Innholdsfortegnelse for January 08, 2025 i Autocar

The Leon will go fully electric for its next generation as Cupra looks to futureproof the nameplate. Arriving at the start of the next decade, the new Leon will be the fourth EV from the Volkswagen Group brand. It will join the forthcoming sub-€25,000 (sub-£20,800) Raval, the VW ID 5-twinned Tavascan and the Born, which is likely to enter a new generation just before the electric Leon arrives. Before then, the current Leon, available with pure-ICE and plug-in hybrid powertrains, will be updated in line with upcoming Euro 7 emission regulations. This will allow the car to continue “well into the next decade” alongside the related Cupra Formentor, boss Wayne Griffiths told Autocar. “The Cupra Leon and Cupra Formentor are both based on the same platform,” said Griffiths. “We will…

Porsche may reverse its decision to make the second-generation Macan SUV exclusively electric, amid one of the most difficult periods in the brand’s 93-year history. The new Macan Electric was launched in July last year as Porsche’s second EV, after the Taycan GT. While the larger Cayenne SUV was updated so that it could remain on sale in petrol form after the launch of an all-new electric version (due later this year), the petrol Macan was removed from sale in the EU in April, as it didn’t comply with new cybersecurity laws. It’s still offered in other markets, including the UK, but that’s expected to end this year. Now Porsche insiders have told Autocar that bosses are revisiting their decision to move the company’s best-seller away from ICE power, following…

CONTINENTAL IS DISPLAYING the latest version of its biometrics in-car tech at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week. Called the Invisible Biometrics Sensing Display, it aims to improve passive safety for a car’s occupants. Biometrics is the science of recognition using biological characteristics and this system goes further by detecting occupants using a camera and laser projector. The technology looks through a high-resolution OLED screen and is invisible to the naked eye. It was developed by Continental in conjunction with its partner, Trinamix. This latest version uses 3D distance mapping to ensure the airbags are deployed to the best effect in the event of a collision and it checks other restraint devices too – for example, that seatbelts are fastened correctly. The Invisible Biometric Sensing Display can…

THE WHOLE MG Motor UK operation consists of just 68 people. Its head office in London includes a styling studio and a showroom but still has not just empty desks but empty floors, while the engineering team at Longbridge is just a few people tasked with setting up the Chinese company’s cars for British roads – and this is all through choice. For a brand that entered the top 10 in the UK for the first 11 months of 2024 with almost 75,000 cars sold, overtaking Vauxhall, it’s a remarkably lean operation. In 2017, only one model generation ago, MG sold fewer than 5000 cars here. It now has 100,000 sales in its sights in what has become its biggest market globally – a figure that Kia didn’t achieve until…

I was interested to read that road tester Illya Verpraet’s own car is a R53-generation Mini Cooper S (Our Cars, 13 November 2024) – an excellent choice. I’ve had my 2005 example since early 2017. It did an 18-month stint as my main car and I still have it for weekend fun. I was given dire warnings about the reliability of these cars before I bought mine, but eight years later all it has needed on top of basic maintenance is an exhaust backbox, a wheel bearing and an oil-filled engine mount (a common point of failure, apparently). The ride is harsh on these cars, and I’m glad I don’t have to daily mine any more because of that. However, I continue to love the supercharger whine and its generally…

How many sub-£100,000 cars can you name with ore than four cylinders and a manual gearbox? It’s slim pickings. There’s the BMW Z4, BMW M2 and Lotus Emira. A last-of-the-line Porsche 718 GTS or Toyota GR Supra, maybe? Good news: there is one more option, which has, instead of a piffling six cylinders, a full eight of them, and neither a supercharger nor a turbocharger. It is, of course, the good old (new) Ford Mustang. It might seem ironic that this manual straw to clutch comes from the country that embraced the automatic transmission before the rest of the world. But the thing is, the Americans still love a stick shift in their performance cars, and if it weren’t for their appetite for manual Porsches and M cars, the Germans…

