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Jesse Crosse What else can e-motors do for cars? 13 Jim Holder Yearly analysis of who sold what and why 15 M at t Pri o r First Maserati EV sparks wider questions 1 7 St eve Crop ley Chris Harris reunion; Duster’s ice test 19 Da m ien S m it h Dakar Rally is still an epic adventure 2 0 Sub scribe Save money and get exclusive benefits 2 6 You r Views Euro 7; ID Buzz delays; hovercraft fright 6 2 O n t h i s day Train strike causes traffic jams – in 1955 6 5 S l i d e s h ow Cars that battled away to become stars 8 2

D E A L S

I N N OVAT I O N I S A L I V E A N D W E L L A N D L I V I N G I N 2 0 2 3

DESPITE ONG OING

suppl y problems i n t he ca r i ndust r y, t here’s no less abu nda nce of new ca rs com i ng i n 2 023 , w it h 130 models due to la nd on ou r shores t h is yea r ( p47)

There’s no sta ndout revea l –t h i n k t he Defender hy pe i n 2 02 0, a s a n exa mple – but i nstead t here a re a nu mber of sem i na l ca rs t hat a re hugely i mpor ta nt for thei r ma kers a nd beyond.

None more so t ha n t he elect r ic Spect re f rom Rol ls-Royce, wh ich ha s pipped its r iva ls to t he post w it h a new- era fla gsh ip model t hat prom ises re fi nement a nd per for ma nce on a pa r w it h or beyond its combustion veh icles’.

A not her Br it-bu i lt model, t he new M i n i hatch, ha s much resti ng on it A s t he ma rket for sma l l ca rs rapid ly sh r i n k s, M i n i – a lbeit i n a prem iu m position – ha s show n its com m itment to combustion eng i nes (a longside elect r ic) w it h t h is ca r a nd w i l l need to sel l big qua ntities g loba l ly to justi f y it.

Fer ra r i ’ s ea gerly awa ited Pu rosa ng ue a lso a r r ives The Ita l ia n bra nd w i l l be deter m i ned to prove its SU V ca n be ever y bit a s appea l i ng a s its spor ts ca rs

The i ndust r y a rg uably faces more cha l lenges t ha n at a ny ti me i n its h istor y, but t h is yea r ’ s new ca rs prove t here’s a s much d r ive to i n novate a nd excite a s t here ever wa s

Wish i ng you a happy, hea lt hy 2 023

y o u t u b e c o m / a u t o c a r

f a c e b o o k c o m / a u t o c a r o f f i c i a l t w i t t e r c o m / a u t o c a r a u t o c a r o f f i c i a l

A U D I Q 8 E - T R O N : F I R S T D R I V E O F E V F L A G S H I P 2 2 T
I C K E T T O R I D E : C I T R O E N ’ S L I N E A G E O N T E S T 3 8
O 4
M E R C E D E S - B E N Z E Q E : R O A D T E S T V E R D I C T 3 0
W H Y T H E E X 3 0 I S A N E W K I N D O F V O L V
THIS LOOKS LESS L IK E A MERCEDES TO M
Y
E Y ES AND MOR E L IK E S OME GIG A N T IC BOILED VEGE TA BLE M AT T S A U N D E R S T H I N K S T H E M E R C E D E S E Q E L O O K S L I K E O N E O F H I S F I V E A D AY 3 0
H e w a s a n i d o t w h o d d n t k n o w w h y t w o u d n t w o r k a n d c r e a t e d t a n y w a y IMAGE R a c h e l B u r g e s s M a g a z i n e e d i to r rachel burgess@haymarket com @theburgeword N E V E R M I S S A N I S S U E S u b s c r b e p 2 6 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 A U T O C A R C O U K 3 T H I S W E E K I s s u e 6 5 4 8 | Vo l u m e 3 15 | N o 2 C O V E R S T O R Y 3 8 N
S Vo lvo E X30 Entr y-level EV created for Gen Z buyers 4 B MW M ’s elec t ric p la n s EV sports car starts testing 6 V W of f - roa der Electric seven-seat 4x4 with Ford link 8 Lexu s reboot How it plans to finally conquer Europe 10 Pot ho le pa i n Why it’s likely to get even worse now 12 Wel l s Ver t i ge Deliveries of £50k sports car this year 1 4 Fut u re for Au di RS cars Audi Sport boss on hot EVs 16
C O M M E N T
Au d i Q8 E- t ron New name, facelift and longer legs 2 2 Au d i SQ8 E- t ron Updated rapid SUV is new E-tron S 2 3 Shelby Day tona Cobra Officially sanctioned remake 2 4 B MW Alpina D4 S G ran Coupé 350bhp diesel magic 2 7 M a serat i G ra nt u ri s m o Fo l g o r e New GT in EV guise 28 B MW 220d Cou pé Two-door with a 70 0 -mile range 2 9 Bent ley Bent ayga EWB Longer, smarter and better 2 9 M ercedes - B enz EQ E 350+ ROAD TEST 3 0
French su spense t h riller Citroën C5 X , 1970 DS , XM 3 8 Cit roën mu seu m Amazing – and now open to public 4 4 N ew ca rs 2023 Vital info on 13 0 crucial newcomers 47 Li fe wit h a V12 Au d i Q7 6 0 -litre SUV reappraised 5 8
SW
estate
Two
Peugeot 308
New PHEV
sets out its stall 6 6 B MW iX Repaired and better than the M60 version 6 7 Kia Spor tage
long-haul drives and a track visit 6 8 S koda Fa b ia Endangered species engenders praise 6 9
hatchbacks 7 1 Cu lt hero Stand out with a Mazda RX-8 , from £ 150 0 7 2 N ew ca rs A-Z Key car stats , from Abarth to Zenvo 74 Roa d t est i n dex Track down that road test here 8 1 Autocar s a member of the Independent Press Standards Organisation ( PSO) We ab de by the Ed tors Code of Practice and are comm tted to upho d ng the highest standards of journa ism If you th nk we haven t met those standards and want to make a comp aint contact autocar@haymarket com For more nformation contact IPSO on 0300 123 2220 or v sit w w w pso co uk Autocar s a member of the organ sing comm ttee of Car Of The Year carof theyear org Haymarket is cer t fied by BS to environmenta standard SO14001 and energy management standard SO50001 Autocar (IS SN 1355-8293 USPS 25-185) s publ shed weekly by Haymarket Med a Group Br dge House 69 London Road Tw ckenham T W1 3SP Un ted Kingdom The US annua subscription pr ce is $190 00 A r fre ght and ma l ng n the USA by agent named World Conta ner nc 150-15, 183rd Street, Jama ca NY 11413 USA Per od ca s postage paid at Brook yn, NY 11256 US postmaster Send address changes to Autocar Air Business Ltd c/o World Conta ner Inc 150-15 183rd Street Jamaica NY 11413 USA Subscription records are ma nta ned at Haymarket Med a Group Bridge House 69 London Road Tw ckenham T W1 3SP United Kingdom A r Bus ness Ltd s act ng as our ma l ng agent Au t o c a r s publ shed by Haymarket Media Group Bridge House 69 London Road Twickenham T W1 3SP Un ted Kingdom haymarket com Te +44 (0)20 8267 5000 Autocar magaz ne s also publ shed n Estonia Greece nd a Japan Lat via Korea and Thai and ISSU ES W ITH YO U R M AG? For subscr ber ssues cal 0344 848 8816 f you can t f nd a news-stand copy of Autocar n your local area, emai autocar@haymarket com
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Email our news editor felix.page@haymarket.com

Vol vo E X30 gets new tech and fresh look to lure Gen Z

Volvo’s forthcoming electric-only compact crossover, tipped to be called the E X3 0, will feature bold new design elements and technology in a bid to help the firm win over a younger audience Set to be revealed this year before sales kick off in October, the E X3 0 is likely to rival the Mercedes-Benz EQA and will sit below the existing XC4 0 Recharge and C4 0 models in the firm’s growing line-up of electric SUVs It is expected to be twinned with the Polestar 4 and will use a modified version of parent Geely’s SE A architecture

Volvo previewed the new crossover at the launch of the E X9 0 large SUV last month but it has yet to be drawn on a name or specific details . The firm has registered ‘E X3 0’ and that would fit with the model’s likely place in Volvo’s line-up

At the launch of the E X9 0,

company boss Jim Rowan hinted that the model will be aimed at “city driving for firsttime buyers” He specifically cited the need to appeal to Gen Z – people born in the late 199 0 s and early 20 0 0 s – and said the brand “has never really spoken to that young demographic. We are absolutely heading in that direction ”

With the model sitting firmly in one of the fastest-growing segments , it will be key to Volvo’s target of selling 1 . 2 million cars annually by the middle of the decade, with half

of those fully electric models . Although the official preview image confirms the model will retain traditional Volvo cues , it will feature bolder styling elements to help win over a younger audience Much like the E X9 0, it will take the form of a higher-riding crossover but with sleeker body work to maximise the aerodynamic efficiency It is also possible the model could eventually spawn an SUV-coupé offshoot similar to the C4 0

At the E X9 0 launch, Volvo design chief Robin Page said the firm will “start evolving” its design language with the E X3 0 and future models

He said: “You’ll still recognise it as a Volvo and there are elements of the E X9 0 we’ll bring into future products . But with a smaller car, you can play around more with different things You’ve got a bit more of a spectrum to play with colour, materials and the general expression.”

The SE A architecture is currently used by the Smart # 1 and a number of electric models from Geely’s Chinaonly Zeekr brand It is offered in various forms for vehicles of different lengths and can accept rear-drive single-motor and all-wheel-drive twin-motor powertrains At launch, the

N E
W S
4 A U T O C A R C O U K 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3
Compact EV will go big on styling, tech and sustainability to woo younger
buyers IMAGE
Electric, compact EX30 will make its debut later this year EX90 shows new Volvo design direction

P O L E S T A R P L O T S A H O T T E R T W I N

The Polestar 4 is due for release next year as a Porsche Macan-rivalling coupé-crossover and is tipped to rapidly become the firm’s best-seller

It will be positioned below the recently revealed Polestar 3 in the marque’s line-up and is intended to win over buyers from the likes of the Audi Q 4 E-tron , as well as the Macan Polestar is understood to be working towards a starting price of just under £50,0 0 0

The 4 will be Polestar’s third series-production model and second SUV. It will be twinned with Volvo’s forthcoming E X3 0

crossover in using a variant of parent firm Geely’s SE A platform , understood to be referred to inside Polestar as PMA Unlike its Volvo sibling, it will have a greater focus on performance

The 4 is expected to eclipse the existing Polestar 2 as the brand’s main seller, with the larger 3 ser ving as a premium range-topper

Having those three volume models will give Polestar space to introduce more niche, brand-defining products: the Polestar 5 will be a four-door electric GT and the 6 will be a two-seat convertible variant of that car

Smart # 1 offers 26 8bhp in standard form and 42 2bhp for a twin-motor range-topper

The platform can accommodate a wide range of batter y sizes , although the urban focus of the new model means it is likely to feature a relatively modest unit to keep the size, weight and cost down The 6 8kWh pack in the Smart # 1 gives a range of 260270 miles , which is likely to be considered sufficient for the Volvo SUV ’s intended buyers

The new crossover is expected to advance Volvo’s efforts to use more sustainable and recycled materials in its models ,

especially

as sustainability is a priority for the younger, Gen Z audience

Making the car affordable will be key to winning over younger buyers . However, Rowan has hinted that Volvo will focus on subscription and online sales for the new model and it will ensure that monthly payments are set at a “reasonably low cost”

The SE A platform has a high level of connectivity built into it and offers over-the-air software updates It is likely that Volvo will offer features on demand and other ser vices through its app

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JA M E S AT T WO O D
EX30-twinned 4 is tipped to become Polestar’s top seller
T h e n e w m o d e l w i l l r i v a l t h e M e r c e d e s - B e n z E Q A a n d s i t b e l o w t h e XC 4 0 R e c h a r g e a n d C 4 0 IMAGE
New compact model (left) was previewed alongside the EX90
P L E N T Y M O R E F I S H O N T H E S E A
.
Volvo
and Polestar are just two Geely brands to have access to the Sustainable Experience Architecture platform. Here are three more upcoming EVs that use the underpinnings
has
and it
as
Zeekr 001 Rakish , rapid shooting brake
proved a hit in China
could come to Europe this year
the new brand pushes westwards
Waymo
The Californian firm’s first self-driving taxi will be a “mobile living room” atop an adapted platform called the SE A-M
Smart # 1 Mercedes design and Geely platforms for the reborn Smart marque First up is the SE A-based # 1 crossover, due in the UK this summer

M car traits to li ve on in E V era

Testing of the first purely electric BMW sports car is under way, with engineers working to preser ve the distinctive dynamic character of an M car in the postcombustion era.

BMW revealed the first images of a mysterious EV prototype last year, giving few details but confirming that it was powered by a

pioneering quad-motor, fourwheel drive system capable of “extremely precise” power deliver y “within milliseconds”. Speaking exclusively to Autocar following the recent unveiling of the new M2 Coupé, which is in line to receive similar technology in its next generation , M CEO Frank van Meel hinted that 4WD performance EVs will take the

lead from the F9 0 -generation M5 xDrive saloon That model was controversial on its reveal for adopting a powered front axle but now regarded as one of the best-handling sports saloons of its time

“The secret behind that,” he said , “is that you have a central controller, or a central logic that controls ever y thing: the rear differential but also the front-to-rear differential and the DCS [Dynamic Stability Control] system ”

Having one system that manages these relationships is crucial because “if you have four systems that tr y to co-operate, the car drives like a car with four systems that like to co-operate”

BMW calls this ECU the ‘Hand of God’. It has developed it for deployment on various M cars since it first appeared on the i8 as a means of balancing the

This

output of its petrol and electric powerplants and allowing for advanced torque vectoring to improve handling.

“If you go a step further and look at electric cars with four electric motors , like we have in our ver y early development car, then of course you can still use the same logic to control the car that drives

like an M , ” said van Meel “So I’d say it gives you even more possibilities . ”

He highlighted that a powered front axle also allows for greater recuperation of energy under deceleration –potentially a huge boon for electric motorsport

Details of exactly how an electric M car will be marked

6 A U T O C A R C O U K 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3
Electric
successor to just-launched M2 is almost a certainty So claims boss as BMW’s performance division begins testing first electric sports car IMAGE
cut-and-shut
EV prototype tested
powertrain
M
bespoke
Current M5, launched in 2017, showcases M’s chassis software

T h e p i o n e e r i n g q u a d - m o t o r s y s t e m i s c a p a b l e o f ‘e x t r e m e l y p r e c i s e’ p o w e r d e l i v e r y

w i t h i n m

out from its standard counterparts remain secret, but the top-rung iX M60 SUV and upcoming i7 M70 saloon already have outputs in the region of 60 0 bhp and rapid off-the-mark acceleration , so van Meel’s engineers will be working hard to cultivate a distinct dynamic character for its new family of sports cars

Intriguingly, the quad-motor prototype that BMW showed last year is a mash-up of several models from the line-up (it has a 4 Series Gran Coupé bodyshell and M3 front and rear ends , most notably). This suggests the modifications M has in mind will be so extensive as to necessitate the launch of a highly bespoke model, rather than a relatively lightly reworked i4 or i7, for example

Fruition could be some way off, however, with van Meel saying it needed “a ver y early start on the development, because it takes years to

get ever y thing ready”

It’s possible that this technology could find its way into an EV successor to each current M car, which raises the intriguing proposition of a quad-motor, compact coupé in the vein of today’s M2 – a model that stands to benefit most obviously from the compact footprint, low centre of gravity and even weight distribution afforded by such a powertrain.

Van Meel hinted that such a car is on the cards , telling

l i s e c o n d s’

Autocar that M “will tr y to also offer in the future cars in this price range”, referring to the M2 ’s £60,0 0 0 starting price as the gateway to the M line-up

Given that the second-gen M2 (M ’s final pure-combustion car) is only just on its way to dealerships , an EV successor would no doubt be several years off, but the model’s critical and commercial success means BMW is unlikely to retire it after only two iterations

Jaguar picks v isionar y engineer as new boss

JAGUAR HAS NAMED Philip Koehn as its new managing director, his appointment to the top job coming in the wake of the high-profile departure of Jaguar Land Rover CEO Thierr y Bolloré in November

The German first came to notice five years ago as chief engineer of Rolls-Royce

In an exclusive Autocar stor y timed for the 20 17 launch of the Rolls-Royce Phantom 8 , Koehn revealed how he was leading a team pioneering a new, highly flexible aluminium spaceframe chassis that would provide underpinnings for forthcoming Rolls-Royce models , all with different body and mechanical layouts , powered by both ICE and electric powertrains

That experience, and Koehn’s comments about it back in 20 17, give a valuable insight into how Jaguar is tackling its own huge challenge of moving , in terms of price and exclusivity, from being a BMW rival to a Bentley competitor

Back in 20 17, Koehn explained why Rolls-Royce had moved from using a BMW 7 Series floorpan even though it had been viewed as more economically viable because it could take advantages of economies of scale.

The solution , in which Koehn was a leading pioneer, was to design , build and prove an allnew aluminium spaceframe consisting of aluminium

longitudinals attached to lightweight castings for the more complex parts , such as suspension mounts and chassis corners

Even for low-volume cars , he came to realise, economies of scale could be delivered if you committed to ordering from suppliers ver y large batches of components that could be utilised for many years

There’s no confirmation yet from inside JLR that Koehn and his teams are working precisely this way, but their plans echo Rolls-Royce’s ver y closely

When Koehn revealed his programme for Rolls-Royce in 20 17, he described it as the chance of a lifetime With Jaguar, it seems he has a second one.

4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 A U T O C A R C O U K 7 N E W S
Jaguar will relaunch in 2025 with a trio of electric sports SUVs
At R o l l s - R o y c e, Ko e h n r e a l i s e d a w a y t o d e l i v e r e c o n o m i e s o f s c a l e e v e n f o r l o w -v o l u m e c a r s
i l
IMAGE
FE LI X PAG E
14 August 2013 An i8 prototype gave us the first taste of M’s ‘Hand of God’ in an electrified context “Ut terly intriguing and fantastically addictive to drive,” we said. Promising for M EVs … Koehn joined JLR in May 2019; formerly of Rolls-Royce, BMW

V W ’s electric 4x4 is back on

Seven-seat EV off-roader has been revived using the Ford Ranger pick-up’s chassis

Volkswagen’s plan to launch an electric off-road SUV – known as the ID Ruggdzz –appears to be back on track , following confirmation that the ladder-frame chassis used by the new Amarok pick-up is being engineered to take an electric drivetrain

This Ford-developed chassis , which is also used by the fourth-generation Ranger pick-up, currently supports petrol and diesel as well as petrol-electric plug-in hybrid drivetrains

But in an inter view with Autocar at the launch of the new Amarok in South Africa in December, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles CEO Carsten Intra confirmed that engineering aimed at accommodating a batter y and electric motors within the Ford platform is ongoing, despite recent reports suggesting such plans had been abandoned

“We’re looking at it together with Ford,” said Intra when asked about the possibility of full electrification of the Amarok’s ladder-frame chassis . “It’s still on the agenda , ” he added.

Although Intra would not be drawn on the rumoured plans , Volkswagen is said to be considering adopting the electrified chassis , codenamed T6 , for a new SUV model that is heavily related to the Amarok but styled in the mould of the ID Ruggdzz – a 4x4 SUV concept that has never been shown in public

Such a move would mirror that of Ford , which uses the Ranger as the starting point for its Everest SUV, a seven-seat

body-on-frame model not sold in the UK

Shown to the media in 20 19, the ID Ruggdzz was originally conceived around the Volkswagen Group’s MEB platform. At the time, Volkswagen brand CEO Ralf Brandstätter, now head of Volkswagen’s Chinese operations , indicated it was meant to rival possible electric versions of the Ford Bronco, Jeep Wrangler and Toyota 4Runner.

