Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2022 i CAR UK

I could tell you about nice details like the digital clock, about advanced features like the new-generation voice recognition, about the excellence of the audio system. But what really brings the Grecale into focus and unleashes its full emotional potential is a firm stab at the throttle. This is the Trofeo version of the Grecale, so that accelerator pedal is controlling a 523bhp 3.0-litre V6, a Maserati-developed engine that will get this crossover from zero to 62mph in 3.8 seconds. The performance figures are all very close to those of the top Alfa Stelvio, with its Ferrari-derived V6. But the Maserati engine is torquier and sounds meaner, more dense and rawer. Like the Stelvio, the Grecale uses a version of the long-running Giorgio platform fitted with multi-link suspension, air springs…

THE SCEPTIC BEN MILLER, EDITOR I’M NOT SURE the world needs a faster, heavier and more expensive (circa £270k!) Vantage. The last one I drove was charming but ‘loose’, wanting for traction, feel and composure. I can’t see how it’ll cope with 690bhp… Don’t get me wrong, though, I’m a fan of Aston’s 5.2-litre V12. It’s unique. The Lamborghini and Ferrari V12s, being naturally aspirated, are relatively light on torque, rev forever and offer a noise and throttle response among the best money can buy. The twin-turbo Aston 12 doesn’t rev as high or sound as good. But its delivery is epically violent and it works brilliantly on road and track. I’m really glad it’s not dying – this will be the last Vantage with a V12, but it won’t…

Tell us about your first car ‘A tuned 2.1 Mk1 [Ford Escort] RS2000; 150bhp was maybe optimistic but it felt proper quick – feisty and oversteery!’ What’s the best thing you’ve ever done in a car? ‘The Mille Miglia in a C-Type, driving on the plains close to Modena –a lovely day in a beautiful country.’ What achievement are you most proud of? ‘Being part of the team that shaped Jaguars and Land Rovers for so long. The XFR was a group-test winner. The Disco 3 made a big step on-road. I was pleased with the XE, even if wasn’t that successful commercially.’ Tell us about a time you screwed up… ‘Early on, I clattered a wheel on an XJS, being over-confident on the proving ground.’ Supercar or classic? ‘I…

Lights, camera, action Latest kit to really get excited about is the new Batmobile. The £90 kit has glowing light blocks as part of its engine and flame-spitting aplenty. Bring your own brooding man-bat. You'll need some sodding batteries Turbo and Targa Go roofless or old-school with this kit, and you can adjust the driver’s seat, the steering wheel and gearshift. Fat whale-tail present and accounted for. Hurrah. 6/10 Cutesy but reductive Hyper-detailed hypercar Each one (at £319) has its own serial number and ‘top speed key’ like the real thing. More importantly, Lego and Bugatti made a driveable real one. Yes, really. 10/10 Expensive but a showstopper Podium contender Cheeky Lego revealed its collab with McLaren Racing a little early – giving away what the 2022 F1…

It felt like a very welcome revolution was coming when Lexus announced a new infotainment system. The old one was incredibly fiddly and confusingly laid out, and made you use a square trackpad or something resembling a mouse from an old PC to direct a cursor around. Now, debuting with the latest NX, here is Lexus Link, available in two sizes: the 9.8-inch Connect and the 14-inch Pro. We’ve tested the Pro version. Lexus Link introduces very 21st century features including over-the-air software updates, a naturalspeaking voice assistant and live traffic updates. Wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto are options. We had some connectivity issues with two Android phones that needed pairing from scratch every time via Bluetooth – but that could be our phones’ bad communication just as…

When Citroën showed the still-secret C5X to potential customers, saloon owners saw it as classy, estate lovers as practical, and SUV fans considered it a genuine alternative to the usual bluff boxes. Which suggests Citroën’s imaginative streak is alive and kicking: to me it’s a big family hatchback that’s pleasingly hard to pigeonhole. The C5X stands almost 20cm lower than equivalent SUVs and that smaller frontal area improves aerodynamics, critical for fuel economy. Some 4x4 elements remain, though: 19-inch wheels as standard (raising up the driving position and making it easier to slide in) and black plastic wheelarch protection. The overhangs are bulbous, but the rear compensates with pronounced hips, jutting lights to trip off the air, and two spoilers combining to reduce lift. It’s as striking as a Ben…

