Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2024 i What Car?

Shopping with my six-year-old daughter is a breeze, because she knows exactly what she does and doesn’t like, and never worries that she might find something better if she just looks a little longer. However, as we get older, those sort of doubts can creep in – particularly when buying something expensive like a car. ‘After reading this issue, you’ll know whether a car is worth waiting for’ Fortunately, this issue of What Car? is here to help, because our journalists have gone back through their notes and shared everything they’ve learned about the most exciting new models coming in 2024. After reading what they have to say (from p8), you’ll know for sure whether there’s something about to go on sale that’s worth waiting for. Or, if you’re not…

george.hill@haymarket.com IN MANY WAYS, the Mini is like a James Bond film: it’s British, it’s extremely popular, and new iterations don’t come along very often. However, this year an all-new generation of the small three-door hatchback will arrive, with some big changes to boost its appeal. What are they? Well, for starters, the electric model, called the Mini Cooper, is being launched with two versions. The entry-level Cooper E features a 181bhp electric motor that delivers a 0-62mph accleration time of 7.3sec, while a 40.7kWh (total capacity) battery gives an official range of up to 188 miles. That’s a big improvement over the outgoing Mini Electric. If you want more power and more range, there’s also a Cooper SE. It features a 215bhp electric motor (which trims the 0-62mph time…

steve.huntingford@haymarket.com OF ALL THE electric cars due to go on sale in 2024, the Renault 5 is the most exciting. That’s the verdict of a majority of What Car? readers, anyway, who voted it as such at our recent Electric Car Awards. Originally shown as a concept back in 2021, the new 5 takes clear design inspiration from the 1972-1996 original, channelling that car’s angular headlights, chunky proportions and sloping rear end. However, its technology is rooted firmly in the here and now. The new 5 is powered by a 134bhp electric motor, which is paired with a 40kWh battery on cheaper versions or a 52kWh battery if you spend a little more. Renault is targeting an official range of 249 miles with the larger battery; that compares favourably with…

george.hill@haymarket.com THEY SAY THE third time is the charm, and that could certainly be the case with the Polestar 3. You see, as its name suggests, the 3 is the brand’s third model, but while the Polestar 1 was a hideoulsly impractical coupé and the Polestar 2 executive car has never been a match for the rival Tesla Model 3, the Polestar 3 is entering the fast-growing electric SUV market. So, has it got what it takes to challenge luxury rivals such as the BMW iX? Well, in standard Long Range form, the 3 produces a healthy 483bhp from its two electric motors (one at the front and the other at the rear, giving four-wheel drive). As a result, it can sprint from 0-62mph in 5.0sec. If you want more…

claire.evans@haymarket.com IF THE RECENT news that Volvo will no longer sell estate cars caused you to panic, don’t worry. Not every manufacturer has lost faith in the format; indeed, Volkswagen has done exactly the opposite, with its new Passat being available exclusively as an estate. What’s more, the new car offers more engine choice than before. The range opens with a 148bhp 1.5-litre mild hybrid petrol, and this forms the basis of a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) set-up in conjunction with an electric motor and a 19.7kWh battery. The PHEV will be available in 201bhp and 268bhp forms, both offering an official electric range of 62 miles. Alternatively, a 2.0-litre petrol engine is available in 201 and 261bhp forms. All versions come with either a five or six-speed automatic gearbox, and…

darren.moss@haymarket.com PLAYING IT SAFE might not get onlookers giddy with excitement, but when a car is as popular as the BMW X3, radically altering its formula would be distinctly reckless. For just that reason, the fourth generation of this SUV follows similar lines to the outgoing car. As before, buyers who favour combustion power will be able to choose from a 2.0-litre petrol in the xDrive20i (with around 184bhp), and a 187bhp diesel-engined xDrive20d. Both engines use mild hybrid electrical assistance to keep emissions down without blunting acceleration. Performance-orientated M40i and M40d-badged versions will join the range later, and there will be a new xDrive30e plug-in hybrid that’s likely to offer around 35 miles of electric range. Like your waistline at the end of a meal, the new X3 will…

