GO FROM PETROL TO

ELECTRIC IN ONE TOUCH.

1 OF 16 ELECTRIFIED VEHICLES IN 2021
Model shown is a Kuga ST-Line Edition 2.5 Duratec 225PS PHEV 6 Speed Automatic FWD. Fuel economy mpg (l/100km),
(Combined) 282.5 (1.0). CO2 emissions: 23g/km. Equivalent all-electric range: up to 39 miles+.
These figures were obtained using a combination of battery power and fuel. Figures shown are for comparability purposes. Only compare fuel consumption, CO2 and electric
range figures with other cars tested to the same technical procedures. These figures may not reflect real life driving results, which will depend upon a number of factors including
the accessories fitted, variations in weather, driving styles and vehicle load. +The Kuga PHEV figures were obtained using a combination of battery power and fuel. The Kuga PHEV
is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle requiring mains electricity for charging.
ford.co.uk
 THIS WEEK
‘It feels like turning up to a bar mitzvah with a plate of pork chops’
30

Issue 6489 | Volume 310 | No 8

IMAGE
NEWS
Volvo XC90 reborn Exclusive details, plus Polestar 3 4 COMMENT
Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Track focus, 493bhp 8
Subaru Solterra Firm’s first EV is a 4x4 family SUV 11
Toyota Aygo X Europe boss says why it’s petrol only 12
STEP CHANGE IS GOOD
Owners not required We explore ‘mobility solutions’ 14
BUT SO IS EVOLUTION
TESTED RADICAL VOLVO FLAGSHIP DUE NEXT YEAR 4
Toyota GR 86 Just like the GT86 – only even better 18 THE INCREDIBLE
BMW M240i xDrive Coupé ‘A quadruple espresso’ 24
Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 True 4x4 with 470bhp 29
progress of electric vehicles
Audi A8 L 60 TFSI Facelifted V8 limo is a class act 30 means we’ve become
Peugeot 308 Hybrid 225 Plush PHEV; worth £37k? 31 accustomed to big leaps
MG ZS EV SUV’s makeover ushers in bigger battery 31
Mercedes-Benz EQA 250 ROAD TEST 32 between generations of cars. Electric
and digital technology is developing so
FEATURES fast that car firms can barely keep up.
Bentley Continental GT Drop-top’s coastal road trip 40
Car buying: the future Experts on how it’s changing 46 But it’s important to recognise that
Richard Burns Close friend gives WRC hero insights 53 cars don’t have to take big leaps to make
OUR CARS significant advances. Just look at two
Ford Tourneo Custom Range-extender’s last report 60 ENGLISH RIVIERA BY CONTI GT CONVERTIBLE 40 cars we’ve driven this week: the Toyota
Bentley Bentayga Hybrid Meet our £186k plug-in 62 GR 86 and BMW 2 Series Coupé, both
Ford Mondeo Hybrid Estate Longer range wanted 63
Vauxhall Mokka How does it compare with a Juke? 65 pure-combustion-engined, rear-drive
two-doors with a sports-led remit.
EVERY WEEK Frankly, neither is revolutionary.
Jesse Crosse New tech for hydrogen piston engines 13
Jim Holder Are tough times about to get tougher? 15 They’re both clear evolutions of their
Steve Cropley Mustang Mach-E; new Vauxhall Astra 17 predecessors, created by development
Subscribe Save money and get exclusive benefits 28
Autocar Archive Access 125 years of issues for free 48
teams who were plainly set on a path
Damien Smith Is Porsche set to return to Formula 1? 50 of refinement rather than reinvention.
Motorsport round-up WEC, Formula 1, Nascar, WRC 51 Which, actually, is a very good thing.
Your Views Simca 1100; Range Rover; Alfa Spider 58
Matt Prior Prepare to be amazed. Or disappointed 82 BMW M24Oi COUPE: FIRST DRIVE VERDICT 24 It’s obvious that each machine has
been honed by passionate engineers
DEALS `
James Ruppert Cars that have topped 750k miles
As good as new Skoda Scala, now yours from £13k
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69
I CAN TELL YOU and is laser focused for car-loving
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Spied in the classifieds Mighty V8 cars from the US
Used buying guide Top tips on 1990s Audi Cabriolet
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72
WITH ABSOLUTE make a bold statement of the future,
or showcase revolutionary tech.
New cars A-Z Key car stats, from Abarth to Zenos
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CERTAINTY THAT They just have to fulfil an incredibly
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N E WS G O T A S T O RY ?
Email our news editor
felix.page@haymarket.com
XC90 reinvented to define
Volvo’s new-era ethos
Flagship gets EV and ICE versions, new look and minimalist tech-led cabin
V
olvo’s third electric
car will be the
unconventionally
shaped successor to
the hugely popular XC90 SUV
– and it will set the tone for a
whole family of new EVs from
the Swedish manufacturer.
Due in 2022 as a
production-ready version of
the bold Concept Recharge
shown earlier this year,
the new arrival will provide
Volvo with a long-awaited
entry into the increasingly
important full-sized electric
SUV segment, into which
most premium-oriented
manufacturers have launched
their debut EVs in recent
years. Volvo’s existing pure
EVs, the XC40 Recharge and
coupé-backed C40 Recharge,
sit a segment lower and use
the same CMA platform as the
conventionally fuelled XC40.
Meanwhile, the XC90
successor, which will be given
a name rather than a number
in production form, will use
Volvo’s new SPA2 platform.
This evolved version of the
current car’s architecture
will accommodate a choice of
Current XC90
remains a strong
seller for Volvo
4 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 17 NOVEMBER 2021
combustion and pure-electric
powertrains. It will be the first
production car to use the new
underpinnings before they
are rolled out to other Volvo
models and sibling brands
owned by parent company
Geely Auto. As part of a new IMAGE
platform-sharing agreement,
Geely will in turn offer
Volvo access to its latest
SEA architecture.
The Concept Recharge
heavily hinted at how Volvo
will ensure its new flagship
EV retains the XC90’s core
characteristics while ushering
in a totally new approach to
exterior and cabin design, as
well as a host of advanced new
technologies. The Swedish
brand’s biggest model
remains a consistently strong
seller, even as the current,
second-generation car enters
its seventh and final year on
sale. In the first 10 months
of 2021 alone, the XC90
accounted for around 6.5% of
Volvo’s global sales, putting
it third only to its XC60 and
XC40 SUV siblings.
So although the XC90
successor will adopt a
radically different design, it will
continue to major on space and
practicality. The ‘less is more’
approach exhibited by the
concept points to an enhanced
focus on minimalistic design in
Volvo’s new electric era, as well
as a drive to minimise the well-
to-wheel environmental impact
of each vehicle it produces.
Unlike the vast majority of
mixed-powertrain platforms
currently on the market, the
SPA2 will be offered in two
distinct forms. This will allow
the electric XC90 successor
to benefit from a completely
flat floor, shortened overhangs
and a more overtly cab-
forward stance, whereas the
combustion-engined versions
will have slightly more familiar
interior proportions, given
the need to accommodate
an engine, transmission and
exhaust system.
Some of the concept’s
more outlandish and
futuristic cues will be toned
down for production – the
four free-standing seats,
for example. However, the
skateboard-style architecture
will offer new levels of interior
space and flexibility, which
concept designer Robin Page
likened to a “Scandinavian
living room feeling”. To that
end, the production car will
ditch physical controls for a
cleaner and simpler driver
environment. Most of the
functions will be controlled
through a large-format central
touchscreen using operating
software developed by Google
– as first adopted by the XC40
Recharge and Polestar 2.
However, Volvo’s next SUV
will not be so easily categorised
as an SUV because, although
it sits high off the ground and
emphasises all-round visibility
like the current car, it has ◊
Next XC90’s SPA2
platform will enable
a spacious interior
`
The XC90 successor will
set the tone for a whole family
of new EVs from Volvo
a
17 NOVEMBER 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 5

The Polestar 3 and the XC90
successor will be close relations
technically but quite distinct
IMAGE
Δ a straighter-edged two-box
silhouette reminiscent of
estate cars such as the 240,
940 and V70, which once
ranked among the Swedish
marque’s most important and
best-selling models. Company
boss Håkan Samuelsson
recently told Autocar that
Volvo will gradually downsize
Polestar’s Ingenlath
has talked up the 3’s
power and stance
6 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 17 NOVEMBER 2021
`
a
its conventional estate offering
– currently comprising various
forms of the V60 and V90 – in
recognition of the simple fact
that “people really are fond of
high seating positions”.
The XC90 successor
will therefore straddle the
boundary between two
segments to capitalise on
the popularity of SUVs while
differentiating itself from
rivals and avoiding alienating
buyers of lower-slung models.
Page called it “a new type
of vehicle”, which “displays
new and modern proportions
that go hand in hand with
increased versatility” – hinting
at the potential for other
Volvo models to follow suit
in blending design cues from
different segments.
Volvo remains guarded
about details of the new car’s
powertrain offering, but the
firm’s well-publicised push to
reduce emissions across its
line-up means all combustion
variants will feature some
form of electrification, be they
mild hybrids or plug-in hybrids.
Diesel will not be offered at all.
It remains an option on certain
Volvo models but will be phased
out entirely as the brand’s
line-up is refreshed.
The electric variant,
meanwhile, could usher in
entirely new powertrain set-
ups distinct from those offered
on the CMA-based XC40, C40
and Polestar 2 EVs, while four-
wheel drive is highly likely to be
standard, given its large SUV
billing. Volvo will offer a choice
of battery sizes on its new
EVs, giving buyers the option
of standard and long-range
versions, the latter capable
of travelling up to 310 miles
between charges.
Dynamically led 3 to
spearhead Polestar expansion
Electric performance brand
Polestar will use the SPA2
architecture for its crucial
second series-production
model, the 3 SUV, as it
continues to differentiate itself
from part-owner Volvo.
Although the 3 and the
XC90 successor will be close
relations technically,
Polestar’s own take on the
large electric SUV will feature
a unique design and interior
set-up, as well as distinct
performance and dynamic
characteristics.
The first hint of the 3’s final
look came with the unveiling of
the Precept concept in 2020.
Although that car has itself now
been confirmed for production
in 2025 as the 5, Polestar’s
new SUV will still draw heavily
on its defining design cues,
namely its sharp-looking front
end, its coupé-style sloping
roof and the raised wrap-
around rear light bar.
A recent preview image
of the 3 left much to the
imagination but it gave
further clues about how it will
be set apart from its Volvo
sibling. Polestar CEO Thomas
Ingenlath said the model’s
defining characteristics

will be its “incredible power
and stance”.
The 3 will be sold
exclusively as an EV, as with
its 2 sibling, and Ingenlath
confirmed to Autocar that
while the Volvo will be offered
with seven seats, the 3 will
have only two rows of seating
in line with its sportier and
more luxurious positioning.
For the same reason,
the 3 will get more power in
top-rung guises, allowing it
to compete more effectively
Polestar 3 will have
unique styling and a
more sporting remit
with hot electric SUVs like the
Audi E-tron S and upcoming
Porsche Macan EV. Single- and
dual-motor powertrains will be
available, catering to customer
preferences in different
regions, so the 3 will essentially
give the same standard- and
long-range offering as the 2.
The 3 will be simultaneously
produced for the US alongside
Volvo’s electric SUV in
Ridgeville, South Carolina,
and for various other global
markets, including Europe,
E N T R Y- L E V E L S U Vs O N T H E WAY F R O M V O LV O A N D P O L E S TA R
After the launch of the XC90
successor and the 3, Volvo
and Polestar will each turn
their attention to introducing
new entry-level electric SUVs
in the coming years.
Volvo is understood to
be working on a premium-
oriented compact crossover
in the vein of the Mercedes-
Benz EQA and DS 3 Crossback
E-Tense. The model will play
a key role in the brand’s
ambition for EVs to account
for 50% of its global sales by
2025. Previously tipped to
take either the XC20 or C20
moniker into production, it
has now been confirmed to
follow the XC90 replacement
in adopting a new name and,
Volvo’s entry-level
SUV will rival the
Mercedes-Benz EQA
Precept concept
from 2020 sets the
tone for the new 3
at Polestar’s own facility in
Chengdu, China, which will keep
production and shipping costs
down while minimising the car’s
environmental impact.
Due on sale in the first
quarter of 2023 after a reveal
in 2022, shortly after the Volvo,
the 3 is expected to command
a premium over its sibling at
a starting price of £64,000,
which will make it the top-rung
Polestar model until the
5 arrives in 2025.
FELIX PAGE
like that car, will sit high off
the ground but feature a
streamlined silhouette to
maximise efficiency.
It will be the first Volvo
model to sit on Geely’s new
‘open-source’ SEA platform,
as first used for the new
001 shooting brake from
nascent Chinese premium
brand Zeekr. That car, which
is set to be offered globally
from next year, comes with
either an 86kWh or 100kWh
battery for a maximum range
of 435 miles, hinting at the
long-range potential of any
platform-sharing Volvo
model. Notably, Zeekr claims
it can charge at speeds of up
to 360kW, which allows for 75
IMAGE
LOTUS LINES UP ELECTRIC SUV TOO
Lotus will follow its fellow
Geely Group sibling brands
Volvo and Polestar in
launching an electric SUV
– and the firm has given the
first official glimpse of it
ahead of a reveal next year.
The first in a family of
Chinese-built Lotus EVs, the
Type 132 will share Geely’s
SEA platform with upcoming
models from the two
Swedish brands and will be
offered with a choice of four-
wheel-drive powertrains
ranging in output from
600bhp to 750bhp.
Official detail (right);
how we expect Lotus
SUV to look (below)
NEWS
miles of range to be added in
just five minutes. However,
the 001’s 536bhp twin-motor
drivetrain is likely to remain
the preserve of performance-
focused models.
Other headline features
of the SEA architecture
include its automatically
lowering suspension, facial
recognition functionality and
‘full-life’ over-the-air update
compatibility.
Polestar’s second SUV,
due in 2023, will sit between
the 2 and 3 in terms of size
and feature similarly rakish
proportions to the flagship
model but it will be positioned
as a more mass-market
proposition. It will sit lower
to the ground than the 3
and even has a more heavily
curved roofline, but Polestar
boss Thomas Ingenlath said it
will not “compromise much”
on interior space.
Its size and positioning
(Polestar has hinted at a
price of around £41,000)
suggest it will be closely
related to Volvo’s existing
C40 Recharge and, as such,
could use the same CMA
architecture as that car and
its 2 stablemate. This would
mean the option of front-
and all-wheel drive, and a
choice of either 64kWh or
78kWh batteries.
The first official preview
image shows the distinctive
hexagonal pattern of the
SUV’s active grille shutter,
which will serve to cool the
drivetrain and reduce drag
on the move.
Lotus will drop more clues
during the run-up to the EV’s
full unveiling.
IMAGE
17 NOVEMBER 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 7
 Cayman turns hardcore RS
GT4 RS is lighter, more powerful and gets tuned
aero and suspension; 0-62mph in 3.4sec, 196mph

OFFICIAL PICTURES
shock absorber set-up and a

T
he Porsche Cayman GT4
RS is the new flagship
of the mid-engined 718
range, shedding weight
and gaining power over the
existing GT4 in pursuit of
quicker lap times.
Engineers at Porsche’s
motorsport division have
liberated an extra 79bhp and
15lb ft from the Cayman’s
naturally aspirated 4.0-litre flat
six, which redlines at 9000rpm.
That takes the total outputs
to 493bhp and 332lb ft for a
0-62mph time of just 3.4sec
and a top speed of 196mph.
Power is sent to the rear axle
through a seven-speed PDK
automatic gearbox, which
shifts “at lightning speed”,
according to Porsche.
Weight has been slashed
by swapping the bonnet and
front wings for carbonfibre-
reinforced plastic items,
installing lightweight carpets,
replacing the door handles
with pull straps, reducing
the amount of insulation
and installing a lighter rear
windscreen. These measures
combine with the engine
modifications to give a
power-to-weight ratio of
348bhp per tonne.
Porsche has also further
optimised the GT4’s
aerodynamics. A swan-necked
rear wing based on that used
by the 911 RSR GT racer, new
air vents and adjustable
front diffuser – together with
a 30mm drop in ride height
compared with the standard
Cayman – are said to increase
downforce by as much as 10%
over the GT4, and in track-
oriented Performance mode
that climbs to 60%. The rear
windows, meanwhile, have
been swapped for air intakes
for improved airflow to the
engine, a by-product of which
is a “thrilling intake noise right
next to the occupant’s ears”.
There is also a bespoke
specific tune for the spring
and anti-roll bar rates to give
keener handling.
An optional Weissach
package, as seen here, brings
a carbon-weave finish for
various exterior trim items,
aluminium exhaust tips, a
titanium roll-cage and bespoke
20in forged aluminium or
magnesium wheels.
The 718 Cayman GT4 RS
is on sale now priced from
£108,370, which is £31,840
more than the GT4. The first
UK cars are expected to be
delivered in March 2022.
FELIX PAGE
GT4 RS: HOW
MUCH QUICKER?
The new addition to
Porsche’s hallowed RS
line-up is a substantial
23.6sec quicker around
the Nürburgring than the
existing GT4, hinting at
the effectiveness of the
extensive mechanical and
dynamic modifications.
In the final stage of
testing, ex-racer and
brand ambassador Jörg
Bergmeister lapped the
slightly shorter 12.8-mile
Nordschleife circuit in an
impressive 7min 4.51sec,
while a 7min 9.3sec lap
time around the full
12.9-mile circuit makes
it very nearly as quick as
the previous 911 GT3 RS.

Cabin receives minor weight-saving measures but remains plush Rear wing is based on 911 RSR GT racer’s and boosts downforce

RADFORD 62-2 BLENDS OLD WITH NEW
Radford has mixed retro design cues with modern
tech inside its 62-2 sports car. Screens replace
the rear-view and wing mirrors and there’s a 6.0in
digital display, but Bremont clocks and an exposed
gear linkage are nods to its old-school ethos.
ELECTRIC BUS GETS 300-MILE RANGE
The Jewel E is an all-electric take on the London
double-decker bus and has a range of up to 300
miles. UK firm Equipmake has developed the
platform and powertrain, which will be built at
a new Norfolk factory from 2022.

8 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 17 NOVEMBER 2021


G T S VS G T4 VS G T4 R S ( A L L P D K )
GTS, low-slung estate for Taycan
PORSCHE HAS EXPANDED
its Taycan line-up with the
introduction of the new Sport
Price £65,390 £76,530 £108,370 Turismo – which combines the
Power 395bhp 414bhp 493bhp estate-style body of the Cross
0-62mph 4.5sec 4.4sec 3.4sec Turismo with the lower ride
Top speed 182mph 188mph 196mph height of the saloon.
Kerb weight 1435kg 1450kg 1415kg It is aimed at customers
who want the “everyday
practicality” of the Cross
Turismo but don’t want to
“miss out on the on-road
performance” of the saloon.
The Sport Turismo drops
the 4x4-inspired off-road
cladding of the higher-riding
variant but keeps its 1200-
litre boot and 45mm of extra
head room over the saloon.
The Sport Turismo is at the
LA motor show this week in new
NEWS
GTS trim, which has been added upholstery, while a unique tune
to the Taycan line-up to serve for the adaptive air suspension
as the “sporty sweet spot” of promises a distinctive dynamic
the range, between the 4S and character.
Turbo. Due in dealerships in In the absence of an
spring 2022, the Taycan GTS exhaust system to upgrade,
saloon (pictured, inset) is priced the Taycan GTS gets its
from £104,190 and the Sport own version of Porsche’s
Turismo GTS is £104,990. Electric Sport Sound, which
With up to 590bhp in Launch accompanies acceleration.
Control mode, the GTS
dispatches 0-62mph
in 3.7sec, tops out at
155mph and is capable
of a claimed 312 miles
between charges.
As with Porsche’s
other GTS models, it
is marked out by black
exterior trim elements
and Race-Tex interior

OFFICIAL PICTURES
GTS offers 590bhp;
regular estate joins
rugged Cross Turismo

GT4 RS is priced
from £108,370; first
deliveries in March

Weissach package (pictured) adds new wheels and carbon trim

FERRARI CREATES ONE-OFF V12 COUPE OFFICIAL PICTURE

Ferrari has turned to its seminal 1950s and 1960s
coupés as inspiration for its latest one-off: the
V12-powered BR20 two-seater.
Based on the retired GTC4 Lusso, the coachbuilt
special loses its rear seats and adopts a swooping
rear deck that incorporates a new rear spoiler,
diffuser and exhaust set-up. The front end gets
a wider grille, slimmer lights and a bespoke
carbonfibre trim piece across its width.
The interior has been extensively reworked,
BR20 is based on
too, with liberal use of leather and carbonfibre GTC4 Lusso; no price
throughout and an oak-trimmed rear storage area. has been disclosed

VOLKSWAGEN BRINGS T-ROC UP TO DATE RETRO GRANDEUR IS HYUNDAI’S NEXT EV

Volkswagen has given the T-Roc revamped front
and rear ends, new alloy designs, a new steering
wheel and an overhauled infotainment system
with a raft of connected services and phone
mirroring. Deliveries are to begin in April 2022.
Hyundai has marked the 35th anniversary of
its Grandeur luxury saloon with a retro-styled
electric version. Pixel-style light clusters, a digital
dashboard and a virtual piano feature as part of
the ‘retro-futuristic’ design makeover.

17 NOVEMBER 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 9


OFFICIAL PICTURES
Subaru unveils maiden EV
Solterra has same platform and 214bhp 4WD set-up as Toyota bZ4X
T
he new Solterra is the
first electric production
car from Subaru and
is claimed to draw on
the brand’s historic affinity
with four-wheel drive to offer
outstanding off-road potential.
“Existing Subaru customers
can feel it’s truly a Subaru,”
the Japanese manufacturer
said, confident that its core
characteristics will shine
through despite the SUV’s
close relationship with the
almost identical Toyota bZ4X.
Off-road capability
remains key selling
point for Subaru
When Toyota and Subaru
partnered to develop a new
EV-dedicated architecture,
Subaru’s historic success with
4x4 models was highlighted as
a particular strength. Its input
therefore extends to the twin-
motor drivetrain – comprising
a pair of 107bhp motors for a
total output of 214bhp and a
0-62mph time of 7.7sec – which
promises precise control of
each wheel in turn and “flexible
driving force distribution
between front and rear”.
A familiar X-Mode function
enhances the Solterra’s
off-road credentials, while the
addition of a new Grip Control
mode helps it maintain stability
at speed over rough roads.
As with the bZ4X, an
entry-level 201bhp front-
wheel-drive variant with a
0-62mph time of 8.4sec will
be made, although Subaru
has yet to confirm whether
this will be offered in the UK.
Both powertrains get their
energy from a 71.4kWh lithium
brands. One forgotten example
is the Impreza-based Saab 9-2X.
Conceived when General Motors
had a stake in both firms, it had 4WD
as standard and the option of the
Solterra’s styling is
nearly identical to
its Toyota sibling’s
ion battery that’s expected to
offer a range in excess of 280
miles, as with the bZ4X.
The Solterra will also get
that car’s “efficient and
effective” heating system
to ensure consistent battery
performance in all conditions.
It’s an almost exact match
for the Toyota inside as well,
with a low-mounted digital
instrument panel, a large
infotainment touchscreen
and a textured dashboard.
However, it’s unclear at this
stage whether Subaru will use
the same innovative steer-by-
wire system as the bZ4X.
Lexus is also expected to
produce an electric SUV using
the Toyota-Subaru hardware.
FELIX PAGE
Some
of Subaru’s
most successful cars
have been sold by other
WRX’s 2.0-litre turbo flat four.
NEWS
CONFIDENTIAL
LAST WEEK, WE reported
that Renault won’t rush
to introduce solid-state
batteries, but it isn’t putting
all its eggs in the lithium
ion basket. Engineering
boss Gilles Le Borgne told
Autocar that FCEVs will also
play a role, but mainly in the
commercial vehicle sector:
“When you’re talking about
large CVs, you have to use
hydrogen, otherwise you
have too many batteries.
It’s not an easy balance.”
THE AUDI A8 has just been
refreshed (driven on p30),
but there’s still no RS8. A
product spokesman told us
“there are no plans in the
pipeline” as “an RS is very
expressive and thus appeals
to customers who would
love that, while the A8
customers prefer a bit more
understatement”. What’s
not subtle about the RS Q8’s
592bhp V8 and 23in alloys?
YOU CAN’T ACCUSE
Rolls-Royce of ignoring
the concerns of us mere
mortals. As it gears up to go
all-electric, CEO Torsten
Müller-Ötvös acknowledged
that even the flushest EV
owners will need public
chargers. “It would be a
great sadness if the public
charging doesn’t match
the investments made by
car companies,” he said.
“Ethically, it’s not right”
if the network isn’t up to
scratch, he added, as “you
need to ensure the public
network is for everyone”.
FORGET ANTI-BAC
wipes and hand gel:
buy a new Mk5 Range
Rover to fight Covid-19.
Seriously. Apparently,
its cabin-purifying system,
which uses ‘dual nanoe’
technology to fight odours,
viruses and bacteria, is 99%
effective against the virus.
17 NOVEMBER 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 11
 Toyota bets on cheap city cars
Firm’s Europe boss explains why it bucked the trend to make the petrol-only Aygo X
Renault’s rear-engined Twingo

C
onventionally fuelled
superminis and city
cars have long been
tipped to become
early casualties of the shift
to all-out electrification.
Their waning profit margins,
near-incompatibility with
hybridisation and negative
impact on fleet emissions
figures mean larger, more
costly and increasingly
electrified cars have been
the priority for most major
manufacturers in recent years.
But Toyota has bucked the
trend by introducing the new
Aygo X, a higher-riding but still
diminutive third-generation
version of its consistently
strong-selling city car.
Although it has grown slightly,
at 3700mm long and 1740mm
wide, it will still be comfortably
one of the smallest combustion
cars on sale and it serves as
proof that Toyota views the
city car as a viable revenue
stream for at least one
more model cycle.
Toyota Europe vice-
president Andrea Carlucci is
confident that the Japanese
firm can sustain an offering
in this endangered segment.
He told Autocar that the
“strong equity we have built
over the last 15 years with two
generations of the previous
vehicle” cements the Aygo
nameplate as a front runner.
Carlucci also highlighted,
in particular, “the great job
our UK colleagues have been
doing. It’s by far one of the
most successful markets – if
not the most successful – in
Europe.” Indeed, the Aygo
has outsold the larger Yaris in
the UK every year since 2015,
and in the first nine months
of 2021 – the current car’s
final full year on sale – it was
only slightly behind the much
newer Corolla and C-HR in
terms of outright UK sales,
with 15,009 Aygos sold.
The Aygo X will not go
up against the same array
of competitors faced by its
predecessor at launch in 2014.
Seat and Skoda made their
identical Mii and Citigo EV-only
in 2019 before withdrawing
them from production
altogether;
is now EV-only and unavailable
in the UK; and ex-production
partners Citroën and Peugeot
will no longer build the C1 and
108 alongside the Aygo in
Kolín, Czech Republic.
Carlucci suggested
the reasons behind other
manufacturers’ withdrawal
from the petrol city car
market in recent years: “It’s a
segment that traditionally is
not that profitable and, if
not fully electrified, tends to
be a ‘bad boy’.”
The emissions produced
by a pure-combustion motor
incur hefty penalties for car
makers because of a recently
imposed 95g/km average
on CO2 emissions across a
manufacturer’s line-up. So
Toyota will have to balance
the pure-petrol Aygo X’s
impact with sales of
statistically
cleaner
Carlucci: confident of success
hybrid and upcoming
pure-electric models.
Were the Aygo X electrified,
its environmental impact,
on paper, would be likely
to fall below the EU’s strict
thresholds, but Carlucci
suggested that a hybrid
version would not be able to
“stay true to the vocation of
this category, which is to be
affordable”. The mild-hybrid
systems used by rival cars, he
notes, have “even higher
CO2” ratings than the Aygo –
and the installation of such a
system would push the Aygo
X’s list price up, threatening
its positioning.
Notably, the similarly
priced Suzuki Ignis and Fiat
Panda are the only electrified
propositions available in this
segment in the UK, but it uses
a relatively unobtrusive and
cost-effective 12V mild-hybrid
system to reduce emissions.
As for whether Toyota
can count on the sustained
popularity of an A-segment
offering, as crossovers
continue their assault on
the sales charts, Carlucci is
adamant that there remains a
market for such models. “It’s
the right choice to stay [in this

PURE COMBUSTION TO LIVE ON AT TOYOTA FOR A WHILE YET

Toyota is planning to launch additional pure-combustion models in the coming
years, even as its primary rivals embrace electrification in all key segments.
Asked if the Aygo X will be its final non-electrified car, Carlucci told Autocar:
“No, I don’t think so. You have to look at the broad scope of Toyota. We range
from commercial light vehicles to Land Cruiser and so on.
“We might sense that it is time to accelerate a bit on electrification, based on
the different speeds in different markets. I think the UK is one of the accelerating
markets but other markets are lagging behind.”
Carlucci acknowledged that there are certain markets in which Toyota is
unlikely to offer another combustion car.

12 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 17 NOVEMBER 2021


segment]. I’m confident we
can succeed,” he said, adding
that the new car’s raised ride
height and rugged styling are
an acknowledgement that
Toyota aims to find “a sweet
spot between the A and sub-B
categories where there is
nothing like the new Aygo X”.
Toyota has hinted at a
slight cost increase over the
old car, but even a £15,000
starting price would compare
favourably with similarly sized
electric alternatives in outright
terms: the Fiat 500e is priced
from £23,495, the Mini Electric
from £26,000 and the Honda E
from £29,165. Volkswagen will
launch the production version
of the ID 2 in 2025 at around
£17,000, but combustion
technology will continue to
be the most cost-effective
means of propulsion in this
segment for now, for both
consumers and car makers.
Toyota remains the only
mainstream brand to commit
to a non-electrified city car
offering in the run-up to
2030, so it remains to be
seen whether the Aygo
X’s existing rivals will
be renewed at the end
of their current life
cycles to provide
competition.
FELIX PAGE
` and ignited by the spark, just as the full
Toyota aims to find a sweet
spot between the A and sub-B
categories where there is
nothing like the new Aygo X
a nozzles into the main combustion chamber.
NEWS
AY G O ’ S R I VA L S : UNDER OLD IDEA HELPS TO SPARK
GOING, GOING,
GONE THE SKIN NEW ADVANCE FOR HYDROGEN
JESSE CROSSE
Hyundai i10
An obvious rival in
price and positioning
terms, the i10 entered
a new generation in
2020 and remains
“very much part of the
product plan” for the
foreseeable future,
according to Europe
boss Michael Cole.
1kg of
THE DEVELOPMENT OF hydrogen uniformly and hydrogen
Renault Twingo engines that to all intents and purposes are efficiently without contains about the
The rear-engined free of both toxic and CO2 emissions at the the need to reduce same amount of
supermini bowed out tailpipe continues to make progress. The the compression ratio. energy as 2.8kg
of the UK in 2019 as latest news is that Mahle, alongside Swiss In the world of of petrol.
part of Renault’s push firm Liebherr Machines Bulle, has devised automotive, what goes
to simplify its line-up. a new method of injecting and combusting around eventually comes
It remains on sale in hydrogen into a piston engine that dodges around. The original liquid-fuel version of
mainland Europe, now the usual problem of unstable combustion MJI isn’t unlike that of Honda’s Compound
with an EV option, but causing pre-ignition and detonation. Vortex Controlled Combustion used by the
the firm’s smallest UK Hydrogen contains no carbon and engine of the original Civic in the 1970s. Now
car is now the Zoe. no hydrocarbons, so the only unwanted here’s a similar technology being adapted
emissions it can produce is NOx, which more than 40 years later for the successful
occurs when nitrogen in the air is oxidised combustion of hydrogen in place of petrol.
at high temperatures. For hydrogen to Liebherr Machines Bulle has been
produce enough power, the engine must developing the hydrogen version of MJI
run at a very high compression ratio, but to technology for use in its H966 and H964
avoid those high combustion temperatures, engines for heavy-duty construction
the hydrogen must also be diluted with equipment, but it will be interesting to see
Volkswagen Up large amounts of air. The combination of if Mahle is able to tempt car makers with
The Up continues to an air-rich mixture of hydrogen and air is the technology as well. Toyota has already
be available – unlike what can cause that troublesome unstable been experimenting with hydrogen versions
its Seat and Skoda ignition. One way of avoiding it is to reduce of the GR Yaris engine and both Bosch and
siblings – and still has a the compression ratio, but then, in one of Ricardo are also researching its use.
combustion option. At those rock-and-a-hard-place situations, the
£13,660 for the five- engine becomes inefficient, producing less
door variant, it remains power for the amount of fuel burned. CARS TO RETURN TO NATURE
a threat to the Aygo X That’s where Mahle has come in with
but it has now been its Mahle Jet Ignition (MJI) system, which The Retrac Group, a British composites
on sale for 10 years was originally developed as an idea for specialist, has launched a range of recycled
and will not be boosting the efficiency of a petrol hybrid and natural carbonfibre materials.
directly replaced. powertrain (see 8 January 2020). MJI is a Demonstration products include a supercar
spark-ignition pre-chamber combustion bonnet made of Evopreg Amplitex. This is
technology comprising a small chamber a combination of pre-pregnated materials
within the main combustion chamber into expert Composite Evolution’s Evopreg and
which the tip of a fuel injector and the tip of Bcomp’s flax-based natural composite
the spark plug protrude. A small quantity of Amplitex used in conjunction with Bcomp’s
hydrogen is injected into the pre-chamber Powerribs reinforcement system.
charge in the main combustion chamber
is fully compressed and ready to be ignited.
The main charge is extremely diluted
(lean), remember, and were it directly
ignited by a conventional electrical spark
as usual, unstable ignition could be the
result. Instead, the mixture of hydrogen and
air in the pre-chamber combusts and fires
high-temperature gas plasma through small
The intensity and spread of the hot gas
ensure the main charge burns completely,
17 NOVEMBER 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 13

Looking at life
after car ownership
Car makers continue to branch out into mobility services, but is the demand there?
F
ail fast, fail often’ is
‘ a start-up buzz phrase
that could have been
invented to describe
car makers’ ventures into
the world of mobility.
Car sharing, car clubs,
micromobility, ride-hailing
buses, subscriptions: all have
been tried by brands over the
past few years and, with a few
exceptions, most have been
a financial failure.
However, the same start-
up ethos dictates that you
learn and move on, so the car
industry has taken a different
approach. Now all the different
elements that fall under the
umbrella term ‘mobility’ are
being grouped together to
offer a co-ordinated range of
services that could reflect the
changing way we use our cars.
Seemingly disparate
elements such as car-sharing,
EV charging subscriptions,
used car subscriptions, ride-
hailing and leasing are coming
together under one brand
overseen by a single executive.
Prominent examples to
emerge over the past year or
so include Renault’s Mobilize,
Toyota’s Kinto and Stellantis’s
Free2Move.
For example, Kinto – named
after a Japanese cartoon cloud
14 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 17 NOVEMBER 2021
– includes Kinto One (leasing
operations), Kinto Flex (car
subscriptions), Kinto Ride (ride-
hailing), Kinto Join (corporate
carpooling) and Kinto Go
(multimode transport).
Not all elements run in all
markets, but Toyota launched
Kinto Go in Derby as a pilot
of its mobility-as-a-service
(MAAS) phone app that can be
used to link together and pay
for connecting journeys on
different forms of transport,
one of which in the future might
be a Toyota-run and developed
ride-share or car-share vehicle.
Kinto One also has a
UK presence after Toyota
rebranded its leasing functions
and bought out the UK leasing
arm of Inchcape in 2019.
The car manufacturers are
worried that as buying habits
change, they’re going to be
outflanked by disruptors with
more digital or financial savvy.
“Once the leasing companies
get the customer, frankly we’re
just a supplier. Kinto is partly
defensive,” said Toyota’s now
head of Europe, Matt Harrison,
at the launch of Kinto last year.
Mobilize is also assembling
mobility brands that it owns
or has a significant stake in,
such as Zity, Renault Mobility,
Karhoo, iCabbi and Glide.io.
“The automotive industry
is changing. More and more
drivers are choosing not to own
their vehicles,” said Mobilize
CEO Clotilde Delbos in April.
Renault aims for Mobilize
to generate 20% of group
revenues by 2030, the exact
same revenue target and date
that the Volkswagen Group has
CASUA LT IES OF CA R SH A R ING
Car sharing has long been
fraught with problems,
and high-profile casualties
include BMW and Daimler. The
German duo were pioneers
in the free-floating car rental
business (otherwise known as
car clubs), founding DriveNow
and Car2Go back in 2011.
Despite expanding
across Europe and the
US, making money proved
tough. Daimler’s struggles
co-ordinating with local
councils to negotiate the
necessary free parking
forced it to pull Car2Go out
of London and Birmingham
soon after launching, while
BMW admitted DriveNow
was running at a loss. The
two agreed in 2018 to merge
their car-share units into one
2300
Size of the Renault
Mobility vehicle fleet
in Europe
set for subscriptions and other
mobility offerings.
The Volkswagen Group’s
latest move into subscriptions
is the launch in Germany of
the ID 3 and ID 4 electric cars,
costing from €499 per month
with either a three-month or
six-month minimum term.
It joins subscription schemes
entity called ShareNow, but
in 2019 the new company
pulled out of the US and now
restricts its operations to
16 European cities.
Challenges faced by all
car-share schemes include
maintaining fleets to a decent
standard, cleaning them,
negotiating floating parking
and keeping EVs charged.
But the biggest is that
it pales in comparison to
ownership, according to
Steve Young, the managing
director of automotive
retail consultancy ICDP,
who told us: “The whole thing
is fundamentally flawed.”
It’s not even that cheap.
The theory is that we use our
cars around 4% of the time
and therefore could save a
such as Care by Volvo,
Hyundai’s Mocean and
Jaguar Land Rover’s Pivotal.
Subscription is a fancy word
for bundled leasing. Businesses
have long used leasing (where
the car isn’t owned but is
handed back after a fixed
period), as are private buyers
increasingly. Subscriptions go
fortune by sharing instead.
That would work if everyone
shared at different times,
said Young, but they don’t,
meaning the car remains
mostly underutilised. That
in turn means that for the
car to be financially viable,
the operator needs to charge
far more than that 4% share
of ownership costs.
Cities might yet force a
shift with restricted parking
and city-centre access, but
the push won’t come from
the general public.
“The vast majority of
people still want to have
their own car,” said Young.
“They’re open to leasing and
other forms of subscriptions,
but they want to be the one
with the keys.”

Toyota is exploring new
ways to travel through its
Kinto mobility offshoot
90%
How much of the time
the average car is
estimated to sit
unused
Renault Group’s Mobilize
brand offers app-based
car-sharing service
further by bundling elements
such as tyres, servicing and
sometimes insurance to leave
a flat monthly fee.
Car makers have also touted
flexible time periods that mean
you can sign up for blocks of
mere months rather than years
in traditional leasing. However,
that’s not a big attraction,
a Boston Consulting Group
report concluded this summer.
“At this point, providers are
offering them primarily for
marketing purposes,” it said.
In fact, BCG added, it was a
“myth” that customers wanted
month-to-month flexibility.
Also flagged as a myth
was that customers wanted
to swap cars – a feature of
the subscription service that
Porsche rolled out in the US.
“Both features drive up
costs and in turn the price
tag,” it said. “Swapping,
for instance, requires
additional deliveries
and results in
underutilised
reserve vehicles.”
Subscription
schemes have been
hit-and-miss so
far; those that have
since been abandoned
include Access by BMW,
Book by Cadillac and
Mercedes-Benz Collection.
Yet BCG predicts that
subscriptions could still
account for 10% of the market
in Europe and the US by 2030,
amounting to some five million
to six million vehicles.
One problem with the
subscription model is that,
expressed as a single monthly
figure, it looks expensive next
to a PCP finance deal. However,
it turns out that we consumers
aren’t very good at totting
up how much we spend on
motoring: a survey of 6000 car
owners in Germany published
in Nature magazine last year
found that they underestimated
the cost of ownership by 50%.
A smart campaign along with
a nifty cost calculator app
could swing opinion.
Revolutions in motoring
never come as quickly or as
noisily as promised by the
early promoters, but the desire
for a hassle-free life and a
willingness to pay per month
could yet make people turn
to the likes of Kinto, Mobilize
and Free2Move for their
travel choices with the same
frequency as they engage
with a banking app.
NICK GIBBS
Mobilize Limo is an EV
designed especially
for private hire fleets
Jim Holder
I N S I D E I N F O R M AT I O N
Chip shortage means
JLR is unable to meet
consumer demand
WHEN TIMES ARE
tight, cash is king – and
for many car makers, with
the millstones of the chip
crisis, pandemic, rising
raw material costs and more
dragging behind them, times
have never been tougher.
But as they continue
to tighten the screws,
reducing spending in every
conceivable way, from
squeezing suppliers to
cutting off marketing, spare
a thought for those caught
in the ripple effect. Around
150,000 people work
directly in manufacturing
in the UK – but at least five
times that number have
jobs that depend directly
on cars being bought, sold
and maintained, and a huge
multiple of that benefit from
the tax, spending and more
generated as a result.
So while we look in
wonder at the record profit
margins coming out of many
manufacturers and retailers
as they seek to optimise a
crisis, consider the litany
of industries caught in that
spending freeze. For a brief
time, cars were being made
ready for semiconductors to
be dropped in at a later date;
now in many cases they’re
just not being made.
As a result, it seems
almost inevitable that the
car industry is set to be a
laggard in terms of post-
pandemic recovery. Globally,
automotive accounts for
around 3% of all economic
output, but in the UK and
Germany, for instance,
automotive exports are
reckoned to be the most
economically valuable
Autocar Business is our industry-focused brand, delving
deeper into the business of the automotive world. Sign up
for our regular bulletin at autocar.co.uk/business-signup.
17 NOVEMBER 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 15
NEWS
output bar none. For many
nations, if automotive is
suffering, so too are they –
and on this occasion, there’s
no obvious solution but to
just grin and bear it.
Last quarter’s financial
statements underlined
that alarm. Low points
include Jaguar Land Rover
revealing it has outstanding
orders for 125,000 cars it
can’t make and BMW and
Mercedes indicating that
the semiconductor crisis
might not be fully resolved
until 2023. While those
order banks are a sign of
good times to come, that’s
cold comfort for businesses
going to the wall or workers
facing redundancy now.
Remember, too, that it
was exactly this kind of
single-minded saving that
caused the crisis in the first
place. Semiconductor orders
were cut because nobody
was buying cars, with little
to no consideration for the
fact that suppliers would
find business elsewhere.
Could it happen again?
On a small scale, stories
of high-precision, highly
skilled engineering firms
diversifying into new areas
are already circulating.
Nor will the turbulence
faced by the car industry
end when semiconductor
supply ramps up. Raw-
material prices are rising
across the board, the spectre
of electrification remains
and how we buy, own and
drive cars is in question.
In that change lies huge
opportunity – but how
many will be prepared to
wait to be able to seize it?

   





 
 

 


 








  
 
 



 
 

 

',*,7$/ 5$',2 $33 60$57 63($.(5

Steve Cropley
Mach-E has many good
attributes but not the
ones Fords usually have
MONDAY
This morning, I returned the Ford Mustang
Mach-E I’ve been driving all week, dropping
it back to a hallowed enclosure (in Brentford,
outer London) known and loved by all muttering
rotters: the much-loved Ford press garage.
I climbed back into my usual Dacia Sandero
Stepway and found – whoa! – a £15,000 car that
steered and rode better than the £70,000 Ford.
Don’t get me wrong: this electric ’Stang has
many strengths, including size, price, refinement,
equipment, performance and boldness of
concept. But in the very places Fords usually
excel, it’s pretty ordinary. Despite the weight,
the ride is pitchy and lumpy, as if the front and
rear suspensions come from different cars.
The steering is curiously weighted and not at
all intuitive. Driving along, I imagined myself
sitting next to the chief engineer, asking: “Did
you really mean it to be like this?”
Ford has many priorities (and is clearly
handling them well because the New York share
price has lately trebled). But I still don’t reckon
this chassis carries forward the proud traditions
of Richard Parry-Jones as well as it could.
TUESDAY
Our fascinating story in this issue (p53) about
the late Richard Burns was of special interest to
me because I knew the rally champ quite well,
interviewed him a few times and liked him a lot.
One evening, outside a north London pub, he
graphically described how it felt to be a penniless
but talented wannabe who suddenly signed the
big contract and had a million quid dropped in
his lap. “First, you buy the helicopter,” he told
me, “then the big speedboat moored somewhere
nice in the Med. But after a year or two, it dawns
MY WEEK IN CARS
`
It’s the most magnetic
‘Aladdin’s cave’ I’ve entered
a
You start getting messages that your boat is
growing barnacles. By year three, you realise all
you really need is one or two of the right phone
numbers – which you ring if you need a boat or a
helicopter. Saves a lot of sweat and money.”
WEDNESDAY
I’m feeling a special eagerness to know as much
as possible about the new Vauxhall Astra (due
early next year) for a couple of reasons.
First, this is the epitome of an all-new model,
a UK sales stalwart re-expressed on a brand-new
Stellantis platform, using completely different
engines and running gear. Making so many
changes must have given the designers and
engineers a chance to visit every detail of what,
AND ANOTHER THING…
One of the joys of November is the London to Brighton
Veteran Car Run. I arose early to watch this superb
steam carriage lead
the 300-car field away
from Hyde Park Corner
at 7.06am. Every year,
at least 30% of the
world’s population of
pre-1904 cars enters
this one event. It’s
COMMENT
Curiosity about the successor to today’s Astra is growing
exactly, makes a Vauxhall or Opel. I’ve liked the
recent Astra iterations, which sat well in their
own skins, I thought. So I’m curious to discover
whether this new model carries itself as well.
Second, it’s always good news when group
design boss Mark Adams is deployed to explain a
new car, as happens quite often. Adams’ passion
and eloquence are second to none. I often wonder
just how many cars his infectious enthusiasm –
nowadays widely circulated on video – has sold
over the years.
THURSDAY
Hands up; we’ve had some annoying glitches
with the start-up of the newly digitised Autocar
125-year archive, some of them connected to our
never-to-be-repeated introductory offer. But the
response has still been amazing. Best-expressed
reaction to fall into my inbox has been an
enthusiastic summary from former Volkswagen
exec Paul Buckett, who says delving into the
archive has pushed his bedtime back to 2am
from the usual 11pm. His summary has lifted us
all: “I think it is the most magnetic ‘Aladdin’s
cave’ I have so far had the pleasure of entering.
I just hope it doesn’t bring large sections of the
industry and the Autocar offices to a standstill.”
GET IN TOUCH
on you that you’ve been far too busy to use either. phenomenal.  steve.cropley@haymarket.com @stvcr

17 NOVEMBER 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 17

F I R ST D R I V E S
N E W C A R S T E ST E D A N D R AT E D

TESTED 9.11.21, BARCELONA, SPAIN ON SALE MAY 2022 PRICE £29,995 (EST)

TOYOTA GR 86
The GT86 was one of our favourite cars of the 2010s,
thanks to its easily accessible rear-driven entertainment.
No pressure on its replacement, then…
 `
The name has changed because
Gazoo Racing has had a lead
hand in the development, as it
did for the GR Yaris and GR Supra
a
Work went into making the engine sound even better as well as go harder
he Japanese have a particular
T
phrase to describe the feeling of
anticipation you get before doing
something exciting. That might
be performing on stage or jumping
out of an aeroplane, but it’s also
commonly associated with driving
a great sports car. They call it ‘waku
doki’: a sort of spine-tingling sense of
the fun you’re about to have. Japan,
like Britain, clearly remains a sports
car-loving island, and the Toyota
GT86 was – and remains –
a waku doki kind of sports car.
Toyota hopes we will get the same
tingle from the GT86’s replacement,
which will enter production at joint-
venture partner Subaru’s plant in
Ota, Japan, this year and is set to
come to the UK in May 2022.
Will the wider world embrace
the GR 86 any more than its
predecessor, though, I wonder?
The GT86 wasn’t the greatest
commercial success, after all.
Right now, who can say? But it
deserves nothing less. This is an
improved operator in lots of ways.
Not a hugely different car to drive,
but a brilliant one all the same –
and one of a more complex,
versatile, raw and absorbing
character than the original, too.
20 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 17 NOVEMBER 2021
This time it’s a GR 86 we’re
getting and not a GT86 because
Gazoo Racing has had a lead hand in
the car’s development, just as it did
for the GR Yaris and the GR Supra.
Like its predecessor, the car is a
lightweight, rear-driven, compact
2+2 coupé with a high-revving,
atmospherically aspirated boxer
engine and an affordable price
tag that’s likely to start with a two
when UK prices are announced
next month. But there’s an all-new
Design is a tasteful refinement of the well-received original
2.4-litre flat four under the low-
rising bonnet, whose cylinder bore
has expanded from the perfectly
square 86mm dimensions of the
old car to 94mm.
Judging by the GT86’s driving
experience, you might have said
that it was accessible torque that this
car really needed more of, but it’s
not easy to add torque-giving piston
stroke to a car with a horizontally
opposed engine already so wide
(at 2.0 litres of swept volume) as
to have influenced the front axle
design (both the GT86 and GR 86
use MacPherson struts because
double wishbones won’t fit). So
Toyota went big-bore instead, while
also enlarging the engine’s intake
valves and revising its valve timing.
It has created an engine that revs
to higher crank speeds than the old
one did but that also produces 20%
more torque, the latter being made
more accessible, too (peak pulling
power in the old 2.0-litre lump
didn’t arrive until 6500rpm).
Because of the nature of the
GR 86, owners are unlikely to be
too concerned about things like
interior equipment specification or
material fit and finish – which is
handy, because our later validation
prototype test cars didn’t have fully
finished dashboard mouldings or
door trims (not that any looked or
felt particularly rough or cheap).
Just as in the GT86, you sit low at
the steering wheel (Toyota claims
to have lowered the car’s hip point
and roofline just a little) in a pretty
compact but comfortable seat that
offers adequate lateral support
and decent touring comfort.
There’s plenty of room for taller
adults in the front row but enough ◊
 FIRST DRIVES
W H AT A BIG BOR E:
MEET THE GR 86’s
NEW BOXER ENGINE
The Toyota GR 86 uses Subaru’s
new ‘FA24D’ 2387cc four-cylinder
boxer engine, which features a host
of technologies to deliver greater
performance for the new car: a
higher compression ratio than
that of the GT86’s 2.0-litre unit,
as well as both direct and indirect
fuel injection and enlarged intake
valves for greater combustion
efficiency. A lightweight design
featuring lighter main bearings
makes the bigger engine weigh
less than the old one, too. It
also has an oil cooler, which the
‘FA20D’ of the GT86 was missing.
It’s a normally aspirated
version of the same engine that,
in turbocharged form, also powers
Subaru’s new WRX performance
car (which, like the GR 86’s new
BRZ sibling, won’t officially be
sold in Europe). But fitting the
even more powerful option to
the new BRZ or GR 86 was ruled
out, because the layout of the
engine would have meant raising
the car’s centre of gravity.