▲ PLUS Huge e-range; gorgeous ride; slick and punchy powertrain ▼MINUS Perhaps too clever for its own good; brake pedal action Without wishing to sound puerile, this plug-in hybrid S-Class knows it’s all about length in the limousine game – whether it be literally (you can only get the new S580e in long-wheelbase form), or the size of the Terms and Conditions you’re asked to read when making a Mercedes Me account to get the best out of the car’s features, or the amount of time you’re happy to stay on board, being pummelled by massaging seats. This has a 28.6kWh battery – huge for a PHEV – meaning it can claim up to 62 miles of electric range. And those claims are mostly on point; our time wafting in…

No, we haven’t gone mad. There are two Taycans in this story. But there’s a good reason for the duplication. The 4S Cross Turismo has, for a while now, been our pick of the range for its blend of performance, price and versatility. But the new GTS, here in sleek Sport Turismo guise, stands every chance of knocking the 4S from our top spot. This is an early, left-hand-drive GTS, and as such isn’t eligible for the main test, but we couldn’t ignore the chance to drive it in the UK. Designed from scratch to achieve driving nirvana, then lovingly polished so that a mass of systems and mechanical components come together in a single heart-melting symphony, it quickly becomes apparent that the GTS is a Porsche first and an…

When push comes to shove, it’s clear EVs are still some way off the ultimate engagement of the best petrol cars. Of course they are. They’re in their infancy, and playing second fiddle to dedicated driving tools like the Lotus Emira or BMW M4 is inevitable until someone cracks the electric answer to the combustion engine’s complex interaction of sound, soaring piston-based power, gearshifting drama and fine control. Weight is, of course, another issue, though it’s universally low and centred low. Yet I promise you will enjoy the Taycan, a car that expertly transposes not only Porsche dynamics and steering to this new zero-emissions discipline, but other cues including design, driving position and forward visibility, simply because the foundations have been so thoroughly thought through from the earliest stages. It’s…

MORE DOWNFORCE, LESS DRAG The rear spoiler is fixed in position, and contributes to 35 per cent more rear downforce than the Evo RWD, yet 20 per cent less drag: a neat combo. The rear window is now a near vertical inset, the better for all-round visibility and an airier, less claustrophobic cabin. More than a facelift and engine upgrade, the Tecnica has the greatest bandwidth of any Huracan yet STRETCHING THE POINT The side window graphic is similar to that of the spectacular Essenza SCV12 track car, its elongated shape making the car appear longer and lower. It actually is physically longer too, by 61mm, courtesy of the elongated rear aero surfaces and front splitter. Tecnica prototype at play. Can you tell it’s rear-drive? Y-FRONTS The front-end restyle integrates…

The perky triple fizzes and gargles, delivering its power in an easily usable way Jordan Butters First impressions mean a great deal. My Mokka gleaned many ooohs and aaaaahs when it arrived, with its impactful face and red trimmings. Second impressions were good too. The interior, while plasticky in places, has a good (ie low) seating position and a no-nonsense approach to putting the most important controls within reach and ensuring information is easily readable. The physical climate dials are simple to use, the instruments are simple to read (even if they look tremendously dull) and there are quick-access buttons for tech like the (largely unused) steering assist for the adaptive cruise and the start/stop (which I usually switched off). Even the infotainment, which I expected to be a nuisance,…

