renault, which thought the full-length soft-top Plein Sud would be perfect for a summery collaboration. Just not in Cornwall today... Land's End is busy with tourists as we're ushered to the signpost that points 874 miles to John O'Groats at the other far reach of Great Britain.

"Where are the solar panels?" asks one couple as we're clapped away from our start. That's a good question... Luckily the sun has by now burned through the fog, so we divert back to Roskilly's farm for our first direct injection of natural energy. It's invigorating-or maybe that was the double shot of espresso I had on the road.

As we charge man and machine, Toby gives us a few tubs of the farm's bespoke ice cream to take in a portable freezer to Scotland. "Easee Peasee Lemon Squeasee – what else?" he titters jollily.

We had pessimistically planned on 160 miles per full charge. With only me and our cameraman Tom Ross, plus basic kit (the rest went in a support car pulling the battery trailer in case of emergency), we soon find that at least 200 miles is doable. That allows a straight shot to our second charging point: the UK's oldest commercial solar farm, at JB Wheaton's trucking HQ in Somerset.

We don't stop at Chard just to power up: on this drive, the plan is to visit a variety of people making the most of British solar energy. Mark Wheaton says his solar array saves hundreds of thousands of pounds in fuel by covering their huge warehouse and adjoining field in panels.

We top up in only two hours. Gareth Simkins, from trade body Solar Energy UK, also comes to meet us. Solar Energy UK has been instrumental in helping us find suitable stopping points, and it has grown fast this year. "On one day in April, nearly half of the UK's power was from solar - and not just from commercial arrays," he says.

"Last year there were about 260,000 small-scale installations, most of which were on home rooftops; this year we will almost certainly see more, because there has been a big spike in public demand caused by the increase in energy prices."

Our first overnight is near the Power Logistics base in Chippenham, where we top up the car for day two's solar slingshot to Derbyshire. It's the summer solstice, so part of our crew heads to Stonehenge for a stunning dawn on the longest day of the year. The sun powering our drive rose at its earliest with gusto and magnificence; the timing of the Easee Sun Run was no coincidence.

"We have this big ball of energy in the sky, so why aren't we using it to do more?" one visitor says, looking back across the valley to see the prehistoric monument bathed in rays.

In almost 30 years of leading automotive expeditions, from driving a Formula E race car on the Greenland ice cap to putting the most remote public EV charger in the world on the island of St Helena, never before have I felt so energised behind the wheel: it feels like the accelerator is connected to the sun.

Everything in the Renault, from its motor to the sat-nav, is powered by the ball of energy tracking us from on high – and it isn't costing us a penny. We pass petrol and EV charging stations smugly. Day two is a sublime and gentle course through the Derbyshire Peak District to our overnight stop at the solar-powered Whaley Bridge Cricket Club.

After a few hours spent driving on the M5 and M6, we conclude that our spiritual home is on B-roads. The rural route throws us a challenge, though: close to a rendezvous with the BBC, a road closure forces us into a 25-mile detour.

With every mile carefully controlled, it means a call to the support crew and adds an hour to the day. The third day is a big one: bisecting the Yorkshire Dales en route to Durham and then Edinburgh. We had chosen Durham for two reasons. First, it's home to a student solar race team that finished 11th in the 2023 World Solar Challenge across Australia.

Their bug-shaped solar car is so efficient that it could almost lap the planet using the energy from our trailer. "For my generation, there's a real opportunity there to lean on solar," student Nathan Lansing says. "There's a real shot here that we can go and make something really, really cool and something really interesting that can help power the future."

Just down the road from the university is a facility for printing flexible solar panels. The concept has come from Swansea University and is being produced by Power Roll in Durham. "Essentially it's a low-cost printing process similar to printing in newspapers or packaging," says the university's David Beynon.

"We can take the materials used to make a solar panel, make them into an ink, feed them into a printing press and have a solar panel come out at the other end." Many buildings' roofs can't carry traditional solar panels, and the majority of the UK's solar panels are imported.

The printable solar panel isn't yet suitable to self-propel an EV, but the elements needed to power your EV from the sun are. "If you've got solar panels installed, a smart charger and storage, you can connect these assets together to charge your vehicle," says Easee boss Anthony Fernandez.

Scotland is cool: having endured 38deg C temperatures in the south, we're grateful for the 22deg C Highland weather. Solar needs light, not heat, to work best. Like humans, I guess. With all our stops so far having been at commercial solar operators and users, it's nice for our final one before John O'Groats to be at someone's home.

Boban Costin and his family live off-grid. He and his wife Lizzie – daughter of the Earl of Sutherland-run Dunrobin Highland Distillery. They put us up in one of their solar-powered cabins on the edge of Loch Fleet, just two hours from journey's end. "We have enough power here in the summer to light Times Square," claims Boban. Hosting the Easee Sun Run is a thrill for him: "We want to spread the word that a project like this is viable, that it is actually not a dream."

Viable, yes, absolutely – but for now, at least, it's only with special permissions and planning that we've finally reached the northernmost tip of the British mainland using the British summer sun.

LAND'S END TO JOHN O'GROATS
Distance driven	1023 miles
Charges made	9 (7 planned, 2 extras)
Exterior daytime temp	16-26deg C
Highest point	528m (Tan Hill Inn, North Yorkshire)
Solar power generated	555kWh
Energy put into the car	276kWh
Average range per full load	205/195 miles (two people and luggage/ four people and luggage)

By Jeremy Hart

A big Golf GTI? My Skoda Kodiaq vRS proves itself on a Sunday drive

Sun, 9 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0100

An early morning Father's Day mission turned into a treat, thanks to the Kodiaq's mix of virtues

I'll be honest, friends - I'm struggling a little with the Kodiaq I've been running. Not for any bad reason. But when I recently had a Morgan Super 3 and then a 20-year-old BMW 330Ci as my daily drivers, there was always - always - something new occurring to write about.

A new Skoda, though? Gosh, they're just so competent. It's like trying to find new things to say about a kettle.

So on a recent Sunday morning, Father's Day, I woke up at 5am and set off southbound from Oxfordshire to Hampshire, to visit my folks for breakfast and make the most of the longest day. I find the A34 frustrating during peakier hours and the A272 is slower and busier than it was when my dad was cycling 24 miles a day on it into Petersfield and back as an apprentice mechanic in the early 1950s. He says he'd know which cars to expect to meet, and when, during his journey. I doubt that's the case even at 7am on a Sunday these days. But bright and empty, it was the nicest drive I've had in yonks.

When there's nobody around, all cars are at their best, but in the Skoda it is particularly pleasing to run at the pace you want, rather than one dictated by other traffic. I don't in any sense go mad but the vRS does make 262bhp and 295lb ft, and with a broad spread of power and torque it's really nice to flick up and down the shift paddles of its quick-reacting dual-clutch gearbox and finally get into a rhythm and flow with a car that, in daily traffic, I've found not so easy to pin down.

As the fast version in the Kodiaq range, it has some muted aggression about it – big wheels, amplified engine noises, supportive seats and adaptive dampers that can be set to quite firm. Yet it is always a seven-seat SUV that weighs over 1800kg and has the intent to remain comfortable as a daily driver. It doesn't want you to have to make compromises, and while it gets that balance about right, that does mean it's never as plush or as sporty as it could be on either of its edges.

It was really satisfying, then, to find a nice road surface and a good empty road to get it into its semi-relaxed, semi-sporting groove. With the dampers still in a comfy-ish mode, it absorbed the worst bumps and retained decent body control, while the steering is, I think, particularly well judged in terms of speed and weighting. In its demeanour, you could convince yourself you were in a much taller, much heavier, much more easy-to-change-the-interior-temperature Volkswagen Golf GTI.

And it's very useful too. It doesn't need to be to take a bottle of whisky and some biscuits southbound, of course, but while I've collected all of my childhood things from my parents' attic and garage, we seem to have entered a new phase: would I like the wooden tool chest my dad was given on his first day as an apprentice 75 years ago? There are even some tools still in it too. What a treat. Absolutely I would..

I didn't strictly need to put the back seats down but a treasure like that deserves preferential treatment. If a car alone isn't going to provide one with stories, they're always along for the ride.

New 2CV and Smart car: big reveals coming at Paris motor show

Sun, 9 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0100

Biennial motor show returns from 12-18 October – and it's going to be a big one

This year’s Paris motor show will be among the biggest in years as the European car industry rallies against the wave of Chinese newcomers.

The show floor will naturally be dominated by electric cars. But it will also signal a shift towards the bottom end of the market, as the likes of Citroën, Dacia and Peugeot all aim to address how they can convince the majority of buyers to make the switch away from petrol.

The revival of the Citroën 2CV will snatch a great many headlines, but there will also be fresh details on the next-generation Alpine A110 sports car, a replacement for the Smart Fortwo city car, and much more besides.

Here’s what to look out for at the Paris motor show…

Alpine A110

Much ink has already been spilled about the next-generation A110, but more is to come from Paris, where the brand says it will reveal “new elements” of the electric sports car.

Everything we know about the next-gen Alpine A110

Audi A2

Audi has yet to officially confirm the A2 will appear at Paris, but it has pointed to a debut for it this autumn and is confirmed as an exhibitor. That suggests the new EV – an upmarket sibling to the Volkswagen ID 3 styled to look like the original A2 – will be present.

Read our review of the reborn Audi A2

Citroën 2CV

Football didn’t come home, but Citroën is: the revival of the legendary Tin Snail will be shown to the world for the first time at Paris.

Citroën CEO Xavier Chardon has said the new car will have “exactly the same purpose as the 2CV did in the late 1940s” in offering affordable transport for the masses, but for the electric era.

The show car will be a concept, but it is expected to closely preview the finished model that is due on sale in 2028.

Everything we know about the new Citroën 2CV

Dacia Spring Mk2

The Dacia Spring has established a niche for itself in Europe as an affordable second car for the school run, trips to the shops and other mundanities. But this second-generation car, which we expect to be revealed at the Paris show, will prove a big step up from the current model.

It will make the switch from its Indian city car platform to the one that underpins the Renault Twingo, while also gaining styling much more in keeping with Dacia’s current look. Both will be sold in parallel for a short period, hence its ‘New Spring’ name.

Everything we know about the new Dacia Spring

Fiat concept car

The Paris motor show’s organiser said earlier this year that Fiat will showcase “an exclusive concept car” – though little is yet known about what shape it will take.

It is possible that Fiat will unwrap its equivalent to the 2CV, given that both it and Citroën are owned by corporate giant Stellantis, and that it has a similar remit to the French brand in targeting the affordable end of the European market.

Fiat Grizzly

Fiat’s biggest car yet is a larger version of the Grande Panda that will rival the popular Dacia Bigster. It will make its public debut at the Paris show, likely being shown in both bodystyles: traditional SUV and rakish fastback.

Everything we know about the Fiat Grizzly

Leapmotor B03

Leapmotor is making waves in Europe: according to industry body the ACEA, it sold 56,005 cars in the region during the first half of 2026, up by 558% compared with a year before. The new B03 will play a key role in boosting the already impressive growth, as a small electric hatchback to rival the Renault 5.

Everything we know about the Leapmotor B03

Maserati concept

Maserati’s future has long been in question, but a new concept car will be displayed at the Paris motor show to point the way for its next models. Stellantis’s Europe design chief, Gilles Vidal, said the brand’s styling has traditionally operated on 20-year cycles – and that now is the time for “the next thing”.

Gilles Vidal vows 'no clones' in Stellantis's European design overhaul

Peugeot concept cars

Peugeot is priming a seven-car offensive that will land by the end of this decade, and the Paris show will host the unveiling of two concepts that will blaze the trail for those new models.

One is expected to build on last year’s Polygon in previewing the next-generation 208, which is due in showrooms next year. It’s a big moment for the brand as it looks to respond to the immense success of homeland rival Renault’s 4, 5 and Twingo, while also fending off the threat of new Chinese brands.

Everything we know about the next Peugeot 208

Smart #2

After a few years of building bigger cars than ever before, Smart is returning to its roots with a replacement for the Fortwo. The new electric city car, due to be unveiled at Paris, will remain a strict two-seater.

Everything we know about the Smart #2

Better value than a Golf? How to bag a VW ID 3 from £9000

Sat, 8 Aug 2026 14:00:00 +0100

Volkswagen's electric alternative to the Golf has a lot going for it now there are used examples aplenty

The ID 3 arguably had bigger shoes to fill than any car has ever had: it was charged with spearheading the 'third age' of Volkswagen - just as the Beetle had led the first and the Golf the second.

VW's self-proclaimed third age was about electrification and the ID 3 was launched in 2019 as the flag-bearer for a new family of bespoke EVs with a fresh design language and digital-first interiors.

VW had ambitious plans for it to be a towering sales success. But its launch coincided with the Covid pandemic, and early examples were also hampered by software issues. So the ID 3 was more of a slow burner than a smash hit. But it has always been a good car-roomy, efficient and pleasant to drive - and with early examples now on sale from as little as £9k, it could be your ideal first step into the EV world.

That outlay can land you a 2021 ID 3 Pro (the middle of three battery options) with 50,000 miles. Facelifted versions with a longer range and a heavily updated interior start at less than £15k.

VW says the ID 3 offers as much interior space as cars from the class above. In reality, while it has more back-seat room than a BMW 3 Series Touring, the boot isn't massive, at 385 litres.

There are also some frustrating ergonomic foibles: the 10in main screen (12.9in from 2024) is in charge of the radio, ventilation controls, heated seats (if optioned) and plenty of other gizmos that should be quick and easy to adjust but aren't. The original 'slider' temperature controls were especially controversial because they didn't light up at night, although that was rectified in 2024 as part of a facelift that brought a dramatic improvement in interior quality and made the infotainment much easier to use.

These gripes aside, the ID 3 is a compelling all-rounder and among the more dynamically adept EVs of its era. Acceleration from low speeds is smooth and quick in all versions, and even the lower-powered variants have enough muscle to get a lick on once you reach the open road.

Thanks to its rear-wheel-drive layout, the ID 3 also gets its power down in corners far better than some scrabbly front-driven EVs. It delivers balanced, predictable handling too - albeit a little short of truly engaging. You'll want the closely related Cupra Born for that.

