Autocar - January 11, 2023 UK
Autocar - January 11, 2023 UK
Autocar - January 11, 2023 UK
F I R S T F O R N E W S A N D R E V I E W S E V E RY W E E K
Est. 1895 | autocar.co.uk | 11 January 2023
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Car Of The Year THE BOLD FUTURE OF BMW’S 3 SERIES 4 autocar_official Subscribe p20
caroftheyear.org
❝
The head-up display unit is capable
of projecting information across
the full width of the windscreen
❞
A
radical tech-focused all-new structure that is set to of the decade. BMW says the BMW CEO Oliver Zipse said: to that seen on BMW’s Circular
future beckons for underpin a wide range of future move is aimed at taking the “With the i Vision Dee, we are concept car unveiled at the
the BMW 3 Series, as internal-combustion-engined, bond between the driver and showcasing what is possible 2021 Munich motor show –
previewed by the new plug-in hybrid and electric- the car beyond voice control when hardware and software previews a new-look enclosed
i Vision Dee electric concept powered BMW models. and driver assistance systems merge. In this way, we are able front. The traditional kidney
car, described by the German The i Vision Dee’s key and further into the digital to exploit the full potential of grille, which has grown ever
marque as the “next level of features include a range of and virtual world. digitalisation to transform larger on recently launched
human-machine interaction”. new digital functions, such as a The concept – whose name the car into an intelligent BMW models, is replaced
Due to reach production in head-up display unit capable of is an acronym for the words companion. by two digital panels, each
2025, the UK-bound four-door projecting information across ‘digital emotional experience’ – “That is the future for incorporating LED headlights
saloon was revealed in concept the full width of the windscreen also previews a new monolithic automotive manufacturers – as ‘phygital’ (physical-digital)
form at the 2023 Consumer – something the firm has exterior styling language and also for BMW: the fusion icons. They alter in shape and
Electronics Show in Las already confirmed for Neue that the German firm intends of the virtual experience and size depending on the function
Vegas. It is based on BMW’s Klasse-platform-based models to introduce on upcoming genuine driving.” they are asked to perform and
Neue Klasse platform, an due out around the middle production models. The exterior styling – similar also provide visual welcome
Traditional
kidney grille is
replaced by two separate
digital panels, each
incorporating LED headlights.
The lights alter in shape and
size depending on their
function.
Side
windows
use special glass
designed to display
personalised welcome
messages, digital icons
and an avatar of the
driver in full
colour.
New-look and
NEW-GEN BMW
shorter front and
EVs WILL…
rear ends preview the
future profile of the next
3 Series. They also point
to how future BMW
saloons may look.
Have a range of up
to 620 miles
Gen6 batteries will be
fitted, using efficient
cylindrical cells. They’ll
be lighter than current
packs, improve range
and raise charging
rates to 270kW.
Large
wheelhouses
accommodate
blanked-off wheels
of up to 20in
in diameter. Feature vegan-friendly
interiors
Vegan alternatives to
leather will appear in
future BMWs as the firm
❝ into a fabric-covered i Vision Circular, was centred aims to reduce its CO2
OFFICIAL PICTURES
T
he all-new Volkswagen which will be offered only as an segment is disappearing, even saloons. This is it [ID 7] and we quarter of 2023 before the car
ID 7 has been closely estate in its next generation. In in China,” VW boss Thomas converge onto that when we let goes on sale later in the year.
previewed by this time, it will become VW’s sole Schäfer told Autocar. “In China, go of the combustion engine.” VW has revealed little in
camouflaged prototype offering in Europe’s shrinking it’s already happening in the The MEB-based ID 7 is terms of the ID 7’s technical
at the Consumer Electronics D-segment because no further low-price saloons. It is going 4940mm long, 1859mm details. However, the company
Show in Las Vegas. versions of the Arteon and down in Europe; it’s never been wide and 1529mm tall, with a confirmed that it will be offered
The ID 7, which had Passat are due once the switch huge, except for a handful of wheelbase of 2969mm shared with a range of up to 435 miles.
previously been known as Aero to EVs has been made. markets, maybe Turkey, but we with the ID Buzz. This makes That will be for a larger-battery
B in concept guise and during “Globally, the saloon will definitely not bring a lot of the ID 7 longer than both the model, a size of pack yet to be
development, will be offered Passat and the Arteon. offered in an ID car. Initially,
initially as a five-door liftback, ❝ The CES show car wears the the ID 7 will have the existing
with an estate model to follow.
It is the sixth model to be It will launch in two-wheel-drive ID 7’s production bodywork
but it’s wrapped in a special
77kWh battery.
It will launch in two-wheel-
launched in the ID range and
will initially sit alongside the form followed by a 4WD GTX model QR code-inspired camouflage
to hide its final styling. A full
drive form, followed in due
course by a four-wheel-drive
reveal will happen in the second GTX model – ultimately giving a
Arteon and Passat, the latter of
❞
HOW THE ID RANGE IS SHAPING UP
ID 2 ID 3 ID 4 ID 5 ID 6 (China only)
Primed for 2025 release Facelift of VW’s current MEB-based SUV sits in middle Coupé-shaped SUV has nearly Essentially an extended ID 4
with a sub-£20,000 price. smallest ID model due this year. of current ID range. a £12,000 premium over ID 4. with space for seven people.
T
he extraordinary Its “generous” footprint miles for a 500-mile range – served up by a motor at each allowed a rethink of Peugeot’s
new Inception concept highlights the flexibility of the far greater than any current end for four-wheel drive and conventional design cues. The
“heralds a new era” new-era architecture that will Stellantis production car. a sub-3.0sec 0-62mph time. Inception has been styled to
for future Peugeot underpin future production Equipped with 800V charging This reflects Peugeot’s plans to suit “the digital world”, with
electric cars, which will make cars: the new STLA modular hardware, it can top up more make engaging performance a crisp body lines and striking
dramatic technological platform being rolled out to than 90 miles in five minutes, top priority for flagship EVs. LED lighting.
leaps and feature radically Peugeot and its Stellantis says Peugeot. Notably, the “Customers have high The expansive glasshouse
different designs from the sibling brands from the middle firm claims it can do this expectations of the electric stretches almost end to end
company’s current offering. of the decade. The Inception using induction technology, car,” said product boss Jérôme and, together with the removal
Revealed at CES in rides on the ‘Large’ version of negating the need for a cable – Micheron. “Thanks to the new of all physical controls and
Las Vegas – unusually for this platform. although this feature is not yet generation of our ‘BEV-by- a traditional dashboard,
Peugeot, which left the US Here, it houses a 100kWh confirmed for production cars. design’ platforms, we will meet maximises interior space.
market in 1991 – the Inception battery claimed to consume Power – all 671bhp of it – is their expectations.” Notably, the steering
is the first concept from just 12.5kWh of Together with the technical column has also been removed,
recently appointed design electricity reinvention, the replaced by an innovative
boss Matthias Hossann and per 62 new platform ‘steer-by-wire’ electronic
provides a mission statement has also system like that offered on
for the brand’s future new EVs from Toyota and
production vehicles. The firm Lexus. Peugeot says this
will launch five new EVs in was developed prior to the
the next two years and go all-
electric by 2030 in Europe.
Hossann told Autocar
recently that upcoming
Peugeot cars will take the
lead from the new 408
saloon-SUV in “challenging
conventional silhouettes”.
Certainly, the Inception
bears no obvious relation
to anything in the current
Peugeot stable. Sitting
low to the ground (its roof
stands just 1340mm tall)
and with a sharp, fastback-
style silhouette, it is closest
in form to the current 508
saloon but is substantially
larger, measuring 5000mm
long and 2100mm wide. OFFICIAL PICTURES
ALFA ROMEO PAVES WAY FOR SUPERCAR MERC STARTS OWN CHARGING NETWORK
Alfa Romeo has shown the logo of a limited-run Mercedes-Benz will launch its own charging
supercar, potentially called 6C, which it will network this year across Europe, China and North
launch this year. The emblem, shown at the end America. Hubs will be fitted with up to 30 350kW
of a recent social media video, is the first official chargers per site for use by any EV owner. More
glimpse of the firm’s upcoming halo model. than 2000 hubs will be built globally by 2027.
OFFICIAL PICTURES
ASTON DBS TO BOW OUT IN STYLE BYD REVEALS ELECTRIC AUDI R8 RIVAL
The final iteration of the Aston Martin DBS will A rakish Audi R8-rivalling coupé called the U9
take the form of an ultra-limited special edition. has been unveiled by BYD. It will be badged as
Called the DBS 770 Ultimate, the V12-powered a Yangwang – the Chinese firm’s new premium
two-door coupé has been billed as the “flagship to electric car brand. BYD also revealed the U8, a
surpass them all”. A total of 499 will be made. hardcore Mercedes-Benz G-Class-like off-roader.
F
ive months of consecutive 700,000 lower than the figure
growth at the end of 2022 for 2019, the most recent
could not prevent UK ‘normal’ year.
new car sales falling to Despite the full year’s
their lowest ebb in 30 years, weakness, there was an 18%
according to the Society improvement in December
of Motor Manufacturers sales (which totalled 181,000
and Traders. cars). This was the latest gain in
The decline – blamed a trend the SMMT believes will
primarily on supply chain lead to a 15% improvement in
shortages, especially of 2023 sales to about 1.8 million
semiconductors – left total vehicles. The extra 190,000
sales at 1.61 million units, 2.0% vehicles will be worth around
lower than 2021’s Covid- £8.4 billion, it estimates.
affected levels and around Despite the difficulties of
FA LL IN UK NE W CA R R EGISTR ATIONS
2.8
MILLIONS
22
6
20
8
00
02
06
08
10
12
14
16
18
sectors, the car market’s slow prioritise deliveries of (more 11.6% market share.
19 9
19 9
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
R
ising used car prices are from around £50 three years by ignoring the regulations, can is the sale of salvaged parts it calls the “competitive
pushing those that would ago to about £350 today – undercut them. to trade and retail customers. arena” and classifying them
have previously been but this is still seemingly not Of the approximately 1.75 However, even here they are as “captive parts” available
written off or scrapped enough to tempt insurers million cars scrapped each year facing challenges, not least only from them.
back onto the roads, with many and owners to write off in the UK, around 500,000 in the way some car makers In addition, it said, car
vehicles being repaired by their damaged cars. bypass legal processing and restrict access to vital parts’ makers are designing systems
insurers rather than crushed In the UK, there are around disposal this way. identification data, despite to exclude independent
– and this has left the salvage 2000 officially licensed End That these operators the Motor Vehicle Block repairers in order to “gain
sector searching for aid. of Life Authorised Treatment exist has partly been blamed Exemption, an EU law retained monopoly powers over key
As a direct result of reduced Facilities (ATFs) – government- on cutbacks in government by the UK post-Brexit, imposed areas, including ADAS [active
new car supply and sluggish certified scrap merchants and council enforcement. to remove these barriers. safety] and EV systems”.
registrations, bangers that that can issue Certificates “Since 2008, enforcement UK AFCAR, an organisation The consequences of these
would normally be destined of Destruction as they meet has deteriorated and is comprising motor trade actions are being felt by ATFs,
for the crusher are now worth current environmental virtually non-existent,” said associations, breakdown according to Ambrose.
more than scrappers had standards. Some reclaim Chas Ambrose, association assistance firms and He said: “Block exemption
previously been willing to vehicle parts for resale, while secretary of the VRA. “A lot car retailers, as well as hasn’t worked. For example,
pay, meaning many cars are others separate out the various of legitimate businesses are representatives of the manufacturers put microchips
getting a second chance. metals for recycling. letting their licences go and SMMT, is among those in parts that make reselling
Covid has also contributed Both face competition from crossing the line. Enforcement reviewing the current law a component that has
to the shortage of scrap cars: what the Vehicle Recyclers’ departments have never ahead of its revision this year. been salvaged from a
fewer cars being driven during Association (VRA), the body recovered from austerity.” It claimed that car makers vehicle extremely difficult
the lockdowns meant fewer representing ATFs, estimates Faced with higher prices and their dealers are “stifling” without the necessary
were crashed and scrapped. to be at least 3000 illegal car- for scrap vehicles, a vital competition by restricting technical information, which
And the consequences of the breaking operations that, revenue stream for ATFs access to tier-one parts manufacturers control.”
pandemic linger on, with far suppliers as well as to vital Another problem ATFs face,
fewer vehicles being written ❝ technical information. said Ambrose, is accessing
off today than were written
off before the virus struck.
Despite its difficulties, the At the same time, it
said, car makers
detailed parts data,
without which they
As a result, the demand
for the recyclable parts and
industry’s value has perhaps are taking
increasing
235,000
can’t accurately
identify salvaged
precious metals they contain
has bumped prices of those doubled in the past five years numbers of
spare parts
Quantity in tonnes of EV
battery material predicted
parts for resale.
“Some
cars fit only for the crusher ❞ out of what
to be recycled in the UK
manufacturers
annually by 2040.
Source: Advanced
Propulsion
Recycling batteries
from end-of-life EVs
will be big business
Fresh demand for the services of End of Life Authorised Treatment Facilities is expected to come Superchargers is mounting. or much PR, Tesla finds
from an unlikely quarter in the shape of Stellantis. The car-making giant has announced plans to Parts shortages and itself with remarkably little
extend the life of its ICE cars by refurbishing them using parts recovered from end-of-life vehicles. logistical issues are hardly weaponry in its armoury
unique in the car industry to stimulate demand.
V
olvo CEO Jim Rowan has first lidar system Nvidia Odin chip that
Volvo
said the car maker’s in- fitted as standard can do 254 trillion
house next-generation on a production
claims that
operations per
JIM ROWAN’S KEY CHALLENGES
lidar can reduce
software will be its car, it is claimed second (TOPS). Volvo EX90 launch
the number of
“three-point digital seatbelt” to eventually This compares with The new electric flagship
serious accidents
in driving future product be capable of about one TOPS for SUV has been revealed with
by around
and safety innovations. “unsupervised automotive chips a a dual-motor powertrain
20%.
The Briton was a surprise driving”. decade ago. priced from £96,255, but
choice to replace Håkan According to Rowan, “The software stack, deliveries aren’t due until
Samuelsson at the Swedish the EX90 showcases how connecting the silicon to the 2024. Volvo is working on
firm in March last year, given Volvo will work with partner application layer, is the part lower-powered versions
all of his previous experience firms but keep development we really care about,” said and lesser trim levels,
had been in the tech industry, of key technology in-house. Rowan. “That for us is the potentially including with Volvo pushing further
most recently at Dyson. “Auto companies are three-point digital seatbelt. five-seat cars. Expect into the premium market.
Speaking to Autocar for the starting to understand “We have a team of prices for those to start
first time, he said he wants the next-generation silicon more than 700 people who at around £75,000. The future of saloons
EX90 – Volvo’s new flagship and its importance in write the perception and The firm has now launched
and first bespoke EV – to lead design,” he said. sensor fusion software. three electric SUVs: the
the automotive industry’s The EX90’s “application In other cases, firms have XC40 Recharge, C40
technological charge. layer” – meaning the lidar, outsourced that, but we Recharge and EX90. A
The £96,255 SUV – which radar, camera and other think it’s absolutely core, smaller ‘EX30’ will follow
is also key to Volvo’s target sensors – is powered by an so we’ve kept it in house.” in 2024. But it has yet to
of selling 1.2 million cars indicate plans for electric
(600,000 EVs) per year ❝ saloon or estate models.
by 2025 – is described as a
“software-driven” vehicle.
The EX90 uses a chip that can do Growth Sustainability
Thanks to a range of
advanced sensors and 254 trillion operations per second Volvo sold 483,304 cars
in the first 10 months of
Volvo has a goal to make
its production facilities
technology, including the ❞ last year, 15% of which
were EVs. The 2025 goal
carbon-neutral and to
reduce the life-cycle CO2
is 1.2 million, 50% of them emissions of each car
electric. That will require by 40% compared with
a major effort – especially 2018 levels by 2025.
