Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2024 i What Car?

In 2002, Porsche and Volvo both launched their first SUVs: the Cayenne and XC90 respectively. But while the former provoked an outcry and took time to be accepted, the latter was almost universally popular from the get-go. So, yes, some scepticism is natural when a brand goes in a new direction. However, there are also times when the result just feels like such a good fit that you instead wonder why it took so long. And a more recent example of this is the Mini Electric; why wouldn’t a brand known for small, city-friendly cars compete in the electric space? ‘Mini had the right idea with its first electric car, but the execution was mixed’ Unfortunately, while Mini had the right idea, the way it executed it was more mixed. Okay,…

SAVE £6001 Volvo XC60 WHAT CAR? SAYS Model 2.0 B5 Core List price £47,615 Target Price £41,614 Target PCP £409 When it comes to interior plushness, the XC60 is among the best in the family SUV class. It looks classy and elegant inside, and the extensive use of soft plastics and metal finishes gives it a luxurious feel. Standard kit is generous, too; even entry-level Core trim gives you heated leather seats. SCAN FOR A GREAT DEAL ON THIS CAR SAVE £3823 Peugeot 408 WHAT CAR? SAYS Model 1.6 Hybrid Allure List price £40,450 Target Price £36,627 Target PCP £465 The 408 pampers its passengers; its attractive, smartly finished interior offers generous rear leg room. This plug-in hybrid version is quiet and smooth, plus it officially manages 34 miles of…

THE HONDA JAZZ is one of the UK’s most practical and sensible small hatchbacks, yet it’s been blacklisted by insurer LV= following a sharp spike in catalytic converter thefts. Owners of 2001-2008 Jazz SEs have been told by the insurer that it will no longer offer them cover because the model has become a particular target of thieves looking to steal valuable parts. According to LV=, the reason the Jazz is being targeted by thieves is that they can easily get underneath and remove the exhaust, due to the car’s high ground clearance. Affected owners have still been able to obtain cover from other providers, though. Catalytic converter theft isn’t only a problem for Jazz owners. All older cars, particularly hybrids, with catalytic converters are susceptible to this type of…

1 Garmin Dashcam Live Price £349 Optional live subscription £9.99/£19.99pcm Buy from Garmin.com Screen size 62x36mm Video resolution 2K at 30fps Sensor Unknown GPS? Yes G-sensor? Yes Safety camera alerts? No Voice control? Yes Location tracking? Yes Max memory card size 512GB The Garmin is perhaps the least obtrusive dashcam here, but while small, it’s by no means basic. It can be used in the conventional manner, or – with an optional subscription – can be set to provide a live view when your car is unattended (this will end when the camera’s battery runs out; a hardwired power supply is optional). Its mount provides plenty of adjustability, and it’s easy to remove from the car if necessary. A 16GB MicroSD memory card is included, but we found that filled…

NEW Kia Sportage 1.6 T-GDi HEV GT-Line S List price £40,675 Target Price £38,494 The Sportage is our reigning Family SUV of the Year in a cheaper form, but this time we’re testing it with hybrid power and in range-topping trim USED Volvo XC60 2.0 B5 Plus Dark Price new £52,295 Price now £39,000* Similar money to the Sportage gets you a larger, more upmarket SUV if you buy used, albeit with a more conventional petrol engine ORDERING YOUR FIRST Subway can be a bit overwhelming, because you seemingly have a billion choices to make before your sandwich is finally handed to you. Buying a new SUV can feel similarly strenuous, with a plethora of different models, variants and optional extras to sift through as you search for the ideal one.…

1 MERCEDES-AMG A45 Our pick S Plus List price £63,370 Target Price £60,370 MPG 30.7 CO2 208g/km For Savage acceleration; immense grip; entertaining handling; quick-shifting automatic gearbox Against Very expensive to buy; Audi RS3 is more comfortable; infotainment controls could be easier to use WHAT CAR? SAYS YOU’LL HAVE NO need for an alarm clock if you own an A45, because you’ll want to wake up at the crack of dawn just so you can go for a blast in it. Not only is this 416bhp, four-wheel-drive rocketship absurdly rapid in a straight line, but it’s also agile and entertaining through corners. Although it isn’t quite as civilised as the rival Audi RS3, the A45 is barely any less practical or easy to live with than a regular A-Class. Bespoke features…

