Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2022 i What Car?

MOTORWAY SPEED LIMITS could become advisory under new plans being considered by Prime Minister Liz Truss. Asked at the final hustings of the Conservative Party leadership campaign whether she would consider abolishing the current 70mph limit and allowing drivers to choose their own safe speed, Truss said: “I would be prepared to look at that.” However, Truss – who in 2018 advocated an increase in the motorway limit to 80mph to help boost the nation’s productivity – added that she couldn’t give a precise answer on what her policy around speed limits would be. By contrast, she was unequivocal when talking about smart motorways, describing them as “an experiment that hasn’t worked” and saying she would stop them. Introduced in an effort to reduce congestion, smart motorways either have no…

SAVE £1422 BMW 5 Series Touring WHAT CAR? SAYS Model 520d xDrive MHT SE List price £44,870 Target Price £43,448 Target PCP £561 If you want to stand out from the sea of SUVs, then buying an estate car can be a great alternative. The 5 Series Touring is one of the best, being quiet, comfortable, classy and well equipped, as well as impressively practical. This version pairs BMW’s gutsy and efficient 2.0-litre diesel engine with four-wheel drive for maximum traction. SCAN FOR A GREAT DEAL ON THIS CAR SAVE £2241 Alfa Romeo Giulia WHAT CAR? SAYS Model 2.0 Turbo 280 Veloce List price £46,198 Target Price £43,957 Target PCP £456 The Giulia is great to drive, with genuinely sporty performance and a selection of smooth engines. The Veloce’s 276bhp…

SCAN FOR A GREAT DEAL ON THIS CAR BEST BUY Jaguar E-Pace D200 R-Dynamic S List price £41,565 Target Price £40,364 Options we’d add Clear Sight rear-view mirror (£625), Meridian Sound System (£600), Driver Assist Pack (£460), heated steering wheel (£205) Total cost of options £1890 ✔ The Driver Assist Pack (£460) adds a blindspot assistance system that can automatically steer you away from danger if you start to turn into the path of a car you can’t see. That’s an especially handy safety feature in the E-Pace, because its narrow rear window and chunky pillars hamper visibility when changing lanes. ✔ Another useful visibility aid is the E-Pace’s ClearSight rear-view mirror (£625).At the touch of a button, it turns the mirror into a screen that displays a video feed…

Kia EV6 RWD GT-Line List price £47,195 Target Price £47,195 Blending a long range, fast charging and a spacious interior, our reigning Car of the Year is unequalled among electric SUVs, but now it faces a fresh rival with big ideas NEW Nissan Ariya 63kWh Advance List price £43,845 Target Price £43,407 Nissan’s follow-up to the Leaf hatchback takes the form of an on-trend electric SUV. We’re testing it in its cheapest guise with the smaller of its two battery options The phrase “better late than never” was never more appropriate. You see, after Nissan took the world by storm with its Leaf electric car, it took the brand 11 years to return with its SUV sequel, the Ariya. And with so many rivals already making a killing with electric…

1 Honda Jazz THE JAZZ IS the small car to beat for passenger space, and its unique and incredibly flexible rear seating only adds to its practicality. It’s neither the most fun car in the class (that’s the Ford Fiesta) nor the most comfortable (that’s the Peugeot 208), but with excellent visibility, it’s definitely easy to drive. Hybrid power also makes it really cheap to fuel, and slow depreciation helps make up for high prices. Our pick 1.5 i-MMD Hybrid SR List price £22,375 Target Price £21,680 MPG 62.8 CO2 102g/km For Remarkably spacious, with great seating flexibility; strong performance; lots of standard kit; holds value well Against Pricey by small car standards; not the quietest cruiser; disappointing infotainment system WHAT CAR? SAYS Skoda Fabia Our pick 1.0 TSI 95…

1 Volkswagen T-Roc THE T-ROC WAS always a fine buy, but this latest version has raised its game to a new level. A soft ride makes it more comfortable than most of its rivals, while its spacious interior is much smarter looking than the previous model’s. In addition, unlike many of its rivals, it has the high-set driving position that many SUV buyers crave. We’d stick with one of the cheaper models; top-spec T-Rocs are too expensive to be a good bet. Our pick 1.0 TSI 110 Life List price £25,810 Target Price £25,063 MPG 47.1 CO2 136g/km For Comfy ride; quiet on the motorway; spacious and well equipped; big boot; high driving position Against Not as much fun to drive as a Ford Puma; top trims are too pricey; touch-sensitive…