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A of pre-Christmas
snow, a blizzard
blew through
shuffling of the pieces
might carry particular
resonance. Lando Norris
the likes of Lewis Hamilton
in GP2 (now Formula 2) at
ART. His stock rose during
needs? If not, he will go the
same way as Binotto.
Formula 1 as four of the 10 could be described as F1’s a brief spell at Renault and S E I D L B E TS O N AU D I
teams announced changes Jude Bellingham. Both are then at Sauber (competing Andreas Seidl built a
at the top. Ferrari, McLaren phenomenal young talents since 2019 as Alfa Romeo), towering reputation in his
and Alfa Romeo (which will with the world at their feet. and now he has the biggest three and a half years at
become Audi in 2026) head But while Bellingham will management job in racing. McLaren, but it’s telling that
into the new year with fresh face a wide choice of clubs Like Jean Todt in 1993, the former Porsche World
team principals while, as I vying for his services after Vasseur is an outsider Endurance Championship
write, exactly who will lead shining at the World Cup, coming in, but he has team chief has chosen to
the ranks at an increasingly Norris is tied until 2025 a crucial advantage: his return to the bosom of
sorry-looking Williams is to McLaren, a team that predecessor has already the Volkswagen Group by
shrouded in a blanket of has fallen way short of completed the hard yards by heading to Sauber now
midwinter fog. providing him the winning masterminding a return to rather than stick with
Parallels to a football car that he deserves. Will form with a quick car. Now the plan in Woking.
mentality on managers he negotiate a transfer? If the new boss must inspire The chance to lead a
are easy to draw. It wasn’t so, when? And who will the missing confidence and car-making giant into the
like this when F1 teams come in for him? strategic edge shown by Red premier league that it has
were owned and run by Bull and Mercedes-AMG. long avoided is tantalising
men of steel such as Colin THE BIGGEST JOB Winning becomes a for a German engineer
Chapman and Sir Frank As expected, Frédéric natural habit for the best of increasing repute,
Williams. Now those at Vasseur has switched from teams, but Vasseur has especially in comparison
the helms of increasingly Alfa Romeo to don the yet to taste even a single to what he leaves behind.
corporate entities tend Ferrari blazer after Mattia F1 victory himself. As in McLaren is banking on
to be mere employees, Binotto’s ‘resignation’. The football, patience will a new wind tunnel and
and in a results-driven Frenchman is well regarded run thin and quickly if he simulator that aren’t yet
business, it’s all too easy for his years of success on doesn’t deliver. But will he operational to make the
for them to cop the flak performance leap from
and pay the price when ❝ midfield mediocrity. But is
performances fall short.
Driver transfers are only
Those at the helm increasingly this team really a sleeping
giant or merely a dinosaur
half the story now – just as
player transfers are in the tend to be mere employees that could still slip into the
humiliating backmarker
beautiful game. Although ❞ territory it occupied a few
than his motorsport record suggests, but he competed for the love of it, and his efforts and
Jost Capito wasn’t
commitment drew in new fans who otherwise never would have watched rallying. To boot,
the saviour Williams
he was pivotal in setting a new direction for online video, now a vast and significant field.
so desperately needs
PAGANI HUAYRA R
Hypercar artisan extraordinaire makes a fully committed entry into track-only
machinery, this Huayra R sharing practically nothing with the Huayra
24 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 11 JANUARY 2023
t’s no exaggeration to say Its otherworldliness is
that the Pagani Huayra R quickly proved when I arrive at
might be the most gloriously the Vallelunga circuit near Rome
unnecessary car in the world. in a rented Fiat Panda. The first
The Italian company’s previous thing I hear is what seems to be
creations are hardly likely to be an old V12 Formula 1 race car on
used as daily drivers, but at least track, a howling, yowling exhaust
they can be used on public roads. note echoing around the empty
The Huayra R is both a track-only grandstands. Are we sharing
special and a piece of automotive the track with a Ferrari 412 T2?
art, a hypercar that feels frankly Leaning over the pitwall reveals
too beautiful to be risked in the that the noise is actually coming
environment it’s designed for. from the Pagani factory’s
Huayra R demonstrator, at a Despite integral air jacks to make Performance is predictably on this track not long ago, and
volume that will surely exceed the wheel changing easier, and which massive, but so is your sense of that felt edgy even when riding
limits at almost every track in the drop me excitingly as the engine is security once the slick tyres have on what the mechanics admitted
world. Apparently there is a quieter fired into life, getting rolling is easy, warmed through, with adjustable were gentleman racer’s suspension
exhaust option, but Pagani has been thanks to an anti-stall system and anti-lock braking and traction settings. The Huayra R feels more
allowed to come to Vallelunga with an electrically controlled clutch. control standing guard. solid, less frenetic on turn-in and
what are basically straight pipes. But the end of the pit lane brings a Although toweringly fast, the much more tolerant of mistakes.
Despite its name, the Huayra R sensory overload as the V12 starts to Huayra R is much less savage and It’s much happier over kerbs, too;
has almost nothing in common work. The exhaust note is glorious unforgiving than a true GT racer. I suspect it would cope well with
with any of the previous road-legal but almost uncomfortably loud, even By happy coincidence, I drove a a bumpier track. As speeds rise,
Huayra variants. The only shared through the padding of a helmet. Lamborghini Huracán Trofeo Evo the Huayra R’s huge rear wing
components are the door mirrors.
It sits on an ultra-light carbonfibre
frame built to satisfy FIA safety
standards (although there are no
plans to race it) plus a structural
naturally aspirated V12 engine
❝
Although toweringly fast,
made in Germany by HWA, that
being the former part of AMG that
Mercedes-Benz didn’t acquire.
Horacio Pagani insisted on a
it’s much less savage and
switch from the twin-turbocharged
V12 of the regular Huayra to reduce
unforgiving than a GT racer
mass and improve responses, but
the new 6.0-litre unit still makes
838bhp and revs to 9000rpm. It
drives the rear wheels through
❞
a Hewland dog-ring transmission.
It also needs to propel just 1050kg
of dry mass. So let’s call it around
1200kg with fluids and an
average-size driver.
The Huayra R is a track car but
definitely not a race car. That’s true
dynamically, with it giving you
a friendlier driving experience
than a real competition machine
would, and also because of the
dazzling high standards of fit and
finish that Horacio Pagani insists
on for all his cars. That applies to
not just the bits on show, including
optional naked carbonfibre
bodywork and beautiful yoke-type
steering wheel, but also to normally
invisible components, from milled
suspension arms to tiny bolts with Rate at which you slam up the ’box is incredible and accompanied by a spine-tingling scream
‘Pagani’ engraved on their heads.
TESTER’S NOTE
The new HWA V12 is
claimed to weigh just
198kg, meaning it’s
54kg less than the
less powerful AMG
twin-turbo V12 in the
road-legal Huayra
Roadster BC. MD
Driving experience isn’t as hardcore as expected, but you’d still better hit the gym beforehand
and diffuser also start to add to price tag that starts at €2.6 million
the sense of stability. With the (£2.3m) before taxes or any of the
wing in its highest downforce bespoke options that pretty much
setting, the car can generate every buyer has opted for.
1000kg of downforce at its top That’s an amount of money that
speed of 200mph. could pay for multiple seasons in
The biggest challenge with a real race car, but the Huayra R
getting the most out of the Huayra R is still one of the most spectacular
is a common one for track specials: machines to ever grace a track. If
the need to bring the levels of you ever get the chance to see one
physical strength necessary to deal in action, more especially to hear
with the high g-force loadings it can it, you should jump at the chance.
generate. I don’t think it’s unfair MIKE DUFF
to suspect that those capable of
paying the seven-figure price but PAGANI HUAYRA R
not wanting to actually go racing
might not possess motorsport levels Closer to art than to motorsport, but
of endurance. My neck muscles that’s praise rather than criticism,
were starting to fade after five laps, considering its target market
although the car showed no signs
of wilting, the massively powerful AAAAB
carbon-ceramic brakes still hauling Price €2,600,000 (£2,301,965)
off huge speeds without complaint. plus taxes
Let’s be honest, though: the Engine V12, 5998cc, petrol
Huayra R isn’t just about driving. Power 838bhp at 8250rpm
An owner won’t even need to leave Torque 550lb ft at 5500rpm
the pit lane of a high-end track day Gearbox 6-spd sequential, RWD
to be the most envied person there. Dry weight 1050kg
Horacio Pagani admits that he 0-60mph Less than 3.0sec
was uncertain about the reception Top speed 200mph
a track-only car would receive, Economy na
the Huayra R being such a radical CO2, tax band na
departure from its road-going RIVALS Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR
predecessors. He didn’t need to Pro, Lamborghini Essenza
worry: the full allocation of 30 SCV12, McLaren Solus GT
examples has been sold, despite a
W
ith the Funky Cat now plastics and microfibre, and it all ‘floating’ centre console are easily The Lightning Cat’s sporty
on sale in Europe and the seems generally well put together. accessible. There’s also a slot for front seats are noticeably lower
UK, Ora is no longer totally Also very good are the physical wireless phone charging, along with, than its back seats, and the front
unknown outside of China. switches and dials on the centre oddly, a sole cupholder. In a nice passenger’s doesn’t adjust for
The nascent marque, owned by the console for the climate control, touch, the Lightning Cat verbally height. At least they do also
giant Great Wall Motor company, is window demisting and drive modes, reminds you that you’ve left the key get a massage function,
busy expanding its range of electric and for once the USB ports under the in the car or a phone in the charger. heating and cooling.
cars, all of them with feline names.
This latest one, called the Lightning
Cat at home but the Next Cat over
here, is more grown-up than the
MG 4 EV-rivalling Funky Cat, being
a roughly Ford Mondeo-size saloon.
While the Lightning Cat has
quite a distinctive design, there’s
obvious Porsche inspiration and the
headlights look as if they’ve come
straight off a Mini but, ultimately,
the proportions just seem a bit off.
The interior is even more
memorable. Step inside and
you’re shown a start-up sequence of
digital cats, complete with meows,
going across the three instrument
dials and then onto the central
infotainment touchscreen.
The materials are of a good Stretched version of the Funky Cat hatchback or a Panamera that’s eaten too many Christmas treats?
quality with plenty of leather, soft
It’s quite happy doing this, but problems arise when you turn the wheel
Interior is an interesting blend of ’50s and modern, and nicely made too
❝
There aren’t any huge differences
between the Eco, Normal and Sport
drive modes, only really that Eco is
The synthetic noise and lack of dynamics leave particularly mild-mannered.
In addition, there are Custom
you feeling like you’re in a ’90s arcade machine and Goddess modes, the latter
making the steering even lighter,
V
ery few cars better symbolise And now we can say with some Unfortunately for Volvo, several Rear space is a little below the
how electrification is affecting confidence how few customers are rivals offer more battery capacity class average but still sufficient for
car design and opening up the likely to notice. This is a car with for similar money and would more growing kids or smaller adults.
art of the possible than the many Volvo-typical strengths but dependably carry you 200 miles or The boot is a good size and well
single-motor Volvo C40 Recharge. an unlikely one to be a choice for so whatever the weather. furnished with hooks and the like.
Having joined the dual-motor C40 anyone comparing EV rivals on The C40 has plenty of accessible Material quality feels quite high
in production midway through last paper. It doesn’t invite much driver acceleration. It doesn’t feel hyper- inside, while the digital technology
year, it’s broadly what you would engagement. Its performance and sensitive to throttle inputs, nor is clearly presented, simple in
expect. It costs a bit less, it has one handling are of the kind for which does it flood its front wheels with theme and easy enough to navigate.
driven axle rather than two and it adjectives like ‘fine’ and ‘okay’ could so much torque as to trouble the This is the kind of EV to be used
has a slightly smaller battery. But have been coined. But it’s comfy, traction control or bring on much and lived with, then – not noticed,
dig a little deeper and you will find quiet, pleasant, well equipped, steering corruption. Rather, it’s easy enjoyed or often remarked upon.
one key technical point that would reasonably practical and, as it’s quite to drive and assured of character. It really ought to offer better range,
have made a 20th-century product compact, fairly easy to manoeuvre. Yet even around the national speed and the 2024 version will, of course.
planner’s eyes roll. While the 2023- The C40 is the ‘coupé’ sister of the limit it has plenty of overtaking But if there’s any reason to hold on
model-year C40 (tested here, having XC40 SUV. I’ve often been stuck to urge; and at low speeds, while the for the rear-motor version, I would
just joined Volvo UK’s press fleet) find rational reasons why someone regenerative braking and pedal feel guess that might be the only one.
has its motor on its front axle, the might buy such a car, but the age can be a bit inconsistent, it isn’t hard MATT SAUNDERS
2024-model-year C40 (which you’re of the EV is making it easier. Volvo to drive smoothly with practice. @thedarkstormy1
more likely to get if you put down a says the single-motor C40 can go Grip, agility and body control
deposit today, production being due 4% farther on the motorway than combine to conjure the air of VOLVO C40 RECHARGE PLUS
to start this summer) will have its the equivalent XC40, thanks to its maturity and measure that you
motor on its rear axle instead. more aerodynamic design, which would expect of a Volvo. Ride An appealing blend of compactness,
This will yield better cruising the lab tests confirm. It’s not much, comfort is typically good too, with practicality and relaxing character,
efficiency and a useful torque gain – especially on a car that declined to plenty of suppleness out of town but its range really should be longer
and make this C40 the first car in my ever promise more than 180 miles but little pitching or wallowing and
two decades of experience to switch on a full charge, but where range is just a bit of surface roar from the AAABC
layout midway through its life cycle. concerned, more is definitely more. 19in wheels on coarser surfaces. Price £53,100
Engine Permanent magnet
synchronous motor
Power 228bhp
Torque 243lb ft
Gearbox 1-spd reduction gear, FWD
Kerb weight 1970kg
0-62mph 7.4sec
Top speed 99mph
Battery 69/67kWh (total/usable)
Range, 270 miles,
economy 3.1-3.5mpkWh
CO2, tax band 0g/km, 2%
RIVALS Audi Q4 E-tron Sportback,
C40’s ride takes priority over dynamism; it has an interior ambience to match Nissan Ariya, VW ID 5
D
on’t even think the C-word.
The LMC MKII FIA isn’t an
AC/Shelby Cobra, regardless
of what your eyes are telling
you. This puts it in fine company,
the Cobra being one of the most
copied cars in history, with rival
rights holders having sued at points
over official status. But although
this car – sold by Le Mans Coupes
of West Sussex – isn’t a sanctioned
continuation, it offers a very similar
driving experience to the original. Ford V8 supplies effortless performance and, for the brave, handling adjustability; cabin looks original, for better and worse
The Cobra was born from the
marriage of light British bodywork
and brutal American power, but it what was one of the world’s fastest original set of carburettors. This nor is it one of the myriad knock-off
had to evolve throughout its life as cars, and although tyre technology means there’s none of the low-down ‘Fauxbras’ that have shadowed AC’s
it struggled to stay competitive on has advanced massively since then, lumpiness common to highly tuned icon for the past 60 years. Branding
track, which is why LMC offers cars there are no active safety features. carbed engines, and apart from the aside, it feels like the real thing.
corresponding with different eras. Therefore the relationship between knee strength needed to work the MIKE DUFF
You can buy a replica of the early this car’s 410bhp V8 (a non-original heavy clutch and the need to muscle
‘slab-side’ car, a MKIII to represent 5.7 litres) and the rear wheels is the steering when manoeuvring, it’s
the late ‘427’ or indeed the MKII FIA, entirely down to your right foot. easy to drive at everyday speeds.
