Innholdsfortegnelse for October 08, 2025 i Autocar

Dacia has channelled the spirit of the original Mini, Fiat 500 and Volkswagen Beetle for a sub-800kg, four-seat city car concept designed to dramatically reduce the price of EVs. Called the Hipster, it measures just 1.55m wide, 1.53m tall and three metres long – shorter than any car currently on sale – but it still has four full-sized seats and up to 500 litres of load space with the rear seats folded, which is enough to accommodate a washing machine. Dacia’s aim is to “enable as many people as possible to access essential mobility” in the face of rising costs brought about by regulation and electrification – with the Hipster envisaged as a model that undercuts even the £15,000 Dacia Spring, one of Europe’s cheapest full-sized cars. It showcases the…

JLR WAS PREPARING to build its first cars in more than a month when Autocar went to press last week. While an exact time for the restart of production lines was unclear, it was expected to begin by today (8 October). Speaking to Autocar last Friday, a spokesperson reiterated that production would resume “in the coming days”. They added that restart assessments were being carried out daily. The British car maker was still working to recover from a cyber attack that brought its factories to a halt on 1 September. The hack incapacitated the Land Rover maker, forcing it to shut down its internal computer systems in an effort to protect data from being stolen. This in turn resulted in production shutdowns at all of its global plants and created…

POLESTAR DESIGN CHIEF Philipp Römers says the firm will expand the use of physical buttons in future models as part of efforts to build on the brand’s performance appeal. The former Audi head of exterior design moved to the Swedish EV firm at the start of this year, replacing BMW bound Max Missoni. Römers has now outlined his vision for the brand to Autocar, indicating that he will evolve Polestar’s current design language rather than take a revolutionary approach. Römers hinted that future models will be lower and sleeker to emphasise their driver appeal and suggested that the dashboard will also become more driver-focused, moving away from the centrally mounted touchscreen. Those efforts will also include introducing more buttons. “We want to express the topic of performance, and bringing buttons…

Citroën will showcase its future design and brand direction in December. New CEO Xavier Chardon will use an event in Paris to outline his vision for Citroën and to address observations that the brand is currently lacking clarity. Speaking for the first time since rejoining Citroën from the Volkswagen Group in the summer, Chardon accepted there is confusion around the brand but insisted it is still able to innovate. Separately to the December event, Chardon has continued with the project that seeks to revive a model in the spirit of the 2CV, which Citroën executives have been hinting at this year. He said the 2CV is “a part of French culture” and he is well read on the history of the model and its original purpose to democratise cars for…

Deepdrive, a Munich-based electric motor research company, has begun public trials of a range of in-wheel automotive drive motors that, it claims, can bring new standards of efficiency and economy to car propulsion. The new motors, being tested initially in Volvo and Tesla prototypes on the Salzburgring racing circuit, will eventually allow manufacturers to build EVs that are up to 20% more efficient, and with much greater space efficiency enabling “never seen” proportions, according to the firm. Speaking at the recent Munich motor show, chief engineer Alex Rosen, one of the founders of Deepdrive, told Autocar that the company plans to scale up for “small series” car production by 2028 and has customers waiting for its products. It has already acquired around €50 million (£43.5m) in investment funding from backers…

FEATURE WHY WE BOND WITH CARS Richard Webber fell for a Lancia Delta Integrale 24 years ago. Now he is selling it. A psychologist helps him understand how to break the tie ROAD TEST VOLVO XC60 We reveal just where this upmarket SUV ranks after its latest updates INTERVIEW THE MAN SHAPING VOLKSWAGEN’S FUTURE VW R&D chief Kai Grunitz talks about developing small cars, taking on the Chinese and why drivers will “love” the firm’s first electric GTI EVERY WEEK LIVING WITH A… BYD DOLPHIN SURF Dacia Spring rival from China joins our fleet with plenty to prove USED GUIDE LAMBORGHINI URUS It’s more than £200k new. But now you can get a used one for £130k…