dan.jones@haymarket.com IMPROVISE, ADAPT AND overcome. Those three words are the unofficial motto of the United States Marine Corps, but the new Renault Scenic seems to have taken them to heart, too. You see, while it launched as an MPV back in 1996, that class has dwindled over the years, leading the Scenic to adapt and become a far more appealing electric SUV. That does, though, mean that it faces a whole cohort of rivals, so how does it stack up against the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Tesla Model Y and many, many more? Well, when it comes to performance, it’s an also-ran; with a 215bhp electric motor, its 0-62mph time of 8.4sec isn’t particularly quick by electric car standards. As a comparison, the Model Y RWD takes just 6.6sec. However, the…

lawrence.cheung@haymarket.com WE WOULDN’T BLAME you if your first reaction while reading about the new Smart #3 is “Why isn’t it called the Hashtag Two?”. After all, it’s the follow-up to the #1 electric SUV. Well, technically, the Two (or Fortwo) is the tiny, two-seat city car with which Smart made its name, but we still understand if it seems as though the brand has skipped a chapter. Still, naming strategy aside, the #3 joins the range as a coupé-like version of the #1. It’s longer and wider than its stablemate, with a 60mm lower roofline, 20mm lower ground clearance and an extra 35mm between the front and rear wheels. Power outputs mirror those of the #1. Unless you go for the 422bhp, twin-motor Brabus version, all #3s have a single…

lawrence.cheung@haymarket.com HOMEOWNERS FACE MANY important decisions when refurbishing a kitchen, and a big one is choosing a cooker: should you stick to a traditional gas hob or switch to a modern induction one? Likewise, buyers lucky enough to be considering a Maserati GranTurismo can pick between good old-fashioned petrol power or today’s trendiest motive force: electricity. Yes, while the Italian brand’s GT looks similar to its predecessor on the outside, it’s a different story under the surface, because it’s designed to support a flagship battery-powered Folgore version due later this year. For now, though, the GranTurismo comes with a 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged V6 engine that’s closely related to the one in the brand’s MC20 sports car, but detuned to deliver a more refined experience. Detuned it may be, but it’s certainly…

Use your phone to scan the code by the car you like, or search for it on whatcar.com and click the ‘Get best price’ button. We’ll alert dealers in your area so they can compete for your business without you having to make an effort to shop around. You can request quotes on as many cars as you like, and your ‘My offers’ page lets you view them all in one place. While our Target PCP price allows direct finance comparisons, you can also request personalised finance quotes.…

claire.evans@haymarket.com ONCE DENOTING A family-friendly MPV, the Renault Scenic name now graces a family SUV. Expected to start at just over £40,000, it’s an electric rival to the Nissan Ariya (with which it shares its underpinnings) and a host of other models, including the Skoda Enyaq. In spite of the switch from MPV to SUV exterior styling, the Scenic’s interior remains a paragon of practicality. It’s said to offer enough room for five adults, plus lots of useful storage cubbies and USB ports for device charging dotted around inside. There will be some other clever tech on offer, too, including variable tinting for its panoramic glass roof, and a camera-based rear-view mirror. All versions also have a Google-based infotainment system that’s backed up by voice control. Buyers will be able…

dan.jones@haymarket.com Mileage 11,710 List price £90,050 Target Price £86,984 Price as tested £107,110 Test economy 26.9mpg TWO WEEKS; TWO countries; 2500 miles. Those stats could apply to the annual Tour de France cycle race, but they’re actually from my BMW X7’s own tour of France, when colleague Will Nightingale borrowed it for an epic holiday. The initial destination was a small town near Nice, a near-900-mile drive from London. Such a long journey, spread over two days, is hardly a barrel of laughs – but Will commented that there isn’t another car on the planet he’d have rather used, and I’d probably agree. The X7’s plush ride, quiet cruising manners and fabulous driving position are all attributes I’ve already raved about. However, Will also said he was a big fan…

