Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2025 i What Car?

USED EV SPECIAL In recent years, I’ve been lucky enough to run an Audi E-tron, a BMW iX3 and a Jaguar I-Pace – three wonderfully luxurious electric SUVs. Yet today you can buy any of these models for less than £20,000. The reason, of course, is shaky demand for electric vehicles (EVs) in the wake of a blizzard of negative stories in certain parts of the media. But the good news is that those stories are largely nonsense. You’ve probably read, for example, that EVs have a habit of spontaneously combusting. However, a recent study found they suffer just 25 fires per 100,000 vehicles, whereas petrol and diesel cars are involved in 1530 fires per 100,000. So, don’t allow yourself to be scared off; there’s never been a better time…

DUMBO MAY BE an elephant, but (through the power of animation) he can fly. And while electric SUVs sometimes seem elephantine, a good few of them can move with remarkable pace. Could the new Peugeot e-3008 Dual Motor be a new member of that club? Well, the words ‘Dual Motor’ tend to signify that an electric SUV can get a shift on. The Polestar 4 Long Range Dual Motor, for instance, dispatches 0-62mph in just 3.8sec. And as with that car, the e-3008 Dual Motor has one motor to drive the front wheels and another for the rears. That endows it with a sporty-sounding 321bhp total output – around 100bhp more than the front-wheel-drive, single-motor e-3008 can muster. Still, the simple question is ‘Does the Dual Motor feel quick?’ Well,…

AFTER STARTING OUT selling only physical books, Amazon’s reinvention as an online retailer of virtually anything must be one of the most successful business evolutions in history. Smart’s reinvention, too, has been near-total; from being a maker of tiny petrol-powered city cars, it has become a purveyor of upmarket electric SUVs. And now, the 4.7-metre-long #5 family SUV is the biggest departure yet from the cars with which Smart made its name. The #5 line-up starts with the entry-level Pro. With 335bhp, 0-62mph takes it 6.9sec; that’s slower than the Tesla Model Y RWD but more than quick enough for everyday driving. The Pro also has the smallest battery in the range, and its 74.4kWh usable capacity brings an underwhelming 288-mile official range; the Model Y and Skoda Enyaq 85…

WHAT DOES THE Nissan Micra have in common with Madonna? Well, like that pop icon, it met with instant success when it made its debut in 1982. Indeed, owners loved the Micra because it was compact, easy to drive and affordable to buy and run. As it enters its sixth generation (after a gap of around three years), this small hatchback has been reinvented with eye-catching looks and electric power, in a bid to recapture the popularity of the first three generations. As part of a long-standing tie-up with Renault, it shares its underpinnings with the latest Renault 5 (R5).That bodes well for the Micra, because the R5 is so good that it’s our reigning Car of the Year. Although the Micra isn’t as retro looking as the R5 on…

CHANEL No5 IS a giant in the world of luxury perfumes, and it might have been one of the inspirations behind the facelifted DS 4, which aims to reinforce the French brand’s upmarket ambitions with the help of a new name. Related to the Citroën C4 and Peugeot 308 (among other models), the new No4 is a premium family hatchback that offers a variety of electrified power options – including, for the the first time, a fully electric version. Called the E-Tense, the electric No4 is powered by a 210bhp motor and a larger battery than those of the e-C4 and e-308, with a 58.3kWh usable capacity. That yields an official range of up to 280 miles – farther than those stablemates can go and close to the Renault Megane’s…

TOYOTA IS PLANNING to move away from selling standalone electric vehicles (EVs), such as the bZ4X SUV, and will instead offer each of its mainstream models with a choice of hybrid and fully electric power. Toyota Motor Europe marketing and product development director Andrea Carlucci told What Car?: “We’re trying to reduce complexity in our range at a time when legislation is forcing us to go towards a broad EV line-up. “The way forwards is to streamline our range around selected historical names, with multi-energy underpinnings. Once you have this, you can offer each model in hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fully electric forms. But it takes time and you have to engineer them that way from the start. “Some competitors have taken existing underpinnings [originally intended just for petrol and…