1 LAND ROVER DEFENDER Our pick D300 X-Dynamic (7 seat) List price £69,470 Target Price £67,606 MPG 33.0 CO2 225g/km For Comfy on road and unstoppable off it; plenty of space in second and third rows; glacial depreciation Against Fuel economy and emissions are below par; higher trims are very pricey; Land Rover’s reliability record WHAT CAR? SAYS THE DEFENDER HAS come a long way from its utilitarian workhorse roots, but it certainly hasn’t forgotten them. The latest iteration of this rugged four-wheel-drive SUV is right up with the best in terms of off-road ability, yet, unlike its illustrious forebear, it also has fine on-road manners, including a comfortable ride (air suspension is standard in our preferred 110 guise) and reasonable refinement. The Defender comes in a choice of three lengths,…

1 MAZDA MX-30 R-EV Our pick Prime-Line List price £31,495 Target Price £30,002 MPG 282.5 CO2 21g/km For Good ride and handling balance; smart interior; well priced; much more usable than fully electric version Against Not particularly practical; cramped in rear seats; average predicted resale values WHAT CAR? SAYS BETTER LATE THAN never, as they say. Arriving a few years after the electric MX-30, the R-EV is a plug-in hybrid that drives just like its sibling but has a rotary petrol engine to top up the battery that powers the electric motor. This helps to address the main weakness of the electric version – its short range – and makes the R-EV far more usable for out-of-town trips. Whether you plug it in or make use of the petrol engine to…

1 TOYOTA COROLLA TOURING SPORTS Our pick 1.8 Hybrid Icon List price £31,840 Target Price £29,447 MPG 62.7 CO2 101g/km For Impressive fuel economy; comfortable ride; practical boot; well equipped; very dependable Against Engine can be noisy under hard acceleration; more wind and road noise than in some rivals WHAT CAR? SAYS THERE’S MORE TO being an excellent estate than being able to accommodate a family in comfort or the occasional wardrobe, because the best of them are also cosseting, frugal and dependable. And it’s these qualities that propel the Corolla Touring Sports to the top of this category. Unlike any of its direct rivals, the Touring Sports is a hybrid, so it can run on electric power alone for short distances to help conserve petrol. In our recommended 1.8-litre form,…

1 FORD PUMA ST Our pick 1.5 Ecoboost 200 (Performance Pack) List price £33,145 Target Price £33,145 MPG 42.2 CO2 152g/km For Hugely entertaining handling; tuneful and punchy engine; relatively cheap to buy and run Against Occasionally bouncy ride; infotainment system could be slicker; T-Roc R is bigger in the back WHAT CAR? SAYS IN A CLASS that’s largely defined by cars that are heavy, powerful and pricey, the Puma ST takes the opposite approach. Based on the excellent Puma small SUV, it uses a turbocharged 1.5-litre engine that produces ‘just’ 197bhp, yet it’s more fun to drive than other sports SUVs, because you can make full use of its performance on British roads without risking your licence, and it’s far more agile. The Puma ST’s hot-hatch-on-stilts manner is helped by…

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Plan ahead If you buy cover a week or more before you need the policy to start, you could save around a third on the cost of cover. We researched the cost of annual cover for a 23-year-old male driving our favourite small hatchback, the Renault Clio 1.0 TCe 90 Techno, comparing the cost of cover starting on the same day and between a week and four weeks later. The cheapest cover starting immediately was £1545 for a telematics (black box) policy, but changing the date to one week later netted a best offer of £991 for non-telematics cover. While the price rose by around £100 if we set a start date of two to four weeks ahead, it still remained well below the cost of same-day cover. New drivers…

Talk about leaving the door wide open. The decision by some big brands to abandon the conventional small car market and focus on SUVs has given smaller brands the perfect opportunity to waltz in and capitalise. After all, thousands of long-time Ford Fiesta and Kia Rio owners will eventually need a new car and might not want, or be able to afford, to make the jump to a Puma or Stonic. MG hopes they’ll be tempted by its latest offering. Indeed, the Chinese-owned brand brazenly calls the new MG 3 a ‘conquest car’ – an industry term for a model designed primarily to steal sales from rivals rather than cater for existing owners seeking an upgrade. Like the old MG 3, the new one is a Fiesta-sized five-door hatchback, only…