Mileage 1318 List price £33,915 Target Price £32,350 Price as tested £35,935 Test economy 41.1mpg IF YOU’RE INTO theatre and the works of Tolkien, as I am, the fact that there’s now a stage show based on The Lord of the Rings is big news indeed. And going to see it provided the perfect opportunity for an adventure of my own in my Audi Q2. With bums on four of the seats, we set off from London on a 120-mile round trip to the theatre in Newbury. Despite the heavy load, the Q2’s 1.5-litre petrol engine offered peppy acceleration in city traffic, before settling down to a quiet thrum on the motorway. Even this was inaudible once we’d got the score from The Lord of the Rings film series playing…

steve.huntingford@haymarket.com Mileage 8200 List price when new (2022) £99,245 Price new with options £100,790 Value now £100,186 Test economy 30.4mpg CONTRARY TO WHAT you might have heard, the Great Wall of China can’t be seen from space with the naked eye. However, there are several manmade objects that can, including the Bingham Canyon Mine near Salt Lake City, the Three Gorges Dam that spans the Yangtze River, and (probably) the infotainment touchscreen in the Range Rover Sport. Okay, at 13.1in, it’s not quite the biggest screen you’ll find in a car; the one in the Tesla Model S measures 17.0in, while the optional Hyperscreen in the Mercedes-Benz EQS includes a 17.7in unit. However, the Sport’s still impresses anyone who catches a lift with me. Don’t think it only brings a…

STAR RATINGS TARGET PRICE The What Car? Target Price is the maximum you should pay for a new car and is set by our mystery shoppers. It’s updated each month and most of our approved dealers will match it. However, in a lot of cases they can save you even more: just visit whatcar.com/new-car-deals. All Target Prices are correct at the time of going to press. TARGET PCP The Target PCP is a fair monthly fee if you’re taking out a personal contract purchase (PCP) finance deal, also set by our mystery shoppers. Most are over 48 months with a 15% deposit and an 8000-mile annual limit. Those marked with an asterisk are over 36 months and those with an apostrophe are over 42 months. Ford deals are over 9000…

The What Car? Target Price is the maximum you should pay for your new car and is set by our team of mystery shoppers. Every day they see what discounts are available across the UK, and those savings form the basis of the deals offered via our free New Car Deals service. In a lot of cases, however, you can save even more. Just head to whatcar.com/new-car-deals and select the car that you’re interested in, and participating dealers will compete for your business. It’s the easy way to get a new car at a great price.…

steve.huntingford@haymarket.com IT MAY HAVE a name that sounds like it belongs to a printer or a photocopy machine, but the bZ3X is actually likely to become Toyota’s best-selling electric car. Sized between the C-HR hybrid and the larger bZ4X electric SUV, it will more closely resemble the former in terms of looks, with angular lines, pronounced body creases and a coupé-like roofline. There has apparently been an overt focus on aerodynamics in order to aid efficiency. So, given that the bZ3X is expected to use the same 64kWh (usable capacity) battery as the bZ4X, it should beat its bigger brother’s official range of up to 317 miles. Still, that’s just as well, given that the rival Skoda Enyaq Coupé can officially travel for up to 345 miles between charges and…

james.tute@haymarket.com FORD WAS FAIRLY early to the electric SUV party, launching the Mustang Mach-E in 2019. It’s perhaps surprising that we’ve had to wait so long for another EV from the brand, but this new Explorer is one of two expected in 2024. Ford has recycled the name from a seven-seat SUV that’s big in America, and while the five-seat electric Explorer is much smaller and less rugged-looking than that car, it still has an outdoorsy element to match the name. There’s a 450-litre boot with underfloor storage to chuck all your camping or hiking gear into, 17 litres of storage in a so-called MegaConsole between the front seats, and a locker behind the infotainment touchscreen. But while the Explorer’s boxy shape – with its high, flat nose and squared-off…