The ID 3 is passively damped as standard but the Sport Plus package adds fully adaptive dampers and 'progressive' steering, which works like a variable-ratio rack. The ride is quiet and there's a relaxed sense of isolation to it aside from the ever so slightly firm edge to out-of-town cross-country progress. Both wind and road noise levels are low too.

The line-up starts with the Pure, which has 216 miles of range from a 52kWh battery (240 miles from 2024), Pro boosts that to 59kWh and 264 miles (268 miles after 2024). Pro S is next up, with 77kWh and 341 miles (345 miles after 2024).

The 79kWh GTX (pictured above) arrived in 2024 with 370 miles of range. It's the fastest option, with 322bhp and 0-62mph in 5.7sec, but it's not hugely more engaging than other variants.

According to owners' reports, battery capacity has held up well over time - and the German Automobile Club drove 100,000 miles over four years in an ID 3 and the battery lost just eight miles of range. So as a used EV it looks a very tempting proposition, especially at those prices.

What we said then

31 March 2021: "Volkswagen has done a really thorough, objectively commendable job on this, its first and all-important ID-brand electric car. For those ready to step into an electric car of just the right size and with just the right usability credentials, this ought to give the ID 3 deserved consideration."

An owner's view

Dave Evans: "The car is comfortable and quiet on long journeys and the interior space is good but I feel the boot is undersized. I absolutely hate the software. It is slow to respond and I genuinely feel like a beta tester for VW, something I did not choose to be. I'm still keeping it, though."

Buyer beware

Electrics: While the main high-voltage traction battery is proving to be robust, the 12V auxiliary battery in early models has been known to drain unexpectedly, leaving owners locked out of their cars or unable to start them. VW ran a service campaign to replace them in early cars to support larger over-the-air updates. Check this has been done on any prospective purchase.

Tyres: Because the ID 3 is relatively heavy (around 1.8 tonnes) and delivers instant torque to the rear wheels, it can chew through rear tyres surprisingly quickly. Inspect the tread depth. If they're well worn, use it as a bargaining chip because good EV-specific tyres are not cheap.

Software: Early models suffered extreme software glitches. These should have been sorted via a series of over-the-air updates, but check for a crashy infotainment, erroneous speed sign recognition and smartphone mirroring issues.

Also worth knowing

Navigating the equipment levels of the ID 3 can feel a bit like cracking a code. VW has continually revised the line-up during the car's life, shifting from a complex pack-based offering to a much simpler, traditional trim structure. You can get lost trying to decipher it and find the ideal combination or you can compile a list of kit you really need and simply rule out any cars without it.

Things got easier after 2023, when the ID 3 line-up was slimmed to Life, Essential and GTX trims, with options on top.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard on all models, which helps. However, a heat pump-which warms the cabin much more efficiently in winter, preserving range - was an expensive optional extra and you'll want one if you do a lot of winter driving. Look at the original spec sheet or check the screen's climate control menu if unsure.

How much to spend

£9000-£13,999: Previously written-off cars can be found for less outlay than this, but high-milers with a clean history start here.

£14,000-£17,999: In this bracket, average-mileage Pros (with around 40,000 miles) are about the same price as Pro S cars with twice the mileage.

£18,000-£24,999: Desirable facelifted cars become available here, with their nicer interiors and improved range.

£25,000-£48,000: Brand-new pre-registered examples, with Pro S available from £28,000. A £30,000 GTX marks a £15,000 saving on the factory-fresh price.

One we found

Volkswagen ID 3 Pro Performance First Edition, 2020, 47,000 miles, £11,998: A brighter colour and lighter interior really help to inject some joy into the ID 3. Early First Editions are fully loaded too, although a heat pump was still not standard. This example has a full VW service history and a 12-month MOT.

Porsche's GT boss: why future 911 GT3s will keep getting better

Sat, 8 Aug 2026 08:00:00 +0100

Andreas Preuninger has overseen Porsche's GT arm for 25 years – so what's next for the fabled model line?

There's a sell-out crowd at the Porsche Experience Centre at Silverstone, host of the Sunstede Festival celebrating 75 years of Porsche in the UK.

To the attendees, as the brand's biggest enthusiasts, Andreas Preuninger is a rock star akin to a Glastonbury headliner given the number of hits he has overseen as head of Porsche's GT division.

After our sit-down he's straight off into the crowd to see some cars (many of which make up his own 'greatest hits' album), meet some punters and later make a main stage appearance that night for an audience with owners.

Preuninger, in his position for all but a few months of this century, admits he can be a bit shy and distant in new company, but he softens at the adoration he gets from the Porsche public, calling it "very flattering and very rewarding" and observes that in the case of his GT cars "almost a religion has been built upon this".

He adds: "This Porsche family is very special. The way they look upon me as the project manager of these [GT] cars, congratulating me and cheering on the cars, gives justification of what you do all day."

When he talks with his congregation, Preuninger makes sure he listens – and he ensures the GT team he has built around him does the same. He talks of a "mirror" to his customers, where the GT team and the customers all want the same thing.

"When you talk to English customers, American customers, German customers, mostly they all want the same special characteristics in a car," he says. "In my team, we are fans of that kind of car ourselves. If we like the cars, we can be 99.99% sure the customers will as well. It's a very simple thing, but it works."

Preuninger recalls a survey Porsche GT sent five years ago to around 5000 owners in 10 countries across seven regions, asking how they used their cars and what they would like to see in product development in the future. The conclusion was unanimous.

"They all wanted a car that talks to them, that translates into a rewarding driver experience," he says. "Having a car communicate exactly what it is doing in a split second, while having a transparent, authentic, honest and puristic feel about it. This is what everybody says, no matter where they are."

I ask if his job is now harder in the context of having to ensure that even Porsche GT meets the regulations addressing not only emissions but also active safety. "Yes, absolutely," comes the emphatic reply. "We have to try even harder to overcompensate for the things that Brussels comes up with that we have to put in cars. For 99% of customers they don't want to be distracted by these gizmos.

"We found a way to switch off all the systems in a [current 911] GT3 second-gen in one swipe. We're kind of saying: 'Sorry, we have to have it, but if you don't want it, there's an easy way of getting rid of it. You have to stay on the legal side, it's more difficult and more complicated, but we don't give up.'"

Preuninger is not against new technology or progress when it comes to the way his cars drive, and he notes that new materials, for example, always give opportunities. Then there is technology that can "befit the character of the car" and enhance the driving experience, although he always cautions that the car cannot be made too heavy, because being light ensures it is fun to drive at all speeds.

"So many cars I know only talk to you when they're going really, really fast and everything else is kind of boring," he says. "That should never be the case of a GT car." Technology has also in part necessitated a split in the GT model range between more hardcore track tools such as the RS models, where the lap time is important, and the more road-biased driver's cars such as the 911 S/T.

"In the '997' era we could address both these needs with the same car," says Preuninger. "We didn't have PDK (dual-clutch transmission back then, and a car that was good for a track was mostly a very light one that felt very nimble on a normal road, too.

"Now we need some technology to be quick on track, but the driver's car guy shies away from this as it's too complicated. So we split things with the Touring and the GT3 and RS, and now the S/T. We have almost an even share on both sides, and the audience for GT cars has widened substantially in the past 10 years."

With the likes of manual gearboxes and naturally aspirated engines still in his cars, does Preuninger feel an extra responsibility to keep this part of the enthusiast market alive? "We know what the customers want, what we ourselves want and what technology gives us to support those characteristics in a car," he says.

"I like a little bit of pressure and responsibility, because it gives you a deeper sense of what you are doing. Everybody working here likes the idea we're working on a car that nobody needs but everybody wants and which produces smiles."

He recounts a story of an American veteran of the Afghanistan war, whose care package from his mother one day included a magazine with an interview with Preuninger on the launch of the 997 GT3 RS. He fell in love with the car and vowed to buy one after the war, and that's what kept him going. He told Preuninger as much in a hand-written letter included with a package that mirrored the one his mother sent him.

"These are some of the reactions I get from people in the market, praising the car's ability to make them feel good, to heal and to evoke so much positive energy," says Preuninger. "They're looking for someone to be thankful to. You can't normally do that with a consumer product."

I ask Preuninger about his view on the media, particularly with the regular success his GT Porsches have around the globe - not least in our own road tests and annual Britain's Best Driver's Car contest, in which GT models have scooped the most honours across recent years.

The cars' fitness for purpose sees them reign supreme in our tests, but frequently Preuninger's GT models are oversubscribed before we even get to appraise them. "The media reaction is one of the rewarding things that comes first after you introduce a car," he says.

"The media that tests our cars are well known with good drivers and good sources of information, who I think the average GT buyer thinks very much alike. Your influence on our customer base is very high.

"In the meantime [between the reveal and our first drives, we have a lot of trust direct from the consumer. When a car is coming out, orders are flying in. They don't wait for the road tests, which is rare in the market. Why? Because we have never let them down, not one single time. In the last 26 models my team has made, every single one was a big success. I'm not boasting; it's true.

"GT cars are built for having fun, and this comes across in the writing. If the journalists are having fun, it's a good test. A lot of automotive media own GT cars, or would like to, so you are customers at the same time, or would like to be."

Preuninger has a point: just the day before the festival, a conversation I'd been having with industry colleagues turned to Cayman GT4s and the plunge one of them was potentially about to take. My Autotrader history shows the two most recent searches were for GT models. One day…

On the skyrocketing values of some GT models – a 997 GT3 4.0, an epic machine, of course, is now pushing £1 million! – Preuninger says his team creates cars to be driven, not as an investment, and limited-run models are limited only because of tooling and production constraints. Still, he is proud of how strong the residual values are.

GT3 911s are driven so much, says Preuninger, that Porsche tuning partner Manthey has calculated some 70% of all Nürburgring 'tourist laps' are done by such cars.

You need only wander through the paddock outside the Devil's Diner, which sits on the Döttinger Höhe straight, to understand this amazing stat: on track days it is wall to wall with Porsche GTs, old and new. They're loved not only for their performance and how they drive but also for their durability.

"You can drive it all day, no matter what the temperature, and drive safely home again," says Preuninger. "The car does not feel as if it has suffered. Even the race cars use the same engine with the same part number; it's just a different seat and another exhaust."

I suggest the phrase 'buy cheap, buy twice' would be fitting here, and Preuninger says achieving such high levels of durability is a huge motivation for his team. One owner he knows with a 991 GT3 RS has done 60,000 miles, some 50,000 of which on the Nürburgring. Tyres, brake pads and discs have been the only bills.

This serial, multi-brand supercar owner told Preuninger: "You can't believe what we had to do to keep all the other cars running properly..."

I ask Preuninger, with 26 hits and counting, not what his favourite is from the GT back catalogue, but which was the hardest to get right. "The current GT3," he says. "We couldn't increase the power [for legislative reasons], so we were looking for different ways to make the car more attractive than the predecessor.

"We took the gearing of the S/T and made it a bit more explosive for country roads, then the Weissach Package to make it a bit lighter.

"In the past, we wanted to give the customer enough reasons to really want a new one, and we will continue to do so. A facelift is always more problematic than a new platform, but I think it worked pretty well."

Preuninger has already acknowledged that his job is getting harder, but should enthusiasts be worried that true driver's cars could become a thing of the past rather than a contemporary offering? "Your readers are in good hands for the next years to come," he says.

"We have some great ideas for some great new cars, and I'm 100% sure everyone will love them. Nobody should be concerned that the characteristics of our cars are about to change. We know clearly and exactly what we have to do, and we are always open to new ideas." Phew.

Tiny car, tiny country: Fiat Topolino vs the Vatican City

Sat, 8 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0100

Fiat's microcar push has been approved at the highest level - but is the Topolino the perfect Vatican runaround?

Should Pope Leo ever find himself bored, the roads that wind through the Vatican City Gardens would make for a fantastic rally stage. It would be quite a short stage, admittedly, given that the sacerdotal-monarchical city state measures just 0.19 square miles, making it around the same size as London's Regent's Park and comfortably the world's smallest country.

Still, in that confined space the access roads that run behind St Peter's Basilica, rising to the Palace of the Governorate and through the beautifully kept gardens, pack in steep climbs and sharp descents, numerous switchback hairpins, some long straights and a few technical twisting sections. And I can attest they're all types of driving fun - even if it doesn't take long to complete a lap.

With its tiny dimensions and fewer than 900 residents, including a number of cardinals and one Holy Father, everything about the Vatican is small, although you wouldn't know that if you tried to stroll through St Peter's Square on a busy Sunday at the height of summer. Behind the basilica, though, and hidden by high walls from the chaotic streets of Rome that surround the Vatican, things are far more peaceful.

That said, the state's roads are surprisingly busy. Among the variety of cars used by the people who commute to work here are various official vehicles, such as the Gendarmerie's fleet of Volkswagen Passats, loaded-up vans being used by the gardeners and even tractors that transport bulky items around. St Martha's Square, located next to the main access gate, even has its own petrol station (and judging by what the pumps tell me, even the pope isn't immune from rising energy prices). There's also a bank of 22kW EV chargers hidden behind the Governorate's palace.

Generally, though, these are private roads, just as they have been since the Vatican City state was founded through the Lateran Treaty back in 1929. You can't just rock up at the gate, flash an international driving permit and take a tour. In fact, the only way most visitors can even tour the gardens on foot is as part of a private guided visit. And yet here I am, pushing a vehicle to its absolute limit on those very roads.

Okay, yes, the vehicle in question is a Fiat Topolino quadricycle, so that 'limit' is a not particularly fast 28mph. And, yes, my drive does come as part of a somewhat surreal convoy of Topolinos, escorted by the Gendarmerie (in one of their Passats), who seem determined not to let anyone have too much fun. Still, by hanging back on one of the longer straight roads, I can create just enough space to hit the Topolino's V-max before some judicious braking is required to avoid rear-ending the Topolino ahead and sparking the world's cutest pile-up.