THE PEUGEOT E-TRAVELLER has – along with its Citroën, Fiat, Toyota and Vauxhall siblings – been given refreshed styling, updated interior technology and, far more significantly, a much bigger battery. Peugeot’s biggest passenger van is powered by the same 134bhp front-mounted electric motor as the e-2008 crossover and draws its energy from a 75kWh battery for a 217-mile range – a vast improvement on the 143 miles of its 50kWh predecessor. The e-Traveller’s 100kW peak DC charging rate is a drawback, however, if you will be relying on the public network at all: a 10-80% charge takes a minimum of 45 minutes, whereas the Volkswagen ID Buzz can accept 185kW for a sub-30-minute top-up time. The Long version (5331mm, compared with 4981mm for the Standard) feels cavernous inside: even with…

Ferrari 12Cilindri ON SALE MAY Twelve booming cylinders, a big old snout and a tremendous 819bhp on tap: the Ferrari 12Cilindri is everything a proper GT should be. The centrepiece, of course, is its 6.5-litre V12. Unlike that in the rival Aston Martin Vanquish, it’s naturally aspirated and revs to a screeching 9500rpm. “An engine to die for”, in the words of Matt Prior. But with the V12 requiring, according to Ferrari’s Enrico Galliera, an “absolutely stunning” amount of work to ensure it complies with Euro 6e emissions rules – and Euro 7 coming into force this year – could it be the last of the type? Alpine A110 Ultime ON SALE JUNE The sun is setting on the car that proved once and for all that Renault’s got what…

Range Rover Electric ON SALE OCTOBER After years of teasers, spy shots and claims of a stacked order book, it’s finally time for Land Rover to make its first foray into the world of electric cars. This is in some ways a subtle debut, because the new EV has the same looks and underpinnings as its combustion-engined counterparts – but with whisper-quiet propulsion. It’s not just refinement that benefits from going EV, though. JLR claims the Range Rover’s motors allow snappier reactions to any slippage at each wheel, reducing the reaction time of its traction control from 100 milliseconds to a single millisecond. Could this be the most capable Range Rover to date, as well as the most luxurious? We’d count on it. Jeep Compass ON SALE NOVEMBER Jeep’s assault…

Aston Martin Valhalla ON SALE OCTOBER With its front-engined sports cars freshened up and fighting fit, Aston is now turning its attention to launching a mid-engined hypercar to rival the Ferrari SF90 XX and Lamborghini Revuelto. Equipped with an electrified version of AMG’s flat-plane-crank V8, it puts out 1064bhp and should sound pretty biblical – but has a relatively plush cabin and enough EV range for silent running through town. A Valkyrie you can take to the shops, then. Volvo XC90 ON SALE FEBRUARY Electric EX90 inspires a design and tech overhaul for the school-run king, as Volvo steps back from its plan to ditch all ICE cars. Ferrari F80 ON SALE OCTOBER F40, F50, Enzo, LaFerrari… and now this: a 1184bhp hyper-hybrid with a proper Formula 1-derived V6 and…

WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To find out if the original hybrid luxury SUV is still the best This car has a bit of an identity crisis. Ever since Toyota’s luxury brand launched its Radiant Crossover (yes, really) in 1998, the Lexus RX range has stood for one thing above all else: luxury. Yes, they went uncommonly well, and yes, they could probably get you home if the Glyndebourne car park got particularly muddy, but the main draw of these limousines on stilts was always comfort and opulence, rather than driver appeal or off-road ability. That was only enhanced from 2005, when the RX became the first hybrid large SUV, offering the silence of electric motivation running hand in hand with its free-spinning petrol V6. When specified, as here, with the…

AN OWNER’S VIEW ROBIN TITTERINGTON “After driving my friend’s GT3 RS, I knew it was time to buy one myself. The RS was a bit over the top for me, so I bought a 991.2 GT3 with Comfort seats and carbon-ceramic brakes. It’s a brilliant car and one that’s better suited to ‘normal’ driving. My car’s Michelin Pilot Cup 2 tyres generate a lot of noise so I intend to swap these for Pilot Sport 4s. For peace of mind, I bought an extended warranty, but I’ve had no issues so far. It’s an exceptional car and I’d recommend it to any sports car enthusiast.” BUYER BEWARE… ■ ENGINE The 4.0-litre is far more robust than the 3.8-litre unit, but there have been a few cases of engine failure, variously…