1 BMW 3 Series THE HYBRID BMW 330e slickly integrates the latest tech with the long-held wants and needs of executive car drivers. It’s easy to live with, has a high-quality interior and is great to drive, yet it’s also cheap to run. When charged, it can officially cover 37 miles on electricity, and it remains fairly frugal when running on petrol power. The resulting low emissions yield huge tax savings for company car drivers. Our pick 330e M Sport (Pro Pack) List price £48,565 Target Price £47,741 MPG 188.3 CO2 35g/km For Great to drive; low emissions and good electric range; high-quality interior; class-leading infotainment Against Smaller boot and petrol tank than regular 3 Series; sporty suspension setup won’t be to all tastes WHAT CAR? SAYS Tesla Model 3 Our…

1 Kia EV6 OUR 2022 CAR of the Year sets the standard for this new era of electric motoring, with one of the longest ranges in the business and ultra-fast charging capability. On top of that, it’s hugely spacious and practical, as well as exceptionally refined. When you combine all that with competitive pricing and a seven-year warranty, there are few cars – electric or otherwise – that get close to the EV6’s breadth of talents. Our pick RWD GT-Line List price £47,195 Target Price £47,195 Range 328 miles CO2 0g/km For Long range; ultra-fast charging; seven-year warranty; exceptionally quiet; loads of rear leg room Against Shallow boot; not exactly cheap to buy; ride is on the firm side at low speeds WHAT CAR? SAYS Skoda Enyaq iV Our pick 60…

1 Volkswagen Touran THE TOURAN MATCHES the flexibility of huge MPVs such as the Ford Galaxy, with its independently sliding middle-row seats. And despite being a far more compact car, adults fit in all three rows. What’s more, the Touran feels much like a normal hatchback from behind the wheel, thanks to tidy handling and a supple ride. So yes, it exists to offer an abundance of functionality, but that doesn’t define the way it drives at all. Our pick 1.5 TSI 150 SE List price £33,090 Target Price £31,181 MPG 43.1 CO2 149g/km For Compact outside yet spacious inside; seats seven; Isofix child seat mounts on all rear seats; tidy to drive Against Rivals offer more economical engines and more third-row space; automatic gearbox can be hesitant WHAT CAR? SAYS…

1 BMW 4 Series Convertible LIKE THE COUPÉ on which it’s based, the 4 Series Convertible feels wonderfully balanced, and combines agile handling with impressive comfort if you specify the Pro Pack’s adaptive suspension. It’s also refined with the roof up or down, and surprisingly practical for a car of this sort, offering space for four adults and a good-sized boot. Throw in an upmarket and well-equipped interior and you’ve got a drop-top that’s hard to fault. Our pick 420i M Sport (Pro Pack) List price £49,455 Target Price £45,077 MPG 40.4 CO2 160g/km For Agile and precise handling; comfortable ride; user-friendly infotainment system; classy interior Against Some visibility issues; rear seats fold flat but don’t split; adjustable lumbar support costs extra WHAT CAR? SAYS Fiat 500 Convertible Our pick Icon…

KIA IS GIVING electric car batteries a second life by using them to store surplus energy. A new partnership between the Korean brand and German start-up Encore has already resulted in Berlin eco-campus Euref using 24 old batteries from Kia Soul EVs. Together, the batteries can provide up to 72kWh of capacity. The system allows the Euref campus to store solar energy generated on site for later use. This reduces its reliance on less sustainable energy sources, as well as providing green energy when the sun isn’t shining. Before being put in use, the batteries were dismantled and given a health check to ensure they could hold enough charge. It’s estimated that by 2040, such energy storage systems could prevent up to 2.3 gigatons of CO2 emissions annually.…

TESTING PROCESS WE PUT THESE navigation apps to the test by linking each one to a car’s infotainment screen and using it for a variety of journeys, all of which included a motorway and town roads. We judged the apps on their features, the graphics, whether they work with both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay phone mirroring, and how easy they are to follow. All the apps tested here are free to download, but some offer in-app purchases, so we paid to test extra features before rating them all. 1 Waze Price Free Buy from App Store, Google Play In-app purchases? No Waze is one of the most popular free navigation apps, and it’s easy to see why. It uses user data to generate live traffic updates, making it the…