Brand values can be cruel. If you’re going to try to honour them, you had better do it faultlessly, lest the enthusiasts pour scorn over your latest product. A Mercedes that isn’t built like a nuclear bunker? Blasphemy! A Ferrari that isn’t the sharpest drive in its class? Humbug! Yet abandoning them entirely while still selling the idea can work out remarkably well. BMW clearly has few regrets about making the 1 Series front-wheel drive and making a neatly styled miniature electric crossover with a single driven axle won Jeep a Car of the Year trophy for the Avenger. Its European sales skyrocketed. The all-American off-road brand is ready to repeat the trick with the third generation of the Compass. Whereas the previous one was loosely based on a platform…

THE ELECTRIC JAECOO E5 shares, as you might imagine, most of its design and interior and platform with the combustion 5, save for the engine and transmission bit plus a few design touches (like the grille). Instead it gets a 61.1kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery pack and a 201bhp permanent magnet synchronous motor, said to be good for a 7.7sec 0-62mph sprint and a WLTP combined range of 248 miles. It can be charged only at up to 80kW, but there’s also a three-phase-capable 11kW on-board AC charger, plus it can handle single-phase electricity too, of course. Trim levels and equipment largely mirror those of the ICE 5, with the exception that Luxury trim here comes with a Pet Mode, which lets you set the climate control so you can leave an…

You can’t fault the ambition of Genesis. Arriving in Europe barely five years ago, the Hyundai Motor Group’s luxury brand has ignored the received wisdom that pretenders to the established order should take it slowly when trying to get a slice of the premium pie. In that short space of time, it launched an entire product line-up, largely electrified, that made up for what it lacked in brand recognition with technical innovation, quality and kit. Adding a certain style to that list of merits was the GV60, a distinctive crossover-coupé that was Genesis’s first all-electric offering. It was based on the advanced 800V E-GMP architecture shared with Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 and Kia’s EV6, giving the GV60 the state-of-the-art EV cachet that could only be rivalled by the far more expensive…

The nation’s cars are getting older. According to the RAC Foundation, their average age is almost 10 years, an increase of 2.5 years on 2015. A couple of reasons: it’s becoming more expensive to change from an older car to a newer one and the rising cost of living is forcing household budgets to be diverted elsewhere. Another is the perception that cars are now more reliable and better made. However, while they may no longer rust so quickly, modern cars do break down, no matter how well serviced they are. Common failures include the traditional weak spots of timing chains, differentials, gearboxes and shock absorbers. And there are some newer villains too, including diesel particulate filters, wet belts, mechatronic systems and high-voltage coolant heater and air conditioning pipes –…

MILEAGE 1098 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To find out why newcomer Jaecoo is one of the UK’s fastest-growing brands My mission to discover how the Jaecoo 7 stands up to the rigours of family life got off to a good start with a trip to Somerset to visit my parents for a few days over a long weekend. That meant kids, dogs, bags, walking gear and more, which would provide a stern test for the 145bhp 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine. With those ‘kids’ now aged 19 and 16, the prospect of a long motorway journey in the back seats is usually greeted with groans, but both daughters were impressed by the Jaecoo. Although the rear bench is fairly low-set, they were pleased with both how much elbow and leg room they…

AN OWNER’S VIEW MICHAEL KEMMET “I’ve owned my 2016 Tucson 1.7 CRDi for over seven years. The only expensive bill I’ve had was for a new electric handbrake switch, at over £300, not including labour. My other costs have just been normal wear and tear items. Overall, the car has been brilliant, including towing our caravan on all our holidays. I’m aware that other owners have had far worse luck, but I know the diesels are more trustworthy. Nevertheless, I have an oil change every year or around 6000 miles for peace of mind.” BUYER BEWARE… ■ ENGINE The 1.6-litre ‘Gamma’ petrol engine has a poor reliability record. We spoke to a Hyundai/Kia mechanic who advised avoiding it because it’s not uncommon for piston rings to fail at 50,000 miles…

“The launch model is set to be the 50 xDrive, which is likely to offer 484bhp from a dual-motor set-up” The crucial new BMW i3 will arrive next year as the first fully electric member of the 3 Series family, bringing a range of more than 500 miles – and company boss Oliver Zipse has promised that it will deliver “sheer driving pleasure”. With similar styling to that of the Vision Neue Klasse concept first shown in 2023, the new i3 will be the first saloon in the Munich firm’s revamped Neue Klasse family. It will sit on the same new bespoke electric Gen6 platform as the recently revealed iX3 SUV. BMW is gearing up to refresh its entire line-up with 40 new EVs and heavily updated combustion cars, which…