darren.moss@haymarket.com IF CHEAP IS cheerful, the new Fiat Panda should be a car with more potential to make you happy than almost anything else you can buy. Aiming to recapture the simple yet clever philosophy that has helped the first three generations of the Panda to sell in large numbers since 1980, the new iteration will take inspiration from 2019’s Centoventi concept car, which first showed how a low-cost reinvented Panda might look in the age of electric cars. Some of the concept’s features, such as its minimalist dashboard and removable passenger seat, could remain for the car you’ll see in showrooms. But other elements, such as swappable batteries that could be replaced at dealerships in less than five minutes, won’t make it into production. At the time of its…

stuart.milne@haymarket.com YOU WOULDN’T ENVY the design team behind the new Skoda Kodiaq, because to make it better than the brilliant original was always going to take a Herculean effort. Six years after it was launched, it’s still one of our favourite seven-seaters. However, as rivals such as the Hyundai Santa Fe and Peugeot 5008 get stronger, so too must the Kodiaq. As such, the second-generation car features a smart new look and a slight increase in length to boost interior space, but retains large windows, for good all-round visibility. Boot space grows to 910 litres; that’s 75 litres bigger than in the current car, which can accept an impressive nine carry-on suitcases in its load bay. Seven-seat models sacrifice a bit of boot space, though. The new car also gains…

george.hill@haymarket.com IT’S VERY UNCOMMON for a car to have few or no direct rivals, but the Peugeot e-308 SW is in that exact position. It’s a fully electric estate car, and the majority of car manufacturers haven’t yet cottoned on to the need for such a thing. It’s true that more are on the way, namely the Audi A6 Avant e-tron, BMW i5 Touring and Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer Electric. But until those cars arrive, the only other electric estates you can buy are the MG 5 and Porsche’s Taycan Cross Turismo and Taycan Sport Turismo. And as you might imagine, it’s the MG that the e-308 SW finds itself competing against. So, what’s the e-308 SW like? Well, unsurprisingly, it’s very similar to the e-308 hatchback on which it’s…

steve.huntingford@haymarket.com BY THEIR VERY nature, SUVs are comparatively heavy vehicles, and electric SUVs like the Lotus Eletre are heavier still, putting them in complete contrast with the lightweight sports cars that the brand has traditionally specialised in. And yet the fact is that those sports cars sell about as well as suncream at Christmas. It’s not hard, then, to see why Lotus is diversifying its line-up, this being made possible by the fact that the Norfolk-based brand is now owned by Chinese giant Geely. For the first time in years, Lotus actually has money to spend. There are three versions of the Eletre. The standard car and the better-equipped S have 603bhp on tap, while the range-topping R ups the power to a scarcely believable 905bhp. We drove the S,…

lawrence.cheung@haymarket.com IF YOU WERE to liken the Mercedes-Benz EQE electric SUV and saloon models to house plants, you’d suspect the former has been treated to lots of sunlight and fresh compost to make it grow tall and substantial, while the latter has been starved of nutrition. While they share much of their technological make-up underneath, the new SUV looks and feels far bulkier than the low, sleek saloon, but the pay-off is the promise of usefully more interior space and the high seating position that many buyers crave. So far, we’ve tested the entry-level EQE 350, which produces 288bhp and can sprint from 0-62mph in 7.3sec. That’s slower than the equivalent Audi Q8 e-tron and BMW iX, but there’s still plenty of everyday performance to get up to motorway speeds…

george.hill@haymarket.com IN RECENT YEARS, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) have come to play a greater role in tests performed by independent safety body Euro NCAP. While finding out how a given car protects its occupants in a crash continues to be at the core of the independent safety organisation’s work, the focus on systems that reduce the likelihood of such a situation occurring is sharpening. While Euro NCAP incorporated automatic emergency braking (AEB) into its tests in 2014, further updates in 2020 and 2023 have broadened its scope to test a wider range of systems. AEB is now mandatory on new cars following the implementation in 2022 of the EU’s General Safety Regulation (GSR) legislation (which UK cars also comply with, for cost reasons), but certain other key ADAS systems…

