Innholdsfortegnelse for January 4, 2023 i Autocar

THE NEW HYUNDAI Kona – due on sale in the UK in mid-2023 – has been radically redesigned and extended in all dimensions to cement its foothold in the fiercely fought crossover market. Early design images reveal that the new Kona takes design influence from 2021’s bold Seven concept – which itself previews the upcoming Ioniq 7 EV – with a slim wrap-around front light bar, clamshell bonnet and chunky off-road-influenced design cues. It is 150mm longer than the Mk1 Kona, at 4355mm, and 25mm wider – increases that, says Hyundai, provide “maximised living space” in the revamped cabin, which hosts a similar wrap-around digital driver display to the Ioniq 5 EV’s. Like the Kia Niro with which it shares a platform, the new Kona will be available with combustion,…

NISSAN’S X-TRAIL SERIES hybrid and Ariya BEV will soon be available with e-4orce AWD in the UK, which adds a second motor (to the rear axle) to give four-wheel drive. In both cars, the front wheels are driven by electric motor only, the difference in powertrains being that the X-Trail is equipped with the Nissan e-Power system, which consists of an electric motor drive backed up by a petrol generator. Lexus introduced a similar twin-motor all-wheel drive system in 2020 called Direct4. The marketing blurb highlights the advantage of adjusting handling balance by altering the torque of the individual motors. More at the front will promote power understeer, at the rear oversteer and a balance of the two neutrality. Nissan points out that by individually controlling the degree of regenerative…

That all Maseratis will be electric by 2030 has been thrown into clearer focus now that we’ve driven one (the Granturismo Folgore, p28). Dare I say that Maserati is one of several car makers defined partly by the engines they use? You might have disliked the V8 Granturismo’s girth or thought the Quattroporte lacked the opulence of a true luxury car, but you liked gunning the throttle in either. But Maserati has committed – as it must – to finding another way and defining what its cars stand for when that central component is removed. Who else is in this boat? Ferrari and Lamborghini, naturally. Mercedes-AMG and BMW M, for sure. Porsche and Jaguar, to an extent. Then a bit of Honda, plus muscle cars such as the Chevrolet Corvette…

BRITAIN’S JAMES CALADO signed off on 2022 by adding a Gulf 12 Hours victory to his roster of success. The World Endurance Championship’s GTE Pro class king was part of AF Corse’s crew that led a Ferrari one-two in the race held at the UAE’s Yas Marina Formula 1 track. The win marked the Italian team’s fourth and Ferrari’s eighth in 11 editions of the race, which ran continuously across 12 hours for the first time, rather than being split into two six-hour chunks. Calado, Antonio Fuoco and Alessandro Pier Guidi completed 335 laps 14.388sec ahead of the sister 488 GT3 driven by Davide Rigon, Alessio Rivera and Nicklas Nielsen. “It‘s a tricky race,” said Calado. “It’s very competitive, there are a lot of great drivers, so to win with…

As part of the Audi E-tron’s facelift and rebranding to Q8 E-tron, the E-tron S has become the SQ8 E-tron. This 496bhp electric SUV retains its distinctive tri-motor layout (one at the front and two at the back), which allows it to do true torque vectoring. As such, it can send up to 162lb ft more torque to one wheel than the other, thus actively rotating itself through the corner. The facelift changes mirror those seen on the regular Q8 E-tron. The 106kWh battery pack boosts the WLTP range from 221 to 284 miles (295 miles if you pick the coupé-like Sportback bodystyle), while energy efficiency remains at a rather lacklustre 2.2mpkWh (2.3mpkWh for the Sportback). However, while the Q8 E-tron 55 keeps pace with rivals, the SQ8 is up…