Loaned the F-Pace to stand-up comedian Stephen Grant, an old friend and car guy. He’s not had recent experience of Jags, so I thought his opinion would be useful. He liked the cabin ambience, the surround cameras and the vast touchscreen, though like me he bemoaned the inconsistent connection between phone and car when using CarPlay. More significantly, as a PHEV driver he found switching back to diesel regressive, missed the sharp step-off of an electric motor, and wasn’t sold on the Jag’s ‘mild hybrid’ claim. ‘It’s not a hybrid, is it?’ he said as he dropped it back. ‘It’s really just a diesel.’ BEN OLIVER Jaguar F-Pace 2.0D 204PS R-Dynamic SE Month 5 The story so far Mild-hybrid diesel SUV has a lovely cabin but the propulsion is starting…

Cupra Leon VZ2 2.0 TSI DSG 300 Month 4 The story so far Cupra’s version of the VW Golf R, complete with nearly 300bhp and hatch versatility + The Cupra seems to do it all -…but is it a bit too well behaved? Logbook Price £36,130 (£37,195 as tested) Performance 1984cc turbocharged four-cylinder, 296bhp, 5.7sec 0-62mph, 155mph Efficiency 35.8-37.2mpg (official), 33.0mpg (tested), 171g/km CO2 Energy cost 22.6p per mile Miles this month 615 Total miles 2028 The Cupra Leon may share a lot of components with VW’s Golf GTI – but it’s a significantly better-looking car. It’s easy to get sceptical about the thinking behind the Cupra marque but it’s produced styling gold in the Leon. Finished in a grey that veers into purple depending on the light, my Leon’s…

COSMETIC REPAIR INSURANCE From £7.30 a month Protect the appearance and value of your car with MotorEasy’s Cosmetic Insurance. From £7.30 per month, you can make up to six claims a year against dents, scratches and other minor damage. Whether you’re planning to return a vehicle at the end of a finance agreement, or wary of fellow drivers in the supermarket car park, it’s a great way to buy peace of mind. www.motoreasy.com SCRATCH SHIELD From £7.29 Scratch Shield helps prevent scratches and swirls on your car’s paintwork during washing. It creates a protective barrier between your wash mitt and the bottom of the wash bucket, stopping you from picking up dirt, grit and debris and transferring it onto you paintwork. It’s adjustable for different-size buckets, or fits snugly in…

THIS MONTH BEST HOT HATCH TOYOTA GR YARIS Cult car of the moment, with substance to match the hype BEST SUPERCAR FERRARI 296 GTB Plugging in hasn’t meant losing the magic. Far from it BEST COUPE/CABRIO BMW 2-SERIES Pick the M240i version for a miniaturised M4 BEST GT FERRARI ROMA Beautifully balanced design, and a drive to match BEST £400pcm+ FAMILY CAR BMW 5-SERIES Still the de facto big saloon/estate choice BEST SUB-£400pcm FAMILY CAR BMW 3-SERIES Looks great, drives great, makes you feel great BEST SPORTS SALOON BMW M3/M4 Bewitching front-end grip and balance. Utterly stellar BEST LUXURY CAR BENTLEY FLYING SPUR Epic interior; a joy whether you’re up front or in the back NEXT MONTH BEST SUB-£400pcm EV HYUNDAI IONIQ 5 Looks like it’s from the future; a…

Maserati is the Bill Murray of car makers: charming, charismatic, no stranger to chaos and never really playing by what anybody else recognises as the rule book. That is about to change with the Grecale, a car going head to head with successful premium cars like the X3 and Macan. It has to be good. And not just good for those who appreciate the eccentric Maserati way of doing things. Good by BMW and Porsche standards. And next year’s electric version of the Grecale will have to hold its own next to the iX3, Macan EV and Jaguar i-Pace. Maserati has a masterplan. It has a halo car, the MC20, which has spent the last couple of years drawing attention to the Modena-based company, founded in 1914. It has an…