Mileage 3426 List price £77,105 Target Price £71,771 Price as tested £92,570 Test range 264 miles IT’S SAFE TO say that there’s been more excitement off the track than on it so far this year in Formula 1. But one feature of my BMW i5 that appears to be F1-inspired is making my daily driving more exciting. You see, Hamilton and co can use the kinetic energy recovery systems of their cars to deliver short bursts of extra performance, and my i5’s Boost function is much the same. Simply pull a paddle behind the steering wheel, and, for 10 seconds, the i5 feels even livelier than it usually does, thanks to an extra 22lb ft of torque. Initially, I thought this was a gimmick, but it actually comes in handy…

In association with 1 RENAULT CLIO Our pick 1.0 TCe 90 Techno List price £19,395 Target Price £17,461 MPG 53.3 CO2 119g/km For Very well priced; smart interior is packed with equipment; fine ride and handling balance; practical boot Against Tight for taller adults in the rear seats; slightly firm low-speed ride; high boot loading lip WHAT CAR? SAYS WITH A BROAD spread of abilities and tempting pricing, the latest Clio represents such great value that it’s our reigning Small Car of the Year. As well as being agile and more fun to drive than rivals such as the Skoda Fabia, the Clio has a smart-looking and generously equipped interior with a portrait-style infotainment screen. Although the rear seats are a bit on the snug side for tall adults, the Clio’s…

1 LEXUS LBX Our pick 1.5 Premium Plus List price £34,505 Target Price £34,171 MPG 65.7 CO2 105g/km For High-quality interior; efficient hybrid system promises low running costs; very well equipped Against Fidgety low-speed ride; refinement could be better; short on rear seat space WHAT CAR? SAYS THINK LEXUS MAKES only big, expensive cars? Well, think again, because the LBX is a small SUV with a comparatively small price tag. Yet despite this, there’s nothing cut price about how it looks, feels or drives. The interior is the classiest you’ll find in any small SUV, with plush materials and rock-solid build quality, even if it’s a little tight in the rear seats. Our recommended Premium Plus trim comes with plenty of standard equipment, including a head-up display that projects the most…

1 TESLA MODEL 3 Our pick RWD List price £39,990 Target Price £39,990 Range 318 miles CO2 0g/km For Class-leading efficiency; fast charging via Tesla’s own network; surprisingly practical; well priced Against Some fiddly controls; saloon boot opening is relatively small; windscreen pillars hamper visibility WHAT CAR? SAYS AS WELL AS being one of the best electric cars you can buy, the Model 3 makes complete sense for company car drivers, largely thanks to its lowly 2% benefit-in-kind tax rating and outstanding efficiency. Even the entry-level rear-wheel-drive (RWD) version we recommend has a long official range (318 miles), while the Long Range model promises 390 miles between charges (on 19in wheels). We know from our own tests that the Model 3 can go farther than most electric rivals in real-world use,…

1 TESLA MODEL 3 Our pick RWD List price £39,990 Target Price £39,990 Range 318 miles CO2 0g/km For Well priced; surprisingly practical; good to drive; outstanding efficiency; Tesla’s excellent charging network Against Some fiddly controls; saloon boot opening can hinder access; windscreen pillars hamper visibility WHAT CAR? SAYS AS WELL AS being our pick in the executive car category, the Model 3 is an easy electric car to recommend to a wider audience; frankly, it makes all other cars in this class look like they’re not trying hard enough. The Model 3 is good to drive (albeit with a firm edge to its ride), offering sweeter handling than the rival Kia EV6 and Polestar 2, plus it’s fast in any guise. What’s more, it’s surprisingly practical for a saloon, with…

1 BMW 4 SERIES COUPÉ Our pick 420i M Sport List price £44,195 Target Price £41,184 MPG 44.8 CO2 144g/km For Great to drive; comfortable ride on adaptive suspension; high-quality interior; decent space in rear seats Against Looks won’t be for everyone; some rivals have larger boots; some wind and tyre noise at high speeds WHAT CAR? SAYS 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. You see, this is one of the most rewarding driver’s cars in the class; it’s more agile and capable through corners than the Audi A5 Coupé and Mercedes-Benz CLE Coupé. And as long as you specify the optional adaptive suspension (which we recommend), it’s more comfortable than the A5 and on…