“Typically, a Maserati comeback would start with a fabulouslooking, desirable and enchanting coupé and finish with disappointing dynamics, questionable durability or a combination of the two.” Not my words Carol, the words of Autocar magazine more than a decade ago. But given the recent arrival of the fabulous MC20 supercar, perhaps this time the comeback really is on. The sleek coupé you see here, the new Granturismo, is what’s next. It may look like the old Granturismo, but the mechanical side has moved a long way from that 2007-2019 car. There will be three flavours, two with the V6 engine from the MC20 (£130k and £150k) and the £190k Folgore with battery-electric power. This five-metre-long, two-metrewide coupé seats four with a boot behind. It’s a 65% aluminium body, the rest…

MODEL TESTED 350+ AMG LINE PREMIUM PLUS Price £88,450 • Power 288bhp • Torque 417lb ft • 0-60mph 6.0sec • 30-70mph 5.5sec • Economy 2.9mpkWh • CO2 emissions 0g/km • 70-0mph 58.3m It may be renowned as the world’s original car maker, but Mercedes-Benz has always sought to innovate, and in a way in which other celebrated old car makers might be wary of. Its latest mission is the reinvention of the business saloon for the electric age – and its instrument is the focus of this week’s road test: the EQE. This mid-sized electric luxury saloon comes on the coat-tails of the related EQS (road test number 5577), uses the same model platform, deploys the same super-sleek design language and goes by the same EQ sub-brand that the firm launched…

If you were playing an automotive version of the 1980s TV word association game Mallet’s Mallet, a top answer might be ‘Citroën’ and ‘comfort’. It’s this close relationship between company and calming dynamic trait that encouraged us to gather together our trio of Double Chevron protagonists for the feature you’ve just read. And it remains a big part of the firm’s DNA to this day, used as a sales-boosting USP for the C4, C5 Aircross, C5 X and more. Yet Citroën’s reputation for relaxation is really a by-product of its rich history of innovation, one that stretches back over a century and marks out the firm as one that dared to be different. In fact, take some time to do some digging and you will discover that Citroën’s penchant for…

The executive segment is to cars what Italy once was to football. You see, Serie A was for a time the pinnacle of the sport and the Milan derby one of the most viewed fixtures in Europe. Despite a sharp decline in the league’s popularity, the Derby della Madonnina remains a fan favourite – just like the war between the BMW 5 Series and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class. And this year, a whole new generation will come to play… Time for a bounce-back, we think. BMW 5 SERIES Whereas Mercedes has split its executive models into the forward-looking, electric EQE and the fossil-fuelled E-Class, BMW’s rival 5 Series will offer petrol, diesel, plug-in hybrid and electric derivatives – all in one bodyshell. The pure-combustion 5 Series models (including the snarling V8-powered…

In traditional comedic terms, I think this would be known as ‘a wheeze’. I’d just stepped out of several months with an enjoyable Polestar 2 electric car as my daily driver when they said: “Look here, Prior, now you should spend a couple of months with something that’s absolutely not a new EV.” The “absolutely not a new EV” in question was an Audi Q7 with a 6.0-litre V12 turbodiesel engine and a fuel tank so vast that one filling station’s pump would give up on it before it was full. When we last drove a Q7 V12, we partially concluded it was “cataclysmically out of step with its time”, and that time was 2012. So how about 11 years on, when someone will let down your tyres for simply…

TWIN TEST Mercedes-AMG SL vs Porsche 911 Can the latest sports car from Mercedes hold its own against Porsche’s indomitable class leader? INTERVIEW Rimac looks ahead We speak to Mate Rimac about the next steps for the EV trailblazer DEBATE Taking a hiding Is the sustainability agenda turning the tide against leather interiors? We discuss EVERY WEEK ROAD TEST Citroën Ami Quirky French quadricycle goes under our road testers’ watchful eye FIRST DRIVE Hyundai Ioniq 6 Latest EV from Korea will take on the formidable Tesla Model 3 SUBSCRIBE autocar.co.uk/subscribe or see p26…

MILEAGE 6521 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT Can BMW’s second dedicated electric car live up to its range-topping billing? The iX xDrive50 is at last back with us. You will recall that no sooner was the alarm fixed than the driver’s display went dark. It turns out there was a fault in the lighting circuit that caused a failure in the screen. There was a bit of a delay in getting the part, but it’s now sorted. It’s good to have it back. The iX M60 we ran in its place was similar in many ways, but overall I prefer the xDrive50. The steering isn’t as quick, the ride isn’t as firm and the extra power isn’t missed; the more relaxed tune (while it’s still plenty quick enough) better suits the…

