Innholdsfortegnelse for February 12, 2025 i Autocar

FELICITA. THE ITALIAN word for happiness was plastered all over the launch event for the new Fiat Grande Panda, and it was certainly emanating from CEO Olivier François, who, after years of axing ageing models and not launching new ones, has a plan we can all get behind. “Happiness is a byproduct of having purpose,” he said. “The auto world is complicated but can we not face the future with a smile?” Even as Fiat shrank to become effectively the 500 car company in Europe, it has remained Stellantis’s largest brand globally. It is big in Latin America, the Middle East and Africa and has retained a large global manufacturing footprint. “Being global is the only way to be strong and resilient,” said François. So while Fiat has seen its…

AUDI HAS REVERSED the recently introduced modelnaming strategy that assigned odd numbers to its combustion-engined models and even numbers to electric models. The move comes after customer and dealer feedback confirmed that the new system was causing confusion. Under the original plan, ICE cars, including plug-in hybrids, were assigned the numbers 1, 3, 5 and 7, while EVs were assigned 2, 4, 6 and 8. At the time, Audi’s then head of technology, Oliver Hoffmann, justified the approach as a way to create a “clear and intuitive distinction” between drivetrain types. This led to notable changes in model naming: the A4 was rebranded the A5 and the A6 was set to become the A7. The ICE model due to be called the A7 will now be badged the A6 TFSI…

PRICE OF LOYALTY Having been an RAC member since 1982, I was disappointed to discover the ‘R’ should stand for ‘rip-off’. I’d paid little attention to my automatic renewals, but when this year’s one arrived, I was stunned to find the cost had rocketed from an already pricey £402 to a ridiculous £553. I went onto the RAC website to check what a new customer would pay for identical cover and found it would be five times cheaper, at £110. I phoned the RAC to cancel my subscription and asked the agent to explain why the charge was so high and received the following reasons. One: I possibly lived in a postcode with an unusually high number of claims. Having used the same one as previously, this didn’t stand up.…

“It’s pretty average to drive: not exciting but not unpleasant” This is BYD’s big chance to crack one very lucrative market. Since it came onto the European scene in late 2022, the Chinese giant has given us models galore, but the new Atto 2 lands in the fastest-growing segment. Slotting into the range between the Dolphin and Atto 3, the Atto 2 is a mid-size electric SUV, putting it into a real sweet spot. Last year, more than half of the cars sold globally were SUVs of varying sizes, and in the UK we bought 1.2 million of them. Rivals are flooding in from every avenue, including the Vauxhall Frontera, Hyundai Kona, Kia EV3, Peugeot e-2008, Renault Megane… the list goes on. BYD claims the Atto 2, built primarily for…

For as long as there has been more than just one 356 variant, there have been those who have found the Porsche model range a confusing alphabet soup. I used to think those people were just being obtuse, but lately Stuttgart has been testing even the most committed Porscheologists. The GTS used to be ‘the sweet spot’ with everything the keen driver wanted and nothing they didn’t. Now it’s the heavy hybrid one. The Turbo used to be the one with, well, a turbo. Now it’s just the really insanely fast one. The T? That has always had quite a fluid identity. It’s supposedly the one for the purists who can’t stretch to the GT3. However, the Macan T, which was just a basic four-cylinder model with a bit more…

Was 2024 the year of the seven-seat SUV? Kia started it off with the all-new electric EV9, Skoda followed soon after with the second generation of the Kodiaq, and both Kia (again) and Hyundai refreshed their piston-powered models, the Sorento and the Santa Fe. Despite its wealth of brands, the Stellantis group sells only one such car in Europe, the Peugeot 5008, so it couldn’t stay behind and duly also launched a brand-new generation at the tail end of the year. It’s based on the new STLA Medium platform and, as with most new products from the group, it’s available with both electric and ICE power. Here we will focus on the more affordable hybrid version. DESIGN & ENGINEERING PROS Looks great; choice of powertrains CONSSole non-plug-in option isn’t very…

MILEAGE 1490 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To see whether this new big estate really is a flawless family hauler Our diesel-engined Skoda Superb Estate has done a good job convincing me that I’m well suited to driving electric cars. Counterintuitive as this sounds, I mean that as a compliment. While diesels are not exactly in vogue, they still have a real use case in the right circumstances. I’ve had to make a number of long trips away from my south-west London home in recent weeks, and it’s notable how much the fuel economy improves once the engine has warmed up and I escape the capital’s congested roads. On an A-road or motorway, the Superb is so pleasurable to drive, relaxed and effortless. And over a long trip, that fuel economy…

