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AS the car industry rushes towards electrification, the different technical approaches from the car makers are as intriguing as they are exciting. As well as buyers getting their heads around the differences between mild-hybrid, full hybrid, plug-in hybrid and full EV – along with an array of even more confusing acronyms – manufacturers are taking different approaches to their electric cars. Some think the right thing to do is to have a bespoke EV architecture, while others are modifying existing platforms that also feature, or were initially made for, internal combustion engines. How can we tell what’s best? Analysing what’s good, and not so good, is harder than ever. Which makes this job so exciting right now! PSA, which introduces us to the smart new Peugeot 2008 SUV (above) this…

Steve_Fowler@dennis.co.uk @stevefowler ● Chunkier look for next SUV ● Electric model due at launch THIS is the new Peugeot 2008 – a small SUV that hopes to emulate the sales success of its superstar sibling, the 3008. Not wanting to mess with a winning formula for Peugeot, the 2008 offers ‘the spirit of the 3008’ according to Guillaume Clerc, project leader for the new 2008 and 208. And in the metal the 2008 does look like a shrunken 3008, which isn’t a bad thing. It’s not much smaller, either; it’s only 150mm shorter, even though it sits on PSA’s new small-car CMP architecture. Peugeot’s design team, led by exterior styling director Yann Beurel, has given the 2008 plenty of character of its own, though. The all-LED lighting features claw and…

AS soon as you climb inside, the 2008 feels more like an SUV from behind the wheel, with the large bonnet and high-up driving position (although you actually sit lower than in the old car). The new 3D iCockpit is a highlight, but the current 2008’s foibles, fixed in the latest large Peugeots, return: if you sit low and have the small steering wheel high, it obscures some of the display. That’s a shame, because otherwise the interior is another spectacular design from Peugeot. According to the firm’s engineers, there’s still plenty of tuning to be done on the new CMP chassis. We tried a 128bhp 1.5-litre diesel first – an engine that won’t be sold in the UK – but can confirm that it’s not at a bad place…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy ● Race-inspired Cayman debuts ● 414bhp flat-six; 0-62 in 4.4s THE current Porsche 718 Cayman has taken some criticism for the character of its four-cylinder ‘boxer’ engine – but the German sports car is reverting back to six-cylinder power for its most extreme version yet, the 718 Cayman GT4. The fresh range-topper gets a new 4.0-litre motor that is derived from the engine seen in the latest Porsche 911, but without the turbochargers. In the smaller car, it delivers 414bhp, a gain of 35bhp over the previous Cayman GT4, along with 420Nm of torque between 5,000 and 6,800rpm. The rev limit is 8,000rpm. That’s enough to take the GT4, equipped with a six-speed manual gearbox, to a top speed of 189mph (more than 300kph) and from 0-62mph in…

PORSCHE is using the underpinnings of the Cayman GT4 to deliver a more extreme open-topped experience with the 718 Boxster Spyder, which is also available to order. This new car isn’t a conventional convertible, because its roof needs to be removed manually and stored under the bonnet, instead of just folding away. However, the rest of the package mirrors that of the Cayman, with the same 4.0-litre six-cylinder motor, chassis tweaks and aluminium monobloc brakes (ceramic composite items are a cost option). The 718 Boxster Spyder does without the GT4’s fixed rear wing, though, sticking with a spoiler that deploys automatically at 120kph (75mph). The drop-top’s maximum speed is slightly lower than the coupé’s, at 187mph, but its 0-62mph time is the same 4.4 seconds. The Spyder is also slightly…

Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn ● High-riding hatch on the way ● Slots between Q2 and Q3 AUDI is looking to broaden its range of compact models by developing a new jacked-up, off-road-inspired version of the next A3 hatchback. The model has been conceived to help offset falling sales of the Q3 SUV and plug the gap between it and the Q2 crossover, which is significantly smaller in size. The project, known internally as Cityhopper according to a senior company source, will see Audi apply the Allroad treatment that features on the A4 and A6 Avant estates to its big-selling hatchback. However, Audi is unlikely to use the Allroad name because the model won’t use quattro four-wheel drive, chiefly to keep CO2 emissions down. Instead it will be a heavy cosmetic overhaul to…