However, plans to progress the ID Ruggdzz concept to production by 202 3 were put on hold in late 2020, as Volkswagen moved to consolidate its EV operations following the software glitches that affected the launch phase of its first dedicated electric model, the ID 3

Together with the ID Ruggdzz , Volkswagen also confirmed that it had cancelled plans for a production version of the retro ID Buggy, saying it had decided to concentrate on establishing volume-market ID models instead

Details surrounding the resurrection of plans for the ID Ruggdzz remain scarce, but Autocar can confirm the ongoing engineering of the T6 chassis is headed by Ford Australia in Melbourne, where much of the development of the new Amarok was done

Further engineering is also taking place at Ford’s Dearborn headquarters in the US , according to Intra

Taking a lead from Ford and its new Everest, the latest proposals for the electric bodyon-frame SUV are said to draw heavily on the Amarok in terms of the styling and interior,

IMAGE

VW Amarok’s Ford chassis is

which has been designed to house seating for up to seven Volkswagen won’t be drawn on details of the measures being undertaken to electrify the T6 platform However, officials have admitted it would require a batter y with a capacity of at least 11 0 kWh in order to deliver the towing capability and range expected of such an SUV

Ford is no stranger to the electrification of ladder-frame chassis platforms It has engineered its P-platform , which underpins the F-150 and F-Series Super Duty, to accept both 98kWh and

13 1kWh batteries as well as dual electric motors for the electricpowered F-150 Lightning

Other likely changes to the T6 platform before its possible use in a production-ready ID Ruggdzz include the adoption of multi-link rear suspension in place of the leaf spring arrangement used by the Ranger and Amarok

However, it is unclear how electrifying the T6 platform would affect Volkswagen’s move to revive the International Har vester Scout brand with a similar line-up of 4x4 models .

Recent reports have suggested the CEO of Scout, Scott Keogh , is in talks with Taiwanese-based contract manufacturing specialist

Foxconn’s newly created Foxtron Vehicle Technologies division for the supply of an electric vehicle platform

8 A U T O C A R C O U K 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3
New VW 4x4 EV will have true off-road ability
being electrified
T h e S U V i s s a i d t o b e s t y l e d i n t h e m o u l d o f t h e I D R u g g d z z c o n c e p t
G R EG K A B LE

New Kona grows in radical revamp

THE NEW HYUNDAI Kona

– due on sale in the UK in mid-202 3 – has been radically redesigned and extended in all dimensions to cement its foothold in the fiercely fought crossover market.

Early design images reveal that the new Kona takes design influence from 202 1 ’s bold Seven concept – which itself previews the upcoming Ioniq 7 EV – with a slim wrap-around front light bar, clamshell bonnet and chunky off-roadinfluenced design cues

It is 150 mm longer than

the Mk1 Kona, at 4355mm , and 25mm wider – increases that, says Hyundai, provide “maximised living space” in the revamped cabin , which hosts a similar wrap-around digital driver display to the Ioniq 5 EV ’s .

Like the Kia Niro with which it shares a platform , the new Kona will be available with combustion , hybrid and EV powertrain options , all of which are expected to come to the UK A sporty N-Line model is due, too, although there is no word on a full-bore Kona N hot variant

2025 Jeep Recon

The spirit of

Lotus’s Taycan ri val set for 2023 debut

THE LONG-AWAITED

car since the legendar y Carlton will be given a name beginning with ‘E’ when it reaches showrooms , Autocar understands , but this is unlikely to be ‘Env ya’, as has been widely reported

IMAGE

Lotus EV saloon (below) has been spotted testing

Extra length and width create a roomier cabin

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E L E C T R I C 4 x 4 S E G M E N T S H A P E S U P
the Wrangler lives on in the EV era with this opensided , open-roof mud-plugger Lotus Type 13 3 – a sleek luxur y saloon to rival the Porsche Taycan – is on track to be unveiled this year, having started testing on public roads in production form Pictures published to Chinese social media platform Weibo show what Autocar understands to be an early development mule for the upcoming saloon Its camouflage and cladding leave much to the imagination , but even at this stage it’s clear that the Type 13 3 will be a close relation to the brand’s larger Eletre SUV Lotus’s first saloon 2023 Munro Mk1 Scotland’s first new car in years promises to keep up with the Defender off road 2024 Mercedes-Benz EQG Trick torque-vectoring tech means plug-and-play G- Class can spin on the spot O F F I C I A L P I C T U R E S

Lexus to tr y again to crack Europe

Upmarket Toyota brand aims to win over buyers with new EVs and driving dynamics

Lexus seemingly does ever y thing you would want of a premium brand

In 202 2 , it topped the reliability sur vey of Autocar sibling What Car? for the third year running Owners regularly praise the dealership experience Lexus was also leagues ahead on electrification, launching its

Toyota Europe boss Harrison: “2022 was a very tough year”

first hybrid in 20 05 It was at the forefront of the plush, road-oriented SUV trend, starting with the RX in 1998 . So why does the brand still not resonate with buyers in the UK and mainland Europe?

As Lexus owner Toyota basks in a record market share for its mainstream brand on the continent, it is applying an

overhaul to Lexus in the region in an effort to fix the imbalance

Lexus’s UK sales to the end of November reached just 9 03 4 , down 3 1% and behind even beleaguered Jaguar, according to UK trade body the SMMT. Even in its best year, 20 19, it sold only 15,713 cars

Despite those small numbers , the UK is still a relatively big market for Lexus compared with the rest of Europe The brand sold 3 0, 265 cars to the end of October across the region, down 27% , according to ACE A , the SMMT equivalent for Europe

“There’s no denying 202 2 was a ver y tough year for Lexus , ” the head of Toyota in Europe, Matt Harrison, told Autocar All Lexus models sold in Europe are made in Japan and they have been hard hit by the chip shortage

At the start of December, the UK webpage for the brand’s key NX mid-sized SUV – which vies with the compact UX for best-seller in the Lexus range –was dominated by the message

that the hybrid version of the newly launched model has sold out for 202 3 . The PHEV model remains on sale.

Many car makers have been shifting chip supply to highermargin models or brands , but not the NX . “The NX has a lot of components unique to the car, so flexibility is limited,” said Pascal Ruch, head of value

chain and business planning for Lexus Europe The NX was “central to our grow th aspirations [in 202 2]”, added Harrison, so the production crunch has hit hard

But Lexus’s difficulties in the region go beyond shortage. The brand has struggled to appeal to fleet buyers , which accounted for 35% last year

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Sales of the NX in Europe have fallen below Lexus’s hopes

a

t t o l e

e r a g e e l e c t r i f i c a t i o n t o r e i n v e n t t h e d r i v i n g e x p e r i e n c e

compared with around half for Mercedes . That’s a hangover from the old days . “Diesel was the dominant powertrain for many, many years , ” said Ruch “This is now evolving ”

Lexus had been in danger of making a similar mistake by not offering a broad enough range of plug-in electrified models , which have fast replaced diesel as the powertrain of choice The electric UX 3 0 0 e SUV has been a flop so far, with just 3 0 0 sold in the UK to the end of October, with buyers potentially put off by the modest 196-mile range Ruch’s defence of Lexus’s

low market share is that it’s still a “young” brand compared with the likes of BMW and Mercedes However, Polestar is even younger and is now snapping at Lexus’s heels But his argument that the brand is positioning itself with the freshest line-up in years carries more weight

There’s more in the pipeline, too. December 202 1 ’s reveal of 15 new electric cars for Toyota had seven Lexus models , giving us an intriguing peek into a future when it offers a “full line-up of EVs” by 203 0 for Europe Included in that

concept line-up was a sportylooking saloon and estate, indicating a possible return of the IS and IS Sport Cross . The extreme-looking Electrified Sport EV supercar is also a possibility by 203 0.

“We’re clearly working on alternative body types that would allow us to not only offer a wider range of vehicles but also meet the grow th ambitions we have for Europe,” said Lexus Europe boss Spiros Fotinos in May

Lexus hopes to sharpen its slightly fuzzy brand image with a renewed focus on

engineering-led technology that leans to the sporty “We want to leverage electrification to reinvent the driving experience,” said Ruch

Two innovations stand out: One Motion Grip, which is steer-by-wire; and Direct4 torque vectoring , which applies torque to individual wheels for better grip and control Direct4 makes use of an electric motor on each axle, on either EVs or hybrids , and is key to the “Lexus driving signature”

That Toyota is persisting with Lexus in Europe is a compliment, given how little

the brand needs the European market to succeed Lexus notched up 760,0 12 sales globally in 202 1 , dominated by the US (3 32 ,0 0 0) and China (2 27,0 0 0) Europe, including the UK , for the same period was just 47,60 4 . Sales outside Europe are mostly larger models such as the RX

So far, the Lexus formula has not triggered a wave of affection for it in this part of the world but electrification and a unique driving experience are what Lexus hopes will bump up its appeal.

N I C K G I B B S

N E W S 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 A U T O C A R C O U K 1 1 2 0 2 2 U K S A L E S : L E X U S v s R I V A L S 1 2 0 1 0 0 8 0 6 0 4 0 2 0 0 A u d 1 0 1 , 2 0 3 9 9 , 1 0 1 7 6 5 6 4 4 0 , 5 8 8 3 8 , 2 5 4 3 5 7 1 6 2 4 1 9 0 3 4 1 1 2 5 6 1 5 2 1 2 3 2 7 6 4 B M W M e r c e d e s P o r s c h e L a n d R o v e r J a g u a r T e s a L e x u s D S V o v o P o e s t a r T h o u s a n d s W e
w
n
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UX 300e Electric compact SUV will a get range upgrade from 196 to 28 0 miles thanks to a new 73 kWh batter y (up from the current 5 4kWh unit) RX A plug-in hybrid variant of the flagship SUV will arrive A performance hybrid , badged RX 50 0 h , is also on the way with 3 66bhp
W H A T T O E X P E C T F R O M L E X U S T H I S Y E A R
EV will ser ve
Lexus’s
push It will also be
e-TNGA
RZ 350e The firm’s first bespoke
as a spearhead for
electric
the first model on the dedicated
platform
Electrified Sport EV is seen as a potential successor to the LFA

Councils had £480m cut from 2022 road maintenance budget

Pothole problem set to worsen

Soaring inflation and the squeeze on council budgets are set to make a dent in the roads maintenance budget as local leaders tighten spending belts – even though the Autumn Statement in November made no direct mention of a highways funding cut Thought to be most at risk is the £2 . 5 billion repair fund pledged in 2020. Spread over

five years , this fund promised councils £50 0 million a year to spend on resurfacing roads , as well as repairing potholes and infrastructure, including bridges The government said the annual grants were enough to fund the repair of 1 0 million potholes each year, although it is up to individual councils – which receive less than half their money for the repair and

Pothole damage gave the AA 225 extra daily callouts in November

maintenance of roads from the government – how they spend it Yet no sooner had the government given them the extra money last year than it reduced its contribution to councils’ roads maintenance budgets by £4 8 0 m , virtually cancelling 202 2 ’s share of the £2 5bn repair fund

As a result – and together with rising maintenance costs (in August, councils reported a 2 2% increase in the cost of repairing a pothole), higher prices for bitumen now that Russia, once a ma jor source, is banned from supplying it, and reductions in council spending – the outlook for the condition of UK roads is bleak .

In its most recent sur vey, published last March, the Asphalt Industr y Alliance – a trade body that campaigns for improved roads maintenance – reported the backlog for carriageway repairs had

increased by 2 3% on 202 1 ’s figure to £ 12 6 4bn It blamed a lack of investment and an absence of long-term planning.

Rick Green, chair of the AIA , said: “The link between continued underinvestment and the ongoing structural decline and below-par surface conditions of our local roads is clear To ensure we have a safe, resilient and sustainable network , a longer-term approach and significant investment is still needed ”

Nicholas Lyes , head of roads policy at the RAC , criticised short-term repair policies: “Repairs are often a ‘sticking plaster’ and their quality dictated by the money each council considers necessar y and can afford We’ve been fortunate in having two reasonably mild winters in succession but the roads are crumbling The one thing stopping them from

1 2 A U T O C A R C O U K 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3
B R I T A I N ’ S C R U M B L I N G R O A D S I N N U M B E R S £73 Typical cost of repairing a pothole 40mm Depth of an officially recognised pothole 24% Percentage of Derbyshire’s B- and C-roads in need of repair
Rising repair costs, funding cut and tighter budgets
plus snow – add to pothole toll

To e n s u r e a s a f e, r e s i l i e n t n e t w o r k , a l o n g e r-t e r m a p p r o a c h a n d s i g n i f i c a n t i n v e s t m e n t i s n e e d e d

falling apart is the absence of ice and snow ”

But as this winter bites , ice and snow have already struck This and strained budgets are likely to mean more potholes According to the RAC , potholes already top the list of motorists’ concerns and 8 6% of those who responded to the organisation’s 202 2 Report on Motoring said they have had to steer to avoid potholes on several occasions Its findings are supported by the A A , which says that in the first two weeks of November, it attended an extra 2 25 daily callouts related to punctures and damaged wheels caused by potholes

A A president Edmund King

said: “[This] is shocking and will only worsen as the weather turns cold.”

One bright spot on the horizon is the government’s second pledge, made in July, to introduce measures to penalise utility and construction companies that leave road surfaces in a bad condition after completing street works .

There were fears that the pledge may become a victim of the recent government turmoil but the Department for Transport has confirmed that it will go ahead Motorists will be hoping that in the absence of sufficient cash for road repairs , it’s a stick that councils will use forcefully and liberally J O H N E VA N S

If your car has been damaged because of a pothole and the local authority hasn’ t cared for the road properly, you can claim compensation. Here’s what you need to do.

1

Gather evidence

As soon as possible, take photographs of the pothole and measure it

2 . Make a report

Let the relevant local authority know about the pothole Tell them the place, road name or number, and contact details for witnesses Send them the photos and measurements

3 Find out when the road was last inspected by the council

Do this by submitting a Freedom of Information request to the authority responsible for the road (most likely the local council) This evidence will be useful if your claim is re jected

4 Make your case clearly and include full details

Write to the local authority concerned , explaining why you think it is responsible for the damage. Give full details . Remember it’s their legal responsibility to maintain the road network

Nissan’s e-4force all-electric, all-wheel drive system can tweak the vehicle balance in 1/1 0,0 0 0 th of a second.

With EVs , ever y thing needs to be electrified , including those unsung comfort heroes air-con compressors , which in conventional vehicles are usually mechanical and belt driven by the engine They need to be compact, vibration free and quiet. The latest example from Mahle’s electric range designed for passenger cars and up to large trucks is this mighty 1 8kW beast

N E W S 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 A U T O C A R C O U K 1 3
A I R - C O N ’ S Q U I E T R E VO L U T I O N
E L E C T R I C M O T O R S A R E T H E T E C H T H AT K E E P S O N G I V I N G
U N D E R T H E S K I N J E S S E C R O S S E
H O W T O C L A I M F O R P O T H O L E D A M A G E
It’s important to photograph and measure the pothole

Wells Ver tige production to begin

British lightweight sports coupé refined in testing; Warwickshire factory now ready

Production of the Wells Vertige, the new £50,0 0 0 British sports coupé revealed in summer 202 1 , will shortly begin at a new factor y in Bishop’s Itchington, War wickshire, with the first cars expected to be delivered by mid-202 3 .

Having already sold the first year’s production run of 25 Founder’s Edition cars , founder and CEO Robin Wells has begun taking orders for the next annual batch of 25

Since showing the Vertige at the 202 1 Goodwood Festival of Speed, Wells and engineering consultant Robin Hall have continued to develop the car, equip the factor y, assemble and train a manufacturing team and create a supply chain, this using as many local suppliers as possible.

Wells and his team have amassed more than 20,0 0 0 test miles in Vertige prototypes , driving night and

day and taking the opportunity to improve its specification as well as proving its durability

The latest changes mean the Vertige will have a slightly slower steering rack (2 8 turns lock to lock instead of 2 5) and slightly smaller section front tyres (195s instead of 205s) to improve steering feel Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres replace the original Avon rubber, because Wells and Hall prefer their benign on-limit handling

Wind noise – an early Vertige issue – has been deafened by subtle modification to the door apertures and careful development of the door seals

Modifications to the mounting of the rear screen and development of a new onepiece headliner have also made important contributions .

A redesign of the engine’s twin airboxes has improved induction airflow and quelled a persistent engine boom .

An uprated engine ECU and a lighter fly wheel have also greatly improved the engine’s performance feel, says Wells , although there’s no change in the 20 8bhp output of the mid-mounted 2 0 -litre Fordderived powerplant.

This grunt, coupled with the Vertige’s ultra-low kerb weight of 850 kg, will easily deliver a sub-5.0 sec 0 - 60 mph time and a top speed close to 14 0 mph

It will be built in a factor y that consists of four former farm buildings , surrounded mostly by farmland and laid out with Wells’ characteristic attention to detail

This site will be developed in stages: the assembly hall and office first, stores and customer reception next

We l l s p l a n s a k i n d o f m i n i M c L a r e n : m o d e r n

w e l l o r g a n i s e d

Wells chose the location because it’s in the heart of the Midlands technology valley, choosing a rural location and buying it outright so he could indulge his passion for green manufacturing Wells has begun landscaping and plans a programme of treeplanting He has already had the part of the River Itchen that runs through the site dredged to improve it as a habitat for wildlife

The factor y will soon have its own water treatment plant, so that it can return water used in its operation back to the river.

Wells has high aims for the factor y Once it’s up and running, he wants his car-perfortnight operation to be a kind of mini McLaren: modern, well organised, energy-efficient, extremely clean and capable of delivering high-quality cars When operations settle down, they expect to take around 20 0 hours to assemble each car

Wells said: “I want the Vertige to be a kind of Volkswagen Golf GTI of low-volume cars: sporty and great to drive but with the underlying solidity and refinement of a really good car from a big manufacturer ” S T E V E C RO PL E Y

e f f i c i e n t

c l e a n a n d c a p a b l e o f h i g h q u a l i t y

1 4 A U T O C A R C O U K 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3
We drove a prototype, awarding it four stars in 3 November 2021 issue
,
,
,
Like most key parts, powder-coated subframes are built in-house Tub is made from sheet steel Wells (second from left) with engineers at firm’s Midlands HQ

New one-off Chiron up for auction

A ONE- OFF Bugatti Chiron has been revealed as a less radical interpretation of the extreme Pur Sport

Called the Chiron Profilée, it will be one of the final cars to house the French brand’s iconic quad-turbocharged 8 0 -litre W 1 6 engine The recently revealed, Chironderived Mistral roadster will be the ver y last to use the near-150 0 bhp powerplant

The bespoke hypercar was created as an experiment to see if aspects of the hardcore Pur Sport could be integrated into a more comfort-focused Bugatti, after customers demanded that one be made

“We knew that what we had created was too beautiful to be hidden away,” said Bugatti president Christophe Piochon, going on to call the Profilée “a true Bugatti and

a unique piece of collectible automotive histor y”.

The bespoke coupé incorporates a number of aspects from the Pur Sport, such as shorter gear ratios for faster acceleration and a tweaked chassis with harder springs for better handling over the Chiron Sport.

It also has a host of unique features , including a 6ft-wide fixed rear wing that’s used

both to increase downforce at the rear and to suck hot air out of the engine bay

Inside, the Profilée is the first Bugatti to get a woven-leather finish.

The Argent Atlantique paint (which is also found inside the car) is bespoke

The Profilée will be auctioned next month, with an undisclosed part of the proceeds going to charity

Italian-American EV start-up Aehra will launch its £ 155,0 0 0 SUV with a ‘home theatre’ mode that turns the car into an automotive cinema. This is made possible by a full-dashboard-width monitor – similar to BMW ’s top-rung iDrive display – that extends upwards to cover the entire windscreen This mode won’t, of course, be available while you’re driving Other configurations of the near-8 0 0 bhp car’s interior, shown here for the first time, include lounge and meeting room modes . The SUV is due to arrive in 2025, with 25,0 0 0 units planned annually.

SUV

4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 A U T O C A R C O U K 1 5 N E W S
Ford Transit Custom: both the brand and its van are sales leaders I N S I D E I N F O R M A T I O N
Jim Holder
Profilée’s set-up is somewhere between Sport and Pur Sport
A E H R A S H O W S M A I D E N C A R ’S M U LT I M O DA L I N T E R I O R
O F F I C I A L P I C T U R E
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F F I C I A L P I C T U R E S
New woven leather matches Argent Atlantique paint can double up as a cinema or a meeting room

‘A mazing’ E V future for RS Audis

Future of TT and RS may be uncertain but electrification opens new doors, says MD

The electrified Audi RS models of the future will be “no less amazing” than today’s line-up, according to Audi Sport managing director Sebastian Grams

The sub-brand will produce “partially or fully electric cars” by 203 0, he said, prompting questions about how these will look , feel and drive

The man overseeing the transformation has led Audi Sport for nearly two years , having taken over at a crucial time as it starts to build on the success of the RS E-tron GT.

Autocar spoke to him about learning from today’s high-performance EVs , Audi’s partnership with legendar y gymkhana driver Ken Block and joining Formula 1 in 2026

combustion engine is involved?

“We’re going in the direction of performance plug-in hybrid systems . And I can tell you that this will be no less amazing than what you’re driving today

I believe that you will also have more opportunities to design the driving performance to be even cooler for the customer So what kind of modes do you have? You see it here with the drift mode [in the R8 GT RWD].

You can play with these things that are coming more from the electrical side and also in combination with the electric motors on board It will be fun ”

Do you think there’s a way to do that without adding too much weight?