The Topolino has just gone on sale in the UK but was launched three years ago in Italy. It is in effect a Citroën Ami that has been given a makeover after quaffing a few Aperol Spritzes to imbue it with the joys of la dolce vita. Citroën originally developed the machine, but former Stellantis boss Carlos Tavares, spotting a business opportunity in L6-compliant quadricycles that sit below cars in the classifications for four-wheel vehicles, suggested Fiat might like to offer its own version. Fiat boss Olivier François agreed, but instead of Tavares's vision of a simple rebadge, he invested in giving the Topolino a new retro-themed body and some other design flourishes.

And it has been quite the hit - so much so that Fiat is expanding its micromobility efforts as part of its wider brief to be 'big in small cars'. So the Topolino will soon be joined by the Tris, a three-wheeled commercial EV with echoes of the Piaggio Ape. There will also be the Multiplina, a four-seat quad that will be built to L7 rules that allow it more power and practicality.

For François, these initiatives all fit Fiat's heritage. "Fiat was doing micromobility before the word even existed," he says, citing the 1936 Topolino, the 500 Multipla from 1957 and the 1972 126 as three examples that, combined, accounted for close to 10 million sales. "Today, micromobility is no longer a niche."

That's undoubtedly true: e-bikes and e-scooters have made powered transport more accessible to many, and electric mopeds are growing in popularity. But – and take this from someone who used to edit an e-mobility website – while there's huge interest in the topic, it's hard to make money from it, especially for car firms. BMW retains an interest in electric motorcycles, but other car makers have sampled micromobility and soon dropped it: just look at Renault, which previously offered the Twizy but recently scrapped its Mobilize division that was developing a range of micromobility vehicles. Even Stellantis stablemate Citroën has shown little interest in building on the Ami's success.

So why does Fiat see an opportunity where others don't? "It depends how you do it," says Gaetano Thorel, Fiat's European boss. "With the Topolino we took an internal product, the Ami, and injected our Fiat DNA, giving to the customer something they look at and smile. When you compare Topolino with other micromobility, you immediately know it's a mini-car; it's not a scooter—there's a sense of safety and space."

Giorgio Neri, Fiat's micromobility boss, adds that the category could become even tougher in the future given the likely arrival of Chinese competition, which, he says, "will be a war of prices, because we know how they work". But he adds: "We are trying not only to compete on affordability, which is a master requirement, but we try to add emotions."

Neri notes that the Topolino and Ami have significantly grown the quadricycle class, and he is pushing for European legislators to consider the sales of such vehicles when assessing a manufacturer's CO2 emissions—insisting they have a key role in reducing carbon output. And that is being put to the test in the Vatican.

The world's smallest state, you see, has plenty of interest in Fiat's smallest vehicles. It has just agreed a deal for a fleet of 30 micromobility machines – split between the Topolino and Tris – that will be put to use in the Vatican. No, neither will be used as a Popemobile (judging by recent videos, he seems to be after a Ferrari Luce); instead, Topolinos will be used to help staff whizz between buildings, while the gardeners will make use of the fleet of Tris. It's part of the Vatican's attempt to make its vehicle fleet entirely zero-emission by the end of the decade, an initiative somewhat brilliantly labelled Ecological Conversion 2030.

Frankly, if I worked in the Vatican – a highly unlikely proposition, I assure you – I would be loving the deal: the Topolino is perfect for the state. It has the power to zip up the hills, you can tackle the hairpins with speed and gusto and the relatively quiet roads mean you feel really quite safe despite driving a tiny car. And the 46-mile range that feels so inhibiting in some settings? Not a problem in a location this tiny. Heck, even the Topolino's small size isn't really a problem. I mean, the lack of a boot would make it difficult if you owned a dog, but according to the Vatican City website nobody living there currently owns a pet of any kind, so that's not an issue.

"The Topolino and Tris feel at home here," says François, who has pretty deep links with the Vatican: he organised the first-ever live concert here. "They're not cars designed to show power; they're small, simple machines designed to serve. The arrogance that sometimes comes with the idea of the automobile goes away with these."

Most Topolinos, of course, won't be put to use on the quiet, smooth roads of the Vatican (as an aside, potholes aren't an issue here); they will be tasked with transporting people through bustling (to put it politely) urban areas such as Rome. So, reluctantly, it's time to leave the Vatican's walled tranquillity and venture onto the streets of the Italian capital.

The contrast is clear from the moment you pass through the Vatican gates, although I don't have much time to take that in on account of the absolute chaos, with three lines of traffic somehow filling two lanes on the road and motorcycles zipping in all directions.

This is where the Topolino's tiny size is both blessing and curse. It is incredibly easy to manoeuvre, and can whizz by parked cars that slow bigger vehicles, but it also can't filter through gaps like bikes, and it's hard not to be intimidated by just about everything else on the road. You only have 8bhp to deploy, remember. Tiny door mirrors and the lack of a rear-view mirror pose a challenge when you need to spend as much time watching what's charging up behind as you do looking ahead, and the lack of power steering means it's all quite hard work – especially when on a boiling hot day the only cooling comes from the Topolino's handheld fan, which is... of questionable effectiveness.

That said, it's superbly suited to Rome's tight, twisting roads and many narrow lanes. And people seem to like the Topolino: despite running a pair side by side at traffic-blocking low speed to get some photos, hardly anyone honked their horns or tried to barge us out of the way.

That's the joy of the Topolino - and of other micromobility vehicles: they're not for everyone and every occasion, but if your needs match their specific abilities, they're brilliant. That, of course, makes them a harder sell in the UK, where drivers must have a full licence (in Italy an L6 vehicle can be driven from the age of 14) and left-hand-drive-only status can put people off. But in the unlikely event that you should find yourself with the chance to drive around the Vatican, I know just the thing for the job.

ZEV mandate review imminent: government mulls softer sales targets

Fri, 7 Aug 2026 12:51:35 +0100

Review will look to soften EV sales targets from 2027-2035 as industry argues they are not achievable

The government is set to launch a review that will consider whether to soften the zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate targets for electric car sales from 2027-2035.

To be launched imminently, the review is set to last six weeks. It will look to consult with car makers, wider industry and other stakeholders to reduce the proportion of EV sales that car makers need to make between 2027 and 2035, at which point all new vehicles must be zero-emissions under the current plan.

There is a fear within government that the ZEV mandate will begin to impact the viability of brands operating in the UK, putting jobs at risk.

This will be a significant consideration of the review. However, it's also possible that no changes will be made, or just minor edits, with all options said to be on the table still.

Even so, the review will undoubtedly be welcomed by nearly all legacy car makers, who have long argued that the targets aren't reachable and don't keep pace with market interest in EVs. This will be their chance to have their say on the record and try to influence a change in the policy.

The ZEV mandate was introduced in 2024 and 22% of sales had to be electric. It rose to 28% in 2025 and is at 33% this year. Next year’s target, the first impacted by the review, is at 38%. From there it rises sharply to 52% in 2028, to 66% in 2029 and to 80% in 2030. There are no set target for the years between 2030 and 2035 (100% electric) at this stage.

The wider view of industry is that this is simply not achievable. The most recent set of car sales data published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders revealed that EV sales rose 44.5% year on year from July 2025 but the current run rate of EV sales this year is still only one in four, when one in three is needed.

One review has already taken place on the ZEV mandate. This lowered fines for non-compliant cars sold from £15,000 to £12,000 and allowed a greater degree of flexibility between banking and borrowing EV sales against future years, as manufacturers introduced electric cars as different rates.

Low-volume car makers were also given more time to apply and certain exemptions applied, while hybrid cars were confirmed as being allowable for sale from 2030 until 2035.

The review would be the first major policy intervention into the industry by the Andy Burnham administration.

There is a genuinely held fear about what impact the ZEV mandate will have on car makers that have invested in facilities and people in the UK over many years and what it will do to their viability and therefore jobs.

There is also awareness that new Chinese entrants to the market aren't suffering in the same way as the legacy car makers in having to make a pivot towards EV. They won't lose out on jobs or cancel any market investment into the UK in the way that existing stakeholders will.

The full scope of the review isn't yet known, but it’s possible that targets for the years 2031 to 2034 could also be set. There’s no indication yet if the 2035 deadline itself is up for review.

However, given the role that the UK car parc plays in the wider net-zero legislation for 2050, it has long been anticipated and accepted that an overwhelming majority of new car sales must still be electric by 2035 if the legally binding net-zero by 2050 will be realised.

Writing separately on Friday in a blog post, the SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said that despite record sales for EVs demand was tracking some 10-13% below levels needed for the industry to be ZEV mandate compliant in its current form.

He argued that the mandate can force supply but it cannot force demand, and as such car manufacturers were being forced into spending billions on the likes of discounts to artificially stimulate demand to bridge the gap.

"This is not a sustainable business model," he said. "Every pound spent on discounting is a pound diverted from the investment needed to keep the UK competitive.

"It also matters for decarbonisation itself since EVs built in the UK typically carry less embedded carbon than many of those from elsewhere – a point often ignored or dismissed as “out of scope”, despite climate change being a global issue. And if selling vehicles in the UK becomes increasingly costly as a result, the case for investing here is thereby weakened irrespective of where those vehicles are sold."

He added that not one single manufacturer selling in the UK, be it ZEV mandate compliant or not or domestic or importing, believes the UK is on track to hit the 2030 target of an 80% market share for EVs.

"Urgent reform of the mandate is therefore needed, alongside renewed commitment from all stakeholders to build consumer confidence," said Hawes.

Autocar has contacted the Department for Transport for comment.

Opinion: BMW's in-car Spiderman ad is a step too far

Fri, 7 Aug 2026 12:28:14 +0100

The German firm claims the new Spiderman video it's showing in peoples' cars isn't an ad. It plainly is

Oh, for pity's sake, do we really have to be talking about this again? I'm afraid we must, because those who own relevant BMW models are talking about it and, largely, they are not happy.

It seems BMW has sponsored a new superhero movie, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, in which you will see product-placed iX3s and 5 Serieses, as is the modern film way.

And if you own a modern BMW, there's a chance that the company will be so keen to tell you about this tie-in that, during some cars' start-up or shutdown sequences (in 70 countries but not the UK or Ireland, I'm told), this message will pop up on the car's big central screen: 'Surprise: Spider-Man just dropped into your BMW'. Prod it and a 20-second Spidey-BMW animation will follow, to show you the iX3 and tell you the new film is in cinemas.

Don't engage and it won't play, but the initial pop-up is, for a limited period, there whether you want it or not. And that's what's irritating owners. It would irritate me too.

This isn't the first time a car company has hooked up with a film maker for in-car content. On some Teslas you can change your navigation's avatar so that it looks those one of those spangly bike things from Tron.

But here's the difference: the car doesn't tell you about Tron every time you start it. You actively have to delve into a specific feature menu and set-up the change. While you don't have to play the full BMW video, there's no way to opt out of the initial sting.

Does that feel different to you? It does to me. There is a difference between an 'easter egg' that you have to search out for yourself and a message that you have no choice about receiving.

BMW claims this animation "is not a form of advertising", but what does a video that finishes with "BMW and Spider-Man: Brand New Day, exclusively in cinemas" sound like to you?

I would still have a problem with it, in the same way that I was cross when a U2 album landed in my Apple Music library without me asking for it. Call it what you like, but this is unrequested messaging in a product you've already bought.

All right, you might have only leased it or still owe thirty grand on it, and your name might not even be on the V5, but that's not the point. It's your car, your place, your haven. As a senior BMW executive said in 2023 when asked specifically about in-car adverts, a car is "a private space".

Hide something away in that space, allow me to discover it and it's a feature. Shove it in my face and it's an advert. The content could even be the same, but they're not the same thing.

As my marketing expert brother says, companies and agencies should have a 60-year-old in the corner to whom these ideas are pitched, and if his/her reaction is 'really?", they should go and rethink it.

But my gut aversion to this is also because of a feeling that it's thin-end-of-the-wedge stuff. Last year, Jeep owners were infuriated when pop-ups appeared trying to sell them an extended warranty. A glitch made it appear on some screens more than once, but even once is, frankly, too often. Owners said so. Yet here we are again, warning big business off it. Again.

What don't corporations understand about this? Partly, I suppose, it's our meek acquiescence. Recently I went to watch the Boston Red Sox baseball team play the New York Yankees to find the scourge of piped-in Sweet Caroline had even made it to Fenway Park. Or maybe it originated there.

Sections of the crowd happily so-good-so-gooded along to it on demand, but it wasn't so good at all. The best, most-thrilling sports atmospheres are those provided by fans alone, who have paid good money to watch the spectacle and should be left to respond as they see fit, not have some banal narrative dictated to them. And if that includes reactions or ribald songs that corporations don't like, they can suck it up. We paid: it's ours, not yours.

But they will all keep trying it, because they think eventually it will wear us down, as I suppose it will. As sure as Sweet Caroline filters repetitively into our ears, ever more adverts will thud inelegantly onto our screens, and we will all reply 'so good' and trudge vapidly onwards.

Why the CUPRA Raval is perfect for urban families

Fri, 7 Aug 2026 11:00:00 +0100

A car that looks this good, goes this hard and thrills this much shouldn't be a sensible choice for city life. And yet…

There is a persistent assumption that choosing a car for the city – for tight streets, school runs, packed car parks, long weeks of short trips – requires a degree of resignation. You accept something smaller, duller and less exciting than the car you actually want, in exchange for the dimensions and dependability that urban family life demands. The new CUPRA Raval rejects that trade-off entirely.

This is a car that is thrilling to look at, to sit in and to drive. In this article we’ll look at why it is equally, and just as deliberately, one of the most capable and considered small EVs you can currently buy – without a single concession on what makes it a CUPRA.

Book your CUPRA Raval test drive

Made for the city that inspired it

The Raval takes its name from El Raval, the most defiantly creative neighbourhood in Barcelona – dense, unpredictable and full of energy. At 4046mm long and 1518mm tall, the Raval is compact enough to slot into spaces that drivers of larger cars approach with apprehension, yet it wears its footprint with a confidence that makes it look bigger on the road than it is on paper.

A 2600mm wheelbase ensures that interior space is not sacrificed for nimbleness, while a 10.3-metre turning circle makes the U-turns, tight multi-storey ramps and on-street squeezes that define city driving feel effortless.

