Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2021 i What Car?

What Car?|November 2021

WELCOME

Back in 2009, when the UK Government introduced a scrappage scheme to try to reverse a slump in car sales, the big winners were Hyundai and its sister brand Kia; they could barely keep up with demand for their ultra-affordable i10 and Picanto city cars. However, even then there was talk from company executives of wanting to move upmarket. ‘Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 and Kia’s EV6 have the potential to be landmark models’ I’ll admit, at the time I thought this seemed fanciful. But the two brands have absolutely delivered, with each now offering a wide range of cars that sell based on their all-round talents rather than budget pricing. For all the progress, though, it could be argued that you still buy a Hyundai or Kia with your head rather…

1 min

What Car?|November 2021

Skoda Fabia

John.Howell@haymarket.com THERE ARE SMALL cars that are cheap, but you feel every penny of the cost savings. There are small cars that you pay a premium for but, even without Sherlock-style scrutiny, you find yourself wondering “What’s all the fuss about?”. And then there’s the Skoda Fabia – a car that feels more than the sum of its parts, for less than you’d expect those parts to cost. Deliveries of the all-new, fourth-generation Fabia will begin at the tail end of this year. It’s longer, wider and lower than before and is available with new features, such as digital instruments, a heated steering wheel and a heated windscreen. Full LED headlights and tail-lights are now standard and the list of safety aids includes lane assist, blindspot warning and rear cross-traffic…

6 min

What Car?|November 2021

Toyota Yaris Cross

Dan.Jones@haymarket.com TWO THINGS TOYOTA is well known for are SUVs and small hybrid cars, so it’s actually fairly surprising that the brand didn’t think to combine the two rather sooner. Well, the all-new Yaris Cross does just that. As with the Yaris hatchback on which it’s based, there’s just one engine available: a 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol, working with an electric motor to improve performance and efficiency. Unlike the regular Yaris and most of its rivals, though, it offers the option of four-wheel drive for extra traction. With a 0-62mph time of 11.2sec, the Yaris Cross isn’t as quick off the line as like-for-like rivals such as the Ford Puma and Skoda Kamiq, but the electric motor does give it enough low-rev shove. EV mode allows you to crawl along in…

Will.Nightingale@haymarket.com SAY HELLO TO an electric car that its maker claims can charge faster than a Tesla, go farther than a Hyundai Ioniq 5 and, if you choose the right version, even out-accelerate a Porsche Taycan 4S. Yes, the new Kia EV6 certainly has some impressive on-paper credentials. And that shouldn’t come as a surprise, because Kia has more experience in the art of making electric cars than many other brands. It launched the original Soul EV back in 2014 before following that up with the ahead-of-its-time e-Niro – the latter becoming the first electric car to win our overall Car of the Year award in 2019. Unlike both of those forerunners, though, the EV6 has been designed from the outset to be a bespoke electric vehicle (EV); its designers…

8 min

What Car?|November 2021

Volkswagen ID.2

Darren.Moss@haymarket.com A GREAT THING about any new technology is that, over time, it’s bound to become cheaper. One of the first commercially available mobile phones, for example – the Motorola DynaTAC – cost the equivalent of £2890 when it was released in 1984; these days you can find better, more advanced phones on Amazon for as little as £10. The same is true of electric cars; where once they were seen as expensive, now there’s a green choice to suit a wide range of budgets. And now, with the launch of the new Volkswagen ID.2, the threshold for going electric is about to fall once again. Serving as the entry point into Volkswagen’s growing range of electric cars, the ID.2 is expected to cost from just £17,000 when sales begin…