“This is the ma jor question, I guess for all high-performance manufacturers But yes , we can do that It’s a trade-off, so we need to perfectly design that This is exactly what my head of R&D [Steffen Bamberger] is doing brilliantly with the team: to find the perfect balance ”

“We believe that sound plays a ma jor role also in electrification Therefore we also decided to bring a specific RS sound to the RS E-tron GT This isn’t like a combustion engine; it’s transformed into the electric world but also shows the performance And with our latest product, the [S1 Hoonitron] prototype with Ken Block , we wanted to show how pure and also fascinating electrification can sound ”

What lessons have you learned from the RS E- tron GT that you’re applying to this 2030 target?

“Firstly, performance isn’t a problem at all Secondly, with the E-tron GT and the RS E-tron GT, we also need to bring a specific differentiating design, and we need to make it more sharp So edgy, sporty:

s

Does combustion still have a role to play for Audi Sport , especially regarding run-out specials like the R8 GT RWD?

“What you see today is pure fuel combustion [in the R8 GT RWD and the T T RS Iconic Edition], but we’re on our way to electrification with a clear plan By 203 0, we will have 1 0 0% of partially or fully electric cars . Where we have new models coming, combustion engines play a role to make a hybrid powertrain agile and fun.”

But surely an ‘element of electrification’ still means a

BMW M has gone on record saying it doesn’ t feel that its customers are particularly concerned about a lack of engine noise. Are you also confident about keeping your fanbase in the move to EVs?

“I think we have a perfect example with the RS E-tron GT. This was our first highperformance EV out of Audi Sport, and you can already see that people who drove our RS6 before are moving into the electric world and are completely open to the electric world

e a n

people love to have these elements in the electric age ”

Are you excited about the prospect of RS-branded SUVs?

“We have our RS Q3 and RS Q8 , which are ver y well accepted in the market But we will definitely also bring more SUV models in the RS segment and also in the electric world. We have 1 6 models within the RS portfolio, and we’re tr ying to offer the perfect product to different customer groups . ”

Will there be a successor to the R8?

“Our biggest wish is to have a successor of the R8 . If you’re asking if we need to do it, it depends on other things inside the [Volkswagen] Group We can’t decide these things alone. Therefore we have a board of management We’re looking for different kinds of concepts It needs to fit our strategy in the right direction of electrification ”

How far advanced are plans for an electric T T?

“I can’t comment Today, the T T is an icon And what we want to show with the Iconic Edition is , let’s say, the ultimate T T you can get We as Audi Sport always fight for perfect high-performance products in the different segments . Let’s see what the future brings . ”

Now that Audi is commit ted to Formula 1, will budgets be tighter for road cars?

“Not at all First of all, the regulations are changing for F 1 . So you have a clear cost cap giving ever y competitor a limit This was important for us , as you don’t want to burn endless amounts of money.

“With F 1 , we want to make the [Audi] brand even more visible around the world ”

1 6 A U T O C A R C O U K 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3
R8 GT RWD ends ICE supercar lineage after 16 years
O u r b i g g e s t w i
h i s t o h a v
R8 s u c c e s s o r, b u t i t d e p e n d s o n o t h e r t h i n g s
Audi will take over Sauber team and build own powertrains for F1 Listen to Block’s S1 Hoonitron to hear RS future RS E-tron GT of 2021: Audi Sport’s first EV Grams was formerly at Seat, Porsche
PI E RS WA R D

N O T E B O O K

B AT T E RY M YS T E RY

With less than two years until an electric Range Rover is due, there’s still no word on who will supply batter y packs for JLR’s upcoming EVs Pressed for a clue, sustainability boss François Dossa said: “This isn’t ready to be shared yet, but we know exactly where the batteries will come from . ” JLR was recently linked with Envision AESC , sparking reports that they could build a UK gigafactor y

Q U I C K O F F T H E M A R K

On his ver y first day back in the Lamborghini hot seat in 202 1 , Stephan Winkelmann sat through a long presentation by design boss Mit ja Borkert, detailing ever y thing the firm could be doing. The car that got approved that day was the Huracán Sterrato Previous executives hadn’t decided what to do with the concept, but Winkelmann was clear straight away: this off-road supercar was pure Lambo

S L O W O F F T H E L I N E

With the GR8 6 sold out and GR Yaris orders on pause, Toyota today sells just one sports car in the UK : the GR Supra European product boss Andrea Carlucci was cr yptic on the prospect of new GRs (“wait a moment,” he told Autocar) but said that having a limited range wasn’t a problem: “These are limitations that we will overcome Having started this , the journey continues ”

T

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Th e y ’ v e s p e n t d e c a d e s m a k i n g e n g i n e s c e n t r a l t o t h e i r a p p e a l . N o w t h e y h a v e t o t e a r a l l t h a t u p
G
com @matty prior
Granturismo Folgore is an engaging steer despite no engine and extra weight
E T I N T O U C H matthew prior@haymarket
T E S T E R ’ S N O T E S
Justice for Harry was a long, hard battle
T H E
J u s t i c e 4 H a r r y

I t f e e l s a s i f a l l t h a t g r u n t w i l l d o y o u a c t u a l b o d i l y h a r m

SATURDAY

Whenever I drive past one of these door gizmos designed to widen a parked car, I feel peeved. They’re beloved of I-knowmy-rights types who insist on parking in awkward spaces . This Audi driver could’ve parked 3 0 yards up the street and reduced the angst of all Why not?

C O M M E N T 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 A U T O C A R C O U K 1 9
WEDNESDAY
MONDAY
M Y W E E K I N C A R S
… SUNDAY
A N D A N O T H E R T H I N G
G E T I N T O U C H steve cropley@haymarket com @stvcr
Blessed with 4WD, Duster took winter weather in its stride

New season starts with the Dakar Rally in the Saudi Arabian desert

R A C I N G L I N E S
Damien Smith
2
2
B C l e v e r t e c h a n d p a c e a d v a n t a g e a r e n o g u a r a n t e e s o f v i c t o r y A U D I B I D S F O R H I S T O R I C W I N S A U D I ’ S H O M E H E R O
S A N D W E ’ R E O F F F O R
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3 Will trad Toyota be able to stay ahead of innovative Audi?

T O P S T E P

The Italian firm has signed ex-Formula 1 and current Indycar racer Romain Gros jean to develop its LMDh hypercar, which will begin endurance racing in 2024 . He will make his Lambo debut this month, driving a Huracán GT3 in the Day tona 24 Hours

G u l f 12 H o u r s

The World Endurance Championship’s GTE Pro class king was part of AF Corse’s crew that led a Ferrari one-two in the race held at the UAE’s Yas Marina Formula 1 track .

The win marked the Italian team’s fourth and Ferrari’s eighth in 11 editions of the

race, which ran continuously across 12 hours for the first time, rather than being split into two six-hour chunks

Calado, Antonio Fuoco and Alessandro Pier Guidi completed 3 35 laps 14 3 8 8sec ahead of the sister 4 8 8 GT3 driven by Davide Rigon, Alessio Rivera and Nicklas Nielsen.

“It ‘s a tricky race,” said Calado “It’s ver y competitive, there are a lot of great drivers ,

so to win with all these cars on the grid is obviously a great achievement To go out at the end of the year with a win is really nice I’m over the moon for the team . ”

An Audi R8 LMS Evo II completed the podium , while Daniel Juncadella was crowned the 202 2 Intercontinental GT Challenge champion, despite failing to finish in his Team Gruppe M Mercedes-AMG GT3

Let’s include a father-and-son duo in our greats club for the first time Jan Magnussen, who has featured here before, misfired in Formula 1 after a stellar season in British Formula 3 but then reinvented himself as an endurance racing star. Kevin surpassed his dad’s achievements with McLaren, Renault and Haas before dropping out of the top tier – only to gain an unexpected second chance last season. ‘K-Mag’ is continuing with Haas this year, but that isn’t stopping the 3 0 -year-old from guesting in sports cars and racing with his dad, 49, when he can The Danes shared a car at Le Mans in 202 1 and resurrected the partnership in December in a Ferrari at the Gulf 12 Hours , marking Kevin’s debut in a GT3 car “It has been great to spend the weekend like this with my dad,” said Kevin. “We had a lot of fun. We’ve been talking racing all our lives , and doing this you go another deeper level, which is really cool ” They will reunite once again at the Day tona 24 Hours , driving a GTD car, before Kevin is dragged back into his day job

T H E M A G N U S S E N S M O T O R S P O R T G R E A T S L A M B O R G H I N I
M O T O R S P O R T 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 A U T O C A R C O U K 2 1 R E D B U L L C O N T E N T P O O L , G E T T Y I M A G E
S I L V E R S T O N E Regulars have been saddened by the passing of Syd Herbert, better known as Silverstone Syd, who for decades drove the Jaguar fire-tender safety vehicle at the circuit Tributes poured in following his death before Christmas at the age of 89.
S
BRITAIN ’S JAMES CAL ADO signed off on 202 2 by adding a Gulf 12 Hours victor y to his roster of success Akeel is representing the host country and Arab women at Dakar
G O O D X M A S
B A D X M A S
W A L K I N G O N B R O K E N G R O U N D
Ferrari 488 won convincingly from strong field of 34
AMG’s Juncadella: he’s got the whole world in his hands
2 2 A U T O C A R C O U K 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 F I R S T D R I V E S N E W C A R S T E S T E D A N D R A T E D W New name but not a new car, instead a range-boosting update to E-tron electric SUV A U D I Q 8 E-T R O N The 2.5-tonne Q8 E-tron is quick and accelerates smoothly
Not
T E S T E D 1 1 2 2 2 L A N Z A R O T E S P A N O N S A L E A P R I L
T E S T E R
S N O T E
all get on with the ‘virtual mirrors’ and they save only about five miles of range. They allegedly also cut wind noise at high speeds , but that’s not as useful on the M25 as on an autobahn IV
4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 A U T O C A R C O U K 2 3 F I R S T D R I V E S Still spacious, luxurious and high-tech – in a good way Chassis set-up feels sportier than before, regrettably P r i c e £ 8 0 , 3 0 0 E n g i n e Tw o a sy n c h r o n o u s m o t o r s P o w e r 4 0 2 b h p To r q u e 49 0 l b f t G e a r b ox 1 - s p d r e d u c t i o n g e a r, 4 W D Ke r b w e i g h t 2 5 1 0 kg 0 - 62 m p h 5 6 s e c To p s p e e d 1 24 m p h B a t t e r y 1 1 4 / 1 0 6 k W h (t o t a l /u s a b l e) R a n g e , 3 3 0 m i l e s , e c o n o m y 2 6 -3 1 m p k W h C O 2 , t a x b a n d 0 g / k m , 2 % R I VA L S B M W i X , G e n e s i s E l e c t r i f i e d G V 7 0 , M e r c e d e s- B e n z EQ C A U D I Q 8 5 5 E-T R O N S P O R T Some meaningful upgrades have been made and it’s competitive in its class , but better EVs are out there AAABC A Sporty sibling is similarly enhanced A U D I S Q 8 E-T R O N T E S T E D 1 1 2 2 2 L A N Z A R O T E S P A I N O N S A L E M A Y I L LYA V E R PR A E T Jaw-dropping pace, jittery ride P r i c e £ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 E n g i n e T h r e e a sy n c h r o n o u s m o t o r s P o w e r 4 9 6 b h p To r q u e 7 1 8 l b f t G e a r b ox 1 - s p d r e d u c t i o n g e a r, 4 W D Ke r b w e i g h t 2 6 5 0 kg 0 - 62 m p h 4 . 5 s e c To p s p e e d 1 3 0 m p h B a t t e r y 1 1 4 / 1 0 6 k W h (t o t a l /u s a b l e) R a n g e , 2 9 5 m i l e s , e c o n o m y 2 . 3 -2 . 6 k m p k W h C O 2 , t a x b a n d 0 g / k m , 2 % R I VA L S B M W i X , G e n e s i s E l e c t r i f i e d G V 7 0 , M e r c e d e s- B e n z EQ C A U D I S Q 8 E-T R O N S P O R T B A C K B L A C K E D I T I O N Prodigiously fast but not special enough to justify the slight ride compromise and high price AAACC I L LYA V E R PR A E T
2 4 A U T O C A R C O U K 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 V Licensed
the
valuable
S H E L BY D AY T O N A C O B R A Corner carefully, because there are no electronics to save you
recreation of one of
most evocative and
1960s race cars
The huge gearlever takes a bit of getting used to, a good aim and steady pressure are required to get the best from it M D T E S T E D 2 5 1 0 2 2 , S U S S E X O N S A L E N O W
T E S T E R ’ S N O T E
4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 A U T O C A R C O U K 2 5 F I R S T D R I V E S Chrome, leather and black plastic feels right; it’s hot and loud in here, though Appearance isn’t absolutely original, but you’d have to be an expert to notice At 60mph on a B-road, it’s alread y prov iding w hat feels like 100mph wor th of exci temen t M I K E D U FF P r i c e £ 1 8 0 , 0 0 0 E n g i n e V 8 , 61 61 c c , p e t r o l P o w e r 5 2 0 b h p a t 5 6 0 0 r p m To r q u e 4 5 5 l b f t a t 3 0 0 0 r p m G e a r b ox 6 - s p d m a n u a l , R W D Ke r b w e i g h t 1 4 0 0 kg 0 - 6 0 m p h 3 9 s e c To p s p e e d 2 0 4 m p h E c o n o m y 2 7m p g (e s t) C O 2 , t a x b a n d n a R I VA L S B i z z a r r i n i 5 3 0 0 G T C o n t i n u a t i o n , E c u r i e E c o s s e L M - C S H E L B Y D AY T O N A C O B R A More engaging and greater fun than any modern performance car could hope to be on British public roads AAAAC
4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 A U T O C A R C O U K 2 7 F I R S T D R I V E S Legendary BMW tuner turns its hand to the latest 4 Series, giving it a 350bhp diesel six P r i c e £6 5 ,7 0 0 E n g i n e 6 c y l s i n l i n e, 2 9 93 c , t w i nt u r b o, d i e s e l , p l u s 4 8 V I S G P o w e r 3 5 0 b h p a t 4 0 0 0 - 4 2 0 0 r p m To r q u e 5 3 8 l b f t a t 1 7 5 0 -2 7 5 0 r p m G e a r b ox 8 - s p d a u t o m a t i c , 4 W D Ke r b w e i g h t 1 9 4 5 kg 0 - 62 m p h 4 8 s e c To p s p e e d 1 6 8 m p h E c o n o m y 4 0 .9 m p g C O 2 , t a x b a n d 1 8 2 g / k m , 3 7 % R I VA L S Au d i S5 Sp o r t b a c k , M e rce d es- B e nz CL S B M W A L P I N A D 4 S G R A N C O U P E G M AT T SAU N D E RS B M W A L P I N A D 4 S G R A N C O U P E Combines accessible pace, frugality, range and driver appeal in a way that makes it a monument to the ICE This is a car that won’t take no for an answer; interior is subtly and tastefully upgraded @thedarkstormy1 T E S T E D 5 1 2 2 2 , H E R T F O R D S H I R E O N S A L E N O W T E S T E R ’ S N O T E Our car’s Ivor y White merino leather feels great and looks lavish and sophisticated, but Alpina still finds a place for its signature blue and green stitching around the inner wheel rim . M S AAAAA

@matty prior

M A S E R AT I G R A N T U R I S M O F O L G O R E

Shows great promise for ad justable handling and hints at fine comfort, but will we miss the ICE noise?

P r i c e £ 1 9 0 , 0 0 0 (e s t)

E n g i n e T h r e e p e r m a n e n t m a g n e t sy n c h r o n o u s m o t o r s

P o w e r 7 5 1 b h p

To r q u e 9 9 6 l b f t

G e a r b ox 1 - s p d r e d u c t i o n g e a r, 4 W D

Ke r b w e i g h t 2 2 6 0 kg 0 - 62 m p h 2 .7s e c

To p s p e e d 1 9 9 m p h B a t t e r y 92 5/8 3 kW h (tot a l /u s a b l e)

Ra n g e, e c o n o my 2 8 0 m i l e s , 3 4 m p k W h (e s t) C O 2 , t a x b a n d 0 g / k m , 2 %

R I VA L S A s t o n M a r t i n Va n t a g e, P o r s c h e Tayc a n

The lower of the two touchscreens handles climate control, the top one ever y thing else There isn’t a rotar y controller M P

2 8 A U T O C A R C O U K 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3
new
interior and powertrains, including this EV one
“ T Familiar design cloaks
platform,
M A S E R AT I G R A N T U R I S M O
Track kerbs didn’t upset the ride; cornering is excellent despite the added weight T E S T E R ’ S N O T E
T E S T E D 2 9 1 1 2 2 M O D E N A T A L Y O N S A L E O C T O B E R
M AT T PR I O R

The only thing rarer than a small coupé now is a diesel one. We encounter a unicorn

B M W 2 2 0 D C O U P E B E N T L E Y B E N TAY G A E W B

P r i c e £ 3 8 ,7 2 5

E n g i n e 4 c y l s i n l i n e, 1 9 9 5 c c , t u r b o, d i e s e l , p l u s 4 8 V I S G

P o w e r 1 8 7 b h p a t 4 0 0 0 r p m

To r q u e 2 9 5 l b f t a t 1 7 5 0 -2 5 0 0 r p m G e a r b ox 8 - s p d a u t o m a t i c , R W D

D r y w e i g h t 1 6 5 5 kg 0 - 62 m p h 6 9 s e c

To p s p e e d 1 4 7m p h

There’s a whole lot more to Crewe’s new flagship than simply extra rear leg room

P r i c e £ 2 1 1 , 3 0 0

E n g i n e V 8 , 3 9 9 6 c c , t w i nt u r b o c h a r g e d , p e t r o l

P o w e r 5 4 2 b h p a t 6 0 0 0 r p m

To r q u e 5 6 8 l b f t a t 2 0 0 0 - 4 0 0 0 r p m

G e a r b ox 8 - s p d a u t o m a t i c , 4 W D

Ke r b w e i g h t 2 5 1 4 kg

0 - 6 0 m p h 4 5 s e c

To p s p e e d 1 8 0 m p h

E c o n o m y 2 1 .7m p g

C O 2 , t a x b a n d 2 9 4 g / k m , 3 7 %

R I VA L S Ra n g e Rove r LW B , R o l l s- R oyc e C u l l i n a n

4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 A U T O C A R C O U K 2 9 F I R S T D R I V E S W W
B E N T L E Y B E N TAY G A E W B V 8 B M W 2 2 0 D C O U P E M S P O R T
wheelbase and new all-wheel steering make for both a new Bentley flagship and the Bentayga of choice Far from exciting but refined and has its place in the line-up, especially for long-distance drivers T E S T E D 1 0 1 1 2 2 W A R W C K S H I R E O N S A L E N O W T E S T E D 6 1 2 2 2 O X F O R D S H I R E O N S A L E N O W AAABC AAAAB S T E V E C RO PL E Y R I C H A R D L A N E
E c o n o m y 5 8 9 - 6 0 1 m p g C O 2 , t a x b a n d 1 2 2 -1 2 7g / k m , 2 9 -3 0 % R I VA L S A u d i T T, J a g u a r X E , M e r c e d e s- B e n z C L A
Longer
3 0 A U T O C A R C O U K 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 M e r c e d e s - B e n z E Q E P H O T O G R A P H Y M A X E D L E S T O N R O A D T E S T N o 5 6 0 5 Merc e de s ’ m i n i-me EQS m a ke s s c i- fi ele c t r ic lu x u r y t h at bit more acc e s sible Price £88,450 Power 288bhp Torque 417lb ft 0-60mph 6 0sec 30-70mph 5 5sec Economy 2 9mpkWh CO2 emissions 0g/km 70-0mph 58 3m 3 5 0 + A M G L I N E P R E M I U M P L U S M O D E L T E S T E D

Advertised range of more than 350

would be tricky

in the real world Cabin packaging is disappointing , as is some of the tactile quality Doesn’t have the solidity or substance, in design or feel, that you expect from a Merc

Range at a glance

The regular EQE comes in four trim levels and the range-topping EQE 53 has a further two equipment lines . Equipment is almost entirely defined by those trim levels , except that the Hyperscreen infotainment system can only be had as a £6995 option on the already-six-figure AMG 53 Drive batter y and on-board charger spec are the same on all non-AMG versions , but only by stepping up to AMG Line Premium Plus or E xclusive Luxur y do you get four-wheel steering , air suspension , Digital Light projector headlights or 3 60 deg parking cameras .

Fully sealed bonnet is openable only by workshop technicians , so filling up the washer fluid bottle is done via this pop-out filler in the front wing Ingenious And might we suggest wearing your redundant tundish as a hat?