You can now choose tyres to be cheap and skinny or nice and sticky

The tactility and response of the steering are well judged

17 NOVEMBER 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 21

 TESTER’S NOTE
In light of the
new engine design,
shouldn’t Toyota have
renamed this car the
GR 94? The question
was laughed off when
I posed it last week,
no doubt because the
86 name still has such
cachet in Japan. MS
GR 86 is more purposeful than its predecessor but just as playful
Δ really only for kids and luggage
in the occasional back seats. But
those rear seatbacks do fold down
in order to expand the boot, which is
usefully big by sports car standards.
Visibility from the driver’s seat is
great looking forwards, thanks to the
GR 86’s low bonnet and scuttle; to the
rear, it’s more typical of a low-roofed
coupé but certainly better than you
might get from a mid-engined car.
The new engine starts and idles
much like the old one, but get it
revving even to middling crank
speeds and it’s quite different.
The lead technical manager for
the car’s development, Herwig
Daenens, told me that his team had
worked hard with dedicated sound-
tuning and under-bonnet resonance
structures to create an even more
evocative boxer sound for this
motor. It’s even more mechanically
authentic and interesting on the
ear than the old 2.0-litre – louder,
better defined and more raw as well
and, while also typically tremulous
and buzzy, still fizzingly addictive
beyond 5000rpm.
There’s a weighty, well-defined,
connected feel about the gearshift
quality, too, and a likeably unfiltered
matching sense of connection about
the engagement of drive (it can shunt
22 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 17 NOVEMBER 2021
just a little at low speeds if you’re
hurried with the pedals).
But there’s also that extra torque.
The GT86 was pretty slow for a
modern sports car. (For us, that fact,
rather than getting in the way, gave
it a clearer mission statement, which
was all about having fun without
necessarily going that fast.) The GR
86 is only about a second quicker to
62mph from rest in outright terms,
and it remains a car with an engine
that you need to wring right out if you
want to get up a proper head of steam
– which is exactly as it should be.
Materials are decidedly on-a-budget but not nasty
But having that fatter torque curve
makes a noticeable difference to the
accessibility of the car’s performance
on the road. You don’t necessarily feel
like gear choice is so critical for every
successive bend, because the engine
will pull strongly enough from
3500rpm in third (although stronger
still, of course, from 5000rpm in
second). And that frees up a little
more of your attention to lavish
on what the chassis, suspension
and steering are each doing.
Toyota makes no apologies for the
marginally more serious suspension
rates of this car than of the GT86, nor
for the slight dynamic repositioning
that comes with them – and perhaps
it needn’t. It has used higher-grade
steels and new reinforcements to
add 50% to the torsional rigidity of
the chassis, and that fact alone ought
to allow the GR 86 to wear firmer
suspension without any deterioration
to ride quality. The springs, anti-roll
bars and bushings have all been
firmed up a little (the kerb weight is
actually down 20kg from the GT86).
Modest 17in alloy wheels and
those famous Michelin Primacy
‘Prius tyres’ still come as standard
on entry-level models, but upper-
level cars (one of which we drove)
now get 18in rims and Michelin
Pilot Sport 4 performance rubber.
We tested the GR 86 on fairly
smooth winding country roads west
of Barcelona, on which it showed only
occasional hints of fidgeting body
control, but mostly rode well.
It’s easy to appreciate the extra
agility and lateral body control;
the car feels notably keener to
turn in to faster corners than its
predecessor but also a shade grippier,
more secure and more grown-up
when carrying higher speeds.
Does that make it less fun? I
wouldn’t say so. You have to work

Keep your right foot in and the GR 86 will slide away all day
a shade harder to find the margins
of the car’s adhesion – but certainly
not so hard to adversely affect how
engaged you feel. The car’s steering
is both quicker and weightier than
in the GT86 but remains intuitively
paced and feels natural. And on a
race track, it still has that wonderful
party trick of being so blissfully easy
to manage when it does start to slide
– which it will a lot if you allow it to.
The GT86 oversteers incredibly
benignly, with your foot buried deep
in the carpet and corrective steering
applied so simply. Go in on a trailing
Driving environment is comfortable, supportive and well laid out
throttle and with plenty of revs
showing; gas the car once the front
axle has settled; and then manage
its angle solely with the wheel, like
a pilot on final approach trimming
the attitude of their Cessna with the
rudder. If you want more angle, take
some lock off. If you want to tidy it up
again, dial it right back. It couldn’t be
easier. At all times, just keep your foot
in – and try not to die laughing.
Amazingly, and despite its
firmer set-up, the GR 86 has the
same indulgently playful and
ever-forgiving track handling
FIRST DRIVES
`
It feels more serious
about its performance
ambitions, yet it’s even
more hilariously well
balanced and drift-happy
a
character – except, thanks to than its forebear on the road.
those greater grip levels, it can Toyota, then, would seem to have
also be driven more quickly and made what might well turn out to
precisely before you find its limits. be one of the very last great truly
Yet somehow, because it has more affordable sports cars even better.
accessible mid-range torque, it Could it be another five-star GR
ends up being even more throttle- Toyota? We will keep the champagne
adjustable, not less, once you have. It on ice for now but, with a confirmed
sounds better, it goes harder, it feels price and after an equally impressive
more serious about its performance right-hand-drive UK test, I would say
ambitions and yet it’s even more that’s very likely indeed.
hilariously well balanced and drift- MATT SAUNDERS
happy when the chance presents. It’s @thedarkstormy1
really absorbing on track as a result,
but also that bit more compelling TOYOTA GR 86
A shade firmer, meaner and quicker
on the road; even better balanced
and more adjustable on a circuit
AAAAB
Price £29,995 (est)
Engine 4 cyls horizontally
opposed, 2387cc, petrol
Power 232bhp at 7000rpm
Torque 184lb ft at 3700rpm
Gearbox 6-spd manual
Kerb weight 1270kg
0-62mph 6.3sec
Top speed 140mph
Economy tbc
CO2, tax band tbc
RIVALS Audi TT, Mazda MX-5
17 NOVEMBER 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 23
 TESTED 28.10.21, MUNICH, GERMANY PRICE £45,795 ON SALE EARLY 2022

BMW 2 SERIES COUPE

Retaining rear-wheel drive and a lively straight six, BMW has pledged to keep
the new compact two-door a proper enthusiast’s car. Promise kept?
24 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 17 NOVEMBER 2021

MW’s claim that the new
B 2 Series Coupé occupies a
“defiantly niche position” in
the brand’s portfolio might
make fans of the brilliant original
model nervous. After all, global car
giants in the business of selling as
many cars as possible don’t tend to
focus resources on small niches.
In this case, “defiantly niche”
means that after the 1 Series
hatchback switched to a front-
driven platform (also used by the
2 Series Gran Coupé), the 2 Series
Coupé is the sole compact BMW
left with rear-wheel drive. That
sounds like a recipe for a lack of
investment, given that the car’s
sales will be dwarfed by every one
of the roughly 374 different SUVs
FIRST DRIVES
that BMW now sells. But in reality,
it has served as a liberation.
With the link to the 1 Series
it was originally spun out of
(replacing the 1 Series Coupé) now
broken, the 2 Series Coupé sits on
an adapted version of the CLAR
platform used by the 3 Series and
4 Series. That means it retains a
rear-drive layout and allows for
BMW’s 3.0-litre straight six to
be used in performance versions.
According to the 2 Series Coupé’s
engineers, both of those were
non-negotiable musts.
That’s just one example of how
the 2 Series Coupé feels like a car
that has been made by enthusiasts
for enthusiasts. Which makes
sense, given that the bulk of the ◊
17 NOVEMBER 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 25
Δ original model sales were of the
hot M240i and fiery M2 variants.
The new 2 Series Coupé will be
launched in the UK early next year,
in three guises: the 220i petrol
(£34,980), the 220d diesel (£36,900)
and the four-wheel-drive M240i
xDrive driven here (£45,795). The
M Performance model uses a version
of the straight six tuned for 369bhp –
a hefty increase on its predecessor –
and will serve as the range-topper
until the new M2 arrives in 2023.
The new 2 Series Coupé may be
based on an entirely new platform,
but its design is pleasingly familiar,
retaining the classic three-box body,
although with styling that’s sharper
and more sculpted. The kidney grille
has grown, and while the stretched
horizontal styling might not be to the
tastes of every BMW classicist, it’s
refreshingly restrained by the firm’s
modern standards. This is a sign that
this car is concerned with capturing
the attention of those inside it, rather
than those looking at it.
The M240i variant also features a
range of aerodynamic turning vanes
and splitters to reduce lift.
The new platform shift means the
2 Series Coupé has grown slightly:
it’s 105mm longer and 64mm wider
than its predecessor, although also
28mm lower. But that extra width
serves a purpose: the track width
has been increased (by 54mm at
Interior is akin to that of the 3 Series, meaning high quality and great infotainment
26 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 17 NOVEMBER 2021
M240i proves sharp handling needn’t come at the cost of a bone-rattling ride
the front and 31mm at the rear) to
boost stability while cornering.
The M240i’s 19in tyres are also
wider to go along with that.
Plenty of focus has gone into
saving weight and increasing
stiffness, using insights from the
development of the latest Z4 roadster.
BMW claims the new coupé has
12% more torsional rigidity and
maintains 50:50 weight distribution.
It features the aluminium spring
struts and engine side members
from the 4 Series, while the bonnet
and front side panels are also made
TESTER’S NOTE
Holding down the left
shift paddle activates
Sprint mode, which
drops down the gears
and offers a whack
of extra torque and
power. It’s like having
a race car’s ‘push to
pass’ system. JA
from the lightweight metal.
Every variant features two-joint
spring-strut front suspension and a
five-link rear axle, plus the M240i
gains M Sport tuning including
extra front axle struts, a new rear
differential and upgraded brakes.
The interior is where the links
with the 3 Series and 4 Series show:
while there are unique styling
details, much of the dashboard and
front cabin design is carried over
from those cars. Which is a very
good thing, making it comfortable,
spacious and well furnished.

A leather sports steering wheel and
sports seats are standard, plus the
M240i gets lots of sporty Alcantara
and M Sport trim elements.
The car’s extra length has
enabled the boot to grow to 390
litres, although space in the rear
predictably remains limited. Not
unduly so for a car of this size,
though: two adults will fit in well
enough, but they wouldn’t want to
spend an excess of time back there.
Still, if you want a 2 Series and
rear-seat practicality is a primary
concern, you would buy the Gran
Coupé or the Active Tourer. If you’re
buying the Coupé, you probably
aren’t much worried about rear leg
room: you will be sitting up front,
in the low-slung, ideally placed
driver’s seat. Because, of course,
this is a driver’s car.
Rear is roomier than before, but this is still no family car
`
The steering is ideally weighted
and it feels settled and composed
when cornering at any speed
a first three-door models and led to
Engine is strong and flexible, delivering peak torque over a wide rev range
And what a driver’s car. BMW has,
to use a technical term, absolutely
smashed it. From the moment you
press the start button and bring that
gloriously resonant straight six to
life, it’s clear that the M240i has been
made by enthusiasts for enthusiasts.
The engine is wonderfully
immediate, with excellent throttle
response. And because all 369lb ft
of torque is available from just
1900rpm, strong performance
is easily accessible.
The eight-speed automatic gearbox
is well tuned to the power delivery,
and delivered promptly when called
on. While the M240i uses BMW’s
xDrive system, it’s tuned to send the
bulk of the power to the rear axle in
most circumstances, and that imbues
the car with the pleasing sensation of
a rear-driven sports coupé. It always
feels like there’s an excess of grip,
giving you the confidence to push
on should you want to.
This makes the M240i a genuine
joy to handle. Its steering is ideally
weighted, and it feels settled and
composed when cornering at any
speed. It’s keen to turn in, its body
control is excellent and its adaptive
dampers simply absorb small bumps.
And while some compact
performance coupés can be overly
stiff and brittle, the M240i manages
to maintain a firm edge without any
compromise on ride quality.
There are Eco, Comfort and
Sport driving modes, which adjust
the steering assistance, throttle
sensitivity, gearbox settings and
dampers as needed.
That said, we suspect drivers will
mostly use Adaptive, which expertly
FIRST DRIVES
INSPIR ATION FOR
THE NEW DESIGN
The 2 Series Coupé will be the
first BMW built purely in Mexico,
where it will be made alongside
the 3 Series at the firm’s San Luis
Potosí plant. Fittingly, Mexican
Jose Alberto Casas Peña led the
design work on the car – although
the design inspiration was rooted
far closer to Munich.
“We looked to the 02 Series [of
1966-1977], which were really the
the 2 Series Coupé,” Casas Peña
told us. “For example, the lights
only have one round module in
them, which matches the 02 but
is different from every other
current BMW model.”
Much of the exterior styling was
also honed for aerodynamics, with
Casas Peña claiming that lift has
been reduced by 50% compared
with the original 2 Series Coupé.
adjusts those settings based on
the car’s speed and your inputs. It
exemplifies the duality of purpose
the M240i has: reach a town after
a blast on quiet country roads and,
as you slow down, the machine
transforms from a proper sports
car into a wonderfully hushed and
comfortable urban cruiser.
There’s no doubt that the 2 Series
Coupé is now the odd one out in
BMW’s compact car line-up. But
certainly not in a bad way. It’s like
a quadruple espresso in a sea of
frothy coffees: a pure choice for
purists. You get the sense that
BMW’s engineers have been given
the freedom to make the car they
wanted. “Defiantly niche”? I would
agree – and that’s a very good thing.
JAMES ATTWOOD
@atters_j
BMW M240i xDRIVE COUPE
A sports coupé with a genuine sense
of purpose. Takes everything good
about its predecessor and refines it
AAAAB
Price £45,795
Engine 6 cyls in line, 2998cc,
turbocharged, petrol
Power 369bhp at 5500-6500rpm
Torque 369lb ft at 1900-5000rpm
Gearbox 8-spd automatic
Kerb weight 1690kg
0-62mph 4.3sec
Top speed 155mph
Economy 34.9mpg
CO2, tax band 185-200g/km, 37%
RIVALS Audi TT, Toyota GR 86
17 NOVEMBER 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 27
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JEEP WRANGLER RUBICON 392
Jeep parks a hardcore, V8-powered tank slap bang on the Ford Bronco’s lawn
ou might well wonder why
Y Jeep chose 2021 to launch its
first headbanging, V8-engined
Wrangler in more than three
decades. Today’s airwaves brim with
debate about how best to reduce our
carbon footprints, and Jeep already
toes the environmental line to some
extent: it currently offers a Wrangler
plug-in hybrid, with a four-pot engine
and 20 or so miles of electric range,
and a Wrangler EV is expected to
arrive soon. So surely the whole big-
boned V8 thing is just a little passé?
Perhaps. But sometimes one needs
to discard the gloves, and for Jeep
that meant announcing the flagship
Wrangler Rubicon 392 (that number
being 6.4 litres in cubic inches) on
the same morning last year that
Ford revealed its reinvented Bronco.
This wasn’t so much stealing the
limelight as declaring war, and you
can see why. The Bronco comes in
trim levels with names like Big Bend
and Badlands. It’s characterful and
capable, and the factory is lining up
a fruity V6-engined Raptor variant.
In short, the new Ford is the biggest
commercial threat that the modern
Wrangler has yet faced, and that’s
why the Rubicon 392 is here – not to
sell in big volumes but just to remind
us that when it comes to cartoonishly
likeable and phenomenally tough
off-roaders, nobody does it like Jeep.
The 392 is quite the showpiece.
That mammoth engine is the same
naturally aspirated Hemi unit found
in the Dodge Challenger R/T Scat
Pack, making 470bhp and 470lb ft.
TESTER’S NOTE
Ridiculously, the 392
has a sports exhaust
button. It doesn’t give
the Hemi V8 quite the
same sonic intensity
as the Mercedes-AMG
G63’s V8, but you
won’t go unnoticed,
that’s for sure. RL
TESTED 10.11.21, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE ON SALE NOW
Hemi V8 makes an unmistakable noise; chunky switches allow you to wear gloves
It sounds gravelly and archaic, rather
than woofly and smooth like the
twin-turbocharged V8s we get here
in Europe, but it gets the job done –
and how, firing the heavy Rubicon
392 to 60mph in less than 5.0sec.
Top speed is limited to 99mph
to protect the all-terrain tyres,
although in truth the main benefit
of the V8 over the standard four-
and six-cylinder engines is its throttle
response and torque output during
recreational crawl-speed off-roading.
It’s mated to an automatic eight-
speed gearbox and, as in any other
Rubicon, you have the ability to lock
the differentials and disconnect
the front anti-roll bar for extra
suspension travel on the boulder
fields these cars seem to love. It’s a
toy, the 392, but a very serious one.
The main difference between
a regular Rubicon and the 392 is
that – as is apparent when you get
near the latter’s monolithic form –
the ride height is increased by two
inches. This is courtesy of new Fox
dampers, which gleam from within
the recesses between the tops of the
33in tyres and the signature box
arches. The increase improves the
Rubicon’s already excellent approach,
departure and breakover angles,
for even greater off-road dexterity.
At the back lurk four functional-
looking exhaust tips, which, along
with the new wade-friendly bonnet
scoop and bronze detailing, mean
you’re not going to mistake the 392
for some lesser Wrangler derivative.
With its electrically folding canvas
roof slid back and all four doors taken
off, this is unadulterated Mad Max.
That said, most impressive about
the 392 is that which applies to all
JL-generation Wranglers. For a body-
on-frame, rigid-axle 4x4 that will
make light work of truly evil trails,
it’s miraculously easy-going on the
road. The steering is slow but light
and passably accurate, body roll is
acceptable, the ride pliant-ish and the
FIRST DRIVES
gearbox is not only smooth-acting
but has neatly tuned shift points.
Admittedly, the 392’s breeze-block
proportions mean wind roar is loud
at speed, and on greasy B-roads the
knobblies mean it will understeer like
a pig, with plenty of tread shuffle to
spike your heart rate. However, you’ve
really got to go looking for this kind of
thing, and by virtue of the 392 being
a ten-tenths car off road, you need to
treat it like a six-tenths car on road.
Otherwise, get a Mercedes-AMG G63.
It’s clearly a fan favourite, the
392: the most extreme, most capable,
fastest and most likeable Wrangler.
Unsurprisingly, it’s also the most
expensive. Jeep UK offers the four-
cylinder Rubicon for £52,450, but
the US-only 392 is being imported
by London dealer Clive Sutton via
Sweden, where its lights are made
homologation-friendly for UK type-
approval, and will cost you £105,000.
Yes, that’s a lot of money, but it’s
not terrible value. The Land Rover
Defender 110 V8 costs £101,000
and the G63 £162,000, and while
the 392 isn’t quite so car-like and
reassuringly laid-back to drive as
them, it’s not far off. It will also
happily trundle down trails that you
daren’t take with the Europeans.
RICHARD LANE
@_rlane_
JEEP WRANGLER RUBICON 392
The shock-and-awe factor is high,
but beneath the battle gear is a
very authentic and versatile car
AAAAC
Price £105,000
Engine V8, 6417cc, petrol
Power 470bhp at 6000rpm
Torque 470lb ft at 4300rpm
Gearbox 8-spd automatic
Kerb weight 2150kg (est)
0-62mph 4.7sec (est)
Top speed 99mph
Economy tbc
CO2, tax band tbc
RIVALS Land Rover Defender 110
V8, Mercedes-AMG G63
17 NOVEMBER 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 29
 TESTER’S NOTE
The new tail-lights
display different
graphics depending
on the driving mode,
while a proximity
sensor has them light
up automatically
to warn any traffic
that comes within
two metres when
you’re stationary. VP
Luxury limousine is updated – mostly inside – in the face of rejuvenated opposition
erhaps it’s a size thing – or, at
P
the very least, a purpose thing.
After all, we’re on board with
gratuitously powerful sports
cars of any variety, but driving a
4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 Audi A8
in 2021 (especially around Norway,
where more cars are electric than are
not) does feel like turning up to a bar
mitzvah with a plate of pork chops.
Still, the competition is also rife
with chunky V8s (think Mercedes-
Benz S-Class and BMW 7 Series); and
yet more pertinent is the fact that this
A8 will also offer a 3.0-litre petrol
V6, a 3.0-litre diesel V6 and a plug-in
hybrid system with a longer electric
range than before, plus the sporty S8.
This is a mild overhaul for the A8,
with the significant new additions
being a bigger grille, bigger front
intakes, new OLED tail-lights, new
infotainment software and, on range-
topping Vorsprung trim, new digital
matrix LED headlights with no fewer
than 1.3 million micromirrors, which
don’t so much illuminate the road as
deliver a forward-facing sunrise.
It’s peachy to drive in precisely
the suave yet potent way that you
want from an A8. Our test car was
a non-UK model, using a 453bhp
Predictive suspension does wonders for the ride; twin touchscreens aren’t confounding
30 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 17 NOVEMBER 2021
TESTED 9.11.21, NORWAY ON SALE DECEMBER
AUDI A8
version of the 4.0-litre twin-turbo
V8 that we will get in the S8. The
permanent Quattro four-wheel drive,
four-wheel steering and predictive
air suspension of our test car is all
pertinent to the hot model, though.
Adaptive air suspension is fitted
across the entire A8 range, but the
predictive air suspension of the S8
uses a camera to read the road ahead
and prepare accordingly. It not only
softens everything for a speed bump
but also ‘leans’ the body in fast turns
to mimic an active anti-roll bar and
to help to reduce pitch and dive.
It works, too, keeping body control
precisely in check, despite the A8’s
substantial heft, but it must be said
the Audi falls short of the S-Class’s
more tactile, fluid steering responses.
It’s still a confident thing to wield
around town or on a fast winding
road, mind; tactile it isn’t, but it feels
indomitable the second you set off.
It’s relaxing, too, shrugging off
big bumps and high-frequency
road patina with equal nonchalance,
although there’s a subtle patter in
Dynamic driving mode at slower
speeds if we’re really nitpicking.
It’s a real shame that the predictive
ride system will be offered to us only
on the S8, because it could solve the
significant issue that the A8 doesn’t
ride quite as well as you might hope.
The eight-speed automatic gearbox
goes about its business with barely
a ruffle in progress and easily keeps
the V8 in its very broad comfort zone.
Speaking of that engine, it really
is a delight. Clearly, the S8 will have
a lairier take on proceedings, yet it’s
hard to imagine anyone wanting
more power unless they were
desperate to execute the full Ronin.
The delightful V8 mutter from the
exhaust, the serene yet potent wash of
acceleration: it’s all there. However,
it’s worth pointing out that the PHEV
version has a similar 0-62mph time,
and while its V6 and electric motor
certainly won’t sound as good, it’s
sure to be the sane choice for anyone
who leases or gets a company car.
The updates inside are mild. The
infotainment system may have new
software, but it’s not the modernist
slab of touchscreen seen in the
S-Class. Still, the stacked twin
touchscreens look appropriately
high-tech and are actually easier
to use, not least thanks to the gear
selector that doubles as a wrist rest
while you’re prodding.
The menu layouts, graphics and
response times are great, and while
the screen for the climate control isn’t
as intuitive as physical switchgear,
it’s pretty straightforward.
The steering wheel is free of
touch-sensitive ‘buttons’, too, so
praise be for small mercies.
Naturally, rear passengers get
acres of lounging space, especially in
the long-wheelbase car, and the boot
will take long-haul luggage with ease.
It would be easy to dismiss the A8
as dated. In truth, it’s still ruthlessly
modern by any measure, and while
it doesn’t quite have the handling
finesse or ride comfort of the S-Class,
it’s now even more tech-savvy, not to
mention cheaper than its main rival.
So, if you want a traditional limo
and its figures stack up for you, don’t
hesitate: it’s still a world-class act.
VICKY PARROTT
AUDI A8 L 60 TFSI
QUATTRO VORSPRUNG
Others offer more handling finesse
and jazzier tech, but it’s still a great
chauffeur car or super-luxury exec
AAABC
Price £90,000 (est)
Engine V8, 3996cc, twin-turbo,
petrol, plus 48V ISG
Power 453bhp at 5500rpm
Torque 489lb ft at 1850-4000rpm
Gearbox 8-spd automatic
Kerb weight 2200kg (est)
0-62mph 4.5sec
Top speed 155mph
Economy 26.1mpg
CO2, tax band 246g/km, 37%
RIVALS BMW 7 Series, Lexus LS,
Mercedes-Benz S-Class

PEUGEOT 308 HYBRID 225
How convincing is this new family hatchback in plush plug-in hybrid form?
his early example of the
T new Peugeot 308 is in the UK
but still left-hand drive. It’s a
range-topping plug-in hybrid
with 222bhp overall, 178bhp of that
coming from a turbocharged 1.6-litre
petrol engine and the rest an electric
motor, both driving the front wheels
through an eight-speed auto gearbox.
There’s a 12.4kWh battery at the
back that gives 36 miles of electric-
only range. It charges at 3.7kW max,
with 7.4kW capability a £300 option.
A fully electric 308 will come in 2023,
while for now there’s also a 128bhp
1.2-litre turbo petrol and a 128bhp
1.5-litre diesel, plus a 178bhp PHEV.
The new 308 feels plush from the
driving seat. It uses good materials
and is strikingly designed, with
Peugeot’s trademark small and low-
set steering wheel, squared off at the
top so you can see the dials, which get
some swanky 3D elements. I quite
like the instruments, but if you have
to make the wheel square for them to
be seen, maybe don’t put them there?
Ditto some of the infotainment
touchscreen elements. To make
navigating the system easier,
Budget electric crossover is given a makeover and the option of a bigger battery
G continues to home in on
M
the EV market: around one
in three cars it sells is now
electric. The ZS EV has played
a key role in this growth, and now it
has been rewarded with some design
changes and new infotainment.
The ICE car-style front grille is
replaced by a textured design, while
a new bumper has been fitted at the
rear. The charging port is now on the
front of the car, instead of at the side,
and the new range-topping Trophy
TESTED 14.10.21, WARWICKSHIRE ON SALE JANUARY 2022
there are several touch-sensitive
icons beneath the screen, then an
array of buttons beneath that.
But it’s possible that adjusting
the temperature was at least
one click away from visible,
which is unforgivable.
A member of the Ford Focus and
Volkswagen Golf class, the 308
is a longer car than the model it
replaces by 105mm. But despite its
longer wheelbase, it isn’t hugely
accommodating in the rear, although
the boot is generous, at 412 litres.
TESTED 9.11.21, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE ON SALE NOW
MG ZS EV
Connect variant gains front and rear
LEDs, a panoramic sunroof, wireless
phone charging, parking sensors,
a 360deg camera and vehicle-to-load
capability (meaning the battery can
supply external powered devices).
The headline news, though, is
the introduction of a Long Range
variant, which has a 72.6kWh battery
(far larger than the previously used
44.5kWh pack) for 273 miles of range.
Its powertrain – unusually noisy
for an electric one – produces 153bhp
FIRST DRIVES
PEUGEOT 308 HYBRID 225
GT PREMIUM E-EAT8
A strong powertrain and good to
drive, though rear accommodation is
stingy and the user interface clunky
AAABC
Price £37,135
Engine 4 cyls, 1598cc, turbocharged,
petrol, plus electric motor
Power 222bhp
Torque 266lb ft
Gearbox 8-spd automatic
Kerb weight 1687kg
0-62mph 7.6sec
It’s quite good to drive, though. Top speed 146mph
The ride is agreeably supple but Battery 12.4kWh
tightly controlled, in a manner not Economy 214-266mpg
unlike that of the Focus or the Kia Electric range 36 miles
Ceed, although more leaden, because CO2, tax band 24-30g/km, 12%
of the 1687kg kerb weight (399kg RIVALS Hyundai Ioniq Plug-in Hybrid,
more than the 1.2 Puretech). Volkswagen Golf GTE
The PHEV powertrain is smooth
and responsive – and even on low
battery charge, the engine drops before the car goes on sale in January.
out pleasingly often in town. The 308 doesn’t get much pricier
Brake modulation between than here, at £37,135, but the range
regeneration and disc use, though, will start at a palatable £24,000.
is poor. This could still be tweaked MATT PRIOR
for a healthy 0-62mph time of 8.2sec.
A full charge from a 50kW public
rapid charger takes about an hour.
With the big battery and updated
infotainment comes a bump in price
(our Trophy Connect test car starts at
£31,495 after the government grant). It doesn’t feel as nice as it looks
This is significant, meaning the ZS
EV now goes toe to toe with some of
the more serious players in the EV MG ZS EV LONG RANGE
market such as the Kia e-Niro. TROPHY CONNECT
In this respect, its longer range
will stand it in good stead, as will its Bump in range and equipment raises
lag-free, intuitive new touchscreen. its everyday appeal, but dynamics
Other areas are less impressive, and comfort remain off the pace
though. Ride quality is exposed by
choppier roads and the handling AAABC
is leaden. There’s also almost no Price  £31,495 (after grant)
steering feel, and the motion is Engine  Permanent magnet
generally imprecise. synchronous motor
The ZS EV is also still plagued by Power  153bhp
various chimes and bongs from its Torque 206lb ft
host of driver assistance systems. Gearbox 1-spd automatic
It is good for the price, though, Kerb weight 1620kg
even if the perceived quality doesn’t 0-62mph 8.2sec
quite reflect it. MG’s PCP deals are Top speed 108mph
attractive, too, but a true indication Battery 72.6/68.3kWh (total/usable)
of the ZS EV’s value will become Range 273 miles
clear with the arrival of the 49kWh CO2, tax band 0g/km, 1%
Standard Range model next year. RIVALS Peugeot e-2008, Kia e-Niro
JACK WARRICK
17 NOVEMBER 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 31
 ROAD TEST

No 5550

Mercedes-Benz EQA
PHOTOGRAPHY JOHN BRADSHAW

Can this volume-selling EV make an impact while relying on an adapted platform?

M O D E L T E S T E D 25 0 A M G L I N E P R E M I U M P L U S
Price £51,995 Power 188bhp Torque 277lb ft 0-60mph 8.4sec 30-70mph in fourth na Fuel economy 3.0mpkWh CO2 emissions 0g/km 70-0mph 62.6m

32 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 17 NOVEMBER 2021


We like
z Quiet, well-isolated cabin at speed
z Plenty of control over the battery
regeneration settings
z Quite generous level of equipment
We don’t like
z Electric range disappoints
z Rides in a quite soft, heavy and
unchecked fashion
z Overpriced relative to key rivals
ercedes-Benz’s electric
M car sub-brand, EQ,
has suddenly exploded
into a flurry of life.
Having given us the EQC mid-
sized SUV more than two years
ago, it went quiet for a while as the
zero-emissions efforts of its rivals
gathered momentum, but now it has
found another gear. The EQV people
carrier is with us, and both the EQB
compact SUV and EQS limousine
are on the cusp of appearing in right-
hand-drive form. And yet none of
those cars has quite the potential to
put bums on electrified seats and
accelerate the adoption of electric
cars of this week’s road test subject.
The EQA, then, becomes Mercedes’
entry-level EV. First shown in
production form in spring 2020 and
trickling onto UK roads throughout
this year, it has been described by
Mercedes as a car that offers “an
excellent compromise between
performance, costs and time to
market”. It’s unusual for a premium
brand such as Mercedes, which
typically deals in products designed
and engineered in what it might want
us to think of as an uncompromising
fashion, to introduce a new car in
quite those terms. But these are rare
and challenging times for the car
industry, when an unconventional
approach may well be called for if
you want to bring a market-leading
compact electric car to the showroom
– and do it quickly.
The car’s particular compromise
is granted by the fact that, unlike
many of its competitors, it’s based
on the adapted model architecture
of an existing combustion-engined
car. As we’ll explain in more detail
shortly, the EQA shares the same
underpinnings as the Mercedes
A-Class, B-Class, CLA and GLA
models and it is built on the same
production line as many of those
sibling models in Rastatt, Germany.
In stark contrast to an Audi Q4
E-tron or a Hyundai Ioniq 5, then, it’s
an EV with a more conventional and
familiar layout of drive components,
and a driven front axle. But does that
make it more or less likely to set new
benchmarks in a rapidly changing
and critically important class?
DESIGN AND ENGINEERING
AAACC
There is some emerging mechanical
convention among sub-£50,000
EVs. From the likes of the Kia EV6
to the Volkswagen ID 3, and the
Q4 E-tron to the Tesla Model 3 and
Ford Mustang Mach-E, more and
more cars are using rear-mounted
drive motors and reaping packaging
rewards as a result. But there are
exceptions and the EQA is one such.
Rather than some ground-up new
platform, the EQA uses a version
of Mercedes’ latest MFA chassis
specially adapted for an electric
application. It is most closely related
not to the A-Class hatchback (as its
model name might suggest) but to the
GLA compact crossover and the car’s
exterior design confirms as much:
ROAD TEST
Range at a glance
ENGINES POWER FROM
250 Sport 188bhp £44,495
300 4Matic
AMG Line 225bhp £48,495
350 4Matic
AMG Line 288bhp £49,995
TRANSMISSION
1-spd reduction gearing
The EQA is available with a choice of z The EQA was the first in the EQ family
front- or four-wheel drive, in any one to have its aerodynamics modelled
of three power outputs, and with a entirely by computer. The underbody
four-tier range of trims (although if is almost totally sealed, the wheels are
you can only run to a Sport-spec car, all aerodynamically optimised and the
you’ll be denied the more powerful, grille is this sealed ‘black panel’.
twin-motor 4Matic versions).
Mid-level AMG Line equipment
is likely to be the most popular of
all and includes 18in alloy wheels,
sports seat and special sporty-
looking bumper styling.
the outline of its jacked-up silhouette
is a near-identical match, even if its
exterior features and details are new.
The lithium ion drive battery
has 66.5kWh of usable capacity
and is carried under almost the full
length and width of the cabin floor z Mercedes’ intention was to make the
in a reinforced safety frame. It’s a car distinctive more than handsome,
fairly heavy unit, though (the VW hence full-width light bars feature on
Group can squeeze 77kWh of usable both the front and the rear, and are
capacity out of a matching combined designed to stand out after dark. On an
pack and frame weight of “around otherwise dowdy car, though, they do
500kg” and Polestar 75kWh); and look a little over the top.
while it doesn’t leave the EQA at a
particular penalty on overall vehicle
weight compared with its rivals, it
does leave it a little short on range.
The WLTP claimed figure is between
250 and 263 miles, which almost all
of the car’s direct rivals can beat.
It won’t help on that score
that the car has a front-mounted
asynchronous AC motor attached to
its front axle, and front-wheel drive.
(Makers of four-wheel-drive EVs
report notable cruising efficiency
and range gains as a result of being
able to primarily drive the rear axle z Bumpers on AMG Line cars look more
rather than the front.) That motor aggressive than on Sport models, giving
makes 188bhp at peak power in the you enlarged ‘implied’ air intakes on the
EQA 250 entry-level model (which front, as well as a real air intake, and a
is less than key rivals offer), as well smooth void where you expect to find
as 277lb ft of peak torque (which is one (the radiator). It’s a muddled look.
more competitive). For those who
want more power or four-wheel drive,
Mercedes offers twin-motor versions
of the EQA with 225bhp and 288bhp.
They have the same drive battery as
the 250 derivative, though, and only
very marginally greater range.
For suspension, the car uses
conventional steel coil springs, ◊
z Alloy wheels all have special
aerodynamic spoke designs. They
start at 18in in diameter with Sport and
AMG Line cars, rising to 19in on AMG
Line Premium and these 20in rims on
Premium Plus cars.
EQA Concept set a sleeker visual tone
17 NOVEMBER 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 33
 Weights and measures
DIMENSIONS

x
m ma
0.28

m
930m
970m
340-

1620mm
1320 litres
x
ma

m
0m
m
0m

74
110

Kerb weight: 1965kg

915mm 2729mm 821mm
4465mm
z Front seats have manual cushion angle and cushion extension adjustment, but
mostly electric adjustment on Premium Plus. They’re comfortable but quite high.
PA R K I N G
Typical parking space width (2400mm)
Typical garage height

2140mm
Typical leg room
740mm

2025mm (with mirrors) z Rear-seat base is a bit flat and short and a raised floor makes you feel your thighs
3780mm are unsupported. There’s room for average-height adults, but not in great comfort.

W H E E L A N D P E DA L
ALI G N M E NT
Decent-sized shiny sport
pedals and a big footrest
here, with good relative
60mm
spacing and in a footwell
that feels pretty generous 185mm
Width 1030-1270mm
around your toes.

Height 410-740mm
H E AD LI G HTS Length 770-1610mm
Full LED headlights and tail-
lights are standard across
the range. Adaptive lamps
are bright but seem to dazzle
oncoming traffic at times;
auto dip level could be lower.
Centre z Boot is only 340 litres under the load-bay cover. It offers some cargo retention
features, but there’s very little useful under-floor space for cable storage.

Δ passive gas dampers and regular hatchback. However, those who
anti-roll bars in almost all cases, test drive one after an equivalent
with a strut-type axle featuring up Mustang Mach-E or Skoda Enyaq iV
front and a multi-link axle at the rear. won’t be particularly struck by
Range-topping AMG Line Premium its spaciousness.
Plus versions such as our test car get Up front, you sit in fairly perched
adaptive damping as standard, in orientation with the controls, with
addition to a variable-ratio power plenty of space for your legs, head and
steering system with speed-sensitive elbows, in a comfortable driver’s seat
assistance adjustment, and whose and at a height that makes the car
gearing quickens off centre. At the easy to slide in and out of.
time of writing, though, this version The car’s controls and its
of the car has been removed from the surrounding fascia look and feel
UK price list, quite likely as a result of familiar, being mostly of Mercedes’
the ongoing semiconductor shortage. stock compact car type. There’s a
matched pair of instrumentation and
INTERIOR infotainment screens immediately
AAACC ahead, with lots of surrounding
The EQA is a reasonably practical glossy black plastic and decorative
and usable five-seat crossover chrome, as well as those ‘designer’
turbine air vents. It’s quite a
particular take on a luxury ambience:
flashier- and chintzier-looking
than some will like (especially
owing to the abundance of coloured
ambient lighting strips), with a less
deep-running sense of underlying
material integrity than you might
expect. It will probably look and feel
sufficiently lavish and ‘premium’
to impress the average driver or
passenger, though.
If you find the screen-dominated
control interfaces of rivals annoying,
you’ll like this car’s physical
ventilation controls, its separate
tunnel-mounted input device and
its infotainment menu shortcut
buttons; and although the steering
wheel’s spoke-mounted quick-fire
controls for the instrument console
and infotainment screens seem a bit
confusing at first, you soon get used
to them – and they often save you
from needing to reach an arm out
for the central display, or from really
taking your eyes off the road.
Second-row accommodation is
a little meaner than in the front
and lags behind key EV rivals.
Small adults and teenagers will be
comfortable enough, though; child
seats can be fixed and removed
easily; and Mercedes includes
stowage slots in the moulded sides
of the rear bench so that the rear
seatbelts can be kept out of the way
of folded seatbacks or generally be
prevented from rattling around.
The boot, although quite wide, ◊

34 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 17 NOVEMBER 2021

 ROAD TEST

z AMG Line Premium and above have this twin-pane z Ambient lighting features have been dialled up. You z This fingertip input device has died out in the latest
sunroof. (Front one slides back to open.) There’s (just) can have almost any colour you like but some reflect in big Mercs, but it’s welcome to find it here. It allows you
enough head room to spare that it’s worth having. the adjacent chrome trim more prettily than others. to switch menus and mute the stereo with one touch.

Multimedia system AAAAC

Mercedes’ twin-screen MBUX infotainment system, with its
pair of 10.0in displays, looked cutting edge five years ago; and if
it’s been superseded, it may partly be because the marque has
moved on to bigger screens and more touchscreen integration.
But some of Stuttgart’s latest digital technology isn’t as usable
as it should be. This older system is much more intuitive.
There are thumb-pad controls on the steering wheel for the
infotainment display, as well as a larger auxiliary input device
on the transmission tunnel, with easily accessed, fixed menu
buttons. Voice control is also possible, although it doesn’t
always recognise your command at the first try.
Our upper-end test car had an excellent head-up display,
which relayed speed limit info and navigation tulips very
usefully. The augmented reality navigation display still seems a
distracting influence, to us at least, when displayed away from
your natural line of sight on the infotainment display.