Practical Porsches have always had a hard time winning over the enthusiasts. The Cayenne SUV was given a hostile reception when it first appeared in 2002, and the same happened with the Panamera executive car in 2009. The latter model wasn’t welcomed with open arms, rather howls of derision. The reaction owed mostly to the model’s ‘hunchback-911’ looks, although Porsche managed to improve on those quite significantly for the Panamera’s second generation. Introduced in 2016, this latest car has won over critics, not only in the style department but in many others, too. There is a varied and powerful range of engines, for starters. On the petrol front, you can choose from an entry-level 325bhp 2.9-litre V6, a 621bhp 4.0-litre V8 (in the Turbo S), a 417bhp diesel or a…

An owner’s view CHRIS BOOTHE “I’ve owned mine for five years and I love it. It still has a low, sub-50,000 mileage and I had all the relevant tests, including compression, done when I bought it from a local dealer. It had one previous owner and he was fanatical about maintenance. I use it for long journeys only and top up the oil religiously. The biggest problem I’ve had is rust. Before buying, stick it on a ramp and check the wheel arches and surrounding areas carefully. The bottom of the boot is a problem area.” Buyer beware… • ENGINE As with London Zoo, it’s the seals you have to watch out for. Failure can be fatal to the engine, so check the compression. Proper maintenance is key. It’s reported…

“The new model will rival the Mercedes-Benz EQA and sit below the XC40 Recharge and C40” Volvo’s forthcoming electric-only compact crossover, tipped to be called the EX30, will feature bold new design elements and technology in a bid to help the firm win over a younger audience. Set to be revealed this year before sales kick off in October, the EX30 is likely to rival the Mercedes-Benz EQA and will sit below the existing XC40 Recharge and C40 models in the firm’s growing line-up of electric SUVs. It is expected to be twinned with the Polestar 4 and will use a modified version of parent Geely’s SEA architecture. Volvo previewed the new crossover at the launch of the EX90 large SUV last month but it has yet to be drawn…

Volkswagen’s plan to launch an electric off-road SUV – known as the ID Ruggdzz – appears to be back on track, following confirmation that the ladder-frame chassis used by the new Amarok pick-up is being engineered to take an electric drivetrain. This Ford-developed chassis, which is also used by the fourth-generation Ranger pick-up, currently supports petrol and diesel as well as petrol-electric plug-in hybrid drivetrains. But in an interview with Autocar at the launch of the new Amarok in South Africa in December, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles CEO Carsten Intra confirmed that engineering aimed at accommodating a battery and electric motors within the Ford platform is ongoing, despite recent reports suggesting such plans had been abandoned. “We’re looking at it together with Ford,” said Intra when asked about the possibility of…

exus seemingly does everything you would want of a premium brand. LIn 2022, it topped the reliability survey of Autocar sibling What Car? for the third year running. Owners regularly praise the dealership experience. Lexus was also leagues ahead on electrification, launching its first hybrid in 2005. It was at the forefront of the plush, road-oriented SUV trend, starting with the RX in 1998. So why does the brand still not resonate with buyers in the UK and mainland Europe? As Lexus owner Toyota basks in a record market share for its mainstream brand on the continent, it is applying an overhaul to Lexus in the region in an effort to fix the imbalance. Lexus’s UK sales to the end of November reached just 9034, down 31% and behind even…

Production of the Wells Vertige, the new £50,000 British sports coupé revealed in summer 2021, will shortly begin at a new factory in Bishop’s Itchington, Warwickshire, with the first cars expected to be delivered by mid-2023. Having already sold the first year’s production run of 25 Founder’s Edition cars, founder and CEO Robin Wells has begun taking orders for the next annual batch of 25. Since showing the Vertige at the 2021 Goodwood Festival of Speed, Wells and engineering consultant Robin Hall have continued to develop the car, equip the factory, assemble and train a manufacturing team and create a supply chain, this using as many local suppliers as possible. Wells and his team have amassed more than 20,000 test miles in Vertige prototypes, driving night and day and taking…