THE COST OF driving in central London is set to go up. Transport for London (TfL) is proposing an increase in the Congestion Charge to £18 per day – a £3 hike over the current fee, which was set in 2020. Under the proposals, drivers of electric cars will be eligible for a 25% discount from 2 January 2026 if their vehicle is registered for Auto Pay. There is currently a 100% discount for all electric vehicles (EVs) driving within the zone, although TfL has already confirmed that this will end on 24 December this year. Electric vans, HGVs and quadricycles using Auto Pay will be eligible for a 50% discount, because commercial deliveries are harder to do on foot, or by bicycle or public transport. For both groups of…

MODERN CARS SUFFER far fewer breakdowns than those of a generation ago. However, they’re certainly not infallible, so it’s best to know who to turn to if you do find yourself with a misbehaving vehicle. If you have breakdown cover, a patrol should arrive swiftly after a quick phone call and either fix the problem by the roadside or enable you to carry on with your travel plans some other way. But is that always the case? And, if you choose to forego cover and find yourself having to arrange help on the hoof from an independent recovery provider, what sort of service are you likely to receive? Choosing breakdown cover is further complicated because not all policies provide the same level of protection. Some are of use only if…

SOMETIMES, BUILDING AN extension on your house is a perfectly adequate and affordable way of achieving extra living space. Similarly, retrofitting extra insulation, double-glazed windows and more efficient heating systems and appliances can be a reasonable way of making an old building more habitable. But at other times, the best solution is to start again, with something purpose-built. That’s what Volkswagen has done with its seven-seat SUV. You see, the old Tiguan Allspace was essentially a regular five-seat Tiguan with a couple of small extra seats squeezed into the boot. Sure, it was capable of seating seven, but not all that comfortably for taller occupants of the third row. Its replacement, though, is more fit for purpose. The all-new Tayron has grown compared with the Tiguan Allspace in order to…

MICHAEL JORDAN WAS famously cut from his high school basketball team before going on to become the NBA’s biggest star, while Thomas Edison is remembered as one of the world’s most prolific inventors, despite being described by teachers as “too stupid to learn anything”. Yes, future greatness isn’t always obvious, with the BMW X3 an example from the car world. When the original version was launched back in 2003, it was probably the worst model in BMW’s line-up, because it felt cheap and cramped inside, and suffered from a punishingly firm ride. This was all the more disappointing because it followed hot on the heels of a truly excellent SUV: BMW’s bigger X5. However, the X3’s problems were fixed for its second generation, which came along in 2011. Indeed, the…

THE OCTAGONAL BADGES on the nose and rump of my MG HS are steeped in history. For those who don’t know, the initials ‘MG’ stand for Morris Garages, which was set up in 1924 to breathe on Morris cars in order to make them sportier. But exactly what does the MG brand stand for more than a century later? Well, I’m running its flagship family SUV to find out if it’s full of Meaty Goodness, or just Mundane and Generic. Coincidentally, my previous car was a Mini Countryman; decades ago, cars with the Mini and MG names could be seen side by side in showrooms. Now, though, Mini belongs to BMW and MG is part of the Chinese SAIC concern. And while Mini is pitched as a premium brand, MG…

PERHAPS APPLE’S iPHONE is to blame. It revolutionised the smartphone back in 2007 and, since then, countless avant-garde products have adopted names beginning with ‘i’. Case in point: here we have two electric cars called the BMW iX3 and the Jaguar I-Pace. What’s more, both cars are upmarket family SUVs; there’s another popular trend in itself. With the iX3 having now been around for four years and the I-Pace seven, both are used bargains – the I-Pace in particular. It’s almost a quarter of its original price when bought at four years old. But which is the better buy? To find out, we’re placing a 2021 example of each of these electric SUVs right in the i of the storm. DRIVING Performance, ride, handling, refinement The iX3 is less powerful…

‘We’ve got Best Buys for every need’THE WHAT CAR? TEAM TARGET PRICE This is the maximum we think you should pay for your new car. It’s set by our team of mystery shoppers, who spend every day haggling with dealers to see what discounts are available across the UK. HOW WE RANK OUR TOP 10s Every year, we drive hundreds of new or updated models. We test them back to back with rivals. We look at everything from comfort to costs, practicality to performance, and refinement to reliability. Then, armed with all the facts, we can definitively name the best model in each class, plus its closest rivals (and the ones to avoid). No matter what your priorities are, you’ll find a car that’s ideal for your needs. KEY INFORMATION…