1 Seat Leon AS A FAMILY car, the latest Leon gets the basics right by offering a big boot and even more space for passengers than the gigantic Skoda Octavia. But it also serves up a very welcome slice of fun and costs less to run than you’d think. Don’t go thinking that the Leon feels even remotely hairshirt, either. It’s every bit as smart inside as the more expensive Volkswagen Golf, while its infotainment system is more user-friendly. Our pick 1.5 TSI Evo 130 FR List price £25,585 Target Price £24,680 MPG 50.5 CO2 127g/km For Great handling; smart, spacious interior; punchy yet frugal petrol engines; generous standard spec Against Ride is on the firm side; more wind and road noise than some rivals; very few optional extras available…

1 Volvo XC40 IT MAY HAVE been a few years since we voted Volvo’s most affordable SUV our overall Car of the Year, but it remains a hugely desirable product that’s backed up by real substance. The XC40 blends generous passenger space and a practical boot with a quality interior and the sort of top-notch safety you expect from the brand. Plus, our recommended plug-in hybrid version has plenty of poke and promises to be cheap to run. Our pick Recharge T4 Plus List price £44,450 Target Price £42,488 MPG 134.5 CO2 47g/km For Stylish, high-quality interior; big and clever boot; supple ride on most versions; comprehensive safety kit Against Fiddly infotainment system; lacks the rear seat flexibility of some rivals; body sways around a bit WHAT CAR? SAYS Kia Sportage…

1 Lexus NX IN ITS LATEST iteration, this upmarket large SUV is not only the first Lexus to be offered as a plug-in hybrid but also represents a leap forward for the brand in terms of ride and handling, as well as usability. It’s more practical than the rival Audi Q5, with a classy and well-equipped interior, and it has a relatively long electric range. The NX isn’t just a Lexus you’d buy for its reliability; it’s the best car from the brand in decades. Our pick 450h+ F Sport List price £59,450 Target Price £58,717 MPG 256.7 CO2 25g/km For Impressive electric range; strong performance; high-quality interior; Lexus’s reliability record Against Petrol engine isn’t the smoothest; choppy ride at high speeds; Takumi versions are pricey WHAT CAR? SAYS Audi A3…

1 BMW 5 Series OUR FAVOURITE LUXURY car for the past four years still offers the very best traits of this class. Take the interior, for example: it’s virtually identical to that of the pricier 7 Series and just as well made, despite the 5 Series costing far less. As a bonus, the 530e plug-in hybrid variant can complete many journeys on electric power. And even when its petrol engine does fire up, the car is quiet enough to shame full-on limousines. Our pick 530e M Sport (Pro Pack) List price £58,075 Target Price £53,646 MPG 188.3 CO2 33g/km For Fast and fun, yet comfortable and refined; low running costs, particularly as a company car; superb interior Against You need to add adaptive suspension (part of the Pro Pack) for the…

1 Skoda Superb Estate SPACE IS THE name of the game when you’re looking at wagons, and the Superb Estate has been our favourite for six years, striking the sweet spot of practicality, comfort, low running costs and value more accurately than any rival. In fact, with masses of load space for flat-pack furniture or suitcases and palatial comfort for passengers, it’s one of the most impressive family holdalls in any class of car. Our pick 2.0 TDI 150 SE L List price £34,245 Target Price £32,578 MPG 55.9 CO2 132g/km For Comfortable ride; limo-like rear passenger space; huge boot with lots of practical touches; well priced Against Some rivals are more fun to drive on twisty roads; automatic gearbox can be a tad jerky in traffic WHAT CAR? SAYS Skoda…

1 Ford Puma ST UNTIL RECENTLY, BUYING a sports SUV required a sizeable outlay, but the Ford Puma ST changes that. And don’t think the fact that it costs far less than the competition means it’s far less fun. Even the mighty Porsche Cayenne has to bow to the Puma’s incredible agility, while its greater driver engagement and less extreme acceleration mean there’s far more chance to enjoy yourself on public roads. Our pick 1.5 Ecoboost 200 Performance Pack List price £31,575 Target Price £30,107 MPG 41.5 CO2 155g/km For Hugely entertaining handling; tuneful and punchy engine; relatively cheap to buy and run Against Occasionally bouncy ride; infotainment system could be slicker; Volkswagen T-Roc is bigger in the back WHAT CAR? SAYS Porsche Cayenne Coupé Our pick GTS List price £96,120…