3 min

What Car?|November 2021

Dacia Duster

Neil.Winn@haymarket.com IF YOU’VE EVER tackled a ‘spot the difference’ puzzle in a children’s quiz book, you’ll enjoy the challenge of identifying the changes between the refreshed Duster and the outgoing model. If you recognise the new Y-shaped LED headlights, LED indicators, tweaked grille design, elongated spoiler and aero-optimised wheels, we’ll give you a point for each of them. Instead of making big physical changes, Dacia claims to have focused its attention on improving areas where current Duster customers are dissatisfied – a refreshingly honest approach, we thought, and one that has even had an impact on the model’s trim structure. Entry-level Access trim, for example, has been dropped due to a lack of interest. Instead, the range now starts with Essential, which has steel wheels and manual air conditioning. Alloy…

STAR RATINGS TARGET PRICE The What Car? Target Price is the maximum you should pay for a new car and is set by our mystery shoppers. It’s updated each month and our approved dealers guarantee to match it. However, in a lot of cases, they can save you even more: just visit whatcar.com/new-car-deals or call 03302 216207 between 9am and 5pm (standard network fees apply). All Target Prices are correct at the time of going to press. TARGET PCP The Target PCP is a fair Target PCP monthly fee if you’re taking out a personal £ contract purchase (PCP) finance deal, also set by our mystery shoppers. Most are over 48 months with a 15% deposit and an 8000-mile annual limit. Those marked with an asterisk are over 36 months…

4 min

What Car?|November 2021

Mercedes-Benz EQE

Steve.Huntingford@haymarket.com LIKE THE DEATH of Mark Twain, it seems the end of the saloon car has been greatly exaggerated. Yes, the popularity of SUVs shows no sign of waning as we move into the electric era, but some car makers clearly still see sufficient demand for lower-riding models to justify electrifying those as well. Indeed, with the unveiling of the EQE, Mercedes-Benz has given us two new fully electric saloons in a matter of months. Sitting below the larger and more luxury-oriented EQS in the company’s range, the EQE will cost from around £60,000 and take on the BMW i4 and Tesla Model 3. Externally, the EQE closely resembles its bigger brother, with a sweeping, coupélike roofline and a smooth panel where the front grille would usually be, to help…

2 min

What Car?|November 2021

Mercedes-Benz EQS

Jim.Holder@haymarket.com MERCEDES-BENZ HAS A lot riding on the EQS, which aims to offer S-Class luxury while running on fuel you get in kilowatts rather than gallons. You see, while the brand’s EQA, EQB, EQC and EQV are essentially electric versions of existing petrol and diesel-engined models and have to make compromises to achieve their zero-emissions goals, this EQS flagship was designed from the ground up to be an electric car (or EV) – so there’s no excuses if it’s not up to scratch. Fortunately, the EQS 450+ prototype we’ve tried (more powerful twin-motor versions will also be offered) impressed us enough to quash any doubts. Its steering is precise, it’s impressively composed when changing lane at speed, and there’s plenty of grip and little body lean in corners. However, its…

2 min

What Car?|November 2021

Porsche Macan

Neil.Winn@haymarket.com IF YOU’RE READING this and thinking, “Ah, finally, the new electric Macan has arrived”, let us just stop you right there. An all-electric version of Porsche’s best-selling sports SUV is on the way, but not until 2023. For now, the current model has been given a subtle facelift. If you look closely, you’ll spot a reshaped front grille, new LED headlights, a revised rear diffuser and different wheel designs. Meanwhile, range-topping GTS models stand out with their black exterior highlights and rear diffuser. Inside, a redesigned centre console brings the Macan into line with its larger sibling, the Cayenne, with the physical buttons that ran the entire length of the centre console being replaced with touch-sensitive, illuminated pads. We suspect many buyers will like the tech-focused new look, but…

BMW i4 Price from £51,905 Data fact Range-topping M50 version of BMW’s electric exec whips from 0-62mph in 3.9sec, thanks to its 476bhp electric motor Vauxhall Combo-e Life Price from £34,11 Data fact Five or seven-seat electric MPV has a 174-mile official range Volvo C40 Recharge Price from £57,400 Data fact Electric coupé SUV version of XC40 packs a 489-litre boot SMALL CARS WITH THE BIGGEST BOOTS…

1 min