An EV powertrain amplifies the advantage. In stop-start urban traffic, where a petrol engine is constantly cutting in and out, the Raval's instant, seamless torque and one-pedal braking make dense city driving feel smoother and more intuitive. The city is not a challenge for the Raval. It is what the car was built for.

More practical than it has any right to be

You certainly wouldn't expect a car of the Raval's dimensions to offer 441 litres of boot space, that’s for sure. But it does, because CUPRA made a specific engineering decision: make the Raval front-wheel drive, not rear, so the motor can be moved away from the rear of the car to free up the entire boot floor for luggage. The result is a load area that comfortably swallows a buggy, a weekly shop and the assorted chaos of family life simultaneously. A double boot floor adds hidden storage underneath for charging cables and valuables.

In the cabin, five seats, dual-zone Climatronic air conditioning, a wealth of deep storage cubbies and 90 watts of USB-C charging – split between front and rear sockets – round out what is, by any measure, a genuinely family-grade interior in a B-segment body.

Vehicle-to-Load technology* deserves a mention of its own. The Raval can power external devices directly from its high-voltage battery – a laptop, a camera, an e-bike charger – through a standard outlet. It is the kind of capability that has typically required a large SUV. Here it sits in a small hatchback, and it is more useful than most buyers will initially expect.

Just the right amount of range for owners

The instinct when comparing EVs is to chase the highest range figure. For an urban family car, that is rarely the right metric. Despite not yet having confirmed technical data, it’s widely thought that the Raval's entry-level Origin model – with a 37kWh Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) battery – will be able to cover the average UK weekly mileage several times over between charges. Most owners will plug in at home overnight and leave each morning fully charged, making the range figure largely academic for everyday use.

For those who want greater headroom, the 52kWh Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) battery offered across V1, V2 and VZ trims will offer even more range – sufficient for city-to-city runs and weekend escapes without a charging stop, while retaining all the compactness and efficiency that make the Raval just right for the working week.

Charging: fast, intelligent and simple

Charging times are among the most competitive in the class. The 37kWh battery, on V1 and V2 trims, reaches 10-80% in 28 minutes** using a 90kW rapid charger. The 52kWh version does the same in 24 minutes** with 130kW charging – enough for a meaningful top-up during a school-holiday trip, not a wait that reorganises the day.

Away from home, ‘Plug & Charge’ removes the remaining friction. The Raval authenticates automatically at over one million public charging points across 28 European countries – no app to open, no card to tap. The ‘e-Route Planner’ builds charger availability and real-time battery state into the car's navigation, managing longer journeys proactively. It all adds up to an experience where range anxiety is a thing of the past.

Safety: the complete picture

Any family car worth its salt, big or small, needs to deliver on the safety front – and the Raval does just that. Seven airbags are fitted as standard, including a central airbag between the front seats that prevents occupants colliding with each other in a side impact. Adaptive front seatbelts adjust their retention geometry to different body types automatically. The optional Pre-Crash system monitors for side impacts as well as front and rear threats, closing windows, activating hazard lights and pre-tensioning seatbelts in the moments before a collision.

Travel Assist is the most capable semi-autonomous system CUPRA has offered. It holds lane position on roads with and without painted markings, recognises speed bump zones, responds to traffic lights, give way signs and stop signs, and dynamically matches the pace of surrounding traffic. Emergency Assist – a feature that usually belongs in a different conversation about a different class of car – monitors for driver incapacitation, then brakes progressively, steers to the roadside and places an emergency call automatically.

Parking in tight spaces is handled by Intelligent Park Assist, which steers automatically into parallel and perpendicular bays, and by Remote Park Assist, which lets the driver manoeuvre the car from outside via a smartphone – a feature that first appeared on the market as an optional extra for luxury limousines and SUVs.

Rear Traffic Alert spots approaching vehicles when reversing from blind spots, sounding an alert or even stopping the car to prevent a bump. A Top View Camera provides a stitched 360-degree view for situations where sensors alone are not enough. In a final detail that really matters for owners, but isn’t something you’d really consider in the showroom: the Raval's body structure has been specifically engineered to minimise damage in low-speed urban impacts. Sometimes an inevitability of city driving, these dings are frustrating, but thanks to the Raval’s design insurance premiums should be lower over the life of the car.

The case for the CUPRA Raval as an urban family car comes with very few compromises. The compact dimensions that make it fast through corners make it easy to park. The EV powertrain that serves up instant performance also makes it cheap and clean to run. The technology platform that delivers Formula E-inspired sound effects and impressive interior light shows also delivers cutting-edge features like Emergency Assist and Plug & Charge. There is no version of the Raval built for excitement and a different, compromised version built for families. There is only one model, and it does all of it in spite of its compact size.

Book your CUPRA Raval test drive

* Optional connector required

** The charging time of your vehicle may vary due to multiple factors, including but not limited to weather conditions, the age, and the condition of the battery. Accordingly, the charging time provided should not be interpreted as an exact measurement, but rather as a general estimate. This information is for guidance purposes only and does not constitute a guarantee of charging performance

The Smart car returns: new #2 revealed ahead of October debut

Fri, 7 Aug 2026 10:14:45 +0100

Smart returns to its city car roots with tiny new #2, due next year as UK's smallest electric car

The production-ready design of the new Smart #2 – an electric successor to the famed Fortwo – has been uncovered ahead of its official unveiling in October.

The #2 marks Smart’s return to city cars after spending several years launching a range of electric crossovers – which includes the #5, its biggest model yet.

It's due to be revealed in full at the Paris motor show, but new filings with China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) have showcased its design two months early.

It bears a strong resemblance to the old Fortwo, retaining its stubby proportions, although key changes include scowling headlights and rounded units at the rear end.

Due in UK dealerships next year, the #2 has been designed to offer what Smart calls "uncompromised urban capability".

It will be the smallest EV on sale, looking more like quadricycles such as the Fiat Topolino and the Micro Microlino rather than full-sized models such as the Dacia Spring and Fiat 500e.

The #2 has been co-developed by Mercedes-Benz and Geely, with the former taking the lead on its design and the latter supplying a bespoke architecture designed around its diminutive size.

Full details have yet to be confirmed, but the MIIT filings reveals the #2 has an 80bhp drive motor and a lithium-iron-phosphate battery pack. The car weighs 1130kg, thanks to it measuring just 2.75m long.

Smart previously confirmed the #2 will offer a range of 186 miles and be capable of charging its battery from 10-80% in less than 20 minutes.

It will also have vehicle-to-load capability, meaning its battery can be used to power external devices.

Smart has also claimed it will have a turning circle of just 6.95m, smaller than that required of London’s black cabs.

The #2 will move the entry-level model upmarket while also attempting to improve its interior space within its compact dimensions, using a bench seat rather than two individual chairs.

Kai Sieber, head of Smart design at Mercedes, previously said the Concept #2 shows a city car “should spark joy”.

Smart has given no indication of pricing ahead of next year's scheduled launch, but a more luxurious cockpit and vastly superior technical attributes mean the #2 could command a premium over its short-legged predecessor, which cost around £22,000 when it was discontinued in 2024.

There's no word yet on whether Smart plans to stretch the #2 and add a back seat to create a successor to the Forfour, but such a model would give the brand a footprint in the increasingly competitive electric supermini market, where it could take on the likes of the Renault 5, Citroën C3 and next DS 3.

Mazda 6e road test: Looks the part, but is it 'Mazda' enough?

Fri, 7 Aug 2026 08:45:10 +0100

Mazda enlists Chinese help to finally build a long-range EV – can it take the fight to Tesla? This week’s road test subject may feel like the kind of car that exemplifies 2026. Because even when you think you’re about to read about a familiar family saloon whose provenance can be depended on, what is lying in wait might in fact be another Chinese-built newcomer.The new electric Mazda 6e proves as much. And the next couple of thousand words should help to answer whether the car’s new origins – not Yamaguchi, Japan, but the factory in Nanjing, China, that Mazda established in a joint venture with Changan nearly 20 years ago – represent a bold and positive step forward for a mid-sized family saloon that Autocar has always liked and rated, or something else altogether.It would be easy to describe the 6e as Mazda’s first proper crack at an electric passenger car. Easy, that is, but in many ways not actually true, as we will go on to explain. But it certainly looks that way.The MX-30 of 2020 was very likeable and quite unusual, of course, but with only 124 miles of range it was just not very credible. The 6e flips the scales. It comes to the UK market about nine months after continental European sales began in 2025, with the performance, efficiency, range and price to give some serious competition to the Tesla Model 3.It isn’t quirky, alternative or obscure. Instead it clearly aims to be about as mainstream, conventional and competitive as it’s possible for a mid-sized electric car to be. So just how much room for ‘Mazdaness’ is leftover within this handsome-looking electric saloon?

Video | Is the Skoda Enyaq vRS the ultimate one-car garage?

Thu, 6 Aug 2026 15:27:16 +0100

Looking for the perfect blend of weekday skills and weekend thrills? This electric family SUV could be the answer

The perfect two-car garage. It’s a fantasy motoring enthusiasts have debated for decades.

Not familiar with the concept? It’s simple: if you had to choose two cars – one for everyday duties like commuting, the school run and shopping trips, and another purely for weekend B-road blasts – which would you choose? If you’re ever stuck for conversation with a fellow enthusiast, pose this question and watch the sparks fly.

But, alas, in today’s economic climate, the dream of running two cars – particularly when one is reserved almost entirely for Sundays – is becoming harder and harder to justify. And that means more and more drivers are starting to search for one car that’s capable of covering all bases: sensible when it needs to be, fun when it doesn’t.

Watch the video below as we explore whether the 335bhp all-electric Skoda Enyaq vRS really can deliver the best of both worlds.

Skoda Enyaq vRS: the electric family SUV that can do it all

There’s a particular genius to the vRS badge. Since the first Octavia vRS arrived in 2001, those three letters have stood for meaningful performance, real-world practicality and strong value. It’s the everyman performance car formula, refined over decades and now applied to Skoda’s electric family SUV flagship.

The Enyaq vRS continues that tradition with 335bhp, 697Nm and dual-motor all-wheel drive, delivering 0-62mph in 5.4 seconds. But it’s not just about straight-line pace. Dynamic Chassis Control, lowered suspension and revised steering calibration give it a level of composure and adjustability that no electric SUV this size has any right to, allowing it to switch between relaxed motorway cruiser and pulse-raising B-road blaster at the touch of a button.

Crucially, it remains an easy car to live with day to day. The 84kWh battery delivers up to 344 miles of range (WLTP), while 185kW DC charging enables a 10–80% top-up in around 26 minutes.

Inside, that signature vRS DNA injects sporty flair into an otherwise plush, minimalist cabin. There are vRS-specific sports seats, a bespoke sports steering wheel and contrast detailing. As you’d expect from a Škoda, equipment is generous, with a large 13in infotainment screen, augmented reality head-up display, heated seats and a 12-speaker CANTON sound system all included as standard.

Practicality remains a core strength. A 585-litre boot, generous rear space and Skoda’s trademark ‘Smart, Spacious and Stylish’ touches – including an ice scraper in the tailgate and an umbrella in the door – ensure it can still deal with everything hectic family life throws at it without breaking a sweat. Maybe it’s time you try it for yourself.

Learn more about the Skoda Enyaq vRS

I own a classic Alpine A110 and a new one - guess which I'd keep

Thu, 6 Aug 2026 15:00:00 +0100

Roger Hick scoured France to find his dream A110 – and then he found it in Milton Keynes

"Alpine comes first in the name, as in Alpine Renault. There's never been a Renault Alpine."

So says Roger Hick, with sufficient authority for me to doubt my memory of cars such as the Renault Alpine GTA Turbo and Renault 5 Alpine Turbo. In any case, you don't question a man, in the presence of his Alpine A110 1300 S, who has owned two Alpine Renault V6 Turbos and whose daily driver is a current-model Alpine A110.

"I bought my A110 1300 in 2000, largely in this condition but there's nothing I haven't changed," says Roger. "I'd seen pictures of the model and thought: 'That looks pretty. I'll save up for one.' So I scoured France for one and found this in Milton Keynes!"

The car had been restored by its then owner but, says Roger, he couldn't get on with it for some reason: "I took it to a club track day once and a chap came up to me and said: 'You're doing well in that. The last time I saw this, it never faced the same way twice in a lap!'"

Bristling with lights and plastered with contemporary sponsorship stickers, the car looks every inch a works team special. However, it was never campaigned and has simply been converted to look the part. Not that it's all mouth and no trousers.

Its R8 Gordini cross-flow engine has been converted to works spec with larger valves, forged pistons, Saenz H-beam conrods, specially made wet liners, an in-period Renault 'Kit' camshaft and a finned aluminium oil sump. Thanks to all these goodies, the pushrod engine now produces around 130bhp at 7200rpm (in standard form it would have produced 80 horsepower), but when the rev limiter is raised to 8000rpm, it puts out 134bhp.

"It's a lovely, free-revving engine and, in a car weighing no more than 625kg, the power is more than ample," says Roger, beaming. All that sauce is directed to the rear wheels via a five-speed gearbox.

Elsewhere, the car has a quick steering rack and powerful works 'Big Brakes' with calipers at the rear from a Matra ("they were hard to find"). The wheels are Gotti Bi-Metal items with steel rims and cast aluminium centre spokes. The glassfibre body is mounted on a steel tubular chassis.

Of course, the car's motorsport tech is highly appropriate. The original A110 has an illustrious competition record, at the height of its powers locking out the podium of the 1973 Monte Carlo Rally and, the same year, winning the inaugural World Rally Championship.

Roger's 1300 S is a 1971 car. "It's hilarious to drive - noisy and quite physical," he says. "You need a good legful to stop it. The steering is very direct too. You don't lift off in corners because the back will come out immediately. Instead, you do a bit of lift-off to turn it in, then power out. Understanding how it will behave is key."

Roger loves his new A110 and has done 62,000 miles in it but is in no doubt which of his 110s he prefers. He says: "If I had to choose, it would always be the older one. It's just so engaging. I paid £20,000 for it in 2000 and now they're about £75,000. If I had to sell it, I'd get a lot less, but if I had to buy one, I'd have to pay a lot more! I think I'll stick."