The seventh-generation Volkswagen Golf GTI is one of those rare hot hatchbacks that deftly balances performance and athleticism with genuine comfort and refinement. And now that prices for early cars have fallen below £6000, it’s starting to look like quite unbelievable value for what could be an enthusiast’s ultimate daily driver. Any Golf GTI has to be special from the off, but the 2013 Mk7 had to be exceptional to stand a chance against the Honda Civic Type R and Ford Focus ST. Which is why Volkswagen turned to a chassis supremo from Porsche – the man behind the 997-generation Porsche 911 GT3 RS, no less – to ensure the hot hatch steered, handled and rode better than any other Golf GTI that had gone before. Rather than give its…

Wish you were here… The US is so big that you tend to default to jumping on a plane for any intercity journey. Indeed, the Google Maps journey planner in North America treats plane journeys the same way as it does train journeys here. For example: Phoenix, Arizona, to San Diego, California, is given as a 1hr 25min flight for £77 or a six-hour, 372-mile drive. The former is the easy option and something often necessitated by time. Yet fortunate timing on recent back-to-back work events and a Bentley Continental GT that needed repatriating to California meant that I could at last take the latter option and go on a proper journey, rather than just a trip. Phoenix itself seemed to go on forever and was most notable from the…

“STLA City will underpin the new Fiat 500 and Panda, each with two powertrain options” Fiat will launch all-new versions of the 500 and Panda as the foundations for a dramatically expanded range that will enable the Italian brand to break out from its recent history as a small car specialist and into larger vehicles over the next five years. After spending much of the past decade in the doldrums as safety legislation gradually eroded its ageing model range in Europe, Fiat now has a whole host of new models in the works. The crucial change is that the company now has the architectures on which to build new models thanks to the scale offered by being part of the Stellantis group. In addition, two larger C-segment models, previewed by…

Porsche is set to bring back the 911 Dakar with hybrid power and the promise of even greater on-and off-road performance. Senior sources have told Autocar that the upgraded model is under development at the firm’s Weissach engineering centre and it is planned to form part of the German car maker’s facelifted 992-series 911 line-up. Although a spokesperson said that “Porsche does not comment on speculation on its products”, Autocar understands officials have pencilled in a launch for the end of 2025. It will once again be sold in limited numbers. It was previously restricted to just 2500 examples and production ended in November 2024. Featuring the same rugged and jacked-up design as its predecessor, the new 911 Dakar will be powered by Porsche’s innovative new T-Hybrid powerplant, already used…

NISSAN IS SET to call off merger talks with Honda that would have brought together two of Japan’s biggest manufacturers. The pair signed a memorandum of understanding to investigate merging their operations in December 2024, with the intention to agree a final deal by June 2025. Under the agreement, the two brands would have remained separate but adopted shared platforms and powertrains and merged many of their production operations. The tie-up would have created one of the world’s largest car firms. However, leading Japanese newspaper Nikkei – which first revealed details of the talks last year – has now reported that Nissan will withdraw from the deal amid growing differences on how the merger would work in practice. Nissan bosses were angered by an unexpected proposal from Honda that moved…

A RECENT BOSCH test drive of over 2000 miles in a mix of climatic conditions on public roads has paved the way for the market launch of a brake-by-wire system this autumn. Orders are already in place from various vehicle makers and Bosch expects 5.5 million vehicles globally to be equipped with brake-by-wire by 2030. Drive-by-wire is a seemingly exotic concept whose essence is to remove the driver from direct mechanical or hydraulic contact with the car’s steering or brakes. Instead, the driver’s inputs through the steering or brake pedal send an electronic signal to a computer, which activates the brakes or steering through actuators instead. A full brake-by-wire system would not only decouple the driver from the brakes but also switch to a ‘dry’ system, with hydraulics replaced by…

It was interesting to read your comments on the original Lexus LS 400 (News, 5 February). In the late 1980s, when I started work as a designer at Mazda’s then new R&D centre near Frankfurt, one of our first jobs was to design a range of vehicles for a planned luxury division of Mazda, to be named Amati. The cars, including a 5.5m-long, V12-engined limousine, were to compete primarily in the US with Lexus and other notable luxury brands. As part of this development programme, we purchased all the European luxury competitors and the then brand-new LS for test evaluation. The LS was primarily designed for the US market, and Toyota chose to be quite conservative with its styling, probably taking design cues from the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. However, it featured…

In an effort to make their cars stand out, particularly the electric ones, manufacturers have got in the habit of dusting off old names. There are storied ones like the Ford Capri and Renault 5, but the more niche ones are fair game as well. We’ve seen the odd Nismobranded Juke and GT-R in Europe, but Nissan never developed it into a fully fledged sub-brand like it has done in Japan. Now ‘Nissan Motorsport’ is back to add some spice to the Ariya electric SUV. Those expecting an answer to the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N or even the Kia EV6 GT should temper their expectations, though, because Nissan doesn’t see the hot Hyundai as a rival. Instead, it’s pitching the Ariya Nismo at Volkswagen’s ID 4 GTX and ID 5…