claire.evans@haymarket.com Mileage 7793 List price £61,855 Target Price £58,805 Price as tested £60,635 Test range 211 miles WE MAY BE in the depths of winter, but that didn’t stop me from giving my XC40 Recharge a spring clean recently – something that was made considerably easier by the fact that the rubber mats that line its centre console cubby, cupholders and large front storage area can all be removed for washing. This is particularly handy if something has melted in them or there’s been a spillage. The mini rubbish bin in the console also comes out to make it easier to empty – another thoughtful touch. While I was in the mood, I decided to freshen up my XC40 in another way: by installing the latest over-the-air software update waiting…

john.bradshaw@haymarket.com PHOTOGRAPHY – MY DAY job – is an art. But as much as I love the creativity, there has to be an objective purpose for it, otherwise What Car? wouldn’t pay me. With my Cupra Leon Estate, though, it strikes me that it’s the other way around: to look at, it’s an estate car like any other, but the way it goes about being an estate car is, well… it’s art. Still with me? No? Okay, let’s talk about the worthy stuff before we get abstract. Early on in my time with the Leon Estate, my main concern was whether it would prove to be as practical as the BMW X1 and Nissan Qashqai SUVs I’d run previously. And despite some initial misgivings when the Leon struggled to wolf…

chris.haining@haymarket.com Mileage 1765 List price £39,695 Target Price £39,695 Price as tested £39,695 Test range 256 miles IMAGINE GOING ON popular TV cooking show Masterchef and presenting the judges with a toasted cheese sandwich. That’s kind of what’s happened with the BYD Atto 3. To stand out among the culinary giants, a dish has to be something out of the ordinary, especially when the talented Kia Niro EV and Smart #1 are the competing cooks, and, at first glance, the delicacies they’ve prepared look a bit more polished and mouth-watering than the Atto 3’s grilled bread and Red Leicester. Perhaps, though, as a chef with relatively little experience in the UK electric car kitchen, BYD was wise not to be too ambitious with presentation. I mean, there’s nothing wrong with…

darren.moss@haymarket.com THE PORSCHE MACAN has long been one of our favourite sports SUVs, combining family-friendly practicality with grin-inducing performance and handling. That’s likely to be even more the case with the next-generation model, which is moving to electric power. The Macan EV shares its underpinnings with the upcoming Audi Q6 e-tron, with range-topping versions being powered by two electric motors that together pump out up to 603bhp and drive all four wheels. Less potent models with a single motor and rear-wheel drive will also be available. The Macan draws energy from a sizeable battery with a 100kWh (total) capacity, giving it an official range of up to 310 miles – farther than the rival BMW iX3 and Mercedes-Benz EQC can take you. The battery can be replenished at rates of…

james.tute@haymarket.com AUDI SEEMS TO have a knack for building estate cars – sorry, Avants – that are even more desirable than the saloons they’re based on, and this latest A6 Avant has the added attraction of an ‘e-tron’ badge. That means, as well as living up to its predecessor’s ‘lithe load-lugger’ reputation, the A6 Avant flies the flag as Audi’s first electric estate. It should look the part, too; the concept version features distinctive narrow headlights at the end of a long bonnet, with muscular haunches and a full-width light bar at the rear. Those muscular looks should be backed up by stamina; Audi says at least one version will be capable of 435 miles on a charge. Very few EVs can match that right now, and none of them…