1 Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo THE ALL-ELECTRIC Taycan rewrote the performance car rulebook in 2021, and now the Cross Turismo has raised the bar even higher. It brings greater versatility, courtesy of a bigger boot and roomier rear seats, plus raised suspension that seems tailor-made for battered British roads. Our preferred 4S version is more than fast enough and comes with the larger of the two batteries (a pricey option on the equivalent regular model). Our pick 4S List price £91,055 Target Price £91,055 Range 297 miles CO2 0g/km For Massive and instantaneous performance; remarkably agile; gorgeous interior; more practical than the regular Taycan Against Charging network isn’t as good as Tesla’s; range could be better WHAT CAR? SAYS Audi E-tron GT Our pick quattro List price £84,000 Target Price £83,167…

CARS EQUIPPED WITH self-driving technology could be allowed on UK motorways from next year, the Department for Transport has announced, with plans for them to be on all roads by 2025. Vehicles that can drive themselves on the motorway would still need a driver behind the wheel, however, so the car can be driven on other roads. Other self-driving cars, such as those used for public transport or deliveries, would not need to have anyone inside. The Government has called for more research into the use and safety of these vehicles, having put forward £100m of funding as support. The research will look into how autonomous vehicles operate in different weather conditions, and how they interact with other road users. The Government is also working on new rules for the…

There are loads of benefits, both financial and environmental, to running an electric car. There are drawbacks, too, of course, and one of the biggest is the price you’ll pay for the car to start with. So, for those of us who don’t have the wherewithal to drop £100,000 on a Porsche Taycan or even £50,000 on a Tesla Model 3, what are the options? Well, a budget of around £30k gives you a choice of around 10 cars, and in this roundup we’ll run you through some of them, ranking them by their star ratings and naming a winner. 10 Mazda MX-30 Prime-Line List price £30,050 Target Price £29,600 PCP £369 0-62mph 9.7sec Official range 124 miles Real range (est) 70-115 miles Peak charging rate 37kW Minimum charging time…

Lexus NX 450h+ Premium Pack (Lexus Link Pro Pack) List price £54,100 Target Price £53,434 Our current favourite plug-in hybrid offers a tempting blend of frugality, practicality, competitive pricing and a plush interior NEW BMW X3 xDrive30e M Sport (Tech Pack) List price £57,430 Target Price £56,158 Facelifted X3 gets a more aggressive-looking exterior and a heavily revamped interior, but its hybrid tech and electric range remain unchanged NEW Volvo XC60 Recharge T6 AWD Plus List price £60,550 Target Price £57,267 The XC60 has always been a strong contender in the large SUV class, and now a mid-life refresh has given the plug-in hybrid variant a significantly improved electric range Here’s your starter for 10: what does a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) have in common with the humble octopus? Answer: multiple…

Mileage 6793 List price £52,200 Target Price £51,557 Price as tested £57,370 Test economy 67.3mpg WHEN I’M DRIVING a plug-in hybrid car, efficiency is never far from my mind, so it’s very pleasing that the average economy I’m achieving with the NX is still rising - this time to 67.3mpg. That’s despite covering a huge number of miles in recent weeks with limited opportunities to charge up the drive battery. The recent hot weather seems to have helped to improve the electric-only range available. When the NX first arrived, I’d get about 41 miles from the 18.1kWh battery, but that’s now risen to 54 miles. I can realistically expect to get close to that figure when I’m driving in stop-start traffic at urban speeds. On faster A-roads and motorways, the…

IT’S EASY TO be in two minds about convertible sports cars. On one hand, you imagine top-down cruises and spirited drives in the country. On the other, there’s always the risk that the weather will rain on your parade. The solution is a drop-top that’s just as much fun whether the sun is shining - or hiding. The Audi TT Roadster is one models that excels all year round. Its coupe counterpart is an excellent starting point, and by taking off the roof, Audi has created a car that promises yet more thrills. In other words, the Roadster is an alluring package even before you consider the £10,000 saving you can make by buying used rather than new. The BMWZ4 doesn’t have a hard-top sibling, but its close relative, the…