THE DACIA SANDERO will gain a hybrid powertrain as part of a round of mid-life updates for the supermini and its seven-seat Jogger sibling. The refresh will also usher in a new look for both and increase equipment across the board. In around a year’s time, Dacia will equip the range-topping Sandero Stepway with its new Hybrid 155 powertrain, which combines a 108bhp petrol four-cylinder with a 49bhp electric motor and a starter-generator for 154bhp and 125lb ft – chunky gains over the Sandero’s current most powerful engine. The same powertrain in the much larger, heavier Dacia Bigster returned 72.4mpg in urban driving and around 55mpg in higher-speed running during its Autocar road test. In the meantime, the updated Sandero, Stepway and Jogger will go on sale from November and…

TOYOTA HAS BROUGHT the GR Yaris back to the UK with an aggressive new special edition – and it is offered solely in manual gearbox form. Priced from £48,995 (£2950 more than the regular car), the Aero Performance sports a more menacing look, with new ducts and vents to improve the car’s aerodynamics. It also features a rally-style vertical handbrake lever. The 276bhp, four-wheel-drive hardcore hatch will be produced in undefined “strictly limited numbers” and is only available via Toyota GR Centres. Deliveries will begin next March.…

Genesis has shown the first official picture of its GV60 Magma performance EV ahead of its launch in the coming months – and it sports a chunky rear wing. The car will top the GV60 line-up and is the first in a new range of performance flagships for all of the brand’s model lines. The GV60 Magma builds on the standard GV60 with a more aggressive front end and a lower, wider bodykit. It is expected to adopt the same underpinnings as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, including a 89.0kWh battery and 641bhp dual-motor powertrain.…

I’m in the process of reading through and then disposing of the 450 car magazines I’ve collected since 1984. About half are Autocars. Some mags are older than my marriage (31 years) and, as my long-suffering wife can attest, they and cars in general have been a bit of a parallel relationship! Why mags, then and now? There was no internet then and today it’s maybe a bit like owning vinyl records. I always kept the mags with a review of a car I ‘might buy when I can afford it’. A tiny few I did buy, but most were pipe dreams. I still can’t manage to part with a few magazines and articles, including a Peter Wheeler interview from 1992, Autocar’s 100th anniversary edition of 1995, a 1994 Subaru…

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FOR BUYERS WHO can’t make an electric car work, Jeep also offers a hybrid powertrain in the new Compass. It’s the familiar 1.2-litre turbo petrol triple with a six-speed dual-clutch gearbox that hides a small electric motor. As well as not needing to be plugged in, this version in £3480 cheaper. From the outside, the two Compasses look all but identical. The typical Jeep seven-slot grille is just as vestigial here, but there is a small real grille underneath. At the back, you have to duck down and look under the bumper to see the exhaust. The keen observer will then spot another difference: while the EV has a multi-link rear axle, the e-Hybrid makes do with a torsion beam. The two may be hard to tell apart from the…

Even by the standards of a car maker that has radically transformed its product portfolio in recent years, the new PV5 is a hugely significant machine. Which is saying something for what is essentially a van. Actually, Kia would rather you call it a Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV), a descriptor that will be applied to the Korean firm’s new line of electric light commercial vehicles (eLCVs). The PV5 is the first, and it will be joined by the larger PV7 and PV9 in 2027 and 2029 respectively – and there are more to come too. Kia is plotting what it terms a “brazen journey” to become a leader in the eLCV segment: it’s targeting 250,000 PBV sales globally by 2030. And given Kia’s record of growth in recent years, don’t…

WHILE UNDER-THE-SKIN upgrades have been kept to a minimum for lesser GV60s, the flagship Performance model has been handed a few extra features. As before, it gets a dual-motor powertrain that delivers 434bhp, increasing to 483bhp for 10-second bursts when you push the steering wheel-mounted Boost button. Also carried over are the adaptive dampers, electronically controlled limited-slip rear differential and a dynamic torque-vectoring function. The big change comes in the form of a virtual manual gearbox, recently introduced on the larger Electrified GV70 SUV, which uses essentially the same software first seen in the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. A few laps of Thruxton was enough to confirm that it works well, adding a surprising layer of driver interaction with snappy paddle-shift ‘gearchanges’ and the same clever mapping that allows the…

