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Visit autoexpress.co.uk for all the latest new cars news THIS week’s announcement by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) of a study into the electric vehicle charging sector has the potential to help banish one of the big issues preventing people from making the now inevitable switch to electrification: charge anxiety. With most new electric cars offering realistic ranges of at least 150-200 miles, it’s far easier to adapt to a new mindset and take the plunge. But the big issue that we consistently hear of is a lack of confidence in the charging network; it’s simply not accessible or reliable enough. Chances are that if you’re test driving an electric car, then you won’t yet have home charging, so you’ll need a good experience from the UK’s charging network…

Alex_Ingram@dennis.co.uk @AxleIngram Visit autoexpress.co.uk for your daily news updates • Boldly styled Sportage expected to go on sale within 12 months • Will share much with latest Hyundai Tucson, including engines KIA is applying the finishing touches to a bold and all-new Sportage that is designed to shake up the family crossover class. As our exclusive images show, the brand’s challenger to the Volkswagen Tiguan and Peugeot 3008 will enter the segment with a daring look, as well as offering a range of electrified powertrains. Expected to be revealed in the middle of 2021 and go on sale towards the end of the year, the new model will become the fifth generation of the popular Sportage; in 2019, only the Ceed and Niro sold in greater numbers across Europe for…

THE Hyundai Motor Group, of which Kia is a part, has taken the wraps off its new dedicated EV platform that will be used to underpin 25 models by 2025. It’s called E-GMP and, much like the VW Group’s MEB platform, its has been designed specifically for fully electric vehicles of all shapes and sizes. It will make its first appearance in the Hyundai Ioniq 5, a compact hatch, while the first Kia to make use of the platform will be the company’s flagship crossover, which is undergoing final development at the Nürburgring (below). The Hyundai Group says that the battery pack has been mounted low down in the chassis for better weight distribution, while the rear axle can also accommodate a five-link suspension system. Rear-wheel drive will be the…

Luke_Wilkinson@dennis.co.uk @LT_Wilkinson • Extra room boosts practicality • Posh-car tech for UK-built SUV EXCLUSIVE IMAGE TEASERS NISSAN has flung the doors of the next Qashqai wide open to give us an in-depth look at the upcoming crossover’s all-new interior and on-board technology. The Japanese brand says the next Qashqai will offer more practicality, better packaging and improved tech – all within a car that will be only marginally larger than today’s model. The third-generation crossover will be 35mm longer and 30mm wider than its predecessor. This has provided 22mm of extra kneeroom for rear-seat passengers and 28mm more shoulder room for those up front. Headroom throughout has also improved by around 15mm, says Nissan. A range of incremental improvements are found inside. For example, the cup-holders are now mounted lower…

ELSEWHERE at Nissan, the pure-electric Ariya SUV is being readied for its launch. It’ll go on sale six months after the Qashqai, and is an electric alternative to the petrol-hybrid crossover. It’ll sit on a dedicated electric platform, called CMF-EV, but unlike the Qashqai, it’ll be built at Nissan’s Tochigi plant in Japan. Its dimensions will be broadly similar to the new Qashqai’s, but because it’s based on a dedicated EV platform there should be more passenger space inside. The flagship model’s powertrain will comprise an 87kWh battery and two electric motors with a combined output of 389bhp and 600Nm of torque. Nissan says that’s enough for a 0-62mph time of 5.1 seconds and a range of 248 miles. A 302bhp model with 285 miles of range will also be…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy • Wide range of EVs expected • Joint venture with Subaru TOYOTA is preparing to join the ranks of makers with bespoke electric vehicles in their line-up – and the brand has given us an early teaser of how its new model will look. The new vehicle was first announced at the start of this year – but now Toyota has issued a line sketch that shows the car’s basic profile, and provided a few more details. It’ll be roughly the same size as a RAV4 family SUV, but offer much more interior space thanks to the wheelbase. The car is the first product of a collaboration between Toyota and Subaru on a pure-electric platform called e-TNGA. Our exclusive images show how the sketch should translate into a…