The electrified Audi RS models of the future will be “no less amazing” than today’s line-up, according to Audi Sport managing director Sebastian Grams. The sub-brand will produce “partially or fully electric cars” by 2030, he said, prompting questions about how these will look, feel and drive. The man overseeing the transformation has led Audi Sport for nearly two years, having taken over at a crucial time as it starts to build on the success of the RS E-tron GT. Autocar spoke to him about learning from today’s high-performance EVs, Audi’s partnership with legendary gymkhana driver Ken Block and joining Formula 1 in 2026. Does combustion still have a role to play for Audi Sport, especially regarding run-out specials like the R8 GT RWD? “What you see today is pure…

MONDAY What the hell were we going to talk about over Christmas? This problem confronted Matt Prior and me as we contemplated recording our My Week In Cars podcast for the seven days blanketing Christmas Day, when we would actually be at home for the Yuletide family follies. We could, of course, make it up (regarded by critics as the journalist’s mantra), but we didn’t want to do that. Then a good idea bobbed up: why not invite Chris Harris, Top Gear TV star, hero driver and Autocar alumnus, to join us in our makeshift studio (my Gloucestershire dining room) and talk about stuff? Although pushed for time, Bristol-based Harris rushed across the Cotswolds in his current smoker, a 626bhp BMW M5 CS, and the three of us were soon…

“At 60mph on a B-road, it’s already providing what feels like 100mph worth of excitement” Very few history lessons could be more compelling than this one: the chance to drive what is pretty much a roadregistered version of one of the most famous race cars from the 1960s. The logic of demand outstripping supply has created plenty of kit cars, replicas and officially sanctioned ‘continuation’ models, but none is better looking than the Shelby Daytona Cobra. The original Daytona Coupe was a car born from frustration – Carroll Shelby’s aggravation at the inability of the Cobra roadster to match the top speed of the more aerodynamically efficient Ferrari 250 GTO on faster tracks as they fought in the early 1960s. Shelby employee Pete Brock created coupé bodywork to fit around…

While everyone is hot with BMW M2 fever, we’ve had a go in the least assuming model in the 2 Series Coupé range, which is the 220d M Sport. This is the only diesel two-door 2 Series you can buy, and it comes fitted with BMW’s new 2.0-litre fourcylinder mild-hybrid oil-burner – good for 187bhp and, more usefully, 295lb ft at a scant 1750rpm. So much torque makes the 220d more accelerative than the 220i petrol (not to mention the larger 420d diesel), and the 6.9sec taken to reach 0-62mph is only a second behind the 230i. However, its secret weapon is fuel economy, which is officially rated at 58.9mpg. By far the highest in the line-up, it gives a theoretical range of close to 700 miles. That’s the premise,…

The outlook for the British car industry is, in a word, murky. Production has yet to fully recover from the pandemic, post-Brexit trading rules are complicating the import/export process and there’s the prospect of vastly restricted EV production if progress is not made imminently to localise battery production. But things are far brighter on the new-metal side of things. Each big British brand is primed to launch crucial new-generation models or commemorative editions of pivotal outgoing cars this year. Here are the ones to watch. MINI HATCH The current, third-generation Mini Hatch has been on sale for nearly a decade, but now an allnew, Brit-built model is inbound. The newcomer will stay true to the winning formula by pairing petrol power with pint-sized proportions – but it will bring significant…

Happily, the world has moved on from Covid. Less happily, we walked straight from it into a supply-chain, energysapping recessionary hole. But wait – there are reasons to be cheerful heading into 2023, as manufacturers wake up to the fact that not everyone wants, or can afford, the latest in luxe. Budget cars are better than ever and, despite the gloom around Ford canning the Fiesta, there are new ones coming. Here are our highlights for the year ahead. CITROEN E-C4 X The Citroën ë-C4 X isn’t simply a fastback version of the electrified C4. By lengthening the C4 to 4200mm (an increase of 240mm over its sibling), the ë-C4 X gains a useful amount of additional rear leg room and an enlarged boot, so this is the one for…