Alot happened in 2010: a volcano erupted; Apple launched the first iPad; Lady Gaga wore a meat dress. It was all going on. I had a few memorable moments myself, even if I didn’t wear any bacon, get stranded due to Iceland’s geological exuberance or buy one of those newfangled touchscreen laptops that didn’t have a keyboard. They will never catch on… Anyway, Milton Keynes was the backdrop to one of my most striking memories of that year. Amid the roundabouts and glassy frontages, I walked into a shopping centre to be greeted by a cheerfully bug-eyed, blobby Nissan. Here began the world’s acquaintance with the electric car. Complete with a heady official range of 124 miles from a 24kWh battery and charging speeds of up to 46kW (if you…

WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To check in on a car that we really liked and a brand that has gone rather quiet “The humble HR-V has always stood out from the crowd” Like many others, I’ve fallen into the trap of thinking that most cars on the road today look exactly the same. Even as a card-carrying member of the motoring nerd community, I often have to squint to spot the subtle differences that mark out, say, a Cupra from a Citroën – and there’s no category I struggle with more than the B-segment crossover. A Toyota C-HR could be a Nissan Juke from a distance, and I’ve confidently misidentified a Volkswagen T-Roc as a Renault Captur on a murky evening. The humble Honda HR-V has always stood out from…

MILEAGE 2715 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT Is this sensible, long-legged compact SUV the perfect beginner’s electric car? I’d not long had the Elroq before it was pressed into After a couple of days pleasantly trundling around London suburbs, where it quickly impressed with sublime low-speed drivability and commendable efficiency, it was time to properly test this compact SUV’s do-it-all credentials with a few hundred motorway miles – an endeavour that can so often be the undoing of an otherwise-agreeable EV, given the energy demands and NVH implications of sustained high-speed cruising. First was a run up to Crewe for an early look at Bentley’s new brand-shaping EXP 15 concept. And when I say early, I’m not just referring to pre-embargo access but the sickening 4am start necessitated by our tight…

LAND ROVER DEFENDER 90 P525 CARPATHIAN EDITION 2022, 25,000 miles, £75,991 With a 5.0-litre 518bhp V8, this Defender would trounce Tom’s Brabus G (left) over a quarter mile. Its short overhangs and extensive array of off-roading systems make it a fine go-anywhere vehicle too. PORSCHE BOXSTER 3.2 S 2006, 78,000 miles, £13,000 This drop-top looks great value – one upside to summer ending. Its dark blue and tan leather combo sets it apart and it has a full history with a Porsche specialist. Its IMS and RMS bearings, notorious 987 weak spots, have been replaced too. VW TOUAREG 5.0 TDI V10 2007, 188,000 miles, £2190 You will need the courage of an Isle of Man TT rider to buy a super-rare, V10 diesel Touareg. This one has moonshot mileage but…

“We can provide a naughty car, a wild car or a wise car depending on the target group” THE HEART OF Joy control system in all future BMWs models will allow for an even broader range of performance – but the firm’s driving dynamics chief says that it is BMW’s extensive experience of physical engineering that will keep it ahead of Chinese rivals in offering truly dynamic EVs. The new i3 and subsequent Neue Klasse EVs will use a new platform and advanced computing architecture that allows the car’s systems to process information and react 10 times faster than current systems, which use a number of separate ‘closed loop’ systems. Mihiar Ayoubi, BMW’s senior vice-president of driving experience, told Autocar that the advent of the “digital chassis” presents “the sort…

Aston Martin has revealed a new S-badged range-topper for the DB12, with power boosted to 690bhp and a series of technical upgrades to make it more of a hardcore proposition. The DB12 S joins the Vantage S and recently released DBX S as the latest member of the S-badged line of high-performance Aston Martin flagships. Changes have been made to the powertrain, steering and electronics to increase the DB12’s pace and sharpen its handling. Aston Martin’s director of vehicle performance Simon Newton said the raft of tweaks (outlined below) gives “exceptional scope to explore a new depth of character and capability within the same platform”. Pricing has yet to be revealed but, like the DBX S and the standard DBX 707, the DB12 S is expected to start at the…