LMC MKII FIA
which fits between these extremes, There’s more than enough Even looking like it has just left Has all the strengths (and foibles) of
representing what’s often called the adhesion to allow rapid progress a pit lane, its suspension is pliant a true 1960s road racer. Possibly
‘289’, with ‘FIA’ referring to changes without undue drama. However, enough for acceptable comfort even better than the real thing
made for race homologation. the combination of the unassisted on lumpy roads. LMC reckons
So although it’s wider and more steering’s relatively low gearing and this makes it much more suited to AAAAC
muscular than the original, with a the way the rear axle surrenders everyday use than the much more Price £118,000
sizeable bonnet vent, the MKII FIA grip when pushed soon discourages aggressive MKIII, and beyond the Engine V8, 5686cc, petrol
sits on the earlier 3in tubular-frame any inclination to explore the outer inevitable buffeting from the lack of Power 410bhp at 5400rpm
chassis and uses transverse leaf- reaches of the handling envelope a roof or side glazing, it cruises well. Torque 400lb ft at 3000rpm
spring rear suspension, this linking on tight and bumpy back roads. It I did find one initially terrifying Gearbox 5-spd manual, RWD
the top of the hubs on each side. does feel like it would be a riot on foible: the heavily offset driving Kerb weight 1220kg
It certainly feels like an authentic a wide, open race track, though. position means the clutch is where 0-60mph 4.5sec (est)
1960s experience, with heavy A few changes have been made to your right foot expects to find the Top speed 160mph (est)
control weights and a chassis that allow the MKII to pass the IVA test, brake. However, I soon learned to Economy na
makes clear that it has a limited including discreet exhaust catalysts cover the clutch with my left foot to CO2, tax band na
tolerance for any amateur mistakes. and a fuel injection system, albeit better orientate the tight footwell. RIVALS AC Cobra, Shelby Cobra
This is close to a spot-on replica of one that manages to look like an The MKII may not be a Cobra, but
TESTER’S NOTE
The array of chrome-
bezelled instrument
dials in the centre of
the dashboard look
period-correct but are
too small to be easily
read on the move. MD
No 5606
Citroën Ami
PHOTOGRAPHY MAX EDLESTON
Is tiny Citroën the future of urban motoring or a G-Wiz reborn in funkier wrapping?
MODEL TESTED COLOUR
Price £8095 Power 8bhp Torque 29lb ft 0-60mph na 30-70mph na Economy 7.1mpkWh CO2 emissions 0g/km 70-0mph na
maxm
980m
1525mm
63 litres
max
mm
950
2410mm Front cabin is spacious and, given the passenger and driver sit offset, feels more
so than the width would suggest.
PA R K I N G
Typical parking space width (2400mm)
Typical garage height
1525mm
H E AD LI G HTS
LED headlights are standard
and the only option. There’s
no main beam but they’re
surprisingly bright – easily 10mm
good enough for the speed
the Ami shows. Centre Indents in floor are meant to stop wheelie bags rolling out of position but aren’t
particularly effective. Hook above is better if you want to prevent luggage moving.
standard three-pin adapter or bit old-school that the key to unlock anything else it is, because it’s so perhaps alarmingly close to your
Type 2 converter (supplied), and the doors is separate from the one few steps up from walking, a place head, the welded steel framework
whose cable folds into a neat recess that operates the ignition. to sit and be transported. Private that you wouldn’t want to make
behind the passenger door. On a The doors open wide and transport and mobility in its purest contact with in an accident.
standard domestic plug it takes a easily, and are extremely light. form: and there’s something to like Quadricycles do not undergo
bit over three hours to charge from The Ami is low and small so it’s about that. the same crash tests as cars.
empty to full (3hr 15min on our no easier to get in or out of than a Two seats, then. They’re both Flick the key. As a driver, look
watch), at which point the indicated conventional car – though you are hard and the driver’s is the only down to your left and you will
range – we will come back to this likely to have more space around one that slides fore and aft. The see Drive, Neutral and Reverse
– is 45 miles. Again, what’s after you in a car park. backs are fixed, as is the steering buttons by the seat. There’s
decimal points counts. Inside you will find two seats, wheel and two pedals. There’s a a conventional mechanical
There are various other laws a steering wheel and a lot more wiper and indicator stalk, and handbrake. As for controls,
that define a quadricycle but an plastic than on the outside. three buttons for the hazard that’s almost your lot.
important one we will also return Although this is a basic vehicle warning lights, fan and heater. There is, however, a place to
to is that the top speed has to be with little equipment, we will There’s no central interior mirror secure a phone on the dashboard,
limited, so it is, to 27.9mph. spend more time talking about the but two small round external ones with a USB socket and an optional
interior than in most luxury cars. that can both be reached through final button on the steering wheel,
INTERIOR Not because there’s too little to talk the half-windows, which unlatch which would, if you set it up right,
AAABC about in the ‘Performance’ section, and swing upwards like a 2CV’s. activate the voice control on your
What’s this? A key? Actually we but because honestly the Ami is You can reach them both from phone so you don’t have to touch
don’t mind that at all, although it’s a all about its inside. More than the driver’s seat. You can also see, the screen.
Lower portion of the window swings open and, There are orange pulls to close each door, with Three dash inserts include a cupholder, which is
at least when new, sticks at your chosen angle. It’s separate tags to release the catches, so the driver is quite a stretch from the driver’s seat. Holder behind
a toss-up whether this or the fan is ultimately louder. ahead of them and the passenger is behind them. the wheel is designed for a stand-alone speaker.
Multimedia system
The Ami comes with no infotainment of its own, so if
you really want to assess the sounds and navigation,
you’ll have to take a look at your phone instead.
There is, though, a phone holder that slots into the
dash and there’s a small shelf beneath it on which to
rest the device. It grips a device well and you can move
it and spin it depending on your preferred orientation.
And it’s honestly no more difficult to push a button
on a screen this way than on any conventional car’s
touchscreen. A USB charger socket sits beneath it, too.
Models above the base Ami include a piece of
hardware that allows the smartphone to hook up to a
steering wheel button that, with the right app download,
then allows one-push voice control. If you do want to
hear some sounds loudly, though, you’ll have to provide
your own speaker – and remember there’s only one USB
socket to power whichever devices you put into the Ami.
There are neat touches elsewhere falling onto your feet, with 260 litres now and again. You can negate it by less. And at the bottom end, it starts
as the Ami makes a virtue of its of space beneath it. carrying a touch less open throttle. to get perilous.
basicness. The plastic cubbies on Lift off completely and there’s An example: we set off with 17
the dash are removable – the closest
PERFORMANCE very little feeling of regeneration; miles of indicated range on some
you can get to changing the car’s ABCCC although the motor is still hooked roads where maintaining 28mph
colour – but here matched to the Well, it’s smooth. Let’s leave it at that, up to the wheels and acting that was straightforward. After six
colour atop the broad netted door shall we? No? We must go on? Righto. way, the Ami rolls as convincingly miles, a warning light came on to
bins and the fabric door pulls. The Ami doesn’t have a creep as any sub-500kg car is likely to. suggest we were running short of
A netted divider creates space for function but in gear it resists rolling Brake pedal feel is really good range (six miles were indicated),
a carry-on-sized bag beyond the of its own accord, and throttle and it stops very quickly. There’s and at an indicated three miles it
passenger footwell, though the response is easy and smooth. no ABS so it’s up to the driver to went into a limp mode.
hook above it is essential to prevent This is a simple car to get rolling. modulate, but that’s easily done. Like a radio-controlled
anything in there from toppling out. If you’re looking for incremental And even if you do lock a tyre, car running low on battery,
Given there’s a relatively flat open acceleration figures, well, keep it probably won’t matter. performance reduced to the extent
floor, having loose groceries rolling looking, but it will hit 20mph from What we do need to talk about, that it took more than 40 seconds
around by the driver’s feet is a rest in a little over six seconds (it’s though, is range. Drive solely on to reach a top speed downhill and
suboptimal situation. quite gravity dependent) and go 20/30mph roads in built-up urban refused to get out of the teens on an
There’s a small area behind the on to a top speed of 28mph in traffic, where you would rarely incline. Eventually, the Ami said we
seats (600x300x260mm) that would about 10 seconds. trouble the modest top speed, and had one mile of range left, just 10
take shopping bags, but otherwise It will maintain that speed up you will do okay – in fine weather, miles after setting off with 17 on the
the footwell is the only storage area most hills and on a downhill might where you don’t need the heater or indicator. It was about 10deg C and
– and the rear window doesn’t open even stretch to 31/32mph. wiper or fan, you are likely to get drizzly, granted, and no doubt you
to post long loads through. Maintaining a 28mph cruise, your 40 miles. would get accustomed to how
Citroën expects that many though, is best done on part- But spend any prolonged time at it behaved and act accordingly,
Amis will be used as urban delivery throttle. If you’re wide open on or around the car’s top speed, which but still – worryingly poor.
vehicles – the payload is 95kg and the gas, the Ami hesitates for a few is eminently possible in suburban If running at its top speed –
if you spec the Cargo pack, there’s seconds, every few seconds, like rather than congested city centre which is very much urban driving,
a better divider that stops boxes a bad taxi driver lifting off slightly surroundings, and you’re looking at albeit uninterrupted – the Ami’s
Light cars tend to be fun cars, and this one is too. But in most driving environments, the crashy ride, noise and lack of grunt are more likely to define your experience of it.
Both doors are identical (one hinged at the front, the other at the rear); central LCD display shows the speed and the miles of range left; glass roof lets in light at the front.
performance is hard to make a case quite upright. If that reminds you to 67dBA – louder than a Renault circa-£13,000 Dacia Sandero – by a
for. And as for driving it on any of the original Smart City Coupé or Mégane at 70mph. big margin. But this is still at least a
40mph, 50mph or, heaven forbid, Mercedes-Benz A-Class, you will Head to the top speed and it’s £7695 vehicle on the road.
national speed limit roads, for remember that they could suffer 71dBA in here. The motor whines On a PCP finance deal, you’re
almost any length of time – forget it. from instability. You would have away, too, and the ride is noisy – looking at putting £770 down and
Take a bus. to be indulging in some extreme as well as crashily uncomfortable. paying £100 a month for 47 months
manoeuvres to tip an Ami over, but This wouldn’t be so bad if you were and still owing £4418 on it. If you
H A N D L I N G A N D S TA B I L I T Y from that viewpoint it’s probably going fast. But we’re still talking want a splash of colour (though
AAAAC better it’s limited to 28mph. the realms of being overtaken by grey is the only base colour), you
Given an Ami weighs less than impatient drivers on 30mph roads. can add £20 or so to the monthlies.
500kg, it would be hard to go
C O M F O R T A N D I S O L AT I O N The fan, at least, clears the Citroën does say you can run an
wrong here. Almost every small, ABCCC windscreen relatively quickly – Ami from £19.99 a month, though
lightweight car is fun to an extent Well, at least when it’s running though if you need to give it a this requires nearly a three-grand
and so too is the Ami. It’s front- at idle and there’s no heater or quick rub to demist, the inside deposit and leaves a £5000 balloon
drive, but given the paucity of fan blowing, there’s no more of the screen is the one window payment after two years, so this
power and torque, it doesn’t trouble noise in an Ami than is ambient. that’s too far away to wipe. And wouldn’t be our recommended
grip at the front, nor torque steer. Enjoy that while it lasts. This is if there’s a build-up of water or way to get into one.
The steering is light, unassisted an astonishingly noisy car given grime on the outside, visibility How much an Ami costs to
and 3.9 turns lock to lock. its low speed. can be surprisingly poor to the charge will come down to your
That’s not a number that suggests Partly it’s sound from outside. front three-quarter, as well as domestic tariff – but good work
it’s massively responsive, but bear Listening back to our voice notes, around the thick B-pillars and in could be achieved here. And if you
in mind the wheels turn so much you can hear passing traffic more the small mirrors. For a car that’s do the kind of driving that gets 40
that the entire turning diameter than in any other car. so exposed, that’s troubling. miles out of it, you will be looking
is just 7.2m – as little as some cars’ But most of the noise is of its at over seven miles per kWh. Even
turning radii. own making. Switching the fan on –
BUYING AND OWNING if you don’t get the full 40, the Ami
So there’s some fun to be had. louder than a hand dryer in a public AAACC is a particularly efficient car. And
All that said, it’s very short, with a loo and about as effective – took the The Ami is cheaper than the let’s face it, there isn’t a great
footprint not far off square and it’s interior noise from 37dBA ambient cheapest new car on sale – the deal to go wrong.
AC C E L E R AT I O N
Citroën Ami Colour (15deg C, damp)
Standing quarter mile na, standing km na, 30-70mph na, 30-70mph in fourth na
10mph 20mph
1.8s 6.3s
0 1s 2s 3s 4s 5s 6s
Renault Twizy Colour (2012, 11deg C, dry)
Standing quarter mile 26.6sec at 48.0mph, standing km na, 30-70mph na, 30-70mph in fourth na
10mph 20mph
2.0s 4.3s
0 1s 2s 3s 4s
B R A K I N G 60-0mph: na
Citroën Ami Colour (15deg C, damp)
20mph-0
5.7m
0
Renault Twizy Colour (2012, 11deg C, dry)
20mph-0 30mph-0 50mph-0
4.3m 9.8m 33.2m
0 10m 20m 30m
EQUIPMENT CHECKLIST
Disc front brakes
Steel wheels T E C H N I C A L L AYO U T
Heater The steel spaceframe appears to have been welded by hand, given the quality
Alloy wheels na of the visible welds in the cabin. An ABS plastic body is mounted atop. The front-
Air conditioning na mounted motor draws its modest power from the 5.5kWh battery towards the rear.
Stereo na Suspension comprises MacPherson struts at the front and semi-trailing arms aft.
Power steering na To match the unassisted everything else, the rack-and-pinion steering is unassisted.
Electric windows na
Central locking na MOTORS CHARGING ECONOMY
Alarm na Installation Front, differential, PERFORMANCE TEST MPG Average 7.1mpkWh
Remote locking na front-wheel drive, Claimed peak rates 3.6kW (AC) Range 39 miles
Towhook na Type Permanent magnet DC test peak/
Tinted windows na synchronous motor average rate na CLAIMED Average 8.4mpkWh
Satellite navigation na Power 8bhp Range 46 miles
Torque 29lb ft
Options in bold fitted to test car Battery type Lithium ion
= Standard na = not available Battery capacity 5.5kWh (usable)
Battery voltage 48V
Power to weight 17bhp per tonne
Torque to weight 62lb ft per tonne
E M I S S I O N S & TA X
CO2 emissions 0g/km
Tax at 20/40% pcm £2.70/£5.40
AC C E L E R AT I O N AC C E L E R AT I O N I N R E S I D UA L S
MPH TIME (sec) KICKDOWN
25
0-10 1.8 mph TIME (sec)
0-20 6.3 10-20 4.5 Smart Fortwo EQ Exclusive
0-30 – 20-40 – 20
0-40 – 30-50 –
0-50 – 40-60 – Dacia Sandero 1.0 TCe Essential
15
Value (£1000s)
0-60 – 50-70 –
0-70 – 60-80 –
0-80 – 70-90 – 10
0-90 – 80-100 –
0-100 – 90-110 – 5
0-110 – 100-120 –
0-120 – 110-130 – Citroën Ami Colour
0-130 – 120-140 – 0
New 1 year 2 years 3 years 4 years
0-140 – 130-150 –
THE SMALL PRINT Power-to-weight and torque-to-weight figures are calculated using manufacturer’s claimed kerb weight. © 2023,
Haymarket Media Group Ltd. Test results may not be reproduced without editor’s written permission. For information on the Ami, contact
Citroën UK Ltd, Pinley House, 2 Sunbeam Way, Coventry, West Midlands, CV3 1ND (0800 197 2046, citroen.co.uk). Cost-per-mile figures R OA D T E S T N o 5 6 0 6
calculated over three years/36,000 miles, including depreciation and maintenance but not insurance; Lex Autolease (0800 389 3690).
