TOPSTORY SPECIAL Small cars
A to Z GUIDE: THE F
INSIGHT Could the high cost of electrification mean small cars disappear from showroom
BMWiVISION
Sean Carson
sean_carson@autovia.co.uk
SMALL cars have been the bedrock of Britain’s car-buying habits for decades. Our tight towns and cities, and narrow lanes mean these models are well suited to Blighty. But what’s the future for them as the world turns towards costlier EVs and makers look to maximise their profits? We’ve taken a look at all the brands that currently make small models – and where they’ll be in the future.
A to Z GUIDE TO SMALL CARS ABARTH
THE most recent small car from Alfa was the MiTo supermini, but thanks to platforms and engines from new parent group Stellantis, the brand is heading back to the B-segment in a different way. It’ll launch a fresh small SUV – a sister car to the Peugeot 2008 and the next Citroen C3 Aircross – in late 2023. It will be available with combustion engines, but may be offered only as an EV in the UK.
ALPINE AS it charges towards an all-electric future, Alpine is pulling in resources from lots of areas. It has a sports car in the works with Lotus, but at the bottom of its line-up will be a hot version of Renault’s reborn 5. The fast EV should have a front-mounted 215bhp electric motor, giving it greater performance.
AUDI IN the short to medium term, Audi is perhaps the most high-profile brand to
“Fiat is working on a string of small models. They’ll be based on the pared-back, ultra-practical qualities of the Panda” JOHN McILROY Deputy editor 10 13 July 2022
BMW BMW was one of the earliest brands to explore small EVs with its i3. But that car has just gone out of production, so when it comes to small, sustainable electric cars, the firm’s i Vision Circular concept is particularly interesting. Built to showcase BMW’s interpretation of a 2040 hatch, it represents what we might see from the company in a few decades. In the meantime, it’ll launch the X1 and iX1 crossover pair later this year.
CUPRA WITH promises from the Spanish brand of go-kart-like handling, Cupra is really turning up the heat on its UrbanRebel, having refined the original, outlandish concept to something around 95 per cent productionready. Set to go on sale in 2025, it looks the part, and with the concept’s 213bhp motor giving a 0-62mph time of 6.9 seconds, it should have show to match the go – which will be around 270 miles on a full charge.
DACIA EXECUTIVES keep saying that Europe’s cheapest EV is “under consideration” for the UK – but those in the know say the Spring is all but certain to make it here, although not before 2024. The zero-emissions small SUV is shorter than many city cars, at just 3.7 metres, and has a mere 44bhp and a modest 27kWh battery. But it also weighs less than a tonne and is capable of more than 140
ABARTH 595 miles between charges. It could cost as little as £15,000 when it arrives in UK dealers.
DS SEVERAL premium brands are getting out of the smallest car segments, but DS boss Beatrice Foucher recently told us that the French manufacturer remains committed. As such, there will be a successor to the DS 3 Crossback. Given that the range includes an all-electric version, the existing model could last for a while yet. A new-generation model built on Stellantis’s STLA Small platform could arrive in 2025.
FIAT FIAT’S goal within the Stellantis group is to focus on city cars up to family hatchbacks. The relaunched 500 has been a success, and now the Italian brand is working on a string of small models using Stellantis tech. They’ll be based on the pared-back, ultrapractical qualities of the Panda, showcased by the Centoventi concept in 2019. Expect a boxy baby hatchback plus a ‘Panda SUV’ – which will potentially be called Punto.
Avarvarii
ALFA ROMEO
Avarvarii
ABARTH takes Fiat’s 500 and turns it into a hot compact model – and that’ll continue in the EV era. CEO Oliver Francois told us: “Abarth is 500, and the current 500 is born electric – and then there are other models coming [from Fiat], so Abarth will have a derivative of one of those.” He also said the Abarths will boast typically extrovert styling.
abandon small cars altogether. Faced with tightening emissions rules, it no longer thinks it can make money out of compact cars, so the current A1 and Q2 are unlikely to be replaced. Further ahead, it’s conceivable that Audi could make a small pure-electric car, but it’s interesting that the firm has already ruled out joining VW, Cupra and Skoda to develop a car on the upcoming MEB Entry small-EV platform.
ALPINE R5
FORD ONE of the biggest players in small cars is having a serious rethink, as Ford looks to move away from low-margin superminis in its switch to electric mobility. The firm has already confirmed that there will be a pureelectric version of the current Puma, but there’s no word yet on the future of the Fiesta. The famous badge could end up on a small car sharing parts with commercial vehicles, but it could also vanish altogether.
HONDA HONDA is on an electrification charge, but that doesn’t necessarily mean full-electric. Its hybrid Jazz remains a practical and pragmatic supermini, while the Honda e offers something different when it comes to styling. However, a limited range means this model might feel the pressure from a raft of new all-electric city cars and superminis.
HYUNDAI KOREAN giant Hyundai remains committed to smaller vehicles – but it’s working hard
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