Cupra will launch a highperformance variant of its new Terramar touting more than 300bhp. The crossover was unveiled in September 2024 as a rival to the BMW X1 in the hotly contested C-SUV segment. Packing up to 268bhp, the Terramar is the last new combustion-powered car that Cupra will launch. Now, a hotter version is in development, one that could adopt the 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine used in Audi RS models, should that unit be upgraded to meet the Euro 7 emissions rules arriving in 2027. Such an engine for the car would be “a dream”, said Griffiths. However, he added, the car would most likely instead feature a plug-in hybrid set-up.…

CHINESE ELECTRIC CAR maker Nio has unveiled the first model for its new Europe-bound Firefly brand, which is focused on small, affordable vehicles. Dubbed a “small, smart, high-end electric car”, the as-yet-unnamed Firefly is positioned as a rival to the BYD Dolphin and Renault 5 in the growing supermini EV segment. It will be launched in China in April and in Europe soon afterwards. Pricing in its home market will start at the equivalent of £16,000. The car was designed to stand out from rivals, said Nio and Firefly design director Kris Tomasson, with a “unique” tri-circular light design at both ends. Images show that the car offers a leatherette-clad interior focused on a large central touchscreen. Electrically adjustable seats will be offered, Nio has confirmed, as well as blindspot…

A British company is launching a smartphone app that can calculate the state of health of an electric vehicle’s drive battery. Costing around £30 and due to be launched in the coming weeks, Clearwatt’s EV Health Checker uses an EV’s connected car data and information from the driver’s smartphone to provide a detailed picture of its real-world efficiency and performance. The resulting report gives a grading for the EV’s battery health relative to a new vehicle and comparable vehicles; an estimate of its future battery degradation based on past performance; and a prediction of the car’s range in a variety of scenarios. It also shows the impact on the car’s range of the wheels fitted to the vehicle. Historically, EV battery data has been difficult to obtain and, even if…

BMW has revealed the production version of the next-generation Panoramic iDrive interface that will feature in all of its future models. The bold new system, revealed at Las Vegas’s CES tech event, will first be used in the production version of the Neue Class X electric SUV, due later this year, then subsequently be adopted by both electric and combustion models. The Panoramic iDrive interior concept comprises four separate elements, with the most eye-catching a chunky display that is projected across a black strip stretching across the width of the windscreen. It includes key driving information – such as speed – in front of the driver, alongside which are six customisable ‘particle’ slots. There is then a centrally positioned touchscreen, which is notably angled towards the driver, running BMW’s new…

TWIN TEST BMW M5 vs PORSCHE PANAMERA Iconic super-saloon’s switch to PHEV tech raises its game – but also its power and weight. Can it rise to the heights of Porsche’s latest effort? FIRST DRIVE ALFA ROMEO JUNIOR IBRIDA Worthy of that revered badge or just another badge-engineering job? FEATURE HOW TO BUY A USED EV All you need to know to bag a good electric car and avoid a bad one EVERY WEEK OUR CARS JAGUAR X-TYPE Was Alex Wolstenholme wise to buy one on a whim? He reports on his first few weeks with it LONG-TERM TEST SKODA SUPERB We gave this big estate five stars when we road tested it. Now we’re going to test it every single day…

We’ve all spent time pondering what the ultimate car for all occasions would be. It’s a staple of idle bar room chitchat or contemplative daydream moments when we should be doing something more productive. You know the kind of car I’m talking about: it can cope with the daily slog, can take family-ferrying duties in its stride, has enough comfort and stamina to cross continents in a single bound and yet can humble the odd sports car in a point-topoint head to head. All of this and it can carry everything you own, including a Magnet showroom’s supply of kitchen sinks. Well, on paper, the latest Mercedes-Benz E450d Estate might just fit the bill. For starters, there’s plenty of performance: its lusty 3.0-litre diesel straight six (now with a 23bhp…