17 NOVEMBER 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 35


It isn’t hard to find an operating style for the
car that suits your taste and environment
Δ has a shorter loading length
than most mid-sized SUVs offer
and only 340 litres of space behind
the seatbacks and under the
load-bay cover. With everything
folded down and when loading to
the roof, the EQA will swallow
nearly 400 litres less than an Enyaq
iV, so it’s no carrying king. More
annoying, though, is that Mercedes
has failed to make space for the car’s
charging cables anywhere other
than in the boot itself.
PERFORMANCE
AAABC
The EQA 250 certainly isn’t the kind
of EV to make the family giggle when
you rush away from the traffic lights.
In typical daily driving, it performs
more than adequately, though, with
sufficient poke to take motorways
and faster country roads well enough
in its stride, and good drivability and
adaptability around town.
z Its body movements contribute to the feeling that this is a heavier, softer and less engaging car than many rivals when you press on, but it remains competent and stable.
36 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 17 NOVEMBER 2021
`
a
Mercedes is to be congratulated
for its ambition to give drivers
as much direct control over the
regenerative braking of the electric
motor, and the car’s ability to coast
and preserve momentum, as possible.
Because of that, it isn’t hard to find
an operating style for the car that
suits your taste and environment,
and that can also reassure you about
getting as much usable range as
you can at times (an easy quality to
overlook in an EV).
This is accomplished in part by
the car’s driving mode controller
(which switches from Sport through
Comfort to Eco mode) but also by
the steering wheel-mounted paddle
shifters, which allow you to blend
battery regeneration up and down
easily and instinctively. By allowing
the car to ‘coast’ on the open road,
and then blending up its motor
regen as the road ahead obliges,
it’s perfectly possible to adopt a
‘one-pedal’ driving style and steadily
build your efficiency.
On a slippery test day, the car
struggled notably to generate an
assured traction level for standing
starts, relying very heavily
(although fairly unobtrusively) on
its electronics to keep wheelspin
in check. However, using just the
right amount of ‘throttle’, we still
managed to beat Mercedes’ 0-62mph
acceleration claim (8.9sec), clocking
8.4sec to 60mph. That was three-
tenths adrift of what a Q4 E-tron
40 managed in similar conditions,
though. Without needing to generate
traction for a ‘launch’ from rest, the
EQA’s roll-on performance from
higher speeds is stronger.
When you do need the brakes, the
car can pitch hard and suddenly feel
heavy; and, in slippery conditions,
it suffered from the same limited
longitudinal grip when stopping as
we found during standing starts.
Pedal feel and progression are
reasonable for an EV – acceptable
enough, with some moments of
squidge and snatch as you bring
the car to a dead stop.
H A N D L I N G A N D S TA B I L I T Y
AAACC
Our EQA test car’s 20in wheels and
Pirelli P Zero Elect tyres worked
better to create lateral grip than they
did traction or outright stopping
power. The car feels softer sprung,
heavier, higher rising and more
mobile on its springs than most
compact electric vehicles. It doesn’t
seek to engage as a Tesla or Polestar
might and it is a slightly reluctant
participant when you seek to hustle
it along a winding road with any
prevailing briskness, but it copes.
Subtle and effective traction and
stability controls keep it true to its
course, while eventually contained
lateral body control ensures it stays

Assisted driving notes AAAAC
Mercedes offers a very complete
roster of active driver aids on the
EQA, but only as a £1495 option.
Without that Driving Assistance
Package, the car can recognise
prevailing speed limits, help to
prevent you from wandering
out of your motorway lane, and
both avoid and mitigate potential
accidents up ahead. But with it, it
can adopt recognised speed limits
automatically; adjust your cruising
speed downwards automatically
when a jam ahead is detected;
prevent you from opening your door
into the path of an overtaking car or
cyclist; and keep the car centred in
its motorway semi-autonomously.
Many of those safety aids operate
very well, but often only in particular
contexts. The lane keeping assistance
system, for instance, has two tiers:
the second one is more hindrance
than help away from the motorway,
and the first one defaults to on with
every ignition cycle and needs turning
off on the touchscreen display.
ROAD TEST
A U T O M AT I C E M E R G E N CY
BRAKING
z Does the system seem prone to false
activation? ✗
z Can it be deactivated? ✓
z Does it have pedestrian/cyclist
detection? ✓
L A N E K E E P I N G A S S I S TA N C E
z Is the system tuned to keep the driver
engaged at all times? ✗
z Is it adjustable for sensitivity? ✓
z Does it allow you to drive around
a pothole/obstacle within your lane
without deactivation? ✓
INTELLIGENT CRUISE
CONTROL
z Can it consistently recognise and
automatically adopt motorway
gantry-signed speed limits? ✓
z Does it prevent undertaking? ✗
z Does it have effective audible or
visual alerts, or steering intervention, to
prevent changing lanes into the path of
an overtaking car? ✓

stable under cornering load, and
secure in outright terms.
The adaptive dampers of our test
car seemed to make little difference
to that cornering behaviour, which
was altered very little as you cycled
through the car’s driving modes.
Vertical body control is slightly better
reined in in the sportier settings, but
it is never at all sophisticated. The
EQA tends to shuffle its weight across
its axles a lot when the surface under
its wheels is uneven. It heaves and
pitches without much provocation
over rising and falling topography,
and although it doesn’t quite threaten
to run out of suspension travel by
doing so as some EVs have, it doesn’t
inspire much confidence, either.
C O M F O R T A N D I S O L AT I O N
AAABC
Mercedes claims to have paid
particular attention to noise
insulation and cabin sealing during
the development of this car, in order
to boost its refinement. It certainly
seems a fairly quiet-riding car
at motorway speeds, although it
proved only broadly as quiet as a Q4
E-tron 40 and recorded cabin noise
measurements within one decibel of
the Audi’s across the speed range.
The 20in alloy wheels and tyres
didn’t create a lot of surface noise,
but they did clunk and thump a
little over broken Tarmac and raised
ironwork. Run-flat tyres can be fitted
in combination with smaller rims,
and might conceivably introduce a
little more compromise into the car’s
refinement levels, but they didn’t
feature on our test car.
Even entry-level EQA Sport models
get Mercedes’ ‘Comfort’ seats as
standard, with cushions that adjust
for both angle and under-thigh
support. They’re as comfortable as
advertised but come upholstered
for upper-trim level cars in a
combination of Artico man-made
leather and Dynamica suede, which
doesn’t look like it would wear quite
as robustly as a simpler leather seat
(which you can have on a Sport-
spec car). Visibility to all quarters
is good, and while 360deg parking
cameras help during parking, they’re
currently available on top-of-the-line
models only.
BUYING AND OWNING
AACCC
If, by using an existing model
platform and effectively spinning off
its smallest EV from the GLA model
range, Mercedes was aiming to bring
the EQA to market at an appealing
price, it must have got its sums wrong
somewhere, because it has missed
that target – and by no small margin.
An entry-level EQA 250 Sport is
some 10% more expensive than an
entry-level Q4 E-tron 35. It’s also 5%
pricier than its nearest equivalent
Polestar 2 and Ioniq 5, both of which
offer bigger battery packs.
Mercedes does at least provide
a heat pump in the car for no extra
cost, which ought to allow it to run
considerably more efficiently in cold
weather than rivals. (It’s optional
on the Volkswagen ID 4, Q4 E-tron
and Ioniq 5 and unavailable on the
Mustang Mach-E.)
Our test was done in temperatures
of 14deg C and above so wouldn’t
have shown much benefit from
that heat pump. The car returned
3.2mpkWh on a typical 70mph
motorway touring run, at which you
could expect to get 212 miles from a
full charge. Many key rivals would
go between 10% and 25% farther,
according to our testing. Only a
Standard Range or Standard Range
Plus Tesla Model 3, or the smallest-
battery VW Group rivals, might give
you less operating autonomy. Not
good for a car of this pricing. ◊

AC C E L E R AT I O N
Mercedes-Benz EQA 250 AMG Line Premium Plus (16deg C, damp with slippery patches)
Standing quarter mile 17.1sec at 86.9mph, standing km na, 30-70mph 7.6sec, 30-70mph in fourth na
30mph 40mph 50mph 60mph 70mph 80mph 90mph
3.4s 4.7s 6.4s 8.4s 11.0s 14.1s 18.0s
0 10s
Audi Q4 E-tron 40 Sport (12deg C, rain)
Standing quarter mile 16.5sec at 84.2mph, standing km 30.7sec at 99.7mph, 30-70mph 7.8sec, 30-70mph in fourth na
30mph 40mph 50mph 60mph 70mph 80mph 90mph
3.1s 4.4s 6.0s 8.1s 10.9s 14.6s 19.7s
0 10s

B R A K I N G 60-0mph: 3.70sec
Mercedes-Benz EQA 250 AMG Line Premium Plus (16deg C, damp with slippery patches)
30mph-0 50mph-0 70mph-0
11.7m 31.9m 62.6m
0 10m 20m 30m 40m 50m 60m
Audi Q4 E-tron 40 Sport (12deg C, rain)
30mph-0 50mph-0 70mph-0
10.1m 27.4m 55.5m
0 10m 20m 30m 40m 50m

17 NOVEMBER 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 37

 Data log
MERCEDES -BENZ
E Q A 25 0 A M G L I N E
PREMIUM PLUS
On-the-road price £51,995
Price as tested £54,085
Value after 3yrs/36k miles £25,900
Contract hire pcm na
Cost per mile 69p
Insurance 38/£969
66.5kWh
TYPICAL PCP QUOTE
3 years/30,000 miles, 18% deposit £507
Mercedes’ Agility personal finance scheme will get
you into an EQA 250 in AMG Line trim (almost to
the specification of our test car) for just over £500
a month after an £8k deposit. The final optional
balloon payment would be just under £26k.

EQUIPMENT CHECKLIST
Adaptive LED headlights T E C H N I C A L L AYO U T
Electric panoramic glass roof EQA uses an adapted version of Mercedes’ MFA compact car platform and is most
20in alloy wheels closely related to the GLA compact crossover. Entry-level versions get a front-
Parking package with 360deg cameras mounted drive motor and 4Matic models add a second one at the rear. The drive
Heated sports seats with memory battery pack weighs 480kg and is carried under the cabin floor. Our test car’s
function, heated steering wheel weight was distributed 53:47 front to rear.
MBUX infotainment system with 10.0in
display, augmented reality navigation, ENGINE R E S I D UA L S ECONOMY
head-up display, Burmester audio and Installation Front, transverse, 60 TEST MPG Track 1.3mpkWh
wireless smartphone charging front-wheel drive Mercedes-Benz EQA 250 AMG Line Premium
Touring 3.2mpkWh
Cruise control Type Asynchronous motor 50 Average 3.0mpkWh
11kW AC/100kW DC on-board charging Power 188bhp Polestar 2 Long Range Single Test range 200 miles
Two 5.0m charging cables Torque 277lb ft 40 Motor (Pilot & Plus packs)
Value (£1000s)

(Type 1 and Type 2) Max motor speed 13,000rpm CLAIMED Combined 3.8-4.0mpkWh
30
Ionity public charging subscription Battery 66.5kWh (usable), Range 250-263 miles
(one year), Mercedes Me (three years) lithium ion, water-cooled 20
Metallic paint, Denim Blue £595 Power to weight 96bhp per tonne Audi Q4 E-tron 40 S Line Battery size 66.5kWh (usable)
(Comfort and Sound &
Driving Assistance Package Torque to weight 141lb ft per tonne 10 Technology packs)
(including active speed limit assist,
active blindspot assist, active lane 0
New 1 year 2 years 3 years 4 years
keeping assist, active steering assist) £1495
Options in bold fitted to test car z EQA is expected to cost owners more E M I S S I O N S & TA X
= Standard na = not available in depreciation than rival EVs, but its CO2 emissions 0g/km
disadvantage decreases over time. Tax at 20/40% pcm £9/£17

C H A S S I S & B O DY TRANSMISSION BRAKES SAFET Y

Construction Steel monocoque Type 1-spd reduction gearing Front 330mm ventilated discs ABS, ESP, Brake Assist
Weight/as tested 1965kg/2030kg Reduction ratio 9.6:1 Rear 320mm solid discs Euro NCAP crash rating 5 stars
Drag coefficient 0.28 MPH/1000rpm 8.8 Anti-lock Standard Adult occupant 97% Child occupant 90%
Wheels 8.0Jx20in Handbrake type Electric, automatic, switch Vulnerable road users 81% Safety assist 75%
Tyres 235/45 R20 100T, Handbrake location Right of steering column
Pirelli P Zero Elect
Spare None (mobility kit) SUSPENSION STEERING CABIN NOISE
Front MacPherson struts, coil springs, Type Electromechanical, rack and pinion Idle na Max power at 90mph 70dBA
anti-roll bar Turns lock to lock 2.5 30mph 59dBA 50mph 62dBA 70mph 67dBA
Rear Multi-link, coil springs, anti-roll bar Turning circle 11.4m

AC C E L E R AT I O N AC C E L E R AT I O N
MPH TIME (sec) IN KICKDOWN
0-30 3.4 MPH TIME (sec)
0-40 4.7 20-40 2.7
0-50 6.4 30-50 3.0
0-60 8.4 40-60 3.7
0-70 11.0 50-70 4.6
0-80 14.1 60-80 5.7
0-90 18.0 70-90 6.9
0-100 – 80-100 –
0-110 – 90-110 –
0-120 – 100-120 –
0-130 – 110-130 –
0-140 – 120-140 –
0-150 – 130-150 –
0-160 – 140-160 –
THE SMALL PRINT Power-to-weight and torque-to-weight figures are calculated using manufacturer’s claimed kerb weight. © 2021,
Haymarket Media Group Ltd. Test results may not be reproduced without editor’s written permission. For information on the EQA, contact
Mercedes-Benz UK Ltd, Customer Services, Tongwell, Milton Keynes, MK15 8BA (00800 3777 7777, mercedes-benz.co.uk). Cost- R OA D T E S T N o 5 5 5 0
per-mile figures 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 17 NOVEMBER 2021
 ROAD TEST
Testers’
notes
MATT
SAUNDERS
I’d be
fascinated to
do back-to-back range
testing with the EQA in
proper wintry weather
against a rival without a
head pump fitted, to see
if its range disadvantage
could be turned on its
head. I wouldn’t rule it
out – but I’d want better
tyres before using it as a
year-round daily driver.

ILLYA
VERPRAET
There are few
more liberating
feelings than
driving an EV with the
battery regen dialled
to zero, coasting down
VERDICT gradients and towards

AAACC braking areas, and seeing

your efficiency rating
soar. It’s not exactly
Competent but entirely average. For the money, we expect better fun, but I do enjoy it.

Spec advice
he EQA feels like a rushed response to a problem that a company of Mercedes’
If you’re spending £50k,
T standing really ought to have dealt with better. Or perhaps it was a deliberate
decision to invest initially in the luxury end of the emerging electric car market
go for a four-wheel-drive
EQA 300 or 350 AMG
Line. If you’re happy with
front drive, make it a 250
(with the EQS) and only to plough serious money into the more affordable end of it later, Sport. Either way, keep
when ‘volume’ buying habits there are better established. your wheel size modest
and avoid run-flat tyres.
Whatever explains it, this adapted EV can’t quite live with its latest clean-sheet rivals.
It just about compares to some of them for outright performance, refinement and Jobs for
drivability, but it lacks the electric range, ride and handling sophistication and practicality the facelift
z Fit a standard tyre
of many of its serious opponents. On top of that, and despite the basis of its design and with a better balance
configuration, the EQA comes with a price that looks conspicuously high even compared of longitudinal grip and
rolling resistance.
with direct rivals, let alone with conventionally powered crossover hatchbacks. z Make faster public
charging possible: 100kW
Those fiercely loyal to the Mercedes brand may find a happy way to take a first step isn’t good enough on a
£50,000 car.
into electric motoring here but, from the world’s inaugural car maker and for the money z Refine the vertical body
control to erase the busy
they’ll be paying, they deserve better. feel to the motorway ride.

R OA D 1 2 3 4 5
TEST
R I VA L S

SKODA ENYAQ iV 80 POLESTAR 2 LONG RANGE FORD MUSTANG MACH-E HYUNDAI IONIQ 5 TESLA MODEL Y LONG RANGE
Verdicts SPORTLINE SINGLE MOTOR EXTENDED RANGE RWD 73KWH ULTIMATE RWD Imminent UK introductory
on every Our pick of the crossover EVs is It has alternative premium appeal EQA money buys a nicely specced Big on design allure and luxury model is pricey compared
new car, comfy, spacious, easy to drive to burn. Rangy and decent longer-range Mach-E. It’s how cabin feel; likeably laid-back to with its rivals but it offers
p74 and smart looking. Bests its value, too, although not as we’d spend it to maximise range drive; spacious to ride in. More plenty more than the EQA
various VW Group relations. practical as some. and all-round driver appeal. hatch than crossover, though. for a comparable outlay.
AAAAC AAAAC AAAAC AAAAC AAABC
Price £42,915 £42,900 £46,380 £44,945 £54,990
Power, torque 201bhp, 229lb ft 228bhp, 243lb ft 290bhp, 317lb ft 215bhp, 258lb ft 434bhp, 424lb ft
0-62mph, top speed 8.7sec, 100mph 7.4sec, 99mph 7.0sec, 111mph 7.4sec, 115mph 5.0sec, 133mph
Economy, range 3.7mpkWh, 326 miles 4.0-4.1mpkWh, 316-336 miles 3.8mpkWh, 379 miles 3.5mpkWh, 280 miles 3.7mpkWh, 315 miles

17 NOVEMBER 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 39

SOUTHERN COMFORT
When we proposed a Continental road trip to the Riviera, Andrew Frankel
immediately said ‘oui’. He might not have expected what was to come…
PHOTOGRAPHY LUC LACEY

40 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 17 NOVEMBER 2021

THE ENGLISH RIVIERA DRIVE

17 NOVEMBER 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 41

 remember this.
Playing on the beach
I under Paignton Pier.
Granny had retired
to Torquay and my
mother got to offload her idiot
offspring on her mother for one
excruciating weekend per year
for all concerned. We were never
allowed onto the pier, of course, for
it was a place for the down at heel,
the dissolute and practitioners of
all seven known deadly sins and
a few more besides. So of course
getting onto Paignton Pier
became not so much an ambition
as a life goal. And we made it.
It was here I played my first
arcade game, an early version
of Forza Motorsport, otherwise
known as an unwound coat
hanger with a model car on one
end and a steering rack on the
other, allowing the driver (in
exchange for two new pence) to
‘steer’ said car while some murky
film of an on-board lap of some
unknown track was projected
on the background. It was bloody
disappointing even then.
And now, nearer half a century
later than I would care to admit,
I was back.
We came to find the Riviera –
not the one in France (because that
would involve a navigational error
that not even my desperate sense of
direction could excuse) but England’s
equivalent (because overseas travel
is somewhat sub-optimal at present).
And it really exists, not just as some
abstract construct in the increasingly
addled brain of an ageing hack but
as a real place – a Unesco Global
Geopark, no less, alongside those in
Tuscany and Provence, not to mention
the Ngorongoro volcano in Tanzania.
At this stage, you might think I’m
making this up. I promise I’m not. So
where once you may have thought
Cannes, Antibes and St Tropez,
try saying Torquay, Paignton and
Brixham. As you can see, here they
also have sun, sea, palm trees and at
least one Bentley. And does Cannes
have a pier where a dodgy-looking
bloke in a glass booth will tell you
your fortune? Not that I could find.
Does the Casino de Monte-Carlo
have wall-to-wall slot machines
projecting son-et-lumière effects to
sear your eyeballs and eardrums? I
think you will find it does not. And as
you gaze out across the Promenade
des Anglais from your suite in the
Negresco in Nice, will you find
inflatable slides and bouncy castles?
Not the last time I was in town.
Besides, if it’s real promenading
Anglais you want, especially those of
a certain vintage, it’s our Riviera and
not theirs to which you should head.
So there we were in our powder-
blue Continental GT Convertible with
me doing my best to look the part –
at least from the waist up. I had the Fish and chips, ice cream
blazer, the Panama hat, a waistline and not one stain on the
moving in inverse proportion to my GT’s pristine upholstery
hairline and, I hoped, just the right

42 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 17 NOVEMBER 2021

 THE ENGLISH RIVIERA DRIVE

I’m still not

comfortable with
digital dials in a Bentley.
If ever a car called for
old-fashioned, cable-driven
clocks, surely this was
it. Sadly, they would
be economically
unjustifiable.

VISITING THE
ENGLISH RIVIERA
If you find yourself tempted to
fall off the bottom of the M5 and
head towards the Riviera for a
few days, first visit its website
(englishriviera.co.uk), where truly
comprehensive guides about its
towns and villages, life on and
offshore and its many places
to eat and stay can be found.
Torquay is probably most
famous as being the home town
of Agatha Christie, and you can’t
go far without bumping into
something that will remind you
of the fact. Just don’t come here
expecting similar reverence
for Fawlty Towers: the seminal
Jurassic coast has 1970s sitcom may have been
miles of beautiful set in Torquay, but not one
rock formations frame of it was shot there.

17 NOVEMBER 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 43

 Happily, my Princess and the Pea
fears came to naught. The people of
the English Riviera seemed just as
happy to see the Bentley there as I
had been to bring it. And happy I was.
I’ll share with you now that I don’t
really see myself as a convertible
kind of guy. Indeed, I’ve always
worked on the basis that if you’re
to have an open car, it should also
be a slow one, and no one enjoys
peeling back the roof of a Citroën
2CV more than me. But at this level,
what does a convertible roof bring?
A lot more cost, of course, and a stack
more weight – 170kg in this case.
Obviously, this blunts performance
to a small extent (although only a
tenth off the 0-62mph time), but
far more importantly it makes the
car feel less precise to drive. It also
uses more fuel and emits more
CO2 (although I can’t see many
prospective owners losing too
much sleep over that). And all for
what? The occasional top-down
jaunt during which people whom
you’ve never met and will never
see again will discover that you’re
wealthy enough to drive a convertible
Bentley. Or a motoring journalist.
I’m afraid it just doesn’t interest
me that much. I’ve never driven
a convertible that I preferred to
the coupé from which it was
derived, and this Bentley does
nothing to change that, not
least because I consider the
Continental GT to be the best
car of its kind money can buy,
the car that understands best
what those two little initials
mean and executes more
honestly and accurately
the brief they contain.
But here’s the thing. Motoring
hacks who write exclusively
for themselves tend to have
`
They appeared not to be seeing a dork in a flash car
but something British of obvious and profound quality
44 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 17 NOVEMBER 2021
Frankel steels somewhat abbreviated shelf lives;
himself to enter the trick is to understand how the
forbidden territory car should stack up in the eyes of
the person for whom it has been
designed, and the fact that’s not
you is really neither here nor there.
And in its intended role, the GT
Convertible (note, not the GTC
any more) is simply superb.
It knows what’s important and
what it isn’t, and the fact that it
doesn’t handle as well as the GT is
emphatically in the latter category.
And the weight gain? Actually, it
should be welcomed, because it’s this
structural reinforcement that means
it still rides as a Bentley should. In
fact, it glides. It’s also why, with the
roof up, it’s damn near as quiet as the
GT too. True, that locked-in-a-vault
feeling is missing, but only because a
vault with a fabric roof wouldn’t be a
very good vault. It looks fine with the
roof down, as that’s important too.
Where it excels, however, has
nothing to do with it being a
convertible and everything to do
with it being a Bentley. Of course
Bentley’s it has lots of shiny switches and
rotating central dials, all of which help to create
display costs £4865 that glossy veneer of luxury;
and is almost entirely but they also serve almost as
pointless in terms of extra distractions, as if they were
information provided. But covering up a lack of deeper,
that’s not really the point, designed-in quality. But
because everyone they’re not. On the contrary,
still absolutely the real charm of this car has
loves it. little to do with the way
that it looks, performs or
sounds, impressive though
it is in all such regards.
It’s the way that it feels. It
has that profound sense of
heft, of solidity, the sense
of an engineering team
who reached the point
where they needed to go no
further, barely even noticed
it and just kept going.
If I were creating a
tagline for Bentley, it
would be something like
‘the art of over-engineering’, because
that to me is what a Bentley should
be about. Luxury to me isn’t best
expressed by the amount of trinketry
that a car can carry but that sense
a of strength, of deep and structural
integrity that can’t be synthesised.
And I think that’s the reason for
the warm reception the car enjoyed
on the English Riviera. Because
they appeared not to be looking at
a superannuated dork in a flash car
but something British of obvious
and profound quality. Something to
aspire to, to covet more than envy.
In short, something to be proud of.
As we should be of our Riviera. It may
be a bit faded, somewhat scruffy and
aimed at a rather different position
in the market from its French
namesake, but it’s not stuffy, you
don’t need to be a millionaire to buy
lunch and the coastline between
the towns is genuinely beautiful.
After all these years, I think
I understand what Granny saw
in the place. L
 THE ENGLISH RIVIERA DRIVE

V8 O R W 12?
Is bigger really better or is less
actually more? Well, ask yourself
what the almost £50,000 extra
for the 6.0-litre W12 Speed version
of the Continental GT Convertible
actually buys you. Perhaps most
persuasively, its immunity from
12-cylinder Bentley owners looking
down their noses at you and saving
yourself the bother of having to
explain why you bought the cheap
one. But if you don’t care about
that, the V8 is the better engine:
it’s lighter, it’s more efficient and,
most importantly, it sounds far
better, its deep thunder matching
the car’s character to perfection.

BENTLEY CONTINENTAL
GT CONVERTIBLE V8
Price £182,200
Engine V8, 3996cc, twin-
turbocharged, petrol
Power 542bhp at 6000rpm
Torque 568lb ft at 2000rpm
Gearbox 8-spd dual-clutch automatic
Kerb weight 2335kg
0-62mph 4.1sec
Top speed 198mph
Economy 24.1mpg
CO2, tax band 266g/km, 37%

17 NOVEMBER 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 45

 The cars we’re
buying are
changing, but so
is how we’re
buying them
Are dealerships going the way of the combustion engine, or are ‘bricks and clicks’
here to stay? John Evans quizzes industry experts on the future of automotive retail
’ve just bought a nearly
new car. Well, Mrs
I Evans has. A couple
of things struck us on
our tour of dealers.
The first was how, for all their claims
regarding the quality of their cars
and service, the reality at one dealer
was a vehicle without a functioning
sat-nav and media connection; at
another, a car misdescribed to a
shocking degree; and another, a
warranty-claims limit of just £500.
Second was sales people’s refusal to
negotiate on price. It’s a free market,
46 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 17 NOVEMBER 2021
but I for one expect something for
signing on the dotted line – plus,
I suspect, the screen price always
favours the seller. As it was, we did
eventually get a £250 discount on a
car by pointing to a better-equipped
example, albeit in a less attractive
colour, down the road.
The experience reminded me that
buying a car in 2021 is as stressful as
it ever was. That said, it’s not stopping
people shelling out. Dealer groups
expect to make huge pre-tax profits
this year: Lookers £81.4 million,
Pendragon £70m, Vertu £65m and
Marshall £50m. Motorpoint, a used
car supermarket group, has reported
profits up 30% to £13m in the first
half of 2021. These are big increases
on earlier forecasts and are a result of
lengthening new car delivery delays,
rising used car prices and buoyant
consumer demand.
It sounds like a perfect storm in the
best sense, but clouds are gathering.
Changes in the relationship between
dealers and manufacturers (see
‘What is the sales agency model?’,
opposite), the removal of tariffs from
Japanese and Korean cars and the
evolution of online retail – all these
and more are poised to change the
future of car buying. It was ever thus.
In recent decades, we’ve seen
the arrival of approved used car
schemes, personal contract purchase,
used car supermarkets, online
retailing… However, one thing
has never changed: the car buyer.
Transparency, fairness and respect
are all we ask for. Whatever the
future of car buying, if dealers can
deliver these, they’ll sell cars. Here,
four of them tell us what changes
we can expect to see…

Peter Waddell
CEO, BIG MOTORING
WORLD AND CO -
FOUNDER, CARZAM
“If you look at the history of
car buying, there has always
been a surge in used car prices.
Prices rise until they’re the same as new, so people
start buying new cars with incentivised finance
and used car prices fall. The big change as far as
I’m concerned will be the increase in the number of
leasing companies selling their cars at fixed prices
with no buyer’s fee direct to buyers like us, who
buy 2000 cars at a time. It means fewer cars will
be bought at auction. These leasing companies
are disrupting the market.
“Our online Carzam business has exceeded our
expectations, but buyers will always like to touch
and try a car before they buy. It’s why our used car
supermarket sites are having a fantastic year, and
by the end of 2022, we will have 10 of them.”
Robert Forrester
CEO, VERTU MOTORS
“Our financial results show
what happens when there isn’t
oversupply in a market. I’ve
always said manufacturers
should produce one less
car than the market demands. That said, it’s
always tempting for a car maker with high fixed
production costs to make just one more car and,
with the removal of tariffs from Korean and
Japanese cars, we could see oversupply return.
“Regarding used cars, dealers will be more open
to stocking older ones. Our average preparation
cost has risen from £450 to £650, which shows
you how much deeper we’re going into them. For
younger used cars, we will face competition from
retailers such as Cazoo. But if, thanks to the sales
agency model, fewer quality used cars leave the
network, we won’t suffer.
“As for the threat from online retailers, we have
a customer conversion rate at our showrooms of
30%, while a fully online, e-commerce retailer has
one of just 0.8%. We have an online offering, but
four out of five of our customers want to have
test drives, and you can’t do that online.”
THE FUTURE
OF CAR BUYING
AT A G L A N C E
„ Car makers will sell new cars;
main dealers will facilitate the
process.
„ Main dealers will have better
access to nearly new cars and
sell more older ones, too.
„ New car supply will match
demand more closely, at least
until someone breaks ranks.
„ New car discounts will become
theoretically harder to achieve.
„ Part-exchange valuations will
tighten up, also theoretically.
„ Having got a taste for it, dealers
will try to retain more used car
profit margin.
„ Showroom and online will
continue to co-exist but the former
will always be much more popular.
„ Dealers and car makers will
hold even more of the cards,
meaning car buyers will have
to get smarter and work harder.
FUTURE OF CAR BUYING INSIGHT
W H AT I S T H E
S A L E S AG E N CY
M O D E L?
The hot topic among car makers
and dealers goes to the heart
of their relationship with the
customer. In this new world, the
dealer becomes the product
expert and the car maker the
sales expert. The dealer presents
the car, gives test drives, handles
the part-exchange and hands
over the new vehicle but the car
maker takes care of the purchase.
This arrangement applies to any
business done online, too.
PROS Prices are fixed, the aim being
to prevent discounting between
9 Consistent pricing dealers, which, depending on the
across showrooms and franchise and before Covid-19,
online averaged 12%. Dealers, with the
9 A more informed exception of those who are likely
to lose their business in this new
showroom experience CONS streamlined world or who prefer
9 Greater choice of 8 No scope for to control their margins, like the
quality used cars negotiating arrangement because it reduces
their overheads, deepens their
8 Arm’s-length relationship with car makers and
purchase experience ensures a good supply of used cars.
8 Dealer still values trade- Mercedes-Benz, Polestar, Tesla
in, leading to potential and Volkswagen are implementing
sales-agency approaches across
cost-to-change most or all of their models already.
inconsistencies
Daksh Gupta
GROUP CEO, MARSHALL
MOTOR HOLDINGS
“For a lot of people, buying a
car and negotiating the price
is an uncomfortable process.
The sales agency model will
provide a level of transparency,
because everyone will get the
same deal. Dealers may offer
different part-exchange valuations,
but not by much, since customers will check
prices and check they’re getting a good deal.
“With new cars so hard to get hold of, our
margins are going through the roof and residuals
are strengthening. A number of car makers have
now said they’re not going to push volume. I totally
embrace online, but most customers will still want
to feel, touch and smell their car at a dealership.
“We’ve just purchased the Motorline Group
of 48 dealerships.”
Duncan McPhee
COO, LOOKERS
“We have an agency
model with Polestar that’s
straightforward and works
well. We look after the customer
and Polestar looks after the
purchase side. Customers are looking
for fairness and transparency, which it provides.
“Regarding used cars, the industry is seeing
very strong margins. It’s why we’re being more
transparent with our pricing by pricing our cars to
the market. We will continue to do so. If a customer
finds the same car for less, we will match the price.
“The current market reminds me of the old
saying ‘registrations for vanity but profit for
sanity’. I think car makers will recognise they
pushed registrations in the past and will be
reluctant to do so again. ‘Bricks and clicks’ are
here to stay, but the majority of customers will
research online and come to us to try the car.”
17 NOVEMBER 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 47




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 Damien Smith
Eight pages of news, insight and opinion from the world of motor racing
M OTO R S P O RT
IS PORSCHE READY FOR F1?
New boss speaks out on the marque’s motorsport future
ill Porsche
W commit to
Formula 1 mid-
decade, when the
new engine regulations are
finalised? Its Volkswagen
Group parent stands on the
precipice and has been openly
engaged in talks, but it has
yet to confirm that one of its
brands – most likely Porsche
– will take the plunge into
grand prix racing. But there’s
a sense that ‘yes’ is more
likely than ‘no’ right now.
There are other questions:
if Wolfsburg chooses to push
the big button, would it enter
as a powertrain partner
with Red Bull Racing? That
would make more sense than
starting from scratch, at least
from a competitive point
of view – although what’s
the true value if the car isn’t
painted in Porsche colours?
Then again, should Porsche
bother with F1 at all? No
other form of racing comes
anywhere close in terms of
global appeal – certainly
not Formula E or the World
Endurance Championship.
But in the face of real-world
challenges, should a high-
profile F1 campaign really
R AC I N G L I N E S
be a priority, even with
synthetic e-fuels and sensible
budget caps?
Sure, Dan Gurney won the
1962 French Grand Prix in a
little silver Porsche, and Niki
Lauda and Alain Prost scored
a hat-trick of F1 titles in the
mid-1980s driving McLarens
with Weissach’s turbo V6
engines (albeit bearing TAG
badges). But is Porsche really
an F1 company? It fits at
Le Mans – of course it does.
But it has never really been
at home in F1. Perhaps it’s
time for that to change.
So many questions, so
many possibilities. It’s a
good time, then, to speak to
Porsche Motorsport’s new
boss, Thomas Laudenbach.
F1 CALL MUST
BE MADE SOON
“I can’t answer this
question,” says Laudenbach
` “From what I know,
Perhaps, rather than ask why
Porsche should enter F1, we should
ask: why the hell wouldn’t it?
a to increase the freedom of
when we ask whether
Porsche will be entering
F1. Not a great start. But he
proves an affable sports
boss and soon expands
on that closed answer:
“It’s not a secret that we’re
thinking about it. We’re
seriously considering it,
but there’s no decision yet.
“I can’t say when we will
have a decision, but we can’t
wait too long if we want to
race in 2025 or 2026.”
F1’s current turbo hybrid
V6 engines are already
setting gobsmacking
new standards in energy
efficiency. But still
Laudenbach says: “The most
important thing is, if you look
at what car manufacturers
are announcing in terms of
the share of electric vehicles
they’re going to sell, it’s very
important that F1 shifts
towards electrification.
Porsche has contested
grands prix before, but
only in 1961 and 1962
“Yes, it’s clear that you
can’t go forward with a
battery-electric vehicle,
we all know that. But there
needs to be a much higher
priority on the electric part
of the powertrain. That’s
important because, as a
manufacturer, if you want to
show yourself in motorsport,
it has to be relevant to what
you have on the road.
“From what I know now,
the FIA made a huge step
towards that direction.”
Laudenbach acknowledges
that the “PR values” of F1
are “extremely good”. So if
F1 is aligning itself with car
industry thinking on partial
electrification, already has
a cost cap structure in place
and offers a genuine level
playing field through a
major rules reset, perhaps,
rather than ask why Porsche
should enter F1, we should
ask: why the hell wouldn’t it?
a lot of things are going in the
right direction concerning
F1,” says Laudenbach.
“In order to control costs,
we would like to see more
standard parts in the engine

the electric part. But there’s a
cost cap at work, so all of this
makes it far more interesting
for us than in the past.”
Sounds promising, right?
BoP TILL THEY DROP
The perennial problem with
major car manufacturers and
motorsport is they all want
to win, otherwise sooner or
later they usually take away
their ball. Although that’s
probably not why Porsche has
only committed to remaining
in Formula E “to season
10” – the end of 2024. Sure,
it has yet to win a race in two
years, but the withdrawals of
sibling Audi, BMW and soon
Mercedes-Benz probably has
more to do with its cooling
attitude to the electric series.
Plus, a Formula E pull-out
then would coincide nicely
with an F1 entry…
Beyond Formula E,
greater anticipation lies
with Porsche’s return to
the top class of the WEC
in 2023, with a new LMDh
contender run by Penske.
The Hypercar era, when it
properly begins (we struggle
to count the WEC season
just past when Toyota had
minimal opposition) can’t
come soon enough. In the
LMH class, Ferrari and
Peugeot will join Toyota
and Scuderia Cameron
Glickenhaus, with Porsche
and Audi choosing the less
sophisticated but cheaper
LMDh rule book. They
Porsche is “seriously
considering” F1 return,
confirms Laudenbach
Porsche will fully
unveil 2023 LMDh
hypercar this year
will be joined at Le Mans
by Acura, Alpine, BMW,
Cadillac and counting…
Parallel rule books, one
that allows four-wheel drive,
the other two-wheel drive
only, and a clutch of major
manufacturers all vying
for victory in the world’s
greatest endurances races:
it’s a recipe for artificial
Balance of Performance,
which has just caused an
almighty row in the GTE
Pro class between Porsche
and Ferrari (see right).
Is this what we’re in for
come 2023? Laudenbach
smiles: “It’s the most crucial
point. We can already see
how difficult it is with two
or three manufacturers;
it won’t be easy with six,
eight or nine.
“I have to say it sometimes
makes me think about
Balance of Performance in
the top class. I can’t answer
the question will it work or
not? We have to see. The key
is all the manufacturers play
with an open book, that is
the most important thing.”
Porsche’s LMDh racer is
due to break cover this side
of Christmas in preparation
for its 2023 race debut. It
promises to be the most
important racing Porsche
since the triple-Le Mans-
winning 919 LMP1. Until
the F1 car is revealed, that
is… Let’s wait and see. In
the meantime, Laudenbach
already has plenty to juggle.
N E WS R O U N D - U P
Max pushes to
the max in Mexico
Max Verstappen said that
he was “really on the edge” in
braking for his turn-one move
to pass the Mercedes-AMGs of
Sir Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri
Bottas from third on the grid at
the recent Mexican Grand Prix.
He went on to dominate the
race, extending his points lead
over Hamilton. The rivals led
home Red Bull’s other driver,
Sergio Pérez, who became
the first Mexican to achieve
a home podium in Formula 1.
Conway and co win
WEC title for Toyota
Toyota GR010 Hybrid trio
Kazuki Nakajima, Brendon
Hartley and Sébastien
Buemi dominated the World
Endurance Championship
season-closing Bahrain
8 Hours, but second place
was enough for their
team-mates Kamui Kobayashi,
José María López and Mike
Conway to secure the title
for a second straight season.
Finger pointing follows
WEC GTE Pro finale
The GTE Pro title fight ended
in controversy in Bahrain. AF
Corse Ferrari pairing James
Calado and Alessandro Pier
Guidi won the race to take the
title – but only after Pier Guidi
tapped the Porsche of Michael
Christensen, Neel Jani and
Kévin Estre into a spin. He was
told to give the place back, but
Win for #8 crew
wasn’t enough to
grab title from #7
MOTORSPORT
Arriba! Pérez joined
Verstappen on home
podium in Mexico City
Bearman follows in
footsteps of Pérez,
Stroll, Leclerc et al
the Porsche pitted before he
could do so. The stewards let
the result stand, but Porsche
has lodged an appeal.
Ferrari Driver Academy
signs up Brit Bearman
Rising British star Oliver
Bearman has secured a
spot in the Ferrari Driver
Academy talent development
scheme. The 16-year-old from
Chelmsford won both the
Italian and German Formula 4
championships this year.
Larson claims
first Nascar crown
Kyle Larson took the Nascar
Cup Series title for the first
time after winning the season
finale in Phoenix recently. The
31-year-old won 10 races this
year – including four of the final
five – in his first season driving
for Hendrick Motorsports.
Hyundai’s Tänak
to miss WRC climax
Ott Tänak will miss the final
round of this year’s World Rally
Championship, the Monza
Rally, due to “personal family
matters”. He will be replaced
at Hyundai by Finnish driver
Teemu Suninen for the event.
17 NOVEMBER 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 51
 Ford Sierra RS500
NATIONAL SCENE is the most popular
E S TA B L I S H E D 1 8 9 5
Group A racer

Drivers ban Patrese

7 October 1978
OF THE 10 drivers who have
entered the most Formula 1
races, Riccardo Patrese
stands out as the only one
whose career was mostly in

Group A soaring in popularity

More historic racers are turning their attention to ’80s touring cars
the 20th century, when the
seasons were much shorter.
He retired in 1993 as a
well-respected veteran –
something you never would
have thought possible back
in his first few seasons.
Over in Japan, meanwhile, that his team used. Now he’s

B
ack at the tail end of the
1980s, the Ford Sierra
RS500 Cosworth was
the ultimate touring car.
Now, more than three decades
later, it’s firmly back in fashion.
It has taken a while for
historic touring car racing to
embrace the Group A era. For
many years, period touring
car racing ended at 1966;
the action was all about Ford
Mustangs, Mini Coopers and
Lotus Cortinas, with later
machinery largely ignored.
But little by little, the times
have been a-changin’. The
creation of the Gerry Marshall
Trophy races at Goodwood
gave the Group 1 cars of the
1970s a new impetus, and now,
over the past two or three
seasons, fresh life has been
given to the Group A cars that
raced right through to 1990.
HOW
IT BoP and Ferrari
It’s gathering momentum
and the cars are spectacular,
racing with both Motor Racing
Legends and the Historic
Sports Car Club.
Group A regulations were
introduced to the British
Touring Car Championship in
1983, allowing scope for major
development from the road
car. For the works Rover SD1s
from Tom Walkinshaw Racing,
the envelope was pushed to the
point of being ripped open.
However, as the decade
evolved, it was the 2.0-litre
turbocharged Sierra that really
set the BTCC pace, and Robb
Gravett used it to become the
final Group A champion in 1990.
For 1991, the BTCC moved to
a single-class 2.0-litre formula
– the start of what became the
Super Touring era – and the
RS500s became redundant.
the Group A weapon of choice
was the mighty four-wheel-
drive Nissan Skyline GT-R,
although this never really
infiltrated the BTCC.
Thirty years later, the
two top guns of Group A
now regularly lock horns in
an Anglo-Japanese contest in
historic racing, and the result
is fantastic, as 600bhp fire-
breathing monsters do battle
in some pretty capable hands.
Such is the level of interest
in these cars that RS500s
with strong provenance fetch
£250,000 or more, but now
you can have a newly built
‘continuation’ RS500 to
period specification.
Back in the day, Alan
Strachan was an engineer
with touring car star Andy
Rouse and built the RS500s
MOTORSPORT GREATS
ADRIAN NEWEY
offering newly built RS500s
in the same trim for £185,000
and is building three of them
this winter.
Meanwhile, Ric Wood’s
CNC Motorsport outfit will
build you a Skyline GT-R to
period specification. He has
already done four of them
and will build more to order.
Wood has recently had
Freddie Hunt – son of 1976
Formula 1 champion James –
racing one of them and giving a
pretty good account of himself.
This is all excellent news
for those who have a soft
spot for 1980s touring car
racing. Add in a range of
other cars, from BMW 635
CSis to Mk2 Volkswagen
Golf GTIs, and it adds up to
a glorious sight and sound.
PAUL LAWRENCE
In 1978, so frequent were
his dangerous manoeuvres
that, spurred into action by
the tragic death of Ronnie
Peterson in a Monza pile-up,
senior drivers including Niki
Lauda, Emerson Fittipaldi
and James Hunt sent a telex
to the organiser of the US
Grand Prix East saying they
wouldn’t race unless the
Arrows driver were barred.
This unprecedented
move for a while looked set
to strip the Watkins Glen
race of its championship
status or get it cancelled.
Despite a meeting at
which Patrese admitted his
past mistakes, the Grand
Prix Drivers’ Association
stated a ban was “the only
possible and fair method of
dealing with the matter”.
The 24-year-old Italian’s
reaction was to seek legal
advice from a local judge,
much to the alarm of the
other drivers and teams,

WORKS vs Porsche but his case was dismissed.

Arrows diplomatically
decided to withdraw him.
Yet the story didn’t finish
The 2021 World Endurance Championship’s GTE Pro title It was good to see the architect of Red there, as Ferrari declared it
battle ended in acrimony recently, triggered by a Balance of Bull’s revival take to the Mexican Grand considered Patrese’s ban
Performance row. First, the WEC Committee ruled to cut the Prix podium with Max Verstappen and illegal, reigniting the chance
engine power of AF Corse Ferrari’s 488 GTE Evo (to the tune Sergio Pérez, 30 years since Riccardo of the race being stripped
of 25bhp, according to the factory) ahead of the Bahrain 6 Patrese scored a first F1 win for an of its championship status –
Hours. That meant the reds were soundly beaten by Manthey Adrian Newey-designed car. ‘Design ultimately unsuccessfully.
Racing’s white Porsche 911 RSRs. Then on the Wednesday, genius’ is a cliché, but only because it’s Although he was furious
before the Bahrain 8 Hours that closed the season, the power true. The aerodynamicist cut his teeth at March in the 1980s, about it at the time, Patrese
GETTY IMAGES / PAUL LAWRENCE

cut was halved – to Porsche’s chagrin, but also to AF Corse’s
(they protested against both changes, the WEC Committee
dismissing the complaint in short order). At least the two
giants were evenly matched over the second weekend – only
for a collision between a 488 and a 911 to leave Ferrari’s title
win in dispute. It will be decided at some point by the FIA
International Court of Appeal. Merely an amuse-bouche
ahead of LMH versus LMDh in 2023? More than likely.
first in Indycar and then at the F1 team, where his turquoise has since acknowledged
shrink-wrapped designs caught the eye. A switch to Williams that the ban changed his
and a partnership with Patrick Head led to 1990s domination, mentality for the better.
with titles for Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Damon Hill and Since then, just six other
Jacques Villeneuve, before he moved to McLaren and won drivers have been banned
two more with Mika Häkkinen. A rebirth at Red Bull garnered from entering a grand prix.
four consecutively with Sebastian Vettel – and now in a fourth „ Visit themotoringarchive.com
decade, his cars are still at the top. Genius is no exaggeration. for all of Autocar’s history

52 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 17 NOVEMBER 2021


Remembering Richard
On the 20th anniversary of Richard Burns’ WRC title victory, his close friend,
professional rally photographer Colin McMaster, explains why he was so special
ichard Alexander Burns. Burnsie.
RB. Richard. Or just mate, because
R that’s exactly what I had the honour
of calling him, from when I met him
back in 1994, when he was a young
up-and-coming rally driver, through to when he
died in 2005, a world champion and so much more.
I spoke at his memorial service – a parting gift, so
to speak. How I wish it had instead been returning
a favour he did for me, giving the speech as his
best man at what I know would have been the
most amazing wedding to the love of his life, Zoe.
It wasn’t to be, as Richard succumbed to a
brain tumour aged just 34. My mate gone. As
always, he put up a terrific fight, but even he
couldn’t win this battle. He died on 25 November,
the same date on which four years earlier he had
won his title, this cruel irony always there to cast
a cloud over any happy memories of what he,
his co-driver Robert Reid and the whole Subaru
team achieved that day in Wales in 2001. But one
thing Richard loved was a good party, and if he
was in the mood, nothing could stop him, so I will
do my best to honour that memory here with some
stories that I hope both do him justice and are good
enough that they would’ve made him squirm a bit.
Winning the world title was the culmination
of a dream for Richard – a dream that I strongly
believe he worked harder to achieve than most,
largely because I got to witness first-hand a
Burns relaxes
between stages
with pal Colin
MOTORSPORT
Burns is synonymous
with blue-and-yellow
Subaru Impreza WRC
In 2007,
preparation firm
Prodrive released a special
Subaru Impreza RB320 as
a tribute to Richard Burns.
It featured an upgraded
316bhp 2.5-litre engine
and bespoke styling
elements.
lot of the time and effort that he put in. Soon
after we first met, my then girlfriend and I joined
Richard and his then girlfriend in a house share – a
lovely barn conversion in the village of Oddington
on the edge of the Cotswolds. Oddington then
became Kidlington on the outskirts of Oxford,
where Richard and I, both now single, moved into
a house together. We spent a lot of time hanging
around with other race and rally drivers, and
of course that gave me a great insight into the
major differences between them.
Competitive drivers can be single-minded folk,
but Richard was absolutely dedicated to his sport
and would do anything to improve. For instance,
he was always trying to refine his pace notes to be
quicker, requesting all the on-board video tapes
from the television production companies and
COLIN McMASTER
spending infinite hours studying them. A very few
others might have had a similar level of talent to
Richard, but it was pure graft that got him to the
very top. He worked harder than any of his peers
and analysed in great detail his driving as much ◊
17 NOVEMBER 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 53
Δ as the stages he drove on in order to improve.
Only when he was happy would he switch over
to The Simpsons, his favourite television show.
One example of this hard work was his unique
split-page pace-note system. He and his co-driver,
Robert Reid, broke every corner down to three
specific parts: entry, apex and exit. This level of `
detail was insanely hard to process, but they made
it work brilliantly. They were such a team, and
there was no better demonstration of that than
His rapid progress could be
in fog, where they were unbeatable, regularly
setting times as though they could see and their
rivals were blindfolded. Of course they couldn’t,
but Robert was able to describe the road with such
deceptive. His style simply
precision and Richard had total faith in him – and
the capacity to take in all that he was being told –
in order to bang in the times. Intelligent, fast,
wasn’t super-sideways,
brave… This was a partnership that had it all.
But maybe that hard work meant he didn’t
always get the credit he deserved for being fast.
but it was silky smooth
Spending my life watching him through a lens,
I can tell you with absolute certainty that Richard
was bloody fast. His career statistics for fastest
stage times tell that story, too; it’s not just a wistful
a
old mate talking. You only had to watch with a bit
of understanding to really appreciate his artistry
behind the wheel, because his rapid progress
could be deceptive. His style simply wasn’t super-
sideways, but it was silky smooth and he often
carried a lot more speed on corner exits than rivals.
You really could tell that on a rally like Finland,
which is a super-high-speed event where precision
is everything. For several years, only Richard could
really take the fight to the locals eye to eye.
Of course, that style contrasted in almost
every way with that of Colin McRae. The World
Rally Championship in the late 1990s and early
2000s was a fantastic period for the Brits. Looking
through my camera lens, Colin was always Mr
Flamboyant and Richard just wasn’t: he had his
own way of going fast, just as effective but not
always as spectacular.
That head-to-head extended into the media,
too, exacerbated because, when out of the car,
Colin was spontaneous and spoke his mind. He
also used the media pretty effectively to wind up
Richard. Deep down, I always felt they were both
fundamentally shy individuals and, after a few
years of both of them being at the top of their game,
actually quite good friends. Any niggle really
stemmed from the early years, when Richard’s
pace made life tougher for Colin’s brother, Alister,