Ford Fathom: name confirmed for £21k 'skunkworks' EV

Thu, 6 Aug 2026 14:42:11 +0100

Landmark pick-up truck moves a step closer to US launch – and will offer more space than a Toyota RAV4

Ford's moonshot electric pick-up will be called the Fathom and be priced from $28,350 (£21,000) when launched in the US early next year, the company has confirmed.

The moniker references the double meaning of a 'fathom': the standard length of a pair of outstretched arms and the discovery of meaning.

Ford claims the Fathom "welcomes you in with an expansive interior and technology that adapts on the fly".

It will be the first model built on Ford's new Formula 1-influenced affordable EV platform and, as previously reported by Autocar, it could eventually be offered in the UK to complement the company's revamped European car line-up.

The new platform, called Universal EV, features "cooler engineering than a hypercar", according to Ford CEO Jim Farley. It has been developed by a 'skunkworks' project in California set up by Ford to work semi-independently. It will eventually spawn a range of 'global' vehicles.

A teaser video displaying early sketches of the Fathom shows how Ford is rethinking its approach to design and engineering, with dramatically different styling to its existing combustion-engined trucks.

Ford hasn't yet confirmed whether Universal EV products will be offered in Europe, but it could be used for EVs arriving after the company's Renault-platformed small hatchback and crossover, due in 2028.

Since the project is largely a clean-sheet design, Ford has recruited staff from outside the mainstream car industry – with a focus on motorsport, given the belief that lessons on efficiency and aerodynamics learned in competition can give it an edge over Chinese rivals.

Speaking exclusively to Autocar, Farley said: "One of the biggest gifts that Formula 1 ever gave Ford was our skunkworks team in California. Almost every one of them either comes from F1 or is a huge F1 fan."

Farley added that the bulk of the skunkworks staff "have never worked in the auto industry before" but "we picked them for their aerodynamic knowledge" - although he acknowledged that had been a challenge.

"It turns out that finding people who love motorsport who want to 'build a buffet in Vegas' – a $30,000 EV that's nice-looking and fun to drive - is hard," he said.

"A lot of people want to stay in F1, and the challenge is picking people from motorsport who can actually design a breakthrough product.

"But when people see what we did with this skunkworks, they will say: 'Wow, that's cooler engineering than a hypercar.' They will be shocked."

Farley said the extreme aerodynamic focus of modern F1 cars was a key attraction in recruiting people for the skunkworks.

"Every bit of aero we can improve will help us reduce the size of the battery, and F1 has the best aero people in the world," Farley said.

As a result, Ford claims the Fathom is 15% more aerodynamically efficient than any pick-up currently on sale in the US.

Farley said the intense focus on aerodynamics and powertrain efficiency would enable Universal EV models to use smaller batteries, in turn keeping weight and pricing down and improving packaging options.

Indeed, Ford claims the Fathom has more passenger space than the Toyota RAV4 SUV.

Farley highlighted this as a particular area where Ford can outperform Chinese rivals, some of which he said "have really cheap batteries, and that's their problem".

He continued: "Their control systems – the efficiency of the motors, inverters and gearbox and how they all work together with the software - aren't that efficient, so they're carrying around a bunch of battery they don't need to.

"We've found 20-30% gains in efficiency, but we had to get people over from motorsport to do it."

Universal EV models will also make extensive use of megacasting, meaning whole segments of the body are cast as single parts, to help reduce the complexity and further lower costs.

The first vehicles based on the platform will be built at a new US factory in Kentucky.

Bugatti Destrier: New W16 hypercar inspired by 'most beautiful car ever'

Thu, 6 Aug 2026 13:00:00 +0100

Firm's latest Solitaire one-off uses Bolide underpinnings to allow strikingly elegant, low-rise design

Bugatti has unwrapped the Destrier as its tribute to "the most beautiful car ever built", using the underpinnings of the Bolide to create the ultimate luxury hypercar.

The Destrier is the latest in the brand's run of multi-million-pound Solitaire one-offs, following the FKP Hommage (a reimagining of the legendary Veyron) and the Brouillard.

It's inspired by the Type 57SC Atlantic, which also utilised the same underpinnings as a track car – the Type 57G 'Tank' – but wore stunning coachwork that landed it a place in motoring history.

The Destrier is based on the carbonfibre monocoque of the Bolide and reprises its sibling’s 8.0-litre quad-turbocharged W16 engine, which puts out 1578bhp.

But despite the mammoth power output, performance wasn't Bugatti’s main ambition for the new hypercar. It instead sought to recapture the sheer desirability of the Type 57SC Atlantic, and the low-set chassis of the Bolide was instrumental in this ambition.

Design chief Frank Heyl explained: “The Bolide gave us the most extreme proportions we have ever created, and by freeing them from the Bolide’s relentless pursuit of downforce, we let them speak as pure sculpture.”

To that end, the Destrier is the shortest Bugatti yet, measuring just a metre tall. Its stance, with staggered wheels – 20in up front and 21in at the rear – is meant to resemble that of a pedigree horse.

Inside, it's a more overtly luxurious proposition than the Bolide, trading emergency stop and fire extinguisher buttons along its central control panel for ignition switches and being upholstered in tan leather, suede and copper thread.

Exact performance figures have yet to be confirmed, but the Destrier is likely to be a close match for the Bolide, which can dispatch the 0-62mph sprint in 2.2sec.

Its price has yet to be disclosed but is likely to run well into eight figures.

Like the Bolide, the Destrier will be allowed to drive only on race tracks or, more likely, concours lawns.

However, British specialist Lanzante recently converted a Bolide for road use, suggesting the same could be done for the Destrier if its owner so desires.

It will make its debut at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance – and Heyl said he “believes Destrier will be gracing concours lawns 50 years from now”.

A six-seat mini MPV? Remembering the oddball original Fiat Multipla

Thu, 6 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0100

Small but mighty Multipla could seat six

The 600 Multipla showed just what was possible in a small car, but was it actually the first MPV?

Manufacturers often make dubious claims in their marketing. For instance, in finally publishing UK pricing for the Topolino microcar, Fiat called it "a fresh approach to urban mobility", despite it being nothing more than a restyled Citroën from six years ago.

The Italians were, however, justified in claiming to have made the "original people mover" when revealing the four-seat Multiplina. Well, at least if you add the prefix 'miniature', given buses and VW Type 2s existed long before 1956.

We were really enthused by this innovative "surprise package from Turin", reporting: "The little multi-purpose vehicle [MPV] is based on the 600 and named the Multipla. Its appearance has received a mixed reception, but a full six-seater on a [2000mm] wheelbase, the same as a standard saloon, cannot be made to look sleek and low. It is trim and functional without undue austerity, and as an engineering feat is quite breathtaking."

We felt it was "the nearest approach yet in the world of motoring to putting a quart into a pint pot", as "scarcely a cubic inch of space is wasted, and it carries up to six people in very reasonable comfort, or an equivalent quantity of luggage or goods".

Our road testers marvelled at its unique construction as it landed in Britain, priced at £799 (£17k today) a year later. "It may be described as a small station wagon in which, because the engine is at the rear, the loading doors have been placed at the sides. On the other hand, in the absence of a power unit in the nose, the front seats can be located over the front wheels, leaving the maximum space behind them for seating or goods as desired. The floor area is large, low and uninterrupted by tunnels or frame members, and is a part of the platform frame."

Just make sure you don't crash...

One early adopter, M Ogle, sent us a love letter: "I've just returned from a fortnight in France. My wife and I slept in the car on air mattresses, and even ate in it on cold or rainy days, using a folding table which can be set up inside. Passers-by were quite astonished, as well they might be: I doubt if there is another car in the world so adaptable.

"Performance is very adequate: the car holds 45-50mph indefinitely. The overall fuel consumption has been a shade better than 47mpg on average, covering all kinds of load from two up to five adults and two children (each with a proper seat and no sardine-in-tin feeling). Visibility is wonderful because of windows all round. It is easy for elderly people to get in and out. The four seats at the rear fold flat into the floor in a matter of seconds. The rear engine could not be easier to get at, nor the spare wheel housed in front of the passenger - it does not get in the way of even a tall person's knees."

No wonder almost a quarter of a million Multiplas found homes over the next decade.

Was it really the first car of its type, though? Certainly it was the first to be put into production, but we had seen similar prototypes earlier.

We ignored it in our 1939 Berlin motor show report, rightly focusing on the seminal Volkswagen instead, but there are certainly hints of MPV in Karl Schlör's 'egg' or 'woodlouse' car, which seated seven within an ultra-streamlined, 4.3m-long body atop Mercedes' 170H saloon chassis.

Then, in late 1945, we described one created by American aerospace engineer William Stout, under the amusing title: "This car may seem strange, but it has its advantages".

"The Stout Scarab has no chassis proper," we marvelled. "The body is formed structurally, as an aeroplane fuselage. The seven-passenger car is rigid and light, at less than [1360kg]. Seats can be arranged at will and even converted into Davenport-type couches. There is a table which can be set up when desired for bridge or luncheon, and the entire interior is suggestive of a small yacht rather than of a car, yet the overall length is no greater than that of a medium-size car of ordinary design."

It's interesting to note that Stout's mantra was 'Simplificate - and add more lightness', several years before virtually the same was adopted by Lotus founder Colin Chapman.

Our prototype drive revealed "the steering is light and it flits about and manoeuvres in small compass. With its Ford V8 it is fast and comfortable, too. But whether it will be made in quantity no one can say at present."

It wasn't, because people thought it looked weird and it cost a grand.

Win the chance to experience Skoda's next generation of EVs

Thu, 6 Aug 2026 11:45:00 +0100

Be among the first in the UK to see the all-new Skoda Peaq up close...

Want to be among the first in the UK to experience Skoda's next generation of electric cars?

SIGN UP HERE

As part of Autocar's ongoing partnership with Skoda, we're inviting 10 lucky readers to an exclusive one-day event in the heart of the Cotswolds on 2 September. You'll be among the first to see the all-new Epiq city car and seven-seat Peaq SUV before they arrive in UK showrooms, with Skoda experts on hand to guide you through both cars in detail. You'll also get the opportunity to drive the award-winning Elroq and Enyaq, as well as their hot vRS siblings.

Food and drinks will be provided throughout the day. Attendees must be aged 18 or over and hold a full driving licence. The event will be filmed, so you'll also need to be comfortable sharing your thoughts on camera.

We can’t wait to see you there.

SIGN UP HERE

Electric AMG GT 4-Door gains cheaper 53 variant – with straight six noises

Thu, 6 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0100

New dual-motor model trades performance and two synthesised cylinders for lower price and big range boost

Mercedes-AMG has expanded its GT 4-Door Coupé line-up with the 53, a lower-powered and more affordable version of the new electric super-saloon to rival the Porsche Taycan 4S.

The biggest difference from the GT 63 lies in the drivetrain: it has one fewer motor (for a total of two, giving four-wheel drive), so its combined outputs drop from 1180bhp and 1033lb ft to 544bhp and 590lb ft.

This trims straight-line performance, the new GT 53 accelerating from 0-62mph in a claimed 3.5sec compared with 2.4sec for its more powerful sibling.

Top speed is electronically limited to 143mph as standard or 155mph with the optional AMG Driver's Package, whereas the GT 63 can be specified to reach a limited 186mph.

Although it retains the GT 63’s simulated engine and gearbox, it trades that variant’s fake V8 sound and power delivery for one based on a turbocharged 3.0-litre straight six.

AMG said it sampled the six-cylinder powerplant’s sound to reproduce the aural character of a traditional AMG drivetrain.

The GT 53 utilises the same 800V electrical architecture and 106kWh liquid-cooled battery as the GT 63, but dropping one motor has boosted its official range from 424 miles to 503 miles.

DC charging at up to 600kW is claimed to recover up to 332 miles of range in just 10 minutes under ideal conditions.

Compared with the Taycan 4S, the GT 53 offers identical combined power but an additional 66lb ft of torque, a 0.2sec quicker 0-62mph time, almost double the maximum DC charging capability and between 102 and 156 miles more WLTP range, depending on whether the Porsche is equipped with its standard Performance Battery or optional Performance Battery Plus.

The GT 53 also shares the GT 63's air suspension with adaptive damping and torque vectoring. It likewise receives active aerodynamics, including a rear spoiler that varies its angle according to speed and driving conditions, while an optional active rear diffuser is designed to reduce drag and improve high-speed stability.

The first right-hand-drive customer deliveries are expected to begin later this year.

UK pricing has yet to be confirmed but is expected to start just above £100,000. In Germany, it will be priced from €115,430 (£99,000).

The GT 53 will form the new entry point to AMG's electric GT range ahead of additional models planned over the coming years.

'Get used to uncertainty', fleet bosses told

Thu, 6 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0100

Unstable policy, shifting tech and complex operations are the new normal, says one of UK's leading fleet bosses

Fleet managers need to prepare for years of unstable policy, shifting technology and complex operations, according to an industry expert.

Matthew Walters, head of consultancy at Ayvens UK – the country's second-largest leasing company, with 320,907 cars and vans on its books – told Autocar that fleet managers need to plan further ahead when selecting vehicles and adjust policies yearly to keep up with an unusually fast-moving operatig landscape, having traditionally operated in a sector favouring long-term stability.

Policy remains challenging, especially for electric cars. The Department for Transport has committed to a “mid-point review” of the UK's zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate in 2027, which could affect vehicle supply. Annual EV sales targets from 2031 haven’t yet been confirmed.

Fleets are also facing a need to recalculate operating costs once the pay-per-mile tax system for plug-in hybrid and electric cars is finalised.

Walters expects that the 2030 deadline for new pure-ICE cars and the 2035 date for all new cars and vans to be EVs will go through a consultation process in the near future.

The uncertainty is such that Ayvens is running quarterly customer briefings on legislation, manufacturer developments and wider political and economic events that can affect fleets’ costs and the supply of vehicles.

“Larger fleets typically have dedicated teams and more resource to keep up with new products, tax rules and legislation. Smaller fleets don’t have the same capacity, so they’re more exposed when things move quickly, and right now things are moving quickly,” said Walters.