EQE has a fulsome array of active safety systems but you need an uppermedium trim – at £ 12k more than an entr y-level model – to benefit from most of them On something so futuristiclooking , you might expect better

Mercedes is after a sense of seamless purity with the car’s design and the front end has as few grilles and panel gaps as possible to reduce drag and boost refinement But without that badge, would you still know who had made it? Charging port is on the offside rear wing and the peak rapid charging potential is 170 kW However, during our new charging performance test, the car averaged 124kW (see ‘Data log’, p3 6)

4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 A U T O C A R C O U K 3 1 R O A D T E S T D E S I G N A N D E N G I N E E R I N G AAABC
I EQS shares platform and has similar looks
don’t
We like Realises the electric car’s potential for isolation better than saloon rivals Light controls and gentle ride are classic Mercedes tropes Offers enough digital cabin technology to tempt a Tesla driver
We
like
E N G I N E S P O W E R F R O M 3 0 0 A M G L i n e 24 1 b h p £ 74 , 3 45 35 0 A M G L i n e 28 8 b h p £ 7 7, 3 45 A M G 5 3 4 M a t i c+ N i g h t Ed i t i o n / To u r i n g 61 7 b h p £ 1 1 4 ,75 0 T R A N S M I S S I O N S 1 - sp d r e d u c t i o n g e a r
miles
to reproduce

A R K I N G

W H E E L A N D P E D A L A L I G N M E N T

Pedal offset is just rightbiased enough to be ideally comfortable but not so much as to trouble even shorterlegged drivers . Wider driving position is ver y ad justable

H E A D L I G H T S

Digital Light projector headlights blank parts of the main beam to avoid dazzling. They attract few flashes of complaint Power and dipbeam spread are excellent

3 2 A U T O C A R C O U K 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 I N T
R AAACC
E R I O
I
EQE has quite a high driving position and it offers good for wards visibility but is slightly poorer to the rear Cabin is big on ambient lighting decoration Rear quarters have broadly class-typical leg room but head room is compromised by the cur ving roofline. Maybe family buyers will be directed to the related EQE SUV. Typical leg room 840mm Height 460 -530mm Width 930 -1120mm Length 960 -1870mm Saloon body design allows a rear bulkhead, to the benefit of cabin refinement, but boot access isn’t as great as it might be and available loading space is a bit shallow. 3120mm Kerb weight: 2280kg 4946mm 1 5 0 3 m m 896mm 930mm 840mm 880mm 1120mmmax 980mm max 430895 litres 0 22 2105mm (with mirrors) 3800mm Typical parking space width (2400mm) yT p c a l g a r a g e h e i g h t 1 8 2 0 m m 170mm 20mm Centre Weights and measures
P
D
M E N S I O N S

Some of the display’s real estate is given over permanently to ventilation controls that might as well be physical, which seems odd Integrated at quite a steeply raked angle, the screen is also given to

The navigation system offers augmented reality guidance but, being displayed so low on the fascia, it’s more of a distraction than a help. V W ’s head-up display alternative works better, for instance. When plotting longer routes , the

4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 A U T O C A R C O U K 3 3 R O A D T E S T
Mercedes’ top-level Hyperscreen is a £6995 option on rangetopping versions of the EQE but wasn’t on our test car A 12 8in infotainment screen is standard, as well as digital instruments , with a head-up display coming on Premium Plus cars . The system responds well to most voice commands . That it’s also navigable via the touch-sensitive pads of the left-hand steering wheel spoke helps to keep your eyes on the road reflecting low-level sunlight more than it should and it shows grubby marks easily. Overall, though, touchscreen usability is good. navigation system gives preference to charging stations you’ve added to the database yourself, which is smart Dashboard has a 3D look , with ambient lighting used to create a floating effect between the layers It’s pretty, but not ver y space efficient AMG Line sports seats look like they have integrated headrests , but they do ad just vertically for taller and shorter drivers Wider seat design is ver y comfortable Fixed switchgear outside of the central touchscreen is limited but useful For example, the car graphic is a shortcut to the menu to deactivate lane keeping Multimedia system AAAAC

T h e EQ E h a s a l l t h e s p e e d , re s p o n s e a n d d r i v a b i l i t y i t n e e d s a n d i t i s p a r t i c u l a r l y re f i n e d

3 4 A U T O C A R C O U K 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3
H A N D L I N G A N D S T A B I L I T Y
AAABC
EQE’s dynamic make-up prioritises comfort and ease of driving but those minded to push hard in corners will appreciate its decent lateral body control and good stability

AMG Line Premium adds Distronic adaptive cruise control, active lane keeping and blindspot monitoring And with Premium Plus trim comes active brake assist with junction monitoring, evasive steering assist, semi-autonomous traffic jam assist cruise control and Merc’s top-level Pre-Safe Plus AEB system with frontand rear-end collision monitoring. So if you want the full smorgasbord, you’re expected to pay plenty

The AEB system isn’t easily spooked to go off unnecessarily, and its junction monitoring system doesn’t intrude at roundabouts The lane keeping assist system is best activated on motor ways only, even though its sensitivity is ad justable.

Does the system avoid false activation well? ✓

Can it be deactivated? ✓

Does it have pedestrian/cyclist detection? ✓

L A N E K E E P I N G A S S I S T A N C E

Is the system tuned to keep the driver engaged at all times? ✗

Is it ad justable for sensitivity? ✓

Does it allow you to drive around a pothole/obstacle within your lane easily and without deactivation? ✓

I N T E L L I G E N T C R U I S E C O N T R O L

Can the system consistently recognise and automatically adopt motor way gantr y-signed variable speed limits? ✓

Does it prevent undertaking? ✗

Does it have effective audible or visual alerts , or steering inter vention, to prevent changing lanes into the path of an overtaking car? ✓

110mph 10s 20s 30s 0 30mph 40 50mph 60mph 70mph 80mph 90mph 100mph 2 4s 3 3s 7 9s 4 5s 6 0s 15.9s 19.8s 120mph 24.5s 130mph 31 .4s 10 1s 12 8s 45 4m 22 9m 8 6m 30mph-0 50mph-0 70mph-0 20m 10m 40m 30m 0 110mph 10s 20s 0 30mph 40 50 60mph 70mph 80mph 90mph 100mph 1.7s 2.4 5.7s 3.3s 4.4s 11.8s 14.8s 120mph 18.5s 130mph 23.5s 7.4s 9.4s 58 3m 29 4m 10 7m 30mph-0 50mph-0 70mph-0 20m 10m 40m 50m 30m 0 Assisted driving notes AAAAC 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 A U T O C A R C O U K 3 5 R O A D T E S T C O M F O R T A N D I S O L A T I O N AAAAA B U Y I N G A N D O W N I N G AAABC
There are three de facto specifications for assisted driving tech on the EQE The entr y-level AMG Line car gets basic autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning, manual cruise control and speed limit recognition systems
A C C E L E R A T I O N Genesis Electrified G80 (17deg C, dry) Mercedes-Benz EQE 350+ AMG Line Premium Plus (13deg C, damp patches) B R A K I N G 6 0 - 0 m p h : 3 3 8 s e c Genesis Electrified G80 (17deg C, dry) Standing quarter mile 13 .1sec at 1 0 4 . 8mph, standing km 24 . 3sec at 13 1 . 4mph, 3 0 -70 mph 4 .0 sec, 3 0 -70 mph in fourth na Mercedes-Benz EQE 350+ AMG Line Premium Plus (13deg C, damp patches) Standing quarter mile 14 7sec at 96 3 mph, standing km 26 7sec at 12 3 7mph, 3 0 -70 mph 5 5sec, 3 0 -70 mph in fourth na A U T O N O M O U S E M E R G E N C Y B R A K I N G

e r ce d es’ A

i l i t

P CP f i n a n ce s c h e m e i s o f fe r i n g d e a l s o n so m e EQ m o d el s r i g h t n ow, b u t n ot t h e EQ E – a n d eve n o n t h ose w i t h i n ce n t ives, yo u’re st i l l b e i n g a ske d fo r 9 9 % A P R M o n t h l y fi g u r e c a n b e b ro u g h t d ow n a l i t t l e ove r a l o n g e r te r m .

E Q U I P M E N T C H E C K L I S T

A i r m a t i c a i r su s p e n s i o n w i t h a d a p t i ve d a m p i n g a n d s e l f- l eve l l i n g Fo u r - w h e e l ste e r i n g M o d e 3 seve n - p i n cha r g i n g c a b l e, 5 m P u b l i c cha r g i n g su bscr i p t i o n: I o n i t y (1y r), M e rce d es M e Cha r g e (3 y r s)

Noise-at tenuating si de-window glazing

D i g i t a l L i g h t p ro j e c t i o n h e a d l i g h t s Pa n o ra m i c sl i d i n g su n ro of 2 1 i n a l l oy w h e e l s 6 4 - co l o u r a m b i e n t c a b i n l i g h t i n g Fo u r -zo n e c l i m a te co n t r o l w i t h c a b i n a i r f i l t ra t i o n

A r t i co sy n t h e t i c l e a t h e r/m i c r o f i b r e u p h o l ste r y

D r i v i n g A ssi st a n ce Pa cka g e P l u s ( i n c l u d i n g b l i n d sp o t a ssi st , a c t i ve c r u i s e co n t r o l , eva s i ve ste e r i n g a s s i st) 12 8 i n M B U X i n fot a i n m e n t syste m , 12 3 i n d i g i t a l i n st r u m e n t s , a u g m e n t e d r e a l i t y n av i g a t i o n , h e a d - u p d i s p l ay M e t a l l i c p a i n t , S p e c t ra l B l u e £895 O p t i o n s i n b o l d fit te d to test ca r = St a n da r d na = n ot ava i la b l e

C H A S S I S & B O D Y

C o n s t r u c t i o n A l u m i n i u m c h a ssi s , ste e l b o d y We i g h t /a s t e s t e d 2 2 8 0 kg / 2 3 8 6 kg D ra g c o e f f i c i e n t 0 2 2 W h e e l s 9. 0 Jx 2 1 i n (f ), 1 0 0 Jx 2 1 i n (r) Ty r e s 2 55/35 R2 1 9 8Y (f ), 285/3 0 R2 1 1 0 0Y (r), P i re l l i P Ze r o S p a r e N o n e (m o b i l i t y fo a m)

T E C H N I C A L L A Y O U T

Mercedes’ EVA 2 , shared with the EQS and EQE SUV, is an EV-only platform that uses a mixed-metal construction Most models have one drive motor at the rear (the Mercedes-AMG 53 model gets an extra one up front), with multi-link suspension all round – and air springs and four-wheel steering fitted to higher-spec derivatives The weight of our test car was distributed 49% front and 51% rear on our scales .

M O T O R S

I n s t a l l a t i o n Re a r, t ra nsve r se, r e a r - w h e e l d r i ve Ty p e P e r m a n e n t m a g n e t sy n ch ro n o u s m oto r

P o w e r 28 8 b h p

To r q u e 4 1 7 l b f t B a t t e r y t y p e L i t h i u m i o n (n i c kel - co b a l tm a n g a n e s e c a t h o d e)

B a t t e r y c a p a c i t y 1 0 0/9 0 6 kW h (tot a l /u s a b l e)

B a t t e r y vo l t a g e 32 9V

M a x r e g e n e ra t i o n p o w e r 1 8 6 kW

P o w e r t o w e i g h t 126 b h p p e r to n n e To r q u e t o w e i g h t 1 8 3 l b f t p e r to n n e

T R A N S M I S S I O N

B R A K E S

S A F E T Y

A B S , E SP, B SA , A EB, E SA , L K A , P re -S a fe P l u s E u r o N C A P c ra s h ra t i n g 5 st a r s A d u l t o c c u p a n t 95% C h i l d o c c u p a n t 9 1% Vu l n e ra b l e r o a d u s e r s 8 3% S a f e t y a s s i s t 8 1%

C A B I N N O I S E

S S

M P H T I M E (s e c) 0 -30 2 4 0 - 4 0 3 3 0 - 5 0 4 . 5 0 - 6 0 6 0 0 -70 7 9 0 - 8 0 1 0 1 0 - 9 0 12 . 8 0 -1 0 0 1 5 9 0 -11 0 19 8 0 -120 24 5 0 -130 3 1 .4 0 -14 0 –0 -15 0 –0 -16 0 –THE SMALL PRINT Power-to-weight and torque-to-weight figures are calculated using manufacturer s claimed kerb we ght © 202 3 Haymarket Med a Group Ltd Test resu ts may not be reproduced w thout editor s written perm ssion For information on the EQE contact Mercedes-Benz UK Customer Ser vices , Delaware Drive Tongwell, Mi ton Keynes , MK15 8BA (0 0 8 0 0 9777 7777, mercedes-benz co uk) Cost-per-mi e figures calculated over three years/3 6 ,0 0 0 miles , including depreciat on and maintenance but not insurance; Lex Autolease (0 8 0 0 3 89 3 69 0) Insurance quote covers 35-year-old professional male with c ean licence and ful no-cla ms bonus liv ng n Swindon; quote from Liverpool Victoria (0 8 0 0 0 66 51 61 , v com) Contract hire figure based on a three-year lease/3 6 ,0 0 0 -m le contract ncluding maintenance; Wessex Fleet Solutions (0 172 2 32 28 8 8) M P H T I M E (s e c) 20 - 4 0 1 7 30 - 5 0 2 .1 4 0 - 6 0 2 8 5 0 -70 3 4 6 0 - 8 0 4 1 70 - 9 0 5 . 0 8 0 -1 0 0 5 8 9 0 -11 0 7 0 1 0 0 -120 8 7 11 0 -130 1 1 . 8 120 -14 0 –130 -150 –14 0 -16 0 –E C O N O M Y TEST C L A I M E D Tra c k 1 3 m p kW h To u r i n g 2 7m p kW h Ave ra g e 2 9 m p kW h R a n g e 262 m i l es C i t y 4 6 m p kW h C o m b i n e d 3 2-4 0 m p kW h Range 3 5 6 -3 9 4 m i l es E M I S S I O N S & T A X C O 2 e m i s s i o n s 0 g / k m Ta x a t 20/4 0 % p c m £ 2 9/£ 59

R E

Ty p e E l e c t r o m e c h a n i c a l , ra c k a n d p i n i o n Tu r n s l o c k t o l o c k 2 . 3 Tu r n i n g c i r c l e 1 1 6 m C l a i m e d p e a k ra t e s 1 1 kW (AC), 1 7 0 kW (D C) D C t e s t p e a k / ave ra g e ra t e 1 65 kW/ 124 kW 3 6 A U T O C A R C O U K 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 A C C E L E R A T I O N A C C E L E R A T I O N I N K I C K D O W N Read all of our road tests autocar co uk R O A D T E S T N o 5 6 0 5 Data log D C c h a r g e r a t e k W ) 0 50 100 150 10% 30% 50% State of charge 70% 90% Claimed peak rate – 170kW 165 156 147 107 45 Test average charging rate – 124kW 0 2 years 4 years 3 years 1 year New V a l u e ( £ 1 0 0 0 s 120 20 60 80 100 40 Porsche Taycan 4S Performance Plus Mercedes-Benz EQE 350+ AMG Line Premium Plus Genesis Electrified G80 Innovation Pack 100/90 6kWh (total/usable)

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C H A R G I N G P E R F O R M A N C E
S I D U A L
U S P E N S I O N
S T E E R I N G

MAT T SAUNDERS

The Russian doll design of the EQE , which you really could mistake for an EQS parked slightly further away, doesn’t work well The business saloon market is famously conser vative in its tastes , we know, but this looks less like a Mercedes to my eyes and more like some gigantic boiled vegetable.

ILLYA VERPRAET

We didn’t test it but chocoholics may like the ‘Mercedes Mood’ cabin fragrance that has been developed for the EQE: a ‘bittersweet’ whiff that’s intended to imitate the aroma of dark chocolate.

erc e des h a s s ei ze d t he opp or t u n it y t h at ele c t r i fic at ion pre s e nt s to rei nvent e nt i rel y it s t rad it ion a l pro duc t p o sit ion i n g w it h t he EQE T he c a r lead s w it h it s u nc omprom i si n g re fi ne me nt a nd i s olat ion ; w it h i mpre s si ve on- b oa rd c om for t ; a nd , most c lea rl y of a l l , w it h a b out a s muc h d ig it a l te c h nolog y a s you c ou ld acc om mo d ate i n a n exe c ut i ve c a r – s e ek i n g to c a st t h at te c h nolog y a s t he EQ bra nd ’ s ne w USP, a s h a s worke d s o wel l for Tesla t h rou g hout t he pa st de c ade. Now t h at t he gen ie i s out of t he b ot t le, of c ou rs e, M BU X c a n’t h ave t he s a me i mpac t i n 2 023 a s t he Mo del S ’ s monol it h ic c a bi n te c h h ad a de c ade a go – a nd i n ot her way s , t he EQE st r u g g les to c omp e n s ate It h a s on l y avera ge c a bi n s pace a nd m i xe d p ercei ve d q u a l it y; it do e sn’t over - del i ver on p er for m a nce; a nd it s out r ig ht ele c t r ic ra n ge i n t he rea l world i s s ome way shor t of out st a nd i n g

T he i rony i s t h at you m ig ht ju st w i sh t here wa s a bit more old - s c ho ol B e n z c h a r m a b out t h i s sl ig ht l y ster i le, s c i- fi , ne w-a ge s a lo on . I n s e ek i n g to b eat Tesla at it s ow n ga me, it e nd s up leav i n g q u ite a bit to c h a nc e.

Stick with an

350 in

trim That buys you upgraded safety systems and smart, smallercircumference 20 in wheels , so it should be a ver y comfortable ride A home charger costs from £875, if you need one.

Add more Mercedestypical geometric shape and definition to the exterior design

Increase second-row space to E- Class levels

Consider an electrically excited drive motor, which might offer better efficiency at higher cruising speeds .

Testers’ notes Spec advice Jobs for the facelift M E R C E D E S - B E N Z EQ E 350 + A M G L I N E P R E M I U M P L U S G o es l a r g e o n i n - c a r t e c h a n d l u xu r y a p p e a l; p e r ha ps n ot la r g e e n o u g h o n t ra d M e rc su bst a n ce AAABC £8 8 , 45 0 28 8 b h p, 4 1 7 l b f t 6 4se c, 13 0 m p h 3 2-4 0 m p kW h , 35 6 -3 9 4 m i l es B M W i 4 e D R I V E 4 0 M S P O R T O u r favo u r i te i 4 has t h e si m p l est , si n g l e - m oto r, re a r - d r i ve layo u t . O n e of t h e b est-va l u e E Vs o n t h e ma r ket AAAAC £ 5 7, 6 85 3 35 b h p, 3 1 7 l b f t 5 7se c, 1 1 8 m p h 3 5 -3 7m p kW h , 3 3 7-352 m i l es P O R S C H E TAYC A N 4 S P E R F O R M A N C E P L U S N ot q u i te as ro o my, ra n g y o r refi n e d a s t h e M e r ce d es b u t t r o u n ces i t fo r d r i ve r a p p e a l AAAAB £9 0, 4 61 5 6 3 b h p, 47 9 l b f t 4 0 se c, 1 55 m p h 2 6 -3 0 m p kW h , 267-3 1 8 m i l es T E S L A M O D E L S D UA L M O T O R Tesla to u t s a 4 0 0 - m i l e ra n g e fo r i t s la test e n t r y- l eve l M o d el S , w h i ch i s a b o u t to ma ke la n d fa l l i n Eu r o p e U K s a l es u n co n f i r m e d t b c 6 61 b h p, 7 2 3 l b f t 3 2se c, 1 55 m p h 3 5 m p k W h , 3 9 4 -4 03 m i l es P O L E STA R 5 Po l est a r’s a l l - e l e c t r i c fo u r - d o o r G T wo n’ t b e re a d y u n t i l 2 024 –b u t w i t h t h ose o u t p u t s , i t sh o u l d ma ke q u i te t h e i m p a c t t b c 8 7 2b h p, 6 6 4 l b f t t b c t b c, 3 1 0 m i l es (est) 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 A U T O C A R C O U K 3 7 R O A D T E S T R O A D T E S T R I V A L S
EQE AMG Line Premium
P r i c e P o w e r, t o r q u e 0 - 62 m p h , t o p s p e e d E c o n o m y, ra n g e 1 2 3
Hot on comfort,
on
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Verdicts on every new car, p74
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range, material quality, space
V E R D I C T
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C I T R O E N C 5 X v s F O R E B E A R S C O M P A R I S O N 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 A U T O C A R C O U K 3 9
D i sm i s s e d a s id iot ic by s ome, Cit ro ën’s hyd ropneu m at ic su spen sion prove d so succes s f u l t h at it re de fi ne d t he bra nd Ha s it s e ffe c t fade d dow n t he yea rs? Mat t Sau nder s fi nd s out i n a DS , a n X M a nd a ne w C5 X PHOTO GR A PH Y LUC L ACE Y The XM ’s Hydractive suspension can counteract body roll and sharpen steering accuracy by preventing oil from being displaced across the axles It works , too, even on a 20 -year-old car
S
4 0 A U T O C A R C O U K 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3
A time-travelling Lane joins Saunders and Disdale Although having a somewhat SUV-like appearance, the C5 X remains very much in the classic big Citroën mould, being airy, soft and comfortable, and quirky rather than glitzy

I m a g i n e d r i v i n g a v e r y c o m fo r t a b l e S e r i e s 1 L a n d R o v e r ’ i s h o w h e p re p a re s m e f o r t h e D S e x p e r i e n c e

The DS’s hydraulic circuit is designed so that, in the event of a sudden loss of pressure, the systems shut down in a fail-safe order: suspension first, then drivetrain, then steering and finally brakes Ver y reassuring.