Insurance quote covers 35-year-old professional male with clean licence and full no-claims bonus living in Swindon; quote from Liverpool
Victoria (0800 066 5161, lv.com). Contract hire figure based on a three-year lease/36,000-mile contract including maintenance; Wessex
Fleet Solutions (01722 322888). Read all of our road tests autocar.co.uk
38 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 11 JANUARY 2023
ROAD TEST
Testers’
notes
MATT PRIOR
The single
wiper leaves a
big area to the
right uncleaned. In lousy
weather, the visibility on
approach to roundabouts
can be really poor.
MATT
SAUNDERS
Folding and
stuffing the
cable into its little
storage cubby
is surprisingly fiddly.
Spec advice
There’s not a lot of
choice – pick the colour
highlights you want and,
if you’re using it for local
deliveries, definitely spec
VERDICT the Cargo variant or have
boxes under your feet.
AABCC
Cleverly conceived but hard to recommend given its capability Jobs for
the facelift
e find it hard not to feel conflicted about the Ami. This is an intelligently Extend the wiper’s
W
reach.
conceived car that’s built down to a price and for a very specific purpose – and we Quieten the fan.
Improve the range.
tend to like light, simple cars that have straightforward jobs and do them well.
And in the absolute right set of circumstances, it works.
But for all of that, it’s painful to drive in all but the slowest of urban areas. There’s
little luggage space, in poor conditions it’s hard to see out of and on anything other than
congested roads it feels utterly perilous. And if you do find yourself staying at its top speed
for prolonged periods, that eats into its modest range.
We’re loath to make new versus used comparisons in road tests because it’s almost always
unfair on the new vehicle, but in the Ami’s case there are so few competitors, and its use
case is so very, very limited, that it’s hard not to consider something older but far more
accommodating and easier to live with. If it’s for strictly slow-urban use, gets you off a
scooter, or your business would benefit in terms of branding, by all means take a look. But
beyond a very specific set of criteria, it’s incredibly difficult to recommend.
R OA D 1 2
TEST
R I VA L S
KIA PICANTO 1 CITROEN AMI COLOUR BIRO BIG AIXAM VISION CROSSOVER MICRO ELECTRIC
Verdicts A car, not a quadricycle, One of few quadricycles on sale Smaller than the Ami outside A long-standing name in the To be available as ‘ME’ or ‘Carry
on every but if you can bear that, this is and backed by a known brand. In and in. Available with plenty quadricycle business, Aixam has ME’ box van/pick-up versions.
new car, the preferable option in most use the right niche, there's nothing of body protection, but if you a 479cc diesel twin engine and The two-seat passenger model
p72 cases. One of Britain’s cheapest quite like it, but it operates well want to be enclosed it’s the a one-speed gearbox. Look to a comes only in ‘High Speed’ spec,
cars is a seriously good one. only in limited circumstances. ‘Big’ version. Pricey. motorhome seller for imports. but these things are relative.
AAAAC AABCC
Price £13,400 £8095 £14,988 £13,000 (est) £11,999
Power, torque 66bhp, 71lb ft 8bhp, 29lb ft 4.4bhp, na 8bhp, na 10bhp, na
0-62mph, top speed 14.1sec, 100mph na, 28mph na, 28mph na, 38mph na, 48mph
Economy, range 58.9mpg, 110g/km (CO2) 8.4mpkWh, 46 miles na, 24 miles 45mpg (est), na na, 93 miles
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boulevard c u re ly sig n a ls a new firm
s t r iv a l out there
G s fi n e
for it to A M t h e t h e o r y against the
e test s
R ichard Lan PHO TO G R A P H Y M A X EDLE
STON
eople like Timo supercar, in the process making the Indeed, few engines are more
P
Nordheim have AMG GT Roadster redundant. recognisable either from behind
been embellishing Question is, which AMG exactly the wheel or from the pavement
the Mercedes-Benz SL are we getting here? Is it the one than AMG’s monster M177 4.0-litre
story since the early that turned out the gullwinged SLS V8, which has been in service for
1990s, piping habanero sauce into from scratch and created a modern many years but for the SL gains new
dishes that you would never expect icon? Is it the one that makes the intake and exhaust plumbing as well
to blow your head off. As engine E63 uber-saloon, in all its softer as a specific oil pan. In our SL 55, it
builders at AMG, for them it’s all but still perfectly judged, 600bhp makes a relatively tame 469bhp but
part of a day’s work. Nordheim glory? Or is it the one that’s gone off also a robust 516lb ft of torque, this
and his many forebears have disastrously half-cocked with the from only 2000rpm. Not the most
been behind the rortiest, the most four-cylinder plug-in hybrid C63? exciting figures, but if that’s what
unhinged (hello, Black Series) and With the help of one very capable you want, the 195mph SL 63 will
occasionally the most sublime SLs, rival, today we will find out. be your thing. There the same V8
as was the case when the debonair Note, though, that on the SL’s is boosted to 577bhp and 590lb ft.
R129 was loaded with the 518bhp international launch, AMG CTO And with electrical assistance, the
7.3-litre V12 that AMG later supplied Jochen Hermann did juicily preface upcoming PHEV will be beefier still.
to Pagani. There has been so much everything with something of a (Note that there’s a 375bhp, four-pot
to love, and yet in SL lore AMG was mic-drop moment. “When you SL 43 at the foot of the ladder, too.)
never more than a mere flavour. look back into the history of the As well as their powerplants, the
Then, last year, big changes. SL, you see that it all began with SL 55 and SL 63 share a nine-speed
The launch of the R232 SL signalled motorsport,” he said. “With the new automatic gearbox, 4Matic+ four-
to the world that custodianship of model, we’ve attempted to make wheel drive and a rear-steering set-
the model name, not to mention that link again.” Punchy. Never up, but there the similarities end.
the engineering programme, had mind the Porsche 911 Carrera GTS The suspension of our SL 55 is
been transferred away from the Cabriolet we’ve got in tow; maybe controlled by semi-active dampers
mother ship to Timo’s lot. That’s we should have bagged a 911 GT3! and traditional anti-roll bars, while
right: the aristocratic old SL given Despite the boulevard aesthetic the SL 63 has a compensatory, cross-
to potty-mouthed AMG. It’s like of the new car, Hermann has a linked hydraulic system similar to
leaving your angelic grandma in point. This latest SL is the first SL that devised by McLaren. It sounds
the care of Noel Gallagher. Which, in history to feature back seats for sophisticated, and given the SL 63
in fairness, could be hilarious. a broader remit, it has returned to costs a Ferrari Portofino-matching
It means Nordheim and co will a rakish fabric roof and it’s nudging £175,000, it should be. Meanwhile,
no longer be external contractors 1900kg at the kerb, which are all the SL 55 comes in at just under
roped in to amp up the SL ad hoc. resolutely unmotorsporty things, £150,000, for which you also miss
Their work will be fundamental to but the AMG-built aluminium out on active engine mounts and
every SL built. AMG versions of this platform that it uses is absolutely a maximum-attack electronically
long-snouted grand tourer will no fresh and will be shared with the controlled limited-slip differential. Every AMG engine is hand-signed by its builder
longer be soft-bellied, Sindelfingen- upcoming second-generation GT. So maybe in this trim, we’re not
made machines tickled around the Given the wild success Mercedes experiencing this repositioned SL at
chassis, stuffed with V8 muscle has enjoyed on track with the GT3 its most expressive and rewarding.
and sent out to dice with more racer, a replacement is surely a Then again, does a bespoke AMG
bespoke-built prize fighters from given – and, well, there you have a model actually need the technology
other makes. Instead, in a radical genuine motorsport link to the SL. toybox thrown at it to compete
overhaul of the famous model’s Thanks to Nordheim, we can also against something as polished as
ethos, they will be conceived and dismiss the half-cocked, downsizing the 911 Carrera GTS Cabriolet, at
developed from the ground up in scenario. His signature is found on which this SL 55 is pretty squarely
Affalterbach, meaning that AMG our car’s engine cover, just above aimed, with its back seats and
is no longer just a flavour of SL but and to the side of the spot where ambitious total sports car remit?
instead the flavour of SL. It’s a full the hot-vee turbochargers nestle, This Mercedes certainly makes
personality transplant, aimed at inches from the ram-air intake. extremely short work of the long,
turning the SL from topless grand AMG builds only one hot-vee cold stint from London up to the Fewer cylinders, fewer driveshafts, more MPG
tourer into the drop-top sports-cum- motor, and it ain’t no four-pot. North York Moors. Atmosphere
❝
It’s like leaving your
angelic grandma in the
care of Noel Gallagher
❞
The
fabric roofs on
both cars go up and
down easily enough and on
the move. Both cars also offer
decent protection from wind
buffeting, although the SL’s
deflector has to be put in place
manually, which feels a bit
incongruous on such an
expensive car.
counts for so much in these kinds provide extra space. However, the Phenomenal driving position,
of cars, and the SL’s cockpit does the ability to keep luggage safely, neatly mind. And the central tachometer
endless-bonnet/high-scuttle thing secured and out of sight is useful. is just spot on – refreshing, even,
with conviction but stops short of The 911 has the same problem, of after Mercedes’ pixels. You get a
subscribing to the claustrophobic, course, but then it’s not trying to thoroughbred ambience in here
pillbox-style environment of the cover all the bases of an outright that’s sorely lacking in the SL,
current, soon-to-be-retired GT. You grand tourer. It’s the first sign that whose cabin feels in some ways
don’t feel quite so buried within this this SL might just be a bit confused. derived from more mainstream
car, backside cosying up to the back No question, though: AMG’s cars, which it is. The 911 instantly
axle, and isolation from road roar is effort outshines Porsche’s, with feels more bespoke and special, if
truly in another league not only to its highly sprung, engine-cradling, less materially comforting and less
that of the thuggish GT but also to noise-generating rear axle, when adept at dissolving giant mileages.
the 911. Surrounded by leather and it comes to covering big distances. Back to the driving experience
crisp digital displays (which I could Once on the moors, it also proves and, as you begin to push the 911
take or leave, although they do itself to be crushingly effective harder on the way into and out of
declutter the transmission tunnel cross-country, that plush motorway corners, it exhibits more edginess,
nicely), you could reel off 500 miles damping holding strong in the face this time at the other axle, as flashes
in the SL without thinking, not least of turbulent, rutted road surfaces of oversteer enter the fray before
because the ride quality in Comfort and the 4Matic+ chassis generating the electronics cut in. For those
mode is so well judged and the V8 so so much traction that even all first few miles of B-road, you
unobtrusive. Very nice. But equally, the V8 beans in second gear fails almost hold it at arm’s length,
where’s the AMG-ness? to unsettle things. Body control, like you would an obnoxious cat.
If you keep the powertrain and whether for roll, pitch or squat, is There’s even a world in which this
suspension modes backed off, the genuinely superb and a fine canvas test now ends and the SL edges it,
new SL does a rather good job of for the car’s performance. being the finer cruiser and, while
being the old two-seat SL, albeit The showpiece engine duly far from boring, also that much
without the opulently light-infused comes alive in anything more more reassuring on the charge.
cabin and the cavernous boot – both aggressive than the default Comfort But then the 911 clicks, just as, in
of which were among the R231’s mode, casually ripping through fairness, these rear-engined coupés
defining elements. Mercedes would the gears. In this application, the from Weissach almost always do.
reasonably argue that the rear seats M177 isn’t as animalistic as it is in Perhaps it has taken longer today
the GT, but a 7000rpm scope and on account of the fact that, as a
sharp responsiveness for such GTS model with Turbo-derived
a burly brute of a motor mean suspension and a lower ride height
it makes short work of the car’s than standard, this particular 911
considerable mass. You begin to Cabriolet is a tad further out of its
wonder just how easily the 911 – comfort zone on a cold, wet moors
with 473bhp, ever so slightly more road than it would otherwise be.
powerful than its foe and also But boy does it click, and now you’re
an almost unbelievable 255kg really dialled into the experience.
lighter – will be able to keep up… You realise that what passes
At first it wouldn’t. Where the for steering feel in the heavy SL
SL imparts an easy confidence, is simply weight and that the new
the 911 feels tetchy. Sure, these EPAS system is much more heavily
roads are damp and this particular filtered than that in the 911. Neither
Carrera GTS Cabriolet is solely of these racks possesses the detail
rear-driven (and optioned with of the hydraulically assisted system
rear steering), but the stiffer car’s in the GT, but the 911’s does offer
dynamic friskiness is down to more real communication once you’re in
than the lack of front driveshafts. fingertip tune with it. The SL offers
After the SL, whose front tyres are intuitive gearing and reassuring
Not objectively sub- pressed into the road by the weight weight, but that’s it. In combination
par, but isn’t it a bit of its engine, the steering in the 911 with a firm brake pedal that’s full of
too E-Class in here? seems light and disconnected and feel, this means you quickly learn to
the nose more willing to wash wide. draw the 911’s nose into corners
with grip and accuracy. The It will tighten its line on the throttle overlooked the heights that Porsche
SL will do this as well, but there’s (although not by you coming off it, has hit with this 3.0-litre turbo unit.
much less meaning and reward to unlike the 911) but doesn’t do so Only when you put it up against a
it, just a command well executed. as naturally as any longitudinally certified blockbuster like the M177
The 911’s natural agility also engined roadster from Affalterbach (more civilised calibration or not)
begins to tell, and this is where no should. It clings doggedly onto that do you realise just how damn good it
level of locked-down composure feeling of stability that seems to is. And the performance with which
or grip is going to help the SL. It’s be its chosen calling card. It’s all it endows the 911… The Porsche is
simply too tubby to be considered very ‘fast grand tourer’, rather than the faster of the two here, all right.
a proper sports car, and while the ‘proper sports car’ and again makes So where does this leave us? It’s
big body never pulls the car off your you wonder: where’s the AMG-ness? pretty clear-cut, I would say. One
chosen line or out of shape, you feel Meanwhile, the 911 is trickier to way of framing the verdict is to ask:
as though it might, which is total balance but rewards precision and does the reinvented SL get closer
anathema to any great driver’s car. is willing to dance. It’s more fun. to being a sports car than the 911
On the other hand, once you’re What I wasn’t expecting was gets to being a long-legged grand
on the 911’s level, it will happily dart the extent to which this sentiment tourer? Because if it does, chapeau
this way and that, and it carries applies to the powertrain. Sorry, AMG, as the result would be pretty
pace through a quick S-bend that Timo. Your V8 is magnificent in compelling, even at £150,000. But
necessitates a confidence dab of so many ways, but next to the 911’s no. The AMG is a fine cruiser, but
braking in the SL. Where the SL twin-turbocharged flat six, with its the 911 is no horse and cart and
impresses, the 911 enlivens. Its GTS-specific exhaust, it feels oddly even in Cabriolet form has the
controls and general manner are blunt and one-dimensional. space and grace for day-long drives.
that much more vibrant. The SL is In today’s conditions, it’s not quite Then, on those last 30 minutes
hardly stuck in black and white, but as easy to fully uncork the near- from motorway to overnight, it will
the 911 is just so much more vivid 500bhp Porsche unit, but do so and take the SL apart in almost every
when it matters and its synaptic its scope is that much greater; its measurable way, and in several
afterimage lingers on post-drive. part-pneumatic, part-mechanical ways you can’t easily measure, too.
The SL might have hit back aural character that much more That said, there’s clearly quite a
with a tactic that its forebears interesting; and its combination of bit of potential in the SL. If AMG can
have reliably, effortlessly and shift speed and throttle response give the Mk2 GT the same handling
unrepentantly deployed over the that much more invigorating. flair as its predecessor but also the
years: on-demand oversteer. This is, I think that in the rush to express road manners of the SL and, say,
perhaps, the very essence of AMG. our disappointment in the demise of disengageable front driveshafts?