Burns’ first big international win came in New Zealand in 1996; he always treated friends to dinner on his birthday on the Monte Carlo Rally; jet-skiing near home in the Cotswolds
54 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 17 NOVEMBER 2021

who was also coming up through the ranks.
The trouble was that Colin couldn’t help himself,
winding up the media for the sake of a good story
and winding up Richard in the process. Even I
have to admit that Colin had Richard beaten in the
media – but on the stages, it was a different story.
Just how well Colin and Richard really got on
I saw for myself many times. They would often
spend time together away from the sport, and
my memories of them at Scottish rally driver
Robbie Head’s wedding in South Africa in 2002
are some of the happiest I have. They shared a
huge rental house in Cape Town, which became
party headquarters for a week before the big day. I
would say the McRae brothers partied harder than
Richard and his then new love Zoe, but the mutual
respect and friendship was clear for all to see.
That the wider world never got to fully see this
side was a shame, because Richard was actually
a really positive, extremely funny person to be
around. But he always surrounded himself with
an inner core of friends and confidants plus a
few hangers-on, which at times made him appear
distant, aloof and a hard nut to crack. When
times got tough on rallies and the chips were
down, Richard could come across negatively. He
had so much positivity and determination to be
MOTORSPORT
SUBARU TO PEUGEOT
The day after winning the 2001 WRC title, Richard
was in London doing some PR stuff with Subaru.
I caught up with him in the evening at his house,
where he asked if I would go with him to Wales
the next day. He was going to test the Peugeot
206 WRC “in case I never get to drive it again”.
A bizarre contract situation meant that Subaru
had the right to keep Richard if he became world
champion in 2001 – a situation that had looked
unlikely in the summer, when he had signed the
contract with Peugeot. Two days later, he was due
in court to find his way out of his Subaru contract.
So we went to Wales, on a pea-souper of a
November morning, in a helicopter. He drove the
Peugeot at the famous Higgins Rally School and
we were back home in time for a pub dinner the
same evening.
The pictures I took that day were just for
Richard, and to this day they remain unpublished.
He genuinely wasn’t sure if he would ever be
allowed to drive the car again. But two days
(and a large cheque that I’m pretty sure he
didn’t sign himself) later, he joined Peugeot.
Burns with his beloved girlfriend Zoe Keen in 2002
world champion, but people let it manifest into
this mood-swinging personality, which would
get reported, irritate Richard and prompt him to
withdraw even more. That wasn’t the real Richard.
The real Richard was the guy who in the early
days turned up at the The Fox pub after events
and regaled all the locals with tales of his latest
successes. Or the guy who would quietly wind up
Robbie, who took on interview responsibilities
when Channel 4 went big time into covering
the WRC. (Robbie was pretty green at holding a
microphone and Richard was pretty merciless.) Or
the guy who was at the centre of the party, making
sure everyone was having as much fun as him.
He was a charmer, too. I can say that with the
confidence that only someone whose bedroom
was below his can testify. He did settle down, but
it’s fair to say that the boy from Reading who spent
every spare moment with a spanner under his rally
car in the early days learned a lot about women
during those first years of success.
He also had a great taste in road cars; I recall
COLIN McMASTER
that a 996-generation Porsche 911 GT3 and a 1967
Chevrolet Camaro SS were among his favourites.
But he was also measured. When he was having
a drink, he knew his limits, and he wasn’t averse
to slipping any extras into the potted plants. ◊ Like Walter Röhrl, he understood importance of fitness
17 NOVEMBER 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 55
 Even if you egged him on, he was an exemplary
driver on the road, too. “Linford Christie doesn’t
sprint down to the shops,” he always used to say.
Although I do remember one occasion when he
took the sump off his company car after a bad
landing on a humpback bridge near Charlbury
and the neighbours made him clean up the oil
`
When Richard’s next-door
slick off the gravel drive. And another at my
wedding, when we had 24 friends out in South
Africa, culminating in the big day. We hired
people carriers and my best man was happy to act
neighbour was diagnosed with
as chauffeur, including some enthusiastic gravel
driving in one of the big game parks when one of
our buddies – the most amateur of amateur rally
leukaemia, he stepped in to do
drivers, Richard Stoodley – decided to race him
in the other car. I don’t think we saw any animals,
because there was so much dust in the air!
the school run for their daughter
Richard was caring, too. I remember when
our next-door neighbour was diagnosed with
leukaemia, he stepped in and offered to do the
a
school run for their 12-year-old daughter. He
loved it, just because it put a smile on her face
in a difficult time. That was Richard.
And he could be generous. The Monte Carlo
Rally always coincided with his birthday, and
he would never skip a celebratory dinner before
stepping into his rally car the next day. He would
always pay – which is a dangerous thing when
you invite some photographers along to join in.
That said, he sometimes slipped back into the
money-saving ways of his early days. Around
1998, his career was flying and he bought his own
house… about 30 metres from mine. Unfathomably,
he decided to move in his furniture himself. Big
mistake. We manhandled his mattress onto the top
of BTCC racer Jason Plato’s Renault Laguna Estate,
with Richard lying on top to keep it in place while
we were meant to be tying it down. Needless to say
Jason decided to take him for a ride down the road.
And then there was his family, who he adored.
He spoke to his grandmother after every rally, as
she was his biggest fan, and after his grandfather
died, he wore his wedding ring on a leather
necklace to keep him close. This actually came
off and flew out of the window when he crashed
at high speed in Finland in 2000, but it was so
important to him that he rummaged through the
undergrowth and flattened trees until he found
it. Richard’s relationship with his
father was also an extremely
Burns won 10 close one. Alex Burns was the
WRC events during driving force of Richard’s
his career, the first progress through the lower
coming on Rally Safari in ranks of the sport, and he
1998. His tally included
three home wins in a row
on Rally GB from 1998
to 2000. was often by his side on the WRC rallies. He was
the first person Richard hugged when he stepped
out of the car as world champion at Margam Park.
I got that picture, and many more that weekend,
of my mate winning a world championship.
Back then I still shot on film, so I had a fair bit
of work to do before downing tools and heading
to a nightclub, where I found literally everyone
celebrating. The Franchitti brothers, Dario and
Marino, had come down, and it was one big party.
Typical of Richard, he had nestled himself in a
roped-off VIP area with his inner sanctum, so I
saw him, had a couple of drinks and just hit the
packed dance floor where everybody was making
fools of themselves – me especially. One noticeable
absentee was Colin, who was back in Lanark after
crashing out early on, but I know he rang Richard
to congratulate him. I also remember Richard
showing me a text from Carlos Sainz. “Welcome
to the club” was all it said and all that was needed.
Forget the car, Burns was These are the memories I choose to treasure.
more worried about losing It’s hard to say what would have happened to
his grandfather’s ring Richard’s career had he not died so young. The
competition in the WRC was ramping up and

56 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 17 NOVEMBER 2021

 Burns gets some
MOTORSPORT
air over famous Gina
jump on Rally Germany

Burns always gave extra time to those he felt deserved it most

Colin McRae was a rival on the road but a friend behind the scenes

he was due to return to Subaru in 2004, just as

its car’s competitiveness was about to dwindle. I
think his competitive instincts would have taken
him towards Dakar and rally-raid driving, and he
would also have made an excellent young driver
manager and advisor. Maybe he could even have
bucked the trend of co-drivers becoming team
managers or FIA politicians, as he was a true
thinker, much like Ari Vatanen. Today, I could see
him in Extreme E; as a nature lover, he would’ve
loved to be involved in something highlighting
climate change – and also visiting new places.
He would be married to Zoe, too, and I would
have got to make the best man’s speech that I really
wanted to. Instead, I found myself stood in a great
big barn of a church in Chelsea, London, having
agreed to his wish to address his memorial without
knowing the other speakers would be professional
broadcasters Steve Rider and Jeremy Clarkson.
COLIN McMASTER

It was both nerve-wracking and a true honour.

Those 10 minutes of my life passed in a blur, but I
still have a recording of the service and sometimes
listen to it with a wry smile. I think I did my mate Unexpected World Rally Championship glory for Subaru in 2001 was culmination of years of absolute dedication
Richard justice then, and I hope I have here, too. L

17 NOVEMBER 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 57

 YO U R V I E WS
Road-rage reminder
We were driving in convoy with my
daughter on a three-lane bypass
near Farnham when I had to change
lanes to keep up with her. I indicated
right and started to move across
when a big 20-reg SUV flashed past,
not letting me into the lane. I tooted
my horn, and immediately the SUV
slammed on its brakes and I had to
slam on mine to avoid hitting it.
Next thing, the driver jumped out
and literally screamed at us for about
a minute. I opened the window to try
to placate him, but he ranted on about
not tooting at him etc. He eventually
got back in his car and, after another
minute of making us wait, drove off.
I think we were lucky: anything
could have happened. My nine-year-
old grandson couldn’t believe what
had happened and burst into tears.
I send this story as a reminder to
others. Don’t sound your horn in
annoyance, as you have no idea who
another driver is or what they might
do. One wouldn’t expect this manic
behaviour from a well-dressed man
in his sixties in a new car.
I won’t be using my horn in anger
again and will stick to my lane.
Nick Williams
Via email
Sorry to hear that, Nick. The Highway
Code states: “Use [the horn] only
while your vehicle is moving and
you need to warn other road users of
your presence. Never sound your horn
aggressively.” Don’t let this scare you
off rightly changing lane, though – KC
Charging shambles
Gary Spong hit the nail on the head
about the state of EV charging in this
country (27 October). I regularly drive
from Newcastle to Milton Keynes to
visit family – thankfully in a petrol
Skoda Octavia. I occasionally stop off
for toilet breaks at service stations
that have one or two EV chargers,
neither of which are working.
We’re less than nine years away
from all new cars sold being electric.
Good luck, everybody: we will need
it with this shambles.
Peter Ward
Via email
Malcolm loves the Brera-based Spider
58 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 17 NOVEMBER 2021
WRITE TO
autocar@haymarket.com
LETTER OF THE WEEK
In-floor batteries are an issue for WAVs
Wheelchair worry
I’m fed up with all this fuss regarding
EVs. My wife’s car, which I also drive,
is a Renault Kangoo wheelchair-
access vehicle (WAV). When she
bought it, the salesperson told us that
they can’t convert any electric vans
into WAVs, as the battery prevents the
lowering of the floor to accommodate
a wheelchair. How will this problem
be resolved in the future? And even if
WIN it is, there’s a lack of chargers in our
Don’t forget the Simca Letter of the week
wins this ValetPRO
exterior protection
area and we can’t charge at home.
Graham Hawkins
‘Leading from the front’ (20 October) was Netherbury, Dorset
and maintenance kit
an interesting read, but I think amnesia may
worth £48
have set in at Autocar. The Renault R16 was Coventry leads Stuttgart
arguably the first modern lifestyle car to In the past 14 months, two cars that
combine utility (an easily lifted tailgate, have always been regarded as the
seats that could be folded and removed benchmark and defining models
without tools) with avant-garde styling, in their respective classes have
advanced technical innovation and been replaced: the Range Rover
refinement at a reasonable price, but and the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
it used the ‘system Citroën’ drivetrain How the latest iterations have
layout, which wasn’t space-efficient. been perceived and how they convey
However, two years later (1967), Simca introduced themselves from their looks alone
the 1100. Like the R16, it sported a five-door body, – in terms of setting new standards
but unlike the Renault its engine was transversely and imparting a new level of luxury,
installed; and unlike rival BMC products, it had its transmission in line sophistication, exquisiteness and
with its engine and used a separate oil supply. I believe this car was the desirability in their respective classes
first of what became the standard small/medium-car FWD layout. – couldn’t be more chalk and cheese.
Like the Renault, the Simca was very vulnerable to rust, and I haven’t The Range Rover has seemingly
seen one for decades. But it was an innovative and pioneering design moved the game on, oozing appeal
and shouldn’t be forgotten. and stature and shouting luxury,
Richard Allen quality and expensiveness, while
Rothwell, Northamptonshire the S-Class is the complete opposite,
being an austere, dull, unappealing
and even cheap-looking tech-fest
My Spider sense is tingling vast and incredibly complex exercise affair while, crucially, lacking the
James Ruppert missed one car off his with many pitfalls, it would also risk
list of used convertibles to buy (27 penalising the rural community and
October): the Alfa Romeo Spider of most likely not address the wear on
2006-2010, one of the most beautiful roads caused by the heavier cars
cars ever built. Yes, I have one, and no that are now being produced.
other car that I’ve owned has resulted The most practical solution must
in more compliments – including my be to base VED on the weight of the
Jaguar E-Type! Let’s face it, which car, therefore proving an incentive for
car would you prefer to be seen in: manufacturers to build lighter cars,
a BMW Z3 or a Spider? No contest. rather than the two-tonne-plus tanks
Malcolm Richardson that seem to be the current vogue.
Eynsford, Kent In addition, there should be many
more ULEZs. This would speed up
Let me weigh in the move to small urban EVs while
Jim Holder’s column of 20 October allowing hybrids a longer changeover
discussed the issue of replacing Fuel period for out-of-town journeys.
Duty. Not only would universal road George Koopman
charging, likely by means of GPS, be a Honiton, Devon

grandeur, prestige and appeal of
its superb predecessor. Being very
similar looking inside and out to the
new C-Class doesn’t help either.
These are clear signs that, while
the Range Rover remains steadfast to
its core values and appeal, Mercedes
is generally abandoning what has
made the S-Class what it has been
for decades by following fashions,
trends and the mainstream. S-Class
now stands for second class.
Roy Fullee
Worcester
New Rangie is a beauty…
The new Range Rover is a
stunning design. A really beautiful
implementation of the elegance that
we expect of the brand. Compare the
beautiful restrained lines of this with
the overworked monstrosities that
Mercedes-Benz, Audi et al produce.
What’s more, the new longer-range
plug-in hybrid and standard four-
wheel steering are big upgrades.
Yes, I know a car of this size
isn’t for everyone, but for those
who want a full-size luxury SUV,
this is a game-changer.
‘LR Tyke’
Via autocar.co.uk
…but will it be reliable?
The new Range Rover is beautiful
and appealing, but at a starting
price of just over £94,000, will it be
reliable? The past model’s record is
lamentable at any price, let alone a
stratospheric one like this.
Henry Partridge
Porto Petro, Mallorca
Fiat nostalgia
It was a delight to read about the
Fiat 128 in the 20 October magazine
(‘Leading from the front’), especially
as the model featured was identical
in colour and specification to my
first car, which is almost certainly
responsible for my love of driving
ever since. Naturally, another Fiat
– an Uno – followed, but it never
handled as well or gave me as
many smiles per gallon as the 128.
I was all set to return to Italian
car ownership more than a decade
later when the Alfa Romeo 147 was
launched. A test drive underwhelmed
me, then I drove the brand-new Ford
Focus and was instantly won over.
Andrew McKeand
Eckington, Worcestershire
New Range Rover
has won high praise
from many readers
LETTERS
G R E AT R E A S O N S T O B U Y
NEXT WEEK’S ISSUE
The original car magazine, published
since 1895 ‘in the interests of the
O N S A L E 2 4 N OV E M B E R mechanically propelled road carriage’
TWIN TEST EDITORIAL
Email autocar@haymarket.com
Editor Mark Tisshaw
Editorial director, Automotive Jim Holder
Editor-in-chief Steve Cropley
Executive editors James Attwood, Rachel Burgess
Associate editor Piers Ward
Managing editor Sami Shah
Editor-at-large Matt Prior
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EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS
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different takes on the all-season Senior consulting editor Tom Evans
Special correspondents Mauro Calo, Jesse Crosse,
performance saloon face off James Disdale, John Evans, Colin Goodwin,
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CONTENTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE
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17 NOVEMBER 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 59

BENTLEY BENTAYGA HYBRID DACIA SANDERO STEPWAY
FORD TOURNEO
CUSTOM
An eight-seat plug-in range extender
looks handy on paper. What was the cold
reality of using it for work, rest and play?
FINAL REPORT MILEAGE 23,664
WHY WE R AN IT
To see if PHEV power and eight seats
give this van greater lifestyle appeal
ake a quick flick through
T the Ford Tourneo’s
marketing spiel and
you’ll see almost as
many outdoorsy types as you will
tradespeople. Surfing. Camping.
Rock climbing. Mountain biking.
This van-based people carrier can do
it all, apparently. Or at the very least
get you to the beach/campsite/cliff/
trail. After several months of doing
exactly that, I’m inclined to agree.
60 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 17 NOVEMBER 2021
O U R CA RS F E AT U R E D T H I S W E E K
FORD MONDEO FORD TOURNEO CUSTOM NISSAN QASHQAI PORSCHE 718 BOXSTER GTS VAUXHALL MOKKA
Lacey and friends
tested its lifestyle
credentials to the full
As a test of ‘can we cope with life on gear, while the eight seats meant we it easy enough to pull out the rear
four wheels?’, living with the Tourneo could bring mates along, too, without middle seat and create room to slide
has been a lot of fun. My partner and having to bury them in luggage. in two bike frames. The expansive
I have driven it all over the country, During the summer, the way the rear door even became a shelter in wet
from the south coast of England all passenger seats fold flat meant being weather and a changing area between
the way to Scotland to tackle the able to turn the rear cabin into an activities. Best of all, trips like these
North Coast 500. Had there not been impromptu camp bed and sleep on don’t require lots of planning and
a pandemic, it would almost certainly
have taken us onto the Continent
over the summer. It carried wetsuits,
board (something we also tried in a
much colder February and regretted).
While the seats are mighty heavy,
packing: Ford has found so many
clever storage spaces and cubbies that
you can crack on without needing to
tents, bikes and all manner of other the tool-free removal process made think where every little thing must go.
It was great to be able to run on
` electricity alone for shorter journeys,
I’m sold on the lifestyle but less so where the Ford was quiet, smooth and
responsive, if not to the level of even
on the range-extender powertrain an entry-level EV. (It’s still essentially
a minibus, after all.) The contrast of
a silent running with the van’s sizeable
 Practical storage TEST DATA L OV E I T
provision was one of
the interior’s assets FORD TOURNEO CUSTOM
1.0 ECOBOOST PHEV
T I TA N I U M
MILEAGE
At start 963
At end 23,664
PRICES
List price new £62,224
List price now £62,114
Price as tested £63,610
OPTIONS
Chrome blue paint £780, ICE Pack 24 £606
FUEL CONSUMPTION AND RANGE
CAR-LIKE MANNERS
Driving position aside, the
Claimed economy 79.1mpg
Tourneo does an excellent
Fuel tank 80 litres
impression of a large family car.
Test average 24.4mpg
Test best 45.1mpg
Test worst 19.5mpg
Real-world range 429 miles
Two-and-a-half-hour TECH HIGHLIGHTS
charge would net you 0-62mph na
a miserly 30 miles Top speed 75mph
Max power 123bhp
Max torque 247lb ft
Gearbox 1-spd automatic
Boot 1200-2410 litres
Wheels 17in, alloy
Tyres 235/55 R17 CAVERNOUS CABIN
Kerb weight 2354kg Even with all the seats in place,
SERVICE AND RUNNING COSTS there’s no shortage of room to
Contract hire rate £532.72 store luggage and gear.
CO2 70g/km
Service costs None
Other costs None
Fuel costs £4760.32
Running costs inc fuel £4760.32
Cost per mile 21 pence
Did we say Faults Hybrid system error
eight-seater? PREVIOUS REPORTS
28 Apr, 5 May, 26 May, 2 Jun, 16 Jun, 23 Jun,
Make that a nine
7 Jul, 14 Jul, 28 Jul, 11 Aug, 25 Aug, 15 Sep,
6 Oct, 20 Oct

SECOND OPINION
Based on Luc’s time with
it, the Tourneo’s range-
extender powertrain seems
to really suit only a few particular use
cases. You’d expect a proper plug-in
hybrid – one with an engine that
can drive the wheels for a smaller
economy hit when running on ICE
power – would be the best of both
worlds. But given it wouldn’t qualify
for a plug-in van grant, customers
will have to pay a premium when one
eventually arrives. TM
dimensions usually guaranteed
attention, too – particularly from
VW campervan owners, whom I
seemed to bump into with alarming
frequency over the summer holidays.
While I was always conscious of
the Tourneo’s weight and made an
effort to stay smooth through corners
and around roundabouts to avoid
putting the tyres under extra load,
it was refreshingly easy to drive. The
steering felt typically Ford-like, not
too heavy and largely accurate, and
it rode well over most surfaces. It
was never going to rival a Focus
for driver appeal, but it never felt
like a chore to drive, either.
The high driving position was
on a par with what you’d expect
from a large SUV, and while you
sat more upright here, the cabin
was still surprisingly car-like. Fit
and finish was up to Ford’s usual
standard, and the infotainment was
straightforward to use. It also played
nicely with my smartphone.
I’m sold on the lifestyle, then,
but less so on the range-extender
powertrain. Sadly, my day-to-day
application just wasn’t conducive to
true eco-friendly driving.
Ford’s 1.0-litre Ecoboost petrol
engine might be a slam dunk for
small cars like the Fiesta and Focus,
but here it’s paired with more than
two tonnes of van – and even then
it doesn’t drive the front axle but
instead solely charges the battery.
Fuel economy rarely impressed
during our time with it but longer
journeys on a drained battery could
cause the MPG figure to plummet,
meaning far more frequent trips to
the petrol station. Even moderate
gradients forced it to work overtime,
with the fan needing to cool it long
after I’d finished my journey.
Trying to stay on EV power proved
tricky away from home, too. The
limited maximum charging rate
meant at least a two-and-a-half-hour
wait at a public charger, which rarely
seemed worth it for a paltry 30 miles
– assuming the weather was good.
Colder days reduced the range, as
did a full contingent of passengers
or luggage. By comparison, a fully
SILENT RUNNING
electric nine-seater like the Vauxhall No one expects a big bus like this to
Vivaro-e Life might only manage 150 pull away noiselessly. It makes for a
miles on a charge, but it can reach surprisingly relaxing drive.
80% charge in around half an hour
on a 100kW rapid charger. I’d rather L OAT H E I T
make more frequent stops if it meant
lower emissions.
Now that the government has
changed what does and doesn’t
qualify for the plug-in van grant,
the Tourneo no longer gets any
form of discount, which prompts
the question: why would you pay a
premium for one over the equivalent
EcoBlue diesel? In my view, there’s
only a small market of people for
whom 30 miles of range is fine, and
I’m not in it. Diesel may be vilified BASIC BATTERY
now, but it’s still the most viable Real-world EV range is practical for
option when it comes to driving large, short journeys only, not the lifestyle
heavy vehicles over long distances. ones that Ford’s brochure suggests.
Perhaps the next-generation
Transit Custom, due in 2023
alongside the platform-sharing
Volkswagen Transporter, will switch
to proper plug-in power instead of
the range-extender set-up seen here.
But for now, at least, anyone looking
for a van that’s both lifestyle- and
eco-friendly (but doesn’t want to be
tethered to a charging socket) will
probably want to keep waiting.
LUC LACEY TRICKLE CHARGER
Without easy access to a three-pin
socket, the inability to rapid charge
OWN ONE? SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE curtails its electric-only potential.
luc.lacey@haymarket.com

17 NOVEMBER 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 61

 BENTLEY BENTAYGA HYBRID
Done with SUVs and hybrids? Well, you might make an exception for this one
FIRST REPORT
WHY WE ’ R E RU N N I N G IT
Can a Bentley be affordable to run
and still be a Bentley at the same time?
t’s a sign of the times that
I I’m even writing this.
Ten years ago, the very
idea of a Bentley SUV
would have seemed hard to imagine,
although I’m not entirely sure why,
given that the brand built its name
on huge, heavy, do-anything, go-
anywhere cars. But the thought
that Bentley might not only build
such a car but then equip it with
the smallest engine ever fitted to a
Bentley, the first with six cylinders
since the 1950s and the least
powerful in the modern history
of the brand? That would have
been closer to unthinkable.
But we must move with the times,
whether we like the direction of travel
or not, and you can’t blame Bentley
for doing so, because the statistics say
my new long-term Bentayga Hybrid
will cover 83.1 miles for every gallon
of unleaded I buy and emit only 82g
of CO2 for every kilometre travelled.
In environmental terms, it makes
a 1.0-litre Volkswagen Up look like
a Sherman tank. Or rather it would
were such numbers not utter rubbish.
Their only relevance is to the taxman,
62 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 17 NOVEMBER 2021
ergo the reason for the car’s
existence. And the truth is that,
for this reason alone and rightly
or wrongly, there will be people
who are able to park a Bentley
outside their house who might
never have been able to dream
of doing so before.
So this, then, is a pragmatic
Bentley, a democratising Bentley
that also shows how far the
company has come, for these
aren’t adjectives that I used to
associate with Britain’s second-
most blue-blooded automotive
brand. Of course, Bentley could
have chosen to stay firmly rooted
to the past, but it tried that at the back
end of last century and it damn near
killed the company. Adapt or die.
This, then, is a Bentley for realists,
or at least those like me who pay
their own travel expenses. The hard
facts we know: the Audi-supplied,
single-turbo V6, the 17.3kWh lithium
ion battery, the 443bhp combined
system output and the, wait for it,
2648kg kerb weight. And yes, that
is more than a Mulsanne…
What we’re here to discover is if
the above can still be crafted into a
credible Bentley, if there’s enough
of the character and charm we hope
for all cars flying those wings to
justify their position on its prow.
At least one problem has gone
away. The 2021-model-year
facelift has transformed the car’s
appearance. It’s still not gorgeous,
but which full-sized SUV is, save a
Range Rover? But it has achieved two
critical aims: first, it has removed its
looks from high on the list of possible
reasons that all by itself might stop
someone buying the car. Second,
it has given the Bentayga proper
presence: for all is size and hulking
appearance, the pre-facelift Bentayga
never really had any. Given how
little room for manoeuvre designers
usually get at facelift time, it’s a
sizeable achievement.
But it has come at a cost. Inside
and out, this is a different car to its
predecessor, but so too does it come
at a different price, the entry point
There are 25 miles
of EV range – but alas
not a charger in sight
SECOND OPINION
Not long ago, people said
that if you could afford a
Bentley, you could afford
the fuel. Ergo, the cost of the fuel
(and by inference, its environmental
effect) didn’t matter. But in 2021, the
instant popularity of this new Hybrid
model puts the lie to that. Better still,
the Hybrid adds a new dimension to
low-speed driving, a smoothness and
silence even the W12 can’t match. So
you can buy this car on the grounds
of pleasure as well as conscience. SC
to Bentley ownership now starting
at £155,500, some £22,000 more
than the same hybrid version of
the previous model. Bentley would

Bentayga Hybrid showed it can top 500 miles without a refuel in a recent road trip
say you were getting a lot more car
for your money, which I wouldn’t
dispute, but it’s also true that Bentley
boss Adrian Hallmark believes the
brand should become considerably
more upwardly mobile, and doubtless
that view is reflected here as well.
And all that’s before you succumb
to the siren call of the options list.
I had some say over the colour, and
I think the Viridian green paint is
as good as I’ve seen a Bentayga
wear, but no choice whatsoever over
the interior spec. I have in the past
driven Bentaygas groaning under
the weight of more than £75,000 of
non-standard applied goodies, so
actually the £30,000 spent titivating
this car is a fairly modest outlay.
There’s still plenty I could leave
out. I don’t need the 22in rims of the
Mulliner Driving Specification, but
some of the other touches (diamond
quilting, embossed Bentley emblems
and so on) are lovely. Once you’ve
heard the Naim audio, you wouldn’t
want to be without that, either. But
I would probably ditch the Touring
Specification, because I hate lane-
keeping assistance, am not that keen
on active cruise control, don’t need
night vision and only really want the
head-up display; and life would go
on without front seats that air your
nether regions while simultaneously
massaging your back. I love the rear
Our car has £30k of
extras – some more
desirable than others
blinds. But picnic tables and rear
privacy glass? Not for me, either.
The car is here and I’m just getting
to know it. And I know already that
if my finances are to survive the next
three months, I must run on cheap-
as-chips home-delivered electricity
as much as possible. It won’t help
much on long runs, but it will
encourage me to use the Bentley for
local journeys where I would have left
a V8 behind, because if the jounrey
is less than 25 miles (exactly the
return mileage to my local town),
this enormous Bentley will be
cheaper by far to run than the faithful
family 1.5-litre Volkswagen Golf.
I’m looking forward to it already.
ANDREW FRANKEL
TEST DATA
B E N T L E Y B E N TAYG A
HYBRID
Price new £155,500 Price as tested £186,020
Options Mulliner Driving Specification £9985,
Naim premium audio system £6725, Touring
Specification £6480, Front Seat Comfort
Specification £2935, Sunshine Specification
£1700, rear picnic tables £1715, rear privacy
glass £980 Faults None Expenses None
Economy 32.2mpg
OWN ONE? SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE
autocar@haymarket.com
FORD MONDEO
Petrol-electric powertrain isn’t proving
quite as economical as we had hoped
MILEAGE 4125
WHY WE ’ R E RU N N I N G IT
To see if the Ford stalwart is still fit for
purpose in its final year of production
s well as eating into
A boot space, the addition
of a hybrid drivetrain
into the existing Mondeo
bodyshell has meant a reduction
in fuel-tank capacity to fit it all in.
The drop from the 62 litres of diesel
versions to the 51 litres of my petrol
hybrid might not seem like much but,
given that an MPG figure in the mid-
50s should be easily achievable in the
oil-burner, it has a significant effect
on the car’s real-world range.
Chuck in that my average economy
has been dropping – now down to
less than 45mpg overall – due to the
number of town miles I cover, and
that I’m not in the habit of letting
the car run almost dry between top-
ups, and I’ve found myself covering
fewer than 300 miles before having
to return to the pumps. That’s well
under half the mileage I would expect
to get between fills in a 2.0 Ecoblue.
This shortcoming is one shared
by plug-in hybrids I’ve run before,
but in their case, it was masked by
the larger-capacity battery’s ability
to offer a useful additional mileage;
in a ‘self-charging’ hybrid such as
LOVE IT
I N FOTAI N M E NT
The Mondeo’s system isn’t the
last word in modernity, but it
is intuitive and Apple CarPlay
synchronises seamlessly.
LOATHE IT
CO LLI S I O N S E N SO R
It’s oversensitive around town:
every parked car seems
to raise the alarm.
OUR CARS
the Mondeo, however, where it rarely
runs on electric power alone for more
than a short burst at a time, it comes
into sharp focus.
At least those all-too-regular visits
to the forecourts are made easier and
faster by every Mondeo being fitted
with Ford’s Easyfuel system. You
just release the petrol flap and the
spring-loaded lid opens only when
the correct-sized fuel-pump nozzle is
offered up to it – with the additional
benefits of preventing unscrupulous
people from trying to steal your fuel
and preventing you from filling up
with the wrong type.
Not that there’s much danger of
the latter happening, so quiet is the
Mondeo Hybrid’s 2.0-litre Duratec
petrol engine. Diesel technology has
come a long way in recent years, but
it’s hard to match a well-engineered
petrol for refinement. As long as
you’re not pushing it hard, that
is, because demand maximum
acceleration and the CVT will
hold it at high revs, making
things uncomfortably thrashy.
That temptation is rarely there,
and when it’s driven gently, there’s
little more than a murmur from up
front; indeed, you have to be listening
carefully to detect the changeover
from battery to petrol power when
you’re moving. Only if the engine
kicks in when you’re stuck in traffic
does it really make its presence felt.
ALASTAIR CLEMENTS
TEST DATA
FO R D M O N D EO ESTATE
ST- LI N E HYB RI D
Price £31,690 Price as tested £32,840
Faults None Expenses None
Economy 44.7mpg Last seen 3.11.21
OWN ONE? SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE
alastair.clements@haymarket.com
No need for disposable
gloves with the muck-
free Easyfuel system
17 NOVEMBER 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 63
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VAUXHALL MOKKA
If you fancy a small crossover, we must ask: are you Juking?
MILEAGE 7784
WHY WE ’ R E RU N N I N G IT
To discover if this revamped crossover
can excite in a congested class
he arrival at my flat last
T week of a Nissan Juke
triple auto for an online
review made for an ideal
impromptu twin test against our
long-term Vauxhall Mokka triple
auto (I would love to know what the
neighbours suspect I do for a living).
The Juke is one of the Mokka’s
main rivals, having followed in
the footsteps of the larger Qashqai by
establishing a market niche that very
quickly became the exact opposite –
in this case, the compact crossover.
The first thing that struck me was
how both look much better than their
predecessors – particularly the Juke,
which no longer appears as a bloated
frog (and will surely make owners
less inclined to permanently leave
their foglights on). I also noted that
both go for a colour-contrasting
style line over their glasshouses,
which in either case is an enhancer.
Much was made at the launch of
the Juke about the improvement in
quality to its interior, and indeed it
looks very snazzy here, what with
LOVE IT
PU R E PAN E L
I really like the simple look of the
touchscreen (even if its menus
can often be unintuitive) and the
sat-nav map on the dial display.
LOATHE IT
BOX PAR K
When I try to slowly and carefully
creep forward in order to not hit
anything, first gear disengages,
so I end up with a series of lurches.
Cabin doesn’t feel fancy but looks great
its padded leather covering, orange
ambient lighting and Mercedes-
aping jet engine-style air vents.
Yet in spite of its materials feeling
less ‘premium’, I prefer the cockpit of
the Mokka. Its Pure Panel dashboard
layout – comprising an infotainment
touchscreen and an equal-size digital
instrument display – is as clear as it is
effective, in contrast to the cluttered
clusters of its Japanese equivalent.
The Mokka also feels roomier
somehow, even though in reality
they’re closely matched – I suppose
due to the chubbiness of the Juke’s
centre console and sports seats.
The Juke fights back, though, with
its automatic gear selector and its
sound system. The first is superior
because it’s a manual ’box-style lever
that you simply can’t miss (even more
so when it’s encircled in orange at
night, like the rim of a volcano), in
contrast to the Mokka’s piddly little
switch that your fingers have to
search about for. And the second is
better because this Juke has Nissan’s
Bose system, which sounds good (if
not great) and, unusually, can give a
surround effect, thanks to speakers
on the sides of the front headrests.
To drive, the Mokka is noticeably
nippier, producing 128bhp versus
112bhp. Yes, there’s a 99bhp version
OUR CARS
Dacia Sandero Stepway
MILEAGE 12,050 LAST SEEN 27.10.21
I’m so plugged into Dacia’s ‘all
that you need and nothing that you
don’t’ ethos that I tend to tell even
non-car-loving friends about it quite
a bit. And do you know what plays
best with them? Hearing that if you
buy a new Sandero Stepway TCe 90
Prestige like mine, you can specify
only one option: a full-size spare
wheel (replacing a tyre repair kit)
for £250. They really love that. SC
of this engine that more directly
competes with that of the Juke,
but the point is that Vauxhall
offers a choice; Nissan doesn’t.
The next biggest difference is
definitely the steering. Having
got used to the light-as-air helm
of the Mokka, the meatiness of
the Juke surprised me. After
all, this Nissan isn’t meant to
be a sporty one. Or is it? It also
Porsche 718 Boxster GTS
handles a bit more sharply than MILEAGE 6550 LAST SEEN 3.11.21
the Vauxhall and its ride is firmer I’ve just had the GTS washed for the
(but, importantly, not harsh), first time in ages. I normally keep on
giving it a more sure-footed feel. top of these things, but it has been
Disappointingly, both cars fall doing big mileage recently, and I
short in regards to their automatic like some road grime on a sports
gearboxes (a seven-speed dual- car anyway. I have to say that the
clutcher in the Juke, an eight-speed Carmine Red paint – a £1658 option –
torque converter in the Mokka). It’s looks better than ever post-wash.
not that they’re dim-witted or jarring I didn’t like it at first, but now… I
when you’re on the move; in fact, could probably be persuaded. RL
they’re perfectly capable. The issue is
with low-speed manoeuvring. Trying
to follow the parking instructions
of the marshal on the Eurotunnel
train in the Mokka was thoroughly
embarrassing, even with the engine
stop-start system switched off; but
trying to park the Juke in a parallel
bay was downright frustrating.
Have autos always been inept in
this way? If so, I’m not remembering
correctly. Perhaps it’s due to WLTP
test-friendly programming. Either
way, give me a good old manual.
KRIS CULMER
Nissan Qashqai
MILEAGE 3897 LAST SEEN 10.11.21
TEST DATA BEEP BEEP. Our Qashqai’s powered
VAUXHALL M O KK A 1.2 bootlid is really very useful. BEEP
TU R BO S Ri NAV PR E M I U M BEEP. That said, in order to prevent
Price £27,450 Price as tested £27,775 people getting hit, it emits a shrill
Faults None Expenses None BEEP BEEP every time the boot is
Economy 45.0mpg Last seen 10.11.21 opened or closed. Yes. BEEP BEEP.
Every single BEEPing time. I’m sure
it’s useful for preventing accidental
bootlid strikes, but it does get really
OWN ONE? SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE quite annoying. BEEP BEEP. JA
kris.culmer@haymarket.com
17 NOVEMBER 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 65
USED CARS What to buy, where to buy it and how much to pay You can buy a sleek
Bertone coupé for
James Ruppert
THE HIGH PRIEST OF BANGERNOMICS

£1300 and rely on it

COCKROACH INFESTATION
The DVLA has revealed which cars are simply refusing to die
ileage is nothing to be 33 Rover 75s. The 75 is an excellent Connoisseur SE with 99,000 miles

M frightened of. On the

contrary: it should be
celebrated, embraced
and used as confirmation that a
car was probably built to last.
I like to call them cockroach
cars: those that would survive and
probably thrive after a nuclear bomb
(I’m writing a book on them). I’m
grateful to the good people at Lease
Loco, who submitted a Freedom of
Information request to the DVLA
to find out just how many vehicles
have in excess of 750,000 miles
on their odometer. The results
are surprising, so let’s dive in.
W H A T WS TE Steering away from vans, the fact
ALMO T that there are 36 Vauxhall Astras
B O U G HE E K on the list is no shock. The Bertone
THIS W coupé version of the Mk4 really does
look rather purposeful and cool and,
best of all, is spectacular value.
saloon that we’ve celebrated many
times, and despite meeting its end
16 years ago, along with its maker,
it continues to easily win new fans.
There are plenty to choose from,
of which I would be most tempted
by a V6, smooth and comfortable
as it is, and that makes a 2000 2.0
Club automatic such a steal at £1999.
The diesels are truly great, so
a late post-facelift 2005 2.0 CDTi
` for one with all of the depreciation
There’s a fabulously
strong showing
overall from Luton
a this article a part one of two…
also caught my eye at £2750.
Back to the legends of legginess,
there’s a strong showing from Ford,
with 25 Fiestas and 25 Focuses three-
quarters of the way to a million.
A Mk1 Focus is a five-star buy so
long as it isn’t worn out. I was rather
taken by a 2000 1.6 Estate in private
hands with 60,000 miles for £1600.
That sounds a lot, but it really isn’t.
As for Fiestas, they’ve certainly
grown up in the past few years. Look
squeezed out of it and you will find
a fashionable black-alloyed 2010
1.4 TD Style for £1500.
Lastly, as you might expect, the
Volkswagen Golf fetches up with
19 examples and there are 16 Audi
TTs, too. Maybe I should make

I found a relatively restrained 2003 Rover may be dead

1.8 16v example with 118,000 miles, and buried, but 75
a fresh MOT, a full service history is alive and kicking
and just a couple of previous owners
for £1300 all in. Also a 2002 Turbo
PEUG EOT 309 S R i 888 Limited Edition at £14,000
This five-door warm hatchback, (expensive on account of it being
which was up for £2250 and uses very rare) with 700,000 miles
the same 1.6-litre XR5 engine as still to go – and go quickly.
the famous 205 GTi, is in great And it’s not just the Astra: there’s
shape for its 111,000 miles and a fabulously strong overall showing
has benefited from an engine from Luton. We’ve been told that
overhaul, such that it’s now said Zafiras are terrible and catch fire all
to run flawlessly. The number the time, but 20 of them still managed
of 309 SRis left on UK roads is to reach the big 750,000. Not only
extremely low, so it certainly that, but there are also 14 Corsas.
has rarity intrigue on its side. Perhaps the biggest surprise is the
arrival in the mega-mileage area of
 TA L E S F R O M R U P P E R T ’ S GA R AG E
READERS’ QUESTIONS

MILE AGE 133,767

LAND ROVER SERIES 3

The Lorry is back from the garage, and it really does seem Preparation is key, I’m afraid, but
to be running better than ever before. I got them to do an oil there is hope. New EV chargers are
ANSWER popping up all the time and Tesla
change while it was there to save me the bother. I did buy some is trialling opening up its network
tins of mineral oil this year but not any supporting filters, so I to owners of other brands’ EVs.
Technology is moving in other areas, too, with
must remedy that. Pleasingly, there’s nothing else to report, some companies trialling wireless EV charging
and smartphone apps such as Co-Charger and
because it’s operating as it should do. I would quite like to find an Plug-Share enabling you to use (for a fair fee)
alternative to petrol, mind you, as the tiny tank empties far too the home chargers of other EV drivers. JE

often. If there’s a pattern emerging among all the occupants

of my personal Bangernomics-tinged garage, it’s the very
welcome lack of MOT advisories. Long may that continue.

BANGE RPE DIA

My 17-year-old
QUESTION daughter is looking
at driving lessons.
Is there any point in her
learning in a manual now?
Joseph Vidal, via email

Learning in a manual car has a few

E is for Seat Exeo
The Volkswagen Group indulged in a bit of recycling
back in 2008 by taking the old B7 Audi A4 and sticking
a Seat face on it. So long as the price is low enough, the
badge doesn’t matter, because the engines and build
quality are great. Its 2.0-litre turbo petrol and diesel
units deliver from 36mpg to 51mpg. There’s nothing to
really worry about with the Exeo, only typical modern
issues like diesel particulate filter blockage. Otherwise,
just look for wear and tear. You can get a 2012 2.0 TDI
CR SE Estate with 115,000 miles for just £3500.
significant benefits over learning
ANSWER in an automatic. First, your licence
will allow you to drive both types
of vehicle, unlike if you pass in
an automatic. Second, some insurers claim it’s
cheaper to be covered on a manual, which would
be handy for a first car. You might also struggle
to find an automatic-only instructor, as the vast
majority of new drivers go for a manual. JE

SEND YOUR USED CAR TALES TO  james@bangernomics.com AND READERS' QUESTIONS TO  autocar@haymarket.com
17 NOVEMBER 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 67
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68 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 17 NOVEMBER 2021

 AS GOOD AS NEW
SKODA SCALA
This family hatchback is competent, fuss-free and dependable, says Mark Pearson
kay, so its looks won’t set
O your heart on fire and its
badges won’t turn the
neighbours green with
OUR
1.0 TSI 115
If you do mostly short
PICK journeys, the entry-
envy, but the Skoda Scala is a nicely level engine will serve
judged and decently competent you just fine. However, we would
family hatchback, and now it’s a suggest the more potent version,
useful second-hand purchase, too. because it gains an extra gear ratio
The Scala offers a choice of two for superior long-distance driving.
turbo petrol engines and one diesel.
The 1.0-litre triple with 94bhp is 1.5 TSI 150
perky enough, but the 113bhp version WILD MONTE CARLO
has a bit more overtaking urge, along CAR D There’s no such thing
with a six-speed gearbox for more as a wild Scala, but you
refined motorway cruising. This was can opt to mix the fizziest engine
replaced by a 109bhp 1.0-litre unit in option (0-62mph in 8.2sec) and
2020. The 148bhp 1.5-litre four-pot is Monte Carlo specification, with its
pretty swift and very refined, while snazzy styling and sports seats.
the 113bhp 1.6-litre diesel is good for
those who cover an annual mileage
that would put a taxi firm to shame. Step up to SE for rear parking
There are five trim levels to choose sensors, automatic lights and
from, each with standard wipers, cruise control and
automatic emergency an upgraded 8.0in
braking and lane- OUR TOP SPEC touchscreen system
keeping assistance. SE that includes Apple
S trim gives Of the five trim levels, the CarPlay and
you 16in alloy second one up provides all the Android Auto to
wheels, LED useful equipment you will need, mitigate the lack
headlights and a bar sat-nav. However, it gets full of in-built sat-
6.5in touchscreen smartphone connectivity, so nav (although SE
with a DAB radio you can use a nav app from Technology, added
and Bluetooth. your phone instead. in late 2020, does
include the latter, plus
front parking sensors).
SE L includes 17in alloys, a
9.2in touchscreen with sat-nav and
a 10.25in digital instrument cluster.
Monte Carlo trim is more of a
styling pack, bringing a sportier
interior and exterior and a glass roof.
Where the Scala excels is in being
a calm and competent performer. It
does a great job of smoothing over
the worst surfaces without being
bouncy. The compromise is that it can
feel a little floaty over crests and dips
at speed. You will also notice more
suspension noise, along with higher
levels of wind and road roar than in
some of its rivals, particularly when
you’re travelling along a motorway.
The Scala leans over more in the
bends, due to its soft suspension, but
it still grips well and handles very
tidily, plus its steering gains weight
progressively as you turn the wheel,
giving you confidence to go briskly.
Another strong suit of the Scala
is practicality. That it has plenty
of room in the front and plenty of
adjustment in the driving position is
a given for a family hatch, but what’s
different about the Scala is that it has
a really spacious rear that copes well
with bulky child seats and tall teens.
The boot is big, too, and shouldn’t
have any trouble taking a pushchair.
We even managed to squeeze seven
carry-on suitcases into it. That’s not
as many as the Octavia will swallow,
granted, but it’s still much more than
most other family hatches can take.
Prices start at about £13,000 for a
1.0 TSI in S or (more popular) SE trim
from 2019. The more potent 1.5 TSI
can be found from £14,000, while a
1.6 TDI will cost you at least £14,500.
Expect to spend between £13,500
and £16,000 on a 2020 car or £16,000
to £21,000 on a good 2021 example.
ONES WE FOUND
2020 Skoda Scala 1.0 TSI 95 SE,
22,000 miles, £13,500
2021 Skoda Scala 1.0 TSI 115 SE L,
10,000 miles, £20,650
2021 Skoda Scala 1.5 TSI 150
Monte Carlo, 2000 miles, £26,000
USED CARS
NEED TO KNOW
Predictably, the diesel burns
the least fuel, at 57.7mpg, but
don’t discount any of the petrols,
because the difference isn’t vast.
The 94bhp 1.0 TSI gets a combined
53.3mpg and both the 113bhp 1.0
TSI and 148bhp 1.5 TSI manage
to achieve 51.4mpg (the later TSI
110 53.3mpg). The latter is helped
by clever cylinder deactivation
technology that reduces fuel
consumption at a constant cruise.
BUYER BEWARE
ENGINE
Some owners complain that the
stop-start system can be slow to
re-engage. At least it can be turned
off if you’re having this issue.
TRANSMISSION
Other owners report that the
automatic gearbox doesn’t react
quickly enough at slow speeds and
can leave you in the wrong gear
when slowing to come to a junction,
so take a test drive before buying.
Make sure the auto gearbox
has had its oil changed every four
years or 40,000 miles. It isn’t
part of the routine maintenance
schedule, rather a recommended
service. If the ’box fails due to
infrequent oil changes, you will
have to pay for a replacement.
ELECTRICS
There are a number of issues
with the Apple CarPlay stopping
working and not recognising your
iPhone. There have also been
some complaints of the rear-view
camera feed staying on the screen
after you shift out of reverse gear.
RECALLS
There have been two recalls
issued relating to the emergency
call system. A software issue on
Scalas made between July 2019
and February 2020 could prevent
the system from functioning
correctly so will need an update at
a Skoda dealer. And some cars built
between August and September
2019 will need to have the online
connectivity unit (OCU) that is a
part of this feature replaced.
RELIABILITY
The Scala is a little too new to
have appeared in the latest What
Car? Reliability Survey. However,
Skoda managed a strong 12th place
out of 30 brands. The related Fabia
came 15th in the small car class,
while the larger Octavia finished in
eighth place in the family car class.
17 NOVEMBER 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 69

Ford Mustang 5.0 V8 GT Fastback £29,995
merican performance
A cars make no sense in
the UK, what with our
expensive fuel prices
and narrow country roads, but that
doesn’t make them any less desirable.
The Ford Mustang is one of the
most recognisable, and it’s today’s
Mk6 car that we’ve taken a liking to
on the used market. It was launched
in 2013 as the first ’Stang to be sold
globally and to offer right-hand drive.
TAKE YOUR
CHEVY TO
THE LEVEE
THE COOL
KIND OF
CHARGER
70 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 17 NOVEMBER 2021
BUY THEM
BEFORE WE DO
Coming with a fastback or slightly
pricier convertible body, it offered
a few engines. The 300bhp 3.7-litre
V6 continued from the Mk5, joined
by a new 435bhp 5.0-litre Coyote V8.
But the headline-grabber was a new,
more planet-friendly turbocharged
four-cylinder unit with 310bhp. This
provided a 0-62mph time of 5.5sec
when mated to the six-speed manual
gearbox (a six-speed automatic was
a £1500 option).
Chevrolet Corvette Z06
£35,000
Another V8-powered behemoth,
this uprated Corvette packs 7.0 litres,
505bhp and 460lb ft. It was the most
powerful car GM had ever produced
when it arrived in 2006. This example
has a manual gearbox, too, which is
an even rarer proposition.
Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat
Widebody Daytona 50th
Anniversary Edition £74,995
This special edition celebrates 50
years of the Nascar-famed Charger
Daytona. Built last year as one of 501,
with a 717bhp 6.2-litre V8, it has seen
just 7000 miles. It can hit 62mph in
3.6sec and a top speed of 203mph.
Every model got xenon headlights,
an 8.0in touchscreen, dual-zone
climate control, keyless entry,
performance brakes, a rear diffuser,
a reversing camera and cloth bucket
seats, while the four-pot car gained
electrically adjustable front seats.
The track-focused GT350 joined
the range with a host of performance
updates, including a 526bhp 5.2-litre
flat-plane-crank V8, a tuned chassis,
aero changes and Brembo calipers.
FLICK A
V TO THE
ULEZ
WILD CARD
SADDLE
UP,
PARTNER
Britain’s used market isn’t short of
Mustangs, although most are LHD,
with RHD commanding a premium.
V8 cars are also a bit pricier and those
with the V6 are few and far between,
given it was axed in 2017.
We found a V8 example from 2016
with 21,000 miles on the clock up for
£29,995, with the wheel on the right
side and just one owner who has kept
it well serviced and in top condition.
JACK WARRICK
Chrysler 300C 5.7 V8
£5995
The 300C may be more of a cruiser,
but this one has a 340bhp 5.7-litre V8
so is good for 0-62mph in 6.4sec. It
will cost you in tax but not ULEZ fees.
It has done 77,000 miles and comes
with a fresh MOT and three months
of warranty and breakdown cover.
Chevrolet Camaro 396 SS
£38,750
Just 970 examples of the 396 SS
were made. This one has its original
Sequoia Green paint, leather interior,
wheels and tyres, plus all the original
paperwork given to its first owner. A
240bhp 5.7-litre Turbo-Jet V8 hides
beneath that enormous bonnet.
 USED CARS
AU C T I O N WAT C H
CLASH OF THE
CLASSIFIEDS
U S E D C A R D E S K D O E S B AT T L E

BRIEF

May I have a vehicle with a winch

for less than £20,000?