That complexity is exacerbated by fast-expanding vehicle choice, he added, noting that 116 new models are due for launch in 2026, many of which are from Chinese manufacturers.

Some fleets are welcoming these newcomers, while others – particularly larger corporate ones – are weighing up the technology against how that brand might represent the company.

Electrification also creates a more varied set of operating costs than with petrol and diesel cars. The gap between public and home or workplace charging prices means two drivers on the same job in the same car could be generating totally different expenses, while “fairness becomes a live issue” if one of them can’t plug in at home, Walters said.

That complexity has led Ayvens to offer more detailed total cost of operation (TCO) calculations, including driver efficiency, uptime and charging behaviour. Frequent charging beyond 80% can affect battery health and residual values when vehicles are auctioned at the end of the contract.

“What we'd say to fleets is 'build in flexibility; don't lock into rigid three-year plans on the assumption that today's technology, tax rules or residual values will hold, because in this market, that's usually where the opportunity is',” said Walters.

“Good practice now means moving away from short-term thinking. Rather than just planning for the next renewal cycle, fleets need a three-to-five-year strategy that's reviewed regularly, not set and forgotten. That way, decisions on vehicle choice, charging set-up and driver policy are made with the bigger picture in mind, not just the next 12 months.”

Why history shows that Range Rover can rival Rolls-Royce

Thu, 6 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0100

One of Overfinch's Holland and Holland Range Rovers was sold for more than £1m

The British brand's decades of heritage holds plenty of appeal for the ultra-wealthy

So, the $500,000 (£410,000) Range Rover is upon us - and there's every indication that the brand has plenty of headroom – courtesy of its extensive personalisation offering – to take transaction prices ever higher as it penetrates ever further into the upper echelons of the luxury car market?

Will it work? History would certainly suggest so.

There's a tale from the early days of Asian motor shows, about how one British luxury marque displayed a fabulously opulent one-off limo on its exhibition stand.

One local collector was so smitten he would have had his staff carry it out of the hall on day one were it not for one thing: the price.

The firm had whispered a figure of $900,000, which upset the potential owner: he could never buy such a vehicle unless he could tell friends his new car had a seven-figure price.

Adjustments were hurriedly made - including the embroidery of an old master oil painting into the headlining, which doubled the car's value - and the purchase went through.

Back then, this was a rare story; today, tales of people competing to pay ever higher prices for cars are an emerging phenomenon. The global population of ultra-high-net-worth individuals (estates valued at $30 million-plus) grew by nearly 10% between 2025 and 2026, the biggest rise yet.

Plenty of them will be in the market for new Range Rovers, and most will want the best there is.

But don't run away with the idea that these consumers are pushovers. Most are canny; they know how many decades it takes for a car to acquire authenticity and achieve greatness.

So if Range Rover is about to coin it as never before, its success is directly down to the brilliance of the designers and engineers who started this journey back in the 1960s - and to the inspiration of their successors across every decade since.

Range Rover: 'the sky's the limit' for price of bespoke models

Thu, 6 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0100

Asilomar Edition is the most expensive factory-made Range Rover yet

Brand will focus on the "big business" of high-value commissions, mirroring luxury rivals

JLR has said "the sky is the limit" for Range Rover pricing, as it looks to increase its bespoke offerings and move firmly into luxury car territory.

Range Rover managing director Martin Limpert said: "We don't want to show up as a car company, we want to show up as a modern luxury company".

Last year the brand sold its first factory-supplied car for almost £500,000: the SV Asilomar edition, which was presented during Monterey Car Week.

Limpert told Autocar that it could and will go further: "I think the sky is the limit. We want to further evolve that business area.

"Bespoke is a really big business area for us. We curated for a US customer the SV Asilomar edition, which was sold for $550,000 [£410,230], roughly double the price of the Range Rover SV. But after elevating and curating it with the personal requirements, that's where we ended up."

Developing its bespoke offerings would put Range Rover firmly into the sphere of Bentley and towards Rolls-Royce.

Steve Cropley's view: Can Range Rover really rival Rolls-Royce? History says yes

Within the next year it plans on opening another 12 commissioning suites for its bespoke programme, so-called 'Range Rover Houses', which it said "offer clients a sanctuary to immerse themselves in luxury experiences and to be among the first in the world to see and drive some of Range Rover's most exclusive models".

Asked just how expensive a Range Rover could be, Limpert replied: "I don't see a limit. Honestly, I think it depends on the value that we generate for the customer. It really depends on the levels of personalisation capabilities, where we're really trying to push the boundaries - from paint jobs, to stitching, to embroidery, to getting a family crest or your family name on different places of the veneers and so on.

"In the future, can we use materials that are not currently part of our offering but that the customer wants to be included because they have a historical relationship to it, or something like this.

"It really depends ultimately on what value do we generate for our customers?"

As if to illustrate the point, Range Rover tuner Overfinch recently announced its 25-off Holland & Holland edition (below), one of which cost its owner £1 million, as testament to the amount buyers are willing to pay to make their Range Rover as bespoke as possible.

Despite the push upmarket, Limpert said the incoming GT will be a complementary fifth model in the Range Rover line-up rather than a replacement for either of its least expensive models, the Evoque and Velar.

"It's not replacing anything," he said, although those two models are eight and nine years old respectively and thought to be up for retirement soon. That would leave the entry point for a Range Rover with the GT, with a predicted starting price around £70,000.

Rival premium car manufacturers have shown it's possible to keep both very expensive and value models in the range: buyers can spend around £30,000 or well into six figures on cars from BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz.

But JLR aims to create bigger spaces between its three SUV marques: Defender, Discovery and Range Rover.

"That's the whole idea of setting up the House of Brands," said Limpert of JLR's move to reframe its three SUV brands, with Land Rover used only as a 'trust mark' on the SUVs and 4x4s.

"Speaking for my brand in that case," Limpert added, "the equity is already there: customers recognise it more as a Range Rover [than a Land Rover] already.

Defining the difference between the three brands, Limpert said: "Defender is all about rugged off-road capabilities - really about pure adventure. This is for those people that really want to go anywhere and do anything."

Discovery, meanwhile, "is all about versatility, family, togetherness. It's more about where the journey is the destination."

New models and the rebranding, Limpert said, were meant "really to give each their space and their room to define and grow their personalities." He added: "Not that we want to tell customers which brand to buy."

Inside the £410k Asilomar Edition

Unique look

Two-tone paint is inspired by the underwater landscapes of Monterey Bay, where the car was revealed. Special badges, colour-coded wheels and branded treadplates amp up uniqueness.

VIP cabin

Bespoke blue leather seats and accompanying cushions feature custom embroidery. An electronic wooden drinks table rises and folds out from between the fully reclining rear seats.

Extra goodies

The purchase price included a $5000 (£3730) donation to an ocean conservation fund and a fully customised, tailored set of golf clubs.

Amalfi Spider: Epic Greek blast in Ferrari's £227k 'entry' drop-top

Wed, 5 Aug 2026 13:00:00 +0100

Replacement for the Roma Spider promises not only more speed, but extra refinement and, ahem, stability

We dubbed it Honey Mountain. Ferrari’s events team, whose carefully prescribed route we plain ignored, would probably have dubbed it the arse end of nowhere.

But in this game, sometimes you have to take a punt on an unsolicited location-pin fired over by snapper Jack Harrison at midnight. It’s how you end up on a spellbinding Greek pass the next morning, gleefully climbing ever higher in what is, in all objective ways, the least serious car in Ferrari’s expansive modern day line-up.

The pass in question is an abandoned-feeling stretch of the EO66 that takes you over the Oligyrtos mountains in the Peloponnese region. Think dense reaches of fir and pine, limestone massifs and impossibly verdant valleys, threaded with a scribble of asphalt smooth enough for you to unleash laugh-outloud speed but rugged enough to keep things interesting.

And slatted boxes. Hundreds of them, pastel-hued and weather-worn, dotting the roadside. They’re crammed with bees busy making liquid gold for the towns below. It all feels faintly mythical, but perhaps that is to be expected. Among his labours, Heracles dealt with the man-eating Stymphalian birds only a few miles from the highest point of the pass.

We’re in Greece for the media launch of the new Amalfi Spider. It costs £227,000 and is the rag-top version of Ferrari’s entry-level Amalfi coupe. If you didn’t know better, you might have thought it damned with faint praise in last night’s uncharacteristically concise technical presentation at the hotel. It was described by engineers as being “as easy to drive as possible” and existing as the best option for new Ferraristi who – get this – might find the company’s cars an “intimidating step up from what they’re used to”.

Is the Amalfi Spider a car that Ferrari actually enjoyed creating or one it merely feels compelled to offer, to get people hooked on Maranello magic before their heads are turned by wares from Gaydon and Stuttgart?

The truth will soon become obvious, but this car is without doubt more approachable than the drop-top Ferraris it subordinates, the midengined 296 GTS and flagship, 1036hp 849 Testarossa Spider. I do wonder if positioning it as the dilettante’s choice sells it short, though. Let’s face facts: here we have a short wheelbase, steering response with which you could draw blood and a 3855cc twin-turbo V8 laying down 561lb from 3000rpm and 631bhp (spins faster than ever, too).

There’s also the small matter of a new Race mode, in which the fervour of the electronic stability systems has been diminished versus what you got in the old Roma Spider. ‘Easy to drive’ could be rebranded as ‘invites you to get unhinged, pronto’.

Before then, there are prosaic but nonetheless important elements. The freshly laid, glass-smooth motorway that takes us over from Attica, across the vertiginous slash in the landmass that is the manmade Corinth canal and into the vineyard-dotted Peloponnese bush is a chance to settle into the car’s unpretentious, cupped seats and take stock of what Ferrari says are myriad improvements to “quality of life on-board”.

The new electrohydraulically folding roof – five layers of fabric, three of rubber – is said to offer the same noise-insulation as a folding hard top, and in fairness this is difficult to dispute. The AmalfiSpider is a closer match for Bentley’s Continental GTC, as goes rolling refinement, than for any equivalent Porsche 911 convertible. I don’t think an Aston Martin Vantage Roadster, on its comically wide and roaring tyres, comes close either.

More impressive is what happens when you put the Amalfi’s roof down, which takes 13.5sec and can be done at 40mph. Keep the side windows up, deploy the rear seat-back panel as a turbulence-mitigation measure (it flips out to sit horizontal) and you need barely raise your voice to chat, even on rapid motorways runs. Uncanny.

The nose lift – not that you constantly need it, with the Amalfi’s unthreatening ride height – is also new and integrated into the Magneride dampers. Along with their springs, the dampers offer a broader spread of characteristics than Roma owners will know. Comfort mode is softer than before, Sport and Race firmer. And as ever, whichever mode you opt for via the anodised nub of the manettino, you can depress the dial itself to enter the ever-excellent Bumpy Road mode. This sets the suspension to its softest, no matter what the engine, gearbox and ESC are doing.

The Amalfi’s languid waft and confounding suppression of wild and tyre noise – that is, its phenomenal capability as a serious-distance GT car – can lull you into a false sense of security. In this case the brutal awakening comes when we leave the motorway via a wickedly tight corkscrew slip-road. After only deploying a couple of degrees of lock for the last 50 miles, in my mind the steering has become simpatico with the languid body movements you get in Comfort.

This is, of course, quite untrue. When I carry good speed and carve the Amalfi into this corkscrew using meaningful lock, the nose darts inwards so keenly that, just for a moment, a meeting with the Armco doesn’t feel out of the question. Clearly the Amalfi Spider’s EPS tuning is unchanged from that of the Roma Spider: this is the Max Verstappen school of sensitivity.

Your ability to live with and enjoy the vivid effects that your steering inputs have on the swinging, power-domed nose will define your suitability for Amalfi ownership. The helm of the 911 GTS Cabriolet is slower, more natural and gives the gift of letting you revel in the kinematics of camber and castor as the car straightens post-apex. Anybody can enjoy it without having to adjust. Like in all modern Ferraris, the steering here is more confected and provocative, being keen to take advantage of having an engine nestled so far back you could almost stub your toe on it. There are serious rewards on offer, but you have to be game.

We should also discuss the new body. Both cars were overseen by Flavio Manzoni, but the Roma’s tapered snout and pseudo-grille are firmly out, replaced by a more monolithic aesthetic. The Amalfi is a smart grand tourer and the hint of boat-tail is rather a lovely one, but it lacks its predecessor’s eccentric, darting elegance. It’s just a bit more ordinary.

Underneath the body the two cars are essentially unchanged. This becomes obvious when you notice the identical claimed dry weight of 1556kg for Roma and Amalfi Spiders. However, there are tweaks. The turbos now spin faster in order to help pump peak power up from 29bhp in the Roma to the Amalfi’s headline 631bhp. There are also lighter camshafts that raise the flat-plane crankshaft’s head room by 100rpm to 7600rpm. And finally there are the carbon-ceramic brakes, which are now gripped courtesy of a by-wire mechanism. It means that, behind the scenes, you benefit from the ABS Evo system originall masterminded for the 296 GTB supercar.

To reach the foot of the Oligyrtos range, you need to join the EO66 at the comatose township of Nemea. As the buildings peter out, there’s a snaking run that slowly rises through olive groves and corridors of dense reeds, inhabited only by the occasional Mk2 Mitsubishi L200 that all the farmers here seem to drive.

With the manettino in Sport and Bumpy Road mode engaged, the Amalfi Spider is stunningly supple and cohesive – unrecognisably so compared with the California that started this lineage back in 2008. It has verve and togetherness. Where the nose goes, the tail obediently falls in with a purposeful squat, dropping the four tips of the reworked exhaust plumbing an inch or so closer to the road under power. It’s effortlessly quick.

Speeds inevitably rise and very soon, all thoughts of the soft-close doors, the new physical steering-wheel controls (a vast improvement on the derided haptics) and rolling refinement have faded. But the engineers were right: this is an incredibly low-cortisol Ferrari when you’re just mooching. Which only heightens the surprise and the delight when you’re not.

And now we reach the pass. The only real way to go is to select that freer Race mode, at least until you have a good understanding of the car’s transition from grip to slip. This can happen rapidly but in the dry it never happens unexpectedly.