C I T R O E N C 5 X v s F O R E B E A R S C O M P A R I S O N 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 A U T O C A R C O U K 4 1
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“I did wonder why it was so bloody cold in here”
Much of the XM is typical ’90s, but there’s no doubting where a car with a single-spoke wheel and Hydractive suspension comes from
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Plywood door cards and denim pockets aren’t original, despite this DS really being a bare-bones ID; even French peasantry could enjoy a sumptuous ride, thanks to one crazy idea
4 4 A U T O C A R C O U K 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 I T he L ou v re? Pa r i s h a s a n e ve n more fa s c i n at i n g mu s eu m to v i sit , fi nd s Ja mes D i s d a le The 1930s 2CV was an ultra-spartan affair M A T T H E W H O W E L L First Citroëns were conventional low-price cars

Citroën’s back catalogue isn’t short of innovative or influential offerings , but few are as genuinely important as the BX . Launched in 1982 (in a ceremony under the Eiffel Tower, no less), the family hatchback celebrated its 4 0 th birthday last year, but when new it was seen as the last roll of the dice for a firm that had gone bankrupt twice (having already tested the pecuniar y patience of previous owners Michelin and Peugeot) and was facing financial oblivion once again

The first Citroën to be launched under the new PSA Group, it was designed to have far broader appeal than some of its more wilfully different predecessors , as well as shake off the brand’s unfair reputation for mechanical fragility. In the UK , it was advertised under the tagline ‘Loves driving , hates garages’, and beneath its crisp Bertonepenned lines it hid a winning blend of traditional Citroën quirkiness and tried-and-tested mechanicals

Hydropneumatic suspension , lightweight composite body panels and , on early cars , a typically Dan Dare dashboard layout ensured it was still a ‘proper Citroën’, but the platform and engines were pure Peugeot (and would be shared with the forthcoming 4 05).

It proved a big hit, especially when the spacious estates , hot GTI versions and frugal diesels were added (it was Britain’s best-selling der v drinker for years). Over a 12-year production run , more than 2 3 million found homes

Quite simply, there would be no Citroën now if it weren’t for the BX

C I T R O E N C O N S E R VAT O I R E I N S I G H T 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 A U T O C A R C O U K 4 5
L
Pyramid-shape Karin concept of 1980 shows Citroën at its wackiest
This is the place to be for 2CV spotters; there are 300 vehicles in total
T H E C A R T H A T S A V E D C I T R O E N A French five-door with a difference DS for de Gaulle and SM cabriolet for Pompidou Citroën has a long and glittering past in rallying
can
It’s a smorgasbord of styling and engineering
One
never have enough
Traction Avants
Hy p erc a rs , fa m i l y work hor s e s , sup er - SU Vs , bud get c a r s , sp or t s c a r s a nd e ve n a fe w ne wcomers w it h t he ra rel y sp ot te d V12 e n g i ne – here’s ou r i n sider g u ide to t he 130 most i mp or t a nt c a r s m a k i n g t hei r debut s t h i s yea r I L LUST R AT ION R EBECC A ST E V E NS P O L E S T A R 3 A B A R T H 5 0 0 e F O R D M U S T A N G BY CH A R LI E M A RTI N, F ELI X PAGE , W I L L R I M E L L , PI ER S WA R D A N D JACK WA R R ICK
O N S A L E J U N E O N S A L E M A Y A B A R T H 5 0 0 E Shouty pocket rocket quietens down for the electric era, but still offers scorching off-themark pace. B M W M 2 And the winner of Britain’s Best Driver’s Car 202 3 is … Munich’s entr y M car looks set to stun once more O N S A L E A P R I L O N S A L E J U N E A L F A R O M E O G I U L I A Styling tweaks and trick LED headlights for Turin’s 5 Series , along with a sporty new Competizione variant. B M W M 3 C S We like the 5 42bhp M4 CSL rather a lot, so a similar take on the more practical M3 is an enticing prospect O N S A L E A P R I L O N S A L E J A N U A R Y A L F A R O M E O S T E L V I O Giulia’s SUV sibling follows suit with the design and tech changes , and soldiers into 202 3 with a diesel option. B M W M 3 T O U R I N G For when you need to get ever y thing (and the kitchen sink) somewhere really, really quickly O N S A L E M A Y A L F A R O M E O T O N A L E P H E V Alfa’s first plug-in hybrid packs 276bhp and offers 43 miles of electric-only range. B M W X 5 SUV stalwart will get a new look to bring it in line with the XM range-topper ALSO COMING O N S A L E J A N U A R Y B M W i 7 Don’t want to look at the front end? Sit in the back and watch Netflix on the 3 1 3 in, 8K cinema screen instead O N S A L E N O V E M B E R A S T O N M A R T I N D B S 7 7 0 U L T I M A T E Hardcore variant of brutish GT gets a power hike to rival the Ferrari 812 Competizione. O N S A L E M A R C H M I N I H AT C H ON SALE DECEMBER H E RO E S T 4 8 A U T O C A R C O U K 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3

Firmed-up, light(er)weight version of an Autocar

O N S A L E A P R I L O N S A L E J U L Y A U D I R S 7 P E R F O R M A N C E Audi’s answer to the Porsche Panamera gets a mega-power makeover, too. Yours for £ 11 6k . C H E V R O L E T C O R V E T T E Z 0 6 First mid-engined Z0 6 gets a bespoke atmo V8 – the most powerful yet in a production car O N S A L E A P R L O N S A L E J A N U A R Y A U D I Q 8 E - T R O N New name and front end for Audi’s EV pioneer but, more importantly, a massive 3 43-mile maximum range. B M W Z 4 The subtlest of design refreshes for BMW ’s rival to the Porsche 71 8 Boxster – and no more mid-rung sDrive3 0 i option O N S A L E A P R L A U D I R S 6 P E R F O R M A N C E Uprated V8 super-wagon, with 62 1bhp, becomes the only UK offering. We can live with that. O N S A L E M A Y B M W 7 S E R I E S P H E V New 7 Series plug-in hybrids offer around 50 miles of electric-only range – and up to 563 bhp in M760 e guise. O N S A L E M A Y B M W X 6 … and so will its rakish-roofed sibling. The pair will also get BMW ’s new eighth-generation iDrive infotainment O N S A L E A P R I L O N S A L E M A R C H A U D I R 8 G T R W D This time next year, the V 1 0 engine will be dead in Europe It’s up to this final R8 to make sure the noise lives on. D S 3 New headlights inspired by the DS 4 , more range for the EV and – most importantly – no more Crossback suffix H O M E - G R O W N C O U P E S W I T H S E R I O U S F I R E P O W E R
I N
1
O N S A L E J A N
O N S A L E N O V E
O N S A L E J U N E R O LLS - R OYC E S P E C T R E ON SALE OCTOBER H O W M U C H ? S E R I O U S LY ? A L P I N E A 1 1 0 R
J A G U A R F - T Y P E 7 5 The latest (and *gasp* last?) in a long line of epic ‘ traditional’ Jag sports cars is this final version of the F-Type With bespoke design cues and a rip-snorting supercharged V8 , it should give the 1 0 -year-old sports car an emotional send-off B E N T L E Y B A T U R Fans of Bentley’s W 12 could hope for no better swansong than the jaw-dropping Batur This 1 8-off special is the most powerful Bentley road car yet, pushing more than 73 0 bhp and 74 0 lb ft to both axles for 0 - 62mph in less than 3 5sec A S T O N M A R T
D B 1
Big updates are coming to Aston’s front-engined sports cars . The DB11 is first up, followed by the DBS and Vantage in 2024 The revamp will bring a wide-reaching chassis overhaul, powertrain improvements and – at last – a touchscreen
U A R Y
M B E R
handling hero goes lap-record hunting – and is priced at a whisker under £9 0 k . The R stands for ‘Radical’ – not ‘Really?!’ A U D I T T R S I C O N I C E D I T I O N T T bows out with a limited, last-blast special edition for £87,650, wearing a bespoke aero kit and unique design elements . The RS stands for ‘RennSport’ –not ‘Really?! Sheesh ’ O N S A L E M A Y O N S A L E M A R C H O N S A L E D E C E M B E R F E R R A R I S F 9 0 V S Hardcore version of the firm’s halo hybrid is in the works , with improved aerodynamics and, it’s expected, more power T H E B R I T PA C K N E W C A R S 2 0 2 3 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 A U T O C A R C O U K 4 9
5 0 A U T O C A R C O U K 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 O N S A L E O C T O B E R H Y U N D A I I O N I Q 5 N Retro EV to get hot variant, most likely sharing highly strung 577bhp twin-motor powertrain with the Kia EV6 GT O N S A L E F E B R U A R Y O N S A L E F E B R U A R Y F E R R A R I S P 3 D A Y T O N A Mid-engined, £ 1 6 8m SP3 packs 829bhp V 12 and design cues from ’60 s racing legends . H Y U N D A I I O N I Q 6 Hyundai’s answer to the Tesla Model 3 is a ‘streamliner’ not a saloon, apparently In any case, it has a 379 -mile range O N S A L E D E C E M B E R O N S A L E J A N U A R Y F I A T ‘ P U N T O ’ New supermini will be Puntosized “but not called Punto” Electric and hybrid variants tipped for the Corsa rival. I N E O S G R E N A D I E R ‘Son of Defender’ is finally on the way after various delays It will hit the road priced from £49,0 0 0 F O R D E - T R A N S I T C U S T O M Handsome EV version of perennial big seller is the first launch from new Ford Pro brand. J E E P A V E N G E R Jeep’s first EV has been designed in Europe, for Europe. A 5 4kWh batter y returns up to 249 miles ALSO COMING O N S A L E D E C E M B E R O N S A L E A U G U S T O N S A L E S E P T E M B E R F O R D M E B E V Ford goes after the Volkswagen ID 3 with a family crossover that uses the same EV platform . J E E P G R A N D C H E R O K E E New flagship model is UK-bound with 375bhp PHEV powertrain, followed by full EV in 2025 O N S A L E N O V E M B E R ON SALE JUNE LO T U S E LE T R E P RO P E R S U P E R - S U Vs O N S A L E O C T O B E R F I S K E R O C E A N Funky, eco-focused crossover has the potential to really change the family EV game. A

U S T O M

S U P E R -S U Vs N E W C A R S 2 0 2 3 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 A U T O C A R C O U K 5 1 O N S A L E J U N E O N S A L E J U L Y H O N D A Z R - V Civic-based hybrid crossover is based on US-market HR-V, which is different from Europe’s HR-V. Got it? Us neither. L A M B O R G H I N I H U R A C A N S T E R R A T O Off-road supercar, anyone? The 60 1bhp V 1 0 Sterrato is the firm’s last pure-petrol offering O N S A L E S E P T E M B E R O N S A L E N O V E M B E R F O R D M U S T A N G Ecoboost and V8 engines return for a reassuringly traditional refresh of the pony car formula . K I A E V 9 Kia cements its upmarket billing with a chunky premium SUV to rival the likes of the Discover y O N S A L E O C T O B E R O N S A L E F E B R U A R Y F O R D P U M A S T H Y B R I D Test mules suggest Ford Performance’s first hybrid won’t be a plug-in. K I A S O U L U R B A N Entr y-level Soul EV comes with a smaller, 39. 2kWh batter y, a 171 -mile range and a £32 ,795 price O N S A L E A P R I L O N S A L E A P R I L H O N D A C R - V Ruggedly styled crossover brings improved performance from a new hybrid powertrain that yields 20 4bhp and 247lb ft. L E X U S R Z The firm’s first bespoke EV will launch with a 3 0 8bhp dual-motor set-up and more than 250 miles of range O N S A L E M A Y O N S A L E M A R C H H O N D A E : N Y 1 Honda’s first mainstream EV should be a touch more practical than the pint-sized , short-range E supermini. L E X U S R X A total redesign for Lexus’s best-selling car, along with the first PHEV option D I R T Y D O Z E N I S N ’ T D E A D F E R R A R I P U R O S A N G U E It’s an SUV, Jim , but not as we know it With a 6 5-litre V 12 sending 715bhp and 528lb ft to both axles , Ferrari’s answer to the Aston DBX will make good on its claim to be a “ true sports car”, covering 0 - 62mph in 3 3sec, 0 -124mph in 1 0 6sec P A G A N I U T O P I A The Pagani Huayra successor comes with an 8 6 4bhp Mercedes-AMG-sourced 6 0 -litre twin-turbo V 12 , connected to a seven-speed manual gearbox (yes , really). A lightweight shell means Utopia tips the scales at just 128 0 kg L A M B O R G H I N I A V E N T A D O R S U C C E S S O R Dramatic-looking supercar will continue to draw the bulk of its power from a highly strung , large-capacity V 12 engine – but with a new hybrid element that, suggest bosses , will make it significantly more powerful than today’s model O N S A L E A U G U S T O N S A L E A U G U S T O N S A L E J U N E T O P - S E L L E R ’ S E V
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One of the most important launches of 202 3 : an electric version of the UK’s best-selling vehicle of 202 1 . With a range of 2 3 0 miles from a 74kWh batter y, it shares the same 2 15bhp motor as the panel-sided E-Transit Custom but ups the ‘lifestyle’ factor with movable, reversible seats and a slick , car-like cockpit area This or a V W ID Buzz?
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5 2 A U T O C A R C O U K 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 O N S A L E J U N E O N S A L E F E B R U A R Y L E X U S U X 3 0 0 E Bigger batter y boosts the range to 28 0 miles and chassis tweaks are said to sharpen the handling. M E R C E D E S - A M G C 6 3 Super-saloon halves its cylinder count and gains an EV boost It tips the scales at a whopping 2 111kg O N S A L E A U G U S T O N S A L E D E C E M B E R L U C I D A I R Mercedes EQS rival gains entr ylevel Pure trim with 473 bhp and an official 41 0 -mile range. M E R C E D E S - A M G G T Sporty hard-top sibling to the SL will be offered with six- and eight-pot engines , plus a 831bhp PHEV O N S A L E F E B R U A R Y M E R C E D E S - A M G S 6 3 Mercedes continues its plug-in assault with a 79 1bhp limo capable of 6 4 2mpg and 1 8 0 mph M A S E R A T I G R A N T U R I S M O Handsome coupé gets 550 bhp Nettuno V6 , dispatching 0 - 62mph in 3 . 5sec… M E R C E D E S - B E N Z A - C L A S S Mild hatch gains mild-hybrid engines and milder styling tweaks , plus updated software ALSO COMING O N S A L E D E C E M B E R M A S E R A T I G R A N C A B R I O Folgore version of luxur y droptop will be the first convertible EV since the Tesla Roadster. O N S A L E O C T O B E R O N S A L E J A N U A R Y O N S A L E J A N U A R Y M A S E R A T I G R A N T U R I S M O E V or the tri-motor Folgore with more than 751bhp, an 8 3 kWh batter y and a 28 0 -mile range. M E R C E D E S - B E N Z B - C L A S S Facelifted premium MPV bites back against BMW 2 Series Active Tourer Still no AMG B 45 O N S A L E J U L Y B M W 5 S E R I E S E X EC S H OW D OW N ON SALE NOVEMBER T

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P R A G A B O H E M A The Czech brand’s first bespoke road car since films were black and white packs a 70 0 bhp Nissan GT-R-derived V6 and an embarrassment of carbonfibre to keep weight below a tonne Just 1 0 examples will be built in 202 3 and 89 over the next four to five years