stuart.milne@haymarket.com IT COULD WELL be a case of lucky seven for Hyundai, as it readies the next model in its Ioniq electric car line-up. Following the angular Ioniq 5 and the sleek Ioniq 6 comes the – you guessed it – Ioniq 7 SUV. Like the Ioniq 5, the 7 (previewed by the Hyundai Seven concept, pictured) has a retro-futuristic look, but this time it’s scaled up to a similar shape and form to the petrol and hybrid-powered Santa Fe. Those concept car looks are likely to make it to production, as was the case with the smaller Ioniq models. Where the production car is likely to differ most is inside; it’ll lose the concept’s swivelling front seats in favour of regular ones, and the concept’s rear-hinged back doors aren’t…

claire.evans@haymarket.com GOING TOPLESS, IN the personal and automotive senses, has enjoyed many decades of popularity. Think Brigitte Bardot in the 1960s, Pamela Anderson in the 1990s and more recently pop star Rhianna. And if these celebrities wanted to do so in their cars, there’s always been a Mercedes-Benz to suit, with the CLE Cabriolet being the latest in a long line of convertibles from the brand. A traditional two-door, four-seat soft-top, the CLE is a single-model replacement for the C-Class and E-Class cabriolets. With an S-Class convertible no longer offered, the CLE Cabriolet and AMG-developed SL sports car are now Mercedes’ only soft-top offerings. The CLE is among the last combustion-engined cars to be launched by the brand, and the convertible shares its coupé sister’s engines. Options at launch will…

george.hill@haymarket.com CAR NAMES TAKE many different forms, with some having simple alphanumeric structures and others being less conventional. So, where does the Lexus LBX fit into that? Well, there’s more than just three letters to its name, because LBX stands for ‘Lexus Breakthrough Crossover’. In other words, it’s a small SUV that the Japanese brand hopes will be a big success. At the premium end of the class, its rivals include the Audi Q2 and Mini Countryman. The LBX is based on the underpinnings of the Toyota Yaris Cross. Like that car, it’s a hybrid, being powered by a 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine and an electric motor that combine to produce 134bhp. However, a larger battery allows the electric motor to drive the wheels at higher speeds and for longer…

dan.jones@haymarket.com THE POPULARITY OF Friends: The Reunion and Still Open All Hours demonstrates how viewers love it when their favourite show is given a new lease of life, even if the passing of time means certain changes are inevitable. In theory, then, the new Volkswagen ID 7 has a ready audience; it takes the formula of the popular VW Passat saloon and brings it right up to date, packing in all of today’s must-have tech. The Passat saloon – VW’s executive car offering for nearly 50 years – has been off our screens (and out of our showrooms) since 2022. However, while an all-new Passat estate will arrive in 2024, the saloon’s place is being taken by the ID 7, and that name signifies a switch from combustion to fully…

dan.jones@haymarket.com FOR MOST PEOPLE, saying that life is busy is an understatement, and that’s arguably why we all value convenience so highly. Yet we all want to do our bit for the environment. In theory, then, plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) are a perfect fit, with a large enough battery to make routine local trips on electricity alone (keeping CO2 emissions low), but with a petrol engine on call for those occasional longer jaunts. The BMW X5 xDrive45e has long offered greater flexibility than many PHEVs, and this updated (and renamed) version has a bigger battery, with a 25.7kWh usable capacity, for an even longer official electric range. At 65 miles, it beats its predecessor by 13 miles and trumps the rival Mercedes-Benz GLE 400e’s 60-mile figure. It’s still around 10 miles…

dan.jones@haymarket.com MARKETERS ALL OVER the world are united by a common dream: creating a product that everyone wants. And while the Vauxhall Corsa isn’t quite as universally loved as, say, Coca Cola, it’s found enough fans to sit on the bestsellers list for much of its 40-year career. Even Coca Cola doesn’t rest on its laurels, though, so the Corsa has been updated in an effort to stay in touch with what buyers want. And it seems that Vauxhall reckons simplicity is high on the list; gone is the Corsa’s previous broad range of trim levels, with Design, GS and Ultimate now being your lot. The update also sharpens up the Corsa’s looks, adopting Vauxhall’s distinctive ‘Vizor’ front end to bring it in line with the Astra family car and…