The V8 is also precise enough for anybody to enjoy gently over-rotating the notably narrow (285-section) rear Goodyears on exit, for a tiny opening of lock. Given half a chance, the car will slither everywhere in such fashion. Or you can smash the torque in and ride out a filthy great broad slide, although you need to select ESC Off mode for this. Does any other Ferrari invite you to steer using the long, indulgently sprung throttle pedal as enthusiastically as the Amalfi?

At the same time, this new chassis is more forgiving than before. In Sport or even Comfort modes, if a corner ended up being sharper than expected, it wasn’t uncommon for the Roma’s tail to go wandering on a trailing brake. Some of us loved this impetuous, in-built agility, but the Amalfi , with its new 6D chassis controller, is less impishly mobile in normal driving. That’s handy in a car just 6mm narrower than the 12Cilindri.

We hit the top of the pass with the morning shadows receding and Harrison steps out to get a shot of the Amalfi’s nose next to one of the beehives. Unfortunately for him, I neglect to kill the booming V8 via the now-physical stop-start button. For the poor bees this is the equivalent of a T-Rex inserting its head through your bedroom window, so Harrison beats an undignified retreat and now it’s time for some conclusions.

We both feel the lack of sonic fireworks is disappointing. In fairness, Ferrari is now at the stage of having to use thinner engine oil simply to get this unit emissions-compliant. Along with the turbos and catalytic converters, creating real acoustic emotion is tough.

Neither do I much like the now-mandatory passenger-side display. And while Ferrari has reduced the stack height of the roof to 22cm when stowed, it does chomp into the boot space that is already limited by the hulking, Magna-engineered eight-speed transaxle lurking below. The Spider’s 172 litres with the roof down is reason to go for the coupé if you enjoy touring.

But this is otherwise a pretty stunning little Ferrari with some roguish charm. Consider the bowstring compliance that will be the envy of certain mid-engined machines; the balance and sled-like aptitude for oversteer; the uncanny refinement; the miniscule handling concessions from having more weight and a higher centre of gravity than the coupé; the V8 complemented by an exquisite, versatile dual-clutch gearbox.

The open-air Amalfi is pricier than rivals and, gulp, costs £49,000 more that its forebear did in 2023. But Ferrari has taken this car to a place that will be tough to match, let alone beat. Never tiring but never dull, it’s an underrated honey.

Specification	Details
Price	£227,260
Engine	V8, 3855cc, twin-turbocharged. petrol
Power	631bhp at 7500rpm
Torque	561lb ft at 3000-5750rpm
Gearbox	8-spd twin-clutch automatic, RWD
Dry weight	1556kg (with options)
0-62mph	3.3sec
Top speed	200mph
Economy	tbc
CO2, tax band	257g/km
Rivals	Porsche 911 Carrera GTS Cabriolet, Aston Martin Vantage Roadster, Mercedes-AMG SL63

Who is China really stealing sales from?

Wed, 5 Aug 2026 12:23:39 +0100

It's not the easy prey at the bottom but some mid-market stalwarts that are losing out

On the face of it, the UK new car market is a land of milk and honey again for car makers selling here, with sales up nearly 10% year on year.

Given that increase, you'd expect to see general growth across the board – or at least no worse than standing still – but the volume of new entrants from China means there are a significant amount of losers.

Patterns are now emerging and the mid-market is where the action is happening for Chinese brands and where the impact is being felt by established car makers.

There are five brands who are really making an impact on the UK and have sold more than 20,000 cars here so far this year: BYD, Chery, Jaecoo, MG and Omoda. They've captured around 180,000 of the UK's nearly 1.3 million new car sales this year, which is around 14% of the market.

Add in Leapmotor and Geely and you're pushing the 200,000 mark. Everyone else from China – Changan, GWM, Aion, Xpeng – is for now making up the numbers.

The sales success of those five brands has demonstrated that China can sell cars at significant volumes, and not all of those sales are additive.

It's the mid-market stalwarts – those operating a level below the very biggest sellers in the UK – that have seen their sales dip the most, with an obvious pattern.

Nissan's sales are down almost 16% this year, Hyundai's almost 9% and Peugeot's 15%. These are brands that have so far sold just under or over 50,000 cars in the UK this year, a similar volume to BYD and MG.

At a couple of rungs below at around the 20,000 volume, Chery and Omoda have pushed ahead of Honda and Mazda, which have recorded 16% and 21% drops respectively this year.

Above the middle market, and into the upper echelons of the UK car sales, the drops are smaller: Volkswagen, Ford and BMW have had small single-digit drops while Audi and Kia have managed to increase sales, albeit not at the same pace of growth of the market overall. China is having an impact there but currently it is not a crisis. Standing still here is progress of sorts. For now…

It's hard to get too much of a read on what impact China is having on the smaller players in the market – the likes of Alfa Romeo, DS and Jeep, for example – because their sales are so relatively small and other factors can cause them to spike them up or down, making China more likely an excuse than a reason.

China is having success in the mid-market by offering a lot of car for not a lot of money. Heavily leaning toward electric models, Chinese brands aren't bogged down by the ZEV mandate targets that legacy car makers are wrestling with.

Crucially, they also enjoy far lower production costs. That makes aggressive fleet discounting or non-retail giveaway deals viable for them, where it would be financial suicide for legacy players.

The mid-market has long felt the squeeze from those both above and below it, but China is a different kind of threat because its marques enter with brand and badge neutrality; you don't know what you're going to get from a BYD but you recognise its best cars as being cheap without feeling cheap.

What is Nissan beyond the Qashqai? Name three cars from the Honda range. What's the best-selling Peugeot? Try and spot a Hyundai when you take the badge off the bonnet. What was the last new Mazda?

The mid-market isn't a total struggle in the UK for established players: Vauxhall, Renault and Skoda are doing well. They also feel like brands that have a plan and an identity, with a centre of gravity in their ranges, be it the small EVs from Renault, the SUV consistency from Skoda, or the value push from Vauxhall.

But the question has long been asked about who the losers will be when the Chinese car industry starts to sell at volume overseas. Now, we're starting to see those who are feeling the pain.

New Denza D9 is a £75k luxury MPV with plug-in hybrid power

Wed, 5 Aug 2026 11:54:54 +0100

Four-wheel-drive rival to Lexus LM is fourth model in Chinese luxury brand's expanding UK range

BYD-owned luxury brand Denza is now taking orders for its fourth model, a luxury MPV to rival the Lexus LM and Mercedes-Benz V-Class.

The D9 joins the Z9 GT shooting brake, Bao 5 SUV and Z supercar in an expanding line-up of models designed to compete with the European premium stalwarts.

Priced from £75,000, it undercuts the LM by almost £23,000 and is roughly in line with what the new Mercedes VLE is expected to cost when it lands next year.

The D9 is a plug-in hybrid, featuring an electric motor on each axle – making 228bhp at the front and 60bhp at the rear – and a 119bhp 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine.

Denza hasn't quoted a combined power output but said the big seven-seater will crack 0-62mph in 8.6sec.

Meanwhile, a 58.5kWh battery under the floor allows for an electric-only range of up to 130 miles and is compatible with BYD's new ultra-rapid Flash chargers, which can fill it from 10-70% in just five minutes.

Like the Z9 and Bao 5, the D9 is equipped with BYD's DiSus active suspension system, which adjusts compression and rebound rates on the move to "deliver both assured body control through the corners with a supple ride on rougher road surfaces".

As standard, the D9 comes equipped with electric sliding doors, leather seats, a panoramic roof, cooled and heated storage compartments and LCD control panels for each second-row passenger.

Step up to £85,000 Ultimate trim and it gains 'zero-gravity' seats in the middle row, with 14-way adjustment, 16-point massaging and the ability to recline almost horizontal - plus 12.8in screens within the front headrests.

Deliveries will begin in the coming months.

5 ways to prepare your car for the summer holidays

Wed, 5 Aug 2026 11:50:00 +0100

With temperatures topping 30°C again, now's the perfect time for your car's essential summer health check

If it feels like this summer has barely let up, you're not imagining it. The UK has now recorded temperatures of 35°C or higher in May, June and July alike – something that's never happened in the same year’s weather records before.

When spells of hot, dry weather push the mercury into the thirties, your car needs to work harder than it has all year. Combine this with summer holidays where soaring temperatures are paired with days out and even longer trips away from home, and you’ll want to be reassured your car is well maintained and fit for the job.

Long motorway miles, a fully loaded boot and cabin temperatures that would make anyone wilt all add up to more stress on your car than the average commute. A few minutes of preparation now can be the difference between a smooth departure and a trip-spoiling roadside emergency.

So, from air con to abroad-driving rules, we’ve partnered with Kwik Fit to list the five things worth checking before you set off, with the biggest one – you guessed it, tyres – saved until last.

Get your free summer tyre check today

#1 Get your air con checked (and regassed if needed)

There's nothing that saps holiday enthusiasm faster than a car that can't keep its cool. Air conditioning systems naturally lose a small amount of refrigerant every year – usually around 10% – even without a fault, so a system that felt fine last summer might blow lukewarm air by the time this one arrives. If your car is taking longer to cool down, or the air coming through the vents isn't as cold as it used to be, it's worth having it looked at before you're relying on it for a five-hour drive to your favourite coastal spot.

A basic air con check is quick and inexpensive, and it can flag a slow refrigerant leak before it becomes a bigger, more expensive problem. If a regas is needed, most garages – Kwik Fit included – can do it in under an hour, and it's the sort of job that's easy to book alongside anything else you're having done, or while you enjoy an iced latte at the nearest cafe.

It isn't just about comfort, either. A cabin that's stiflingly hot is a genuine distraction behind the wheel, and tired, overheated drivers react more slowly and can make rash decisions. On a long journey with restless kids in the back, keeping the car cool is as much about concentration and safety as it is about anyone's temper. It's also worth checking your pollen filter at the same time – a clogged one restricts airflow and makes the whole system work harder, which is especially noticeable during a hot, dry summer when pollen and dust are everywhere. Hayfever sufferers will feel much better too, and avoid the sore eyes that are the last thing you need on a long drive. A five minute check now could save hours of serious discomfort later in summer traffic.

Book your air-con ragas

#2 Top up and check your fluids

Engine oil, coolant and screenwash rarely get a second thought until something goes wrong, but hot weather and long-distance driving put more strain on all three than a typical school run ever will. Coolant is the big one: it's what stops your engine overheating, and it works considerably harder on a warm day with the air con running and a full car than it does on a cool, unladen commute. Low coolant on a busy motorway in July is a recipe for a breakdown at the worst possible moment.

Checking oil and coolant levels takes a couple of minutes with the bonnet up and costs nothing, and most garages like your local Kwik Fit will happily do it for you as part of a wider free vehicle health check. It's also a good moment to pop out the dipstick and check if the oil looks the right golden colour and thin consistency, rather than dark and sludgy, since a long, hot trip is exactly the sort of driving that shows up a car that's overdue for a service.

Screenwash is easy to overlook but just as important in summer – dust, pollen, insect smears and road grime build up fast on a hot dry road, and an empty washer bottle is a genuine hazard when you're driving into low evening sun with the visor down and glare already doing you no favours.

It's worth giving brake fluid a mention too, particularly if you're planning on towing a caravan or driving down some unfamiliar, mountainous foreign roads – heavier loads and sustained braking both ask more of the system. None of this needs to be complicated. A free check at a Kwik Fit centre will run through oil, coolant, brake fluid and screenwash in one visit, so there's no reason to be guessing what surprises lurk under the bonnet before a long trip.

Book your free fluids check today

#3 Know the rules if you're driving abroad

If your summer holiday involves a ferry crossing or the Channel Tunnel rather than the airport, there's a bit of homework to do before you leave, because the rules for driving in Europe have shifted since Brexit and it's easy to be caught out by outdated advice.

Since September 2021, GB stickers have been retired in favour of 'UK' – though if your number plate already carries the UK identifier with the Union Jack flag, you won't need a separate sticker for most countries. Spain, Cyprus and Malta are the exceptions, where a UK sticker is required regardless of what's on your plate.

You'll also want your V5C logbook and proof of insurance in the car, and it's worth checking whether your policy needs extending for time spent overseas, since many providers only offer a set number of days of European cover as standard. If you're heading further afield, it's also worth knowing that British citizens will soon need an ETIAS travel authorisation to enter many European countries – a quick online form, but one more thing to sort ahead of time rather than at the border. This was planned for introduction in late 2026, but now looks to have been delayed until 2027. When it is introduced, it is expected to cost around £17 and last for three years.

Beyond documents, most European countries expect you to carry a warning triangle, a high-vis vest for each occupant and a first aid kit. If you're driving a right-hand-drive on the opposite side of the road to normal, you'll need headlamp beam deflectors to stop your dipped beam dazzling oncoming traffic – some cars with advanced adaptive headlights allow you to switch this within the headlight settings.

Some countries have their own quirks on top – France, for instance, has specific rules around breathalyser kits and low-emission zones in certain cities – so a quick check of the destination-specific advice is worth the ten minutes it takes. None of it is complicated, but it's far easier to sort at home than to discover a gap in your paperwork or kit at a toll booth.

#4 Pack smart and don't overload the car

It's tempting to treat the boot as a bottomless pit once the beach bags, bikes and camping gear start piling up, but every car has a maximum load weight for good reason. An overloaded car sits differently on the road, takes longer to stop, and puts more strain on suspension, brakes and, crucially, tyres than they're designed for.

Your vehicle's handbook or the plate inside the driver's door will tell you the maximum permitted weight, and it's worth a rough mental tally before you start strapping things to the roof. You’ll also need to adjust tyre pressures to the manufacturer’s recommended settings for a fully laden vehicle. You can find this information through Kwik Fit’s handy online tool here.

Roof boxes and bike racks are brilliant for freeing up interior space, but they also change how your car handles, particularly in crosswinds, and they increase fuel or energy consumption more than most people expect. If you're using one, distribute weight evenly and keep heavier items low and central where possible, both inside the car and up top.

It's also worth having a plan for the unexpected: a charged phone, a basic breakdown kit and a note of your cover provider's number will make any hold-up far less stressful, especially with children counting down the miles to the caravan site.