Range Rover TDV8 Vogue G4 £9995

ALPINE A110 1400
Powered by a series of Renault engines over its 1961-
1977 production run, the original Alpine A110 sports
car rose to prominence by dominating the formative
years of the World Rally Championship. This example
was built in Spain in 1975 with a 1.4-litre electronically
fuel-injected Gordini inline four and was brought to
the UK in 1990. It had a full body refurbishment and
engine rebuild last year, retaining several original Land Rover Discovery V8 Dakar conversion £7950
features including its Moto-Lita Franco steering OLIVER YOUNG For an eminently reasonable amount
wheel. It has covered just 53,000 miles over its of money, you can have one very special 4x4. It’s a Land
Rover Discovery that has undergone a transformative
47 years and sold at auction for £64,000. Dakar Rally conversion. Now, to call this off-road beast
‘extremely rugged and capable’ is an understatement.
It’s the ultimate go-anywhere machine, complete with a
mega 4.0-litre petrol V8 and, as requested, a winch (which
can deal with a mighty 2250kg of weight). Beat that, Mark.

FUTURE
MARK PEARSON Good grief! Well, I think I can beat that
old heap. I see you your lumpen old Discovery and its dodgy

CLASSIC
bodywork and raise the (winch) bar with this beautiful Range
Rover, the proper off-road and on-road tool and undeniable
best car in the world. Mine is the G4 Challenge model with a
snorkel, roof lights, a detachable ladder and an opulent leather
interior too. Take it to Chelsea. Take it to Chad. It will do it all.
OY Your Rangie is compromised, I’m afraid. I’m sure it’s great at
doing the whole off-road thing, as well as the luxury thing, but
it’s when you devote everything to one side of the equation that
you get the best results. And my Dakar Discovery goes all in on
being an off-road champ and winch-wielding hero.
MP I can’t see James pootling to the cash ’n’ carry in downtown
Beccles in your thing, though. In mine, he would waft like a king.
Let’s ask him winch – sorry, I mean which – one he likes best.

VERDICT

Volkswagen Beetle 1.2 TSI Dune £18,998 Each is truly terrible in its
Shortly before it was killed off, the Beetle received a limited-run special edition as a homage
to the original Baja Bug. Its suspension was raised by 10mm, it gained a wider track and its
own way, but that big lump
arches were extended. Other changes included LED tail-lights, a new spoiler, 18in Mythos of Range Rover is probably
wheels and the unique option of Sandstorm Yellow paint. It was a fashion statement rather
than a real off-roader, as four-wheel drive didn’t feature, but its rarity allows some examples better for winching.
to command similar-to-launch prices today, like this one-owner car with a full service history. JAMES RUPPERT

17 NOVEMBER 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 71


26-year gap
The Audi Cabriolet was
the first convertible sold
by the firm from Ingolstadt
since the Ford Thunderbird-
aping Auto Union 1000
Sp Roadster of
1961 to 1965.
Fabulous lines, a variety of appealing engines and prices at their nadir make
the Audi 80-based Cabriolet an intelligent investment, reckons John Evans
efore we get too carried
B away with the famous
fact that Princess Diana
had an Audi Cabriolet,
it’s worth noting that it was a dealer
loan car. Even so, you would think her
tenuous connection with the elegant
Audi would be enough to secure it a
place at today’s table of rising modern
classics, but – happily for us – not so.
If you’re looking for a classy
bargain, then, you’ve just found it.
Prices start at about £1000 for project
cars, but just £4000 buys you a tidy
example and £8000 the very best.
Why so? It’s hard to say, especially
since the model has so much going
for it. It looks super-cool, with its
elegant roof-down lines unspoiled
by the presence of a roll-over bar (the
strengthened windscreen does the
72 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 17 NOVEMBER 2021
HOW TO BUY AN
AUDI
CABRIOLET
HAIL A CAB
job instead). It’s built like a battleship,
having a galvanised body that laughs
in the face of corrosion and a hood
that chortles at the worst weather.
There’s a choice of strong and
reliable four-cylinder 1.8-litre
20v and 2.0-litre 8v engines, a
short-lived 2.3-litre five-pot and
two V6s (a 2.6-litre and a 2.8-litre),
all driving the front wheels (there
was no Quattro version) through
a five-speed manual or four-speed
automatic gearbox. They’re all
fuel-injected, too, with power
outputs ranging from 115bhp (2.0)
to 174bhp (2.8). The pick of the line-
up, the rare 2.3, produces 133bhp.
Downsides? Without question, the
model lacks the sporty character and
image of the equivalent E36 BMW
3 Series Cabriolet and the engines
are a little lifeless, although the
2.3 sounds good and pulls strongly.
Owing to its solid build quality and
additional body strengthening, it’s
a heavy car and not the sharpest
through corners. It also suffers that
old soft-top curse of scuttle shake.
Still, you could argue that most
of these problems are subjective.
The Cabriolet was launched in
1991, based on the B3 Audi 80 that
first appeared in 1986. This platform
was superseded in 1992 by the longer
B4 that underpinned the facelifted
80 and then in 1994 by the all-new
B5 platform for the A4. The point
is that the Cabriolet soldiered on
throughout with its old B3 platform
until its retirement in 2000, the
reason a simple issue of economics,
since a convertible is more expensive
to engineer than a conventional car
yet sells in lower numbers.
It may have been overtaken by
newer Audis under the skin, but
no matter, because outwardly the
Cabriolet remained a looker until its
dying day. It took its updated bonnet
and rear lights from the stylish B3-
generation S2 coupé, with which it
also shared its sports suspension.
Later, as part of the 1997 facelift,
it gained smoother rear bumpers
and projection-lens headlights.
The Final Edition version of
1999 featured a leather interior,
air conditioning and 16in alloys.
Whichever version you buy,
find a good Cabriolet and snap
it up, because its application for
membership of the modern classics
club is surely soon to be approved.

High-quality, comfy
interior should have
held up pretty well H O W T O G E T O N E I N YO U R GA R AG E
An owner’s view
MARK SUMPTER
“I’ve always been an Audi fanatic,
owning a 20-valve Coupé at the age
of 20, later an 80 Sport and then
another Coupé, followed by a couple of
Cabriolets, including my current one.
It’s a 2.8 Final Edition automatic with
130,000 miles on the clock. It looks and
drives remarkably well. There’s a bit
of scuttle shake, but older cabrios are
like that. I love how old Audis’ lines are
much cleaner than the latest models’,
and with no roll hoop, the Cabriolet
looks so elegant with the roof down.
What I don’t understand is why prices
for the model aren’t higher. People talk
about it being a modern classic, but
I don’t see values rising – at least not
yet. Grab a bargain while you can!”
Buyer beware…
Q E N G I N E
The V6s should run smoothly and
quietly while the five-cylinder unit
should emit a pleasing rasp. The latter
can experience valve-lifter problems,
often caused by a fall in oil pressure
due to clogged oilways, resulting in a
drop in power. Regarding all engines,
Cabriolet shares make sure the timing belt and water
looks and hardware pump have been changed regularly.
with 80 and Coupé
Q S U S P E N S I O N A N D T Y R E S
The Cabriolet is a heavy car, so its
shocks, ball joints, links and bushes
will be tired now, unless recently
replaced. The top mounts and
upper and lower wishbones are
also potential problem areas. The
front tyres, too, take a pounding,
so inspect them for excessive wear.
Q B O DY
Check the hood operates correctly,
because the wiring loom, which also
sends power to the boot lock, can fail
and the plastic reservoir that holds
the hydraulic fluid can spring a leak.
Check the boot floor for rust caused
by water seeping past the hood seals
and down between the body panels.
On that point, check the condition of
the rubber seals at the base of the
windscreen pillars. Make sure the
` exterior door trims are secure and not
There’s a choice of strong and reliable deteriorating – an occasional problem
that can require repainting or, worse,
four-cylinder, five-cylinder and V6 engines expensive replacement trims. New
headlights are hard to source.
a
USED CARS
Q I N T E R I O R
Check for warning lights, including the
airbags, which have a finite life (it’s
usually a sensor problem). On early
cars especially, make sure the cabin
heater works, because the absence of
a pollen filter means the heater matrix
clogs up before failing expensively.
Also worth knowing
Owners recommend cleaning the
roof with a quality shoe brush before
applying Grangers Fabsil waterproofer
(use a paintbrush). Meguiar’s PlastX
plastic polish brings up the plastic
rear window, while K-Seal is good for
plugging a leaky heater matrix. Engine
a little hesitant? Try Slick 50 injector
cleaner. For the five-pot’s valve-lifter
issues, use Forté Top End Treatment.
How much to spend
£ 1 0 0 0 - £2 4 9 9
Project and SORN cars, including a
1997 2.6 with 105,000 miles and the
rare optional hard-top for £2400.
£2 5 0 0 - £2 9 9 9
Runners with short MOTs and patchy
service histories.
£3 0 0 0 - £5 9 9 9
A good choice of decent late-plate
cars, some with solid service histories.
£6 0 0 0 A N D A B O V E
Some nicer cars, including a selection
of Final Edition 2.8s. Also a 2.6 from
1995 with just 50,000 miles and a
good service history for £8000.
Thanks to Mark Sumpter (audiownersclub.com)
One we found
AU D I CAB R I O LE T 2 .6E , 1995,
90,000 M I LES, £4000
A full service history including two
timing belt changes is this Cabriolet’s
chief attraction. What’s more, it has
had only three owners and features a
leather interior, a smart blue powered
hood and the smooth 2.6-litre V6.
17 NOVEMBER 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 73
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ECONOMY EXPLAINED Po To 0-6 Ec (M
P C O2 Po To 0-6 Ec (M
P C O2 Po To 0-6 Ec ( CO 2
Stelvio 5dr SUV £41,255–£73,995 AAAAB
AAAAC 3.0 TFSIe quattro A4 4dr saloon £30,835–£58,025
449 155 4.9 100.9-113.0 57-64
Between the various figures produced on the Alfa’s first SUV is a solid effort. Choosing the petrol version gives it High quality and competent but leaves the dynamic finesse to its
4.0 S8 quattro 571 155 3.8 24.1-24.4 263-265
old-style NEDC, transitional NEDC Correlated charisma. LxWxH 4687x1903x1671 Kerb weight 1604kg rivals. LxWxH 4726x1842x1427 Kerb weight 1320kg 3.0 50 TDI quattro 282 155 5.9 38.7-40.9 180-192
and new-style WLTP laboratory emissions and 2.2 Turbo Diesel 190 187 130 7.6 45.6 159 2.0 35 TFSI 148 139 8.6 40.9-46.3 140-157 3.0 50 TDI quattro LWB 282 155 5.9 38.2-40.4 182-193
fuel economy tests, it has become tricky to 2.2 Turbo Diesel 190 Q4 AWD 187 130 7.6 43.5 169-170 2.0 40 TFSI 187 155 7.3 40.9-44.8 143-187
2.2 Turbo Diesel 210 Q4 AWD 207 134 6.6 42.8 168 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 242 155 5.6 34.9-35.3 181-184 E-tron 5dr SUV £60,600–£93,500 AAAAB
compare manufacturers’ claimed efficiency 2.0 Turbo 200 Q4 AWD 197 134 7.2 30.1 206-209 3.0 30 TDI 132 133 9.5 50.4-55.4 133-146 A rounded, uber-luxurious addition to the premium EV niche.
on the latest new cars. When you see a fuel 2.0 Turbo 280 Q4 AWD 276 143 5.7 30.4 208 2.0 35 TDI 148 136 8.9 50.4-55.4 133-146 LxWxH 4901x1935x1629 Kerb weight 2490kg
economy and CO2 figure reference elsewhere, 2.9 BiTurbo Quadrifoglio 503 197 3.8 24.6 261 2.0 40 TDI quattro 187 146 7.4 50.4-54.3 137-148 50 quattro 71kWh 308 118 6.8 190 0
it’s often without explanation. 3.0 S4 TDI 342 155 4.8 40.4-40.9 181-183 55 quattro 95kWh 403 124 5.4 237 0
ALPINA S quattro 95kWh 503 130 4.5 223 0
So, to provide as fair and clear a basis for
comparison as possible, you’ll only ever read B3 4dr saloon/5dr touring £66,665–£68,165 AAAAA A4 Avant 5dr estate £32,235–£83,170 AAAAC
Buchloe’s take on 3 Series makes a case for being all the car you Classy and demure estate lacks the dynamic sparkle of rivals. E-tron Sportback 5dr SUV £69,100–£95,100 AAAAB
WLTP combined fuel economy and CO2 figures could ever need. LxWxH 4620x1811x1430 Kerb weight 1865kg LxWxH 4725x1842x1434 Kerb weight 1370kg Quick and classy EV builds on the solid foundations of its more
in Autocar’s first drive reviews, features and 3.0 BiTurbo 462 186-188 3.8-3.9 2.0 35 TFSI 25.9 247 148 136 8.9 39.8-44.8 143-162 upright sibling. LxWxH 4901x1935x1616 Kerb weight 2480kg
comparison tests – and on these data pages. 2.0 40 TFSI 187 148 7.5 39.8-43.5 147-162 50 quattro 71kWH 308 118 6.8 192 0
Those are the aggregated results of four lab B5 4dr saloon/5dr touring £95,000–£97,500 AAAAC 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 242 155 6.0 33.6-34.4 187-191 55 quattro 95kWh 403 124 5.7 242 0
tests carried out across as many different Is it the best alternative to an M5? Yes, at least from a practicality 3.0 V6 TFSI RS4 Avant 448 155 4.1 28.1-28.2 220-226 S quattro 95kWh 503 130 4.5 224 0
cruising speed ranges – although they’re viewpoint. LxWxH 4956x1868x1466 Kerb weight 2015kg 2.0 30 TDI 132 131 9.8 49.6-54.3 137-150
4.4 V8 BiTurbo 599 200-205 3.5-3.7 23.5 272 2.0 35 TDI 148 132 9.2 49.6-54.3 137-150 Q2 5dr SUV £23,640–£45,635 AAAAC
sometimes expressed as a range rather than as 2.0 40 TDI quattro 187 143-144 7.6-7.9 47.9-52.3 141-154 Audi’s smallest SUV is a decent stepping stone from the A3 to the
one specific figure to show the different results B7 4dr saloon £121,850 AAAAC 3.0 50 TDI Allroad quattro 282 155 5.3 38.2 194 Q range. LxWxH 4191x1794x1508 Kerb weight 1205kg
recorded by the heaviest and lightest available A 7 Series with a power boost gives BMW a worthy challenger to 3.0 S4 TDI quattro 342 155 4.9 1.0 30 TFSI 114 122
39.2-39.8 10.3 44.8-47.1 135-143
186-189
examples of the car in question (depending on the AMG S-Classes. LxWxH 5250x1902x1491 Kerb weight 2060kg 1.5 35 TFSI 148 131 8.5 42.2-44.8 142-151
optional equipment). 4.4 V8 BiTurbo 599 205 4.2 24.4 264 A5 2dr coupé £37,900–£87,725 AAAAC 2.0 40 TFSI quattro 187 141 6.5 34.0-34.9 184-187
In road tests, you’ll also see our own Refreshed coupé gets a sharper look and a refreshed interior. Still 2.0 SQ2 TFSI 298 155 4.8 32.8-33.2 192-195
D5 S 4dr saloon £64,355 AAAAC mundane to drive. LxWxH 4673x1846x1371 Kerb weight 1390kg 1.6 30 TDI 114 122 10.5 47.1-49.6 150-158
independently produced real-world fuel The excellent 5 Series receives some Alpina tweaking to make it a 2.0 35 TFSI 148 140 8.9 41.5-45.6 141-154 2.0 35 TDI quattro 148 131 8.1 45.6-47.9 155-163
economy test results for comparison with the brilliant cruiser. LxWxH 4956x1868x1466 Kerb weight 1870kg 2.0 40 TFSI 187 150 7.2 41.5-47.1 141-154
lab test claims. We produce an average, track 3.0 BiTurbo 345 171 4.9 38.2 192 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 242 155 4.8 34.9-38.8 180-184 Q3 5dr SUV £30,310–£61,585 AAABC
and touring figure for each car we test, as often 2.9 V6 TFSI RS5 quattro 443 155 3.9 29.4-30.4 211-218 Typically refined and competent but feels more like an A3 than an
as possible on a brim-to-brim test basis. XD3 5dr SUV £57,925 AAAAC 2.0 35 TDI 163 162 8.2 51.4-55.4 133-144 Audi SUV. LxWxH 4388x1831x1608 Kerb weight 1385kg
While ‘average’ represents the overall Pleasant BMW SUV impressively enhanced with the usual Alpina 2.0 40 TDI quattro 187 146 7.4 50.4-54.3 135-146 1.5 35 TFSI 148 128-131 9.2-9.6 38.7-42.2 153-166
toolkit. LxWxH 4732x1897x2015 Kerb weight 2015kg 3.0 V6 S4 TDI quattro 345 155 4.8 40.4-40.9 180-184 2.0 40 TFSI quattro 187 136 7.4 31.0-32.5 197-207
economy returned by a new car over a full road 3.0 BiTurbo 330 158 4.9 31.4 328 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 227 144 6.3 31.0-31.7 201-205
test and ‘track’ is relevant only to intensive A5 Sportback 5dr coupé £37,900–£87,725 AAAAC 2.5 RS Q3 quattro 396 155 4.5 27.7-28.8 222-230
performance testing (the length and conditions ALPINE Refined, good-looking four-door coupé is sadly short on charm and 2.0 35 TDI 148 128 9.2 47.9-49.6 150-154
of which can vary slightly), ‘touring’ gives A110 2dr coupé £48,990–£59,740 AAAAA finesse. LxWxH 4733x1843x1386 Kerb weight 1425kg 2.0 35 TDI quattro 148 131 9.3 39.2-40.9 182-188
the best guide of the kind of economy you A much, much greater car and achievement than the sum of its 2.0 35 TFSI 148 139 9.1 40.9-44.8 144-158 2.0 40 TDI quattro 188 137 8.0 37.7-40.4 84-195
might see from a car at a steady 70mph parts suggests. LxWxH 4180x1980x1252 Kerb weight 1080kg 2.0 40 TFSI 187 150 7.5 40.9-44.8 143-158
1.8 Turbo 248 155 4.5 39.2 162 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 242 155 5.8 34.4-35.3 183-187 Q3 Sportback 5dr SUV £33,035–£62,735 AAABC
motorway cruise. 1.8 Turbo S 288 162 4.4 38.7 163 2.9 V6 TFSI RS5 Quattro 448 155 3.9 28.8-29.7 215-222 A more sporting take on the compact SUV, with similarly stable
We do real-world efficiency and range 2.0 35 TDI 148 135 9.1 50.4-54.3 135-147 handling. LxWxH 4500x1856x1567 Kerb weight 1460kg
testing on electric cars, too, expressing the ARIEL 2.0 40 TDI quattro 187 146 7.6 49.6-54.3 137-149 1.5 35 TFSI 148 126 9.6 39.2-41.5 154–163
former in terms of miles per kilowatt hour, Atom 0dr open £39,950 AAAAB 3.0 S5 TDI quattro 345 155 4.9 39.8-40.4 183-187 2.0 40 TFSI quattro 188 136 7.4 30.7-32.1 199-208
as manufacturers do increasingly widely Simple, purist concept remains but everything else has changed… 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 227 144 6.5 31.4-32.1 200-208
by convention. for the better. LxWxH 3520x1880x1122 Kerb weight 595kg A5 Cabriolet 2dr open £42,015–£64,055 AAAAC 2.5 RS Q3 quattro 396 155 4.5 27.7-28.5 223-231
2.0 turbo 320 162 2.8 NA NA More practical than smaller options. Lower-powered, steel-sprung 2.0 35 TDI 148 126 9.3 48.7-51.4 145–152
S TA R R AT I N G S E X P L A I N E D
trim is best. LxWxH 4673x1846x1383 Kerb weight 1600kg 2.0 35 TDI quattro 148 126 9.3 40.4-44.8 166-183
Nomad 0dr open £38,000 AAAAA 2.0 35 TFSI 150 136 9.8 38.7-40.4 160-165 2.0 40 TDI quattro 188 134 8.3 38.2-39.8 185-195
Well inside the top 10 list of our favourite cars. A revelation and a 2.0 40 TFSI 187 150 7.9 38.7-40.4 160-165
CCCCC Inherently dangerous/unsafe. Tragically, riot to drive. LxWxH 3215x1850x1425 Kerb weight 670kg 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 242 155 6.5 32.8-33.2 192-196 Q5 5dr SUV £43,950–£71,750 AAAAC
irredeemably flawed. 2.4 K24 i-VTEC 235 125 3.4 NA NA 2.0 40 TDI quattro 187 145 8.0 47.1-48.7 152-157 Appealing combination of Audi allure, affordable SUV practicality
BCCCC Appalling. Massively significant failings. and attractiveness. LxWxH 4663x1893x1659 Kerb weight 1720kg
ACCCC Very poor. Fails to meet any accepted
ASTON MARTIN AAAAC 2.0 45 TFSI quattro A6 4dr saloon £38,520–£79,375
242 147 6.4 31.0-33.6 191-206
Vantage 2dr coupé/2dr open £122,805–£127,005 AAAAB Supremely well constructed but a bit soulless to drive. A smart 2.0 50 TFSIe quattro 249 148 6.1 128.4 49
class boundaries. The faster, cleverer, more hardcore entry-level Aston tops its office on wheels. LxWxH 4939x1886x1457 Kerb weight 1645kg 2.0 55 TFSIe quattro 363 148 5.3 108.6 56
ABCCC Poor. Within acceptable class class. LxWxH 4465x1942x1273 Kerb weight 1630kg 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 242 155 6.0 35.3-37.2 172-182 2.0 40 TDI quattro 187 136 8.1 41.5-44.8 165-179
boundaries in a few areas. Still not 4.0 V8 503 190-195 3.6-3.8 11.6 236 2.0 50 TFSIe quattro 299 152 5.5 166.0-177.0 36-38 3.0 SQ5 TDI quattro 344 155 5.1 32.8-34.4 216-224
recommendable. 3.0 55 TFSI quattro 335 155 5.1 32.8-34.9 184-196
DB11 2dr coupé/2dr open £152,805–£165,130 AAAAA 2.0 40 TDI 201 152 8.1 47.9-51.4 145-155 Q5 Sportback 5dr SUV £44,145–£72,180 AAABC
AACCC Off the pace. Below average in nearly The stunning replacement for the already seductive DB9 is tyre- 2.0 40 TDI quattro 201 153 7.6 45.6-47.9 155-163 Reduced accommodation and practicality, but still a refined and
all areas. shreddingly good. LxWxH 4739x2060x1279 Kerb weight 1875kg 2.0 45 TDI quattro Allroad 228 155 6.7 38.2 193 solid steer. LxWxH 4689x1893x1660 Kerb weight 2010-2150kg
AABCC Acceptable. About average in key areas, 4.0 V8 503 187 4.0 10.8 230 3.0 50 TDI quattro 282 155 5.5 38.7-40.4 183-191 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 263 149 6.1 31.7-33.6 192-202
but disappoints. 5.2 V12 AMR 630 208 3.7 13.4 265 3.0 S6 TDI quattro 344 155 5.0 36.2 203-205 2.0 50 TFSIe quattro 297 148 6.1 176.6-188.3 36-38
2.0 55 TFSIe quattro 364 148 5.3 156.9-166.2 41-42
AAACC Competent. Above average in some DBS Superleggera 2dr coupé/open £231,730–£249,730 AAAAA A6 Avant 5dr estate £40,620–£112,840 AAAAC 2.0 40 TDI quattro 201 137 7.6 42.2-44.8 166-176
areas, average in others. Outstanding Effortlessly fast, intoxicating to drive: the big Aston is better than A capable and high-tech throwback that’s a timely reminder of 3.0 SQ5 TDI quattro 336 155 5.1 33.2-34.4 216-222
in none. ever. LxWxH 4712x2146x1280 Kerb weight 1693kg what Audi does best. LxWxH 4939x1886x1467 Kerb weight 1710kg
AAABC Good. Competitive in key areas. 5.2 V12 715 211 3.7
2.0 45 TFSI quattro 13.5 306 242 155 6.2 34-36.2 177-189 Q7 5dr SUV £56,935–£96,880 AAAAC
3.0 55 TFSI quattro 335 155 5.3 31.7-34.0 189-201 Unengaging to drive and light on feel, but the cabin is both huge
AAAAC Very good. Very competitive in key DBX 5dr SUV £160,230 AAAAB 4.0 RS6 quattro 596 174 3.6 22.2-22.8 281-289 and classy. LxWxH 5052x1968x1740 Kerb weight 2060kg
areas, competitive in secondary Doesn’t try to be the biggest, fastest SUV, and may be all the more 2.0 40 TDI 201 149 8.3 45.6-49.6 150-162 3.0 V6 55 TFSI quattro 338 155 5.9 25.4-27.4 233-253
respects. appealing for it. LxWxH 5039x1998x1680 Kerb weight 2245kg 2.0 40 TDI quattro 201 150 7.8 44.1-46.3 159-167 3.0 V6 55 TFSIe quattro 376 149 5.9 TBC TBC
AAAAB Excellent. Near class-leading in key 4.0 V8 550 181 4.5 19.7 269 3.0 50 TDI quattro 282 155 5.7 38.2-39.8 187-195 4.0 SQ7 quattro 435 155 4.1 29.4-30.1 245-251
3.0 S6 TDI quattro 344 155 5.1 35.3 209 3.0 V6 45 TDI quattro 228 142 7.3 32.1-34.0 217-230
areas and in some ways outstanding. AU D I 3.0 V6 50 TDI quattro 282 152 6.3 32.1-34.0 217-230
AAAAA Brilliant, unsurpassed. All but flawless. A1 Sportback 5dr hatch £18,920–£31,760 AAABC A7 Sportback 5dr coupé £48,085–£115,990 AAABC
Quite pricey, but a rounded car with plenty of rational appeal. Easy on the eye and to live with, but let down by stolid dynamics. Q8 5dr SUV £70,800–£123,100 AAAAC
LxWxH 4029x1746x1418 Kerb weight 1105kg LxWxH 4969x1908x1422 Kerb weight 1880kg Striking and effective coupé-SUV range-topper leaves us wanting
ABARTH 1.0 25 TFSI 94 118 10.8 48.7-50.4 128-133 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 242 155 6.2 35.3-36.2 177-183 more. LxWxH 4986x1995x1705 Kerb weight 2145kg
595 3dr hatch/2dr open £17,310–£28,440 AAABC 1.0 30 TFSI 114 126 9.5 46.3-51.4 124-139 2.0 50 TFSIe quattro 299 155 6.3 134.5-141.2 46-47 3.0 V6 55 TFSI quattro 335 155 5.9 25.9-26.4 243-248
The Fiat 500’s Abarth makeover makes it a true pocket rocket. 1.5 35 TFSI 148 137 7.7 44.1-44.8 142-145 3.0 55 TFSI quattro 335 155 5.3 32.1-34.0 189-199 4.0 SQ8 quattro 503 155 4.1 31.0-31.7 234-239
LxWxH 3657x1627x1485 Kerb weight 1070kg 2.0 40 TFSI 197 146 6.5 40.4 158 4.0 RS7 quattro 596 174 3.6 22.2-23.0 280-287 4.0 V8 RS Q8 quattro 592 155 3.8 20.2-20.5 314-318
1.4 T-jet 145 143 130 7.8 38.7-39.2 162-164 2.0 40 TDI 201 152 8.3 47.9-49.6 150-156 3.0 V6 50 TDI quattro 282 152 6.3 32.8-33.2 222-226
1.4 T-jet 165 Turismo 162 135 7.3 37.7-38.2 161-166 A3 Sportback 5dr hatch £23,300–£50,310 AAAAC 2.0 40 TDI quattro 201 155 7.0 45.6-47.1 158-163
1.4 T-jet 180 Competizione 177 140 6.9 36.7 171 All the above but with the added convenience of a usefully larger 3.0 50 TDI quattro 282 155 5.7 38.2-39.8 186-193 TT 2dr coupé £34,770–£66,080 AAAAC
1.4 T-jet 180 Essesse 177 140 6.7 36.7 171 boot. LxWxH 4313x1785x1426 Kerb weight 1180kg 3.0 S7 TDI quattro 344 155 5.1 35.3-35.8 205-208 Still serves up plenty of pace, style and usability for the money. It’s
1.0 30 TFSI 114 128 9.9 48.7-52.3 124-132 better to drive, too. LxWxH 4191x1966x1376 Kerb weight 1365kg
695 3dr hatch/2dr open £30,650 AAABC 1.5 35 TFSI 148 137 8.2 44.8-48.7 132-142 A8 4dr saloon £73,330–£117,310 AAAAC 2.0 40 TFSI 194 155 6.6 40.4-41.5 154-158
A convincing track-day 500 with decent dynamic ability, but overly 2.0 TFSI RS3 quattro 394 155 4.1 29.7 214-216 Technical tour de force benefits from Audi’s knack of making very 2.0 45 TFSI 242 155 5.8-5.9 38.7-39.2 162-167
firm ride spoils it. LxWxH 3657x1627x1485 Kerb weight 1045kg 1.6 30 TDI 114 126 10.4 61.4-68.7 111-119 good limousines. LxWxH 5172x1945x1473 Kerb weight 1920kg 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 242 155 5.2 34.9-35.8 180-184
1.4 T-jet 180 Rivale 177 140 6.7 36.2-36.7 171 1.5 35 TDI 148 135 8.1 56.5-61.4 119-131 3.0 55 TFSI quattro 335 155 5.6 28.2-29.4 217-228 2.0 50 TFSI quattro TTS 302 155 4.5 34.9-35.3 180-183
3.0 55 TFSI quattro LWB 335 155 5.7 28.2-29.1 219-228 2.5 TT RS quattro 395 155 3.7 30.7 208-210
A L FA R O M E O A3 Saloon 4dr saloon £25,265–£51,310 AAAAC
Giulia 4dr saloon £34,995–£67,995 AAAAB Undercuts the case to own an A4. Upmarket interior and good to TT Roadster 2dr open £34,320–£67,830 AAAAC
Handsome and special dynamically but lacks finesse and comes drive. LxWxH 4458x1796x1416 Kerb weight 1240kg Plenty of pace and driver reward, along with prestige and design-
as an auto only. LxWxH 4643x1860x1436 Kerb weight 1429kg 1.0 30 TFSI 114 131 9.9 50.4-52.3 123-128 icon style. LxWxH 4191x1966x1355 Kerb weight 1455kg
2.0 Turbo Petrol 200 197 146 6.6 36.2 176-184 1.5 35 TFSI 148 139 8.2 46.3-48.7 132-139 2.0 40 TFSI 194 155 6.9 39.2-40.4 159-163
2.0 Turbo Petrol 280 276 149 5.7 33.6 195 2.0 TFSI RS3 quattro 394 155 4.1 29.7-30.1 213-214 2.0 45 TFSI 242 155 6.0-6.1 37.2-38.2 168-172
2.2 Turbo Diesel 160 158 137 8.2 53.3 135 1.6 30 TDI 114 131 10.4 64.2-67.3 137-143 2.0 45 TFSI quattro 242 155 5.5 33.6-34.4 185-190
2.2 Turbo Diesel 190 187 143 7.1 52.3 143 1.5 35 TDI 144 150 8.4 57.6-61.4 120-127 2.0 50 TFSI quattro TTS 302 155 4.8 34.0-34.4 185-188
2.9 BiTurbo Quadrifoglio 503 191 3.9 28.5 230 2.5 TT RS quattro 395 155 3.9 29.7-30.1 214-215

74 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 17 NOVEMBER 2021

 N E W CAR PR I CES
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2 Series Gran Tourer 5dr MPV £28,955–£39,475 AAAAB C3 Aircross 5dr hatchback £17,015–£22,145 AAABC
Brings a proper premium MPV to the table. Third-row seats aren’t Funky-looking C3 gets a jacked-up, rugged SUV look.
adult-sized, though. LxWxH 4556x1800x1608 Kerb weight 1475kg LxWxH 4155x1765x1637 Kerb weight 1088kg
218i 134 127 9.5-9.8 42.2-42.8 150-152 1.2 PureTech 110 107 115 11.3 51.5 141-143
220i 181 137 7.8 40.4-40.9 157-158 1.2 PureTech 130 127 124 10.4 47.3 150
216d 114 119 11.8 55.4-56.5 132-133 1.5 BlueHDi 100 96 109 12.8 62.7 126-128
218d 148 127 9.6 53.3-54.3 137-138
220d 187 138 8.2 51.4-52.3 143-144 C4 5dr hatchback £20,990–£34,330 AAACC
220d xDrive 187 135 8.0 49.6 150 Interesting to look at but soft and unrewarding to drive. Electric
ë-C4 is better. LxWxH 4355x1800x1525 Kerb weight 1247kg
3 Series 4dr saloon £31,590–£74,755 AAAAA 1.2 PureTech 99 TBC TBC TBC 122
Latest 3 Series has a growth spurt, but size is no obstacle for an 1.2 PureTech 130 128 TBC TBC 54.7 120
engaging drive. LxWxH 4709x1827x1442 Kerb weight 1450kg 1.2 PureTech 155 153 TBC TBC TBC 133
318i 152 138 8.4 44.1 145-146 1.5 BlueHDi 108 TBC TBC TBC 114-115
R8 2dr coupé £117,325–£157,030 AAAAC 320i 181 146 7.1 44.1 144-146 X1 5dr SUV £29,930–£40,580 AAAAC 1.5 BlueHDi 130 129 TBC TBC 64.9 119
Usable but no less involving or dramatic for it. V10 is deliciously 320i xDrive 181 142 7.6 41.5-42.2 153-154 Pick of the premium bunch but a tad unrefined and has ordinary ë-C4 50kWh 134 93 9.7 227 0
brutal. LxWxH 4426x1940x1240 Kerb weight 1590kg 330i 254 155 5.8 40.9-42.8 150-156 handling. LxWxH 4439x1821x1598 Kerb weight 1395kg
5.2 V10 RWD 538 201 3.7 22.2 288 330e 288 143 5.9 188.3-201.8 37-38 sDrive18i 138 127 9.7 42.8 149-150 Grand C4 Spacetourer 5dr MPV £26,225–£32,320 AAAAC
5.2 V10 FSI quattro 567 201 3.4 21.9 294 330e xDrive 288 143 5.9 TBC TBC sDrive20i 189 138 7.4 40.9 156-157 Alternative MPV offers something fresh, comfy, spacious and
5.2 V10 Performance q’tro 610 205 3.1 21.7 295-296 M340i xDrive 369 155 4.4 34.9 185 xDrive20i 189 TBC 7.7 38.2-38.7 166-167 quietly upmarket. LxWxH 4602x1826x1638 Kerb weight 1297kg
M3 Competition 503 155 3.9 28.2 229 xDrive25e 218 120 6.9 134.5-148.7 50-51 1.2 PureTech 130 126 125-128 10.8 46.9 143-145
R8 Spyder 2dr open £126,015–£165,720 AAAAC 318d 148 132 8.3-8.4 52.6-62.8 117-129 sDrive18d 148 126 9.3-9.4 55.4 133-134 1.5 BlueHDi 130 126 130 11.3 60.1 136-137
Taking the roof off the R8 enhances the drama tenfold. 320d 187 146 6.8-7.1 56.5-60.1 124-131 xDrive18d 148 126 9.3-9.4 50.4-51.4 145-146 2.0 BlueHDi 160 158 130 9.2 47.0 160-161
LxWxH 4426x1940x1245 Kerb weight 1680kg 320d xDrive 187 144 6.9 54.3-56.5 130-136 xDrive20d 187 136 7.8 49.6 148-149
5.2 V10 RWD 538 200 3.8 20.9 307 330d 263 155 5.5 47.1-49.6 150-156 C5 Aircross 5dr SUV £24,350–£35,850 AAABC
5.2 V10 quattro 567 200 3.5 20.5 313 330d xDrive 263 155 5.1 47.1 157-158 X2 5dr SUV £30,910–£46,775 AAAAC Smooth-riding SUV has an easy-going nature, but not the most
5.2 V10 Performance q’tro 610 204 3.2 20.3 315 M340d xDrive 338 155 4.6 46.3 160 Proves crossovers aren’t always worse than the hatchbacks on dynamic. LxWxH 4500x1859x1670 Kerb weight 1530kg
which they’re based. LxWxH 4360x1824x1526 Kerb weight 1460kg 1.2 PureTech 130 129 117 10.5 44.2 149-151
BAC 3 Series Touring 5dr estate £33,415–£52,375 AAAAB sDrive18i 138 127 9.6 42.8-43.5 148-150 1.6 PureTech 225 PHEV 223 140 TBC 184.0 50
Mono 0dr open £165,125 AAAAB Towering everyday appeal. Arguably the best all-rounder sensible sDrive20i 189 141 7.7 40.9-41.5 154-156 1.5 BlueHDI 130 129 117 10.4 57.3 138-139
An F-22 Raptor for the road, only significantly better built. money can buy. LxWxH 4620x1811x1430 Kerb weight 1565kg xDrive20i 189 TBC 7.6 38.7-39.2 164-166 2.0 BlueHDI 180 174 131 9.4 47.3 163-165
LxWxH 3952x1836x1110 Kerb weight 580kg 318i 152 137 8.7 42.2 152-153 xDrive25e 220 121 6.8 156.9 40-41
2.5 VVT 305 170 2.8 NA NA 320i 181 143 7.5 42.2 152-153 M35i 302 155 4.9 34.4 187 Berlingo 5dr MPV £21,875–£28,880 AAAAB
330i 254 155 5.9 39.2-40.9 156-163 sDrive18d 148 129 9.3-9.8 55.4 132-134 Boxy, slightly quirky and immensely practical van-based car
BENTLEY 330e 292 143 5.9 176.6-201.8 32-37 xDrive18d 148 128 9.2 50.4-51.4 144-146 returns to top form. LxWxH 4403x1921x1849 Kerb weight 1398kg
Continental GT 2dr coupé £160,130–£209,230 AAAAC 330e xDrive 292 140 5.9 156.9-176.6 37-42 xDrive20d 185 137 7.7 49.6-50.4 147-149 1.2 PureTech 110 108 109 11.5 42.0-43.5 154-160
Refined and improved in every area, making the Conti a superb M340i xDrive 371 155 4.5 33.6 191 1.5 BlueHDI 100 101 109 12.3 55.6 141-148
grand tourer. LxWxH 4850x1966x1405 Kerb weight 2244kg 318d 148 133 8.8 57.6-58.9 126-127 X3 5dr SUV £42,115–£80,225 AAAAC 1.5 BlueHDI 130 128 116 10.3 54.2 144-149
4.0 V8 542 198 3.9 23.9 268 320d 188 142 7.1-7.9 54.3-57.6 115-121 Continues where the last one left off. Dynamically good and more
6.0 W12 626 207 3.6 20.8 308 320d xDrive 188 142 7.4 51.4-54.3 136-143 luxurious inside. LxWxH 4708x1891x1676 Kerb weight 1750kg CUPRA
330d 263 140 5.6 45.6-47.1 158-163 xDrive20i 181 134 8.3 35.3-35.8 179-181 Leon 5dr hatch £34,495–£36,225 AAABC
Continental GTC 2dr open £175,930–£224,630 AAAAB 330d xDrive 261 155 5.4 43.5-44.8 166-171 xDrive30e 288 130 6.1 134.5 51-54 PHEV powertrain is effective but makes for a confused take on the
Immensely capable and refined open-top cruiser with effortless M340d xDrive 340 155 4.8 44.8 165 xDrive M40i 355 155 4.8 31.4 204 hot hatch formula. LxWxH 4398x1799x1467 Kerb weight 1596kg
performance. LxWxH 4850x2187x1399 Kerb weight 2414kg X3M Competition 503 155 4.1 24.8 261 1.4 eHybrid 241 140 6.7 TBC TBC
4.0 V8 542 198 4.0 23.3 275 4 Series 2dr coupé £40,060–£76,055 AAAAC xDrive20d 187 132 8.0 47.1-47.9 154-156
6.0 W12 626 207 3.7 20.2 336 A talented GT and brilliant B-road steer that’s very well equipped. xDrive30d 261 149 5.8 45.6 161-163 Leon Estate 5dr hatch £34,495–£36,225 AAABC
LxWxH 4768x1852x1383 Kerb weight 1475kg xDrive M40d 321 155 4.9 43.5 171 More practical version of the most potent Leon blows as hot and
Flying Spur 4dr saloon £156,130–£215,430 AAAAB 420i 181 149 7.5 42.2-44.1 146-151 cold as the hatch. LxWxH 4657x1799x1463 Kerb weight TBC
New from the ground up, with the looks and technology of a class 430i 254 155 5.8 40.4-42.2 153-159 X4 5dr SUV £45,775–£83,145 AAABC 1.4 eHybrid 241 140 7 TBC TBC
winner. LxWxH 5316x1879x1483 Kerb weight 2437kg M440i xDrive 369 155 4.5 36.7 175 Downsized X6 is respectable enough if not lovable, but the X3 is a
6.0 W12 632 207 3.8 19.1 337 M4 Competition 503 155 3.9 28.2 228 better option. LxWxH 4671x1881x1624 Kerb weight 1735kg Ateca 5dr hatch £39,050 AAABC
420d 187 143 7.1 58.9-61.4 121-126 xDrive M40i 336 155 4.9 31.7 203 First model from Seat’s stand-alone performance brand has decent
Bentayga 5dr SUV £151,830–£183,650 AAAAB 420d xDrive 187 148 7.4 55.4-57.6 129-135 X4M Competiton 503 155 4.1 24.8 259 pace and precision. LxWxH 4376x1841x1615 Kerb weight 1615kg
Crewe’s first attempt at an SUV remains ahead of most luxury xDrive20d 187 131 8.0 47.1-47.9 161-165 2.0 TSI 300 296 153 5.2 32.5 197
rivals. LxWxH 5140x1998x1742 Kerb weight 2505kg 4 Series Convertible 2dr open £45,785–£54,005 AAAAC xDrive30d 254 145 5.8 45.6-46.3 159-163
4.0 V8 542 171 4.5 21.7 302 Previous-gen grand tourer with the ability to remove the roof has xDrive M40d 322 155 4.9 43.5 169 Formentor 5dr SUV £27,395–£43,840 AAAAC
real talent. LxWxH 4640x1825x1384 Kerb weight 1700kg Bespoke SUV delivers a well-rounded, sure-footed and rewarding
BMW 420i 181 146 8.2-8.4 34.0-35.8 181-183 X5 5dr SUV £60,710–£113,045 AAAAC drive. LxWxH 4450x1839x1511 Kerb weight 1569kg
1 Series 5dr hatch £25,360–£37,685 AAAAB 430i 248 155 6.3-6.4 32.8-35.3 183 More capable, convenient, refined and classy SUV that’s a more 1.5 TSI 150 148 127 8.9 43.5-44.8 143-148
May not drive like a traditional BMW but delivers on upmarket hatch 440i 321 155 5.4 29.7-30.4 194 satisfying drive. LxWxH 4922x2004x1745 Kerb weight 2110kg 2.0 TSI 310 310 155 4.9 32.8-33.2 193-194
values. LxWxH 4319x1799x1434 Kerb weight 1365kg M4 Competition 444 155 4.3-4.5 26.9-28.0 229 xDrive40i 335 155 5.5 27.7-28.2 227-231
118i 138 132 8.5 46.3-47.1 130-134 420d 187 146 8.1-8.2 44.1-46.3 160 xDrive45e 282 155 5.6 188.3-235.4 31 DACIA
128ti 261 155 6.1 40.9 157 430d 254 155 5.9 39.2-39.8 180 M50i 523 155 4.3 27.3 276 Sandero 5dr hatch £7995–£11,995 AAABC
M135i xDrive 302 155 4.8 36.2 177 435d xDrive 308 155 5.2 37.7-38.2 189 X5M Competition 623 155 3.8 22.1 304 A clever budget prospect but its limitations are unavoidable, even
116d 114 TBC 10.1-10.3 60.1-62.8 119-123 xDrive30d 261 130 6.8 41.5-42.2 175-179 after a facelift. LxWxH 4088x1848x1499 Kerb weight 1009kg
118d 148 134 8.4-8.5 58.9-60.1 123-127 4 Series Gran Coupé 4dr coupé £36,660–£49,440 AAAAC xDrive40d 340 152 5.5 38.7-39.2 192-196 1.0 SCe 75 66 98 16.7 TBC 120
120d 187 144 7.3 55.4-57.6 129-133 Essentially a prettier 3 Series. Good, but not better than the 1.0 TCe 90 111 11.7 TBC 120
120d xDrive 187 TBC 7.0 52.3-53.3 139-142 regular saloon. LxWxH 4640x1825x1404 Kerb weight 1520kg X6 5dr SUV £62,410–£115,745 AAABC 1.0 TCe Bi-Fuel 99 114 11.6 TBC 123
420i 181 146 7.5-7.7 34.9-37.1 172-173 The world’s first off-road coupé, but appearances make it difficult
2 Series 2dr coupé £27,105–£75,355 AAAAB 420i xDrive 181 144 7.8-8.1 25.8-33.2 182-183 to love. LxWxH 4909x1989x1702 Kerb weight 2065kg Sandero Stepway 5dr hatch £10,995–£13,795 AAABC
A proper compact coupé now. Could be better equipped, though. 430i 248 155 5.9 34.4-37.2 174 xDrive40i 338 155 5.5 28.0-28.5 225-230 A more expensive and slightly more rugged cheap car – but still
LxWxH 4432x1774x1418 Kerb weight 1420kg 440i 321 155 5.1 30.7-31.7 188 M50i 523 155 4.3 23.5 272 limited. LxWxH 4099x1848x1535 Kerb weight 1040kg
218i 134 130 8.8-8.9 37.2-38.2 168-172 420d 187 146 7.4-7.6 46.3-51.4 151-152 X6M Competition 623 155 3.8 22.4 287 1.0 TCe 88 107 12 TBC 127
220i 181 143 7.2 37.2-37.7 170-174 420d xDrive 187 144 7.5 43.5-46.3 160 xDrive30d 254 143 6.7 42.2-42.8 172-176 1.0 TCe 100 Bi-Fuel 99 109 11.9 TBC 130-131
M240i 335 155 4.6-4.8 32.5 197 430d 254 155 5.6 40.9-41.5 174 xDrive40d 340 154 5.5 38.7-39.8 187-191
M2 Competition 404 155 4.2-4.4 28.5 225 430d xDrive 254 155 5.3 38.2-39.2 185 Logan MCV 5dr estate £10,745–£12,105 AAACC
M2 CS 448 174 4.0 28.5 226 435d xDrive 308 155 4.8 39.2-39.8 183 X7 5dr SUV £77,670–£95,745 AAAAC Lacks its stablemates’ charms but retains their cheapness.
BMW’s largest SUV yet crowns the line-up, but faces strong LxWxH 4501x1733x15212 Kerb weight 980kg
2 Series Convertible 2dr open £30,675–£45,385 AAABC AAAAB competition. LxWxH 5151x2000x1805 Kerb weight 2395kg
5 Series 4dr saloon £39,270–£102,325 0.9 TCe 90 89 109 11.1 47.1-47.9 131
Better than its 1 Series forebear but lacks truly distinguishing The perfect compromise between the comfy E-Class and dynamic xDrive40i 338 155 6.1 28.7 249-250 1.0 TCe 100 Bi-Fuel 99 114 11.6 46.2 116
premium qualities. LxWxH 4432x1774x1413 Kerb weight 1440kg XF, and then some. LxWxH 4936x2126x1479 Kerb weight 1530kg M50i 523 155 4.7 22.1 290
218i 134 130 9.4-9.6 35.3-36.2 177-181 520i 181 146 7.8 44.8-45.6 142-145 xDrive40d 340 152 6.1 36.2 203-204 Logan MCV Stepway 5dr estate £12,945–£13,745 AAABC
220i 181 143 7.7 34.9-35.8 180-184 530e 288 146 5.9 117.7-128.4 32-43 Given a rugged makeover but still lacks charm. Extremely
M240i 335 155 4.7-4.9 31.4 204 530e xDrive 288 146 5.9 TBC TBC i3 5dr hatch £39,690–£42,220 AAAAB practical, though. LxWxH 4528x1761x1559 Kerb weight 1090kg
M550i xDrive 528 155 3.8 25.9 247 Our favourite high-end small car happens to be an EV, and it could 0.9 TCe 90 89 104 12.4 44.3 138-139
2 Series Gran Coupé 4dr saloon £26,780–£38,525 AAACC M5 Competition 616 155 3.3 25.4 252 change motoring. LxWxH 3999x1775x1578 Kerb weight 1245kg 1.0 TCe 100 Bi-Fuel 99 108 TBC TBC 134
Blends 1 Series platform with rakish looks, but lacks the coupé’s 520d 187 147 7.5 57.6-58.9 126-129 120Ah 167 93 7.3 181 0
driver appeal. LxWxH 4526x1800x1420 Kerb weight 1350kg 520d xDrive 187 144 7.6 54.3-55.4 132-135 120Ah S 180 99 6.9 175 0 Duster 5dr SUV £11,245–£20,145 AAABC
218i 138 134 8.7 46.3-47.1 136-138 530d xDrive 261 155 5.4 51.4-52.3 143-145 A value champion. If cheap family transport is what you require,
M235i xDrive 302 155 4.9 37.2 172 iX3 5dr SUV £58,850–£61,850 AAAAC the Duster delivers. LxWxH 4341x1804x1633 Kerb weight 1147kg
218d 148 138 8.6 58.9-60.1 123-125 5 Series Touring 5dr estate £41,845–£62,455 AAAAB All-electric SUV is brisk, agile, refined and versatile. 1.0 TCe 90 89 103 13.5 46.3 139
220d 188 148 7.5 56.5-57.6 129-131 The excellent 5 Series made in more practical form. The 520d is LxWxH 4584x1852x1640 Kerb weight 2185kg 1.3 TCe 130 128 120 10.6 45.6 141
still the best. LxWxH 4942x2126x1498 Kerb weight 1630kg 80kWh 282 112 6.8 TBC 0 1.3 TCe 150 148 125 9.7 44.8 143
2 Series Active Tourer 5dr hatch £27,040–£38,775 AAAAC 520i 181 139 8.2 40.4-42.2 152-160 1.0 TCe 100 Bi-Fuel 99 106 14.4 TBC 146
BMW’s FWD hatch is a proper contender but not as practical as 540i xDrive 335 155 5.1 34.9-35.8 179-185 Z4 2dr coupé £38,745–£51,270 AAAAC 1.5 dCi 115 113 113 10.3 57.7 128
some of its rivals. LxWxH 4342x1800x1555 Kerb weight 1360kg 520d 187 147 7.8 52.3-55.4 134-142 Better to drive than ever but makes a better open-top cruiser than 1.5 dCi 115 4x4 113 108 12.1 51.4 143
218i 134 127 9.3 44.1-44.8 143-145 520d xDrive 187 144 7.9 49.6-52.3 140-148 a true sports car. LxWxH 4689x1942x1293 Kerb weight 1485kg
220i 181 142 7.4 42.2 151-153 530d 261 155 5.8 47.9 154 sDrive20i 195 155 6.6 39.8-40.4 160-161 DS
225xe 248 125 6.7 88.3-100.9 44 530d xDrive 261 155 5.6 46.3-47.9 160 sDrive30i 255 155 5.4 39.8 161-162 3 Crossback 5dr SUV £22,955–£38,600 AAABC
216d 114 121 11.1 58.9 125-126 sDrive M40i 338 155 4.6 35.8 181 First foray into compact SUVs comfortably competes with more
218d 148 129 9.0-9.1 56.5 130-132 7 Series 4dr saloon £71,725–£90,465 AAAAC established rivals. LxWxH 4118x1802x1534 Kerb weight 1205kg
220d 187 141 7.6 54.3 136-137 Rules on in-car entertainment and diesel sophistication; otherwise C AT E R H A M 1.2 PureTech 100 98 112 10.9 80.4 127
220d xDrive 187 138 7.5 51.4 144-145 too bland. LxWxH 5098x1902x1478 Kerb weight 1755kg Seven 2dr open £26,490–£53,885 AAAAB 1.2 PureTech 130 128 124 9.2 47.1 141
740i 338 155 5.5 34-35.8 180-190 The 360 is the sweet spot, giving the Seven just the right hit of 1.2 PureTech 155 153 129 8.2 46.6-52.0 127-143
750i xDrive 527 155 4.0 26.4 243-245 performance. LxWxH 3100x1575x1090 Kerb weight 490kg 1.5 BlueHDI 100 98 112 11.4 62.7 123
745e 283 155 5.1-5.2 104.6-141.2 46 1.6 Sigma Ti-VCT 270 135 122 5.0 NA NA 50kWh E-Tense 132 93 8.7 191-206 0
730d 261 155 6.1 49.6-51.4 144-148 1.6 Sigma Ti-VCT 310 152 127 4.9 NA NA
730d xDrive 261 155 5.8 47.1-47.9 155-158 2.0 Duratec 360 180 130 4.8 NA NA 7 Crossback 5dr SUV £32,370–£46,550 AAABC
740d xDrive 315 155 5.2 46.3-47.1 158-159 2.0 Duratec 420 210 136 3.8 NA NA DS’s first premium SUV certainly has the right price tag, equipment
2.0 Supercharged 620S 310 145 3.4 NA NA and appeal. LxWxH 4570x1895x1620 Kerb weight 1420kg
8 Series 2dr coupé/2dr open £74,640–£133,380 AAAAC 2.0 Supercharged 620R 310 155 2.8 NA NA 1.2 PureTech 130 129 122 10.2 42.2-46.0 143-152
Has dynamism to spare but not quite the breadth of ability of the 1.6 PureTech 180 178 137 8.9 42.2 152
best sporting GTs. LxWxH 4843x1902x1341 Kerb weight 1830kg CITROEN 1.6 E-Tense 295 149 5.9 176.6-201.8 32-40
840i 335 155 5.0 33.2-33.6 193-194 C1 3dr hatch/5dr hatch £10,330–£14,300 AAABC 1.5 BlueHDi 130 TBC 121 11.7 54.1-55.3 143
M850i xDrive 523 155 3.7 24.8-25.2 255-260 Slightly cheaper than its Toyota sibling but less visually charming. 2.0 BlueHDi 180 EAT8 171 134 9.9 48.2 162-69
M8 Competition 623 155 3.2-3.3 25.2-25.4 252-254 LxWxH 3455x1615x1460 Kerb weight 855kg
840d xDrive 316 155 4.9 40.4 183-184 1.0 VTI 72 71 99 12.6 58.9 109-110 FERRARI
Portofino 2dr open £166,295 AAAAC
8 Series Gran Coupé 4dr saloon £72,575–£123,880 AAAAC C3 5dr hatchback £13,995–£20,590 AAABC The entry-level Ferrari has the power, the looks and the touring
Four-door grand tourer offers greater practicality than its two-door Funky, fresh look gives a lease of life, shame that underneath isn’t ability. LxWxH 4586x1938x1318 Kerb weight 1664kg
siblings. LxWxH 5072x1932x1397 Kerb weight 1800kg the same. LxWxH 3996x1749x1474 Kerb weight 976kg 3.9T V8 591 199 3.5 14.7-28.0 230-436
840i 335 155 5.2 33.2 194 1.2 PureTech 82 79 107 12.8 51.3 130-131
M850i xDrive 523 155 3.9 24.6 260 1.2 PureTech 110 107 117 9.3 52.3 129-131
M8 Competition 623 155 3.2 25.4 254 1.5 BlueHDi 100 96 115 10.6 67.0 117-118
840d xDrive 316 155 5.1 39.8 187