Yet this car is oddly recalcitrant. atmo engines for non-GT 911s, we’ve What a thing that could be. L
H
looking at downsizing proportions, so there are cheers
our cars right now? when it turns up in the car park.
Among my default The youngest even forgets to ask
recommendations what the Porsche 911 GT3 RS that
to anyone who wants a small, I’ve been testing was like. (He later
affordable, versatile car with says he “prefers this to the SF90
room inside it and some character you had the other week, Dad”.
without remains the one that Take that, Maranello.)
has just been delivered to my This is a small car but a really
driveway: the Suzuki Ignis. well-packaged one, and there
How well suited is the average small car M O N D AY, 1 0 . 2 3 A M
would be plenty of room in the back
for child seats or booster seats if
to the rigours of everyday family life, as I’m regularly telling people how
much more useful these clever little
they were needed. As it is, much
adjustment of those individually
well as some more adventurous journeys? cars are than you might imagine.
Now it’s time to prove it. For the
sliding back seats is made before we
depart, just for the novelty factor.
Matt Saunders finds out by spending a next seven days, this 3.7-metre-long,
1.2-litre city car will be the Saunders
The Ignis isn’t quite perfect for
town driving, but its mild-hybrid
busy week in the brilliant Suzuki Ignis family’s only means of transport.
Anywhere we need to go, we will
powertrain is more than adequately
torquey and very likeable.
go in this, and anything we need to Something with wider axle tracks
carry will go in the boot – or it won’t that could span those island-like
be going. The office commute, the speed bumps more comfortably
school run, the supermarket shop and whose automatic ’box could
and the weekend football match handle gearchanges itself might
will all be done in it, and I will also be easier to get on with. The
make some special trips to test the Ignis’s throttle pedal is slightly
outer limits of this car’s capabilities. over-sensitive when you’re on
Thankfully, we have the right and off the clutch, but it doesn’t
version: the range-topping Allgrip take too much getting used to.
SZ5, with 82bhp, a manual gearbox
and viscous-coupling-based four- W E D N E S D AY, 8 . 52 A M
wheel drive. A quick poke around My office commute is a long one:
and I remember all the features that 106 miles door to door, split about
impressed me the first time around: 70:30 between motorway roads and
sliding rear seats, enough leg and cross-country A- and B-roads (and
head room for adults in both rows, I know every bump and camber of
plenty of cabin storage, a simple the latter very well). It’s the kind of
control layout and a touchscreen trip that a typical modestly powered
infotainment system that mirrors city car might struggle with – but
your phone on a wired connection. not the Ignis, I’m pleased to say.
How much more do you really need? It’s no particular motorway
specialist. If you want to accelerate
T U E S D AY, 5 . 0 5 P M at more than a glacial pace to
A busy working day on the road overtake, you will need to work the
started early today, with a quick 30- gearbox. And there’s plenty of wind
mile dash to Silverstone for a track noise from around those upright
day, then home in time to collect A-pillars above 60mph, although
the kids from after-school club. not as much as you might think
The Ignis is going down a storm from the 1.2-litre motor spinning
with them. They love its smiley, away under that diddy bonnet.
T
trying to report the Ten miles away at Wellesbourne British engineers are different.
life and times of (we learn), there are “about 100” They often have to do things
Mate Rimac, 35-year- more engineers working on an quickly, on limited funds. That
old Croatian-born autonomous project called P3 makes them resourceful. And
inventor of the acclaimed Nevera Mobility, whose existence Rimac they’re more open to new stuff.”
EV hypercar and architect of a hasn’t even officially confirmed. Since the autonomous P3
forthcoming Bugatti renaissance, Anyone who meets him finds Mobility project has been
is that by the time he gets around a friendly and candid person, confirmed in our conversation,
to announcing something, it’s amazingly generous with his time, I ask why it has needed to be
already half-finished. but it’s clear that to him, talking is secret. “Two reasons,” he says.
We meet in Rimac Technology’s nowhere near as good as doing. “One is the amount of hot air
temporary office in an industrial Why the enthusiasm for British expended on this subject.
estate outside Warwick, ostensibly engineers, I ask. Croatia has great So many promises are never
to talk about his plan to expand engineers, and so does Germany, delivered. We want to deliver
into the UK. But to do it, we have which already has a Rimac outpost. before we talk. Two is that this
to squeeze into a small room off “In Croatia, we have smart people, is a tough project; plans change.
the entrance hall – because the for sure, but not much experience,” If you announce something,
surrounding spaces are crammed he says. “And I respect German changing gets difficult and
with the 51 beavering British engineers a lot, but most of them we want to stay flexible.”
have worked in big, safe OEMs What exactly is P3? How will it
affect people like me? “The aim
is to give people the best form
of city transport they can have,”
says Rimac, “but convenience
isn’t the only objective. We’re
talking low cost, efficiency,
safety and cleanliness too. There
are new vehicles involved – our
Wellesbourne team is working Mate Rimac is a car
on them now – but we’re also enthusiast as well as
designing a whole environment an autonomy realist
Rimac talks Cropley
through his firm’s that will integrate into cities
cutting-edge tech alongside existing transportation.
Rimac’s Nevera EV Eventually, there’ll be fleets of Given that Rimac is working
is five years ahead thousands of robotaxis, linked to at extreme ends of the transport
of established rivals ‘mother ships’ where they’ll be spectrum – exclusive hypercars
charged, cleaned and serviced. and mass transportation – I ask if
“People think autonomy will be he also has a plan for the middle
the main issue here, but it isn’t. ground. He has an easy answer and
We believe all future cars will be a harder one, and offers both.
self-driving, just as a phone makes “In a sense, we help the middle
a phone call. P3 Mobility will be all by working with others – partners
about convenience, but it’ll have like Hyundai and Porsche,” he says.
to be integrated carefully. You Rimac Technology already has
wouldn’t want autonomous cars dozens of OEM client-partners, for
moving underground transport to which it tackles many tasks, usually
the streets again. The secret is to complex. But Rimac himself has
add value to what cities have now. radical views on the future of car
We already have letters of intent ownership that lead him to reject
from various cities, including any idea of a Tesla rival.
British, to take P3 further.” “There will always be some
However, Rimac’s candour runs who want to own cars,” he says.
out when I ask him for a launch date. “People still own horses, after all.
Much has been achieved, but it’s too Enthusiasts will maintain their
soon to talk about ribbon-cutting. hobby and I’m one of them.
❝
Chasing Tesla would
be like getting into
the CD business
in 2002 when MP3
players had arrived
and we could see
Spotify on the horizon
❞
ime was when the most difficult and most other big brands have been using
HIDE AND SEEK
T
question a manufacturer could recycled materials for years, but is the very use
expect at the launch of a new car of the word ‘vegan’ to describe interiors trimmed
would have been along the lines in animal-free products controversial? Although the focus is mainly on interior
of: “What’ll it do?” Today, things Veganism is described in various ways materials, animal products are used in other
have moved on and one of the key questions depending on who you ask but extends areas of cars too, and in some of the most
asked is: “What’s it made of?” beyond not eating anything derived from unlikely places. While moving towards vegan
In the past decade, a new thread has emerged animals or preventing animal cruelty. Peta’s interior materials from this year, BMW and Mini
in the shape of the ethicality and sustainability view is that animals “are not ours to use, for will still have animal products in them but “not
surrounding the use of animal products. experimentation, food, clothing, entertainment visible to the customer”. Examples are: various
Greater awareness of these issues has added or any other reason”. So when a manufacturer waxy substances like gelatine used in protective
numerous layers of complexity to the business describes an interior as ‘vegan’, is its purpose to coatings, lanoline used in paint, tallow (a form
of making cars in the sense that reducing the meet all of those key vegan principles? Or is it of animal fat) as an additive in elastomers and
carbon footprint and ethical considerations are designed to be an attractive catch-all to promote beeswax also used in paints. Tyre manufacturing
becoming interwoven and possibly confused. a product that can be enjoyed guilt-free, both has traditionally used stearic acid, derived from
Campaigning by US charity Peta (People for green and ethically unburdened? tallow, to enhance the flexibility of the rubber.
the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and others Vegan interiors are being promoted by a Despite the trend towards luxury synthetic
has led to closer scrutiny of the animal products number of manufacturers now, and in 2020 materials in cars, they have been in use for years.
used in cars, for the most part focusing on Ford won an award from Peta for the Mustang Audi made a big thing of its Jacquard Satin
interiors. Manufacturers have taken note and, Mach-E’s animal product-free interior. Sonja (made from cotton) seat upholstery way back in
for example, the Polestar 2 EV was announced Vandenberk, Ford of Europe’s chief designer, the 1980s and, while it appears to be suede, the
in 2020 with an all-vegan interior incorporating colour and material, says: “Ford continuously hugely popular Alcantara is actually made from
recycled materials like cork and carpets made reviews its product specifications and materials 68% polyester and 32% polyurethane.
from fishing nets. It’s not an unusual approach used in all components. Sustainability is a key
consideration, factoring in customer feedback
and demand, supply sources, related ethics, than the full vegan philosophy.
longevity of supply and so on.” In 2022, Polestar announced that it was
BMW will also launch cars with fully vegan introducing leather interiors but under strict
interiors this year. It says leather-free interiors conditions. “We have revisited materials and
will reduce its CO2e (CO2 equivalent) emissions processes that go into making the Polestar 2,
by 85%. Previously, 80% of emissions relating introducing updates that reduce the climate
to its leather interiors came from methane gas impact and increase material traceability,”
produced by cattle, with the hide processing said CEO Thomas Ingenlath. The word
contributing just 20%. However, those figures ‘traceability’ is one we’re hearing more of and
would assume the cattle are raised specifically has particular significance in relation to animal
for their hide and not for food. welfare. The firm went on to say: “We require
There is a sense that, having initially rushed that all leather used in Polestar products must
to embrace vegan interior materials, some live up to the strictest standards on animal
Sustainable materials fill Merc’s Vision EQXX manufacturers now appear to be adjusting that welfare and the ‘Five Freedoms’ [explained in the
concept approach to focus on animal welfare rather box on p57], alongside being fully traceable
Bridge of Weir energy to power its plants in a circular process of World Animal Protection organisation’s Animal
prides itself on its carbon reduction. Protection Index. “We have 100% traceability of
eco credentials Warren Bowden, head of sustainability and those hides so we can prove that the standard of
innovation at the Scottish Leather Group, says: animal husbandry is what it ought to be,” adds
“One of the arguments we keep hearing is you’re Bowden. On the subject of CO2, an independent
growing that animal for its skin. You would not life-cycle analysis (for the entire process from
grow an animal for 1% of its value and the hide rearing cattle to the finished product) gives
represents approximately 1% of the total value Bridge of Weir’s ‘circular’ process a score of 8kg
of the animal.” This figure is echoed by livestock CO2e per square metre of leather, claimed to be
figures produced by the US Department of the lowest in the world published for leather.
Agriculture. In both the US and Europe, hides One of an increasing number of companies
are officially categorised as ‘by-products’ of food offering alternatives is flourishing US/Japanese
production, and on that basis Bowden believes it firm Ultrafabrics, established in 1999. It initially
is “unethical” to waste hide that would otherwise produced synthetic substitutes for leather
go into landfill. Research commissioned by but, says director of branding Nicole Meier,
the US leather industry, based on 25 years of Ultrafabrics’ products have evolved far beyond
government data, echoes Bowden’s thinking. that now and customers are more interested in
Were people to stop buying leather en masse new materials than leather lookalikes. “We never
globally, it would result in 300 million tonnes try to compete or compare ourselves to leather.
of hides disposed of annually, generating six People are much more educated in materials and
million tonnes of surplus CO2 emissions. our products are something for the future that
Bridge of Weir says 98% of its hides come from are more technical,” she explains.
the UK, the other 2% from Denmark because one “Our clients’ customers are trendsetters and
customer requires that they do so. Both the UK they want to offer them the latest and greatest,
and Denmark are in the highest category of the a material that doesn’t look like leather, but is
FREEDOM FROM
HUNGER OR THIRST
By providing ready access to fresh
water and a diet to maintain full
health and vigour.
FREEDOM FROM
DISCOMFORT
By providing an appropriate
environment including shelter
and a comfortable resting area.
F R E E D O M F R O M PA I N ,
I N J U RY O R D I S E A S E
By prevention or rapid diagnosis
and treatment.
FREEDOM TO EXPRESS
(M OST) N O RMAL
B E H AV I O U R
By providing sufficient space,
proper facilities and company
of the animal’s own kind.
❝
People are much more
educated in materials and our
products are more technical
❞
Ford got Peta approval for animal-free Mach
-E interior
cool to the touch, doesn’t crack or peel, keeps BMW says its vegan
you cool, absorbs your body heat. I think those interiors will slash
technical aspects appeal to people.” carbon emissions
Like Bridge of Weir, Ultrafabrics supplies
both McLaren and Jaguar Land Rover and has
high sustainability credentials. Its fabrics are
all polyurethane-based, although Ultrafabrics is
introducing a new 29% bio-based product called
Volar Bio and aims to include 50% sustainable or
recycled raw materials into its entire portfolio
by 2030. From a CO2 perspective, its published
figures claim greenhouse gas emissions from
manufacturing in 2019 amounted to 3.84kg of
CO2 per square yard of fabric, equivalent to
4.6kg per square metre, using energy sourced
from the Japanese grid.
Which raises the question: is synthetic or
natural better for the environment? There doesn’t
appear to be one, single answer to that question,
mainly because of the lack of industry standards
governing comparisons and whether they are
including the entire supply chain in the same
way. As Bowden points out: “You can’t compare
apples with something else and you can’t just look
at a number and say this is better than that.” L
to smile to read Tisshaw’s final Matt Saunders delivers the verdict Senior consulting editor Tom Evans
Special correspondents James Attwood, Mauro Calo,
comment of “I wish the whole thing Jesse Crosse, James Disdale, John Evans, Colin Goodwin,
Hilton Holloway, Simon Hucknall, Julian Rendell, Richard Webber
took place on a sunny day in June”, FIRST DRIVE F E AT U R E Special contributors John Bradshaw, Tom Bradshaw,
because I have a solution to this. It’s Alastair Clements, Kiall Garrett, Giles Harper, Peter Liddiard,
called The Ellis Journey. The 2022 Stuart Milne, Allan Muir, Sam Phillips, Rebecca Stevens,
Will Williams, Oliver Young
run took place on a glorious day in
late July. The cars were all pre-1905 MEDIA ENQUIRIES
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ON THIS24DAY
IN 19
Bentley contributes to debate about balloon tyres Demand grows for roofs
“I want to know more about the benefits and the drawbacks of low-pressure Remarkably, it took 25 years from
tyres,” wrote our regular columnist Owen John. “A good deal of information the invention of the car for one to
is available but not exactly of the kind that is most valuable; and, so far, I have be offered with a fully enclosed
but gathered a considerable quantity of evidence both for and against. interior, that being the Cadillac
“I am looking forward, in the regrettable absence of any official proof, to Model Thirty of 1910. Demand for
finding out if low-pressure tyres do slow cars, do eat petrol, do skid on grease, cars that didn’t force drivers to
do roll, do improve immensely the running of a car, do splash the mud all over Dodge impresses again brave the elements soon became
the place and, in short, whether their pros outweigh their cons.” The American company Dodge had popular not just in the US but also
An opinion John certainly would have valued was that of one Walter Owen built up a solid reputation in Britain here and in mainland Europe. This
Bentley, who wrote us a letter detailing his experiences with “balloon tyres”. since 1917, selling competent, reliable was a trend we noted in 1924 as
The difference between the low- and affordable little cars. In summer progress was made in overcoming
pressure Dunlops fitted to his 3.0- 1923 it made a radical design change, the not insignificant challenges
litre Bentley saloon – 22psi front effecting a lower and more modern of ventilation, rattle and rigidity.
and 18psi rear – and the regular look, plus a few mechanical updates. We also predicted that a corollary
spares is clear to see (look left). We found the latest tourer to be an of this would be the improved design
Bentley had found that all “attractive proposition” for the low of open and convertible cars.
audible “evidences of unavoidable price of £355 (£17,115 in our money).
geometrical distortion instantly We found the four-pot lively, smooth
vanished”; that adhesion to the and flexible, and when stretched it
road was “pronouncedly greater”; took us to a fast 61mph. The steering
that there was “no perceptible was light and responsive, while the
effect on performance” except suspension dealt well with potholes
B0NHAMS
to make the ride comfier; and and the cabin was reasonably comfy.
that no nasty ‘roll’ was induced. Maintenance seemed easy as well.