IT’LL HAVE THE LOOK… Audi’s A6 Avant e-Tron concept (above) shows us a gorgeous new EV estate is on its way, with the real one in 2024 looking ‘around 90 per cent’ like the one you see here, according to Audi designer Wolf Seebers. Despite signals from Mercedes that wagons are not long for this world, Audi’s convinced the Avant still has a place in its future line-up. SEAL OF APPROVAL High-ups within Audi already know it’s possible to make an electric super estate. ‘The PPE platform offers us plenty of performance to realise such an RS6,’ says A6 marketing boss Niko Martens. ‘We have the most talented designers to give you the optical look for one, too, so you’ll have to wait until that surprise is sprung on you.’…

MAZDA STRAYS FROM THE LIGHT No matter which way you twist it, the usually stealthy and smart Japanese brand is surrendering many of its values with the new CX-60. It has a straight-six and plug-in hybrid variants, and is rather heavy. Not very Mazda, is it? The name doesn’t help; if you Google it, it suggests you visit Volvo’s website. Oops. NEED TO KNOW What is it? A search result-confusing SUV Tech specs New straightsix engine option, new Kinetic Posture Control stability aid Aimed at? Americans, probably When can I get one? Yours from £44k in the UK, deliveries starting in the autumn KIA LIKES IT THREE WAYS Hybrid, PHEV or EV? Kia’s got you covered with its flexible next-gen Niro. Much more of a looker than before, starring a…

If you want a vision of tomorrow, Stellantis’ new Dare Forward plan lays it bare. Just don’t call the 14-brand behemoth a car company… The plan ‘will transform Stellantis into a sustainable mobility tech company, engineering the future of mobility’ while delivering big profits, says group CEO Carlos Tavares. Big pledges. And there’s none bigger than a commitment to be carbon net zero by 2038 –a huge challenge encompassing the firm’s component suppliers, logistics providers and even its investments. Hitting 2038 would beat Volkswagen Group by a full 12 years. Volkswagen, the leviathan with 10 brands, is on a similar, not-a-carcompany path having announced its New Auto strategy last summer. ‘We are transforming ourselves into a vertically integrated mobility company,’ states CEO Herbert Diess. ‘Batteries and charging will become our…

▲ POKE ’N’ PROD Hurrah! No rubbish trackpad! The touchscreen is bright and crystal clear, even if it can look rather sparsely populated in terms of actual content ▲ WHEELY DAFT Unmarked, configurable steering wheel buttons take ages to get used to. Like Tesla’s unmarked scroll buttons, these seem to be different for the sake of it ▲ THUMB IT IN New NX cabin also features ‘e-latch’ – door handles linked to blind-spot monitoring to make sure you’re not going to open the door into something…

▲ PLUS Good value for the performance and style on offer ▼MINUS Low-cost appeal eroded, and spoilers cost extra While most everything else is becoming more expensive by the heartbeat, you can still buy a new Alpine A110 for just under £50,000. And it’s just been updated. Good news. Those updates also encompass two higher-spec versions, the S and GT, both priced at just under £60k. That could still be good news, if they’re worth it; good value, rather than cheap. Let’s find out. Here we’re driving the A110 S, part of the range since 2019, but improved and sharpened for 2022. It has 296bhp (rather than the 249bhp of the A110) and big Brembo brakes (shared with the more opulent GT), features a firmer, more responsive suspension calibration, and…

Olgun Kordal THE KIA REALLY WAKES UP ON THE THROTTLE, ITS E-MOTORS SWEEPING THE EV6 THROUGH CURVES Electric cars are not, as a rule, cheap. But tempting as it is to make a beeline for Porsche’s six-figure Taycan, right now the pulverising POLESTAR 2 is proving there’s entertainment to be had for far less – £46,900 in the case of our top-spec Long Range Dual Motor. (You can get into a single-motor 2 for £41k.) The first pure EV from Volvo’s posher, cleaner sister brand (the 1 was a plug-in-hybrid curio), this car’s also equipped with the £5k Performance pack, which includes four-piston Brembo brakes, stickier 20-inch Contis and, rather astonishingly, spanner-adjustable Öhlins dampers. On paper at least, this thing could have been created to hit our brief: to find…