A non-starter I read with interest – disquiet, actually – your article on the Euro 7 regulations (News, 30 November 2022). If a small heater and blower system will be required to heat an e-catalyst core prior to starting your ICE car for up to 30 seconds, where will the power come from: the existing battery or a supplementary one? If the existing one is used, it may then struggle to start the actual engine, especially if it’s diesel on a cold morning. If a supplementary one is used, that’s yet more weight and complexity. Time to grab a ‘simple’ car while we still can! Stephen Mead Holmer Green, Buckinghamshire Pressure point I feel compelled to share this story. Mercedes-Benz is basically saying that my 11-year-old car with a full…

Looking back on our diamond year OUR DIAMOND ANNIVERSARY year had been a notable one, we summarised in our end of 1955 retrospective, with exciting new models arriving, car ownership rising in line with Brits’ standard of living, industry advances and drama in motorsport (see below). MG’s new A-type, in a prettier dress than any prior MG roadster, looked undeniably set to succeed, and it was joined at the British motor show by our car of the year, Jaguar’s splendid new 2.4 saloon. From abroad came the unusual rear-engined Fiat 600, too, but the history maker was the Citroën DS19, “advanced in its technical, styling and safety features”. Industry news included a £65m expansion of Ford’s Dagenham factory, while Vauxhall splurged £36m so as to double its output. Gas turbines…

MILEAGE 2301 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT Does Kia still hold its own among the throng of affordable crossovers? When I arrived at Blyton Park (near Scunthorpe) early on a Wednesday morning in the pouring rain, with my hands numb from the cold, having stopped to take some of the very average pictures you see on this page, I was wondering whether it was worth the hassle. But as the day brightened and the north proved it could be sunny (in November no less), things started to look up as I learned some skills on the track. I did ponder taking the Sportage on the circuit – had a Sportage ever been taken on a circuit except to be tested in development? – but instead drove a far more suitable car,…

A road test in any other magazine might well be a short, subjective summary of a new car produced under almost any circumstances, but the Autocar road test is different. Specific, rigorous and detailed, it’s the closest examination we can give of any new model. It appears over at least eight pages and is close to 50 man-hours in the making every week. Most of what the road test process entails is designed to be strictly repeatable and fair. We benchmark standing-start and in-gear acceleration at a purpose-built test facility every week. We carry out both subjective and objective handling tests on both road and track, on the latter up to and beyond the limit of grip, so as to fully assess stability, drivability and limit handling appeal. And while…

“The pioneering quad-motor system is capable of ‘extremely precise’ power delivery ‘within milliseconds’” Testing of the first purely electric BMW sports car is under way, with engineers working to preserve the distinctive dynamic character of an M car in the postcombustion era. BMW revealed the first images of a mysterious EV prototype last year, giving few details but confirming that it was powered by a pioneering quad-motor, fourwheel drive system capable of “extremely precise” power delivery “within milliseconds”. Speaking exclusively to Autocar following the recent unveiling of the new M2 Coupé, which is in line to receive similar technology in its next generation, M CEO Frank van Meel hinted that 4WD performance EVs will take the lead from the F90-generation M5 xDrive saloon. That model was controversial on its reveal…

Soaring inflation and the squeeze on council budgets are set to make a dent in the roads maintenance budget as local leaders tighten spending belts – even though the Autumn Statement in November made no direct mention of a highways funding cut. Thought to be most at risk is the £2.5 billion repair fund pledged in 2020. Spread over five years, this fund promised councils £500 million a year to spend on resurfacing roads, as well as repairing potholes and infrastructure, including bridges. The government said the annual grants were enough to fund the repair of 10 million potholes each year, although it is up to individual councils – which receive less than half their money for the repair and maintenance of roads from the government – how they spend…