STAR RATINGS TARGET PRICE The What Car? Target Price is the maximum you should pay for a new car and is researched by our crack team of mystery shoppers. Haggling for the best price with salespeople can be an uncomfortable experience, but it’s made much easier with our Target Price as a realistic figure to aim for. TARGET PCP Based on the Target Price figures set by our mystery shoppers, Target PCP is a fair monthly payment to aim for if you’re taking out a personal contract purchase (PCP) finance agreement at a car dealership. Most of the deals 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.…

ARE YOU A French farmer in the market for a cheap runabout? If you are, and you know your car history, then you might be drawn to this new Renault 4 (R4). That’s because the original R4 from 1961 – like the rival Citroën 2CV – aimed to provide simple, affordable transport for rural folk. It was a massive hit for the French brand in the three decades it was on sale. The name is now back – but the car is very different. The R4 is now a small electric SUV that shares its basic underpinnings with the Renault 5 (R5) hatchback – our reigning Car of the Year. So, whether you’re a French farmer or not, expectations are high, with the promise of the same fantastic qualities as…

WHILE THOMAS EDISON is generally credited with inventing the lightbulb, the rather less-celebrated Warren de la Rue actually got there first. And it could be argued that the Toyota RAV4 is the de la Rue of the car world. You see, the Nissan Qashqai tends to be thought of as the first mainstream family SUV. However, the original RAV4 offered a similar mix of rugged looks and hatchback-like handling more than a decade earlier; there was even the option to specify it without four-wheel drive if you cared more about cutting your fuel bills than cutting a swathe through the countryside. It’s a formula that the new, sixth-generation RAV4 is sticking to, with the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variant that we’ll be getting in the UK coming in both front and…

IMAGINE A MASTER chef taking their nearperfect signature dish, then combing the larder for ever-rarer ingredients, before assembling them meticulously and seasoning for even more culinary punch. That is, in essence, what BMW’s M performance division has done with the already delightful M2. So, then, the main course: the BMW M2 CS. Under that bulging silver cloche, this coupé is spicier than ever, served on a bed of lightweight carbonfibre and graced with a price tag that would make Heston Blumenthal wince. It delivers more power, less weight and a range of tweaks designed to deliver focus sharper than the finest kitchen knife. The CS gets the same twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine that you’ll find in the standard M2, albeit tweaked to produce 523bhp. That’s enough power for the CS…

AS IF TO tap in on the Hyrox fitness craze that currently has a grip on social media, the updated Audi A3 TFSIe plug-in hybrid (PHEV) has been honing its strength and endurance. Like swollen muscles, its battery has grown from 10.4kWh to 19.7kWh (usable capacity). This extends its official electric range from 40 miles to 88 miles, matching the official figure of the related Volkswagen Golf eHybrid and trouncing the Mercedes-Benz A250e (52 miles) and Toyota Prius (up to 47 miles). It also means a low (6%) company car tax rating. What’s more, the battery can now charge at a rate of up to 40kW using a public charger. That’s handy if you need a quick range boost, but it won’t be as cheap as using a slower (7kW)…

AUDI A6 BUYERS ARE already spoilt for choice; as well as petrol and mild hybrid dieselpowered versions, there’s also a wholly separate electric model that shares the same name. And now, on top of those, there’s a new A6 with plug-in hybrid (PHEV) power. Available exclusively with quattro fourwheel drive, the A6 e-hybrid gets the same plug-in hybrid set-up as the smaller Audi A5, combining a 2.0-litre petrol engine with an electric motor for a total power output of 295bhp. Officially, both the saloon and Avant estate versions of the A6 can sprint from 0-62mph in 6.0sec – quicker than the rival Mercedes-Benz E300e. A relatively large battery (with a 20.7kWh usable capacity) yields an official electric range of up to 64 miles in the saloon and 63 miles in…