Audi has begun testing a new entry-model that is level set to indirectly replace the A1 and Q2 when they are retired next year. The new EV will be the smallest car that Audi offers and is set to be positioned as a rival to the BMW iX1 and upcoming second-gen Mercedes-Benz GLA EV. Spotted by Autocar spy photographers for the first time, the EV looks like a smaller version of the Q4 E-tron but shows clear visual influence from the A2 of 1999-2005. Because the new EV won’t serve as a direct replacement for any existing model, it could be assigned a new name – and a resurrection of the long-dormant A2 badge is one possibility. Speaking previously to Autocar, Audi CEO Gernot Döllner wouldn’t confirm any future naming…

GLANCE AT THE picture above and you’d be forgiven for thinking this was a new combustion engine, but although it is an engine of sorts, it’s actually BMW’s third-generation fuel cell system. Due to enter series production in 2028, it will be “a milestone in automotive history”, says BMW, and “the first-ever series production fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) to be offered by a global premium manufacturer”. It may be the first from a premium manufacturer but other FCEV makers include partner and fuel cell development veteran Toyota, which launched the Mirai in 2014 and started developing FCEVs in 1992. There have been others too, and although they were only available for use in trials, they proved viable, such as the Mercedes A-Class-based Necar 4, which was launched in 1999…

WHEN XAVIER CHARDON left Citroën for the Volkswagen Group in 2011 after 17 years, he didn’t expect to return. A Frenchman from the Alpine region, Chardon felt it was job done at Citroën, having helped reshape the logo and modernise the brand, so he lived out a “mid-life crisis at 40” by heading to Wolfsburg. Having gone on to hold major global roles such as leading VW’s joint venture with MG owner SAIC in China, he’s back to reshape Citroën all over again. Chardon believes Citroën has “lost a bit of direction” in recent years and there has been “a bit of confusion” over the brand’s positioning and a lack of consistency in its product line-up. An ageing model range has also contributed to a loss of market share and…

RECALL FIASCO I import Nissan Serenas from Japan and convert them into camper vans. I have an agent in Japan who carries out my business there on my behalf and is extremely efficient at his job. There is a safety recall in Japan on the ‘HFC26’ Serena S-Hybrid for failing alternator starter-generators. I have many of these vehicles here and en route subject to this recall. My agent contacted Nissan Japan; they said they would honour the recall and I should contact Nissan GB. After a few false starts, due to Nissan GB telling me my local dealer was one in England, when I’m in Northern Ireland, then telling me my actual local dealer wasn’t on their system, I eventually got assigned a customer service agent. Three months later, I’m…

“If you want to use that ludicrous acceleration, here’s where the Sport suspension mode comes in” The revamp given to the regular Tesla Model Y earlier this year has now been extended to the sporty Performance variant, which expands the line-up to four: Rear-Wheel Drive, Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive, Long Range All-Wheel Drive and Performance All-Wheel Drive. Externally, you will spot the same light bar treatment as given to the lesser models, but here that’s joined by a (real) carbonfibre boot spoiler, plus a longer front splitter and a remodelled rear diffuser – which combine to reduce lift by 64% and drag by 10%. There are new 21in wheels, too, and red brake calipers. The Performance wears rather serious 255/35 front and 275/35 rear Pirelli P Zero tyres. It gets…

The rollout of Jaecoo (sibling to Omoda, both export-only brands of Chinese conglomerate Chery) continues with the 5 (and electric E5 – see opposite page), a relatively small crossover of the sort you find quite a lot these days. The 5 sits on the same platform as the larger Jaecoo 7, already on sale, as well as Omoda and Chery models various. Jaecoo is supposed to be the active, outdoorsy brand; Omoda is meant to be a bit more sleek and urban; while Chery is the own-brand brown bread of the trio. There are other brands elsewhere. The 5, then, is a 4.38m-long fives-eater, which puts it at a similar length to the Range Rover Evoque or Hyundai Kona, a wee bit shorter than the Nissan Qashqai or Audi Q5.…