A ONE-OFF Bugatti Chiron has been revealed as a less radical interpretation of the extreme Pur Sport. Called the Chiron Profilée, it will be one of the final cars to house the French brand’s iconic quad-turbocharged 8.0-litre W16 engine. The recently revealed, Chironderived Mistral roadster will be the very last to use the near-1500bhp powerplant. The bespoke hypercar was created as an experiment to see if aspects of the hardcore Pur Sport could be integrated into a more comfort-focused Bugatti, after customers demanded that one be made. “We knew that what we had created was too beautiful to be hidden away,” said Bugatti president Christophe Piochon, going on to call the Profilée “a true Bugatti and a unique piece of collectible automotive history”. The bespoke coupé incorporates a number of…

BATTERY MYSTERY With less than two years until an electric Range Rover is due, there’s still no word on who will supply battery packs for JLR’s upcoming EVs. Pressed for a clue, sustainability boss François Dossa said: “This isn’t ready to be shared yet, but we know exactly where the batteries will come from.” JLR was recently linked with Envision AESC, sparking reports that they could build a UK gigafactory. QUICK OFF THE MARK On his very first day back in the Lamborghini hot seat in 2021, Stephan Winkelmann sat through a long presentation by design boss Mitja Borkert, detailing everything the firm could be doing. The car that got approved that day was the Huracán Sterrato. Previous executives hadn’t decided what to do with the concept, but Winkelmann was…

When the E-tron SUV arrived in 2018 as Audi’s first proper EV, it made headlines with its impressive 150kW peak charging rate, but even then the range was nothing to write home about. Four years later, its numbers are only about okay, so it’s a good thing that it’s facelift time. Signalling the profundity of the updates is a new name: to bring the flagship in line with the smaller Q4 E-tron and forthcoming Q6 E-tron, it’s now known as the Q8 E-tron. There are some visual tweaks, including new alloy wheel designs and redesigned bumpers and grilles, but the big news is to be found under the skin. Four years of advances in battery energy density have enabled Audi to increase the usable capacities of the battery packs from…

Germany’s classic executive saloon car has hit something of a zenith with this extraspecial version of the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé. The Alpina D4 S Gran Coupé has a super-rare combination of static, dynamic, rational and subjective qualities the likes of which you find only in cars built for uncompromising speed, efficiency, luxury, desirability and driver appeal. It’s the manifestation of so many things that the industry has worked tirelessly in pursuit of and made countless marginal gains on over the past half-century. It’s fast and frugal; effortless, opulent, refined and exclusive; enticing to travel in and engaging to drive. Above all else, it’s a sensational long-distance car. And in the 2030s, when we are likely to default to trains when we have more than 100 miles to travel,…

When investigating the plush, highly specialised nature of the new stretched Bentley Bentayga, it’s hard to know whether to start at the front or rear. In the front, you have access to higher standards of ride and road ability brought by the combination of a 180mm-longer wheelbase and a new four-wheel steering system. In the rear, after you’ve stepped through a longer and power-assisted door with a larger aperture, you get access to the most spacious superluxury accommodation going, even against the Range Rover LWB and Rolls-Royce Cullinan. There’s a choice of three seating set-ups: three-seat bench; two big seats and a minimal central perch; or two multi-adjustable, throne-like rear buckets, called Airline seating. Overlaying the lot is a new concentration on reducing noise, vibration and harshness – not that…

Some car brands seem to have a memory, don’t they? Citroën certainly remembers. Like numerous rivals in their various ways, it seems destined to retell the story of its particular rise to prominence again and again in the characteristics of so many new cars. Call it a strength or call it a tragic flaw, which ever you prefer, but it’s definitely a thing. The story in question is already well enough known. In the latter part of the 20th century, France had a road network ravaged by years spent as a theatre of war. So necessity drove ingenuity in a company that had already shown a commitment to innovation so strong that it had effectively led it to bankruptcy during the genesis of 1934’s daring Traction Avant. Engineer Paul Magès…