We put each car in its most efficient setting, covered a 20-mile route at a realistic pace and noted consumption. 1 TESLA MODEL 3: 3.79 MILES PER KWH Model 3 excels with 3.79 miles per kWh. Plus a Tesla Supercharger can add 170 miles of range in 15 minutes. 2 VW ID.3: 3.3 MILES PER KWH Small and relatively light, the ID.3 makes each kWh count. Recharge it on a 7kWh home wallbox in nine hours. 3 MERCEDES-BENZ EQS: 3.3 MILES PER KWH Forgive the weird looks – low drag means more miles. Big battery demands wallbox or power station access. 4 KIA EV6: 3.0 MILES PER KWH Closer to the official figure than most, but Eco mode is properly narcoleptic: 232 miles like that and you’d nod off. 5…

VISIT WWW.GREATMAGAZINES.CO.UK/CAR FOR DETAILS OF THIS AND OTHER GREAT SUBSCRIPTION OFFERS SUBSCRIBE ONLINE OR BY PHONE QUOTING AIAA CALL 01858 438884 OVERSEAS READERS CALL +44 1858 438828 *Terms & conditions: Subscriptions will start with the next available issue. The minimum term is 12 issues. Direct Debit payments will continue to be taken at the offer price above unless you tell us otherwise and you will not receive a renewal reminder. This offer closes 8th June 2022. This offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Cost from landlines for 01 numbers per minute are (approximately) 2p to 10p. Cost from mobiles per minute (approximately) 10p to 40p. Costs vary depending on the geographical location in the UK. You may get free calls to some numbers as part of…

Jordan Butters Audi RS3 Launch Edition Month 1 The story so far Audi’s uber hatch, part 3 + Five-cylinder quattro goodness - £60k is a lot of cash Logbook Price £60,460 (£60,460 as tested) Performance 2480cc turbo fivecylinder, 395bhp, 3.8sec 0-62mph, 174mph Efficiency 31.0mpg (official), 23.1mpg (tested), 205g/km C02 Energy cost 28.5p per mile Miles this month 252 Total miles 588 miles 1-2-4-5-3 – it sounds like a jazz improv band counting themselves in, but the truth is far more listenable: it’s the firing order of Audi’s unique five-cylinder turbocharged engine, responsible for one of the world’s most identifiable car-based soundtracks. Phlegmy, gurgly, fantastic. At a time when engines are getting smaller, it’s a rare victory for cubic inches that Audi has left the RS3’s characterful, idiosyncratic 2.5-litre five fundamentally…

Nissan Qashqai Tekna+ DIG-T 158PS Month 6 The story so far Third-generation Qashqai is clocking up the miles + Good compromise between the many roles it’s asked to fill - More reliable infotainment would be welcome Logbook Price £36,125 (£37,270 as tested) Performance 1332cc turbocharged four-cylinder, 156bhp, 9.2sec 0-62mph, 124mph Efficiency 43.8mpg (official), 39.0mpg (tested), 146g/km CO2 Energy cost 17.1p per mile Miles this month 523 Total miles 14,652 Small accident. Big bill. By Alex Tapley Roll on the metaverse, the virtualreality existence where nothing is quite real and unfortunate outcomes can be reversed with a few clicks of a mouse. Because if that’s where I had a minor accident involving a minibus on a country lane, it wouldn’t have resulted in an all-too-real amount of paperwork and an all-too-steep…

Despite its hefty engine and the weight of the battery pack, driven carefully it could top 55mpg After nine months of sterling service the three-pin plug socket on the side of my garage is looking for a new gig. I never did get round to plumbing in a proper EV charger because there wasn’t a need. The Kuga PHEV’s battery was small enough to charge without one, big enough to deliver an excellent 30-plus miles of EV driving in the right conditions, and I had the option of not bothering at all. When the Ford arrived I wondered how often I’d settle for the last option, through a mix of disorganisation (forgetting to plug in at night) and because, historically, most of my driving has been long-distance stuff that didn’t…