The Mercedes-Benz G580 with EQ Technology – the electric G-Wagen to you and me – has landed in the UK. And if that had been a literal landing, it would have been accompanied by quite the thump, given that it weighs 3209kg at the kerb (including 75kg for its driver) – over 450kg more than the AMG G63. That’s down to its EV hardware and ought to prepare us for more of this, which is surely what’s coming where proper 4x4s (not just SUVs) are concerned. The G580 is a proper off-roader. It has four motors with a combined 579bhp, each driving a wheel and each with a reduction gear should you choose to move to low ratio. It retains a separate chassis, so the battery – all 116kWh of…

HAOYUAN BAI Haoyuan Bai, 22, was attracted to car design when he first saw the 996-gen Porsche 911, and cites Pinky Lai (who led the car’s design) and Peter Schreyer (who transformed Kia into a ‘design’ brand) as his top influences. Bai, a Nio intern, did his first design degree in Shanghai. The judges rated his Riversimple design, notable for its rear spats and for different design alternatives on either side of his model, for its excellent, ideal proportions for a Riversimple supercar, and for his very classy sketches. YUYONG YIN Among the advantages of studying at Coventry for Yuyong Yin, 24, is the university’s long design tradition, not to mention its proximity to the “legendary” Aston Martin and JLR factories. A graduate in Environmental Design from China, he has…

WHY WE RAN IT To see whether our positive first impression of this affordable new hybrid supermini could last in extended use Rarely if ever have I been left with such mixed feelings about a long-term test car – and likewise, rarely have there been so many opinions expressed by colleagues and readers. I was mightily impressed on our first drive of the secondgeneration MG 3 supermini in April last year, awarding the car four stars on the basis that it “offers comfort, practicality, lots of technology and hybrid propulsion for several grand less than rivals” – and I still stand by that. A couple of months later, though, our road testers knocked off half a star, declaring: “It still lacks the sophistication of some rivals and loses stars for…

MILEAGE 2350 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To generate a progress report on the evolution of the old-school Merc coupé Considering the state of Britain’s roads and the vast mileage I cover testing cars, it’s a miracle that I’ve never had a flat tyre – but it has finally happened, and I’ve broken my duck in style. I was looking forward to spending a week in our Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 long-termer, since I liked the model when I did the first drive review a few months back – a six-cylinder coupé is right up my street. I do remember the ride feeling a tad brittle and those nice 20in wheels looking extremely kerbable, though, and so they proved. I was enjoying a spirited drive on one of my favourite local roads…

Fiat will launch a 4x4 version of its new Grande Panda, CEO Olivier François has confirmed. Technical details of the 4x4 are still being decided, along with whether to offer it on the hybrid or the electric version – or indeed both. The desire to launch a 4x4 version exists to link the new Grande Panda more closely to the original, 1980s Panda. “Yes, we are committed to doing something and are studying it,” said François. “We’re trying to find the solution and a way. The question is whether it should be an ICE 4x4 or an EV 4x4. “We’re looking at solutions – but how, when… But we get the point and would like to do something like it soon.” François ruled out a seven-seat version of the Grande…

Volkswagen will reveal a new concept next month that previews a £17,000 electric car to succeed the Up. The entry-level model is due to enter production in 2027 with a starting price of “about €20,000”, said Volkswagen, which will make it “attractive for a wide variety of user groups”. Widely referred to as the ID 1, the new Up successor is expected to share its fundamental platform with the larger, Volkswagen Polo-sized ID 2 – a shortened ‘Entry’ version of the Volkswagen Group’s modular MEB architecture. Technical details have yet to be confirmed. The first preview image suggests the new city car will have chunky, upright proportions and a distinctive visage that incorporates Volkswagen’s new-look LED lighting signatures. CEO Thomas Schäfer described the new car’s unveiling as a pivotal moment…

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has ratcheted the hyperbole to new levels to talk up the earnings potential of new projects such as the Optimus robot and Cybercab autonomous car, even as returns on the core automotive business delivered a “significant” miss on analysts’ expectations. Tesla’s quarterly discussions with business analysts have rarely followed the pattern of other listed automotive companies’, with Musk preferring to make often-unfounded predictions about future launches and milestones rather than give colour to the current balance-sheet numbers. “My revenue predictions sound absolutely insane” However, the policy has served him well, with investors pushing Tesla to a $1.28 trillion (£1.0tn) valuation. But during the firm’s most recent earnings call, at the end of January, Musk pushed his fanciful depictions of vast future profit pools generated by Tesla-engineered…