17 NOVEMBER 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 75

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S-Max 5dr MPV £31,320–£42,985 AAAAC i20 5dr hatch £18,605–£22,105 AAAAC
Better to drive and better looking than most but not quite the Combines decent performance with good practicality and running
class leader it was. LxWxH 4976x1916x1655 Kerb weight 1645kg costs. LxWxH 4035x1734x1474 Kerb weight 980kg
2.0 TDCi EcoBlue 150 148 123 10.3 47.1 159-160 1.0 T-GDI 100 98 113-117 10.8-11.4 47.9-49.6 129-134
2.0 TDCi EcoBlue 190 188 129 9.5 43.5 170-171 1.0 T-GDI 120 118 118 10.2 47.1 137
2.0 TDCi EcoBlue 190 AWD 188 128 9.8 40.9 181 1.2 MPI 75 74 99 13.6 47.9 134
1.2 MPI 84 83 106 12.8 45.6-47.9 134-141
Galaxy 5dr MPV £33,720–£42,985 AAABC
Huge seven-seat MPV. Easy to place on the road but not cheap to i30 5dr hatch £20,705–£25,545 AAABC
buy. LxWxH 4848x1916x1747 Kerb weight 1708kg As good as we’ve come to expect from Hyundai, but not one inch
2.0 TDCi EcoBlue 150 148 122-123 10.9 46.3 160 better. LxWxH 4340x1795x1455 Kerb weight 1194kg
2.0 TDCi EcoBlue 190 188 129-131 9.6-9.8 43.5 1.0 T-GDi 120171 118 118 11.1 45.6 121-122
2.0 TDCi EcoBlue 190 AWD 188 128 10.6 40.4 1.5 T-GDi 184 157 130 8.6 42.2-46.3 142
2.0 T-GDi 275 N Performance 272 155 6.1 34.0 188
Roma 2dr coupé £175,000 AAAAB Ecosport 5dr SUV £20,845–£22,045 AAACC 1.6 CRDi 115 113 118 11.0-11.2 58.9-60.1 121-122 E-Pace 5dr SUV £30,490–£49,965 AAAAC
Gorgeous coupé is a proper grand tourer with a focus on usability. Facelifted version of the pumped-up Fiesta is okay, but developing- Jaguar’s second SUV looks enticing, but can it make an impact like
LxWxH 4656x1974x1301 Kerb weight 1570kg world roots show. LxWxH 4096x1765x1653 Kerb weight 1280kg i30 Fastback 4dr saloon £20,710–£30,310 AAABC the F-Pace’s? LxWxH 4411x1984x1649 Kerb weight 1775kg
3.9T V8 612 199 3.4 14.7-28.0 230-436 1.0T Ecoboost 100 98 105 11.9 48.7 133 Combines good looks with sensible practicalities and dynamic 2.0 P200 AWD 198 134 7.7 30.1 213
1.0T Ecoboost 125 123 111 11.0-11.6 47.1 135 charm. LxWxH 4455x1795x1425 Kerb weight 1287kg 2.0 P250 AWD 245 143 6.6 29.8 215
F8 Tributo 2dr coupé/open £203,476 AAAAA 1.0T Ecoboost 140 138 115 10.2 47.1 136 1.5 T-GDI 157 130 8.6 49.6-52.3 141-151 2.0 P300 AWD 295 151 5.9 28.3 226
The last hurrah for the pure internal combustion V8-powered 1.5 TDCi EcoBlue 100 99 105 13.6 56.5 128 2.0 T-GDI 275 N Performance 272 155 6.1 34.0 188 1.5 P300e 305 134 6.5 TBC TBC
mid-engined Ferrari. LxWxH 4611x1979x1206 Kerb weight 1435kg 1.5 TDCi EcoBlue 125 123 113 10.7 53.3 139 2.0 D150 148 124 9.5 42.7 174
3.9T V8 Tributo 710 211 2.9 21.9 292 i30 Tourer 5dr estate £21,455–£26,295 AAABC 2.0 D150 AWD 148 120 9.9-10.1 36.5-41.8 177-188
Puma 5dr SUV £23,640–£30,415 AAAAC Another solid car. Good value and practical but lacks excitement. 2.0 D180 AWD 177 127-128 8.7-9.4 39.5-41.2 180-188
GTC4 Lusso 2dr coupé £200,300–£240,537 AAAAB Compact crossover finally has a class leader capable of appealing LxWxH 4585x1795x1465 Kerb weight 1245kg 2.0 D240 AWD 236 139 7.0 37.1 200
Another four-wheel-drive grand tourer Ferrari that is more usable to petrolheads. LxWxH 4186x1805x1554 Kerb weight 1280kg 1.0 T-GDi 120 118 117 11.4 47.9-49.6 130-139
than the FF. LxWxH 4922x1980x1383 Kerb weight 1865kg 1.0T Ecoboost 125 123 119 10.0 46.3 138 1.6 CRDi 136 134 123 10.9 56.5-57.6 126-127 F-Pace 5dr SUV £40,860–£77,595 AAAAC
3.9T V8 592 198 3.5 13.5-25.2 253-477 1.0T Ecoboost MHEV 125 123 119 9.8 50.4 127 Credible first SUV effort is as refined and dynamic as a Jaguar
6.3 V12 670 208 3.4 9.9-21.0 308-648 1.0T Ecoboost MHEV 155 153 124 8.9 50.4 127 Ioniq 5dr hatch £23,840–£35,950 AAABC should be. LxWxH 4731x2071x1666 Kerb weight 1690kg
First attempt at electrification for the masses is a good effort. 2.0 P250 AWD 246 135 7.3 30.4 214-220
812 Superfast 2dr open £263,098 AAAAA Kuga 5dr SUV £26,765–£38,425 AAAAC LxWxH 4470x1820x1450 Kerb weight 1370kg 3.0 P400 AWD 394 155 5.4 28.8 222-230
More powerful than the F12, but with better road manners making All-new version of popular SUV mixes dynamism with practicality 1.6 Hybrid 141 139 115 10.8-11.1 61.4-62.8 102 2.0 P400e AWD 398 149 5.3 TBC TBC
it the star of the range. LxWxH 4657x1971x1276 Kerb weight and refinement. LxWxH 4614x1883x1678 Kerb weight 1698kg 1.6 Plug-in Hybrid 141 139 110 10.8 256.8 26 5.0 V8 SVR 550 AWD 548 178 4.0 23.1 275
1630kg 1.5T Ecoboost 120 117 115 11.6 42.2 152 Electric 132 110 10.6 194 0 2.0 D165 AWD 163 121 9.9 45.4 165-171
6.5 V12 777 211 2.9 11.2-20.0 320-572 1.5T Ecoboost 150 148 121 9.7 41.5-42.8 151 2.0 D200 AWD 197 130 8.0 45.4 165-171
2.5 Ecoboost PHEV 223 125 9.2 201.8 32 Kona 5dr hatch £21,060–£41,250 AAAAC 3.0 D300 AWD 296 143 6.4 38.1 195-202
SF90 Stradale 2dr coupé £400,000 AAAAA 1.5T EcoBlue 120 118 112 11.7 55.4 134 Hyundai’s first crossover is the perfect blend of practicality, value
Plug-in hybrid doesn’t do things conventionally. A 986bhp technical 2.0T EcoBlue 150 MHEV 148 121 9.6 56.5 132 and style. LxWxH 4165x1800x1550 Kerb weight 1233kg I-Pace 5dr SUV £64,495–£74,995 AAAAB
masterpiece. LxWxH 4710x1972x1186 Kerb weight 1570kg 2.0T EcoBlue 190 188 129 8.7 47.9 159 1.0 T-GDi 120 2WD 118 112 12.0 44.1-44.8 142-147 Fast, refined and the first of its kind from a European
4.0T V8 986 211 2.5 TBC TBC 1.6 T-GDi 177PS 4WD 175 127 7.9 34.0-33.6 189 manufacturer. LxWxH 4682x1895x1558 Kerb weight 2133kg
Mustang Mach-E 4dr crossover £40,350–£58,080 AAAAC 1.6 GDi Hybrid 2WD 134 119 10.2 52.3 114-123 EV400 398 124 4.5 292 0
F I AT Likeable, practical high-rise EV has only a badge in common with Electric 39kWh 134 96 9.6 180 0
500 3dr hatch/2dr open £13,260–£32,995 AAABC its coupé namesake. LxWxH 4712x1881x1597 Kerb weight 1993kg Electric 64kWh 201 104 7.6 280 0 JEEP
Super-desirable, super-cute city car. Pleasant, if not involving to 68kWh 265 111 6.1 248 0 Compass 5dr SUV £27,100–£37,755 AAACC
drive. LxWxH 3571x1627x1488 Kerb weight 865kg 68kWh AWD 265 111 5.6 273 0 Nexo 5dr SUV £69,495 AAABC Wants to be a catch-all crossover but is beaten by more road-
1.2 69hp 68 99 12.9 47.1 136-141 88kWh 290 111 6.2 379 0 Impressive effort that heads in the right direction for fuel cell cars. focused rivals. LxWxH 4394x2033x1629 Kerb weight 1430kg
1.0 Mild Hybrid 69 104 13.8 53.3 119-121 88kWh AWD 346 111 5.1 235 0 LxWxH 4670x2060x1640 Kerb weight 1814kg 1.4 Multiair II 140 138 119 9.9 37.7 172
Electric 21.3kWh TBC TBC TBC TBC 0 95kW fuel cell 161 130 9.6 42.0mpkg 0 1.4 Multiair II 170 4WD 167 124 9.5 32.5 209
Electric 37.8kWh 116 116 9.0 199 0 Mustang 2dr coupé/open £44,185–£55,185 AAAAC 1.6d MultiJet II 120 118 115 11.0 47.9 157
American muscle built for the UK, in coupé and convertible forms. Tucson 5dr SUV £28,495–£34,455 AAABC 2.0d MultiJet II 170 4WD 167 122 9.5 38.2 191
500L 5dr MPV £18,030–£21,330 AAACC What’s not to like? LxWxH 4784x1916x1381 Kerb weight 1653kg Classy, roomy cabin and predictable handling. A very competitive
A costly option but has some style to fill out some of its missing 5.0 V8 444 155 4.8 23.5-23.9 268-274 SUV. LxWxH 4475x1850x1650 Kerb weight 1379kg Renegade 5dr SUV £23,400–£36,500 AAABC
substance. LxWxH TBC Kerb weight TBC 5.0 V8 Bullitt 453 163 4.6 23.9 270 1.6 GDi 132PS 130 113 11.5 35.3 178-180 Middling compact crossover with chunky looks but no obvious
1.4 95hp 93 103-111 13.4 38.7-39.8 166-170 1.6 T-GDi 177PS 175 125-126 8.9-9.2 34.9-36.2 173-185 charm. LxWxH 4236x1805x1667 Kerb weight 1346kg
GT 2dr coupé £420,000 AAAAC 1.6 CRDi 115PS 113 109 13.7 48.7-49.6 135-137 1.0 GSE T3 120 118 115 11.2 38.2 151
500X 5dr hatch £19,460–£26,060 AAABC The GT is back as a race car for the road. Compelling if not perfect. 1.6 CRDi 136PS 134 114-116 10.6-12.0 45.6-47.1 146-153 1.3 GSE T4 150 148 122 9.4 38.2-39.8 151
Familiar styling works rather well as a crossover. Drives okay, too. LxWxH 4808x1928x1692 Kerb weight 1912kg 2.0 CRDi 185PS 182 125 9.5 40.9 172-180 1.3 Turbo 4xe 188 113 7.5 122.8-134.5 42-49
LxWxH 4248x1796x1600 Kerb weight TBC 3.5 V6 Ecoboost 650 216 3.0 TBC TBC 1.3 Turbo 4xe Trailhawk 238 124 7.1 117.7-128.4 51-53
1.0 Firefly Turbo 120hp 118 117 10.9 42.2-45.6 142-153 Santa Fe 5dr SUV £39,420–£44,465 AAABC
1.3 Firefly Turbo 150hp 148 124 9.1 40.9-42.2 152-153 Ranger 4dr pick-up £24,369–£47,889 AAAAC Another big Korean SUV with lots of space for not a lot of cash. Wrangler 2dr/4dr SUV £41,525–£51,850 AAAAC
Capable pick-up becomes off-road monster in Raptor spec but Slick and comfy. LxWxH 4700x1880x1675 Kerb weight 1939kg Heavy-duty off-roader goes anywhere but lacks on-road manners.
Panda 5dr hatch £12,025–£18,125 AAABC loses VAT incentives. LxWxH 5277x1977x1703 Kerb weight 1866kg 2.2 CRDi 200 AWD 197 127 9.4-9.5 38.7-40.4 179-191 LxWxH 4223x1873x1840 Kerb weight 1827kg
Hasn’t kept pace with its rivals, but sells robust, practical charm 2.0 EcoBlue 130 128 106 13.5 42.8 173 2.0 GME 265 110 7.3-7.6 25.4-26.4 248-254
better than most. LxWxH 3653x1643x1551 Kerb weight 940kg 2.0 EcoBlue 170 158 109 11.8 40.4-43.5 184-207 JAGUAR 2.2d MultiJet II 200 4WD 197 114 9.5 28.8-30.4 243-247
1.2 69hp 68 96-102 14.2-14.5 44.1 132 2.0 EcoBlue 213 210 106 10.5 30.7 201-233 XE 4dr saloon £29,635–£40,140 AAAAB
0.9 Twinair 85 83 103-110 11.2-12.1 37.2 166-168 Tops the pile thanks to outstanding driver appeal. Poised and
3.2 Duratorq TDCI 200 197 109 KIA
10.6 32.1-36.2 221-231
1.0 Mild Hybrid 69 96 14.7 50.4-52.3 126-132 engaging but refined. LxWxH 4678x1850x1416 Kerb weight 1450kg Picanto 5dr hatch £10,995–£15,795 AAACC
G I N E T TA 2.0 P250 246 150 6.7 34-35.5 179-187 Nice drive and cabin but now overshadowed by rivals.
Tipo 5dr hatch £17,690–£21,985 AAABC G40 Club Car 2dr coupé £35,000 (+champ pack) AAABC 2.0 P300 AWD 296 155 5.9 30.8-32.4 197-207 LxWxH 3595x1406x1485 Kerb weight 935kg
A ’90s reboot that has been on a diet. Decent to drive and ample A balanced, affordable and fine-looking track-day car. Some of the 2.0 D200 198 146 7.3 54.0-57.7 128-137 1.0 MPi 65 100 13.8 49.6-50.4 117-122
interior space. LxWxH 4368x1792x1495 Kerb weight 1195kg finish isn’t quite up to snuff. LxWxH TBC Kerb weight 840kg 1.25 MPi 82 100-107 11.6-13.2 42.2-49.6 128-131
1.4 95 93 115 12.1 36.2-36.7 TBC 1.8 Zetec 135 125 TBC NA NA XF 4dr saloon £33,925–£44,760 AAAAB 1.0 T-GDi 99 112 10.1 48.7 128-129
1.4 T-Jet 120 118 124 9.6 39.2 162-167 Outstandingly broad-batted dynamically, plus a pleasant cabin.
1.6 Multijet II 120 118 124 9.8-10.2 53.3 132 H O N DA LxWxH 4954x1880x1457 Kerb weight 1545kg Rio 5dr hatch £13,645–£20,145 AAABC
AAABC 2.0 P250 246 155 E 5dr hatch £30,160–£32,160
6.9 33.0-34.9 183-193 Looks great and is well priced, but nowhere near its European
Tipo Station Wagon 5dr estate £16,990–£22,945 AAABC Eminently likeable, with good dynamics but a limited range and 2.0 P300 AWD 296 155 6.1 31.2-32.8 194-204 rivals. LxWxH 4065x1725x1445 Kerb weight 1155kg
Estate version is more practical, which mixes well with its driving ambitious price. LxWxH 3894x1752x1512 Kerb weight 1520kg 2.0 D200 198 146 7.6 52.8-56.5 131-140 1.25 MPi 82 107 12.5 45.6-46.3 132-139
characteristics. LxWxH 4571x1792x1514 Kerb weight 1205kg 100kW 136 90 9.0 137 0 2.0 D200 AWD 198 143 7.8 48.9-51.3 128-137 1.0 T-GDi 99 98 115 10.3 48.7 132-134
1.4 95 93 115 12.3 41.5 158 113kW 154 90 8.3 136 0 1.0 T-GDi 118 116 118 9.8 44.8-47.1 139
1.4 T-Jet 120 118 124 9.8 39.2 162 XF Sportbrake 5dr estate £37,735–£46,610 AAAAB
1.6 Multijet II 120 118 124 10.1-10.4 52.3 134 Jazz 5dr hatch £18,985–£23,385 AAAAC Superb XF is now available in the more practical Sportbrake form. Ceed 5dr hatch £19,700–£29,020 AAAAC
FO Not the most compact or vivacious but has decent handling and is It’s a win-win. LxWxH 4955x1880x1494 Kerb weight 1660kg Third-generation hatchback can now compete for class honours.
FORD cleverly packaged. LxWxH 4044x1694x1526 Kerb weight 1300kg 2.0 P250 246 150 7.1 32-33.7 189-199 LxWxH 4310x1800x1447 Kerb weight 1315kg
Fiesta 3dr/5dr hatch £16,640–£26,700 AAAAB 1.5 i-MMD 109 108 9.4-9.9 62.8 2.0 P300 AWD 102-110 296 155 6.2 29.9-31.2 204-213 1.0 T-GDi 118 116 116 10.9 47.9-50.4 122-126
Dynamically superb and continues the Fiesta legacy. No longer the 2.0 D200 198 143 7.8 50.7-53.7 138-146 1.5 T-GDi 158 156 128-130 8.6-8.9 43.5-46.3 129-135
class leader, though. LxWxH 4040x1735x1476 Kerb weight 1113kg Civic 5dr hatch £21,530–£39,995 AAAAC 2.0 D200 AWD 198 143 8.0 47.0-49.1 151-157 1.6 T-GDi 201 198 142 7.5 38.2 153
1.1 75 73 103 14.5 53.3 121 A fresh look while remaining practical, refined and upmarket. Lacks 1.6 CRDi 134 132 122 10.2 57.6 120
1.0 Ecoboost 95 93 105-113 10.6-13.8 55.4 116-120 some dynamism. LxWxH 4518x1799x1434 Kerb weight 1275kg F-Type 2dr coupé £54,510–£97,315 AAAAB
1.0 Ecoboost MHEV 125 123 126 9.4 56.5 96-121 1.0 VTEC Turbo 126 124 125-126 10.2-11.2 47.9 124-141 A full-blooded assault on Porsche’s backyard, with noise, power Ceed Sportswagon 5dr estate £20,400–£30,540 AAAAC
1.0 Ecoboost MHEV 155 153 136 8.9 55.4 104-123 1.5 VTEC Turbo 182 179 125-136 8.2-8.5 46.3 137 and beauty. LxWxH 4482x1923x1311 Kerb weight 1525kg All of the above, but with cavernous, more practical load space.
1.5T Ecoboost 200 ST 197 144 6.5 42.8 149 2.0 VTEC Turbo Type R 315 169 5.8 33.2 191-193 2.0 P300 296 155 5.7 29.9 215 LxWxH 4600x1800x1465 Kerb weight 1389kg
5.0 P450 444 177 4.6 26.0-26.8 239-246 1.0 T-GDi 118 116 118 10.9 47.1 121-127
Focus 5dr hatch £22,210–£33,260 AAAAB HR-V 5dr SUV £20,735–£28,420 AAABC 5.0 P575 518 186 3.7 26.4 243 1.5 T-GDi 158 156 128-130 8.6-8.9 43.5-46.3 131
Better to drive and look at than before, and impressively good Cleverly packaged and comfortable. Bland performance and 1.6 CRDi 134 132 122 10.2 57.6 121
value. LxWxH 4378x1825x1471 Kerb weight 1369kg forgettable, though. LxWxH 4294x1772x1605 Kerb weight 1241kg F-Type Convertible 2dr open £59,990–£102,405 AAAAB 1.6 GDi PHEV 137 106 10.5 118.3-217.2 33
1.0 Ecoboost 125 123 124 10.0 55.4 116 1.5 i-VTEC 130 128 116-119 10.2-11.4 42.2 148-153 Costs serious money, but you get a serious car with a likeable wild
1.0 Ecoboost MHEV 125 123 124 10.0-10.3 55.4 116 1.5 i-VTEC Turbo 182 180 134 7.8 47.1-47.9 151 side. LxWxH 4482x1923x1308 Kerb weight 1545kg Proceed 5dr hatch £24,335–£29,835 AAABC
1.0 Ecoboost MHEV 155 152 129-131 9.2-9.5 55.4 116 1.6 i-DTEC 120 119 10.0 54.3-56.5 132-136 2.0 P300 296 155 5.7 29.6 217 Alluring and interesting, but not quite as special to drive as it looks.
2.3T Ecoboost 280 ST 276 155 5.7 34.3 187 5.0 P450 444 177 4.6 26.0-26.6 241-247 LxWxH 4605x1800x1422 Kerb weight 1405kg
1.5 EcoBlue 120 118 117-122 10.0-10.8 62.8 119-127 CR-V 5dr SUV £30,810–£39,770 AAAAC 5.0 P575 518 186 3.7 26.4 243 1.4 T-GDi 138 136 127-130 8.8-9.1 42.8-45.6 141-146
2.0 EcoBlue 150 148 127-130 8.5-9.1 60.1 125 Tardis-like SUV stalwart has lots of space for five and a big boot. 1.5 T-GDi 158 156 128-130 8.6-8.9 43.5-46.3 131-136
2.0 EcoBlue 190 ST 188 137 7.6 50.4 148 LxWxH 4605x1820x1685 Kerb weight 1515kg 1.6 T-GDi 201 198 140 7.2 39.3 163
1.5 i-VTEC 130 128 119 10.2-10.7 TBC 148-153 1.6 CRDi 134 132 124 9.8-10.0 54.3-56.5 131
Focus Estate 5dr estate £23,370–£34,660 AAABC 1.5 i-VTEC 182 179 134 7.8 TBC 151
Almost as good to drive as the hatch, but a Skoda Octavia will 1.6 i-VDEC 182 118 134 10.0-10.5 TBC 132-136 Xceed 5dr hatch £21,050–£34,905 AAABC
carry more. LxWxH 4669x1825x1481 Kerb weight 1485kg 2.0 i-MMD hybrid 181 112 9.2 38.2 162 Crossover-styled hatch that drives well, but lacks practicality and
1.0T Ecoboost 125 123 123 10.3 55.4 116 polish. LxWxH 4395x1826x1483 Kerb weight 1332kg
1.0 Ecoboost MHEV 125 123 120-123 10.3-10.6 55.4 98-116 NSX 2dr coupé £149,975 AAAAB 1.0 T-GDi 118 116 115 10.9 45.6 140-146
1.0 Ecoboost MHEV 155 152 127-130 9.4-9.7 55.4 116 Honda’s supercar given a modern reboot, and it’s some piece of 1.4 T-GDi 138 136 124 9.1 42.8 150-151
2.3T Ecoboost 280 ST 276 155 5.8-6.0 35.3 183 engineering. LxWxH 4487x1939x1204 Kerb weight 1725kg 1.5 T-GDi 158 156 TBC TBC TBC 142-143
1.5 EcoBlue 120 118 118-120 10.3-11.1 62.8 119 3.5 V6 hybrid 573 191 2.9 26.4 242 1.5 CRDi 134 132 122 10.2 53.3 133
1.5 EcoBlue 150 148 127-129 8.7-9.3 60.1 125 1.6 GDi PHEV 137 99 10.6 TBC TBC
2.0 EcoBlue 190 ST 188 137 7.7 50.4 148 HYU N DAI
i10 5dr hatch £12,820–£15,620 AAAAC Soul EV 5dr hatch £37,545 AAAAC
Mondeo 5dr hatch/4dr saloon £25,565–£35,720 AAAAC Prioritises maturity over fun, resulting in a car that is practical and Electric-only hatch with looks that divide opinion, but competitive
Does what great Fords do, by over-delivering on practicality, well-priced. LxWxH 3665x1660x1500 Kerb weight 933kg range. LxWxH 4220x1825x1605 Kerb weight 1757kg
handling and value. LxWxH 4871x1852x1482 Kerb weight 1455kg 1.0 MPi 67 97 14.6 53.3 114-120 64kWh 201 104 7.6 280 0
2.0 TiVCT hybrid 187 184 116 9.2 50.4 134-142 1.0 T-GDI 99 115 10.5 52.3 123
2.0 TDCi EcoBlue 150 148 131-133 10.7-10.9 52.3-56.5 136-146 1.2 MPi 84 106 12.6 51.4 124 Stinger 4dr saloon £41,145 AAABC
2.0 TDCi EcoBlue 190 188 138 8.9 51.4 145-148 Sleek coupé-shaped saloon has the appeal and dynamics to rival
2.0 TDCi EcoBlue 190 AWD 188 137 9.1 47.9-48.7 155-158 Europe’s best. LxWxH 4830x1870x1400 Kerb weight 1717kg
3.3 V6 T-GDi 360 168 4.7 27.7 233