Volkswagen Caddy Life SWB 1.5 TSI 114PS Month 1 The story so far It’s a van with windows + It’s a van with windows - It’s a van with windows Logbook Price £30,406 (£31,030 as tested) Performance 1498cc turbocharged four-cylinder, 113bhp, 11.9sec 0-62mph, 113mph Efficiency 42.2mpg (official), 37.6mpg (tested), 151g/km CO2 Energy cost 19.9p per mile Miles this month 52 Total miles 6086 ‘If I wanted to drive a ruddy hearse, I’d have got a job in a funeral parlour,’ muttered the missus as the VW Caddy first swept majestically into view. Volkswagen appears as plagued by new-car delivery delays as any other manufacturer at the moment, and there being not even the impending production-line gleam of the car I specified – not in black, I hasten to add –…

HOW DOES NEW GBU WORK? Constantly updated, new GBU covers eight of 16 classes in each issue. See p132 for our class kings TOP 5 HOT HATCHES 1 TOYOTA GR YARIS THE GOOD: Toyota’s made the kind of rally-rep homologation special we thought was gone forever THE BAD: Road noise like being up the front at a death-metal gig THE UGLY: Waiting list longer than an Andrex multipack THE ONE TO BUY: Opt for the Circuit pack for locking diffs GIA NT TEST WINNER 2 FORD FIESTA ST THE GOOD: Most tailhappy Ford since the Mk2 Escort THE BAD: Doublevision-inducing ride comfort THE UGLY: Interior by Fisher Price THE ONE TO BUY: Performance pack an absolute must (adds Quaife limited-slip diff key to the ST’s character) 3 AUDI RS3 THE…

Is it the driver, or the car? That’s the perennial question in motorsport, and the answer is of course both. But the split isn’t 50:50; even Lewis Hamilton can’t win the world title in the slowest car. And for world-beating Formula 1 cars, look no further than Adrian Newey OBE. His designs have won 10 constructors’ titles in the last 20 years, as well as seven drivers’ titles and 175 races. That’s a better strike rate than anyone else in history – designer or driver. He has no obvious weaknesses. A background in aeronautics is his secret weapon. He led the sport’s downforce revolution in the ’80s and ’90s, reshaping not only F1 cars but also how they are made, with increased dependence on wind tunnels. His biggest successes have…

Illustration: Chris Rathbone To Jaguar Land Rover, Mike Cross was vehicle targets and sign-off director. To F1 world champion Jackie Stewart, ‘Crossy’ will remain ‘the best driver outside motor racing’. But on 28 February, aged 64, the understated West Midlander retired after 37 years. Cross’s vehicle-dynamics expertise has touched everything from the Jaguar XJS to the electric i-Pace, and from the Land Rover Discovery 3 to the current Defender. He’s worked through some of the biggest changes the automobile has known, and if you’ve been to Goodwood Festival of Speed, you’ve perhaps witnessed his car control first-hand. A few days before Cross departed, CAR jumped in a S-Type R with him to look back at the highs and lows as he toured a test loop, and to find out what’s…

MORE POWER THAN THE RACER The roadgoing version of the Prodrive Hunter rally racer uses the same Fordbased twin-turbo 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine, but freed from the constraints of FIA regulations its peak power has gone up by about 50 per cent to more than 600bhp – achieved largely by turning up the turbo boost – with 516lb ft of torque. Expect an on-road 0-62mph time below 4.0 seconds and the terrifying prospect of a top speed of 186mph. MORE SUSPENSION TRAVEL The layout is the same, with double wishbones all round, and twin adjustable dampers per wheel. But the suspension travel has increased – up from 350 to 400mm – to add comfort to the race car’s off-road ability. Although road-legal – at least in its Middle East target…