The Mini brand had a busy 2024, but the car to which we now turn – the Aceman – may well be its most important development among so many renewed siblings. That’s because the Aceman isn’t quite a natural successor for the short-lived Paceman three-door crossover of 2012, nor is it a differently named follow-up to the slow-selling Clubman pseudo-estate. It is, instead, a new kind of Mini intended to perfectly plug the gap that has started to appear between the core Cooper hatchbacks and the C-segment-sized Countryman. And if it seems to assume something of a key significance, that may be because it was the scion Aceman concept, back in 2022, that gave us our first flavour of its maker’s current design language. This is the car that aims,…

Hyundai Ioniq 6 N ON SALE DECEMBER (What’s the Story) Morning Glory, The Bends, Nevermind… Second albums are always difficult, but sometimes they’re absolutely gamechanging. Hyundai will certainly be hoping for a Led Zeppelin II moment with the launch of its second electric sports car. The Ioniq 5 N has completely overturned the misconception that EVs can’t be fun, with its realistic ‘manual gearbox’, genuinely enjoyable ‘engine note’ and scintillating dynamics, so the pressure is on the hot Ioniq 6 to take things one step further. Expect a ludicrous power figure and a rapid 0-62mph time, of course, but no doubt there will be a hefty dose of chassis tweaking and electrickery deployed to ensure this is more than merely a quick car. Mercedes-AMG GT 4dr ON SALE DECEMBER Has…

Renault 5 ON SALE APRIL The 5 wowed at its launch, with its sleek retro styling, and it didn’t disappoint when we got to drive it. It rides and handles well, is reasonably spacious and, starting from £23,000, is a genuinely affordable electric car. Viva la Renaulution, etc. Nissan Micra ON SALE OCTOBER Squint a bit and you can see the Renault 5 links in the concept car that previews the new Micra. But while it shares a platform and will be built in France, much of its design and engineering work has been done by Nissan (and in the UK). We’ve been promised a “sporty urban” car. Citroën C3 Aircross ON SALE MAY The next-gen C3 Aircross’s Smart Car platform will enable it to offer seven seats despite a…

The most exceptional new car released in the European market. That’s the official line at the top of the Car of the Year statutes about what this great old award boils down to. Sure, there have been the odd eyebrows raised about some winners during the past 61 years, but democracy does such things and, besides, a year and its winner can be only as good as the cars launched within those 12 months. The cream still rises to the top, and the quality of the field in 2025 means this year’s winner will be the kind of thick, moreish cream normally reserved for your Christmas pudding, not that red-labelled single stuff you’re only punishing yourself with during the January Blues. To put it another way: our winner will be…

ALFA ROMEO GIULIA QUADRIFOGLIO Mileage 9293 Last seen 31.12.24 Get your varifocals out and take a really good look at this. The QV has a helpful sub-menu in its infotainment system that logs data when it’s set in drag race mode. It offers two datasets: last and best. And the best times that this car has on it are surely impossible: 0-60mph in 2.0sec and 0-100mph in 3.7sec! MSc MINI COOPER Mileage 2145 Last seen 31.12.24 I ignored an irritating rubbing from the driver’s B-pillar for as long as I could, but it was exacerbated by my local area’s horrendous roads to such a degree that I started to dread my commute. Several roadside repair attempts later, I admitted defeat and called in the heavies. With the loose window seals…

Paul Carr’s 1999 Alfa Romeo GTV 2.0 Twin Spark is looking good for its age. Well, it would if the top coat weren’t crazing. “I polish it and the roughness disappears, only for it to come back a few weeks later,” says Paul. At first glance, it’s the only thing I can find to criticise about this pretty little coupé – yet when Paul first came across it in 2015, the seller described it so negatively that he turned it down flat. “I’d always wanted another Alfa – as a young man, I’d owned two Alfasuds – and then one day my daughter called to say she had seen a GTV advertised in her local post office and that I should telephone the seller,” he says. Paul duly made the…