BMW iX CUPRA BORN HONDA CIVIC KIA SPORTAGE MAZDA CX-60 PEUGEOT 308 VAUXHALL ASTRA
VAUXHALL ASTRA
New-era hatch arrives in 1.2 guise before design boss oversees a swap to the PHEV
FIRST REPORT appropriate to the modern range. availability of Vauxhall’s long- SECOND OPINION
Things have changed, of course. serving design director, Mark
WHY WE ’ R E RU N N I N G IT Having been long associated with Adams, whose key job has been Mark Adams’ bold overhaul
To judge how Vauxhall is doing in the General Motors, Vauxhall and its to ensure this new car continues of Vauxhall’s design
big-volume but problematic hatchback German associate, Opel, have been to have the soul of a Vauxhall- has been well received
market, now this crucial entrant shares acquired by Stellantis, a move that Opel, while progressing in all the round these parts, and no model
key parts with Peugeot, Citroën and DS has required their long-time staple directions an all-new car should wears the new look better than the
product, the Astra, to adopt this take. We decided to meet at Caffeine Astra, to my eye. Encouragingly,
ot sure why this mammoth group’s EMP2 platform, & Machine, the buzzing hub for car its premium-flavoured makeover
T ID 3 has become so
ubiquitous so quickly
should come as no great
know your cars. Few conventional
hatchbacks I’ve driven in recent
times have generated more intrigue:
and steering wheel were a joy
on cold mornings, the massage
function was a luxury after a long
pack sited so low down in the floor
– and it’s genuinely entertaining
thanks to the sharp steering
surprise. In a brave new world everyone wants to know what it is day, the head-up display was a combined with a throttle-adjustable
where everybody wants to buy an and whether they should buy it, useful addition and the large- rear-drive platform. As road test
EV but few know which one to go because they all love how it looks. screen infotainment system editor Matt Saunders points out
for, it’s natural to trust the world’s The bronze detailing inside and out offered all the functionality I (right), it would benefit from a less
best-selling car maker to get it right. may date in time, but here and now could want – albeit frustratingly intrusive traction control system – it
And there’s nothing wrong in that, it looks great – aided on ‘my’ car slowly, and occasionally making it cuts in early to stop you having too
especially when the car in question by the optional (£840) Aurora Blue unnecessarily difficult to find what I much fun – but that’s only really
is so capable. For keen drivers, paint, the 20in ‘Hurricane’ alloy was looking for through its menus. going to be a consideration for a
though, it’s just a bit… well, vanilla. wheels and the tinted rear windows, Such as the ‘Sport’ button, for small percentage of buyers.
So it hardly seemed the obvious which give it a dose of hot hatch instance. And it would be worth And when you’re not in the mood,
place for Cupra, the VW Group’s hot- intent that signals what’s to come. making it easier to find because it’s a pretty good daily companion,
❝ 40
£40,150
30
Dinamica seats look great and are
£18,425
that there is a bit of magic at work here 20
10
cool in summer and warm in winter.
Heat and massage functions a treat.
❞ 0
L OAT H E I T
SECOND OPINION But these are relatively minor New 1 year 2 years 3 years 4 years
BMW iX
MILEAGE 6724 LAST SEEN 4.1.23
Heated seats with different levels
of heat (warm, hot, internal organ
baker) aren’t new but the iX has three
stages of heating for the steering
wheel. Its different levels of warmth
aren’t so easy to distinguish and it’s
HONDA CIVIC
probably a feature still best served
as an on/off one, yet it’s an example
of how tech laden and feature rich
the iX is, whether the function
needed to be added or not. MT
Some things never change, as these two Hondas prove
MILEAGE 7754 wind beaten, but I suppose it’s
probably about 25mph flat out.
WHY WE ’ R E RU N N I N G IT But here’s the thing. Despite
To see if Honda can save the the trike’s iffy stability, the
everyday family hatchback engineering integrity is second
to none. Leave it for six months
emember when Honda’s in a cold shed and it’ll start
USED CARS What to buy, where to buy it and how much to pay
RANGE ROVER EVOQUE
Feel-good luxury meets off-road capability in
shrink-wrapped form. Mark Pearson reports
T Evoque was such it off, though, Standard kit is generous, but Aside from some front-
a handsome beast it because an S model also gets the Pro wheel-drive versions of
would have sold by the there is version of the Pivi infotainment the D150 and D165, all
bucketload even if it had handled plenty to and a few extra luxuries. Any Evoques have four-wheel
like a shopping trolley. As it turned like here. To trim level after this gets 20in drive and a nine-speed
out, it didn’t handle like one, but begin with, alloy wheels that do the automatic gearbox.
it did gain a bit of a reputation for there were three ride no favours. Every version gets dual-
poor reliability. power grades for zone climate control, automatic
Unsurprisingly, this second-gen both 2.0-litre petrol lights and wipers, front and rear
car didn’t mess with the visual and diesel options. The petrol range parking sensors, heated front
formula. It was a gentle but neat consisted of a 197bhp P200, 247bhp seats and a 10.0in touchscreen
styling evolution of the first, while P250 and 296bhp P300, while diesel infotainment system with Apple
underneath it introduced a range lovers could pick from a 148bhp CarPlay and Android Auto.
of more powerful and efficient D150, 178bhp D180 and 237bhp A standard-fit rear-view camera
engines and some upgraded tech. D240. Merely a year after launch, was changed to a surround-view
It’s a lovely car, but guess what? the diesel range was revised to a camera from late 2020 onwards.
You still might find yourself on 163bhp D165 and 197bhp D200. Step up to S for larger, 18in alloys,
first-name terms with your local There was also a 305bhp plug-in leather seats and an upgraded Pro
Land Rover service manager. hybrid, the P300e, for 34 miles version of the infotainment system.
BUYER BEWARE
CHECK RECALL RECORD that is of a different specification to
Recalls have been issued for the that intended. An electrical overload
following faults. An issue has event in the 48V electrical system
been found with the emergency may cause a failure of the metal oxide
call system, which contacts semiconductor field effect transistor.
the emergency services in the Check with a dealer to make sure all
event of an airbag deployment or these works have been carried out.
when the SOS button is pushed.
The rubberised fuel return hose RELIABILITY IS AN ISSUE
assembly may have been incorrectly The Reliability Survey of our sibling
manufactured. The second-row title What Car? puts this second-gen
It’s well laid out
seatbelt assemblies may contain Evoque in 36th place out of 39 cars in
and there’s plenty
a physical seatbelt retractor part the family SUV class.
of equipment
James Ruppert
KICKING TYRES
One-owner, 43,000-
mile Polo for £550
looked tempting
H OW TO G ET O N E
IN YOU R GARAG E
Kinda looks like a
sports coupé and An expert’s view
M AT T H E W A S H M O R E ,
drives like one too
SELECT MOTORSPORT
“It really does a great job of keeping
alive the RS spirit – the kind you get
with some of the older, rawer models chips and require attention before
– while offering some comfort and corrosion sets in.
good low-down torque to help with
everyday driving. This is the main
attraction to these cars, because
they make good daily drivers. And
Also worth knowing
For the 2012 facelift, Renault upped
with a few light modifications, they the power of the standard Mégane RS
go extremely well on track. We work to 261bhp. However, this figure is only
with them most days, taking them accessible when you press the ESP
from standard road cars to modified button; you have 247bhp in the car’s
track/race cars. Cambelts are pretty default mode. Holding down the ESP
labour-intensive and it really pays to button turns off the stability aids. If
take them to a garage that’s familiar you are looking to buy a facelifted
with them. It’s all too common to see Mégane RS, it’s worth checking this
timing issues resulting in lower power all works when you go for a test drive.
and economy/efficiency.” For Formula 1 fans, there was the
Red Bull RB8 limited edition, which
marked the Renault-engined team’s
Buyer beware…
ENGINE
2012 title wins with Sebastian Vettel.
TO
For full reviews of every car listed here, visit our website, autocar.co.uk
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ECONOMY EXPLAINED Po To 0-6 Ec (M C O2 Po To 0-6 Ec (MP C O2 Po To 0-6 Ec ( CO 2
A L FA R O M E O 2.0 40 TDI quattro 187 146 7.4 50.4-54.3 137-148 Q3 5dr SUV £31,625–£63,955 AAABC
Between the various figures produced on the Giulia 4dr saloon £40,829–£74,999 AAAAB 3.0 S4 TDI 341 155 4.6 40.4-40.9 185-187 Typically refined and competent but feels more like an A3 than an
old-style NEDC, transitional NEDC Correlated Handsome and special dynamically but lacks finesse and comes Audi SUV. LxWxH 4388x1831x1608 Kerb weight 1385kg
and new-style WLTP laboratory emissions and as an auto only. LxWxH 4643x1860x1436 Kerb weight 1429kg AAAAC 1.5 35 TFSI A4 Avant 5dr estate £35,365–£86,795
148 128-131 9.2-9.6 38.7-42.2 153-166
fuel economy tests, it has become tricky to 2.0 Turbo Petrol 200 197 146 6.6 36.2 176-184 Classy and demure estate lacks the dynamic sparkle of rivals.
2.0 40 TFSI quattro 187 136 7.4 31.0-32.5 197-207
2.0 Turbo Petrol 280 276 149 5.7 33.6 195 LxWxH 4725x1842x1434 Kerb weight 1370kg
2.0 45 TFSI quattro 243 147 5.8 31.0-31.7 195
compare manufacturers’ claimed efficiency 2.9 BiTurbo Quadrifoglio 503 191 3.9 28.5 230 2.0 35 TFSI 148 137 9.2 39.8-44.8 143-162 2.0 45 TFSIe 243 130 7.3 141.2 44-45
on the latest new cars. When you see a fuel 2.0 40 TFSI 201 146 7.3 39.8-43.5 147-162 2.5 RS Q3 quattro 396 155 4.5 27.7-28.8 217-227
economy and CO2 figure reference elsewhere, Tonale 5dr SUV £40,829–£74,999 AAABC 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 242 155 6.0 33.6-34.4 187-191 2.0 35 TDI 148 128 9.3 47.9-49.6 150-154
it’s often without explanation. Decent dynamically and reasonable value. However, lacks the appeal 3.0 V6 TFSI RS4 Avant 448 155-180 4.1-3.9 28.1-28.2 220-226 2.0 35 TDI quattro 148 131 9.3 39.2-40.9 133-139
So, to provide as fair and clear a basis for expected from the marque. LxWxH 4528x1841x1601 Kerb weight 1525kg 2.0 30 TDI 132 131 9.8 49.6-54.3 137-150 2.0 40 TDI quattro 197 139 7.3 37.7-40.4 173
comparison as possible, you’ll only ever read 1.5 MHEV Speciale 5dr Auto 160 132 8.8 49.6 130 2.0 35 TDI 148 132 9.2 49.6-54.3 137-150
1.5 MHEV Ti 5dr Auto 160 132 8.8 49.6 130 2.0 40 TDI quattro 201 143-144 7.1 47.9-52.3 144-156 Q3 Sportback 5dr SUV £34,425–£65,105 AAABC
WLTP combined fuel economy and CO2 figures 1.5 MHEV Veloce 5dr Auto 160 132 8.8 49.6 130 3.0 50 TDI Allroad quattro 282 155 5.3 38.2 181 A more sporting take on the compact SUV, with similarly stable
in Autocar’s first drive reviews, features and 3.0 S4 TDI quattro 342 155 4.7 39.2-39.8 181-193 handling. LxWxH 4500x1856x1567 Kerb weight 1460kg
comparison tests – and on these data pages. Stelvio 5dr SUV £46,649–£77,325 AAAAB 1.5 35 TFSI 148 126 9.6 39.2-41.5 153-166
Those are the aggregated results of four lab Alfa’s second SUV is a solid effort. Choosing the petrol version A5 2dr coupé £40,045–£91,750 AAAAC 2.0 40 TFSI quattro 187 136 7.4 30.7-32.1 197-207