THE UK’S LARGEST car parking companies have united to create a ‘one app fits all’ payment system so that drivers won’t need to download apps for multiple providers. Following a series of Government-backed trials, the National Parking Platform (NPP) is now set to roll out across the UK. It is operated by the British Parking Association, which will take on the costs of running the app. However, the system will be available to use only in car parks that choose to sign up. These include those run by RingGo, Just Park and Pay by Phone, which currently operate separate phone apps. RAC senior policy officer Rod Dennis said: “Paying to park a car should be one of the simplest things any driver does, but things have got much more complicated…

FAMILY ELECTRIC SUV Jeep Compass From a brand whose name is synonymous with tough SUVs, the third-generation Compass shows the way Jeep is now heading. It’ll do so as a close relative of the Peugeot 3008, with a choice of petrol hybrid or electric variants, the latter officially managing up to 373 miles on a full charge. Price from £36,000 (est) SMALL/FAMILY CARS AND SUVS Alfa Romeo Stelvio Winter 2025 Fine-driving SUV switches to electric power for its second round.A 320-mile range is likely. BMW iX3 Late 2025 Replacement for BMW’s electric family SUV gets sharp new looks and a minimalist interior. DS No7 Winter 2025 Upmarket SUV is closely related to the Peugeot e-3008. Expect up to 450 miles of range. Kia EV5 Late 2025 Electric family SUV promises…

IN WHAT CAR? tests, we prefer to focus on things that can be measured objectively, so looks – a purely subjective matter – don’t influence our judgements. But when I’m choosing a new car for myself, looks can absolutely play a part; in fact, as I mentioned in my first report on the Volvo EC40, I specifically chose this electric coupé SUV over the brand’s more practical and subcutaneously similar EX40 family SUV because I thought it looked nicer. However, after six months with the EC40, I feel that it would be a good choice, irrespective of whether it resembled a giant catfish or Margot Robbie. Use one almost every day, as I have been doing, and you will find it good to drive, refined, upmarket in feel and usefully…

Mileage 4915 List price £45,495 Target Price £45,495 Price as tested £46,745 Test range 265 miles THE RIGHT-HAND side of the steering column is a busy place in my Scenic.As well as a stalk for operating the windscreen wipers, there’s Renault’s traditional pod of remote controls for the sound system, plus a long, spidery wand for gear selection. Now, I can see the ergonomic benefits of having the gear selector beside the steering wheel rather than between the seats or on the dashboard, because it frees up potential storage space in those locations. However, I find it a bit awkward to operate, mainly because of how high I have to lift my right hand to reach it. What’s more, on several occasions I’ve pushed the stalk up or down –…

Mileage 3817 List price £63,515 Target Price £59,479 Price as tested £68,665 Test range 266 miles “I GOT CHILLS, they’re multiplying, and I’m losing control. ’Cause the power you’re supplying… it’s electrifying,” sang John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John.And my Audi Q6 e-tron has, rather worryingly, given me the ability to create an all-new rendition of the entire Grease soundtrack – all while I’m parked up and charging. That’s because I’ve discovered the Stingray Karaoke app, which can be downloaded to the car via a convenient internet connection. It displays song lyrics against a backing track when the car is parked, and those same lyrics can be shown on a passenger’s smartphone on the move. For me, as a karaoke-phobe, it’s multiplying those chills, but it does make a lot of…

10 Audi E-tron On sale 2019-2022 Price from £15,500 Our pick 55 quattro Sport Even today, few cars are as quiet and smooth as this original E-tron, Audi’s first all-electric production car. Around town, it takes a few minutes to adjust to the fact that this luxury SUV is actually moving at all, and it’s still very subdued at motorway speeds. With air suspension as standard, it rides beautifully, too, plus it looks and feels opulent inside and positively groans with standard kit. All from just £15,500 for an early used example. The E-tron also has loads of room inside and a cavernous boot. Only a so-so range (our favourite version officially manages 254 miles but does around 200 miles in real-world use) and its mixed reliability record count against…