E X EC U T I V E C A R S N E W C A R S 2 0 2 3 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 A U T O C A R C O U K 5 3 O N S A L E N O V E M B E R M A S E R A T I G R E C A L E F O L G O R E Modena’s long-awaited electric SUV beats the Porsche Macan EV to market by a year. O N S A L E M A R C H O N S A L E M A R C H M A Z D A C X - 5 M H E V Mazda electrifies the CX-5’s atmo petrol motor in the name of improved efficiency. M E R C E D E S - B E N Z E Q S S U V Seven-seat EV offers a massive 3 6 4-mile range, but you’ll pay £ 13 0 k for the privilege O N S A L E A P R I L M E R C E D E S - B E N Z C L A Sleek not-a-saloon and notan-estate gets not-a-ver y-bigupdate to mark the mid point in its life cycle O N S A L E M A Y O N S A L E F E B R U A R Y M A S E R A T I M C 2 0 C I E L O Flagship supercar adds windin-hair thrills to its CV – with a weight penalty of just 65kg. M E R C E D E S - B E N Z E Q E S U V BMW iX rival gains a 677bhp AMG-honed range-topper, capable of 0 - 62mph in 3 5sec O N S A L E N O V E M B E R O N S A L E O C T O B E R M A Z D A M X - 3 0 R E X Rotar y engine returns as a petrol generator to boost the range of the short-legged electric crossover. M G 4 A W D Dual-motor ‘Triumph Edition’ producing 4 42bhp could be our first taste of an EV mega-hatch O N S A L E F E B R U A R Y O N S A L E M A Y M A Z D A C X - 6 0 I C E Electrically assisted diesel six-pot sends 251bhp through all four wheels and yields 56 . 5mpg. M E R C E D E S - B E N Z E Q T Premium electric MPV is based on the Renault Kangoo and will spawn a camper variant down the line Y O U ’ L L N E V E R S E E O N E … K O E N I G S E G G C C 8 5 0 Proof
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that fashion operates on a 20 -year cycle, this reimagining of the seminal CC8S gets a twin-turbocharged 5 0 -litre V8 packing 13 85bhp, and tips the scales at 13 85kg , giving a 1 :1 powerto-weight ratio and endowing it with the psychotic performance for which Koenigsegg is known M E R C E D E S - B E N Z E - C L A S S ON SALE
US start-up Czinger pioneered the technique of 3D -printing car chassis back in 20 15, and it’s finally coming to market in the 2 1C hypercar Packing a 12 2 3 bhp electrified V8 , it dispatches the 0 - 62mph sprint in 1 .9sec and is almost 2 . 2sec quicker than a McLaren Senna around Laguna Seca
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5 4 A U T O C A R C O U K 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 O N S A L E J A N U A R Y O N S A L E J A N U A R Y M O R G A N P L U S F O U R / P L U S S I X Updated versions will be on sale this month with small upgrades to the interior fit and finish. P O L E S T A R 2 B S T E D I T I O N 2 7 0 Rapid exec EV earns its stripes – and a track-focused chassis overhaul Just 4 0 will hit the UK O N S A L E J U L Y O N S A L E N O V E M B E R M U N R O M K 1 An electrified, rugged off-roader, the £59,995 Munro will be built in Scotland’s sole car factor y. P O L E S T A R 3 Polestar’s answer to the Audi E-tron is priced from £85, 50 0 and offers up to 379 miles of range O N S A L E M A Y O N S A L E D E C E M B E R N O B L E M 5 0 0 Incoming 550 bhp replacement for the M60 0 will have a manual gearbox linked to a 3 . 5-litre Ford V6 powerplant. P O L E S T A R 4 Fastback SUV will be priced to sit between the 2 and 3 models It’s likely to pump out in excess of 4 0 0 bhp O R A F U N K Y C A T G T Funkier (sorr y) Cat will get a bigger batter y, giving the Chinese EV an increased range of 261 miles . P O R S C H E 9 1 1 D A K A R Four-wheel-drive desert destroyer gets 473 bhp, heightad justable suspension and a reinforced chassis for £ 173 k ALSO COMING O N S A L E N O V E M B E R O N S A L E J U L Y O N S A L E A P R I L O R A N E X T C A T Hyundai Ioniq 6 rival will offer four-wheel drive, face-recognition technology and a 435-mile range. P O R S C H E C A Y E N N E New front- and rear-end designs for the firm’s SUV flagship, with a Turbo S likely to offer a sub-4 0 sec 0 - 62mph O N S A L E J U N E C I T R O E N E - C 4 X C H E E R S T O C H E A H
B U D G E T B U Y S N E W C A R S 2 0 2 3 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 A U T O C A R C O U K 5 5 O N S A L E F E B R U A R Y O N S A L E N O V E M B E R P E U G E O T 4 0 8 SUV-cum-saloon-cum-coupé will have three electrified powertrains , and up to 2 2 2bhp. Prices start below £4 0,0 0 0. R E N A U L T C L I O While the retro 5 EV dominates the front pages , this refreshed Clio will bid for supermini sales supremacy O N S A L E M A R C H O N S A L E O C T O B E R P E U G E O T E - 2 0 8 Still great to look at, the updated e-20 8 will have more range (24 8 miles) thanks to a larger, 51kWh batter y. P O R S C H E P A N A M E R A All-new version is set to continue as a combustion alternative to the Taycan , with a subtle design refresh O N S A L E J U N E O N S A L E D E C E M B E R P E U G E O T E - 3 0 8 With up to 250 miles of range, the e-3 0 8 will also come as an estate version – a crucial USP over rivals . R E N A U L T S C E N I C Striking new crossover will sit above the Mégane E-Tech Electric at the top of Renault’s EV line-up O N S A L E A P R I L O N S A L E A U G U S T P E U G E O T 3 0 0 8 H Y B R I D Upgraded PHEV should add a dose of extra electric range to keep company car users happy. S M A R T # 1 Agency retail model and fashionable SUV shape should make this the Smart that’ll sell O N S A L E M A Y O N S A L E A P R I L P E U G E O T 5 0 8 A facelifted 50 8 is due with tweaked styling and interior, plus the possibility of more range in the plug-in hybrid. S K O D A E N Y A Q v R S Straight-backed Enyaq vRS will offer the Coupé’s 3 0 0 -plus miles of range, but with more boot space A P A N D C H E E R F U L ON SALE FEBRUARY R E B I R T H O F S M A L L C I T R O E N ‘ C 3 ’ With styling heavily influenced by the Ami quadricycle and Oli concept car, the next C 3 (due to be unveiled in late 202 3) could be the most radical yet, giving a welcome boost to the shrinking small car market Rapid charging functionality will be key, as it’s likely to get only a 4 0 kWh batter y. S U Z U K I S W I F T A new Suzuki Swift is set to continue with the current car’s budget pricing and mild-hybrid 1 . 2-litre petrol. More rounded styling will mark out the new version , with changes inside running to upgraded materials and the Sport’s 7.0 in touchscreen. The Swift Sport will also be updated O N S A L E D E C E M B E R O N S A L E D E C E M B E R DAC I A J O G G E R H Y B R I D S KO DA S U P E R B ON SALE APRIL ON SALE DECEMBER
5 6 A U T O C A R C O U K 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 O N S A L E N O V E M B E R O N S A L E M A R C H S S A N G Y O N G T O R R E S Rugged new SUV is already on sale in South Korea with petrol power, but the version over here will be electric. V A U X H A L L G R A N D L A N D G S E Firmer chassis and 295bhp for spicy version of PHEV crossover An unlikely V W T-Roc R rival? O N S A L E N O V E M B E R O N S A L E M A Y S U B A R U C R O S S T R E K The recently renamed X V receives a new front end and an interior overhaul to boost UK sales . V A U X H A L L M O K K A E L E C T R I C Batter y upgrades should boost range and efficiency for Corsabased electric crossover O N S A L E D E C E M B E R O N S A L E O C T O B E R T E S L A C Y B E R T R U C K Prismatic pick-up is finally due to enter production this year. Probably. Maybe. Don’t hold us to it. V O L K S W A G E N I D A E R O Better late than never: Wolfsburg finally gives us a Tesla Model 3 rival, with 3 8 0 miles of range T O Y O T A B Z C O M P A C T Toyota’s second bespoke electric car is a squat, rakish SUV to take on the Volvo C4 0 and Smart # 1 . V O L K S W A G E N I D B U Z Z Retro-futuristic MPV is due a long-wheelbase sevenseater and a four-wheeldrive GT X option ALSO COMING O N S A L E N O V E M B E R O N S A L E J U L Y O N S A L E N O V E M B E R T O Y O T A C - H R The C-HR will be reinvented with plug-in power, remaining an integral part of the Toyota line-up. V O L K S W A G E N I D 3 Upgrades to Volkswagen’s pioneering EV will streamline its look and improve the infotainment system O N S A L E N O V E M B E R VO LVO E X 3 0 ON SALE OCTOBER FA M I LY FAVO U R I T E S I
FA M I LY FAV E S N E W C A R S 2 0 2 3 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 A U T O C A R C O U K 5 7 O N S A L E D E C E M B E R O N S A L E O C T O B E R V A U X H A L L A S T R A S P O R T S T O U R E R E L E C T R I C … plus an estate with 51 6 (rising to 1553) litres of cargo space. V O L K S W A G E N T O U A R E G V W flagship is due a round of updates E xpect tweaked styling and new infotainment O N S A L E A P R I L O N S A L E D E C E M B E R T O Y O T A C O R O L L A Corolla is due to receive Toyota’s fifth-generation hybrid system , with power and efficiency boosts . V O L K S W A G E N P A S S A T Revived exec drops the saloon and moves to the Czech Republic to be built with its Skoda Superb sibling O N S A L E J U N E O N S A L E D E C E M B E R V A U X H A L L A S T R A E L E C T R I C Zero-emission version of a Brit buyer’s favourite brings 153 bhp and 258 miles of range… V O L K S W A G E N T - C R O S S Subtle styling updates , smarter interior materials and upgraded infotainment are on the cards O N S A L E S E P T E M B E R O N S A L E M A Y V A U X H A L L C O R S A One of Britain’s best-selling cars will get a slick new ‘Vizor’ front end and EV hardware improvements . V O L V O C 4 0 / X C 4 0 T W I N Dual-motor variants will gain 20 0 kW charging to go with their sports car-baiting 4 02bhp O N S A L E M A R C H O N S A L E N O V E M B E R V A U X H A L L A S T R A G S E Warmed-up Astra launches the new GSe electrified performance brand with 2 2 2bhp and a stiffer chassis . V O L V O C 4 0 / X C 4 0 R E C H A R G E Single-motor duo gain a larger batter y for over 3 1 0 miles of range and a swap to RWD C H I N A ’ S C H A R G E R S A I W A Y S U 5 Aiways is “seeing significant interest” in the UK , and hopes to make a mark with its 250 -mile Skoda Enyaq iV rival, which is already on sale in Germany B Y D A T T O 3 The Chinese car giant’s first model in the UK will rival the similarly sized MG ZS EV. Power comes from a 60 5kWh batter y for around 261 miles of range N I O E T 5 Premium EV firm Nio makes its long-awaited entr y with a four-door saloon to rival the Tesla Model 3 , claimed to be capable of up to 620 miles of range O N S A L E M A Y O N S A L E M A R C H O N S A L E O C T O B E R ON SALE DECEMBER ON SALE JULY P E U G E O T 5 0 0 8 H Y B R I D VO LK SWAG E N T I G UA N
5 8 A U T O C A R C O U K 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 Now here’s a bla st f rom t he pa st : a 2 .6 -ton ne SU V p owere d by Aud i ’ s 6 .0 -l it re, 50 0 hors e p ower d ies el V12 . S o w h at d id Mat t Pr ior m a ke of h i s ne w d a i l y d r i ver?
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6 0 A U T O C A R C O U K 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 You’ll need plenty of time and money to fill the 5934cc tank P r i c e £ 1 5 4 , 1 7 5 (2 0 1 2) E n g i n e V 1 2 , 5 93 4 c c , t u r b o c h a r g e d , d i e s e l P o w e r 4 93 b h p a t 3 7 5 0 r p m To r q u e 7 3 7 l b f t a t 1 7 5 0 r p m G e a r b ox 6 - s p d a u t o m a t i c , 4 W D Ke r b w e i g h t 2 6 3 5 kg 0 - 62 m p h 5 5 s e c To p s p e e d 1 5 5 m p h E c o n o m y 2 5 m p g C O 2 , t a x b a n d 2 9 8 g / k m , 3 7 % R i v a l s P o r s c h e C a ye n n e Tu r b o, V W To u a r e g V 1 0 T D I A U D I Q 7 V 1 2 T D I Q U AT T R O A U T O This
V 12 was originally planned for the R8 supercar, and Audi made a concept version – the V 12 TDI Le Mans . We drove it and were impressed, but Audi couldn’t make the sums for productionising it add up It didn’t matter, then, but doesn’t it seem a pity?
the £44,350 Exclusive Concept pack
Walnut
bedding comes with

To say the Audi Q7 V 12 TDI had limited appeal in the UK would be to overstate its success at the time It’s said that over four years only 50 found homes here – which is probably no surprise, given not just the cost but also that if you wanted a fast SUV, Porsche sold a brilliant quick Cayenne, while a V 1 0 diesel Volkswagen Touareg was the understated powerful 4x4 choice in a market segment not known for huge sales figures

Today, while howmanyleft.co.uk can’t guarantee absolute accuracy (if it doesn’t say ‘Q7 V 12 TDI Quattro Auto’ on the V5, it won’t show up on the database), there are at least 28 of them still around – a couple imported and registered later than the official off-sale date and at least six notified as off-road.

As I write, there’s only one for sale in the classifieds: a lefthooker with 125,0 0 0 miles on it for £4 0,0 0 0, though that’s double what one was going for with similar mileage four years ago

So the V 12 TDI’s earlier catastrophic depreciation might not have just passed – it could be becoming a future classic I can see why

A U D I Q 7 V 12 T D I L O N G - T E R M T E S T 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 A U T O C A R C O U K 6 1
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A non-starter St e p h e n M e a d Holmer Green, Buckinghamshire Pressure point S i m o n Ve n a b l e s Via email L E T T E R O F T H E W E E K Why we need Euro 7 C h r i s H i e t t Via email Buzz off R i c h M a n s h i p Via email Get back on track Richard Connelly Via email W I N Let ter of the week wins this ValetPRO exterior protection and maintenance kit worth £48 ID Buzz sightings are taunting Rich Safer on the Solent than in Sierra Leone Country folk won’t want Discovery 6, predicts Richard G E T T Y I M A G E S 6 2 A U T O C A R C O U K 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 Y O U R V I E W S W R I T E T O autocar@haymarket com

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g i n g e d i t o r Sami Shah

E d i t o r - a t - l a r g e Mat t Prior

Ro a d t es t e d i t o r Mat t Saunders

D e p u t y r o a d t est e d t o r Richard Lane

Ro a d t est e r Illya Verpraet

N ews a n d f e a t u r es e d i t o r Fel x Page

D e p u t y n ews e d i t o r Wi l R mell

St a f f w r i t e r Jack Warr ck

E d i t o r i a l ass st a n t Charlie Mar tin

E d i t o r i a l a p p r e n t i c e Jonathan Br yce

Us e d c a r s e d i t o r Mark Pearson

C h i e f s u b - e d i t o r Kris Culmer

G r o u p a r t e d i t o r Stephen Hopkins

A r t e d i t o r Sarah Özgü

S e n i o r p h o t o g ra p h e r Luc Lacey Ph o t o g ra p h e r Max Ed eston

Pi c t u r e e d i t o r Ben Summere -Youde V i d e o g ra p h e r Jack Harrison S o ci a l m e d a exe cu t i ve Georg a Patmore

E D I T O R I A L C O N T R I B U T O R S Eu r o p e a n e d i t o r Gre g Kab e B u s n ess c o r r es p o n d e n t N ck Gibbs

Us e d c a r c o r r es p o n d e n t James Rupp er t

S e n i o r c o n t r i b u t i n g w r i t e r Andrew Franke

S e n i o r c o n t r i b u t i n g e d i t o r Richard Bremner

C o n t r b u t i n g e d t o r Mike Duf f M o t o r s p o r t e d i t o r Damien Smith S e n o r c

D E B A T E R O A D T E S T F I R S T D R I V E I N T E R V I E W O N S A L E 1 1 J A N U A R Y G R E A T R E A S O N S T O B U Y NEXT WEEK’S ISSUE Horrorcraft N i g e l Pa g e Breedon on the Hill, Leicestershire
C O N T E N T S S U B J E C T T O C H A N G E IMAGE
T h e o r i g i n a l c a r m a g a z i n e p u b i s h e d s i n c e 18 9 5 i n t h e i n t e r e s t s o f t h e m e c h a n i c a l l y p r o p e l l e d r o a d c a r r i a g e
E D I TO R I A L Em a i l autocar@haymarket com E d i t o r Mark Tisshaw E d i t o r i a l d i r e c t o r, Auto m o t ive Jim Holder E d i t o r - i n - ch i e f Steve Crop ey M a g a z i n e e d i t o r Rachel Burgess A ss o c i a t e e d i t o r P ers Ward a n a
o ns u l t i n g e d t o r Tom Evans Sp e c a l c o r r es p o n d e n t s James At t woo d Mauro Calo Jesse Crosse, James D sdale, John Evans Col n Go o dw n H ton Holloway Simon Huckna l Julian Rendell Richard Webb er Sp e ci a l c o n t r i b u t o r s John Bradshaw Tom Bradshaw Alasta r Clements Kia Garret t, G les Harp er Peter Liddiard Allan Muir Sam Phil ips Reb e cca Stevens W l Wi liams Oliver Young M E D I A E N Q U I R I ES Te l +4 4 (0)20 8541 3434 C o n t a c t Mar tin Saarinen (mar tin@p er formance comms com) SU B S C R I P T I O N S Te 034 4 848 8816 O ve r s e a s +4 4 (0)1604 251450 Em a l subscriptions team@haymarket com SY N D I CAT I O N E N Q U I R I ES Te l +4 4 (0)1962 867705 C o n t a c t Simon Fox (s mon@foxsyndication com) L I C E N SI N G E N Q U I R I ES C o n t a c t Lydia Cur tis (lydia cur t s@haymarket com) B AC K I SS U E S Tel 034 4 848 8816 Em a i l help@auto car themagaz neshop com A DV E R T I SI N G C ass i f i e d +4 4 (0)20 8267 5776 Display +4 4 (0)20 8267 5541 Pr o d u c t i o n +4 4 (0)20 8267 5814 Fax +4 4 (0)20 8267 5312 D r e c t o r o f s a l es a n d c o m m e r ci a l p a r t n e r s h i p s Kate Hannam B u s i n ess d eve o p m e n t m a n a g e r Jonny K ng PR O D U C T I O N Te +4 4 (0)20 8267 5561 H e a d o f p r o d u c t i o n o p e ra t i o ns Trevor S mpson G r o u p p r o d u c t i o n m a n a g e r Ailsa Donovan M A N AG E M E N T M a n a g i n g d i r e c t o r Rachae Prasher M a r ke t i n g d i r e c t o r Darren Pit t Pu b l i s h i n g a n d eve n t s exe cu t i ve Lyd a Cur t s © 2023 Haymarket Media Group Ltd Autocar Motor Autocar & Motor are reg stered trademarks Circulation enquiries Front ine Ltd 1st F oor Stuart House St John s Street Peterborough PE1 5DD (01733 555161) Printed by Wi l am G bbons Wolverhampton Registered as a newspaper with the Roya Ma l Member of the ABC ISSN 1355-8293 No part of this magaz ne may be reproduced stored n a retr eval system or transm tted n any form except by perm ss on The pub isher makes every effort to ensure contents are correct but cannot accept respons bi ity for errors or om ss ons Unso cited materia s subm tted to Autocar entirely at the owner s risk the publ sher accepts no respons bi ity for loss or damage With regret compet tions and promotiona offers un ess otherw se stated are not avai ab e to readers outside the UK and E re 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 A U T O C A R C O U K 6 3 L E T T E R S S U B S C R I B E autocar co uk/subscribe or see p26 E V E R Y W E E K C i t r o ë n A m i Quirky French quadricycle goes under our road testers’ watchful eye H y u n d a i I o n i q 6 Latest EV from Korea will take on the formidable Tesla Model 3 M e r c e d e s -A M G S L v s P o r s c h e 9 11 Can the latest sports car from Mercedes hold its own against Porsche’s indomitable class leader? R i m a c l o o ks a h e a d We speak to Mate Rimac about the next steps for the EV trailblazer Ta k i n g a h i d i n g Is the sustainability agenda turning the tide against leather interiors? We discuss T W I N T E S T

Motorsport had a tough time in 1955, as two disasters befell sports car racing. At the Le Mans 24 Hours , 8 3 fans were killed and 1 8 0 more in jured when a Mercedes-Benz 3 0 0 SLR was launched into the grandstand Still the most catastrophic incident in motorsport histor y, it led to the leading German firm immediately withdrawing from motorsport, not returning for another 35 years . Then just three months later, at the incredibly tight and fast (read dangerous) Dundrod street circuit in Ireland, three drivers crashed fatally Incomprehensibly in retrospect, both races were allowed to continue up to the scheduled finish We did find the faintest of silver linings , with Mercedes’ withdrawal leaving the British cars of Jaguar and Vanwall to dominate the endurance racing scene.

The UK already had arguably the best driver corps , having won Le Mans , Dundrod, the Targa Florio, the Mille Miglia and the Goodwood 9 Hours .

Mercedes quitting would also benefit grand prix racing, because it had tediously won the Formula 1 title. Only a surprise win for Ferrari in Monaco broke the hegemony, the Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio becoming a three-time champion.

And to our liking, rallying grew in popularity and therefore attracted more manufacturer investment

As traffic got so bad that the national papers started writing about it, The British Road Federation “showed what should be done, with its model of an urban motor way” Manchester had proposed ring roads as early as 1945 and opened the M60 in 1960 ; while from 1957 to 1971 , Birmingham ripped itself up to make space for the Queensway. London was to copy it but halted after the Westway. Why? Well, in addition to actually inducing more traffic, not reducing it, urban motor ways restrict open spaces , grow th and local economy and make cities dirtier, noisier, uglier, more crowded and harder to navigate

Seeing small estate cars growing in popularity, Ford of Britain decided to enter the market, using the Anglia and Prefect saloons as bases for the new Escort and Squire. They used the same body and Ford’s proven 1172cc side-valve engine, making 3 6bhp, the difference just £41 worth of ‘luxur y’ on the Squire (that’s £852 today). Our road testers concluded: “Both models are smart, economical maids of work , pleasant to drive and to look at, and are offered at an initial cost that is relatively low when one considers their versatility ”

C a t a s t r o p h e s c a s t d a r k c l o u d s o v e r r o s y B r i t i s h p r o s p e c t s O u r f i r s t E s c o r t ex p e r i e n c e U r b a n m o t o r wa y s w a n t e d 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 A U T O C A R C O U K 6 5
o
r ON THIS DAY IN
A train strike in central London led to gridlock K
R
I S CU L M E R
L
o k i n g b a c k o n o u r d i a m o n d y e a
1955
O U R C A R S F E A T U R E D T H I S W E E K The
estate.
Alfa
car M S S E C O N D O P I N I O N F I R S T R E P O R T W H Y W E ’ R E R U N N I N G I T To see if an electrified estate has a place in a world of crossover competitors In with the new year comes a new long-term test car: an estate – remember those? P E U G E O T 3 0 8 S W S Not the biggest but enough for a game I t ’s o n e o f t h e b e s t- l o o k i n g e s t a t e s a n d c e r t a i n l y f a r m o r e a t t r a c t i v e t h a n S U Vs B M W i X K I A S P O R TA G E S K O D A FA B I A P E U G E O T 3 0 8 C U P R A B O R N D A C I A J O G G E R A L P I N E A1 1 0 6 6 A U T O C A R C O U K 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3
3 0 8 makes a funny sort of
Its stretched wheelbase promises more rear space but not enough to make this a selling point over rivals , while boot space is usefully large but not class-leading. To me, it’s a bit like the old
Romeo 156 Sportwagon: the prettiest version of a pretty
O W N O N E ? S H A R E Y O U R E X P E R I E N C E jack warrick@haymarket com There’s more driver appeal here than you might think O W N O N E ? S H A R E Y O U R E X P E R I E N C E mark tisshaw@haymarket com B M W i X x D R I V E 5 0 M S P O R T Price £99,965 Price as tested £ 116,965 Faults Corroded alarm sensor, driver display crashed Expenses None Range 316 miles Economy 3 0mpkWh Last seen 30 11 22 T E S T D A T A JAC K WA R R I C K P E U G E O T 3 0 8 S W H Y B R I D 1 8 0 A L L U R E P R E M I U M Price new £35,650 Price as tested £36, 345 Options Elixir Red pearlescent paint £695 Faults None Expenses None Economy 213 7-281 1mpg (WLTP) T E S T D A T A B M W i X Now our iX is finally fixed, we ’ re going to keep a watchful eye on it Here’s how M I L E A G E 6 5 2 1 W H Y W E ’ R E R U N N I N G I T Can BMW ’s second dedicated electric car live up to its range-topping billing? T E F F I C I E N C Y Not unexpectedly, our mpkWh is taking a hit in the winter weather. Yet the range still stays above 3 0 0 miles , so it’s only a minor grumble C O L O U R A N D T R I M I’m seeing more iXs around but none as nicely specced as ours L O A T H E I T L O V E I T M A R K T I SS H AW Less sporting tune is better suited to iX’s relaxed ethos 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 A U T O C A R C O U K 6 7
W Long drive up to Blyton Park and back reveals more about hybrid SUV’s character K I A S P O R TA G E Kia Sportage, Mazda MX-5, Revolution 500SC: what’s your ideal two-car garage? O W N O N E ? S H A R E Y O U R E X P E R I E N C E rachel burgess@haymarket com K I A S P O R T A G E H E V G T - L I N E S A W D Price £41,800 Price as tested £41,800 Faults None Expenses None Economy 44 1mpg Last seen 23 11 22 T E S T D A T A R AC H E L B U RG E SS D I S T R A C T I O N D A N G E R I have to reach to control any thing on the touchscreen G R E A T C R U I S E R The Sportage is a truly comfortable steer over hundreds of miles L O A T H E I T L O V E I T M I L E A G E 2 3 0 1 W H Y W E ’ R E R U N N I N G I T Does Kia still hold its own among the throng of affordable crossovers? 6 8 A U T O C A R C O U K 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3