tests carried out across as many different gives it charisma. LxWxH 4687x1903x1671 Kerb weight 1604kg Refreshed coupé gets a sharper look and a refreshed interior. Still 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 243 147 5.8 32.5-32.8 195
cruising speed ranges – although they’re 2.2 Turbo Diesel 190 187 130 7.6 45.6 156 mundane to drive. LxWxH 4673x1846x1371 Kerb weight 1390kg 2.0 45 TFSIe 243 130 7.3 141.2 44-45
2.2 Turbo Diesel 210 Q4 AWD 207 134 6.6 42.8 162 2.0 35 TFSI 148 140 8.9 41.5-45.6 141-154 2.5 RS Q3 quattro 396 155 4.5 27.7-28.5 223-231
sometimes expressed as a range rather than as 2.0 Turbo 200 Q4 AWD 197 134 7.2 30.1 195 2.0 40 TFSI 201 150 7.1 41.5-47.1 141-154 2.0 35 TDI 148 126 9.3 48.7-51.4 14552
one specific figure to show the different results 2.0 Turbo 280 Q4 AWD 276 143 5.7 30.4 195 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 242 155 4.8 34.9-38.8 180-184 2.0 35 TDI quattro 148 131 9.3 40.4-44.8 133-139
recorded by the heaviest and lightest available 2.9 BiTurbo Quadrifoglio 503 197 3.8 24.6 267 2.9 V6 TFSI RS5 quattro 448 174 3.9 29.1 220 2.0 40 TDI quattro 197 139 7.3 38.2-39.8 173
examples of the car in question (depending on 2.0 35 TDI 163 162 8.2 51.4-55.4 133-144
optional equipment). ALPINE 2.0 40 TDI quattro 201 146 6.9 50.4-54.3 135-146 Q4 E-tron 5dr SUV £43,290–£57,410 AAABC
In road tests, you’ll also see our own A110 2dr coupé £49,990–£60,040 AAAAA 3.0 V6 S5 TDI quattro 339 155 4.6 39.2-40.4 184-188 Practical, pleasant and efficient – if not quite a superior premium
A much, much greater car and achievement than the sum of its product. LxWxH 4588x2108x1632 Kerb weight 1890kg
independently produced real-world fuel parts suggests. LxWxH 4180x1980x1252 Kerb weight 1080kg A5 Sportback 5dr coupé £40,045–£91,750 AAAAC 35 125k 168 99 9.0 201 0
economy test results for comparison with the 1.8 Turbo 248 155 4.5 39.2 162 Refined, good-looking four-door coupé is sadly short on charm and 40 150kW 201 99 8.5 307 0
lab test claims. We produce an average, track 1.8 Turbo S 288 162 4.4 38.7 163 finesse. LxWxH 4733x1843x1386 Kerb weight 1425kg 50 quattro 220kW 296 111 6.2 298 0
and touring figure for each car we test, as often 2.0 35 TFSI 148 139 9.1 40.9-44.8 144-158
as possible on a brim-to-brim test basis. ARIEL 2.0 40 TFSI 201 150 7.2 40.9-44.8 143-158 Q4 E-tron Sportback 5dr SUV £46,190–£63,005 AAABC
While ‘average’ represents the overall Atom 0dr open £40,669 AAAAB 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 242 155 5.6 34.4-35.3 183-187 Fastback variant of Audi’s mainstream electric SUV is agile and
Simple, purist concept remains but everything else has changed… 2.9 V6 TFSI RS5 quattro 448 174 3.9 28.5-28.8 222-224 terrifically refined. LxWxH 4588x2108x1614 Kerb weight 1895kg
economy returned by a new car over a full road for the better. LxWxH 3520x1880x1122 Kerb weight 595kg 2.0 35 TDI 148 135 8.4 50.4-54.3 135-147 35 125kW 168 99 9.0 211 0
test and ‘track’ is relevant only to intensive 2.0 turbo 320 162 2.8 na na 2.0 40 TDI quattro 201 146 7.6 49.6-54.3 137-149 40 150kW 201 99 8.5 318 0
performance testing (the length and conditions 3.0 S5 TDI quattro 345 155 4.6 39.8-40.4 183-187 50 quattro 220kW 296 111 6.2 302 0
of which can vary slightly), ‘touring’ gives Nomad 0dr open £37,549 AAAAA
the best guide of the kind of economy you Well inside the top 10 list of our favourite cars. A revelation and a A6 4dr saloon £40,205–£80,640 AAAAC Q5 5dr SUV £47,045–£74,645 AAAAC
might see from a car at a steady 70mph riot to drive. LxWxH 3215x1850x1425 Kerb weight 670kg Supremely well constructed but a bit soulless to drive. A smart Appealing combination of Audi allure, affordable SUV practicality
2.4 K24 i-VTEC 235 125 3.4 na na office on wheels. LxWxH 4939x1886x1457 Kerb weight 1645kg and attractiveness. LxWxH 4663x1893x1659 Kerb weight 1720kg
motorway cruise. 2.0 40 TFSI 201 152 7.3 37.7-39.2 163-171 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 242 147 6.4 31.0-33.6 191-206
We do real-world efficiency and range ASTON MARTIN 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 242 155 6.0 35.3-37.2 172-182 2.0 50 TFSIe quattro 249 148 6.1 128.4 49
testing on electric cars, too, expressing the Vantage 2dr coupé/2dr open £133,920–£158,420 AAAAB 2.0 50 TFSIe quattro 299 155 6.2 217.3 31 2.0 40 TDI quattro 187 136 8.1 41.5-44.8 165-179
former in terms of miles per kilowatt hour, The faster, cleverer, more hardcore entry-level Aston tops its 3.0 55 TFSI quattro 335 155 5.1 32.8-34.9 184-196 3.0 SQ5 TDI quattro 344 155 5.1 32.8-34.4 216-224
as manufacturers do increasingly widely class. LxWxH 4465x1942x1273 Kerb weight 1630kg 2.0 40 TDI 201 152 8.1 47.9-51.4 145-155
by convention. 4.0 V8 510 190-195 3.6-3.8 25.7 264 2.0 40 TDI quattro 201 153 7.6 45.6-47.9 155-163 Q5 Sportback 5dr SUV £48,495–£77,095 AAABC
4.0 V8 F1 Edition 535 195 3.6 24.3 264 3.0 50 TDI quattro 282 155 5.5 38.7-40.4 183-191 Reduced accommodation and practicality, but still a refined and
S TA R R AT I N G S E X P L A I N E D
3.0 S6 TDI quattro 344 155 5.0 36.2 203-205 solid steer. LxWxH 4689x1893x1660 Kerb weight 2010-2150kg
DB11 2dr coupé/2dr open £166,070–£180,420 AAAAA 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 263 149 6.1 31.7-33.6 192-202
CCCCC Inherently dangerous/unsafe. Tragically,
The stunning replacement for the already seductive DB9 is tyre- A6 Avant 5dr estate £42,355–£116,624 AAAAC 2.0 50 TFSIe quattro 297 148 6.1 176.6-188.3 36-38
shreddingly good. LxWxH 4739x2060x1279 Kerb weight 1875kg A capable and high-tech throwback that’s a timely reminder of 2.0 40 TDI quattro 201 137 7.6 42.2-44.8 166-176
irredeemably flawed. 4.0 V8 528 192 4.0 25.1 254 what Audi does best. LxWxH 4939x1886x1467 Kerb weight 1710kg 3.0 SQ5 TDI quattro 336 155 5.1 33.2-34.4 216-222
BCCCC A ppalling. Massively significant failings. 5.2 V12 AMR 630 208 3.7 21.1 303 2.0 40 TFSI 201 149 7.5 36.2-38.2 168-178
ACCCC Very poor. Fails to meet any accepted 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 242 155 6.2 34-36.2 177-189 Q7 5dr SUV £62,155–£99,840 AAAAC
class boundaries. DBS 2dr coupé/open £259,420–£279.920 AAAAA 2.0 50 TFSIe quattro 294 155 6.2 217.3 31 Unengaging to drive and light on feel, but the cabin is both huge
Effortlessly fast, intoxicating to drive: the big Aston is better than 4.0 RS6 quattro 596 155-174 3.6 21.9-22.6 283-294 and classy. LxWxH 5052x1968x1740 Kerb weight 2060kg
ABCCC Poor. Within acceptable class ever. LxWxH 4712x2146x1280 Kerb weight 1693kg 2.0 40 TDI 201 149 8.3 45.6-49.6 150-1623.0 V6 55 TFSI quattro 338 155 5.9 25.4-27.4 233-253
boundaries in a few areas. Still not 5.2 V12 715 211 3.4 20.9 306 2.0 40 TDI quattro 201 150 7.6 44.1-46.3 159-1673.0 V6 55 TFSIe quattro 376 149 5.9 108.6-113 56-58
recommendable. 3.0 S6 TDI quattro 344 155 5.1 35.3 209 4.0 SQ7 quattro 500 155 4.1 29.4-30.1 232
AACCC Off the pace. Below average in nearly
DBX 5dr SUV £168,420–£192,420 AAAAB 3.0 V6 45 TDI quattro 228 142 7.3 32.1-34.0 217-230
Doesn’t try to be the biggest, fastest SUV, and may be all the more A7 Sportback 5dr coupé £54,265–£121,805 AAABC 3.0 V6 50 TDI quattro 282 150 6.5 32.1-34.0 217-230
all areas. appealing for it. LxWxH 5039x1998x1680 Kerb weight 2245kg Easy on the eye and to live with, but let down by stolid dynamics.
AABCC Acceptable. About average in key areas, 4.0 V8 550 181 4.5 19.8 323 LxWxH 4969x1908x1422 Kerb weight 1880kg Q8 5dr SUV £70,340–£128,465 AAAAC
but disappoints. 4.0 V8 DBX 707 697 193 3.3 19.9 323 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 242 155 6.2 35.3-36.2 177-183 Striking and effective coupé-SUV range-topper leaves us wanting
2.0 50 TFSIe quattro 294 155 6.3 134.5-141.2 46-47 more. LxWxH 4986x1995x1705 Kerb weight 2145kg
AAACC Competent. Above average in some AU D I 4.0 RS7 quattro 596 155-174 3.6 22.2-23.0 280-287 3.0 V6 55 TFSI quattro 335 155 5.9 25.9-26.4 243-248
areas, average in others. Outstanding A1 Sportback 5dr hatch £20,265–£28,500 AAABC 2.0 40 TDI 201 152 8.3 47.9-49.6 150-156 3.0 V6 55 TFSIe quattro 381 149 5.8 94.2 67-68
in none. Quite pricey, but a rounded car with plenty of rational appeal. 2.0 40 TDI quattro 201 155 7.0 45.6-47.1 158-163 3.0 V6 60 TFSIe quattro 462 149 5.4 94.2-97.4 66-68
AAABC Good. Competitive in key areas. LxWxH 4029x1746x1418 Kerb weight 1105kg 3.0 S7 TDI quattro 344 155 5.1 35.3-35.8 205-208 4.0 SQ8 quattro 503 155 4.1 31.0-31.7 234-239
1.0 25 TFSI 94 118 10.8 48.7-50.4 128-133 4.0 V8 RS Q8 quattro 592 155 3.8 20.2-20.5 314-318
AAAAC Very good. Very competitive in key 1.0 30 TFSI 114 126 9.5 46.3-51.4 124-139 A8 4dr saloon £77,135–£117,730 AAAAC 3.0 V6 50 TDI quattro 282 150 6.1 32.8-33.2 222-226
areas, competitive in secondary 1.5 35 TFSI 148 137 7.7 44.1-44.8 142-145 Technical tour de force benefits from Audi’s knack of making very
respects. good limousines. LxWxH 5172x1945x1473 Kerb weight 1920kg Q8 E-tron 5dr SUV £67,800–£114,500 AAAAB
AAAAB E xcellent. Near class-leading in key A3 Sportback 5dr hatch £25,495–£61,905 AAAAC 3.0 55 TFSI quattro 335 155 5.6 28.2-29.4 206-212 A rounded, uber-luxurious addition to the premium EV niche.
Bolder design and improved dynamics make the A3 stand out more 3.0 55 TFSI quattro LWB 335 155 5.7 28.2-29.1 219-228 LxWxH 4901x1935x1629 Kerb weight 2490kg
areas and in some ways outstanding. than ever. LxWxH 4343x1816x1425 Kerb weight 1220kg 3.0 60 TFSIe quattro 449 155 4.9 100.9-113.0 57-64 50 quattro 95kWh 335 124 6.8 190 0
AAAAA Brilliant, unsurpassed. All but flawless. 1.0 30 TFSI 108 127 10.6 48.7-51.4 125-132 3.0 50 TDI quattro 282 155 5.9 38.7-40.9 180-192 55 quattro 114kWh 408 124 5.6 237 0
1.5 35 TFSI 148 139 8.7 46.3-50.4 128-138 3.0 50 TDI quattro LWB 282 155 5.9 38.2-40.4 182-193 SQ8 quattro 114kWh 503 130 4.5 223 0
2.0 40 TFSI quattro 201 150 6.9 38.7-40.4 159-166
ABARTH 2.0 40 TFSIe 201 141 7.6 235.4 29 E-tron GT 4dr saloon £84,000–£137,390 AAAAB Q8 E-tron Sportback 5dr SUV £70,300–£117,000 AAAAB
595 3dr hatch/2dr open £19,950–£28,225 AAABC 2.0 45 TFSIe 242 144 6.8 235.4 29 Combines striking looks with a high-class interior and never feels Quick and classy EV builds on the solid foundations of its more
The Fiat 500’s Abarth makeover makes it a true pocket rocket. 2.0 S3 quattro 308 155 4.8 34.4-34.9 183-186 short of pace. LxWxH 4989x2158x1396 Kerb weight 2276kg upright sibling. LxWxH 4901x1935x1616 Kerb weight 2480kg
LxWxH 3657x1627x1485 Kerb weight 1070kg 2.0 RS3 quattro 398 155 3.8 31.0-31.4 205-207 quattro 93kWh 528 152 4.1 296 0 50 quattro 95kWH 335 118 6.0 192 0
1.4 T-jet 145 143 130 7.8 38.7-39.2 155 2.0 30 TDI 113 128 10.1 61.4-64.2 115-122 RS quattro 93kWh 637 155 3.3 283 0 55 quattro 114kWh 403 124 5.6 242 0
1.4 T-jet 165 162 135 7.3 37.7-38.2 155 2.0 35 TDI 148 142 8.3 56.5-62.8 112-130 SQ8 quattro 114kWh 503 130 4.5 224 0
1.4 T-jet 180 Competizione 177 140 6.9 36.7 156 2.0 40 TDI quattro 198 151 6.8 47.9-50.4 148-155 Q2 5dr SUV £25,080–£47,675 AAAAC
1.4 T-jet 180 Esseesse 177 140 6.7 36.7 160 Audi’s smallest SUV is a decent stepping stone from the A3 to the TT 2dr coupé £34,840–£69,450 AAAAC
A3 Saloon 4dr saloon £27,460–£62,905 AAAAC Q range. LxWxH 4191x1794x1508 Kerb weight 1205kg Still serves up plenty of pace, style and usability for the money. It’s
695 3dr hatch/2dr open £32,385 AAABC Undercuts the case to own an A4. Upmarket interior and good to 1.0 30 TFSI 108 122 11.2 44.8-47.1 135-143 better to drive, too. LxWxH 4191x1966x1376 Kerb weight 1365kg
A convincing track-day 500 with decent dynamic ability, but overly drive. LxWxH 4495x1984x1425 Kerb weight 1225kg 1.5 35 TFSI 148 131 8.6 42.2-44.8 142-151 2.0 40 TFSI 194 155 6.6 40.4-41.5 154-158
