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Visit autoexpress.co.uk for all the latest new cars news BRITAIN has had its fair share of mystifying car manufacturers – some brands that puzzle us because of their success and quite a few others whose diminutive scale has baffled us all. Lotus has been firmly in the last of those categories for many years, but this week we’ve finally seen real evidence that this famous company really does have a bright, exciting future. The Evija hypercar was a statement in itself back in 2019, of course. But the structured, four-platform plan announced this week by new managing director Matt Windle appears to have that magic blend of ambition and realism. In short, it makes an alarming amount of sense – and that’s not something that we’ve been able to say…

Alex_Ingram@autovia.co.uk @AxleIngram Visit autoexpress.co.uk for your daily news updates • All-new electric family car marks new era for Korean maker • 300-mile range and fast charging boost its versatility ON paper, it’s hard to not get a little excited by the new Ioniq 5. Hyundai’s electric spin-off sub-brand comes from good stock; ever since its parent group first aimed for the electric car market with the Kona Electric and the mechanically similar Kia e-Niro, it’s long been topping the class when it comes to zero-emission range and efficiency. Now the Korean brand has set its sights on the Tesla Model Y. Hyundai is approaching the market with a ground-up design, because the Ioniq 5 rides on the group’s E-GMP platform. It’s a fully bespoke EV architecture, and one that’ll eventually…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk • Hot new 286bhp SUV revealed • Clever tech on board, but no 4WD HYUNDAI has revealed its Kona N hot SUV, the third model in the firm’s sporty UK line-up and the first performance-focused SUV from the Korean firm. It’s powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine, which develops a maximum of 286bhp and 392Nm of torque. This highest power figure is obtained with Hyundai’s ‘N Grin Shift’ mode selected for the new eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. There’s no manual model, but the auto’s gear ratios have been optimised and durability improved to handle the high output. The gearbox’s calibration has also been tuned, with a further two modes offered, called ‘N Power Shift’ and ‘N Track Sense Shift’. Hyundai hasn’t revealed specifics on the parameters of these…

James_Brodie@autovia.co.uk @jimmybrods • Semi-autonomous tech and styling follow Mk8 Golf’s lead “For the first time, the Polo will also be offered with a 9.2-inch touchscreen infotainment display” VOLKSWAGEN has made its Polo supermini more of a miniature Golf than ever before, with a significant mid-life facelift for the Mk6 model. On sale in the UK this autumn and priced from around £18,000, the car gets a fresh bumper and new headlights. An LED lighting bar also now runs between the headlamps (available with IQ. Light matrix LED tech for the first time) to the centrally placed VW badge. The Polo has new badging at the rear, while the LED tail-light clusters have been redesigned, with a new Mk8 Golf-inspired shape. Optional versions of these lamps have dynamic indicators, the ‘scrolling’-effect…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy • New platforms and tech coming • SUVs to join two-seater range LOTUS’S new sports car will be called Emira – and it will kick-start a major technology and product push from the British brand as it triples production within two years and introduces new models, including ‘lifestyle’ vehicles, by the second half of the decade. The Emira will be unveiled in full on 6 July before making its dynamic debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. It will be offered with a choice of two powertrains, including a “small-capacity, high-output” engine sourced from outside the Geely Auto group that Lotus is now a part of. The company’s recently appointed CEO, Matt Windle, has confirmed to Auto Express that the engine partnership is an entirely new one for…

FORMER engineering boss Matt Windle has been in the big chair at Lotus since January. He has extensive experience at the firm, although he also had a six-year spell working at Tesla. Q You’re launching four platforms, so how many models can these support for Lotus? A “The whole aim of the strategy is to give us the scale, give us the range of vehicles. The opportunity is there to go from a lightweight sports car, Emira, up to the lifestyle vehicles we’re talking about, and everything in between, really.” Q What should we expect from Emira – core Lotus values or is it targeting broader appeal? A “I think people will be quite surprised by the car. We’re comfortable with ourselves; we’ve found the right design language, and we’re…