Twice in the past few weeks I’ve taken the Cupra to a public charger, left it for a while and returned to find an error message saying ‘charging unexpectedly stopped’, meaning another lengthy wait Yet the car is charging happily on my EVIOS unit at home I realise I’m at risk of sounding like a stuck record, but the UK really needs to get its public EV charging network sorted, and fast. AC

The one time I’ve run a car without cruise control has coincided with me pulling my right hamstring My 9 0 -minute commute ends in agony

The Jogger has keyless entr y, which is surprising but ver y welcome in a budget car But as with Renaults , the system is a bit backwards It unlocks the car as you approach but doesn’t automatically lock it when you leave A few times I’ve locked it and then walked past it, making it unlock itself again, so then had to dig out the key and lock it manually Again LL

A l p i n e A110

It’s ver y rare to see an A11 0, let alone two parked side by side any where other than an owners’ meeting. But should I really have been surprised when I rolled up at Gordon Murray’s place to discover he too runs one? I recall him naming it as his show star at Geneva 20 17 without a moment’s thought Clearly, he decided to put his money where his mouth was AF

L
have to appreciate good things while they last
u
M I L E A G E 7 6 2 3 L A S T S E E N 2 1 / 2 8 1 1 2 2
You
S K O D A FA B I A K R I S CU L M E R C
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M I L E A G E 2 1 3 0 0 L A S T S E E N 3 0 1 1 2 2
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We doubt you could do this with old Fabia S O D ’ S L A W
S I M P L E L I F E Tr
. L O A T H E I T L O V E I T M I L E A G E 3 8 9 8 W H Y W E ’ R E R U N N I N G I T To discover whether you can still get a great all-rounder for less than £25k O W N O N E ? S H A R E Y O U R E X P E R I E N C E kris culmer@haymarket com S K O D A F A B I A 1 5 T S I M O N T E C A R L O D S G Price £23,925 Price as tested £23,925 Faults Wipers failed once Expenses None Economy 39 4mpg Last seen 21/28 12 22 T E S T D A T A 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 A U T O C A R C O U K 6 9 O U R C A R S
ying our Mazda CX- 60 recently only enhanced the impression that I already had of the Fabia: its size and simplicity are its strong suits

P O R S C H E PA N A M E R A

W h a t t o b u y , w h e r e t o b u y i t a n d h o w m u c h t o p a y

Practica l Porsches have a lways had a hard time winning over t he ent husiasts

The Cayenne SUV was given a hostile reception when it first appeared in 2002, and t he same happened wit h t he Panamera executive car in 2009 The lat ter model wasn’t welcomed wit h open arms, rat her howls of derision.

The reaction owed most ly to t he model’s ‘hunchback-911’ looks, a lt hough Porsche managed to improve on t hose quite significant ly for t he Panamera’s second generation Introduced in 2016, t his latest car has won over critics, not only in t he st yle depar tment but in many ot hers, too

There is a varied and powerful range of engines, for star ters. On t he petrol front, you can choose

from an entr y-level 325bhp 2.9-litre V6, a 621bhp 4.0 -litre V8 (in t he Turbo S), a 417bhp diesel or a selection of hybrids.

The 4S E-Hybrid mates a 2 9-litre V6 wit h an electric motor for a combined output of 552bhp. Needless to say it ’s quick, and you can travel up to (a claimed) 33 miles on electric power a lone Go for t he Turbo S E-Hybrid and t hat emission-free figure dips to 31 miles, but you get a lot more grunt Wit h a combined 680bhp from its V8 and electric motor, it has more power t han an Audi R8 and McLaren Ar tura Launch it and 0 - 62mph flashes by in 3 2sec But how does t he Panamera drive? Well, it ’s impressive, and

If you want the hybrid , this special edition is the value buy. You will get a lot of kit, such as a panoramic roof, heated seats , soft-close doors and a Bose hi-fi.

t hat ’s w it hout any caveats for being a big, heav y executive car

The steering is weight y but direct and responsive, plus t here’s seemingly endless grip It ’s wonderfully rewarding to drive, wit h excellent body control and ba lance From new, you could even pay ex tra for a four-wheel steering system to improve agilit y. Admit tedly, t he ride can be rat her firm, but it ’s a lways well controlled and never uncomfor table The nonstandard air suspension is your best option if you can stretch to it, but don’t worr y if you find yourself wit h a car t hat has t he standard set-up It ’s ver y nearly as good.

Your trim depends on your

B UYE R B E WA R E

S E R V I C I N G

Cabin is spacious and very comfy, especially up front

Don’t expect ser vicing to be cheap, especially if you have it done through Porsche To get a Porsche-approved warranty (£770 for 12 months), your vehicle has to pass a 111 -point check . Ser vicing is required ever y two years or 20,0 0 0 miles

R E C A L L S

Reported problems are few, but the Panamera was the subject of a UK recall Porsche recalled 197 examples over concerns about the connecting links on the rear-axle anti-roll bar. The issue can lead to excessive noise and an activated yellow warning light

O U R T O P S P E C 4 E - H Y B R I D 1 0 Y E A R S E D I T I
O N
Stuttgart’s take on the executive car mixes sporting prowess with practicality and even economy. Oliver Young has a look A S G O O D A S N E W

chosen engine, a lt hough a ll Panameras come wit h a plet hora of standard equipment from new. This includes climate control, a 12 3in touchscreen infotainment system, a DAB radio, sat-nav, leat her seats, cruise control and LED headlights.

The Panamera’s interior is not only ver y luxurious but t here’s a lso plent y of space, par ticularly in t he front. Unless you opt for t he Spor t Turismo ‘estate’, it ’s strict ly a t wo-seater in t he back, a lt hough t hey w ill bot h enjoy a good amount of head and leg room, even seated behind ta ller front-seat occupants

The entr y point into used secondgeneration Panamera ownership as of writing is around £50,000. For t hat money, expect a 4 or 4S example w it h more t han 50,000 miles under its wheels. A 4 E-Hybrid is likely to set you back around £5000 more, but t hat ’s significant ly less t han its 2020 -introduced 4S E-Hybrid counterpar t, which comes wit h a £100,000 -plus price tag.

Turbo S E-Hybrids have been known to go for more t han £100,000, a lt hough t hey tend to star t at around £85,000. A regular Turbo (wit h its 542bhp V8 and no electrified assistance or zero-emission running) will cost around £65,000.

James Ruppert

TK h a n w o u l d h a p p i l y s e e m y c a r s c r a p p e d , d e s p i t e t h e y e a r s o f g o o d l i f e l e f t i n i t

BA N G E R N O M I C S

Minimum part-exchange price. It sounds great when a dealer waves a guaranteed amount of money against the car you want, as a sort of scrappage-scheme incentive, but there will be strings attached. Often it’s finance, so they make money and profit on your old car. Check what the deal is .

4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 A U T O C A R C O U K 7 1 U S E D C A R S The 2 .9 V6 averages 27.7mpg , the 4 E-Hybrid 141 2mpg , the 4S E-Hybrid 128 4mpg , the GTS 2 3
, the Turbo
Turbo S
respectively 2 9 V 6 4 E - H Y B R I D 4 E-Hybrids are
the most affordable Panameras
the used
They offer
great performance
drive A great
choice O U R P I C K T U R B O S E - H Y B R I D S P O R T T U R I S M O
3mpg
S 2 2 1mpg and the
E-Hybrid 104.6mpg. Pre-April 20 17 cars have CO2based road tax and will be pricey After that, the flat rates of £ 1 65 (petrol) and £ 155 (diesel) apply. Five-door Panamera and Sport Turismo estates have 495-litre and 520 -litre boots
among
on
market
impressive economy,
and four-wheel
all-round
W I L D C A R D
Arguably one of the best multi-taskers around. Immense performance yet can sip fuel It can do the school run , then thrill you on the way back home
N E E D TO KN OW K I C K I N G T Y R E S A sight every Bangernomics believer dreads
G E T T Y I M A G E S
7 2 A U T O C A R C O U K 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3
CULT H
Z D A R X- 8 Mercurial rotary sports coupé giveth and taketh away, reports
WA R
Ke
e n d r i v e r s w e r e r e w a r d e d w i t h s h a r p s t e e r i n g , a n e n g a g i n g c h a s s i s a n d a g i l i t y
F
ERO M A
Mark Pearson
T S A N D A L L

m eth i n g n e g ati ve A n d so we have a su p e rb d ri vetra i n w h ose p e r fo rma n ce i s d if fi cu lt to a ccess , a su p p l e cha ssi s that p refe r s to g o sl ow a n d a d e l i g htfu l ca b i n i n w h i ch th e d ri ve r ca n n eve r q u ite g et co mfo r ta b l e It’s a ca r of co nfl i c ti n g co m p ete n ces , th e n , b ut a fa sci nati n g o b j e c t a l l th e s a m e W hat it tra d es i n co m p ro m i s e s , it co m p e n s ate s fo r i n of fe ri n g a g e nu i n e ca r e nthu sia st a fa scinating ow nership ex p e ri e n ce ”

A n ow n e r

’s v i e w

C H R I S B O O T H E

“I’ve owned mine for five years and I love it. It still has a low, sub-50,0 0 0 mileage and I had all the relevant tests , including compression , done when I bought it from a local dealer It had one previous owner and he was fanatical about maintenance I use it for long journeys only and top up the oil religiously The biggest problem I’ve had is rust. Before buying , stick it on a ramp and check the wheel arches and surrounding areas carefully The bottom of the boot is a problem area ”

B u y e r b e wa r e…

E N G I N E

As with London Zoo, it’s the seals you have to watch out for. Failure can be fatal to the engine, so check the compression Proper maintenance is key. It’s reported that 50% of RX-8 engines have needed replacement by the time they reached 50,0 0 0 miles Well-cared-for ones can pass 1 0 0,0 0 0, though. See that it starts in less than two seconds when hot or cold, check for flat spots and listen for knocks and rattles Oil should have been topped up every 1 0 0 0 miles Short trips are lethal, too, as they can cause excess carbon to accumulate in the engine

E L E C T R I C S

The seat heating has been known to warm up only the side bolsters A faulty coolant-level sensor will trigger a dash light If the ignition coil hasn’t been replaced , budget for a new one.

S U S P E N S I O N

Failing roll-bar linkages will knock over bumps but aren’t prohibitively pricey to replace A sagging rear is a sign that a spring has corroded and snapped Early cars were recalled for faulty front-lower arm replacement.

S T E E R I N G

Notchy steering is usually due to a failing universal joint; intermittent power steering assistance is caused by a leaking coolant hose dripping on the sensor If it hasn’t begun to rust, a thorough clean will usually rectify it.

B R A K E S

If the car has been laid up, check that the single-piston calipers haven’t seized and that the discs aren’t too rusty Braking components are readily available and not too costly

B O D Y W O R K

Early cars rust, so you will struggle to find a clean pre-20 0 6 one Check that bodykits aren’t hiding any thing untoward and get under the arches with a screwdriver Also check the boot floor and subframe for rust

A ls o w o r t h k n o w i n g

More than 4 0 0 0 cars were recalled for an issue with the suspension that could cause the driver to lose control. The issue occurs in one of the joints

Early cars were recalled to replace heat insulation that could crack and fall off. This insulation is fitted around the dynamic dampers that lessen engine vibrations in the cabin

More than 15,0 0 0 cars built from 20 03 to 20 0 4 were recalled to fix a problem with the exhaust system that could cause a fuel leak , Mazda having discovered that parts surrounding the exhaust could melt and the heat could affect the fuel tank .

Watch out for stationar y gear bearing failure when the oil pressure drops at low revs and the e-shaft gets too dr y. An engine rebuild will follow.

The R3 version of 20 0 8 gained a stiffer body and better suspension with Bilstein dampers

The Prodrive-tuned PZ came in 20 0 6 , with Bilstein dampers , Eibach springs , the chassis stiffened and lowered by 15mm and a new exhaust that increased noise but not power.

H o w m u c h t o s p

0 0 mileages . Look for a good warranty.

Prime example of the more powerful 2 28bhp variant comes with plenty of added options , including metallic blue paint and leather seats . This beautiful RX-8 has had five previous owners and comes with a comprehensive ser vice histor y and a year’s MOT

4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 A U T O C A R C O U K 7 3 U S E D C A R S
a B-road
n e w e f o u n d M A Z D A R X - 8 1 3 , 2 0 0 7 , 9 2 , 0 0 0 M I L E S , £ 2 8 2 5
Brilliant for
blast but not a short one O
e n d £ 1 5 0 0 - £ 1
9 9
early cars taken as partexchange by dealers Watch
for write-offs Check ver y, ver y carefully £ 2 0 0 0 - £ 3 4 9 9
middle-aged 2
cars with no loss of compression £ 3 5 0 0 - £ 5 9 9 9 Well-specced pre-facelift cars and those with the proper TLC applied £ 6 0 0 0 - £ 1 0 , 0 0 0 Well-cared-for facelifted cars with the
documentation and sub-50,0
TO GET ON E I N YOU
W H AT W E SA I D T H E N 1 6 S E PT E M B E R 2 0 03
ith ca r s l i ke th e R X-
p ositi ve a sp e c t
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g
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9
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out
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right
HOW
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of its a b i l it y, it’s a l l to o e a
to h i
h l i g ht s
Handsome interior is well screwed together

A road test in any other magazine might well be a short, subjective summar y of a new car produced under almost any circumstances , but the Autocar road test is different Specific, rigorous and detailed, it’s the closest examination we can give of any new model It appears over at least eight pages and is close to 50 man-hours in the making ever y week .

Most of what the road test process entails is designed to be strictly repeatable and fair We benchmark standing-start and in-gear acceleration at a purpose-built test facility ever y week . We carr y out both subjective and objective handling tests on both road and track , on the latter up to and beyond the limit of grip, so as to fully assess stability, drivability and limit handling appeal. And while benchmark lap times are sometimes taken, they’re never an end in themselves

We record and publish stopping distances , too, as well as taking cabin noise measurements at various cruising speeds and benchmarking either indicated or brim-to-brim fuel economy We independently measure leg room , head room , boot space and certain key exterior vehicle dimensions , and we also weigh ever y car we test

Just as ever y new car is different, however, the road test has developed to be versatile enough, week by week , so as to best assess and reflect the suitability of each test subject to its intended purpose It now includes modular sections describing in detail the limit handling of a new car, or its semi-autonomous assisted driving technologies or its off-road capability. All of this goes to bringing you the most thorough, relevant and fair test of a new car we can produce The scores from the most recent road tests reproduced here are the ones we gave the cars at the time so they don’t necessarily represent what those same cars might score today were they re judged using current class standards But you can dig deeper into their attributes by using the magazine publication dates listed here to look up an old test in your own collection or you can order a back issue by phoning 03 4 4 8 4 8 8 81 6 Matt Saunders, road test editor