BMW 323i 1996, 29,500 miles, £12,000 A prestigious badge, sharp styling, immaculate snowflake alloys: there’s little about this Mystic Red 323i coupé to dislike. Quicker, smoother and almost as frugal as an E36 320i, with a partial service history and 12 months’ MOT, it’ll serve you well. FIAT COUPE 2.0 TURBO 2000, 73,000 miles, £6500 Great to look at and in great nick too. It has been looked after by the same owner since 2000, with maintenance done by a Fiat specialist. A new heater controller and tacho wiring are needed but it’s otherwise raring to go. A fresh MOT and partial service history are included. FORD PROBE 2.5 V6 1997, 1000 miles, £13,995 This Probe is fresh out the box: there are just 1000 miles on the clock and…

Cupra will launch cars that “break segments” and have “very provocative bodystyles” as part of its next wave of models – and the first one could be seen later this year. “If you want to make Cupra cool and make it iconic, then you need to start making iconic cars that perhaps don’t fit in any segment,” said Cupra boss Wayne Griffiths. “We are working on other cars that break the classic segments between saloons, estate cars and SUVs. “Things will emerge and we’ll see different opportunities. We are working on some very provocative bodystyles as well. Hopefully we can show you one in 2025.” These cars will differ from the Spanish brand’s current line-up, such as the Formentor and the Terramar, as Cupra “deliberately [went] SUV and crossover” when…

Skoda has treated the Enyaq and Enyaq Coupé electric SUVs to a makeover, giving them the new ‘Tech-Deck’ face introduced on the smaller Elroq EV, longer official ranges and an upgraded battery offering. The battery in the entry-level model (now badged 60 and still available only in regular SUV guise) has increased in capacity from 55kWh to 62kWh. In combination with a more slippery body, this has extended the range from 234 to 268 miles. The larger 82kWh pack returns for top-rung 85 and all-wheel-drive 85x models. Pricing has yet to be confirmed, but expect a slight rise on the current £36,970 (Enyaq) and £46,440 (Enyaq Coupé) starting prices.…

THE NEW HONDA Prelude hybrid sports coupé will feature a unique simulated gearbox when it’s launched in 2026 as part of an effort to ensure it offers driving thrills. The first new Prelude in more than 20 years will be based on the Civic hatchback and have a hybrid powertrain centred on a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. The complexity of Honda’s e:HEV system effectively prohibits a manual gearbox from being fitted (despite their e-CVT branding, e:HEV models feature no mechanical transmission), so the company will instead introduce a new S+ Shift system on the Prelude. The e:HEV powertrain primarily uses an electric motor to propel the wheels, with the engine serving as a generator. The S+ Shift system will give the Prelude the ability to maintain “the optimal RPM for…

AURAL ASSAULT I took delivery of a new MG 3 in May and was greeted with the same horrendous binging as Kris Culmer has experienced in his long-term test car (31 December 2024). Neither my dealer nor MG head office had any idea how to switch it off, but my wife found an obscure reference on the internet explaining that this binging could be switched off in the sat-nav settings. I used to get 65mpg but at present, with the heated seat and steering wheel on, this has fallen to 57mpg. Otherwise, I think the car is generally very good and good value for money. Tony Wright Via email BEWARE DERRIERE I thoroughly endorse Matt Prior’s views on reverse parking (Prior Conviction, 20 November 2024). In Japan, there’s an unwritten…

“It grips well but leaves room for antics. Roundabouts soon become your best friends” Does Abingdon-based Frontline still need an intro? As one of the most established names on the restomod scene, perhaps not, but herewith the nutshell. In 1991, Tim Fenna began to develop competition-reliable parts for classic MGs, having been repeatedly let down by the company’s original gearboxes. By the 2000s, Frontline was the worldwide go-to for performance parts for these cars, whatever your requirement or application. In 2010, it moved to its current home, the old Benetton Formula 1 team factory, and not long after that it started making full MGB restomod rebuilds – first up the LE50, with a modified 2.0-litre Mazda MX-5 engine. More than a decade later, Frontline is still focused on the MGB,…