76 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 17 NOVEMBER 2021

 N E W CAR PR I CES
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Niro 5dr SUV £25,150–£39,395 AAABC 3 saloon 4dr saloon £24,800–£28,900 AAAAC A-Class Saloon 4dr saloon £26,190–£45,420 AAABC
Kia’s first full hybrid is a solid attempt but lacks the refinement of Refined and dynamically satisfying in a saloon bodystyle. Larger, more grown-up A-Class adds premium touch to smallest
better rivals. LxWxH 4355x1805x1545 Kerb weight 1500kg LxWxH 4460x1795x1440 Kerb weight 1405kg Merc saloon. LxWxH 4549x1796x1446 Kerb weight 1465kg
1.6 GDi Hybrid 137 101 11.1 TBC 110-120 2.0 e-Skyactiv-X 186 183 134 8.1
1.3 A180 134 134 TBC
8.9 42.8-48.7 133-137 114-117
1.6 GDi Hybrid PHEV 137 107 10.4 TBC TBC 1.3 A200 161 143 8.3 48.7 133-137
39kWh e-Niro 132 96 9.5 TBC 0 6 4dr saloon £24,975–£32,355 AAABC 2.0 A250 221 155 6.3 42.2 154-156
64kWh e-Niro 198 104 7.5 282 0 A compelling mix of size, economy and performance. Interior is a 2.0 A250e 215 149 6.7 256.8 25
let-down. LxWxH 4870x1840x1450 Kerb weight 1465kg 2.0 AMG A35 4Matic 302 155 4.8 32.9-36.7 177-187
Stonic 5dr SUV £18,445–£22,505 AAABC 2.0 Skyactiv-G 143 129 9.9 TBC 152 1.5 A180d 114 128 10.2 56.5-64.2 126-129
Kia’s first crossover is striking and reasonably good considering 2.0 Skyactiv-G 163 134 9.4 TBC 152 2.0 A200d 148 141 8.2 58.9 127-131
the value. LxWxH 4140x1760x1520 Kerb weight 1160kg 2.0 Skyactiv-G GT 191 142 8.1 TBC 167
1.0 T-GDi 116 115 9.9 46.3-47.1 137 CLA Coupé 4dr saloon £31,690–£59,110 AAAAC
6 Tourer 5dr estate £25,975–£33,685 AAABC May use A-Class underpinnings, but engineered to be much
Sportage 5dr SUV £23,795–£33,680 AAABC Attractively styled but only average to drive. sportier to drive. LxWxH 4688x1830x1444 Kerb weight 1490kg
Good ride, handling and usability. Looks good and is decent value. Discovery 5dr SUV £53,090–£68,050 AAAAB LxWxH 4805x1840x1480 Kerb weight 1465kg 1.3 CLA 180 133 134 9.0 47.9 138-140
LxWxH 4480x1855x1635 Kerb weight 1454kg The country bumpkin given elocution lessons without losing its 2.0 Skyactiv-G 143 128 10.0 TBC 155 1.3 CLA 200 161 142 8.2 42.8-47.9 138-140
1.6 GDi 128 113 11.1 34.9-35.7 177-184 rugged capabilities. LxWxH 4956x2073x1888 Kerb weight 2115kg 2.0 Skyactiv-G 163 133 9.4 TBC 155 1.3 CLA 250e 215 149 6.8 TBC TBC
1.6 T-GDi 172 127 8.9 34.4-34.9 183-184 2.0 P300 296 125 7.3 24.9-25.1 254-256 2.0 Skyactiv-G GT 191 139 8.1 TBC 172 2.0 CLA 250 222 155 6.3 38.7-42.2 154-155
1.6 T-GDi AWD 172 125-126 8.8-9.2 31.7-32.5 192-201 3.0 P360 355 130 6.5 26.0-26.4 241-245 2.0 AMG CLA 35 4Matic 302 155 4.9 34.9-37.2 177-187
1.6 CRDi 134 48V AWD 132 112 11.6 42.8-43.5 141-161 3.0 D250 246 120 8.1 33.4-33.7 220-222 CX-30 5dr SUV £22,930–£30,490 AAAAC 2.0 AMG CLA 45 S 4Matic+ 415 168 4.0 33.2 200-202
3.0 D300 296 130 6.8 33.2-33.5 221-223 Dynamic qualities, a classy interior and a handsome look set it 2.0 CLA 220d 185 152 7.1 53.3-57.7 132
Sorento 5dr SUV £38,845–£48,895 AAAAC apart from rivals. LxWxH 4395x1795x1540 Kerb weight 1334kg
Kia moves upmarket with a smart, well-priced and nicely appointed LEXUS 2.0 e-Skyactiv-G 120 116 10.6 TBC 134 CLA Shooting Brake 5dr estate £32,690–£60,110 AAABC
seven-seater. LxWxH 4780x1890x1685 Kerb weight 1932kg CT 5dr hatch £26,275–£33,275 AAAAC 2.0 e-Skyactiv-X 186 183 127 8.3 TBC 127 The most practical of the A-Class range, but it suffers for its
1.6 T-GDi HEV 223 119 8.7 38.2-40.9 158-168 Hybrid-only hatch has a poky cabin and mismatched character challenging styling. LxWxH 4688x1830x1447 Kerb weight 1430kg
2.2 CRDi 197 127 9.1 42.2 176 traits. LxWxH 4350x1765x1445 Kerb weight 1465kg CX-5 5dr SUV £27,230–£37,185 AAAAC 1.3 CLA 180 133 130 9.2 35.8-40.9 140-141
1.8 VVT-i CT200h 134 112 10.3 53.2-54.3 118-119 Offers powerful diesel engines and strong performance, plus a 1.3 CLA 200 161 140 8.4 35.3-40.9 141-142
KTM welcoming interior. LxWxH 4550x1840x1675 Kerb weight 1575kg 2.0 CLA 250 222 155 6.4 37.7-40.9 157-159
X-Bow 0dr open £57,345–£70,717 AAAAC ES 4dr saloon £35,210–£45,690 AAABC 2.0 165 162 125 10.3 TBC 152-154 1.3 CLA 250e 215 146 6.9 TBC TBC
Eccentric looks and sharp handling but expensive. Gatecrashes the German-controlled saloon market in a way the GS 2.5 194 191 121 9.2 TBC 182 2.0 AMG CLA 35 4Matic 302 155 4.9 36.2 183-191
LxWxH 3738x1915x1202 Kerb weight 847kg could never manage. LxWxH 4975x1865x1445 Kerb weight 1680kg 2.2d 150 148 127 9.9 TBC 151-154 2.0 AMG CLA 45 S 4Matic+ 415 168 4.0 32.8 203-205
2.0 R 290 143 3.9 NA NA 2.5 VVT-i ES300h 218 112 8.9 53.2 119 2.2d 184 181 129 9.3 TBC 175 2.0 CLA 220d 185 147 7.2 43.5-48.7 135-136
2.0 GT 280 143 4.1 NA NA
LS 4dr saloon £76,910–£102,925 AAABC MX-30 5dr SUV £28,545–£32,845 AAAAC B-Class 5dr hatch £28,045–£38,245 AAABC
LAMBORGHINI Luxury saloon gets more tech and opulence but is let down by its Classy and affordable all-electric crossover marred only by its A slightly odd prospect, but practical and classy nonetheless.
Huracán 2dr coupé/open £167,110–£220,847 AAAAC hybrid powertrain. LxWxH 5235x1900x1460 Kerb weight 2270kg limited range. LxWxH 4395x1795x1555 Kerb weight 1645kg LxWxH 4393x1786x1557 Kerb weight 1395kg
Junior Lambo mixes usability and drama skilfully, in both coupé 3.5 V6 VVT-i LS500h 348 155 5.4 30.7-36.6 175-208 35.5kWh 143 87 9.7 124 0 1.3 B180 134 132 9.0 45.6 140-142
and Spyder forms. LxWxH 4459x1924x1165 Kerb weight 1389kg 1.3 B200 159 139 8.2 46.3 140-142
5.2 V10 Evo RWD 608 202 3.3 20.5 330-335 RC 2dr coupé £40,245–£79,940 AAABC MX-5 2dr open £23,800–£29,995 AAAAA 2.0 B250 161 139 8.2 40.4 159
5.2 V10 Evo 631 201 2.9 20.3 332-338 An also-ran, but the V8 RC F packs plenty of character and handles Brilliantly packaged, priced and perfectly poised but more vibrant 1.3 B250e 215 146 6.8 TBC TBC
well enough. LxWxH 4695x1840x1395 Kerb weight 1736kg than the original. LxWxH 3915x1735x1225 Kerb weight 1050kg 1.5 B180d 114 124 9.8 61.4 137-138
Aventador 2dr coupé/open £274,036–£482,412 AAAAC 5.0 V8 RC F 470 168 4.5 23.9 268 1.5 Skyactiv-G 132 129 127 8.3 44.1 142 2.0 B200d 148 136 8.3 57.7 134-144
Big, hairy V12 has astonishing visuals and performance. Handling 2.0 Skyactiv-G 184 181 136 6.5 40.4 153 2.0 B220d 187 145 7.2 56.5 136-137
could be sweeter. LxWxH 4797x2030x1136 Kerb weight 1575kg LC 2dr coupé/open £80,100–£90,950 AAAAC
6.5 V12 S 730 217 2.9 15.4 499 Superb-looking coupé shows flickers of what made the LFA great. MX-5 RF 2dr open £24,050–£30,155 AAAAA C-Class 4dr saloon £34,670–£80,017 AAAAC
6.5 V12 SVJ 759 217 2.8 15.8 486 LxWxH 4770x1920x1345 Kerb weight 1935kg Remains perfectly poised and vibrant, even with a folding metal Merc ramps up the richness, but the engines and dynamics aren’t
5.0 V8 LC500 457 168 4.7 34.8 184 roof. LxWxH 3915x1735x1230 Kerb weight 1090kg refined enough. LxWxH 4686x1810x1442 Kerb weight 1450kg
Urus 5dr SUV £174,641 AAAAC 3.5 V6 LC500h 354 155 5.0 24.3 262 1.5 Skyactiv-G 132 129 126 8.6 44.1 142 1.5 C200 181 149 7.7 37.7-43.5 153-171
Lambo’s second SUV is more alluring and aims to use the V8’s 2.0 Skyactiv-G 184 181 124-126 7.9-8.7 37.7-40.4 155 2.0 C300 254 155 6.0 35.3-39.8 162-171
power better. LxWxH 5112x2016x1638 Kerb weight 2200kg NX 5dr SUV £36,070–£47,820 AAACC 2.0 C300e 315 155 5.4 TBC TBC
4.0 V8 631 189 3.6 22.2 325 Some good ideas, but dramatically off the pace to drive. McLAREN 3.0 V6 AMG C43 4Matic 385 155 4.7 28.0-29.4 221-225
LxWxH 4630x1845x1645 Kerb weight 1905kg 540C 2dr coupé £137,230 AAAAC 4.0 V8 AMG C63 S 503 180 4.0 25.5-25.9 245-247
L AN D ROVE R 2.5 VVT-i NX300h 4WD 194 112 9.2 37.1-39.7 161-173 The affordable end of McLaren’s spectrum isn’t any less enthralling 2.0 C220d 191 149 6.9 45.6-53.3 131-145
Defender 90 5dr SUV £43,625–£98,505 AAAAB to drive. LxWxH 4530x2095x1202 Kerb weight 1449kg 2.0 C300d 241 155 5.9 43.5-49.6 145-157
Breadth of capability matches that of the five-door, with even RX 5dr SUV £51,575–£63,275 AAABC 3.8 V8 533 199 3.5 23.2 276 2.0 C300de 302 155 5.6 235.4 32
more kerb appeal. LxWxH 4583x2008x1974 Kerb weight 2190kg Low flexibility, but hybrid option makes a degree of economic
2.0 P300 298 119 7.1 24.6 259-260 sense. LxWxH 4890x1895x1690 Kerb weight 2100kg 570S 2dr coupé/open £150,905–£166,665 AAAAA C-Class Estate 5dr estate £37,520–£81,217 AAAAC
3.0 P400 398 119 6.0 25.6 256 3.5 V6 RX450h 308 124 7.7 34.4 185 Blisteringly fast and exciting supercar slayer with hugely appealing Decent practicality and fantastic interior. It’s a shame that it’s only
5.0 P525 518 119 5.2 TBC TBC handling. LxWxH 4530x2095x1202 Kerb weight 1440kg ordinary to drive. LxWxH 4702x1810x1457 Kerb weight 1495kg
3.0 D200 198 109 9.8 32.8 226 UX 5dr SUV £35,635–£43,900 AAABC 3.8 V8 562 204 3.1
1.5 C200 23.2 276 181 146 7.9 36.7-40.9 164-176
3.0 D250 246 117 8.0 32.8 226-227 Refreshingly different premium SUV is a credible, if not class- 2.0 C300 258 155 6.0 34.5-38.7 166-181
3.0 D300 296 119 6.7 32.7 226 leading, alternative. LxWxH 4495x1840x1520 Kerb weight 1620kg 600LT 2dr coupé/open £187,730–£203,730 AAAAA 2.0 C300e 316 155 5.7 176.6 35
2.0 250h 181 110 8.5 50.4 126 Lighter, faster and more athletic than the 570S. McLaren at its very 3.0 V6 AMG C43 4Matic 385 155 4.8 27.4-28.8 226-230
Defender 110 5dr SUV £45,315–£101,150 AAAAB 2.0 250h E4 181 110 8.7 47.0 136 best. LxWxH 4604x2095x1191 Kerb weight 1356kg 4.0 V8 AMG C63 S 503 174 4.1 24.8-25.5 251-253
Promises, and delivers, unrivalled off-road performance with 300e 150kWh 201 100 7.5 TBC TBC 3.8 V8 592 204 2.9 23.2 276-277 2.0 C220d 192 145 7.0 44.8-51.4 147-149
on-road niceties. LxWxH 5018x2008x1967 Kerb weight 2209kg 2.0 C300d 241 155 6.0 42.8-47.9 149-168
2.0 P300 298 119 8.1 24.2 263 LOTUS 720S 2dr coupé/open £216,905–£249,220 AAAAA 2.0 C300de 302 155 5.7 217.3 34
2.0 P400e 398 119 5.6 TBC TBC Elise 2dr open £41,245–£49,145 AAAAC The start of an era for McLaren and what a way to begin it is.
5.0 P525 518 119 5.2 TBC TBC A delicate, vivid and unfettered drive; if you want a daily driver, LxWxH 4543x2059x1196 Kerb weight 1419kg C-Class Coupé 2dr coupé £40,105–£84,600 AAAAC
3.0 D200 198 109 10.3 32.2 230 shop elsewhere. LxWxH 3824x1719x1117 Kerb weight 830kg 4.0 V8 710 212 2.9 23.2 276 Outgoing two-door keeps a nice balance of style, usability and
3.0 D250 246 117 8.3 32.2 230 1.8 VVT-i 220 217 145 4.2 36.7 179 driver reward. LxWxH 4696x1810x1405 Kerb weight 1505kg
3.0 D300 296 119 7.0 32.2 230 1.8 VVT-i 246 242 151 3.8 36.2 177 GT 2dr coupé £165,230 AAAAB 1.5 C200 181 149 7.9 37.7-42.2 155-156
Woking’s most user-friendly car to date is still a McLaren first and 2.0 C300 258 155 6.1 35.8-39.8 161-175
Range Rover Evoque 5dr SUV £36,850–£55,580 AAAAC Exige 2dr coupé/open £61,925–£102,925 AAAAB foremost. LxWxH 4683x2095x1213 Kerb weight 1339kg 3.0 V6 AMG C43 4Matic 385 155 4.7 28.0-29.4 221-225
Refined, luxurious baby Range Rover has matured for its second Sharp, uncompromising track car. Unforgiving on the road. 4.0 V8 612 204 3.2 23.7 270 4.0 V8 AMG C63 S 503 180 3.9 25.0-25.5 250
generation. LxWxH 4371x1996x1649 Kerb weight 1891kg LxWxH 4084x1802x1129 Kerb weight 1125kg 2.0 C220d 192 149 7.0 46.3-52.3 133-145
2.0 P200 198 134 8.0 31.7 201 3.5 V6 VVT-i 350 345 162-170 3.8-3.9 225-230 765LT 2dr coupé £252,230 28.2 AAAAB 2.0 C300d 4Matic 241 155 6.0 42.8-48.7 151-164
2.0 P250 248 143 7.0 31.6 201 3.5 V6 VVT-i 410 407 180 3.4 230 Longtail treatment puts a deliciously sharp edge on the 720S.
28.7
2.0 P300 298 150 6.3 31.3 203 3.5 V6 VVT-i 430 428 180 3.2 230 LxWxH 4600x2161x1159 Kerb weight 1419kg
27.7 C-Class Cabriolet 2dr open £43,680–£87,430 AAAAC
1.5 P300e 298 132 6.4 166.2-193.5 33-38 4.0 V8 755 205 2.8 23.0 280 Take all the good bits about the coupé and add the ability to take
2.0 D200 201 120 8.5 43.8 169 Evora 2dr coupé £88,225–£95,725 AAAAC the roof off. Bingo. LxWxH 4686x1810x1409 Kerb weight 1645kg
Dynamically it puts nearly everything else in the shade. Shame Senna 2dr coupé £750,000 AAAAA 1.5 C200 181 146 7.9 36.2-40.4 167-168
Range Rover Velar 5dr SUV £46,110–£71,020 AAAAC about the interior. LxWxH 4084x1802x1129 Kerb weight 1395kg Astounding circuit performance made superbly accessible. 2.0 C300 258 155 6.3 34.0-37.7 173-184
The most car-like Landie ever doesn’t disappoint. Expensive, 3.5 V6 VVT-i 410 404 174-190 4.1-4.2 25.7-26.7 248 LxWxH 4744x2155x1229 Kerb weight 1309kg 3.0 V6 AMG C43 4Matic 385 155 4.8 27.4-28.5 229-231
though. LxWxH 4804x1930x1685 Kerb weight 1829kg 4.0 V8 789 208 2.8 22.7 280 4.0 V8 AMG C63 S 503 174 4.1 24.4-24.8 258
2.0 P250 248 135 7.5 27.8-29.2 217-229 M A S E R AT I 2.0 C220d 191 145 7.5 44.8-49.6 141-153
3.0 P400 394 155 5.5 27.3-28.0 227-230 Ghibli 4dr saloon £58,220–£103,590 AAACC MERCEDES-BENZ 2.0 C300d 242 155 6.3 42.2-47.1 153-167
2.0 P400e 398 149 5.4 TBC TBC Maser’s compact exec has the allure but lacks power and is poorly A-Class 5dr hatch £24,095–£57,195 AAAAC
2.0 D200 201 130 8.2 41.6 168-178 finished in places. LxWxH 4971x1945x1461 Kerb weight 1810kg A little bit of luxury in a desirable, hatchback-sized package. CLS Coupé 4dr saloon £58,935–£78,700 AAAAC
3.0 D300 MHEV 296 143 6.5 36.1-37.2 199-205 2.0 Hybrid 325 158 5.7 33.2 192 LxWxH 4419x1992x1440 Kerb weight 1445kg Retains the sleek coupé style and has more tech – without losing
3.0 V6 345 166 5.5 25.2 254 1.3 A180 134 134 9.2 47.9 134-138 its allure. LxWxH 4996x1896x1436 Kerb weight 1935kg
Range Rover Sport 5dr SUV £65,295–£114,915 AAAAB 3.0 V6 S 424 178 4.9 25.0 254 1.3 A200 161 140 8.2 47.9 135-145 3.0 V6 AMG CLS 53 4Matic+ 429 155 4.5 TBC 216
Bigger and better; a cut-price Range Rover rather than a jumped-up 3.8 V8 572 203 4.3 23.0 279 2.0 A250 221 155 6.2 41.5 155-165 3.0 CLS 300d 4Matic 261 155 6.4 TBC 168
Discovery. LxWxH 4850x2073x1780 Kerb weight 2111kg 2.0 A250e 215 146 6.6 256.8 25 3.0 CLS 400d 4Matic 325 155 5.0 TBC 191
2.0 P300 298 125 7.3 26.1 245 Quattroporte 4dr saloon £81,285–£126,890 AAACC 2.0 AMG A35 4Matic 302 155 4.7 33.6-35.8 184-193
2.0 P400e PHEV 401 137 6.7 75.3-86.9 69 Now a full-sized executive limo, with some added flair. Off the pace 2.0 AMG A45 S 4Matic+ 415 168 3.9 33.6 204-207 E-Class 4dr saloon £39,745–£99,495 AAAAC
3.0 P400 398 140 6.2 27.4 234 in several key areas. LxWxH 5262x1948x1481 Kerb weight 1860kg 1.5 A180d 114 126 10.0 62.8 127-130 A wee bit pricey, and less sporting than its rivals, but still comfy
5.0 V8 P525 522 155 5.3 18.9-20.2 315 3.0 V6 345 168 5.5 25.0 257 2.0 A200d 148 137 8.1 58.9 129-139 and luxurious. LxWxH 4940x1852x1452 Kerb weight 1680kg
5.0 V8 P575 SVR 572 176 4.5 19.6 331 3.0 V6 S 424 179 5.0 24.8 257 2.0 A220d 187 146 7.0 57.6 141 2.0 E200 194 149 7.4 38.2 165-166
3.0 D300 298 130 7.3 34.1 220-247 3.8 V8 572 203 4.5 23.2 277 3.0 E450 363 155 5.0 31.7 204
2.0 E300e 315 155 5.8 188.3 41
Range Rover 5dr SUV £83,465–£179,715 AAAAB Levante 4dr SUV £64,635–£124,940 AAACC 3.0 AMG E53 4Matic+ 429 155 4.5 30.4 212-215
Wherever you are, the Rangie envelops you in a lavish, invincible Italian flair and good looks in abundance, but diesel not as 4.0 V8 AMG E63 S 4Matic+ 603 155 3.4 22.8-23.7 277
sense of occasion. LxWxH 4999x2220x1835 Kerb weight 2249kg sonorous as petrols. LxWxH 5003x1968x1679 Kerb weight 2109kg 2.0 E220d 191 146 7.4 53.3 139-157
3.0 P400 398 140 6.3 26.1-26.7 240 3.0 V6 339 156 6.0 22.6 283 2.0 E300d 261 155 6.3 47.9 153-167
2.0 P400e 399 137 6.8 75.7-85.1 75 3.0 V6 S 424 164 5.2 22.4 286 3.0 V6 E400d 325 155 5.1 42.2 176-188
5.0 V8 P525 522 155 5.4 19.7-20.0 318-322 3.8 V8 GTS 526 180 4.3 17.9 357 2.0 E300de 302 149 5.9 217.3 39
5.0 V8 P565 SVAD 562 155 5.4 18.9 342 3.8 V8 Trofeo 572 186 4.1 17.8 359
3.0 D300 298 130 7.4 33.0 228-238 E-Class Estate 5dr estate £41,680–£101,495 AAAAC
3.0 D350 348 140 7.1 30.5-30.9 240-256 MAZDA Far more practical than its rivals, but pricier and less sporty than
2 5dr hatch £15,940–£20,995 AAAAC those closest to it. LxWxH 4933x1852x1475 Kerb weight 1780kg
Discovery Sport 5dr SUV £36,765–£51,630 AAAAB Grown up, well made and drives with charm and vigour; engines 2.0 E200 197 144 7.7 31.0-35.3 173-174
Seven seats, at home on road and off road, plus new-found aren’t brilliant. LxWxH 4060x1695x1515 Kerb weight 1141kg 3.0 V6 AMG E53 4Matic+ 429 155 4.6 29.7 216-219
desirability. LxWxH 4599x2069x1724 Kerb weight 1732kg 1.5 Skyactiv-G 75 74 106 12.1 49.6 121 4.0 V8 AMG E63 S 4Matic+ 603 180 3.5 22.6-23.3 282
2.0 P200 198 129 9.2 30.1 211 1.5 Skyactiv-G 90 88 110-114 9.4-12.0 49.6 120 2.0 E220d 191 142 7.8 50.4 148-161
2.0 P250 247 140 8.1 30.1 211 3.0 E300d 242 155 6.6 40.4-46.3 156-159
2.0 P290 288 144 7.5 29.7 214 3 5dr hatch £21,800–£28,900 AAAAC 3.0 V6 E400d 4Matic 325 155 5.3 40.9 181-192
1.5 P300e 298 130 6.6 143.4-158.6 40-44 Pleasing dynamism teamed with good practicality and punchy 2.0 E300de 302 146 6.0 188.3 41
2.0 D165 162 112 10.6 41.5 179 diesel engines. LxWxH 4460x1795x1435 Kerb weight 1411kg
2.0 D200 201 117 8.9 41.5 179 2.0 e-Skyactiv-G 120 122 10.4 TBC 124-127
2.0 e-Skyactiv-X 186 183 134 8.1 TBC 118-121

17 NOVEMBER 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 77

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GLE Coupé 5dr SUV £72,725–£130,250 AAAAC Plus Four 2dr open £62,995 AAABC
May not be your idea of a desirable luxury car, but it’s certainly an Morgan’s four-cylinder lifeblood model gets 21st-century
effective one. LxWxH 4946x2014x1716 Kerb weight 2295kg underpinnings. LxWxH 3830x1500x1250 Kerb weight 1013kg
3.0 GLE 400d 4Matic 327 149 5.7 33.6 219 2.0 255 149 5.1 38.8 165
3.0 AMG GLE 53 4Matic 432 155 5.3 25.7 244
4.0 AMG GLE 63 S 4Matic 603 174 3.8 TBC 280 Plus Six 2dr open £82,920–£90,590 AAABC
Feels like progress in lots of ways, but not yet the driver’s car it
G-Class 5dr SUV £101,495–£171,645 AAABC might be. LxWxH 3890x1756x1220 Kerb weight 1075kg
Massively expensive and compromised, but with character in 3.0 335 166 4.2 38.2 180
abundance. LxWxH 4866x1984x1969 Kerb weight 2550kg
3.0 GLE 400d 4Matic 325 130 6.4 TBC 281-282 NISSAN
4.0 V8 AMG G63 4Matic 578 137 4.5 18.6-18.8 373 Micra 5dr hatch £13,995–£20,145 AAAAC
Refreshed look and better handling makes it an enticing choice.
GLS 5dr SUV £75,610–£128,285 AAABC Has its flaws, though. LxWxH 3991x1743x1455 Kerb weight 1490kg
E-Class Coupé 2dr coupé £45,520–£70,200 AAAAC The replacement for the massive GL can still seat seven in 1.0 IG-T 100 91 111 11.8 50.4 123-129 3008 5dr SUV £27,160–£47,210 AAAAC
Big, laid-back four-seat tourer. Borrows looks from the ravishing comfort. LxWxH 5216x2030x1823 Kerb weight 2415kg 1.0 IG-T 100 98 114 10.9 50.4 126 Cleverly packaged Peugeot offers just enough SUV DNA to make
S-Class Coupé. LxWxH 4846x1860x1431 Kerb weight 1685kg 3.0 GLS 400d 4Matic 327 148 6.3 32.8 227 1.0 DiG-T 117 115 121 9.9 47.9 133 the difference. LxWxH 4447x2098x1624 Kerb weight 1250kg
2.0 E300 237 155 6.4 31.0 180-182 1.2 PureTech 130 126 117 10.5-10.8 37.2 146-149
3.0 E450 4Matic 362 155 5.0 29.1-31.4 201 MG AAAAC 1.6 PureTech 180 178 136 8.0 39.6 165-167 Leaf 5dr hatch £29,845–£37,710
3.0 AMG E53 4Matic+ 429 155 4.4 30.1-31.4 3 5dr hatch £12,195–£13,495
212-215 AAABC Better looks, better value and better range from this second-gen 1.6 Hybrid 223 146 5.9 157.2-222.3 29
2.0 E220d 189 145 7.6 43.5-50.4 Neatly tuned and nice sporty styling. Breaks the mould for budget electric hatch. LxWxH 4387x1768x1520 Kerb weight 1245kg
154-155 1.6 Hybrid4 298 149 5.9 166.2-235.1 36
3.0 E300d 4Matic 242 155 6.4 42.2-47.9 superminis. LxWxH 4018x1729x1507 Kerb weight 1125kg
166-167 40kWh 147 90 7.9 168 0 1.5 BlueHDi 130 126 119 9.5 55.1 137-139
3.0 V6 E400d 4Matic 325 155 5.3 TBC 1.5 VTi-Tech 189 104 108 10.9 42.3 152 62kWh 214 98 6.9-7.3 239 0
5008 5dr SUV £29,585–£40,905 AAAAC
E-Class Cabriolet 2dr open £50,485–£73,750 AAAAC 5 SW EV 5dr estate £27,495–£29,995 AAABC Juke 5dr hatch £18,595–£25,095 AAABC Less MPV, more SUV, and shares its siblings’ good looks. Competent
Refined and sophisticated four-seater in the same mould as the Segment-first electric estate could be all the real-world EV you High-riding, funky hatch is a compelling package. High CO 2 figures, to drive, too. LxWxH 4641x1844x1640 Kerb weight 1511kg
S-Class Cabriolet. LxWxH 4846x1860x1429 Kerb weight 1780kg need. LxWxH 4544x1729x1509 Kerb weight 1532kg though. LxWxH 4135x1765x1565 Kerb weight 1605kg 1.2 PureTech 130 126 117 10.4-10.9 46.0 150-153
2.0 E300 237 155 6.6 30.0 189-190 53kWh 154 115 7.7 214 0 1.0 DiG-T 117 113 112 10.4 46.3 1.6 PureTech 180 135-142 178 135 8.3 39.6 168-170
3.0 E450 4Matic 362 155 5.8 28.8-30.7 208 1.5 BlueHDi 130 129 119 10.7 57.3 139-142
3.0 AMG E53 4Matic 429 155 4.5 29.7-30.7 217-219 HS 5dr SUV £20,995–£32,495 AAACC Qashqai 5dr SUV £23,550–£30,070 AAAAB 2.0 BlueHDi 180 175 131 9.1 47.3 164-166
2.0 E220d 189 147 7.8 42.8-48.7 162-163 Goes big on metal for the money but covers its budget roots with The defining modern crossover. The Mk2 is better in all areas,
3.0 E300d 242 155 6.6 40.9-46.3 172 mixed success. LxWxH 4574x1876x1664 Kerb weight 1489kg hence its popularity. LxWxH 4394x1806x1590 Kerb weight 1331kg P O L E S TA R
3.0 V6 E400d 4Matic 325 155 5.4 TBC 193 1.5 T-GDI 162 118 9.9 36.2-37.2 168 1.3 DiG-T 140 138 120 10.5 42.1-45.0 143-153 1 2dr coupé £140,000 AAAAC
1.5 T-GDI PHEV 254 118 7.1 TBC TBC 1.3 DiG-T 160 156 123-124 8.9-9.9 42.9-43.9 146-152 Limited-run sports GT delivers petrol-electric performance and
S-Class 4dr saloon £78,705–£104,245 AAAAA Swedish styling. LxWxH 4586x2023x1352 Kerb weight 2345kg
Mercedes has given the S-Class a refresh and an added boost of ZS 5dr SUV £15,495–£30,995 AAACC X-Trail 5dr SUV £26,835–£34,745 AAABC 2.0 plug-in hybrid 596 155 4.2 353.1 29
tech. LxWxH 5141x1905x1498 Kerb weight 1970kg Much improved on previous MGs, but still lacks the sophistication There aren’t many cheaper ways of owning an SUV. Has a better
3.0 V6 S500 L 429 155 4.9 32.5-34.9 184-202 of its closest rivals. LxWxH 4314x1809x1611 Kerb weight 1190kg range of engines, too. LxWxH 4640x1820x1710 Kerb weight 1505kg 2 5dr hatch £49,900 AAAAC
2.9 S350d 282 155 6.4 39.8-42.8 173-190 1.5 VTi-Tech 104 109 10.9 41.5 155 1.3 DiG-T 160 158 123 11.5 37.8-38.5 166-173 High-rise saloon takes the EV off in a development direction all of
2.9 S400d 325 155 5.4 38.2-38.7 192-196 1.0T GDi 109 112 12.4 38.6 166 1.7 dCi 150 148 121 10.7 44.5-47.5 155-171 its own. LxWxH 4607x1859x1478 Kerb weight 2048kg
44.5kWh EV 141 87 8.5 163 0 78kWh 402 127 4.2 292 0
SLC 2dr open £37,130–£54,101 AAABC GT-R 2dr coupé £86,095–£102,095 AAAAC
Another small convertible exhibiting all the charm that a Mercedes MINI Monstrously fast Nissan has been tweaked and sharpened. Still a PORSCHE
should. LxWxH 4143x1810x1301 Kerb weight 1435kg 3dr Hatch 3dr hatch £16,400–£35,215 AAAAB blunt object, though. LxWxH 4710x1895x1370 Kerb weight 1725kg 718 Boxster 2dr open £48,010–£68,245 AAAAB
2.0 SLC 200 178 147-149 6.9-7.0 40.4 167 Three-pot engines and cleverly designed interior make the Mini a 3.8 V6 562 196 2.9 20.2 316 Our idea of drop-top heaven. Exceptional to drive, whether cruising
2.0 SLC 300 237 155 5.8 35.3-37.2 178 superb choice. LxWxH 3821x1727x1414 Kerb weight 1190kg or hurrying. LxWxH 4379x1801x1280 Kerb weight 1335kg
3.0 V6 AMG SLC 43 356 155 4.7
1.5 One 101 31.7-32.5 199
121 10.1-10.2 49.6 130 NOBLE 2.0 290 170 4.9-5.1 32.5 198
1.5 Cooper 134 130 7.8-7.9 48.7-49.6 130-132 M600 2dr coupé £248,000–£287,600 AAABC 2.0 T 296 170 4.7-5.3 32.5 199
AMG GT 2dr coupé/open £108,320–£377,050 AAAAC 2.0 Cooper S 189 145-146 6.7-6.8 44.1 145 Deliciously natural and involving; a bit ergonomically flawed. 2.5 S 339 177 4.4-4.6 29.1 229
Million-dollar looks and a railgun V8, but extremely firm chassis 2.0 John Cooper Works 227 152 6.1-6.3 39.8 160 LxWxH TBC Kerb weight 1198kg 4.0 GTS 396 182 4.5 25.9 247
affects its usability. LxWxH 4544x1939x1287 Kerb weight 1615kg 2.0 John Cooper Works GP 302 164 5.2 34 189 4.4 V8 662 225 3.0 NA NA
4.0 V8 GT 522 193-194 3.7-3.8 21.9-22.1 289-290 718 Cayman 2dr coupé £46,150–£77,685 AAAAA
4.0 V8 GT R 577 198 3.6 22.1 289 5dr Hatch 5dr hatch £17,140–£24,850 AAAAB P E U G E O T Scalpel-blade incisiveness, supreme balance and outstanding
4.0 V8 GT Black Series 718 202 3.2 TBC 292 Mini charm in a more usable package, but still not as practical as 108 3dr/5dr hatch £12,785–£15,790 AAABC driver involvement. LxWxH 4379x1801x1295 Kerb weight 1335kg
rivals. LxWxH 3982x1727x1425 Kerb weight 1240kg Sibling car to the Aygo – and a distant second to most city car 2.0 290 170 4.9-5.1 32.8 197
AMG GT 4-Door Coupé 4dr saloon £141,785–£146,785 AAAAB 1.5 One 101 119 10.6 49.6 130 rivals. LxWxH 3475x1615x1460 Kerb weight 840kg 2.0 T 296 170 4.9-5.3 35.5 198
Four-door, four-wheel-drive GT is confusing to contemplate but 1.5 Cooper 134 129 8.4 48.7-49.6 131-132 1.0 72 71 100 13.0 58.9 110 2.5 S 339 177 4.4-4.6 29.1 228
impressive to drive. LxWxH 5054x1953x1447 Kerb weight 2100kg 2.0 Cooper S 175 146 6.9 44.1-45.6 141-146 4.0 GTS 396 182 4.5 25.9 247
4.0 V8 GT63 S 4Matic+ 630 196 3.2 21.4-22.1 294-298 208 3dr/5dr hatch £17,575–£33,975 AAABC 4.0 GT4 414 188 4.4 25.7 251
Convertible 2dr open £20,830–£29,960 AAABC A big improvement for Peugeot, if not for the supermini class.
EQA 5dr SUV £43,495–£44,995 AAAAC A fun open-top car but compromised on practicality and dynamics. LxWxH 3475x1615x1460 Kerb weight 1065kg 911 2dr coupé £84,700–£158,200 AAAAB
Compact SUV marks the entry point to Mercedes’ all-electric EQ LxWxH 3821x1727x1415 Kerb weight 1280kg 1.2 PureTech 75 72 106 14.9 58.9 124 Wider, eighth-generation 911 is still eminently fast, and capable at
range. LxWxH 4463x1834x1624 Kerb weight 2040kg 1.5 Cooper 134 128 8.8 46.3 138-139 1.2 PureTech 100 98 117 9.9 53.0 124-126 all speeds. LxWxH 4519x1852x1300 Kerb weight 1565kg
67kWh 190 187 99 8.9 TBC 0 2.0 Cooper S 175 143 3.0 Carrera 7.2 380 182 4.0 42.2
27.4 233 151 1.2 PureTech 130 128 129 8.7 51.9 128
2.0 John Cooper Works 227 150 3.0 Carrera 4 6.6 380 180 4.0 39.2
26.9 238 165 50kWh e-208 136 93 8.1 194-217 0
EQC 5dr SUV £65,720–£74,610 AAAAB 3.0 Carrera S 444 191 3.5 27.4 234 1.5 BlueHDi 100 99 117 10.2 70 109-110
Brisk, tidy-handling electric SUV has everything needed to do well Clubman 5dr hatch £22,395–£36,100 AAAAC 3.0 Carrera 4S 444 190 3.4 26.9 239
on UK roads. LxWxH 4762x1884x1624 Kerb weight 2495kg Cheery and alternative Mini ‘six-door’ takes the brand into new 308 5dr hatch £21,310–£31,985 AAAAB 3.0 Targa 380 179 4.4 26.9 239
80kWh 400 4Matic 402 112 5.1 232-259 0 territory. LxWxH 4253x1800x1441 Kerb weight 1375kg Classy all-round appeal makes it a serious contender, but rear 3.0 Targa S 444 189 3.8 26.4 244
1.5 Cooper 134 128 9.2 47.1 136-137 space is a little tight. LxWxH 4253x1804x1457 Kerb weight 1190kg 4.0 GT3 503 199 3.4 21.7-21.9 283-304
GLA 5dr SUV £31,785–£65,350 AAABC 2.0 Cooper S 175 142 7.3 42.2 152-153 1.2 PureTech 110 107 117 11.1 51.5 132 3.7 Turbo 572 199 2.8 23.5 271
Not the most practical crossover but good looking and very decent 2.0 John Cooper Works All4 302 155 4.9 38.2 169 1.2 PureTech 130 126 128-129 9.1-9.6 48.5-51.9 132-135 3.7 Turbo S 641 205 2.7 23.5 271
to drive. LxWxH 4417x1804x1494 Kerb weight 1395kg 1.6 Puretech 260 GTI 258 155 6.0 37.8 169
1.6 GLA 180 120 124 8.7-9.0 35.3-40.4 151-155 Countryman 5dr hatch £24,495–£37,650 AAABC 1.5 BlueHDi 130 126 127 9.8 62.1-62.7 120-121 911 Cabriolet 2dr open £94,500–£167,357 AAAAC
1.6 GLA 200 152 134 8.1-8.4 34.9-39.8 151-155 Bigger than before, but still more funky than useful. Still not all that Fewer compromises than ever, if rewarding only at full attack.
1.3 GLA 250e 135 137 7.1 TBC TBC pretty, either. LxWxH 4299x2005x1557 Kerb weight 1440kg 308 SW 5dr estate £22,260–£29,530 AAAAC LxWxH 4519x1852x1297 Kerb weight 1585kg
2.0 GLA 250 4Matic 204 143 6.6 32.5-35.8 172-174 1.5 Cooper 136 124 9.7 44.8 143 Estate bodystyle enjoys the classy appeal of the hatchback. 3.0 Carrera 380 180 4.2 27.2 236
2.0 GLA 200d 150 127 8.6-8.9 TBC 140-150 1.5 Cooper All4 136 122 10.3 40.9 157-158 LxWxH 4585x1563x1472 Kerb weight 1190kg 3.0 Carrera 4S 444 188 3.6 26.6 241
2.0 GLA 220d 188 136 7.3 TBC 141-149 1.5 Cooper S E All4 PHEV 217 122 6.8 156.9 41 1.2 PureTech 110 107 117 11.6 51.5 134 3.7 Turbo 572 199 2.9 23.3 275
2.0 AMG GLA 35 4Matic 302 155 5.2 TBC 186-198 2.0 Cooper S 192 140 7.5-7.6 42.2-42.8 151-152 1.2 PureTech 130 126 127 9.5-10.0 48.5-51.9 134-140 3.7 Turbo S 641 205 2.8 23.3 275
2.0 AMG GLA 45 S 4Matic+ 415 155 4.3 TBC 215-224 2.0 Cooper S All4 192 138 7.6 40.4 158-159 1.5 BlueHDi 100 99 111 12.3 54.9-63.8 115
2.0 John Cooper Works All4 302 155 5.1 37.2 174 1.5 BlueHDi 130 126 126 10.0 62.1-62.7 122-125 Panamera 4dr saloon £71,765–£140,200 AAAAA
GLB 5dr SUV £36,905–£51,635 AAABC 2.0 Cooper D 150 129 9.1 56.5-57.6 129-130 Revamped big saloon is an absolute belter, making it almost the
Boxy SUV mixes rough-and-tumble styling cues and seven-seat 2.0 Cooper D All4 150 127 9.0 52.3 142-143 508 4dr saloon £27,460–£40,910 AAAAC perfect grand tourer. LxWxH 5049x1937x1423 Kerb weight 1815kg
versatility. LxWxH 4634x1834x1659 Kerb weight 2085kg Stylish and likeable but lacking the polish of more premium rivals. 2.9 V6 325 168 5.6 27.7 232
1.3 GLB 200 160 129 9.1 40.4 160-165 Electric 3dr hatch £28,100–£37,000 AAAAC LxWxH 4750x1859x1430 Kerb weight 1535kg 2.9 V6 4 325 167 5.3 27.2 235
2.0 AMG GLB 35 302 155 5.2 32.5 198 Won’t break records on range or usability, but has plenty of zip and 1.2 PureTech 130 126 127 8.1 49.1 129 2.9 V6 4S 434 183 4.3 27.4 234
2.0 GLB 200d 148 127 9.0 47.9 149-156 driver appeal. LxWxH 3850x1727x1414 Kerb weight 1440kg 1.6 PureTech 180 178 143 7.9 44.0 146-147 2.9 V6 4 E-Hybrid 456 174 4.4 78.5-85.6 60
2.0 GLB 220d 188 135 7.6 47.9 156-158 33kWh 180 93 7.3 144 0 1.6 PureTech 225 223 155 7.1 42.2 156 2.9 V6 4S E-Hybrid 552 185 3.7 78.5-85.6 60
1.6 Hybrid 223 155 8.3 166.0-235.0 27-38 4.0 V8 GTS 473 186 3.9 23.3 275
GLC 5dr SUV £44,530–£93,330 AAAAC MITSUBISHI 1.5 BlueHDi 130 126 126 10.0 62.0 124 4.0 V8 Turbo S 621 196 3.1 22.1 289
Not exactly exciting to drive, but does luxury and refinement Mirage 5dr hatch £10,575–£14,060 AAACC 4.0 V8 Turbo S E-Hybrid 690 196 3.2 TBC TBC
better than most. LxWxH 4656x1890x1639 Kerb weight 1735kg A straightforward hatchback – but not for the likes of us. 508 SW 5dr estate £29,060–£42,760 AAACC
2.0 GLC 300 4Matic 255 149 6.2 34.4 187-198 LxWxH 3795x1665x1505 Kerb weight 845kg Bodystyle takes the edge off the 508’s style yet doesn’t fully Panamera Sport Turismo 5dr estate £76,942–£142,444 AAAAA
3.0 V6 AMG GLC 43 4Matic 388 155 4.9 27.4 233-245 1.2 Mi-VEC 79 107 11.7-12.8 47.9-55.4 113-121 address practicality. LxWxH 4778x1859x1420 Kerb weight 1430kg The Panamera in a more practical form, and now it’s a good-looking
4.0 V8 AMG GLC 63 4Matic+ 462 155 4.0 22.2 289-291 1.2 PureTech 130 126 127 8.3 49.1 129 beast. LxWxH 5049x1937x1428 Kerb weight 1880kg
4.0 V8 AMG GLC 63 S 4Matic+ 502 155 3.8 22.7 294-296 ASX 5dr SUV £21,035–£26,805 AAACC 1.6 PureTech 180 178 140 8.0 44.0 149-150 2.9 V6 4 325 163 5.3 26.4 242
2.0 GLC 220d 4Matic 191 134 7.9 47.9 154-167 Decent engines, but otherwise an unexceptional crossover. 1.6 PureTech 225 223 153 7.4 42.2 158 2.9 V6 4S 434 180 4.3 26.4 242
2.0 GLC 300d 4Matic 242 144 6.5 42.8 178-179 LxWxH 4355x1770x1640 Kerb weight 1260kg 1.6 Hybrid 223 155 8.3 166.0-235.0 27-38 2.9 V6 4 E-Hybrid 456 174 4.4 78.5-85.6 60
2.0 GLC 300de 4Matic 302 143 6.2 TBC TBC 2.0 MI-VEC 2WD 148 118 10.2 37.7 171 1.5 BlueHDi 130 126 129 10.1 62.0 127 2.9 V6 4S E-Hybrid 552 182 3.7 78.5-85.6 60
2.0 MI-VEC 4WD 148 118 12.5 34.4 185 4.0 V8 GTS 473 181 3.9 22.8 280
GLC Coupé 5dr SUV £47,405–£95,155 AAAAC 2008 5dr SUV £21,030–£39,630 AAAAC 4.0 V8 Turbo S 621 196 3.1 21.7 295
A coupé-shaped SUV destined to be outrun by the X4 – unless Eclipse Cross 5dr SUV £22,545–£27,055 AAACC Compact crossover has most rivals licked, but class is still waiting 4.0 V8 Turbo S E-Hybrid 690 196 3.2 TBC TBC
you’re in an AMG. LxWxH 4732x1890x1602 Kerb weight 1785kg Stylish, future-looking mid-sized SUV shows where Mitsubishi’s for a game-changer. LxWxH 4300x1770x1550 Kerb weight 1205kg
2.0 GLC 300 4Matic 255 149 6.3 32.8 195-202 destiny lies. LxWxH 4695x1810x1710 Kerb weight 1425kg 1.2 PureTech 100 98 115 10.9 52.0 125-127 Taycan 4dr saloon £83,635–£138,885 AAAAB
3.0 V6 AMG GLC 43 4Matic 388 155 4.9 27.7 232-242 1.5 Mi-VEC 2WD 160 127 9.7
1.2 PureTech 130 36.2-37.7 170-177 128 122 8.9 50.6 132 First all-electric Porsche shows the rest of the world how it should
4.0 V8 AMG GLC 63 4Matic+ 472 155 4.0 22.4-23.5 285 1.2 PureTech 155 153 129 8.2 46.6 141 be done. LxWxH 4963x1966x1381 Kerb weight 2305kg
4.0 V8 AMG GLC 63 S 4Matic+ 502 155 3.8 22.1 290-291 Outlander 5dr SUV £29,410–£44,225 AAABC 50kWh e-2008 136 93 8.5 TBC 0 79kWh 4S 527 155 4.0 252 0
2.0 GLC 220d 4Matic 191 135 7.9 44.1 167-173 Creditable effort, but still cheap in places: PHEV a boon for fleet 1.5 BlueHDi 98 115 11.4 62.7 118-120 93kWh 4S 563 155 4.0 287 0
2.0 GLC 300d 4Matic 242 145 6.6 40.9 182-184 users. LxWxH 4695x1810x1710 Kerb weight 1565kg 93kWh Turbo 670 161 3.2 280 0
2.0 GLC 300de 4Matic 302 143 6.2 TBC TBC 2.0 Mi-VEC 4WD 148 118 13.3 32.5 196 93kWh Turbo S 751 161 2.8 256 0
2.0 Mi-VEC PHEV 200 106 11.0 139.7 46
GLE 5dr SUV £62,210–£120,773 AAAAC
The ML replacement isn’t inspiring to drive but does come with a Shogun Sport 5dr SUV £31,880–£33,880 AAACC
classy interior. LxWxH 4819x2141x1796 Kerb weight 2165kg Has a fitness for purpose that could appeal to those who tow or
2.9 GLE 450 4Matic 362 155 5.7 32.5 229 haul big loads. LxWxH 4785x1815x1805 Kerb weight 2100kg
2.0 GLE 300d 4Matic 242 140 7.2 39.2 198-207 2.4 DI-DC 4WD 179 112 11.0 32.8 227
2.9 GLE 350d 4Matic 268 143 6.6 36.2 206-214
2.9 GLE 400d 4Matic 328 152 5.7 35.3 220 MORGAN
2.0 GLE 350de 4Matic 317 130 6.8 256.8 29 3 Wheeler 0dr open £40,846–£40,999 AAAAA
3.0 V6 AMG GLE 53 4Matic+ 432 155 5.3 26.7 246-248 The eccentric, characterful and brilliant Morgan is a testament to
4.0 V8 AMG GLE 63 S 4Matic+ 603 155 3.8 TBC 281 English creativity. LxWxH 3225x1720x1000 Kerb weight 525kg
2.0 V-twin 82 82 115 6.0 NA NA