claire.evans@haymarket.com ALL NEW CARS come with a manufacturer’s warranty that guarantees to cover the cost of fixing any design and manufacturing faults that might occur. That’s reassuring when you consider that many repairs are becoming more expensive because of the need to recalibrate the cameras and sensors that are being fitted to more new cars. A three-year new car warranty is standard on four out of five new cars, and most brands also stipulate a mileage limit; usually it’s 60,000 miles, and if the car exceeds this within the warranty period, the cover expires. While you might think that offering only three years’ cover is a bit stingy on vehicles that can cost £100,000 or more, it’s worth bearing in mind that warranties on other products, such as electrical goods,…

stuart.milne@haymarket.com THE VOLKSWAGEN ID Buzz could be one of the most significant electric cars to ever go on sale, because it appeals to the broadest set of drivers I’ve ever encountered. Why? Well, just look at it. Yes, this car turns heads like little else on the road, particularly if you go for the striking orange and white colour scheme that I did. And for once with an electric vehicle (EV), when people start to talk to you about it, they don’t bring up the shortcomings of the public charging infrastructure or the (now less looming) 2035 petrol and diesel ban. No, they just want to express their admiration, with even dyed-in-the-wool petrol and diesel drivers starting to imagine themselves owning an EV. So, it seems that referencing the iconic…

Mileage 6548 List price £22,595 Target Price na Price as tested £22,595 Test economy 46.9mpg MOST MODERN CARS come with a lot of equipment, and my Dacia Jogger is no exception; air-con, cruise control and even keyless entry are all standard. As someone who needs to retrieve items from their car a lot during the course of a working day (a light here, a tripod there), often while already weighed down with camera cases, I particularly appreciate not having to fumble in my pocket for the key fob. It’s equally useful that I don’t have to worry about locking the doors as I walk away, because the car will do that for me. As a bonus, the delay before the Jogger locks itself is long enough for me to take…

allan.muir@haymarket.com WHILE SOME CAR makers have been churning out new electric vehicles (EVs) as though their lives depend on it, Toyota has taken a more circumspect approach so far. And this strategy might turn out to be right, given that EVs still account for only around 16% of new car sales in the UK and the Government has decided to delay the planned ban on new petrol and diesel cars by five years, until 2035. That doesn’t mean Toyota is sitting on its hands, though; we know it’s working on several all-new EVs that promise much longer ranges than anything currently possible. In the meantime, we have the bZ4X – the brand’s first battery-powered EV for Europe. And when I say ‘we’, I mean I’ve got one as my new…

oliver.young@haymarket.com In production 2020-present Price from £13,000 Our favourite version 1.5 i-MMD Hybrid SR JAZZ IS AN extremely diverse musical genre, and possibly the most divisive. Many adore the unpredictability of a free-form saxophone solo; to others, it sounds like a cat in a blender. ‘Jazz’ seems an ill-fitting name, then, for a car with such broad appeal as Honda’s baby hatchback – particularly this latest version. For a fairly small car, it’s immensely spacious and practical, plus it’s nicely built and has a strong reliability record. Thanks to its hybrid power set-up, it’s very economical, too. In our Real MPG tests, its 1.5-litre engine, two electric motors and compact battery worked together to return an impressive 56.0mpg. The Jazz comes in five trim levels: SE, SR, EX, EX Style…

Hyundai Ioniq 5 N Price from £65,000 Data fact Combines a 257-mile official range with 0-62mph in 3.4sec Lexus LBX Price from £29,995 Data fact Lexus’s smallest SUV yet has a 402-litre boot and official CO2 emissions of 105g/km for a 26% company car tax rating Volkswagen ID 7 Price from £55,570 Data fact Electric executive car is 99mm longer than the VW Arteon FAMILY CARS WITH THE BIGGEST BOOTS (OFFICIALLY)…