1 Mercedes-AMG A45 MAKE NO MISTAKE: our 2022 Hot Hatch of the Year is more than just a one-trick pony. Yes, it’s ballistically quick in a straight line, belting from 0-62mph in just 3.9sec, but it’s also agile and entertaining through corners. You can adjust the four-wheel drive system to send the majority of power to the rear wheels only to allow you to slide it (on a track). The ride is firm, though, and you’ll need deep pockets to afford one. Our pick S Plus List price £58,728 Target Price £58,728 MPG 31.1 CO2 206g/km For Savage performance; immense grip; engaging handling; quick-shifting automatic gearbox Against Very expensive to buy and run; firm ride; not as quiet or easy to live with as the rival Audi RS3 WHAT CAR?…

1 Hyundai Santa Fe THERE’S LOADS TO like about the latest Santa Fe, including its huge boot and practical interior with seating for up to seven adults. The regular hybrid version that we recommend offers the best trade-off between price and running costs, and even entry-level Premium trim comes with many of the luxuries that are available only on high-end versions of the closely related Kia Sorento, making it fantastic value for money. Our pick 1.6 T-GDi Hybrid 4WD Premium List price £43,465 Target Price £42,092 MPG 40.4 CO2 159g/km For User-friendly interior with seven seats suitable for adults; huge boot; loads of standard kit; long warranty Against Performance is only average; some wind noise at motorway speeds; top trim is expensive WHAT CAR? SAYS Kia EV6 Our pick RWD GT-Line…

1 Tesla Model 3 THE MODEL 3 balances range, performance, price and technology better than every other car in its class. It was already hugely compelling, both as a private buy and a company car, but a refresh for 2021 made it even better. Factor in access to Tesla’s unbeatable charging network and the Model 3 is an incredibly desirable yet thoroughly sensible choice. It’s the best argument yet for switching from fossil fuels. Our pick Long Range List price £57,490 Target Price £57,490 Range 374 miles CO2 0g/km For Dependable, fast charging network; well priced; stuffed with tech; surprisingly practical; enjoyable to drive Against Firm town ride, pricey finance deals; interior is better than it was but could still be plusher WHAT CAR? SAYS Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo Our pick…

1 BMW X5 WHEN CHOOSING A plug-in hybrid, it goes without saying that you want economy and cost-effectiveness, but if you don’t want to compromise on the finer things in life, the X5 xDrive45e is right up your street. It offers the same fantastic interior as any other X5, and is even more refined. Yet it’s cheaper to run than rivals, not least because it can travel a whopping 54 miles on electric power. Our pick xDrive45e M Sport List price £73,425 Target Price £72,156 MPG 217.3 CO2 29g/km For Superb ride and handling balance; excellent infotainment; big pure electric range; low company car tax Against No seven-seat option in our preferred plug-in hybrid form; boot isn’t as big as you’d expect WHAT CAR? SAYS BMW X7 Our pick xDrive40d M…

1 BMW 4 Series Coupé ITS LOOKS MAY be divisive, but whether or not you’re a fan of this 4 Series’ aggressive styling, you’ll love what’s underneath. This is one of the most rewarding driver’s cars in the class and, if you opt for the Pro Pack’s adaptive suspension, it’s also a very comfortable everyday car. In addition, the 4 Series benefits from a wonderful interior with supportive seats and class-leading infotainment. Our pick 420i M Sport (Pro Pack) List price £44,655 Target Price £42,360 MPG 42.2 CO2 151g/km For Rewarding handling; no longer so derivative of 3 Series; high-quality interior; composed ride Against Looks won’t be for everyone; some rivals have larger boots; you hear wind and tyre noise at speed WHAT CAR? SAYS Audi TT Our Pick 40 TFSI…

1 Porsche 718 Cayman IT’D BE EASY to write off the Cayman as a poor man’s 911. It can be bought for as little as half the money, so it must be half the car, right? Well, actually, no; in the ways that matter most, the Cayman is the best sports car on the planet. The only caveat is that you need to go for the GTS model, because this swaps the uncouth engines of lesser versions for a glorious 4.0-litre flat six. Our pick GTS 4.0 List price £70,770 Target Price £70,770 MPG 25.9 CO2 247g/km For Brilliant handling; rich, soulful naturally aspirated six-cylinder GTS engine; classy interior Against Lacks the level of standard kit you’d expect of such a pricey car, both in terms of luxuries and safety WHAT…