4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 A U T O C A R C O U K 8 1 R O A D
T
T E S
Power Torquefrom Topspeed 062mph CO2from
R O A D T E S T I N D E X
R E AT E ST R OA D T E ST
L L T I M E VOLKSWAGE N B E ETLE 2 .0 TESTE D 19. 5.99
Mini and Fiat 500 were reimagined for the modern age, Volkswagen set about reprising the classic Beetle on top of Mk4 Golf underpinnings The Concept One car from the 19 94 Detroit motor show was faithfully recreated in the new Beetle with plastic wings and bumpers placed atop the Golf’s front-drive chassis Power came from the Golf’s old eight-valve 2 0 -litre engine Suspension was also inherited from the hatch in the form of front struts and a rear torsion beam Despite the engine’s lowly output , performance was adequate The engine note was harsh above 4 0 0 0 rpm , although it was more comfor table around its 24 0 0 rpm torque peak Brakes impressed for both pedal feel and stopping power A slightly narrower front track and firmer springs meant the Beetle was a sharper steer than the Golf, with an acceptably firmer ride keeping roll in check The stylish cabin featured retro details and was roomy up front , but rear passenger space and boot capacity fell well shor t of the Golf’s and quality was dubious in places Generous kit and a keen price were countered by poor fuel economy on account of shor t gearing and an aged engine FOR Fabulous looks inside and out , fun chassis , value AGAI N ST Poor packaging build quality, coarse engine FAC T F I L E P r i c e £ 1 5 7 5 5 E n g n e 4 c y s n l n e 1 9 8 4 c c p e t r o P o w e r 1 1 5 b h p a t 5 2 0 0 r p m To r q u e 1 2 5 b f t a t 24 0 0 r p m 0 - 6 0 m p h 1 0 4 s e c 0 - 1 0 0 m p h 3 8 9 s e c S t a n d i n g q u a r t e r m l e 1 7 8 s e c 7 7 m p h To p s p e e d 1 1 1 m p h E c o n o m y 2 3 7 m p g W H AT H A P P E N E D N E X T ? Several petrol engines and a 1 9 turbo diesel joined the range, the most powerful choice being the 1 67bhp 2 3 -litre V5 petrol A cabriolet appeared in 2 0 03 , and both bodystyles remained on sale until 2 0 1 0 A sleeker and more sophisticated replacement based on the Mk6 Golf was introduced in 2 0 1 1 and stayed in production until 2 0 19 A B A R T H 124 Spider AAAAC 22 3 17 A L F A R O M E O Giulia Quadr fogl o AAAAB 29 3 17 Stelvio 2 2D 210 Mi ano AAABC 3 1 18 Quadrifoglio AAAAC 9 1 19 A L P I N A B3 Tour ng AAAAA 4 11 20 B8 Gran Coupé AAAAC 22 9 21 A L P I N E A110 Prem ere Edition AAAAA 16 5 18 Légende GT AAAAB 9 3 22 A R I E L Atom 4 AAAAA 9 10 19 Nomad AAAAA 24 6 15 A S T O N M A R T I N Vantage V8 AAAAB 23 5 18 F 1 Edition Coupé AAAAC 1 9 21 DBS Superleggera AAAAA 21 11 18 DBX AAAAB 28 10 20 707 AAAAC 30 11 22 A U D I A1 Sportback 35 TFSI S ine AAABC 2 10 19 A3 Sportback S3 AAABC 18 11 20 A4 S4 TDI AAAAC 18 9 19 3 Series 320d M Sport AAAAA 15 5 19 330d xDrive M Sport AAAAB 15 1 20 330e M Sport AAAAB 1 7 20 4 Series M4 4 0 xDrive AAAAC 6 1 21 M4 Competition AAAAB 21 4 21 M4 CSL AAAAC 16 11 22 5 Series 520d M Sport AAAAB 31 5 17 545e M Sport AAAAC 20 10 21 M5 AAAAB 18 4 18 M5 CS AAAAA 14 7 21 6 Series GT 630d xDrv M Spt AAABC 18 11 17 8 Series 840d xDr ve AAABC 16 1 19 M8 Competition Convert ble AAABC 5 2 20 M8 Competition Coupé AAABC 3 6 20 i3 1 3S Range Extender AAAAC 21 2 18 i4 M50 AAAAC 19 1 22 iX xDrive50 M Sport AAAAB 2 3 22 X2 M35 AAABC 25 9 19 X3 xDrive20d M Sport AAAAC 17 1 18 X4 M Competition AAACC 13 11 19 X5 xDrive30d M Sport AAAAC 2 1 19 X7 xDr ve M50i M Perf nce AAAAC 9 9 20 C A T E R H A M Seven 420 Cup AAAAB 31 8 22 C H E V R O L E T Corvette LT3 Coupé AAAAC 22 6 22 C I T R O E N C3 Aircross Puretech 110 AAABC 7 3 18 C4 Puretech 130 Auto AAACC 26 5 21 C5 X Puretech 180 AAAAC 28 9 22 C5 A rcross B ueHD 180 AAABC 13 2 19 C U P R A Born 20 4 58kWh V3 AAABC 6 7 22 Leon 310 VZ3 Estate AAAAC 8 9 21 2 0 TSI 245 VZ2 Hatch AAAAC 27 7 22 Ateca 2 0 TSI 4Drive AAABC 23 1 19 Formentor 2 0 TSI VZ2 AAAAB 3 2 21 D A C I A Sandero Stepway TCe 90 AAAAC 28 4 21 Duster SCe 115 Comfort AAAAC 22 8 18 Jogger 1 0 TCe 110 Comfort AAAAB 20 4 22 D A L L A R A Stradale AAAAB 16 10 19 D S 3 Crossback Puretech 155 AAACC 10 7 19 4 E-Tense 225 AAABC 29 6 22 7 Crossback Puretech 225 AAABC 19 9 18 9 E-Tense 225 AAABC 2 2 22 F E R R A R I 488 Pista AAAAB 7 8 19 296 GTB AAAAA 21 12 22 812 Superfast AAAAC 25 7 18 SF90 Stradale AAAAC 3 11 21 F I A T Panda 4x4 Twinair AAAAB 17 4 13 500 Abarth 595 AAAAC 26 2 14 Icon 42kWh AAAAC 26 1 22 F O R D Fiesta 1 0T Ecoboost AAAAC 9 8 17 ST-3 1 5 T Ecoboost AAAAB 15 8 18 Focus 1 5 Ecoboost 182 AAAAB 20 2 19 ST AAAAC 11 9 19 Mustang 5 0 V8 GT F’back AAAAC 24 2 16 Bull tt AAAAC 5 12 18 Mustang Mach-E Extended Range RWD AAAAC 23 6 21 GT AWD AAACC 27 4 22 Puma 1 0T 125 MHEV AAAAB 25 3 20 ST AAAAC 24 3 21 Kuga 2 5 PHEV ST-Line AAABC 24 6 20 Ranger Raptor AAAAC 28 8 19 G E N E S I S GV60 Sport P us AAAAC 24 8 22 G70 2 2 CRDi Luxury L ne AAABC 10 11 21 Electrified G80 AAABC 12 10 22 GV80 3 0D Luxury 5-Seater AAABC 15 9 21 H O N D A E Advance AAABC 26 8 20 Jazz 1 5 -MMD Hybrid E X AAABC 7 10 20 Civic 1 5 i-V TEC Turbo AAAAC 19 4 17 2 0 Type R GT AAAAB 25 10 17 Clarity FCV AAAAC 12 7 17 HR-V e:HEV AAABC 24 11 21 CR-V 1 5T E X CV T AWD AAABC 7 11 18 H Y U N D A I i10 1 2 MPi Premium AAAAC 15 4 20 i20 1 0 T-GDI 10 0 48V AAABC 24 2 21 N AAAAB 25 8 21 i30 N AAABC 27 12 17 1 4 Premium SE AAABC 13 9 17 Kona Electric 64kWh AAAAC 31 10 18 Santa Fe 2 2 CRD AAABC 6 3 19 Tucson 1 6 T-GDi Hybrid AAAAC 17 3 21 Nexo AAABC 12 6 19 J A G U A R F-Type V8 S Convertib e AAAAC 12 6 13 2 0 R-Dynam c Coupé AAAAC 22 11 17 P575 R AWD Coupé AAAAC 29 4 20 XF 2 0 R-Sport AAAAB 2 12 15 30 0 R-S Sportbrake AAABC 17 4 19 XE 2 0 R-Sport AAAAB 1 7 15 E-Pace D180 AWD SE AAABC 11 4 18 F-Pace 2 0d AWD AAAAC 11 5 16 P4 0 0e R-Dynam c HSE AAAAC 1 12 21 SVR AAAAB 24 7 19 I-Pace EV4 0 0 S AAAAB 12 9 18 J E E P Compass 2 0 M’ et 4x4 L’d AAACC 3 10 18 4xe S AAACC 16 2 22 Renegade 4xe Trai hawk AAACC 30 6 21 Wrangler 2 2 M’Jet-II Ov’d AAAAC 10 4 19 K I A Stinger 2 0 T-GDI GT-L S AAABC 25 4 18 Rio 1 0 T-GDI 3 Eco AAABC 1 3 17 Ceed 1 6 CRD 115 2 AAABC 29 8 18 Proceed 1 4 T-GDi AAABC 27 2 19 Xceed 1 4 T-GD AAABC 20 11 19 Niro EV 3 AAAAC 7 9 22 EV6 7 7 4kWh GT-Line RWD AAAAB 12 1 22 Sportage 1 6 HEV 2WD AAABC 15 6 22 Sorento 1 6 HEV G-TDi 2 AAABC 20 1 21 L A M B O R G H I N I Huracán Performante AAAAB 11 10 17 Evo RWD Coupé AAAAB 20 5 20 Aventador SVJ AAAAC 19 6 19 Urus AAAAC 3 7 19 L A N D R O V E R Defender 110 P4 0 0 X AAAAB 13 5 20 Discovery Sport D180 AWD AAAAC 8 1 20 Range Rover Evoque P30 0e AAAAB 10 2 21 Range Rover Velar D24 0 AAABC 30 8 17 Range Rover Sport D300 AAAAB 2 11 22 SVR AAAAA 15 4 15 Range Rover D350 HSE AAAAB 13 7 22 L E X U S LC 50 0 Sport+ AAAAC 18 10 17 NX 350h Prem m P us Pack AAAAC 16 3 22 RC F AAACC 18 2 15 ES 30 0h Takumi AAABC 6 2 19 LS 50 0h Premier AWD AAACC 6 6 18 L O T U S Elise Cup 250 AAABC 29 6 16 Exige Sport 390 F na Edit’n AAAAB 21 7 21 M A S E R A T I Ghibli Diesel AAABC 12 3 14 Quattroporte Trofeo AACCC 4 8 21 Levante S Gran usso AAABC 8 5 19 M A Z D A 2 1 5 Skyactiv-G SE AAAAC 22 4 15 3 2 0 Skyact v-X AAAAC 6 11 19 MX-5 1 5 SE-L Nav AAAAB 2 9 15 MX-30 145PS AAABC 10 3 21 CX-5 2 2D Sport Nav AAAAC 28 6 17 M c L A R E N Artura AAAAB 19 10 22 600LT Spider 3 8 V8 AAAAB 22 5 19 620R 3 8 V8 AAAAC 23 12 20 GT 4 0 V8 AAABC 27 1 21 720S 4 0 V8 AAAAA 24 5 17 Senna 4 0 V8 AAAAA 10 10 18 P1 AAAAA 7 5 14 M E R C E D E S - A M G A- Class A45 S 4Matic+ Plus AAAAB 4 3 20 C- Class C63 AAAAB 3 6 15 C63 S Coupé AAAAB 24 4 19 CLS 53 4Mat c+ AAAAC 17 10 18 EQS 53 4Matic+ AAAAC 8 6 22 GT R AAAAB 10 5 17 GT 4-Door Coupé 63 4Mat c+ AAAAB 13 3 19 SLC 43 AAABC 6 7 16 GLC 63 S 4Matic+ AAABC 13 6 18 GLE 53 4Matic+ AAABC 14 10 20 M E R C E D E S - B E N Z A- Class A20 0 Sport AAAAC 4 7 18 A250e AMG L ne Premium AAACC 5 8 20 B- Class B180 Sport AAAAC 3 4 19 CLA 250 AAACC 21 8 19 C- Class C30 0e AMG Line AAAAB 4 5 22 E- Class E4 0 0 Coupé AAAAC 14 6 17 E30 0 Cabr olet AAABC 6 10 21 S- C ass S580e L AAAAB 6 4 22 EQA 250 AAACC 17 11 21 EQB 30 0 4Matic AAABC 18 5 22 EQE 350+ AAABC 4 1 23 GLB 220d 4Matic AAABC 16 9 20 GLC 250d AAAAC 10 2 16 G - Class G350d AMG Line AAAAC 17 7 19 GLS 400d AAABC 12 2 20 X- C ass X250d 4Mat c AAABC 20 6 18 M G 3 1 5 3Form Sport AAABC 25 12 13 5 SW EV Exc usive AAABC 25 11 20 ZS EV Exclusive AAACC 4 12 19 M I N I Min Cooper S AAAAB 2 4 14 Cooper S Works 210 AAAAB 6 12 17 Clubman Cooper D AAABC 25 11 15 Convertib e Cooper S Sport Automatic AAAAC 19 5 21 Countryman Cooper D AAABC 22 2 17 P ug-in Hybrid AAABC 26 7 17 M I T S U B I S H I Ecl pse Cross 1 5 2WD AAACC 14 3 18 Out ander PHEV GX4hs AAABC 16 4 14 M O R G A N Plus Four AAABC 12 8 20 Super 3 AAAAB 9 11 22 N I S S A N Micra 0 9 N- Connecta AAAAC 26 4 17 DIG-T 117 N-Sport AAACC 27 3 19 Juke 1 0 DIG-T 117 AAABC 29 1 20 Qashqai 1 3 DIG-T 158 AAAAC 28 7 21 Ariya 87kWh Evo ve AAABC 26 10 22 GT-R Recaro AAAAB 16 11 16 P E U G E O T 208 e-208 Al ure Prem um AAAAC 6 5 20 308 1 2T Puretech 130 GT AAAAC 25 5 22 508 GT B ueHD 180 AAAAC 24 10 18 Hybrid 225 A lure SW AAAAC 8 7 20 PSE Hybr d4 SW AAAAC 5 5 21 2008 e-20 08 GT L ne AAABC 30 9 20 3008 1 6 BlueHDi GT L ne AAABC 18 1 17 5008 2 0 B ueHD GT Line AAABC 1 11 17 P O L E S T A R 1 AAAAC 21 10 20 P O R S C H E 718 Boxster AAAAB 8 6 16 Spyder AAAAB 1 4 20 Cayman S AAAAB 10 8 16 Cayman GTS AAAAB 9 5 18 Cayman GT4 RS AAAAA 14 9 22 911 GT2 RS AAAAC 18 7 18 Carrera S AAAAB 29 5 19 GT3 PDK AAAAB 11 8 21 Turbo S AAAAB 10 8 22 Cayenne Turbo AAAAC 5 9 18 Turbo S E-Hybr d AAABC 27 5 20 Turbo GT AAAAC 20 7 22 Taycan Turbo S AAAAA 29 7 20 R E N A U L T C io TCe 10 0 Icon c AAAAB 27 11 19 Mégane E-Tech E ectr c AAABC 23 11 22 Kad jar dCi 115 Dyn S Nav AAAAC 21 10 15 Arkana E-Tech Hybrid 145 AAABC 13 10 21 Captur 1 3 TCe 130 EDC AAABC 18 3 20 R O L L S - R O Y C E Phantom AAAAA 4 4 18 Ghost AAAAB 13 1 21 Wraith AAAAB 21 5 14 Dawn AAAAC 1 6 16 Cu linan B ack Badge AAAAC 19 2 20 S E A T Ibiza SE Technology 1 0 TSI AAAAB 19 7 17 Leon eHybr d FR AAABC 2 12 20 Arona SE Technology 1 0 TSI AAAAC 15 11 17 Ateca 1 6 TDI SE AAAAB 19 10 16 S M A R T Forfour Electric Drive AABCC 23 8 17 S K O D A Fab a 1 0 TSI 95PS AAAAB 9 2 22 Sca a 1 5 TSI 150 DSG AAABC 31 7 19 Octavia 2 0 TDI 150 SE L F rst Edition DSG Estate AAAAC 2 9 20 2 0 TDI vRS AAAAC 17 2 21 Superb 1 4 TSI V 218 SE L AAAAC 26 2 20 Karoq 2 0 TDI 150 Scout AAABC 30 1 19 Enyaq iV 80 AAAAC 18 8 21 Kodiaq 2 0 TDI Ed tion AAAAC 23 11 16 2 0 TSI 245PS vRS 4x4 AAABC 23 2 22 S S A N G Y O N G Tivoli XLV EL X auto AAACC 14 9 16 S U B A R U X V 2 0i SE Lineartronic AAACC 28 2 18 S U Z U K I Swift 1 0 SZ5 AAABC 17 5 17 Across 2 5 PHEV E-Four CV T AAAAB 7 4 21 T E S L A Model 3 Standard Range P us AAAAC4 9 19 Model S P90D AAAAB 20 4 16 Model Y Long Range AWD AAAAC 23 3 22 Model X 90D AAAAC 15 2 17 T O Y O T A Aygo X L m ted Edition AAABC 11 5 22 Yaris 1 5 Hybrid Des gn AAAAC 23 9 20 GR Yaris Circu t Pack AAAAA 3 3 21 Corolla 2 0 Hybrid ST AAAAC 5 6 19 GT86 2 0 manual AAAAA 4 7 12 Prius Business Ed t on AAAAC 16 3 16 M rai Design Premium AAAAC 16 6 21 C-HR Excel 1 8 Hybr d AAAAC 4 1 17 GR Supra Pro AAAAC 14 8 19 V A U X H A L L Corsa 1 2T 10 0 auto AAABC 22 1 20 Crossland X 1 2T 130 El te AAACC 7 6 17 Astra 1 2T 130 GS L ne AAABC 5 10 22 Combo Life 1 5 TD 100 Energy AAABC 27 12 18 Insignia Sports Tourer 2 0 Biturbo D GS AAACC 30 5 18 Mokka 1 2 Turbo 130 auto AAABC 12 5 21 Grandland X Hybrid4 AAACC 22 4 20 V XR8 GTS-R AAAAC 10 1 18 V O L K S W A G E N Up GTI 1 0 TSI 115 AAAAC 21 3 18 Polo 1 0 TSI 95 SE AAAAB 31 1 18 GTI AAAAC 1 8 18 Go f 1 5 eTSI 150 Style DSG AAAAB 22 7 20 R AAAAC 14 4 21 ID 3 Pro Performance Life AAAAC 31 3 21 ID 4 GT X Max AAABC 27 10 21 T-Roc 2 0 TSI SEL 4Mot on AAAAB 24 1 18 Cabr olet 1 5 TS Evo DSG AABCC 10 6 20 Arteon 2 0 B TDI 24 0 AAABC 27 9 17 eHybr d Shoot ng Brake AAABC 9 6 21 Passat 2 0 TD 190 GT AAAAC 4 2 15 GTE AAAAC 7 9 16 Touran 2 0 TDI 150 SE AAAAC 3 2 16 Tiguan 2 0 TDI 150 SE AAAAB 22 6 16 Caravel e 2 0 BiTDI Exec AAAAC 23 12 15 Touareg 3 0 TDI R-L ne Tech AAABC 8 8 18 Grand Cal fornia 60 0 AAABC 2 1 20 Transporter Komb SWB AAACC 30 3 22 V O L V O C40 Recharge Tw n U t’ate AAABC 13 4 22 XC40 D4 First Ed t on AWD AAAAB 7 2 18 S60 T8 Po estar En d AAABC 24 12 19 V60 D4 Momentum Pro AAAAC 27 6 18 T6 Recharge R-Des gn AWD AAAAB 21 9 22 XC60 D4 R-Design AWD AAABC 5 7 17 S90 D4 Momentum AAAAC 13 7 16 V90 T6 Recharge R-Design AAAAB 11 11 20 XC90 D5 Momentum AAAAC 17 6 15 W E S T F I E L D Sport 250 AAAAC 29 11 17 Z E N O S E10 S AAAAB 7 10 15 RS4 Avant AAAAC 14 2 18 A5 S5 AAABC 11 1 17 A5 Sportback 2 0 TFSI S l ne AAABC 8 3 17 A6 4 0 TDI S l ne Avant AAAAC 14 11 18 50 TFSIe S Line Quattro AAAAC 5 1 22 RS6 Avant Carbon Black AAAAC 11 3 20 A7 Sportback 50 TDI Sport AAABC 11 7 18 A8 L 60 TFSIe Sport Quattro AAABC 17 6 20 TT RS AAAAC 7 12 16 E-tron 55 Quattro AAAAB 26 6 19 S Quattro AAABC 2 6 21 Q2 SQ2 Quattro AAAAC 20 3 19 Q4 E-tron 4 0 Sport AAABC 7 7 21 Q5 2 0 TDI S l ne AAAAC 15 3 17 SQ5 Quattro AAABC 21 6 17 SQ5 Sportback TDI Quattro AAABC 3 8 22 Q7 SQ7 4 0 TDI AAAAC 26 10 16 Q8 50 TDI S L ne AAAAC 26 9 18 R8 V 10 Plus AAAAC 30 12 15 B E N T L E Y Continenta GT W 12 Coupé AAAAB 2 5 18 Speed Coupé AAAAC 22 12 21 F ying Spur W 12 AAAAB 15 7 20 Hybrid Mull ner AAAAB 17 8 22 Bentayga W 12 AAAAB 18 5 16 B M W 1 Series 118i M Sport AAAAC 30 10 19 2 Series 220i Coupé AAAAC 1 6 22 M2 CS M-DCT AAAAB 19 8 20 218i Gran Coupé M Sport AAACC 8 4 20
The
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S O F A
Before the

S L I D E S H O W

The slow starters that became stars

B M W M 1 19 78

C h e v r o l e t C o r v e t te 195 3

The original Chevrolet Cor vette put a far greater emphasis on design than on performance, initially being fitted with a straight six that produced just 150 bhp Annual sales targets of 1 0,0 0 0 seemed wildly optimistic with its sloth and quality problems . Production totalled just 3 6 4 0 cars in 195 4 , and many of these were unsold, so GM considered cancelling the model more than once. Chevrolet saved the Cor vette by improving its build quality and making a V8 available in 1955. Sales didn’t cross the 1 0,0 0 0 threshold until 1960, however But the rest is histor y: nearly 1 8 million Cor vettes have been sold to date, and an eighth generation – newly mid-engined and offering right-hand drive for the first time – went on sale in 2020

The M1 was conceived in the mid-1970 s as a joint project of BMW (supplying the straight six) and Lamborghini (bringing the chassis and Giugiarodesigned body) The Italian firm’s financial issues delayed the project several times , so a frustrated BMW axed the deal and took the matter into its own hands . The M1 finally arrived in 1978 : BMW had never made a mid-engined production car before, but pulled it off admirably In total, 453 cars were made, and each is ver y valuable today

C i t r o ë n 2 C V 19 4 8

When the 2CV made its debut at the 194 8 Paris motor show, few would have predicted that it would achieve cult status . “I’d rather buy a motorcycle,” one visitor remarked “The grey paint reminds me of a hospital room , ” quipped another Much of the press found it far too basic for its own good, according to one show report. The 2CV managed to beat the odds and sur vived for 42 years , though, with nearly nine million examples of it and its sundr y variants produced

Fo r d G T4 0 19 6 4

Ford’s ambitious plan to beat Ferrari at its own game could have gone down in histor y as a fiasco The initial GT4 0 dropped out of its first race in 196 4 with suspension problems , and none of the three GT4 0 s entered in the same year’s Le Mans 24 Hours race managed to finish Six GT4 0 s dropped out of the 1965 edition, too, again with mechanical issues But Ford persevered and took an emphatic one-two-three finish at Le Mans in 1966 , creating an American motoring legend

Fo r d M o d e l T 1908

The Model T is famous for being the first car to be built on an assembly line, but before that arrived it was built largely by hand and consequently expensive – perhaps $25,0 0 0 in today’s money Just 1 0,666 were made in 19 09; mass production arrived in 19 13 and by 192 2 annual production hit 1 . 3 million. Therefore the car became vastly cheaper, at about $60 0 0 – indeed, cheap enough for Ford’s own factor y staff to buy their own

M e r c e d e s - B e n z G -Wa g e n 19 7 9

S u z u k i J i m n y 19 7 2

Gradually, though, it evolved into what we know today: a high-powered, ultra-luxurious

for the super-rich costing £ 13 1 ,0 0 0 at a minimum

Endearing, capable and attainable, the Jimny is today famous as a hardy, lightweight baby SUV that will traverse rough terrain better than almost any thing this side of a tracked vehicle It traces its roots to a small off-roader developed as a kei car by a now-defunct Japanese firm called Hope. It’s believed to have made about 15 examples of a 4x4 named the ON3 60 before Suzuki purchased the design and turned it into the LJ (‘light jeep’)

Mercedes partnered Steyr-Daimler-Puch in 1972 to develop a 4x4 that would be capable off road, docile on road, robust and easy to repair –and look current for at least a decade, so that no update would be needed It made its debut with a 72bhp diesel four affording 0 - 62mph in 32sec. chariot
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