firm ride spoils it. LxWxH 3657x1627x1485 Kerb weight 1045kg 1.0 30 TFSI 108 130 10.6 50.4-51.4 124-128 2.0 SQ2 TFSI 298 155 4.9 32.8-33.2 192-195 2.0 45 TFSI 242 155 5.8-5.9 38.7-39.2 162-167
1.4 T-jet 180 Esseesse 177 140 6.7 1.5 35 TFSI 148 36.2-36.7 156 144 8.7 47.9-50.4 127-134 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 242 155 5.2 34.9-35.8 180-184
2.0 40 TFSI quattro 201 154 7.0 39.2-40.9 157-165 2.0 50 TFSI quattro TTS 302 155 4.5 34.9-35.3 180-183
AC 2.0 S3 quattro 308 155 4.8 35.3-36.2 178-181 2.5 TT RS quattro 395 155 3.7 30.7 208-210
Cobra 2dr open £89,500–£145,000 AAAAC 2.0 RS3 quattro 394 155 3.8 31.4-31.7 202-205
Can’t match modern supercars but is pure driving indulgence. 2.0 30 TDI 116 130 10.1 62.8-64.2 114-119 TT Roadster 2dr open £36,590–£71,200 AAAAC
LxWxH 3657x1627x1485 Kerb weight 1100kg 2.0 35 TDI 148 142 8.3 58.9-67.3 111-127 Plenty of pace and driver reward, along with prestige and design-
140 Charter Edition 350 na 6.0 na na 2.0 40 TDI quattro 198 155 6.8 48.7-51.4 145-152 icon style. LxWxH 4191x1966x1355 Kerb weight 1455kg
378 Superblower 650 155 4.1 na na 2.0 40 TFSI 194 155 6.9 39.2-40.4 159-163
Series 1 Electric 650 308 6.7 150 0 A4 4dr saloon £33,965–£51,130 AAAAC 2.0 45 TFSI 242 155 6.0-6.1 37.2-38.2 168-172
High quality and competent but leaves the dynamic finesse to its 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 242 155 5.5 33.6-34.4 185-190
rivals. LxWxH 4726x1842x1427 Kerb weight 1320kg 2.0 50 TFSI quattro TTS 302 155 4.8 34.0-34.4 185-188
2.0 35 TFSI 148 140 8.6 40.9-46.3 141-155 2.5 TT RS quattro 395 155 3.9 29.7-30.1 214-215
2.0 40 TFSI 201 155 7.3 40.9-44.8 143-156
2.0 45 TFSI quattro 242 155 5.6 34.9-35.3 181-184
2.0 30 TDI 132 133 9.5 50.4-55.4 133-146
2.0 35 TDI 148 142 8.9 50.4-55.4 133-146
PRESENTS
PORSCHE
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LEGENDS
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R55 ALY £II00 FA52 BMW£590 DVI5 DAV £290 PI EBJ £590 S90 GDS £I90 BY5I HOP £490 M28 JMU £I99 SI KWE £690 EE53 LYN £390 AI MMU £690 W66 OFF £I90 S82 RBE £I90 SI23 SFH £I99 H6 TPG £290
R6 AMA £990 MW60 BMW£590 DK67 DAV £I90 KI ECC £790 MC04 GEC £I99 JI3 HOU £390 P9 JNC £490 AM53 LAG £I99 BW59 LYN £390 N6 MOH £990 J50 OGJ £I99 CI RBH £990 D4 SGD £290 X5 TPN £I90
YB08 AMB £I99 DE65 BMW£590 SLI0 DAW £I99 R29 ECK £490 TI GEG £690 T33 HRH £390 AM09 JOE £590 V52 LAM £390 MJ59 LYN £490 L22 MOP £340 JI OGS £I500 NI RBH £990 A4 SGJ £390 N4 TPP £390
EI2 AMC £790 L6 BNS £I90 RI4 DAY £790 D88 EER £490 C6 GEG £390 Y2 HUN £590 XX59 JOE £890 V29 LAU £690 99 LYU £I300 R50 MSD £290 YI OHN £I600 DII RBH £I90 V20 SGT £I90 T2 TRJ £590
BE57 AMC £290 AI BOB £7880 P9 DBB £290 HI5 EES £I90 AA62 GEM £390 RI HXX £790 LA58 JON £490 JI3 LAX £I90 OO55 MAC £990 R9 MTK £390 KI0 OJK £I99 SII RBH £I90 M7 SHD £590 DI TRT £990
VI3 AME £590 AF02 BOB £390 BI6 DBE £290 J90 EGG £590 R50 GFR £I99 LU02 JAC £490 VWI8 JRD £290 HI5 LBC £290 GE04 MAE £290 LI MTP £730 JI7 OJT £I99 N9 RBP £490 V8 SHS £590 CI5 TWO £I90
AM22 AMF£490 BBI4 BOB £990 D2 DBG £290 H3 EGS £290 MA04 GGS £790 ALII JAG £890 MI JSV £690 TI LDH £890 VHI6 MAG £590 OX03 MUM£490 SII OMH £290 JI2 RCW £340 F8 SHU £790 A6 TWR £390
GI4 AMJ £390 RRI7 BOB £890 F2 DBM £690 SU5I EHX £I400 A9 GHB £I90 C60 JAK £I500 MI2I JTC £I99 T8 LDN £340 P27 MAH £590 L60 MUN £I90 MOI0 ONT £490 XII RDK £290 S8 SHX £490 S2 TXT £290
T80 AMM £290 AT52 BOB £490 T70 DBS £390 S25 EJC £I90 N4 GLC £390 DE04 JAN £490 C2 JTP £390 YI LDT £730 TT02 MAL £390 CI MUO £590 RA57 ONV £290 J4 RDV £290 LI5 SJE £290 B2 TYL £390
RO55 AMV £390 RI BOR £I200 H9 DBT £290 Y80 EJC £I90 R25 GLM £290 RY04 JAN £490 N28 JUE £990 NO02 LEE £490 ME60 MAR£290 X66 MUS £590 RO04 OOD £290 AP03 REA £I99 FII SKF £390 R40 UDE £290
MX05 ANE £490 K7 BOR £790 GTI2 DBT £290 T6 EJR £590 K2 GLR £290 AA07 JAN £890 JI JVA £290 H20 LEK £290 N24 MAS £990 L4 MWG £290 PI6 OOK £I90 EI23 REG £490 X55 SKS £390 A5 UDM £490
AU56 ANG £790 L4 BOW £II00 DB70 DBX £I90 CRI5 ELD £290 H7 GNL £I90 R23 JAP £590 S7 JVC £490 P22 LEM £I90 MA60 MAS£490 A6 MWW £590 J88 OPA £I99 JHI7 REH £I99 CI4 SLK £790 P6 UGG £490
JI ANJ £2400 NI2I BOX £490 MW04 DCW£I99 HEI0 ELE £I99 YI GNT £890 2 JBG £7500 T9 JWE £490 R3I LEM £490 PI MAU £890 R5 MYE £290 BI7 ORR £390 YI4 REM £490 SME 8IY £290 DI0 UGJ £890
PF02 ANN £490 P3 BPE £I90 K40 DCW £290 G8 ELH £690 R7 GOP £340 J22 JDA £290 AII JWO £I95 AA02 LEN £490 B8 MAU £290 WI2 NAM £I90 J4 ORS £490 RFV IP £I000 RR52 SMR £I99 K2 UPH £I90
ARI0 ANN £990 S22 BRH £I99 XI DDL £790 R2I EML £I99 GOV I3R £2940 X4 JDJ £390 JWO 89N £I95 GL04 LEN £690 MJ54 MAZ £I90 PI7 NAR £490 KI PAE £890 RG I8 £27500 H5 SNK £I90 S84 UTD £390
P28 ANS £I90 MA05 BRY £I90 P26 DDS £390 K40 EMY £590 BI GPK £II00 YS09 JDS £I99 M20 JYM £390 T80 LEN £890 PA58 MCA £I99 92 NAR £3I50 LI PAE £890 PI RGV £690 J8 SNR £390 PI UUG £490
SJI0 ANT £I90 HM5I BRY £I90 AE06 DEB £490 RI0 ENT £490 N6 GRE £490 WB07 JEB £I99 UK03 KAY £490 VW65 LES £590 WG07 MCD £I99 S4 NBO £290 PFI0 PAF £I99 SI2 RHO £290 K3 SOE £290 M8 VAL £I600
LI2I ANT £890 RS67 BRY £290 MH52 DEB £590 H7 EPL £290 H8 GRL £390 K50 JEC £490 PF02 KAZ £390 SU6I LEW £390 CAII MCJ £I90 J5 NBT £I90 OO64 PAM £790 M6 RHP £390 BII SOE £I99 D52 VAL £590
CRI2 ANY £290 T9 BSG £390 VI3 DES £790 WI4 ERN £490 AI GUD £790 OOI6 JEF £490 HL06 KAZ £I99 Y22 LFC £490 N70 MDM £I99 D5 NDB £540 PA55 PAR £290 T3 RHS £590 CO02 SOO £290 RI VAM £II00
SI APF £990 BTR 54 £3530 DR60 DES £490 MRII ERS £490 L55 GUE £I99 JD56 JEF £290 HI KDC £990 LS05 LFS £I99 N99 MEB £290 H9 NDP £290 PL02 PAT £590 L6 RHS £490 WI SOX £890 A8 VDA £290
MFII APR £I99 NT52 BUG £290 A3 DGA £490 BA63 ESY £I99 SWI2 GUN £290 KI6 JEP £390 AGI3 KEL £290 T6 LGC £290 R77 MEE £I90 X6 NEE £390 PM04 PAT £690 SGI0 RJG £I99 25 SRE £2570 A9 VDA £290
E20 ARJ £390 MJ53 BUG £I90 P8 DGW £690 I EVN £I8800 DW60 GUN £290 LI8 JEP £290 V50 KEN £I400 BB5I LJB £I90 BA5I MEL £440 RY04 NEV £I99 PW59 PAT £490 SU5I RKD £390 AI5 SRJ £290 VI VEW £990
ADI0 ART £I90 K88 BUT £590 Y4 DHG £490 JI EWY £990 LSI0 GUY £780 AP53 JEP £I99 BL07 KEY £290 XIII LJJ £I90 DE55 MEN £290 M4 NFN £I90 PAU I33M£2620 E2 RKH £390 KI8 SRJ £I99 X3 VJD £390
D3 ARU £990 H4 BVS £290 D20 DHJ £390 FI EXG £990 A7 GWN £490 G3 JER £I400 P22 KGB £I99 A4 LJL £490 H3 MEO £I90 NJJ IL £II00 PI00 PBM £I99 RKM 75 £2800 AKI7 SRK £290 GI VMF £690
D3 ARX £I400 A4 BWN £490 M9 DHM £390 SI2 EYP £I99 KI GXK £290 JT09 JER £290 S5 KGN £390 LKD IR £890 CI6 MER £790 N6 NKB £390 X2 PDJ £590 J80 RLF £I90 P24 SSA £290 VMS 2 £5880
DI8 ARY £890 Y24 CAB £490 JI8 DHX £I90 FAR 8Y £I900 GI PDS £I090 W8 RLO £690 HI STO £I500 W2 VON £II80
MBI6 ASH £490 RO5I CAB £390 DM53 DJM £I90 M4 FCC £390 J8 PED £790 BI4 RLT £I90 SA64 STU £590 LI VOR £2345
BI ATE £I800
BI ATT £2825
HUI5 CAN £I99
HUI8 CAN £I99
CI DJO £I400
P9 DKB £490
W70 FEE £590
C20 FJS £290
REGISTRATIONS URGENTLY WANTED D8 PEJ £490
MI PEO £890
M99 RMA £I90
SSII RMS £390
XK04 SUE £690
WHII SUE £390
JI VRG
T9 VVW
£I90
£I90
AI6 ATU £I99
S55 AUB £400
GA54 CAS £390
G5 CBE £390
F4 DKP £590
K9 DLN £290
50 FJW £2900
YI5 FLY £690 FOR IMMEDIATE PURCHASE CI PFS
DI PFS
£990
£690
NI RNJ £790
OG02 ROB £590
BOI9 SUE £490
KA55 SUE £590
MEI0 VYN £690
YI0 WAL £590
JI AUN £I400 BI0 CBM £I90 B5 DME £490 F3 FMB £390 S99 PGH £290 GT53 ROB £790 W20 SUN £390 WAM I00T £690
AUS IE £7500 A8 CBT £I90 AR02 DOD £I99 FG03 FMG £I99 R9 GYL £490 JET IY £5880 SSI2 KGS £I90 SI LLS £I2900 J4 MFP £390 N7 NKC £I90 HI PGR £I400 KI2 ROD £730 SX57 SUZ £I99 AI WBK £890
K66 AWH £290 R66 CCS £390 BD56 DOG £290 HI FMH £II00 TI8 HAY £290 S2I JFC £290 BI KJA £I200 X90 LLY £I600 MFS 34 £3600 M6I NKM £390 N60 PGW £I99 LII ROG £I500 S9 SVK £I90 DI WDG £I380
KI3 AYE £I040 H9 CDG £490 AB08 DON £490 C7 FNC £I90 J8 HBB £390 LI7 JFW £I99 N29 KJW £490 MYII LMA £390 V5 MGK £290 DI NKS £5880 R7 PHJ £I90 DBII ROL £I90 BI9 SWD £I90 M2 WDS £I90
J50 BAC £390 Y77 CEB £390 LY08 DON £I200 CS02 FOG £I90 HCG IW £890 KI JGA £990 S29 KJW £340 PAI0 LNA £I99 JI MGV £I550 NI0 NLC £290 K3 PJO £390 SU53 ROO £390 MI30 SYD £390 P3 WDS £290
K70 BAC £290 LI00 CEG £I99 JI DOT £I400 AL5I FOW £290 J88 HCS £I99 M66 JGC £I90 HI KKJ £790 LI LNP £990 NI8 MGW £I90 T2 NME £I90 R27 PJS £490 T72 ROY £990 A9 SYH £I90 G3 WEG £290
AS03 BAD £I99 SI CEP £790 S60 DOT £490 BB05 FOX £390 HDA 6J £390 RI JGH £I300 W8 KLF £290 AAI4 LOU £590 AI2 MHJ £290 OU04 NNA £490 PI3 PJW £790 HI RPD £II00 S25 SYL £590 G4 WEG £290
T4 BAE £290 D99 CES £590 M50 DOV £390 LF57 FOX £490 K2 HDG £490 MI JGP £I300 H5 KLK £3I5 L8 LOV £590 K8 MHL £490 PJ09 NNA £690 J4 PKG £390 VI RRG £690 RI TAF £2500 N25 WEL £490
S44 BBK £I090 TI CET £I300 RI0 DPG £I90 H7 FRM £390 A4 HDG £640 M90 JHP £290 N7 KMA £590 VI0 LOW £I230 LB59 MJB £290 LE02 NNY £990 S9 PKR £590 CI RRV £890 SE56 TAF £290 RI WEO £390
RI BBP £I400 F2 CFW £540 DI DPO £890 L60 FSC £I99 B7 HDY £420 P3 JHT £390 E6 KMM £690 LPO I2I £I300 XX06 MJD £390 S7 NPC £I90 TI PLH £I300 PH5I RSH £I90 7 TAR £I8800 KII WGH £I99
NI BBS £I6590 H4 CGF £I90 RI DRF £I400 J6 FST £730 KI3 HDY £290 B9 JJL £690 E7 KMM £690 SU5I LRD £490 XXI3 MJD £390 H9 NPD £390 S9 PMT £390 BI RSL £990 AI5 TAR £3295 GI WGS £780
W99 BBW £I90 L6 CHF £390 MI4 DSB £390 XI FTB £990 HE66 HER £490 XI9 JJW £690 MI KNS £I400 N3I LRL £290 JN69 MJN £290 C4 NPK £290 M5 PNP £290 AII RSO £390 BI2 TAT £390 L8 WJH £290
INDEX
M4 CSL AAAAC16.11.22 308 1.2T Puretech 130 GT AAAAC25.5.22 Across 2.5 PHEV E-Four CVT AAAAB7.4.21
m 5 Series 520d M Sport AAAAB31.5.17 Stinger 2.0 T-GDI GT-L S AAABC 25.4.18 508 GT BlueHDi 180 AAAAC24.10.18
ed h fro m 545e M Sport AAAAC20.10.21 Rio 1.0 T-GDI 3 Eco AAABC1.3.17 Hybrid 225 Allure SW AAAAC8.7.20 TESLA
sp
e
w er 2 mp rqu
e
fro
p
To Po 0-6 To CO 2 M5 AAAAB18.4.18 Ceed 1.6 CRDi 115 2 AAABC29.8.18 PSE Hybrid4 SW AAAAC5.5.21 Model 3 Standard Range Plus AAAAC4.9.19
M5 CS AAAAA14.7.21 Proceed 1.4 T-GDi AAABC27.2.19 2008 e-2008 GT Line AAABC 30.9.20 Model S P90D AAAAB20.4.16
6 Series GT 630d xDrv M Spt AAABC18.11.17 Xceed 1.4 T-GDi AAABC20.11.19 3008 1.6 BlueHDi GT Line AAABC18.1.17 Model Y Long Range AWD AAAAC23.3.22
8 Series 840d xDrive AAABC16.1.19 Niro EV 3 AAAAC7.9.22 5008 2.0 BlueHDi GT Line AAABC1.11.17 Model X 90D AAAAC15.2.17
M8 Competition Convertible AAABC5.2.20 EV6 77.4kWh GT-Line RWD AAAAB12.1.22
M8 Competition Coupé AAABC3.6.20 Sportage 1.6 HEV 2WD AAABC15.6.22 P O L E S TA R T OYO TA
i3 1.3S Range Extender AAAAC21.2.18 Sorento 1.6 HEV G-TDi 2 AAABC20.1.21 1 AAAAC21.10.20 Aygo X Limited Edition AAABC11.5.22
Chrysler Voyager III 1989 Honda Fuya-Jo 1999 Rinspeed X Dream 1999
Here was an idea definitely divorced from reality. Shown at the 1999 Tokyo motor show, the Truly in keeping with Rinspeed’s left-field
Chrysler’s design team came up with a three-seat Fuya-Jo was a cross between an armoured reputation, the X Dream was a pick-up that
city car that could be mated to a separate rear car and a supermarket trolley. It featured a featured a 5.5-litre Mercedes-Benz engine and
pod, enabling the Voyager III to become a people minimal glasshouse and wheels that looked offered little in the way of comfort or protection
carrier for eight. Each segment contained a four- as though they had been stolen from a Lego set. from the elements while also coming with its own
pot petrol engine that could operate in concert. The car was conceived as an urban runabout for hovercraft that hoisted off the back, presumably
Its designer, Tom Gale, also gave us the Dodge bright young things in Tokyo on a night out and when you arrived at the beach. Oddly enough, it
Viper Mk1 and Mk2, plus the Plymouth Prowler. despite its size promised seating for four. didn’t arrive as a precursor to series production.