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FINGERS crossed that it won’t be long before restrictions are lifted and we can get out there driving for fun again – boy, have I missed it. But whatever reason you have for getting out on the road, we’re here to help you get the most from your time behind the wheel. We want you to have more fun, while staying safe and also potentially saving money. That’s why we’ve enlisted the help of one of the UK’s best drivers and a road tester of real repute – our very own Steve Sutcliffe. Nobody knows more about squeezing the last bit of enjoyment out of any car than Steve. And he’s combined that with years of knowledge on how to get the most out of different kinds of cars and…

James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk @jimmybrods OFFICIAL RENAULT is set to revive a brand icon this decade, with the return of the 5 supermini. And the French manufacturer has previewed the new all-electric model in concept form, ahead of a reveal in production guise in 2023. The new Renault 5 will shape up as the brand’s small affordable electric car, while offering competition for other style-driven compact EVs such as the Honda e, MINI Electric and new Fiat 500. It forms an integral part of Renault’s electrification strategy, which has been given fresh impetus under new CEO Luca De Meo. Seven all-electric Renaults are planned by 2025, and it’s likely that the 5 won’t be the only past master to be reborn with electric power. The Renault 4 is also tipped to…

Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn DACIA is going on the product offensive and has pulled the wraps off a new concept car called the Bigster. Although this is only a show car for now, it previews a new 4.6-metre long SUV that will act as a cut-price rival to the likes of the Land Rover Discovery Sport. The Bigster will sit above the current Duster in the firm’s line-up as a “future figurehead of the Dacia range”. And even by Dacia’s own admission, the Bigster will be “a larger, more capable vehicle at the cost buyers would expect from the segment below”. So although it’s about the same sized as a Discovery Sport, it will be sold at a fraction of the cost. The rugged off-roader sticks with the no-nonsense--approach to design that’s…

OVER at Alpine, the reborn French sports car brand is going all electric, bosses have confirmed. At the same time, the company has announced that three all-new battery-powered models are in the pipeline and will be on the road in the next four years. Under Groupe Renault’s new strategy, bosses have pooled Alpine Cars, Renault Sport Cars and Renault Sport Racing under the Alpine brand. They say this will help develop “high-performance, authentic and exclusive sports cars”. At the core of that plan is Alpine’s commitment to a fully electric future using technology and platforms that are widely available across the group. Alpine has teased its upcoming model range in a hazy image (above); expected to arrive first is a new B-segment hot hatch, based on the just revealed Renault…

ELSEWHERE at Groupe Renault, the firm has also launched a new brand called Mobilize. It will sit alongside Renault, Alpine and Dacia as a new urban-focused mobility provider, with car-sharing, pay-as-you-go usage and sustainable motoring being at its core. Mobilize will develop four purpose-built-vehicles, all for car sharing, and has previewed the first, the EZ-1 (right). It’s a spiritual successor to the Renault Twizy – a compact, two-seat electric vehicle with a 1+1 seating arrangement. Users will only pay for what they use, graded either by mileage or driving time. The EZ-1 is only 2.3 metres long and features a large glass canopy and two doors. The body is made from 95 per cent recycled materials and similarly it will be 95 per cent recyclable at the end of its…

James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk @jimmybrods HYUNDAI has offered up a tantalising glimpse of the all-new Ioniq 5 electric SUV in a series of revealing teaser images. The car will be the first production model from the Korean marque to use its new all-electric E-GMP platform, and will also be the first model launched under the Ioniq electric sub-brand. It’s intended to be a premium SUV, sitting somewhere between the Volkswagen ID.3 hatchback and ID.4 SUV in terms of size. These new teaser images reveal that the Ioniq 5 will bear a striking resemblance to the Hyundai 45 Concept that was revealed at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show – a show car that itself was inspired by the 1974 Hyundai Pony Coupé. A strong retro-futuristic design language, dubbed ‘high-tech’ by Hyundai, has…