“The hybrid is now smoother in practice and more willing to use all the motor’s power” One thousand one hundred and seventy seven Pumas: it’s either a terrifyingly large pack of mountain lions or what stopped the Kia Sportage from being the best-selling new car in the UK in 2024. This is a wildly popular model in a wildly popular class. No wonder that Jaecoo, Jeep and just about everyone short of Jaguar wants in. People go mad for it. It must be outstanding, then. Well, our three-and-a-half-star road test verdict on the hybrid in 2022 concluded it “catches the eye but won’t hold your interest to drive”, so there’s clearly room for improvement, which this facelift promises to partly deliver. The updated Mk5 Sportage still catches the eye, with…

The third-generation Nissan Qashqai has received a mid-life facelift in two separate instalments. The first part came along in the summer of 2024, when the car’s exterior styling, cabin design and digital technology were refreshed. The second part, just released into production, was centred much more on the powertrain. This test will concern itself with the content of both model-year overhauls, although it’s the mechanical stuff that seems the most significant. That’s because the Qashqai became Nissan’s first global model to benefit from its new third-generation e-Power hybrid powertrain. The headline sell on the e-Power drive concept is that it offers the refinement, linear drivability and feel of a fully electric vehicle, along with the fuel economy of a diesel, in something you can fill from a petrol pump rather…

MILEAGE 2992 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To see if the latest hot PHEV Golf is truly a wallet-friendly alternative to the GTI I’ve been really enjoying the Golf GTE. This plugin hybrid hot hatch has so far proven extremely easy to live with, it’s incredibly comfortable, it’s returning very good economy and in my view it sports a rather dashing look. Insert ‘do you really need more car than this?’ comments here. (For the eagle-eyed among you who may have noticed something different about my GTE, be assured that it’s the same rather dashing car as before. Volkswagen’s PR team just needed somewhere to put one of their special numberplates.) The only problem that I’ve encountered (and it’s one I could choose to ignore) is hot hatch fans – including…

Launched in 2015, the third-generation Hyundai Tucson quickly became a family favourite SUV in a fiercely competitive segment – and the firm’s best-seller in Europe. Which is good news for today’s used buyer, because it means there are plenty of them on offer in the classifieds. Sift through them diligently – there can be reliability issues with some, as we will explain – and you can bag yourself a practical, well-equipped, cavernous bargain. The Mk3 Tucson line-up is relatively straightforward to decipher, with a range of pure petrols and diesels, plus a 48V mild hybrid. All engines are ULEZ-compliant, but there are no full-hybrid or zero-emission variants. At launch, there was a choice of two ‘Gamma’ 1.6-litre petrols: a naturally aspirated unit with 133bhp and a turbocharged version with 174bhp.…

“I could drive it to the moon and back and on the way,” says Tom Exton about his Brabus Mercedes G500 4x4², also known as the G500 Squared. I don’t doubt it. In addition to the ‘regular’ Squared’s gains over the standard G500 (more than twice the ground clearance, thanks to the fitment of portal axles, a wider body, deeper wading capability, larger 22in wheels and steeper approach and departure angles), its Brabus-tweaked bi-turbo 4.0-litre petrol V8 produces 493bhp, up from 416bhp. Not that Tom claims to care much about any of this. Instead, for him, that it can conquer almost any terrain is sufficient reason to own it: “You can drive up and down flights of stairs, through lakes and all sorts of useful stuff – although I’ve yet to…

Smart recently confirmed that it is creating a new miniature two-seater – the unique proposition for which the brand was invented three decades ago – several years after foraying into electric SUVs. The brand had some difficulty in building a business case for the #2 – but even so, its progress through the pipeline has been a lot smoother than that of the original City Coupé. Autocar first reported on the project in February 1990, and the next summer its instigator, Nicolas Hayek, did a deal with Volkswagen. The Lebanese-born 63-year-old, who we described as “a rumpled, cigar-chomping management consultant”, was well known as the driving force behind Swatch. Having overseen the liquidation of two Swiss watchmakers engulfed by new competition such as Casio, from 1985 he drastically reduced the…