OVER THE YEARS, the Audi SQ5 has been doing the automotive equivalent of the Hokey Cokey. Or, more specifically, its engine bay has. You see, when this performance version of Audi’s Q5 family SUV was first introduced in 2012, its USP was that it used a diesel engine, so it could be frugal as well as fast. But then when the second-generation SQ5 arrived in 2017, diesel power was out and petrol was in. By 2019, the petrol was gone and a diesel was back under the bonnet. And now, for the all-new, third-generation car, Audi has once again shaken things all about and gone with a petrol engine: a twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6. In an effort to ensure that you still get the efficiency that was key to the appeal…

SMALL DOGS, SUCH as the famously cheeky Jack Russell terrier, can be bigger in personality than they are in stature, and the new Fiat Grande Panda Hybrid gives off the same energy. This small SUV’s chunky shape and retro design touches give it enough of an identity to make itself noticed among the big dogs of what is a verycompetitive class. Who are those big dogs, exactly? Well, the main mastiffs are the Dacia Duster and Seat Arona, which are similarly priced to the Grande Panda Hybrid. The Fiat also has to contend with the closely related Citroën C3; the two cars share underpinnings, including mild hybrid and fully electric power options. Having driven the electric version of the Grande Panda back in January, we’ve now had a go in…

IF YOU’VE BEEN looking for a (relatively) cheap electric car, you’ve probably noticed that there’s a big gap in the market. The Dacia Spring and Leapmotor T03 are priced at £15k to £16k, but they’re tiny and feel out of their depth at higher speeds. And if you want something bigger and less compromised, you’ll need to find at least £22k for a Citroën e-C3 or £23k for a Renault 5 (R5). Well, the new BYD Dolphin Surf will soon bridge that gap. Completely different from the larger Dolphin hatchback that’s already on sale, the Surf is expected to start at less than £19k; that seems very reasonable for a car that offers similar space inside to the e-C3. Granted, the entry-level Active version has a small battery (with a…

A MR WHIPPY tastes great, but adding a Flake takes it to another level. Likewise, upgrading to electric power makes Genesis’s posh GV70 family SUV smoother, quieter and, well, better. And now the Electrified GV70 has been updated to be tastier still; that’s timely, given the imminent arrival of an all-new BMW iX3, which could be its most formidable rival. So, other than a few cosmetic exterior tweaks, what’s been done to boost the leccy GV70’s appeal? Well, inside, the GV70’s soft surfaces and real metal accents make it feel as upmarket as ever; it’s plusher than the latest BMW X3 (and, by extension, probably the new iX3). New, though, is a crisp, clear 27.0in screen atop the dash for infotainment and instruments. It works well, and (as before) there’s…

WHEN JOHN COOPER started tuning Minis back in the early 1960s, he turned an everyday, affordable family car into something that was fast, great to drive and able to defeat far more powerful foes. At its core, that’s the ethos of every hot hatchback. It isn’t an easy recipe to perfect, though – just look at the underwhelming petrol Mini John Cooper Works (JCW) – and it’s even harder to apply to an electric car. After all, they’re the antithesis of what you want from a hot hatch; sure, they’re usually fast, but most of them are also tuneless and heavy. That makes Mini’s task of creating its first electric JCW a daunting one. The JCW Electric gets aggressive looks similar to those of the petrol version, but with subtle…

2027 The first year in which fully self-driving cars will appear on UK roads, according to the Department for Transport. That’s a year later than promised by the previous Government. 20,000 Number of jobs that will be cut by Nissan as part of an expanded global cost-cutting restructure. 48% Proportion of women who believe the car dealership experience is geared towards men. This figure increases to 59% of 17 to 24-year-olds, 55% of whom say they have felt patronised by car showroom staff. 112 Electric range (in miles) of the new plug-in hybrid Volvo XC70, based on official tests in China. The SUV could come to the UK in the future.…

SOME OF YOU will doubtless question the inclusion of one of the cars in this test. We’ve had emails, YouTube comments and even phone calls encouraging us either not to review Teslas at all, or to do so in a negative way. And we understand the strength of feeling. In fact, if you aren’t happy with the way a company (or its boss) is conducting itself, we’d remind you that you can always vote with your wallet and not buy its cars. It’s the most powerful tool you have to encourage a brand to change its ways. But we’re a car buyer’s guide, and to refuse to review a new version of the world’s best-selling car of 2024 would be, frankly, bizarre. And if we took such a moral standpoint…