As Nissan’s Europe chairman, Guillaume Cartier, told us: “SUVs are the future; people want more for their money.” And the most they can get, for the most money, comes in the form of a super-SUV, pairing family haul-ability with startling pace and sharp handling. It’s an enticing mix, and one that is proving to be popular. Sufficiently popular, in fact, to have persuaded even Lotus – that last bastion of lightness and compact proportions – to launch a searingly quick high-rider. But it’s not just Hethel pushing the hot high-rider in 2023. Here are the ones that will grab the main headlines this year. LOTUS ELETRE Lotus will capitalise on the growing SUV trend with one of its own – its first model with more than two adult-sized seats in…

It’s not all about roaring V8 supercars and powerful performance SUVs. Family cars are the most commonly sold in the UK, routinely occupying more than half of the spots in the top 10 best-sellers list. Volkswagen, Vauxhall, Volvo, Toyota and others are all ready to refresh and renew some of their most popular models in this most crucial of segments, meaning the market could look very different this time next year… VOLVO EX30 Volvo’s smallest SUV offering will be based on parent company Geely’s Sustainable Experience Architecture, also used by the Smart #1 and Chinese-market Zeekr 001. It will form the new entry point to Volvo’s electric line-up, sitting below the XC40 Recharge, and, according to CEO Jim Rowan, will be geared towards younger, city-based drivers. Volvo has been rather…

“Do we really want Euro 7 emissions regulations?” asked Rachel Burgess (Comment, 30 November 2022). Yes, we need it! First, we need to understand that Euro 7 only addresses NOx and particulates; CO2 is a separate issue. In Europe, it’s estimated that chronic exposure to NOx and particulate air pollution from road traffic caused more than 70,000 premature deaths in 2018. The new regs are due to come in effect in 2025 for cars and LCVs, and between 2025 and 2035 some 10 million new ICE and PHEV cars will be sold in the UK alone, so the reduction in harmful emissions will potentially save thousands of lives. Therefore the investment in meeting Euro 7 will be money well spent. Euro 7 also addresses brake and tyre emissions, including from…

MILEAGE 3898 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To discover whether you can still get a great all-rounder for less than £25k Looking back over what I’ve written so far about our Skoda Fabia 1.5 TSI Monte Carlo, or Vom for short, I feel a bit of regret that I’ve let my natural tendency to focus on negatives take over a bit too often. I’m duty bound to report faults, namely the windscreen wipers glitching and freezing amid heavy rain one day and (less importantly) a glossy piece of dashboard trim creating irritating reflections, and still I stand by my assessment that the Ford Fiesta 1.0 Ecoboost ST-Line would be a much more suitable (not to mention cheaper) choice for anybody seeking a warm supermini for driving thrills. However, there are a…

Fancy a sporting car of immense charm that looks terrific, is great to drive and can be picked up from just £1500 used? Tempted by the prospect of a turbine-smooth 228bhp at 8300rpm? Of course you are. Of course it’s a Mazda RX-8 and of course it’s a Wankel engine. But wait, before you go… hear me out. You see, if you try an RX-8, you will find it a bit of a peach. From new, in 2003, you could choose from either a 198bhp or a 228bhp version of Mazda’s 1.3-litre twinrotor rotary engine. The former was a pleasant thing, but the latter was the one to have, capable of propelling the RX-8 from 0-62mph in just 6.4sec and on to a top speed of 146mph. Power went to…

Some cars are born into greatness. Any Bugatti, Ferrari or 21st-century Porsche, for instance. For other cars, though, greatness comes later. They have to earn every ounce of it and go through periods when it looks like they will never achieve anything. Here are some of the cars, then, whose ascension to stardom was far from guaranteed. Chevrolet Corvette 1953 The original Chevrolet Corvette put a far greater emphasis on design than on performance, initially being fitted with a straight six that produced just 150bhp. Annual sales targets of 10,000 seemed wildly optimistic with its sloth and quality problems. Production totalled just 3640 cars in 1954, and many of these were unsold, so GM considered cancelling the model more than once. Chevrolet saved the Corvette by improving its build quality…