1 PORSCHE 718 CAYMAN Our pick GTS 4.0 List price £75,695 Target Price £75,695 MPG 25.9 CO2 247g/km For Sublime handling; GTS’s rich and soulful six-cylinder engine; smooth ride; high-quality interior Against Lacks the level of standard kit you’d expect of such a pricey car, both in terms of luxuries and safety WHAT CAR? SAYS 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 version, because this swaps the uncouth four-cylinder engines of lesser versions for a…

FORD SAYS IT is prepared to restrict the supply of petrol and diesel cars to help it hit the UK’s zero-emissions sales targets. Speaking at the FT’s Future of the Car Summit recently, Ford of Europe boss Martin Sander said weak electric vehicle (EV) sales in the UK could lead to the brand reallocating petrol and diesel-powered models to other countries. This, in effect, would boost its percentage of EV registrations but might make new petrol and diesel models harder to get. Currently, Ford has only the Mustang Mach-E SUV and E-Transit van in its EV range, although its new Explorer SUV will arrive this summer. An electric Ford Puma, to be named Gen-E, will be unveiled later this year. The UK’s Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate calls for 22% of…

IT’S NOT ONLY insurance costs for petrol and diesel cars that are high; premiums for electric vehicles (EVs) can be eye-wateringly expensive, too. We obtained quotes for our young driver for three petrol models and their electric counterparts to see how the premiums compare. Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 Design Insurance group 12 Premium £1040 Vauxhall Corsa Electric 50kW Design Insurance group 28 Premium £1703 Peugeot 208 1.2 Puretech Active Insurance group 15 Premium £1368 Peugeot e-208 50kW E-Style Insurance group 31 Premium £3163 MG ZS 1.5 VTi-Tech Excite Insurance group 15 Premium £1456 MG ZS Electric SE EV 51kWh Insurance group 27 Premium £2958 Two of the three quotes cost more than twice as much for the electric version of the car, making it a far less appealing ownership prospect. There…

A couple of years ago, What Car? set an unofficial world record for the most countries visited in 24 hours in an electric vehicle (EV), starting in the Netherlands and arriving in Serbia 14 countries (and many cans of Red Bull) later. It’s an accomplishment we’re very proud of, and one that we were convinced would be hard to top, until we heard about the exploits of an American chap called Wayne Gerdes. You see, in the same year we set our record, Gerdes broke an official Guinness World Record for crossing the United States with the least amount of time spent charging, being plugged in for less than two and a half hours en route from Los Angeles to New York. Before him, the total charging time required to…

Mileage 11,922 List price £34,710 Target Price £31,202 Price as tested £36,595  Test economy 37.2mpg MY PEUGEOT 408 is a brilliant cruiser, offering a composed ride and hushed interior at 70mph. That means I look forward to every one of the many long trips I have to make as a videographer for What Car? The 408 isn’t so great on short drives around town, though. Its automatic gearbox can take an age to respond when I go to move off from a standstill – on a busy roundabout, for instance. There’s an alarming pause between my pressing the accelerator and any forward movement. Engaging Sport mode makes the gearbox feel slightly more alert, but I don’t want to drive around in Sport all the time, because it will harm my…

Price today £26,000* Audi Q4 e-tron 40 S line List price when new £47,090 Available from 2021-present The Q4 e-tron in this mid-range guise has a spacious interior and a great official range Price today £24,000* Mercedes-Benz EQA 250 AMG Line List price when new £45,995 Available from 2021-present The EQA is Mercedes’ smallest electric SUV and is based on the hugely popular GLA *Price today is based on a 2021 model with average mileage and full service history, correct at time of writing SO, YOU’VE READ all the reports, weighed up the pros and cons and decided that your next premium-badged family SUV is going to be all-electric. You’re left reeling, though, by the leap in price from a petrol-powered model to its electric equivalent. Well, buying used could…