It’s not new for a car to use parts from a press. But Volvo’s investing around £8bn in an upgrade to its Torslanda plant that includes enormous machines capable of pressing parts on a scale not seen before. ‘The whole idea is to replace a large number of parts with one,’ says Mikael Fermér, Volvo’s solution architect for vehicle platforms. And when Dr Fermér says ‘a large number’ he means hundreds per car. The entire back half of a new EV platform can be cast from a single piece of alloy, rather than welded together from multiple mixed-material components. It’s an idea already being used by Tesla with the Model Y, which has large front and rear castings. Tesla, in turn, got the idea from aircraft manufacture, where it’s more…

Matthias Mederer The 300-mile test NEW CAR MEETS REAL WORLD The GT4 RS is £23k less expensive than the 503bhp 911 GT3, powered by essentially the same engine We meet Pepe and Pedro a roadside snack their mid-forties and fervent fans of touring-car racer Tiago Monteiro, they won’t let us go until we agree to a couple of low-gear drive-by stunts up and down the wide back alley. Jumping with joy, yelling ‘faster, faster!’ and piercing the air with their thumbs, they don’t give up until every smartphone within three blocks has captured a clip. What was a sleepy, rundown part of Lisbon turns into an ad-hoc streaming stage for the last Porsche sports car to prioritise high-mech over high-tech. Forget shrieking chargers, hissing intercoolers, whistling wastegates and that evil…

In case there was any doubt, this is the pinnacle of the BMW range. Meaning the seventh-generation 7-series in its entirety, rather than this disguised i7 prototype specifically – although since the other candidate for that hallowed position is the all-electric BMW iX, the writing is on the wall here. Electrification is now coming thick and fast out of Munich. Or rather Dingolfing, where both these high-prestige roundel-bearers are actually assembled. BMW is cagey about the exact specs right now. But having confirmed the 7er is still the Big Daddy, the technology showcase for the entire brand, anything the iX can do the i7 will do better. So although much of the trickier stuff is shared – including the agnostic braking system that delivers identical pedal feel no matter how…

JAGUAR i-PACE HSE There’s just the one body style, and just the one powertrain, but three classically Jaguar trim levels. The i-Pace S is £65,620. The SE (from £70,220) and our HSE have the same performance but less range than the S’s claimed 286 miles. PRICE £74,670 (£89,060 as tested) POWERTRAIN 84.7kWh battery, twin e-motors, all-wheel drive PERFORMANCE 395bhp, 2133kg, 4.8sec 0-62mph, 124mph EFFICIENCY 2.8 miles per kWh (official), 2.1 miles per kWh (tested), 278-mile range (official), 187-mile range (tested) TESLA MODEL 3 LONG RANGE AWD Quickest, logically, is the outlandish Performance (3.1sec 0-60mph, 162mph); longest range is the Long Range (374 miles); cheapest is the RWD (£45,990) – but that’s still pretty lively (5.8sec) and frugal (305 miles on a full charge). PRICE £49,990 (£54,490 as tested) POWERTRAIN 82kWh…

Nissan’s gone down the Hyundai Ioniq 5 EV design route with its new Ariya: create a striking shape, then pop it into production undiluted. The Ariya, here as an unregistered prototype and therefore ineligible for the main test, is a copper-hued showstopper: futuristic, elegant and zeitgeisty with its coupe-like profile and very on-trend full-width rear light bar. It looks great, and it could do with being great: after laying the groundwork for the electric future with its Leaf, Nissan has lost its e-momentum as competitors have forged ahead. Inside there’s a Scandinavian lounge-like vibe, with super-clean lines, a one-piece dashboard with integrated, easy-to-read and easy-to-use screens and a trendy two-spoke steering wheel. The flat floor helps the dark cockpit feel roomy and the material quality is a step above most…

John Wycherley Brace yourself for another new-era Lotus that demands you engage your brain. The Eletre SUV, the third new Lotus since the company’s rebirth under Geely, is more Evija hypercar than Emira sports car in that regard. Where your reptile brain catches sight of the Emira and instinctively understands it (after all, there’s nothing conceptually challenging about a dynamically spellbinding, mid-engined, aluminium-tubbed, two-seat sports car with a Lotus badge) the two EVs aren’t so effortlessly fathomed. They feel like vehicles born of conflict, not the harmonious circle-of-virtue light-weighting that has defined every great Lotus with a combustion engine. If the Seven, the 49, the original Elan and the Elise ooze Lotus-ness, the Evija and the Eletre – big, complex and heavy cars physically unable to adhere to any of…