Mileage 4925 List price £44,445 Target Price £36,149 Price as tested £44,930 Test economy 58.3mpg EIGHT OF THE 10 best-selling cars in the UK last year were SUVs, and having just stepped out of a pick-up truck, I can understand why many people like the high-up driving position such cars offer. However, I’m also enjoying being a bit lower in my Volkswagen Passat, because it’s proving to be a great place in which to spend time. It helps that the front seats are supportive, with a wide range of adjustment. And then there’s the massage function – something that’s standard on every trim and really welcome on long journeys. I’m also a fan of the Passat’s infotainment screen, which can quickly be customised so that the features you use most…

Mileage 4886 List price £33,000 Target Price £30,283 Price as tested £34,710 Test range 187 miles IF YOU EVER visit Águeda in Portugal, make sure you take your shades, because, judging by the Agueda Yellow paint job on my Peugeot e-208, it’s a destination that’ll dazzle you. Personally, I think it’s a great colour choice to make this little electric car stand out – and it solves one potential problem with running a smaller model: losing it in a car park. I’ve always found my e-208 easy to spot, even when it’s crouched in the shadow of an SUV on a gloomy day in a supermarket car park. The pedestrian who blew my car a kiss at a zebra crossing a few weeks ago seemed to agree with my choice…

Mileage 9858 List price £39,995 Target Price £37,169 Price as tested £46,160 Test range 178 miles I’VE RECENTLY DISCOVERED that the shape of a car’s rear end plays a big role in how much dirt it attracts. Unfortunately, being fairly low to the ground and vertical, my Vauxhall Astra SportsTourer’s back end is a veritable muck magnet. In fact, it gets covered in road grime so quickly that I have to use the rear screen washer frequently on my daily commute. And back in the winter months, I was cleaning my Astra weekly to ensure the rear numberplate didn’t become obscured. This was far less of a problem on my two previous cars: a Tesla Model 3 (which has swoopier styling) and a Volvo XC40, which, although boxy, sits higher…

10 Porsche Taycan On sale 2020-present Price from £35,000 Our pick 93kWh 4S Performance Plus Any worries Porsche purists had about an electric car demeaning the firm’s reputation were quickly dispelled by the Taycan; it was brilliant straight out of the box. Wonderfully quick in a straight line and incredibly agile in corners, it was a credit to Porsche, setting new standards for EV driver appeal. Our favourite version even packed a respectable official range of 282 miles. New, you’ll pay upwards of £90,000 for a Taycan, but early examples will set you back a third of that. True, its reliability record isn’t the best, but most problems concern glitches in the infotainment and air-con systems, with most remedial work carried out under warranty. If you’re not scared of a…

ON SALE FROM 2022-PRESENT  PRICE FROM £15,000 OUR FAVOURITE VERSION 1.6 T-GDI 3 WHEREAS THE FIRST Kia Sportage of 1995 was best regarded as a surprisingly competent cut-price Toyota RAV4 rival, this fifth-generation machine is sophisticated enough to warrant consideration over premium family SUV alternatives. Indeed, we’ve named the latest Sportage our Family SUV of the Year for three years in a row, so it’s beaten such rivals as the Hyundai Tucson and Volvo XC40 to the top spot. And it seems we’re not alone in liking it; buyers do too, with it regularly appearing at (or near) the top of the UK sales charts. The distinctive Sportage is comfy, smart inside and impressively practical. There’s a wide choice of engines – two petrols and two diesels – and manual…

SUZUKI IGNIS 2017-2025 It was born as a city car, but the Ignis really shone when the roads turned to tracks EVERYONE LEAVES PRIMARY school sports day with some kind of recognition for their efforts. The sack race champion might be showered in glory with a medal or a ribbon, but even the stragglers in the egg and spoon race can proudly wear an ‘I tried’ sticker. It’s the taking part that counts. And few cars better embody this ethos than the Suzuki Ignis. Even if it didn’t always drive off with the win, it always got properly stuck in and could punch well above its weight in certain challenges. Launched in the UK in 2017, with styling cues from the even more diminutive Suzuki SC100 ‘Whizzkid’ hatch of the…