1 TOYOTA COROLLA Our pick 1.8 Hybrid Icon List price £30,505 Target Price £28,214 MPG 54.1 CO2 100g/km For Frugal in real-world driving; comfy and good to drive; generously equipped; well built and reliable Against Tight for adults in rear seats; so-so infotainment system; instrument panel could be more user-friendly WHAT CAR? SAYS THE COROLLA IS a car that will work for just about everyone in the market for a family hatchback. Being a hybrid, it can help you save money, because it can run partly on electric power to conserve petrol. In our real-world economy test, our preferred 1.8-litre model (there’s also a punchier 2.0-litre version) averaged an impressive 50.5mpg. True, it can’t go as far on electric power as a plug-in hybrid, but for many owners it’ll be more…

1 KIA SPORTAGE Our pick 1.6 T-GDi 3 List price £32,890 Target Price £30,899 MPG 41.5 CO2 150g/km For Smart-looking and spacious interior; large boot; good comfort/handling balance; generous warranty Against Very few options available; slightly unsettled low-speed ride; rear seating could be more flexible WHAT CAR? SAYS SOME PEOPLE MIGHT think they’re getting a superior car if they go for a premium-badged model rather than something more down to earth, but when a car is as well rounded as the Sportage, it’s really difficult to justify the extra outlay. As well as being good to drive and a bit comfier and more refined than the closely related Hyundai Tucson, the Sportage has a smart-looking and user-friendly interior, with loads of space for rear passengers and a large, practical boot. Although…

1 BMW X7 Our pick xDrive40d M Sport (Ultimate Pack) List price £108,730 Target Price £102,890 MPG 392.6 CO2 16g/km For Super-quiet and cosseting; hugely practical, with loads of room for seven adults; high-quality materials Against There are cheaper alternatives; feels its size and weight; looks won’t be to all tastes WHAT CAR? SAYS IT MAY BE an SUV, but the X7 is everything a luxury car should be, and more. As well as having a sumptuous and tech-laden interior, the X7 benefits from a commanding driving position and easily enough room to seat seven adults in complete comfort; these last two things are not available in saloon alternatives such as BMW’s 7 Series. Decked out in plush, high-quality materials, the X7’s interior has a real wow factor. And if you…

1 KIA EV6 Our pick RWD Horizon List price £45,995 Target Price £44,299 Range 328 miles CO2 0g/km For Long range; ultra-fast charging; good to drive; smart-looking interior; loads of rear leg room; long warranty Against Shallow boot; firm low-speed ride; not exactly cheap to buy, especially in higher-spec forms WHAT CAR? SAYS IT MAY HAVE been around for a couple of years now, but the EV6 is still at the top of its game, offering a very well-rounded package at a lower price than its Genesis GV60 stablemate. Key to its appeal is how easily the EV6 can slot into family life. In the entry-level RWD form we recommend, it’s officially capable of covering up to 328 miles between charges, so family days out shouldn’t have to include a charging…

1 BMW 4 SERIES CONVERTIBLE Our pick 420i M Sport List price £51,280 Target Price £47,553 MPG 41.5 CO2 155g/km For Sharp handling; comfy ride on adaptive suspension; user-friendly infotainment system; classy interior Against Some visibility issues; folding rear seatbacks don’t split; adjustable lumbar support costs extra WHAT CAR? SAYS THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT we can pay the BMW 4 Series is that on its journey from coupé to convertible, it has remained excellent to drive – something that’s often not the case, given the extra strengthening (and weight) an open-top car needs. In the 4 Series, however, it retains the sharp handling and punchy performance that we so enjoy in the coupé. Plus, the 4 Series features the kind of high-tech, comfortable interior that will make even long journeys a breeze,…

1 BMW M3 TOURING Our pick xDrive Competition List price £87,945 Target Price £82,692 MPG 27.4 CO2 232g/km For Scorching performance; sharp and entertaining handling; practical boot; comfy cruiser; snappy gearbox Against Engine doesn’t sound all that inspiring; expensive to buy and run, and you’ll want to add options WHAT CAR? SAYS IT TOOK BMW 37 years to offer the M3 in estate form, but it was worth the wait. You see, much as we love the M3 saloon, the Touring is even more desirable, thanks to its extra versatility. The M3 Touring uses the same 503bhp twin-turbo-charged 3.0-litre petrol engine as the saloon, and it comes with traction-enhancing four-wheel drive as standard to help you make the most of all that power. As well as being incredibly quick (0-62mph takes…