It’s late on Saturday night and I have four tired ladies on board, and 50 miles to home. My wife is cranked back in her seat, the kids slumbering, so the goal is to get everyone home without disturbance. This is where the buttery smooth Range Rover Velar comes into its element. The ride quality is very good, with damping that swiftly calms the body after a brutal bump or pothole mugging. It’s generally quiet too, with just a lick of wind unless scarred tarmac causes some tyre resonance. The beautifully paced steering adds to the smoothness. The battery wasn’t fully charged at the outset, so I’m greatly relying on the combustion engine. Power delivery is strong but unobtrusive, unless you get too heavy with the accelerator and four-pot revs…

For a few days I was bumbling around on half-throttle, thinking: ‘Yeah, this is swift and comfortable but it doesn’t feel much like an R.’ Then I went for a proper drive, solo, and just mashed it – and the car came alive. Put more revs through this turbo engine, put higher forces through the chassis and steering, and the car wakes up and feels sharp, responsive and communicative. I couldn’t believe how much fun it was, and I came back thinking it’s the great sleeper performance estate of our age – this is the new Volvo 850R or Impreza. Could it be the new Audi RS2? It calls for a back-to-back comparison. (Any excuse, eh?) MARK WALTON Volkswagen Arteon R Shooting Brake Month 2 The story so far Our…

I experienced a bizarre three-day period when the car’s battery threw a strop. On the Thursday, I returned home from a meeting. Parked up on our driveway with around 30 per cent charge remaining and plugged in to our BP Pulse wall charger. Standard routine. Came downstairs on Friday morning to a cold dead car displaying a ‘Serious Malfunction’ warning. Overnight the charge had disappeared and the battery hadn’t taken any juice. The very friendly chap who responded to my Mazda Assistance call couldn’t interrogate the MX-30’s digital innards with his diagnostic kit. Which meant Snows of Portsmouth would need to dispatch a low-loader on Saturday with a crane to lift the car off our driveway onto the truck. Noooo! Before going to bed on Friday I plugged the Mazda…

The Polestar 2 was filed in my brain under vaguely affordable family EV. I certainly didn’t have it down as any kind of driving tool, despite the configurator’s optional Performance pack. That, I figured, was a red herring the size of Bruce from Jaws given the 2 sits on a foundation of (artfully) adapted Volvo. But, a month in, it’s becoming clear that, in twin-motor guise at least, the 2 is the closest thing to an electric hot hatch on sale. With near-perfect traction (the front axle flirts with wheelspin on cold, wet tarmac), plenty of twinmotor shove and startlingly good body control, the 2 calls to mind the Golf R-esque breed of combustionengined, four-wheel-drive super hatches. Only it’s a quarter of a tonne heavier, sits higher, lacks any kind…

1 C63 ESTATE (USED) THE GOOD: Fire-breathing twin-turbo V8; sharp chassis; sort-of practical THE BAD: You need the V8 to drown out the rattly trim and boomy road noise THE UGLY: Slippery when wet; we saw 15.9mpg on test THE ONE TO BUY: Base C63 has 469bhp; S version has 503bhp and e-diff from £37k 2 AMG GT (USED) THE GOOD: Glorious shape; glorious V8; not a 911 THE BAD: Rear-steer feels odd on some versions; not a 911 THE UGLY: Dislocating your shoulder to reach the gear selector lever THE ONE TO BUY: Early cars dropping close to £50k; GT C sweet spot from £80k 3 C43 COUPE (NEW) THE GOOD: C43 means a V6 rather than C63’s V8 but it still sounds great and goes like the clappers,…