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IF there’s one word that’s guaranteed to stir debate at the moment, it’s autonomy. In spite of a recent survey claiming that 78 per cent of people are broadly supportive of autonomous technology, our mailbox is split between those who agree and those who think it’s a slight on humanity. Of course, the deeply sad news of the fatal accident involving an autonomous car recently will have had an effect on views of driverless tech. And it’s absolutely right that Uber, the company involved, should suspend its testing pending investigations. However, development will continue and whether we like it or not (or choose to use it or not), autonomous technology will play a big part in our motoring future. Along with electrification, it’s a subject that dominated the New York…

• Newcomer sits on TNGA platform for lower centre of gravity • Hybrid and petrol models at UK launch next year; no diesel “Front and rear overhangs have been shortened, while there’s an increase in ride height to boost off-road ability” Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn “When AWD isn’t required, Toyota says the car is able to disconnect the rear driveshaft to improve fuel economy” WITH a glut of new SUVs arriving on the scene recently, it’s easy to overlook those that have been around for years. The Toyota RAV4 is arguably the car that kick-started the compact SUV trend back in 1994, and now there’s an all-new version. Revealed at last week’s New York Motor Show, the fifth generation of the RAV4 boasts a bold new look, updated hybrid tech and arrives…

Richard_Ingram@dennis.co.uk @rsp_ingram CONCEPT cars are created to give us a glimpse into the future. But once paraded in front of the crowds at a motor show, they’re often locked away and forgotten about. Skoda does things a little differently; its latest Vision X concept, which previews a new baby crossover for 2019, is more than just some motor-show eye candy – it drives, and Auto Express has been behind the wheel. To give us a taste of what’s to come, we travelled to Skoda’s Czech headquarters for a quick spin in the Geneva Motor Show concept car. While these opportunities offer little in the way of true driving impressions, it enables us to get up close with the project and the team behind it. Catching up with designers Dalibor Pantucek…

Pete_Baiden@dennis.co.uk @petebaiden AN all-new Subaru Forester landed at last week’s New York Motor Show. It has the Mazda CX-5 in its sights and is expected to go on sale in the UK before the end of the year. The brand claims the newcomer mixes the toughness of an SUV with functionality, while the design takes cues from the Impreza hatch as well as the Visiv Future concept, first seen at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show. Similar to other recent Subaru launches, such as the XV it sits above in the range, the new design is evolutionary, rather than a radical redesign. Under the skin, the new Forester is based on the latest Subaru Global platform (SGP), which it shares with models such as the XV and Impreza. A 180bhp 2.5-litre…

“Maserati is powered by a 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8, producing 590bhp and 730Nm of torque” MASERATI unveiled an SUV with a bit more firepower at the New York Motor Show, with its new Levante Trofeo. It’s the Italian brand’s answer to the Porsche Macan Turbo and Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio – but there are no current plans to bring it to the UK. Maserati claims the Levante Trofeo is ‘the world’s fastest SUV’. It’s powered by a 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8, producing 590bhp and 730Nm of torque. Power is sent to all four wheels through Maserati’s Q4 Intelligent All-Wheel Drive, which means a claimed 0-60mph time of 3.9 seconds and a top speed of more than 186mph. New turbos have been fitted to increase flow, while redesigned cylinder heads with specific camshafts…

VOLKSWAGEN’S new SUVs are coming thick and fast. The latest is the Atlas Cross Sport concept (above), which was revealed at last week’s New York Motor Show. It’s a shorter, more coupé-like version of the seven-seat Atlas that’s already on sale in America, and will make the transition into a showroom car early in 2019, but only in the US. The Cross Sport sits on the same MQB platform as its bigger brother, with an identical wheelbase, but is 190mm shorter for a sportier stance. Other changes that mark out the newcomer include a two-bar illuminated front grille, 22-inch aluminium alloy wheels and more steeply raked roofline. Under the skin, VW has also introduced a 355bhp plug-in hybrid powertrain comprising a 3.6-litre V6 petrol engine and two electric motors, powered…