KGM’s UK importer believes the Korean brand is set to hugely benefit from investment made by its new owner in recent years – but will target steady and sustainable growth instead of simply chasing sales volume. KGM, formerly known as Ssangyong Motors, focuses on rugged SUVs and pick-up trucks. In the past decade, it has been owned by the Ssangyong conglomerate, Chinese car maker SAIC and Indian giant Mahindra, but has struggled due to an inconsistent product cycle and a lack of investment. It was bought and rebranded in 2022 by the KG Group, a Korean conglomerate with significant interests in steel and chemicals. The first signs of fresh investment from KG have now been seen with the arrival of the Actyon SUV, which will be followed by the end…

FEATURE CLE 53 vs CLK 63 BLACK SERIES We discover how Merc-AMG’s rowdy coupés have evolved over the past two decades – and whether they’re as good now as they’ve ever been VERDICT SUBARU FORESTER The sixth generation of this boxy, boxer-engined 4x4 hits UK roads ROAD TEST PORSCHE MACAN TURBO ELECTRIC Does the SUV have a hope of matching its petrol equivalent’s success? EVERY WEEK LIVING WITH A… BMW i5 TOURING Matt Prior says farewell to the electric version of Munich’s much-loved executive estate USED GUIDE RANGE ROVER EVOQUE What to spot when shopping for second-hand examples of JLR’s surprise smash hit…

“It has some familiar Audi dynamic traits, despite its decidedly un-Audi layout” Whatever other decisions may be made in the busy corridors of power at Ingolstadt this week, we know one thing for sure: this is the new, exclusively electric Audi A6, and it has just touched down in the UK in right-hand-drive form. Next month, however, another new Audi A6 will be unveiled, powered by a combustion engine. That car was set to be the new A7, but the shuffling of long-familiar model names has proven too much for the company’s customer base and dealer network (see p9), so the bosses have had a rethink. The A6 E-tron doesn’t look much like an A6 to me, though. It looks like a car that could have had several proposed identities…

There’s an interesting circularity to the way premium car makers are now revisiting and reinventing their electric luxury SUVs. It’s six or seven years – or about a full model cycle – since the Jaguar I-Pace, Audi E-tron and Mercedes EQC first gave buyers premium-branded electric options for their next family-sized SUV. The fresh meat those same buyers are being offered today – the Porsche Macan Electric, the Audi Q6 E-tron, the refreshed BMW iX and the subject of this test – represent the way EV technology has matured over that period as much by their variety as by their generational leaps on performance, efficiency, range and charging speed. The all-new Polestar 3 illustrates how very adeptly. Based on a model platform shared with the much larger and taller Volvo…

Perchance to dream… Had Shakespeare been around today, chances are he might have been referring to his next car rather than to the next life. After all, who doesn’t spend half their waking hours scrolling through car ads, imagining themselves at the wheel of something they can’t afford, such as a Ferrari or a Lamborghini? It passes the time but leads nowhere – so instead, scroll through these 30 choice motors no dearer than £30,000. Agreed, it’s a significant sum, but many of them are less than half that and some cheaper still. Dream on… ASTON MARTIN VANTAGE Although the V8 Vantage never graced the 007 franchise, it still looks like something Daniel Craig might have driven in Casino Royale in 2006, had the DBS V12 not got the gig…

It takes one to know one, they say, and in Tom Hartley Jr, Bernie Ecclestone believes he has found the right man to sell his dream collection of 69 historic grand prix and Formula 1 cars. “I’m a second-hand car dealer and proud of it,” Hartley Jr tells me from his dealership, Tom Hartley Jnr, in Leicestershire. Ecclestone, too, is a deal maker and proud of it: selling old car parts and motorcycles from the age of 15 before moving into property and investment and then, following some years as a driver manager, acquiring the Brabham race team in 1971. The rest is history. Part of that history is his collection of rare and significant race cars, which, in December last year, Ecclestone declared would be sold. Gathered over more…

Between them, Alex Jones and his dad have 12 Nissan Bluebirds. “Actually, it may be 13,” says Alex. “I have six. Or is it seven? There are four on the driveway and one in the garage, plus a few at my grandad’s farm.” Whatever, it’s a lot. The pressing question: why? “I’ve no idea what the attraction is, but I’ve always been a fan of the model. My first car, 11 years ago, was a Bluebird liftback. Maybe that’s why…” The best Bluebird in Alex’s collection is, he says, another liftback: a white 1.6 LX. However, the one he’s driving when we meet is a 1987 2.0 DX estate with just 60,000 miles on the clock and wearing a natty set of aftermarket Hoshino race wheels. Alex has driven it…