THE NEWLY UPDATED Hyundai Bayon is a reminder that there are still simple and relatively affordable options out there amid all the SUVs and EVs that are setting the automotive agenda. Hyundai’s decision to give the baby crossover a nip and tuck made sense when key rivals like the Ford Puma and Renault Captur were given a refresh earlier last year. Up front, there’s a new grille, revised headlights and a distinctive light bar across the front edge of the bonnet, although it still looks pretty anonymous to these eyes. The Bayon rides on the same Hyundai- and Kia-developed K2 supermini platform as before and can be had only with a 1.0-litre turbo petrol triple. However, you can no longer choose the 118bhp version and, as in the conventionally shaped…

BMW iX3 ON SALE DECEMBER Previewed by the Vision Neue Klasse X, the successor to today’s iX3 will set the tone for BMW’s future electric line-up. Much of that concept’s design will be carried over to the new SUV, such as its fresh kidney grille, new LED headlights and flatter, more imposing silhouette. BMW’s sixthgeneration eDrive system is claimed to give an efficiency boost of up to 25% over the brand’s existing EVs, with range bolstered by around 30%. Mercedes CLA ON SALE OCTOBER The new CLA will be the first series-production Merc offered with both combustion and battery-electric power. While the saloon has been dubbed ‘electric first’, it will be available with a new 249bhp electrified engine. A dual-motor 527bhp rival to BMW’s i4 M50 will top the line-up.…

Kia’s biggest year yet EV4 ON SALE DECEMBER Tesla beware! Kia’s coming for the Model 3 with its new EV4, the Korean brand’s first electric saloon. UK-bound versions are likely to be offered with 215bhp front-wheel-drive and 320bhp four-wheel-drive options, although a hotter GT variant is also on the cards. A hatchback version (pictured) is on the way, too. Sportage ON SALE JUNE One of the UK’s best-sellers gets EV9-inspired looks as part of its fifth-generation mid-life facelift to keep it high in the charts. The hybrid powertrain introduces a new ‘Infant’ mode, with a smoother power delivery. EV5 ON SALE NOVEMBER Electric equivalent of the Sportage majors on design flair and practicality. Front- and four-wheel-drive models will be available and the rangiest versions will be comfortably capable of more…

“In years to come, buyers might rue missing EV bargains such as this” WHY WE RAN IT To find out if a cut-price approved used electric Porsche can match the richly satisfying ownership experience of a new one here’s still plenty of trepidation about buying Tused electric cars, most likely reflecting the fact that it’s developing tech. People don’t tend to like the unknown, and there are many scare stories about failing batteries and other issues. Which seems odd to me: most batteries are covered by extended warranties, EVs have fewer moving parts that can break and people often still buy old Alfa Romeos despite literal warning lights. It has led to some sharply falling prices for used EVs, even those from premium brands known for rocksolid residuals, creating a…

The 911 GT3 released in 2017 is heralded as one of Porsche’s greatest hits and it still quickens pulses and turns heads today. So high was demand when it was new that you could not get your hands on a 991.2 (Porsche speak for the facelifted seventh-generation 911) GT3 for love nor money. Some buyers cashed in and immediately flipped their cars to make a profit, so many GT3s quickly reappeared on sale – but for around £50,000 to £70,000 more than their list price. It’s easy to see why demand outstripped supply: this sports car delivers unwavering grip, poise and balance, both on track and off it. But now that it has dropped in price to more accessible levels, is it time to invest in a GT3 before it…

Somewhere in the Sussex town of Worthing sits a grey business estate, the likes of which can be found anywhere in the country. Yet it was right here that many of the beloved cars and wild motor show concepts of the 1980s and 1990s were designed by a creative agency the equal of Italy’s iconic carrozzerie. International Automotive Design (IAD) was founded in 1976 by John Shute, who had been working as an engineer for General Motors’ Holden division out in Australia. His firm first came to Autocar’s attention at the 1980 British motor show, where it displayed its idea for bringing Triumph’s ageing TR7 sports car into the new era, and by which point it already had 160 staff. Six years later, we headed down to the Worthing Technical…