A fully loaded car behaves differently to the one you're used to driving on the commute or school run, so it's worth a few minutes to think about what's going in, where, and how much it all weighs. It's a simple habit, but one that pays off the moment the road gets twisty or the weather turns – which brings us to the part of the car that has to cope with all that extra weight, in all conditions, using nothing but four small contact patches with the road.

#5 Check your tyres – the single most important job on this list

Everything else on this list matters, but nothing affects how safely your car handles a long summer drive quite like its tyres. They're the only part of the car actually touching the road, and with a fully loaded boot, higher speeds and hotter tarmac all working against them, summer is exactly when tyres are put under the most strain. In fact, Kwik Fit’s research has found that one in eight drivers have suffered tyre problems on summer holiday journeys.

Heat is a genuine factor here, not just a talking point. Hot road surfaces increase the operating temperature of a tyre that's already working harder because of extra weight and longer journeys, and that combination accelerates wear on tyres that are already close to the legal limit. The legal minimum tread depth in the UK is 1.6mm, but braking performance – especially in the wet, which UK summers still have no shortage of – drops off noticeably well before you reach that limit.

It's worth checking tread depth (a 20p coin pushed into the main grooves is the classic test: if you can see the outer band of the coin, it's time for new tyres), tyre pressures, which change with temperature and load, and the sidewalls for any cracking, bulges or damage that could turn into a blowout at motorway speed. Recent research for Kwik Fit found that almost one in ten drivers had set off on a summer holiday knowing there was a problem with their car, but they just hoped it would be OK until they got home again. If you’ve been living with a tyre with a slow puncture, never head out on a long motorway trip before having it inspected to find out what the cause is, and if it can be safely repaired or needs to be replaced.

This is where it's worth having a professional take a proper look rather than guessing. Kwik Fit offers a free tyre check at every one of its UK centres, with no obligation to buy anything, so there's no reason not to get a second opinion before a long trip. If you do need new tyres, same-day fitting is available both in-store and via Kwik Fit's mobile fitting service, which sends a technician to your home or workplace – useful if you've left it late or a problem crops up in the days before you're due to leave.

With a wide range of tyres to suit every budget, there's no need to overspend, but it is worth choosing quality: a tyre like the Continental PremiumContact 7, for example, is built around strong wet grip and braking performance, exactly what you want underneath a fully loaded car on an unfamiliar road, possibly in a rainstorm, hundreds of miles from home.

Ultimately, tyres are a safety item first and a performance one second. Fresh air con and full fluids will make the journey more comfortable, and knowing the rules abroad will save you a headache at the border, but it's four small patches of rubber that decide how well your car stops, steers and grips when it matters. Give them the once-over before you go, and the rest of the items on this list can easily fall into place around them.

Book your free tyre check today

EVs and hybrids drive UK car market to best July since Covid

Wed, 5 Aug 2026 10:22:05 +0100

Renault 5 (middle) was the UK's favourite EV in July

Registrations of electric cars rose by 44.5% compared with July 2025 – although petrol cars are still on top

Last month was the strongest July for new car sales in the UK since the Covid pandemic, as a significant rise in sales of hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric cars drove growth.

A total of 156,571 new cars were registered during July, an increase of 11.7% compared with July 2025 and close to the 157,580 recorded during the same month in 2019.

EV registrations rose by 44.5% compared with July 2025, to 43,106. That means that for the year so far, EVs have accounted for just over one in four of all new cars sold – a significant improvement on a year ago but still short of the 33% target set by the government’s zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) attributed the rise in EV sales to the continued roll-out of the government’s Electric Car Grant and discounting.

It also suggested the rise in petrol and diesel fuel prices triggered by the Iran war may have swayed buyers towards EVs and hybrids.

PHEV sales rose 33.6% year on year, to 23,359, while sales of conventional (or ‘self-charging’) hybrids rose 11.6%, to 20,711.

Registrations of pure-petrol cars, meanwhile, declined significantly. They fell from 66,271 to 62,799, a reduction of 5.2%.

Although they remain the predominant choice of UK buyers, petrol cars’ market share fell from 47.3% in July 2025 to 40.1% in July 2026.

This means that electrified cars – ie those capable of driving solely on electric power – now account for more than half of all new car sales in the UK.

SMMT chief Mike Hawes warned, however, that this growth “cannot be sustained”. He claimed that car makers are “haemorrhaging billions” by discounting their EVs in order to stimulate demand sufficient to meet their ZEV mandate targets.

Hawes has previously called on the government to accelerate its review of the ZEV mandate and smooth the annual inclines in EV sales targets, as the UK approaches its 2035 deadline for sales of new ICE cars.

EV-focused transport research organisation New Automotive said that, taking into account the credit-banking and credit-trading flexibilities built into the ZEV mandate scheme, sales are tracking ahead of targets.

Although the official target for EV sales for 2026 is 33%, New Automotive estimates a real target of 24.6%, and the EV market share for the full year currently stands at 25.3%.

The best-selling car in July was the Ford Puma, a regular chart-topper, with 3531 registrations. It was followed by the Nissan Qashqai (3224) and Kia Sportage (3205). The best-selling EV, meanwhile, was the Renault 5 (1805).

Notably, Chinese newcomer Jaecoo had two models in July’s top 10 best-sellers. Its 5 and 7 SUVs scored 2481 and 2709 registrations respectively.

Used EV repair scheme looks to tackle cliff-edge residual drops

Wed, 5 Aug 2026 09:58:45 +0100

New BCA scheme aims to raise confidence in ex-fleet used EVs and make them more attractive to buyers

BCA has opened an industry-first facility offering cost-effective battery repairs for de-fleeted electric and hybrid vehicles, aimed at helping them find homes with second-hand buyers.

The site in Doncaster is managed by BCA Fleet Solutions and offers diagnostics, repairs and replacements for high-voltage components including the battery, inverter, drive motor and on-board charging system, with work carried out to OEM standards.

The facility is equipped to work on all makes and models, focused on vehicles with an expired or invalidated warranty. BCA says it will use “green” (used) parts where available.

The used electric car market is breaking records for volume each quarter as it receives the influx of three- to five-year-old ex-fleet cars, many of which were leased to company car and salary sacrifice schemes following the introduction of ultra-low tax rates in April 2020.

At 86,943 units, EVs accounted for 4.3% of all used car sales in the first quarter of this year, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), and that supply is increasing.

The latest data from HM Revenue & Customs shows 51% of company car drivers (467,000 of them) were in electric cars in 2024/25. That’s a sizeable jump from the 7% share (52,000 drivers) in 2020/21.

However, with supply surging, comparatively few incentives available for second-hand buyers and sizeable discounts on new cars, the leasing sector is claiming large losses as companies face “cliff-edge” residual values when those vehicles are auctioned at the end of what’s typically a three-year contract.

Used vehicle leasing is rising in popularity, which helps spread depreciation over a longer period, but companies have warned they could need to inflate monthly rentals on new cars to cover the risk of further losses – and that would make them more expensive for both fleets and private customers.

Industry body the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA), whose members operate 750,000 EVs (more than a third of the two million on UK roads), has called for standardised battery health certificates to give buyers more confidence and make vehicles easier to sell.

With more than 1000 EVs going through its auctions each week, BCA has launched several services to support demand, claiming vehicles are selling quickly and at higher prices than the residual value guides have forecast.

In 2024, the company introduced a battery service report working with specialist firm Aviloo, which produces a health score out of 100 and issues condition grades from A to E, then supplies a full report to winning bidders that they can pass on to customers.

Within a year, BCA claimed the 22,000 vehicles auctioned with battery health reports averaged a 1.4% improvement over the guide price and a 2.7-day reduction in time-to-sale, showing higher confidence among dealers that they could sell them on.

This builds on the EV/Hybrid Assured Report, introduced in 2019, which includes diagnostics and drive tests, and assesses the condition of vehicles’ charging ports, cables and inverter coolant levels.

Paul Bromley, managing director of BCA Fleet Solutions, said: “Rather than simply replacing expensive batteries, we investigate the cause and repair or replace components, delivering a cost-effective and timely solution that means EVs and hybrid vehicles can be repaired and offered for sale without undue delay.

“This helps to foster a circular economy, driving environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals and ensuring these vehicles reach the market in the best possible condition to attract buyers.”

Chery Tiggo 4

Wed, 5 Aug 2026 07:54:00 +0100

Chery bids to make up on lost time against other Chinese budget brands with a particularly low-budget hybrid SUV You may have read a great deal, over the last year or so, about the rising fortunes of Chinese budget brands within the UK market. They are certainly enjoying a period of rapid expansion. But some are growing faster than others, and some have yet to really hit what you might call ‘the big time’ as far as car sales on our shores are concerned. That’s why cars with the potential to fuel rapid transformation suddenly appearing. Right now, the race is on to grab as big a slice of the UK pie as possible before somebody else beats you to it – and the Chery Tiggo 4 has the look of a car with some serious buffet-blocking elbows.As figures recently released for car registrations for the first half of 2026 confirm, the only Chinese brand with a place among the UK’s top 10 best-selling car makers remains MG. BYD and Chery’s own Jaecoo brand both have berths within the top 20, however, and both currently have much faster rates of growth than MG’s. Blink, then, and all this could be different.The interesting quirk about Chery’s particular case is that both of its offshoot brands - Jaecoo and Omoda - were introduced to the UK earlier than the Chery brand itself so are slightly both better-established in terms of UK volume and market share. That situation is what the Tiggo 4 might be out to justify, because it’s quite a lot of pretty conventional car for really not a lot of money - a recipe that has proven popular time and again, and not only in the UK.The Tiggo 4 is a hybrid-powered compact SUV. It has an upright and chunky look. It’s a useful-looking size, straddling the SUV-B (Dacia Duster, Kia Stonic) and SUV-C (Nissan Qashqai, Citroën C5 Aircross) segments. It’s got good, appealing on-paper performance and economy statistics. Yet it’s conspicuously cheap, starting from just £19,995, when even the average Ford Puma rival is typically several thousand pounds more.So is there a catch? And will owners really care even if there are a few of them, given how much car they’re getting and how little they’re paying here?

Vauxhall Corsa GSE: New hot hatch outpaces Golf GTI for £9k less

Wed, 5 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0100

Electric sports Corsa brings stiffer suspension, limited-slip differential and a series of retro nods

The Vauxhall Corsa GSE will be quicker yet cheaper than the Volkswagen Golf GTI when it lands in the UK later this year.

Despite being pitched in the traditional ‘junior’ hot hatch class, once occupied by cars such as the Ford Fiesta ST, the new EV has the performance to outmatch many full-sized performance cars.

With 277bhp, it takes 5.5sec to hit 62mph from rest, beating the 5.9sec of the benchmark Golf GTI - and the 5.7sec taken by its electric equivalent, the Volkswagen ID 3 GTX.

That also makes the Corsa GSE quicker than the rival Alpine A290 (6.4sec).

The Corsa GSE will be priced from £34,495, or £32,995 if – as expected – it gets the £1500 Electric Car Grant from which the standard Corsa benefits. That's roughly on a par with the A290, and £9000 less than the GTI.

The Corsa GSE is Vauxhall’s first hot hatch since it discontinued the Corsa VXR eight years ago and is claimed to bring "the sporty GSi genes of the Vauxhall Nova into the future".

As with the new GTi version of its Peugeot 208 twin, the Corsa GSE swaps the regular Corsa Electric’s 154bhp motor for the 277bhp unit that's also deployed in the Abarth 600e, Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica Veloce and Vauxhall Mokka GSE.

Power is delivered to the front wheels through a Torsen limited-slip differential and Vauxhall said it has tuned the throttle and brake pedal responses to emphasise the GSE's sportiness. The car also gets reworked axles front and rear, as well as stiffer anti-roll bars and new dampers with hydraulic bump stops.

The suspension sits lower than the regular Corsa's and the cambered 18in alloy wheels are fitted with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres. Both the weight and feedback of the steering have been increased and the rack is quicker. Stopping power is provided by four-pot Alcon brakes front and rear. Three-spoke alloys hark back to those on the original hot Nova, with a flat-faced design to improve aero performance.

As with the regular Corsa, the GSE features several drive modes that alter the car's character. In its normal setting, it is capped at 228bhp to preserve range. The Eco mode cuts this further – although Vauxhall has yet to confirm to what extent – and limits the top speed to 93mph. Sport mode, said to be designed for track use, uncorks the full 277bhp.

The exterior tweaks that distinguish the Corsa GSE from regular variants are more subtle than with the previous VXR. Indeed, its treatment with black contrasts around its vents and wheel arches echoes the relationship between the early 1990s Nova GSi and its stablemates.

Inside, it is clear that the GSE is a more focused proposition than the standard Corsa, with chunky tartan bucket seats, green seatbelts and an Alcantara-trimmed steering wheel. The pedals, meanwhile, are finished in aluminium.

Alongside the pricing, Vauxhall confirmed the Corsa GSE has an official range of 232 miles – 31 miles greater than the closely related Mokka GSE.

As previously reported by Autocar, the hot Corsa will be followed by a high-performance variant of the larger Astra to rival the Golf GTI.

This will look to capitalise on the gap in the market left by the discontinued Ford Focus ST and Honda Civic Type R while also trading blows with the Cupra Born VZ and Kia EV3 GT.

The GSE sub-brand is instrumental in Vauxhall's plan to shed its dowdy image and cultivate a new, more desirable one. This, it is understood, is because new Chinese competitors majoring on value threaten to steal what has long been one of Vauxhall's main selling points.

"Vauxhall scores highly for rational appeal but not so much the emotional," the brand's commercial director, Michael Auliar, told Autocar.

Vauxhall-Opel CEO Florian Huetti previously said "sportiness" represents the "next step" for the British and German brands as they look to better differentiate themselves from in-house Stellantis siblings, such as Peugeot and Citroën.

	VAUXHALL CORSA GSE	ALPINE A290 GTS+	MINI JCW ELECTRIC
Price	£32,995	£34,245	£34,905
Power	277bhp	215bhp	255bhp
Weight	1550kg (est)	1479kg	1725kg
0-62mph	5.5sec	6.4sec	5.9sec