78 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 17 NOVEMBER 2021

 N E W CAR PR I CES
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Macan 5dr SUV £48,965–£71,140 AAAAB Superb Estate 5dr estate £26,385–£42,780 AAAAC Swift 5dr hatch £14,999–£22,070 AAABC
Spookily good handling makes this a sports utility vehicle in the Even more commendable than above, primarily thanks to its Given mature looks, more equipment and a hybrid powertrain, but
purest sense. LxWxH 4692x1923x1624 Kerb weight 1770kg enormous boot. LxWxH 4856x1864x1477 Kerb weight 1365kg it’s no class leader. LxWxH 3840x1735x1495 Kerb weight 890kg
2.0 242 139 6.7 27.7 232 1.5 TSI 150 148 132 9.2 40.9-45.6 141-157 1.2 Dualjet 83 82 112 13.1 TBC 111
3.0 V6 S 349 157 5.3 26.4 243 2.0 TSI 190 188 143 7.7 39.8-40.9 162-168 1.2 Dualjet 83 Allgrip 82 106 13.8 TBC 123
3.0 GTS 375 162 4.9 25.0 255 2.0 TSI 280 4x4 276 155 5.3 33.2-34.0 188-194 1.4 Boosterjet Sport 138 130 9.1 47.0 127
3.0 V6 Turbo 434 167 4.3 24.8 259 1.4 iV PHEV 215 140 7.8 148.7-188.3 33-42
2.0 TDI 122 120 124 11.1 56.5 131-132 Swace 5dr estate £27,499–£29,299 AAABC
Cayenne 5dr SUV £61,380–£126,845 AAAAB 2.0 TDI 150 148 132-135 8.6-8.8 54.3-56.5 132-135 Rebadged Toyota Corolla Touring Sports serves as a useful addition
Refreshed look, improved engines and interior, and a better SUV 2.0 TDI 150 148 133 9.2 53.3-57.7 129-140 to Suzuki’s line-up. LxWxH 4655x1790x1460 Kerb weight 1420kg
overall. LxWxH 4918x1983x1696 Kerb weight 1985kg 2.0 TDI 200 197 145 7.9 49.6-51.4 140-144 1.8 Hybrid 120 112 11.1 TBC 99
3.0 V6 335 152 6.2 24.6 259 2.0 TDI 200 4x4 197 142 7.3 47.9 157
3.0 V6 E-Hybrid 456 157 5.0 60.1-72.4 74 Vitara 5dr SUV £22,249–£27,049 AAABC
2.9 V6 S 428 164 5.2 23.9 268 Kamiq 5dr SUV £18,370–£25,350 AAABC Utterly worthy addition to the class drives better than most.
3.0 V6 GTS 453 168 4.8 21.2 301 Ibiza 5dr hatch £16,445–£20,535 AAAAB Skoda’s supermini platform has birthed a practical but predictable LxWxH 4175x1775x1610 Kerb weight 1075kg
4.0 V8 Turbo 533 177 3.9 20.9 305 Reinvigorated Ibiza is more mature and takes the class honours compact crossover. LxWxH 4241x1793x1553 Kerb weight 1251kg 1.4 Boosterjet 127 118 9.5 TBC 128
4.0 V8 S E-Hybrid 671 183 3.8 52.3-58.9 90 from the Fiesta. LxWxH 4059x1780x1444 Kerb weight 1091kg 1.0 TSI 95 93 112 11.1 49.6 129 1.4 Boosterjet Allgrip 127 118 10.2 TBC 140
1.0 MPI 80 79 106 14.6 50.4-52.3 122-128 1.0 TSI 115 112 120 9.9 47.1-49.6 130-136
Cayenne Coupé 5dr SUV £66,320–£129,445 AAAAC 1.0 TSI 95 93 113 10.9 51.4 124-125 1.5 TSI 150 148 132 8.3 46.3-47.9 133-139 SX4 S-Cross 5dr SUV £21,249–£28,049 AAABC
Little different to drive than the standard car but certainly has an 1.0 TSI 115 113A worthy crossover if not a class leader. Refreshed looks give a
121 9.3 49.6 129-130
appeal all of its own. LxWxH 4931x1983x1676 Kerb weight 2030kg Karoq 5dr SUV £23,200–£35,195 AAAAC lease of life. LxWxH 4300x1785x1585 Kerb weight 1160kg
3.0 V6 335 150 6.0 24.4 263 Leon 5dr hatch £20,400–£37,980 AAAAC Yeti replacement may not have its forebear’s quirkiness, but it’s 1.4 Boosterjet 127 118 9.5 TBC 127
3.0 V6 E-Hybrid 456 157 5.1 60.1-72.4 74 A creditable effort and a notable improvement in form, with plenty brilliant otherwise. LxWxH 4382x1841x1603 Kerb weight 1265kg 1.4 Boosterjet Allgrip 127 118 10.2 TBC 139
2.9 V6 S 428 163 5.0 23.5 271 of niche appeal. LxWxH 4282x1816x1459 Kerb weight 1202kg 1.0 TSI 115 113 118 10.6 43.5-45.6 141-147
3.0 V6 GTS 453 168 4.5
1.0 TSI 110 21.2 302 108 122 10.9 51.4-52.3 123-126 1.5 TSI 150 148 126 8.1-8.3 42.8-44.8 143-149 Across 5dr SUV £45,599 AAABC
4.0 V8 Turbo 533 178 3.9
1.0 eTSI 110 20.9 307 108 119 10.8 50.4-51.4 124-129 20 TSI 190 4x4 188 132 7.3 33.2 191 Rebadged Toyota PHEV plunges Suzuki convincingly into several
4.0 V8 S E-Hybrid 671 183 3.8
1.5 TSI EVO 130 52.3-58.9 90 128 129 9.4 49.6-51.4 124-128 2.0 TDI 150 148 127 9.0 50.4-52.3 142-148 new segments. LxWxH 4635x1855x1690 Kerb weight 1915kg
1.5 TSI EVO 150 148 135 8.7 48.7 133 2.0 TDI 150 4x4 148 121 8.8 42.8 172-174 2.5 PHEV 182 112 6.0 282.4 22
RADICAL 1.5 eTSI 150 148 135 8.5 47.9 130-132
Rapture 0dr open £110,000 AAABC 1.4 eHybrid PHEV 201 137 7.5 TBC TBC Kodiaq 5dr SUV £26,630–£42,175 AAAAC TESLA
Not as well mannered as some lightweights but spectacular in its 2.0 TDI 150 113 124 10.2 64.2-65.7 113-115 Skoda’s first seven-seat SUV is a viable alternative to a traditional Model S 5dr hatch £79,980–£94,980 AAAAB
track-day element. LxWxH 4100x1790x1130 Kerb weight 765kg MPV. LxWxH 4697x1882x1676 Kerb weight 1430kg Large range makes it not only a standout EV but also the future of
2.2 Turbo 360 165 3.1 NA NA Leon ST 5dr estate £23,065–£37,470 AAAAC 1.5 TSI 150 148 123 9.3 37.2-39.2 164-172 luxury motoring. LxWxH 4978x1963x1445 Kerb weight 2108kg
Good-looking and responsive hatchback-turned-estate. 2.0 TSI 190 4x4 188 TBC TBC 32.1-32.5 196-200 Long Range 411 155 3.7 405 0
RXC GT 2dr open £145,000 AAABC LxWxH 4549x1816x1454 Kerb weight 1236kg 2.0 TDI 150 148 123 9.8 46.3-47.9 154-161 Performance 596 162 2.3 396 0
Designed for pounding around a track; out of its element on the 1.5 TSI EVO 130 128 130 9.7 49.6-51.4 125-128 2.0 TDI 150 4x4 148 120 9.6 44.8-47.9 155-165
road. LxWxH 4300x1960x1127 Kerb weight 1125kg 1.5 TSI EVO 150 148 135 8.9 47.9-48.7 132-133 2.0 TDI 200 4x4 197 131 7.8 41.5-42.5 175-178 Model 3 4dr saloon £43,490–£56,490 AAAAC
3.5 V6 400 400 179 2.8 NA NA 1.5 eTSI 150 148 135 8.7 48.7 131-132 Lowest-price, biggest-volume Tesla yet arrives in the UK after
3.5 V6 650 650 180 2.7 NA NA 1.4 eHybrid PHEV 201 137 7.5 TBC TBC SMART wooing the US. LxWxH 4694x1849x1443 Kerb weight 1726kg
EQ Fortwo 3dr hatch/open £21,700–£25,270 AAACC Standard Plus 235 140 5.3 267 0
R E N A U LT Arona 5dr SUV £18,605–£24,770 AAAAC Pricey, EV-only two-seater has urban appeal but is short on Long Range 346 145 4.2 360 0
Twizy 2dr hatch £11,695–£12,395 AAABC Seat’s second SUV doesn’t disappoint, with it taking charge of the performance. LxWxH 2695x1663x1555 Kerb weight 1085kg Performance 449 162 3.1 352 0
Zany solution to personal mobility is suitably irreverent and class dynamically. LxWxH 4138x1780x1543 Kerb weight 1165kg Electric Drive 79 81 11.6-11.9 81-84 0
impractical. LxWxH 2338x1381x1454 Kerb weight 474kg 1.0 TSI 95 93 107 11.2 51.4 124 Model X 5dr SUV £87,890–£102,980 AAAAB
MB L7e 17 50 NA 62 0 1.0 TSI 115 113 113 9.8-10.0 47.9-53.3 121-134 EQ Forfour 5dr hatch £22,295–£23,445 AAACC A genuine luxury seven-seat electric SUV that also has a large
1.5 TSI EVO 150 148 127 8.3 44.8-45.6 140-143 Four doors give the Smart more mainstream practicality. Still range. LxWxH 5036x2070x1684 Kerb weight 2459kg
Zoe 5dr hatch £29,995–£31,495 AAABC expensive, though. LxWxH 3495x1665x1554 Kerb weight 1200kg Long Range 411 155 4.4 348 0
A far more practical zero-emission solution. Attractive price, too. Ateca 5dr SUV £23,670–£35,355 AAAAB Electric Drive 79 81 12.7 84 0 Performance 596 163 2.6 340 0
LxWxH 4084x1730x1562 Kerb weight 1470kg Seat’s first SUV is very good. So good, in fact, it’s a Qashqai beater.
50kWh R110 107 84 11.4 233 0 LxWxH 4363x1841x1601 Kerb weight 1280kg S S A N G YO N G T OYO TA
50kWh R135 132 87 9.5
1.0 TSI 110 108 232
112 11.4 44.1-46.3 139-1460 Tivoli 5dr SUV £14,345–£20,345 AAABC Aygo 3dr hatch £12,690–£14,750 AAACC
1.5 TSI EVO 150 148 124 8.5 42.2-43.5 149-152 Trails the Duster as the best-value small crossover – but not by Impactful styling does a lot to recommend it, but not as refined nor
Clio 5dr hatch £15,895–£22,495 AAAAC 2.0 TDI 116 114 115 10.9 54.3-55.4 135-137 much. LxWxH 4195x1795x1590 Kerb weight 1270kg as practical as some. LxWxH 3455x1615x1460 Kerb weight 840kg
Plusher, smoother and much more mature. A car of substance as 2.0 TDI 150 148 126 9.3 55.4-58.9 141-166 1.2 128 126 112 TBC TBC 158 1.0 VVT-i 71 99 13.8 56.5 114
well as style. LxWxH 4047x1728x1440 Kerb weight 1148kg 2.0 TDI 150 4Drive 148 122 8.7 47.1-48.7 141-166 1.5 163 160 112 TBC TBC 161-164
1.0 SCe 65 64 TBC TBC TBC 117 Yaris 5dr hatch £19,910–£24,005 AAABC
1.0 TCe 90 88 TBC TBC TBC 117 Tarraco 5dr SUV £29,140–£40,620 AAAAC Korando 5dr SUV £20,395–£32,445 AAACC Stylish interior but ultimately a scaled-down version of bigger
1.0 TCe 100 98 116 11.8 47.9-54.3 119 Seat’s largest SUV brings a hint of youthful exuberance to a Competitive towing capabilities and generous kit, but still lacks Toyotas. LxWxH 3495x1695x1510 Kerb weight 1310kg
1.6 E-Tech Hybrid 138 112 9.9 65.7 96 practical category. LxWxH 4735x1839x1674 Kerb weight 1845kg dynamics. LxWxH 4450x1870x1629 Kerb weight 1610kg 1.5 VVT-i Hybrid 114 109 9.7 65.7-68.9 92-98
1.5 TSI EVO 150 148 124 9.9 38.7-41.5 155-166 1.5 GDI-Turbo 160 119 12.0 TBC 172
Mégane 5dr hatch £21,455–£36,995 AAABC 2.0 TSI 4Drive 190 188 130 8.0 31.0-31.7 201-207 1.6 D 2WD 133 112 12.0 TBC 159-164 GR Yaris 5dr hatch £29,995–£33,495 AAAAA
Stylish and refined but bland. Trophy-R hot hatch an altogether 2.0 TDI 150 148 124 10.2 49.6-52.3 144-150 1.6 D 4WD 133 112 12.0 TBC 178 Focused, exhilarating all-wheel-drive hot hatch is the most exciting
different prospect. LxWxH 4359x1814x1447 Kerb weight 1340kg 2.0 TDI 200 4Drive 197 130 7.8 41.5-42.8 172-178 Toyota in ages. LxWxH 3995x1805x1455 Kerb weight 975kg
1.3 TCe 140 138 127 9.5 46.3 133-136 Musso 5dr SUV £25,131–£35,031 AAACC 1.6 AWD 253 143 5.5 TBC 186
1.8 RS 300 298 162-163 5.4-5.7 34.9 184 S KO DA Practical pick-up has a refined engine and direct steering, but ride
1.5 Blue dCi 115 113 118 11.1 62.8 117 Fabia 5dr hatch £14,365–£17,935 AAABC needs refinement. LxWxH 5095x1950x1840 Kerb weight 2155kg C-HR 5dr SUV £26,885–£33,155 AAAAC
Comfortable, affordable, easy to drive and attractive, but no more 2.2d 181 178 115-121 12.2 TBC TBC Coupé-shaped crossover certainly turns heads and impresses on
Mégane Sport Tourer 5dr estate £22,995–£32,995 AAABC so than its rivals. LxWxH 3997x1732x1467 Kerb weight 1151kg the road. LxWxH 4360x1795x1565 Kerb weight 1320kg
Stylish and refined estate car is still bland like the hatch. Smaller 1.0 MPI 60 58 98 16.6 51.4-52.3 124-127 Rexton 5dr SUV £29,995–£39,895 AAABC 1.8 Hybrid 119 105 11.0 57.7-58.9 109-110
than its predecessor. LxWxH 4626x1814x1457 Kerb weight 1409kg 1.0 TSI 95 94 114 10.8 50.4-52.3 122-127 A vast improvement. Better on the road but without ditching its 2.0 Hybrid 181 112 8.2 53.3-54.3 119
1.3 TCe 140 138 127 9.8 47.9 132-133 argicultural roots. LxWxH 4850x1960x1825 Kerb weight 2102kg
1.6 E-Tech PHEV 153 111 TBC TBC TBC Fabia Estate 5dr estate £15,625–£18,825 AAAAC 2.2d 181 178 115 11.3-11.9 34.0 205-227 Camry 4dr saloon £31,635–£32,605 AAAAC
1.5 Blue dCi 115 113 129 11.4 64.2 121 Far more practical, majoring on boot space while doing what a Toyota’s biggest global seller returns to UK with ULEZ-friendly
good Skoda should. LxWxH 4262x1732x1467 Kerb weight 1182kg SUBARU hybrid power. LxWxH 4885x1840x1445 Kerb weight 1595kg
Captur 5dr SUV £19,095–£31,495 AAAAC 1.0 TSI 95 94 115 10.9 50.4-52.3 121-126 Levorg 5dr estate £34,770 AAACC 2.5 VVT-i Hybrid 215 112 8.3 53.3 120-126
Jacked-up Clio is among the better downsized options. Stylish and Impressively practical but only offered with an automatic gearbox
fluent-riding. LxWxH 4122x1778x1566 Kerb weight 1184kg Scala 5dr hatch £17,265–£24,410 AAAAC and one trim. LxWxH 4690x1780x1490 Kerb weight 1568kg Corolla 5dr hatch £24,480–£30,020 AAAAC
1.0 TCe 90 89 104 8.7 TBC 133-134 Undercuts rivals on price and ushers in a sharp new design 2.0i 148 121 11.7 32.6 196 Rebranded hatch has rolling refinement, interior ambience and
1.3 TCe 130 138 122 9.2 TBC 134-135 language for Skoda. LxWxH 4362x1793x1471 Kerb weight 1381kg affable handling. LxWxH 4370x1790x1435 Kerb weight 1340kg
1.6 E-Tech PHEV 156 107 10.1 TBC 1.0 TSI 95 TBC 94 118 11.0 53.3 119-120 XV 5dr SUV £28,335–£33,665 AAACC 1.8 VVT-i Hybrid 122 111 10.9 57.6-62.8 102-112
1.0 TSI 110 108 123 10.1 51.4-53.3 120-124 No-nonsense crossover doesn’t quite make enough sense. 2.0 VVT-i Hybrid 180 111 7.9 53.3-57.6 111-120
Kadjar 5dr SUV £24,695–£27,695 AAAAC 1.5 TSI 150 148 137 8.2 50.4-51.4 125-128 LxWxH 4450x1780x1615 Kerb weight 1355kg
Fine value, practical, decent to drive and good-looking, but the 1.6i 112 109 13.9 TBC 180 Corolla Touring Sports 5dr estate £25,750–£31,955 AAAAC
Qashqai is classier. LxWxH 4449x1836x1607 Kerb weight 1306kg Octavia 5dr hatch £21,230–£33,745 AAAAC 2.0i 154 120 10.4 35.7 180 More practical estate bodystyle proves just as capable with hybrid
1.3 TCe 140 138 124 9.8 45.6 143-147 Does comfort and practicality like no other. Good, frugal engines 2.0i e-Boxer 148 120 10.4 35.7 180 power. LxWxH 4650x1790x1435 Kerb weight 1440kg
too. LxWxH 4689x1829x1470 Kerb weight 1225kg 1.8 VVT-i Hybrid 122 111 11.1 56.5-62.8 103-113
Koleos 5dr SUV £28,895–£34,295 AAABC 1.0 TSI 110 113 129 10.5-10.8 54.3-56.5 115-117 Forester 5dr estate £36,345–£39,335 AAACC 2.0 VVT-i Hybrid 180 111 8.1 53.3-56.5 112-121
Koleos name returns and is a vast improvement on before, but no 1.5 TSI 150 148 143 8.5 52.3-53.3 121-123 Solid, spacious and wilfully unsexy. A capable 4x4 nonetheless.
class leader. LxWxH 4672x2063x1678 Kerb weight 1540kg 1.4 TSI iV PHEV 201 136 7.7 TBC TBC LxWxH 4610x1795x1735 Kerb weight 1488kg RAV4 5dr SUV £30,090–£50,895 AAACC
1.7 Blue dCi 150 148 118 11.8 45.6 161-162 1.4 TSI iV vRS PHEV 242 139 7.3 TBC TBC 2.0i e-Boxer 148 117 11.8 34.7 185 A solid option but ultimately outgunned by Korean competition.
2.0 Blue dCi 190 188 123 10.1 40.9 181-183 2.0 TSI vRS 242 155 6.8 40.9 157 LxWxH 4605x1845x1675 Kerb weight 1605kg
2.0 TDI 116 114 131 10.3 68.9 109 Outback 5dr estate £33,770–£36,770 AABCC 2.5 Hybrid 194 112 8.4 50.4-51.3 126-131
R O L L S - R OYC E 2.0 TDI 150 148 143 8.7 64.2-67.3 109-115 Acceptable in isolation but no class leader. 2.5 Hybrid AWD 194 112 8.1 47.9-48.7 131-134
Wraith 2dr coupé £262,230–£301,710 AAAAB 2.0 TDI 200 vRS 197 154 7.4 56.5 130 LxWxH 4815x1840x1605 Kerb weight 1612kg 2.5 PHEV 302 112 6.0 TBC TBC
An intimate and involving Rolls. Not as grand as some, but other 2.0 TDI 200 vRS 4x4 197 150 6.8 51.4 145 2.5i 172 130 10.2 33.0 193
traits make it great. LxWxH 5285x1947x1507 Kerb weight 2360kg Land Cruiser 5dr SUV £42,345–£57,490 AAABC
6.6 V12 624 155 4.6 18.5-18.6 347-348 Octavia Estate 5dr estate £22,210–£34,975 AAAAC BRZ 2dr coupé £32,020 AAAAA A real go-anywhere vehicle. Totally rugged and available with
Class-leading amount of space and practicality. Comfortable, too. The GT86’s half-brother looks great in Subaru blue. Cheaper, too. seven seats. LxWxH 4335x1885x1875 Kerb weight 2010kg
Dawn 2dr open £286,230–£345,630 AAAAB LxWxH 4667x1814x1465 Kerb weight 1247kg LxWxH 4240x1775x1320 Kerb weight 1242kg 2.8 D-4D 177 201 109 12.7 29.1-31.0 239-250
Essentially as above, except with a detuned engine and in elegant 1.0 TSI 110 113 125 10.6-10.9 53.3-54.3 118-119 2.0i 197 140 7.6 33.3 191
convertible form. LxWxH 5295x1947x1502 Kerb weight 2560kg 1.5 TSI 150 148 139 8.4 50.4-52.3 123-126 GR Supra 2dr coupé £47,395–£54,340 AAAAC
6.6 V12 563 155 5.0 16.8-17.4 367-380 1.4 TSI iV PHEV 201 136 7.8 TBC TBC SUZUKI Brings welcome muscle, fun and variety to the affordable sports
1.4 TSI iV vRS PHEV 242 139 7.3 TBC TBC Ignis 5dr hatch £13,289–£16,769 AAAAC car class. LxWxH 4379x1292x1854 Kerb weight 1541kg
Ghost 4dr saloon £253,830–£286,230 AAAAC 2.0 TSI vRS 242 155 6.8 40.4 159 Cute and rugged-looking 4x4 city car capable of tackling roads 2.0i 250 155 5.2 TBC 167
‘A ffordable’ Rolls is a more driver-focused car than the Phantom. 2.0 TDI 116 114 128 10.4 67.3 111 bereft of asphalt. LxWxH 3700x1660x1595 Kerb weight 855kg 3.0i 335 155 4.3 34.5 188
Still hugely special. LxWxH 5399x1948x1550 Kerb weight 2360kg 2.0 TDI 150 148 139 8.8 62.8-65.7 112-118 1.2 Dualjet 87 106 11.8 52.9 126
6.6 V12 563 155 4.9-5.0 18.5-18.6 347-348 2.0 TDI 200 vRS 197 152 7.4 55.4 132 1.2 Dualjet SHVS 87 106 11.4 54.1 117 Prius 5dr hatch £24,875–£28,975 AAAAC
2.0 TDI 200 vRS 4x4 197 147 6.8 50.4 147 1.2 Dualjet SHVS 4x4 87 103 11.1 48.6 127 Better all round compared with its predecessors. Challenging
Phantom 4dr saloon £367,830–£439,830 AAAAA looks, though. LxWxH 4540x1760x1470 Kerb weight 1375kg
Phantom takes opulent luxury to a whole new level. Superb 5dr hatch £25,105–£41,500 AAAAC 1.8 VVT-i Hybrid 120 112 10.6 58.9-67.3 94-109
LxWxH 5762x2018x1646 Kerb weight 2560kg Another great Czech value option that’s big on quality and space if
6.75 TV12 563 155 5.1-5.2 18.6-18.8 341-344 not on price. LxWxH 4869x1864x1469 Kerb weight 1340kg Prius Plug-in Hybrid 5dr hatch £32,645–£34,745 AAAAC
1.5 TSI 150 148 137 9.0-9.2 40.4-44.8 142-157 Plug-in version is clever and appealing. Seems more comfortable in
Cullinan 4dr SUV £268,230–£309,030 AAAAC 2.0 TSI 190 188 148 7.7 38.2-39.2 162-168 its skin. LxWxH 4645x1760x1470 Kerb weight 1530kg
Big, bold new 4x4 begins the next era for the brand, with a model 2.0 TSI 280 4x4 276 155 5.5 32.2-34.0 188-193 1.8 VVT-i Hybrid 120 101 11.1 188.3-217.3 29-35
that convinces. LxWxH 5341x2164x1835 Kerb weight 2730kg 1.4 iV PHEV 215 138 7.7 148.7-188.3 33-42
6.75 TV12 563 155 5.2 17.3-18.1 355-370 2.0 TDI 122 120 129 11.0 57.7-58.9 127 Mirai 4dr saloon £66,000 AAAAC
2.0 TDI 150 148 138 9.1 54.3-58.9 125-136 Europe’s first ‘ownable’ hydrogen car, even if infrastructure isn’t
S E AT 2.0 TDI 200 197 151 7.9 51.4-53.3 140-145 quite mainstream. LxWxH 4890x1815x1535 Kerb weight 1850kg
Mii Electric 5dr hatch £22,800 AAABC 2.0 TDI 200 4x4 197 148 7.2 47.9 154 Hydrogen FCV 152 111 9.6 66.1mpkg 0
Not as desirable or plush as the e-Up but nearly as good to drive.
LxWxH 3557x1643x1474 Kerb weight 1160kg
37kWh electric 81 81 12.3 162 0

17 NOVEMBER 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 79

 N E W CAR PR I CES
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Passat 4dr saloon £27,085–£39,480 AAAAC
Lands blows on rivals with its smart looks, civilised refinement,
quality and usability. LxWxH 4767x2083x1476 Kerb weight 1367kg
1.5 TSI EVO 150 148 137 8.7 46.3-47.9 139-146
1.4 TSI GTE PHEV 215 138 7.4 217.3 30
2.0 TDI 122 120 127 11.3 58.91 125
2.0 TDI 150 148 139 8.9 58.9-60.1 124-127
2.0 TDI 200 197 147 7.4 53.3 138

Passat Estate 5dr estate £29,340–£41,450 AAAAC

All the Passat’s redeeming features in spacious, practical estate
form. LxWxH 4767x2083x1516 Kerb weight 1395kg
1.5 TSI EVO 150 148 133 8.9 44.8-45.6 144-151
1.4 TSI GTE PHEV 215 138 7.6 201.8 33
VA U X H A L L 2.0 TDI 122 120 123 11.5 57.6 129 V60 Cross Country 5dr estate £40,600–£40,775 AAAAC
Genesis GV60 Corsa 5dr hatch £16,440–£33,045 AAABC 2.0 TDI 150 148 130-132 9.1 56.5-57.6 128-132 Brings extra ride height, all-wheel drive and off-road body cladding.
On sale early 2022, price £55,000 (est) Refined, stylish and practical, but its engines aren’t so good. 2.0 TDI 200 197 145 7.6 52.3 143 LxWxH 4784x1916x1499 Kerb weight 1792kg
LxWxH 4060x1765x1433 Kerb weight 1141kg 2.0 T5 248 140 6.8 35.8 180
Genesis’s first electric car uses the same 1.2 75 72 108 13.2 53.3 125 Arteon 4dr saloon £31,965–£41,980 AAABC 2.0 D4 187 130 8.2 47.9 155
EV-bespoke platform as the Kia EV6 to 1.2 100 97 121 9.9 48.7-52.3 126-134 VW’s flagship saloon is well made and luxurious but rather bland to
take on the BMW iX3. As standard, it gets 1.5 Turbo D 102 98 117 10.2 70.0 109-110 drive. LxWxH 4862x1871x1450 Kerb weight 1505kg S90 4dr saloon £56,025–£56,875 AAAAC
50kWh E 132 93 8.1 209 0 1.5 TSI 150 148 137 8.9 42.8-44.8 144-151 Volvo’s mid-sized exec majors on comfort, style and cruising
a 77.4kWh battery that can accept 350kW 2.0 TSI 190 187 149 7.9 36.2-38.2 168-178 ability. LxWxH 4963x2019x1443 Kerb weight 1665kg
charging and yields a range of between 229 Astra 5dr hatch £18,890–£26,430 AAAAC 2.0 TDI 150 148 137 9.5 55.4-58.9 126-134 2.0 T8 Recharge PHEV 384 112 5.1 TBC TBC
and 280 miles, depending on the motors. Good handling and nice engines, but its working-class roots still 2.0 TDI 200 197 147 7.9 51.4-54.3 137-145
show through. LxWxH 4370x1809x1485 Kerb weight 1244kg 2.0 TDI 200 4Motion 197 145 7.4 46.3 159 V90 5dr estate £39,835–£60,405 AAAAC
There are three set-ups: 226bhp rear drive 1.2 Turbo 110 108 124 10.2 54.3 119 Luxury estate takes on the 5 Series and the E-Class. Comfy and a
and 314bhp and 429bhp four-wheel drive. 1.2 Turbo 130 128 134 9.9 54.3 119 Arteon Shooting Brake 5dr estate £32,765–£42,780 AAABC good cruiser. LxWxH 4936x2019x1475 Kerb weight 1679kg
Although placing a focus on luxury and the 1.2 Turbo 145 143 137 9.7 54.3 121-124 Hybrid option and estate bodystyle’s extra versatility enhance the 2.0 B4 197 112 7.9 40.9 158
1.4 Turbo 145 143 130 9.3 50.4 129 Arteon’s appeal. LxWxH 4866x1871x1450 Kerb weight 1529kg 2.0 B5 246 112 6.9 36.6-40.4 159-175
latest technology inside, Genesis claims it 1.5 Turbo D 105 102 124 10.2 65.7 113 1.5 TSI 150 148 135 8.9 42.2-43.5 145-153 2.0 B6 297 112 6.2 34.4-36.2 178-184
will offer sports car-like dynamics. 1.5 Turbo D 122 118 127-130 9.7-10.2 64.2 115 2.0 TSI 190 187 145 7.9 35.8-37.2 171-179 2.0 T6 Recharge PHEV 335 112 5.9 TBC TBC
2.0 TDI 150 148 135 9.4 54.3-57.6 128-136 2.0 B4D 197 112 8.8 44.8-49.5 149-164
Astra Sports Tourer 5dr estate £20,340–£25,125 AAAAC 2.0 TDI 200 197 145 7.9 50.4-53.3 139-147 2.0 B5D 232 112 7.1 44.8-47.0 156-164
More composed and practical than the hatchback. 2.0 TDI 200 4Motion 197 143 7.4 46.3 161
LxWxH 4702x1809x1510 Kerb weight 1273kg V90 Cross Country 5dr estate £46,985–£53,160 AAAAC
1.2 Turbo 110 108 124 10.0 54.3 119 Touran 5dr MPV £28,580–£35,495 AAAAC Volvo’s large comfy estate given a jacked-up, rugged makeover.
1.2 Turbo 130 128 134 9.5 53.3 119 Dull overall, but it’s a capable MPV, well made and hugely refined. LxWxH 4936x2019x1543 Kerb weight 1826kg
1.2 Turbo 145 142 137 9.0 54.3 119 LxWxH 4527x1829x1659 Kerb weight 1436kg 2.0 T5 AWD 250 140 7.4 32.5 196
1.4 Turbo 145 142 130 9.2 49.6 129 1.5 TSI EVO 150 148 118 11.4 39.8-40.9 154-162 2.0 T6 AWD 310 140 6.3 32.5 196
1.5 Turbo D 105 102 124 10.2 65.7 113 2.0 TDI 150 148 128-129 9.3 50.4-52.3 142-147 2.0 D4 AWD 185 130 8.8 43.5 171
1.5 Turbo D 122 118 130 9.8 55.4-64.2 116-113 2.0 D5 AWD 228 140 7.5 40.9 181
Sharan 5dr MPV £34,230–£35,595 AAAAB
Insignia Grand Sport 5dr hatch £23,765–£40,925 AAAAC Full-sized seven-seater offers versatility, space, VW desirability XC40 5dr SUV £25,275–£60,005 AAAAC
The good-looking and tech-filled Insignia makes an attractive and tidy handling. LxWxH 4854x1904x1720 Kerb weight 1703kg Volvo’s take on the crossover aims to rival BMW, Mercedes and
proposition. LxWxH 4897x1863x1455 Kerb weight 1714kg 1.4 TSI 150 148 122 10.7 37.2 180-189 Audi. LxWxH 4425x1910x1658 Kerb weight 1626kg
2.0 Turbo 200 197 146 7.2 37.7 171 1.5 T2 126 112 10.9 40.4 158
1.5 Turbo D 122 120 127 10.7 61.4 AAAAB 1.5 T3
121 T-Cross 5dr SUV £18,360–£27,785
160 112 9.3-9.6 38.7-40.4 158-166
500X Dolcevita has new fabric sunroof 2.0 Turbo D 170 167 142 8.2 Compact crossover delivers a classy, substantial feel on UK roads. 2.0 B4
61.4 121 197 112 8.4 36.7-39.2 162-176
LxWxH 4108x1760x1584 Kerb weight 1270kg 2.0 B5 246 112 6.9 36.7 174-176
DECEMBER Crossland X 5dr SUV £19,330–£25,235 AAABC 1.0 TSI 95 93 112 11.5 47.9 132-133 1.5 T5 Recharge PHEV 258 112 7.3 117.7-141.1 45-55
Abarth 695 Esseesse, Audi RS3 Saloon, RS3 Sportback, Vauxhall’s small SUV is competent enough but lacks any real 1.0 TSI 110 108 117 9.9-10.4 42.8-48.7 132-149 P8 Recharge 78kWh 402 112 4.9 249 0
Bentley Flying Spur PHEV, BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé, character. LxWxH 4212x1765x1605 Kerb weight 1245kg 1.5 TSI EVO 150 147 124 8.5 46.3-47.1 136-138
i4, iX, M4 Cabriolet, X3 update, X3 M update, X4 update, 1.2i 83 81 105 14.0 47.1 142 XC60 5dr SUV £40,980–£64,090 AAABC
X4 M update, Citroën ë-Berlingo, DS 9, 9 PHEV, Fiat 500X 1.2i Turbo 110 108 117 10.6 47.1 140 T-Roc 5dr SUV/open £21,440–£40,735 AAAAC Looks like a small XC90 and carries on where the old one left off. A
Dolcevita, Ford Mustang Mach-E GT, Ranger Raptor Special 1.2i Turbo 130 128 128 9.1 44.1-48.0 136-146 VW’s junior SUV is beguiling and sophisticated. It drives rather well, good, capable cruiser. LxWxH 4688x1999x1658 Kerb weight 1781kg
Edition, Honda HR-V, Jeep Compass PHEV, Wrangler PHEV, Kia 1.5 Turbo D 102 101 111 9.9 61.4 120 too. LxWxH 4234x1992x1573 Kerb weight 1270kg 2.0 B5D 246 112 6.9 36.7-38.1 168-176
Sportage, Lexus NX, NX PHEV, Lotus Evija, Maserati Levante 1.5 Turbo D 120 116 114 10.8 55.4 137 1.0 TSI 110 108 115 10.8 43.5-46.3 133-146 2.0 B6D 296 112 6.2 34.0 190
update, Levante Hybrid, Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S 4-Door PHEV, 1.5 TSI EVO 150 148 127 8.3-9.6 40.9-47.9 144-158 2.0 T6 Recharge PHEV 335 112 5.9 TBC TBC
Mercedes-Benz EQB, Mercedes-Maybach GLS, S-Class, Mokka 5dr SUV £20,735–£37,970 AAABC 2.0 TSI R 300 4Motion 298 155 4.9 31.7 201 2.0 T8 Recharge PHEV 384 112 5.5 TBC TBC
Morgan Plus Four CX-T, Plus 8 GTR, Peugeot 308, 308 SW, Radically overhauled crossover now comes with the option of 2.0 TDI 115 113 116 10.4 56.5-60.1 137-146 2.0 T8 R’ge Polestar PHEV 399 112 5.4 TBC TBC
Rifter EV, Pininfarina Battista, Rimac Nevera, Rolls-Royce battery-electric power. LxWxH 4151x1791x1531 Kerb weight 1750kg 2.0 TDI 150 148 124 8.8-10.8 50.4-53.3 140-146 2.0 B4D 194 112 8.3 44.8-45.5 161-166
Ghost Black Badge, Skoda Kodiaq update, Ssangyong 1.2 100 99 115 10.6 51.4 124 2.0 B5D 232 112 7.1 44.1 167
1.2 130 128 125 9.1 47.1-50.4 126-137 ID 4 5dr SUV £40,800 AAAAC
Korando e-Motion, Tesla Model S Plaid, Vauxhall Combo-e 1.5 Turbo D 110 108 118 10.8 64.2-65.7 114 Impressively refined and versatile SUV marks VW out as a maker of XC90 5dr SUV £55,095–£75,090 AAAAC
Life, Grandland update, Volkswagen Golf R Estate, ID 4 GTX, 50kWh e 134 93 8.7 201 0 fine electric cars. LxWxH 4584x1852x1640 Kerb weight 2124kg Clever packaging, smart styling, good to drive: Volvo’s closest thing
Polo update, Polo GTI update, Tiguan Allspace update 82kWh 201 99 8.5 TBC 0 to a class leader. LxWxH 4950x2008x1776 Kerb weight 1961kg
Grandland X 5dr SUV £24,800–£44,370 AAACC 2.0 B5D 246 112 7.7 32.4 198
Does well to disguise its 3008 roots but too bland to stand out in a Tiguan 5dr SUV £24,915–£39,010 AAAAC 2.0 B6D 296 112 6.7 90.7 210
congested segment. LxWxH 4477x1811x1630 Kerb weight 1350kg An improvement on the previous model and will continue to sell by 2.0 T8 Recharge PHEV 384 112 5.8 TBC TBC
1.2 Turbo 130 128 117 10.9-11.1 45.6 141-147 the bucketload. LxWxH 4486x1839x1654 Kerb weight 1490kg 2.0 B5D 232 112 7.6 41.5 178
1.6 Hybrid 223 140 8.6 192.0-210.0 34 1.5 TSI EVO 130 128 119 10.2 44.1-44.8 143-146
1.6 Hybrid4 298 146 5.9 204.0-225.0 32 1.5 TSI EVO 150 148 126 9.2-9.3 38.2-42.2 143-168 VUHL
1.5 Turbo D 130 128 119 10.2 54.3 136 2.0 TDI 150 148 125-127 9.3 47.1-50.4 146-157 05 0dr open £59,995–£89,995 AAAAC
2.0 TDI 150 4Motion 148 124-125 9.3 43.5-45.6 163-171 Mexican track-day special has a pleasingly pragmatic and forgiving
Combo Life 5dr MPV £23,010–£25,545 AAABC 2.0 TDI 200 4Motion 197 134 7.5 42.8 172-177 chassis. LxWxH 3718x1876x1120 Kerb weight 725kg
Van-based people carrier is usable, spacious and practical, if not 2.0 DOHC Turbo 285 152 3.7 NA NA
very pretty to look at. LxWxH 4403x1841x1921 Kerb weight 1430kg Tiguan Allspace 5dr SUV £32,195–£44,385 AAAAC 2.3 DOHC Turbo RR 385 158 2.7 NA NA
1.2 Turbo 110 108 109 11.9 40.9 156 Has all the Tiguan’s sensibility and refinement, now with the bonus
1.2 Turbo 130 128 TBC TBC 40.3 157 of seven seats. LxWxH 4486x1839x1654 Kerb weight 1490kg WESTFIELD
1.5 Turbo D 100 99 107 12.7 52.3 142-145 1.5 TSI EVO 150 148 123 9.5-10.0 37.2-39.2 164-176 Sport 2dr coupé £19,950–£35,800 AAAAC
1.5 Turbo D 130 128 115 10.6 51.3 144 2.0 TDI 150 148 126 9.7 44.8-47.1 164-165 Sport Turbo is very quick and fun but not a patch on the
Hybrid-only Civic gets a cleaner look 2.0 TDI 150 4Motion 148 123-124 9.8 41.5 177-179 Caterhams. LxWxH TBC Kerb weight TBC
V O L K S WA G E N 2.0 TDI 200 4Motion 197 132 TBC 40.4-41.5 176-184 1.6 Sigma 135 TBC TBC NA NA
Up 3dr/5dr hatch £12,705–£23,555 AAAAC 1.6 Sigma 155 TBC TBC NA NA
E A R LY 2 022 It’s no revolution, but VW’s hallmarks are in abundance. Touareg 5dr SUV £45,960–£63,415 AAAAC 2.0 Duratec 200 TBC TBC NA NA
Alfa Romeo Giulia update, Stelvio update, Tonale, Audi LxWxH 3600x1428x1504 Kerb weight 926kg Hints of ritziness and sportiness don’t impinge on this functional 2.0 Ecoboost 252 TBC TBC NA NA
Q6 E-tron, Q9, R8 Performance RWD, R8 Performance RWD 1.0 65 64 100 15.6 54.3 119 luxury SUV’s appeal. LxWxH 4878x2193x1717 Kerb weight 1995kg
Spyder, BMW 2 Series Active Tourer, 2 Series Coupé, iX1, 1.0 115 GTI 113 119 8.8 51.4 125-126 3.0 V6 TSI 340 335 155 5.9 25.2-25.7 249-252 Mega 2dr coupé £16,950 AAABC
M2 Coupé, X1, Citroën Ami, C5X, Cupra Born, Dacia Jogger, e-Up 81 80 12.4 159 0 3.0 V6 TDI 231 228 135 7.5 33.6-34.4 214-219 Mega engine makes it rapid, but isn’t as fun as Caterham’s R range.
DS 4, 4 Cross, Ferrari 296 GTB, 296 GTS, 812 Competizione, 3.0 V6 TDI 286 282 148 6.1 33.6-34.9 213-219 And you have to build it yourself. LxWxH TBC Kerb weight TBC
812 Competizione Aperta, 812 GTO, Portofino M, Ford Fiesta Polo 5dr hatch £17,125–£20,605 AAAAC 2.0 VTEC S2000 240 TBC TBC NA NA
update, Focus update, Tourneo Connect update, Genesis A thorough going-over makes it more mature, but the Polo is still a V O LV O
G70 EV, G70 Shooting Brake, G80 EV, G90, GV60, GMA T50, bit boring. LxWxH 4053x1946x1461 Kerb weight 1105kg S60 4dr saloon £39,680–£51,100 AAAAC ZENOS
Honda Civic, Civic Type R, Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, Ineos Grenadier, 1.0 80 78 106 15.4 51.4 125 Fresh-faced saloon now sits comfortably among the ranks of its E10 0dr coupé £26,995–£39,995 AAAAB
Jeep Grand Cherokee, Kia EV6, Lamborghini Countach, 1.0 TSI 95 93 116 10.8 48.7-53.3 120-127 German peers. LxWxH 4761x1916x1437 Kerb weight 1616kg The latest in a long line of mid-engined British marvels. Expect a
Urus update, Urus PHEV, Land Rover Defender 130, Range 1.0 TSI 110 108 121 9.9 53.3-54.3 118-119 2.0 B5 246 112 6.7 41.5 153 dedicated following. LxWxH 3800x1870x1130 Kerb weight 700kg
Rover, Range Rover Sport, Lexus EV, Lotus Emira, Maserati 2.0 T8 Recharge PHEV 384 112 4.6 122.8-176.5 42 2.0 Ecoboost S 250 145 4.0 NA NA
Granturismo, Grecale, Mazda CX-5 update, MX-30 REx, Golf 5dr hatch £23,355–£39,270 AAAAB 2.0 T8 R’ge PHEV Polestar 399 112 4.4 104.5 61 2.3 Ecoboost R 350 155 3.0 NA NA
Mercedes-AMG C53, C63e, EQS 53, One, S63, S63e PHEV, SL Does exactly what everyone expects. Still the king of the family
55, SL 63, Mercedes-Benz EQE, EQT, GLC, T-Class, MG 5 SW EV car. LxWxH 4284x1789x1492 Kerb weight 1206kg V60 5dr estate £34,855–£52,200 AAAAB
update, Marvel-R, ZS EV update, Nissan Ariya, X-Trail, Ora Cat, 1.0 TSI 110 108 126 10.2 53.3 121 Spacious and comfortable, with a characterful, Scandi-cool design.
Porsche Taycan GTS, Renault Mégane E-Tech Electric, Seat 1.5 TSI EVO 130 128 130 9.1 51.4-53.3 121-124 LxWxH 4761x1916x1427 Kerb weight 1729kg
Tarraco PHEV, Skoda Fabia, Subaru Solterra, Tesla Model Y, 1.5 TSI EVO 150 148 139 8.9 50.4-51.4 124-128 2.0 B3 161 112 9.1 40.9 155
1.5 eTSI EVO 150 148 135 8.9 47.9-49.6 129-133 2.0 B4 197 112 8.0 41.5 152
All dates are approximate and subject to change

Toyota Aygo X, bZ4X, GR 86, Vauxhall Astra, Astra-e, Astra 1.4 TSI PHEV 242 140 6.7 TBC TBC 2.0 B5 246 112 6.8-6.9 37.7-40.4 157-170
PHEV, Astra Sports Tourer, Volkswagen ID 5, ID 5 GTX, Taigo, 2.0 TSI GTI 242 155 6.4 38.2 169 2.0 B6 297 112 6.0 36.2 175
Wells Vertige, Wey Coffee 01 2.0 TSI 300 GTI 296 155 5.6 38.2 167 2.0 T8 R’ge PHEV Polestar 399 112 4.9 TBC TBC
2.0 TSI 320 R 4Motion 296 155 4.7 36.2 177 2.0 T6 Recharge PHEV 335 112 4.6 TBC TBC
2.0 TDI 115 113 126 10.2 67.3-68.9 107-110 2.0 B4D 197 112 7.6 47.0-50.4 146-156
2.0 TDI 150 148 139 8.8 64.2 116-117
2.0 TDI 200 GTD 197 152 7.1 54.3 137
ID 3 5dr hatch £32,990–£42,290 AAAAC
A very mature electric car whose substance of engineering is
central to its appeal. LxWxH 4261x1809x1568 Kerb weight 1730kg
150kW 62kWh 201 99 7.3 261 0
150kW 82kWh 201 99 7.9 336 0

New MG flagship offers 250-mile range

80 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 17 NOVEMBER 2021

ROAD TEST
BMW KIA PEUGEOT SUZUKI

ROAD TEST ed ph ef
rom m
1 Series 118i M Sport AAAAC

M2 CS M-DCT AAAAB
30.10.19
2 Series 220d Convertible AAAAC 1.4.15
M2 AAAAB 15.6.16
Stinger 2.0 T-GDI GT-L S AAABC
Rio 1.0 T-GDI 3 Eco AAABC
Ceed 1.6 CRDi 115 2 AAABC
Proceed 1.4 T-GDi AAABC
25.4.18
1.3.17
29.8.18
208 e-208 Allure Premium AAAAC 6.5.20
508 GT BlueHDi 180 AAAAC
Hybrid 225 Allure SW AAAAC
PSE Hybrid4 SW AAAAC
24.10.18
8.7.20
Swift 1.0 SZ5 AAABC

Vitara 1.6 SZ5 AAABC

17.5.17
SX4 S-Cross 1.6 DDiS SZ4 AAABC 30.10.13
29.4.15
Across 2.5 PHEV E-Four CVT AAAAB 7.4.21

INDEX
pe 19.8.20 27.2.19 5.5.21
s e r m u fro
T op P ow 0 -62 T orq CO 2 218d Active Tourer Luxury AAAAC 24.12.14 Xceed 1.4 T-GDi AAABC 20.11.19 2008 e-2008 GT Line AAABC 30.9.20
218i Gran Coupé M Sport AAACC 8.4.20 Niro 1.6 GDI DCT 2 AAABC 31.8.16 3008 1.6 BlueHDi GT Line AAABC 18.1.17 TESLA
3 Series 320d M Sport AAAAA 15.5.19 e-Niro First Edition AAAAB 1.5.19 5008 2.0 BlueHDi GT Line AAABC 1.11.17 Model 3 Standard Range Plus AAAAC4.9.19
330d xDrive M Sport AAAAB 15.1.20 Sportage 1.7 CRDi ISG 2 AAABC 2.3.16 Model S P90D AAAAB 20.4.16
330e M Sport AAAAB 1.7.20 Sorento 1.6 HEV G-TDi 2 AAABC 20.1.21 P O L E S TA R Model X 90D AAAAC 15.2.17
4 Series M440i xDrive AAAAC 6.1.21 1 AAAAC 21.10.20
M4 Competition AAAAB 21.4.21 LAMBORGHINI T OYO TA
PORSCHE
The best new cars rated as 5 Series 520d M Sport AAAAB
545e M Sport AAAAC
M5 AAAAB
31.5.17
20.10.21
18.4.18
Huracán Performante AAAAB
Evo RWD Coupé AAAAB
Aventador SVJ AAAAC
11.10.17
20.5.20
19.6.19
718 Boxster AAAAB
Spyder AAAAB
8.6.16
1.4.20
Yaris 1.5 Hybrid Design AAAAC
GR Yaris Circuit Pack AAAAA
Corolla 2.0 Hybrid ST AAAAC
23.9.20
3.3.21
5.6.19

only Autocar knows how M5 CS AAAAA

7 Series 730Ld AAAAC

14.7.21
6 Series GT 630d xDrv M Spt AAABC18.11.17
11.11.15
Urus AAAAC
LAND ROVER
3.7.19 Cayman S AAAAB
Cayman GTS AAAAB
911 GT2 RS AAAAC
10.8.16
9.5.18
18.7.18
GT86 2.0 manual AAAAA
Prius Business Edition AAAAC
Mirai Design Premium AAAAC
4.7.12
16.3.16
16.6.21
8 Series 840d xDrive AAABC 16.1.19 Defender 110 P400 X AAAAB 13.5.20 Carrera S AAAAB 29.5.19 C-HR Excel 1.8 Hybrid AAAAC 4.1.17
M8 Competition Convertible AAABC5.2.20 Discovery Sport D180 AWD AAAAC 8.1.20 GT3 PDK AAAAB 11.8.21 GR Supra Pro AAAAC 14.8.19
A road test in any other M8 Competition Coupé AAABC 3.6.20 Range Rover Evoque P300e AAAAB 918 Spyder 4.6 V8 AAAAA 22.10.14
magazine might well i3 1.3S Range Extender AAAAC 21.2.18 10.2.21 Cayenne Turbo AAAAC 5.9.18 VA U X H A L L
i8 AAAAB 17.9.14 Range Rover 4.4 SDV8 AAAAB 12.12.12 Turbo S E-Hybrid AAABC 27.5.20 Corsa 1.2T 100 auto AAABC 22.1.20
be a short, subjective X2 M35i AAABC 25.9.19 Range Rover Velar D240 AAABC 30.8.17 Taycan Turbo S AAAAA 29.7.20 Crossland X 1.2T 130 Elite AAACC 7.6.17
summary of a new car X3 xDrive20d M Sport AAAAC 17.1.18 Range Rover Sport 3.0 TDV6 AAAAB 2.10.13 Astra 1.6 CDTi 136 SRi AAAAC 30.9.15
X4 M Competition AAACC 13.11.19 SVR AAAAA 15.4.15 R E N A U LT ST CDTi Biturbo SRi 137 AAAAC 13.4.16
produced under almost X5 xDrive30d M Sport AAAAC 2.1.19 Clio TCe 100 Iconic AAAAB 27.11.19 Combo Life 1.5 TD 100 Energy AAABC27.12.18
X7 xDrive M50i M Perf’nce AAAAC 9.9.20 LEXUS Mégane 1.5 dCi Dyn. S Nav AAACC 17.8.16 Insignia Grand Sport 2.0D SRi VX-Line
any circumstances, LC 500 Sport+ AAAAC 18.10.17 E-Tech Plug-in Hybrid 160 AAACC 29.9.21 AAAAC 3.5.17
but the Autocar road C AT E R H A M NX 300h AAACC 1.10.14 RS Trophy-R AAAAC 23.10.19 Insignia Sports Tourer 2.0 Biturbo D GSI
Seven 620S AAAAC 9.3.16 RC F AAACC 18.2.15 Grand Scénic dCi 130 Nav AAABC 25.1.17 AAACC 30.5.18
test is different. Specific, rigorous and detailed, it’s ES 300h Takumi AAABC 6.2.19 Kadjar dCi 115 Dyn. S Nav AAAAC 21.10.15 Mokka 1.2 Turbo 130 auto AAABC 12.5.21
the closest examination we can give of any new model. CITROEN LS 500h Premier AWD AAACC 6.6.18 Arkana E-Tech Hybrid 145 AAABC 13.10.21 Grandland X Hybrid4 AAACC 22.4.20
C3 Puretech 110 Flair AAABC 28.12.16 Captur 1.3 TCe 130 EDC AAABC 18.3.20 VXR8 GTS-R AAAAC 10.1.18
It appears over at least eight pages and is close to 50 C3 Aircross Puretech 110 AAABC 7.3.18 L O T U S
man-hours in the making every week. C4 Puretech 130 Auto AAACC 26.5.21 Elise Cup 250 AAABC 29.6.16 R O L L S - R OYC E VOLKSWAG EN
C5 Aircross BlueHDi 180 AAABC 13.2.19 Evora S 2+0 AAAAC 30.3.11 Phantom AAAAA 4.4.18 Up GTI 1.0 TSI 115 AAAAC 21.3.18
Most of what the road test process entails is Exige Sport 390 Final Edit’n AAAAB 21.7.21 Ghost AAAAB 13.1.21 Polo 1.0 TSI 95 SE AAAAB 31.1.18
designed to be strictly repeatable and fair. We CUPRA Wraith AAAAB 21.5.14 GTI AAAAC 1.8.18
Leon 310 VZ3 Estate AAAAC 8.9.21 M A S E R AT I Dawn AAAAC 1.6.16 Golf 1.5 eTSI 150 Style DSG AAAAB 22.7.20
benchmark standing-start and in-gear acceleration at Ateca 2.0 TSI 4Drive AAABC 23.1.19 Ghibli Diesel AAABC 12.3.14 Cullinan Black Badge AAAAC 19.2.20 R AAAAC 14.4.21
a purpose-built test facility every week. We carry out Formentor 2.0 TSI VZ2 AAAAB 3.2.21 Quattroporte Trofeo AACCC 4.8.21 ID 3 Pro Performance Life AAAAC 31.3.21
Levante Diesel AAACC 30.11.16 S E AT ID 4 GTX Max AAABC 27.10.21
both subjective and objective handling tests on both DACIA S Granlusso AAABC 8.5.19 Ibiza SE Technology 1.0 TSI AAAAB 19.7.17 T-Roc 2.0 TSI SEL 4Motion AAAAB 24.1.18
road and track, on the latter up to and beyond the limit Sandero Stepway TCe 90 AAAAC 28.4.21 Leon eHybrid FR AAABC 2.12.20 Cabriolet 1.5 TSI Evo DSG AABCC 10.6.20
Duster SCe 115 Comfort AAAAC 22.8.18 M A Z D A Arona SE Technology 1.0 TSI AAAAC 15.11.17 Arteon 2.0 BiTDI 240 AAABC 27.9.17
of grip, so as to fully assess stability, drivability and limit 2 1.5 Skyactiv-G SE AAAAC 22.4.15 Ateca 1.6 TDI SE AAAAB 19.10.16 eHybrid Shooting Brake AAABC 9.6.21
handling appeal. And while benchmark lap times are DALLARA 3 2.0 Skyactiv-X AAAAC 6.11.19 Passat 2.0 TDI 190 GT AAAAC 4.2.15
Stradale AAAAB 16.10.19 MX-5 1.5 SE-L Nav AAAAB 2.9.15 SMART GTE AAAAC 7.9.16
sometimes taken, they’re never an end in themselves. MX-30 145PS AAABC 10.3.21 Forfour Electric Drive Prime Premium Touran 2.0 TDI 150 SE AAAAC 3.2.16
We record and publish stopping distances, too, as DS CX-3 1.5D SE-L Nav AAABC 22.7.15 AABCC 23.8.17 Tiguan 2.0 TDI 150 SE AAAAB 22.6.16
3 Crossback Puretech 155 AAACC 10.7.19 CX-5 2.2D Sport Nav AAAAC 28.6.17 Caravelle 2.0 BiTDI Exec. AAAAC 23.12.15
well as taking cabin noise measurements at various 7 Crossback Puretech 225 AAABC 19.9.18 SKODA Touareg 3.0 TDI R-Line Tech AAABC 8.8.18
McLAREN Fabia 1.2 TSI 90 SE-L AAAAC Grand California 600 AAABC
21.1.15 2.1.20
cruising speeds and benchmarking either indicated FERRARI 570S 3.8 V8 AAAAA 30.3.16 Scala 1.5 TSI 150 DSG AAABC 31.7.19
or brim-to-brim fuel economy. We independently 488 GTB AAAAA 25.5.16 600LT Spider 3.8 V8 AAAAB 22.5.19 Octavia 2.0 TDI 150 SE L First Edition V O LV O
measure leg room, head room, boot space and certain 488 Pista AAAAB 7.8.19 620R 3.8 V8 AAAAC 23.12.20 DSG Estate AAAAC 2.9.20 XC40 D4 AWD First Edition AAAAB 7.2.18
812 Superfast AAAAC 25.7.18 GT 4.0 V8 AAABC 27.1.21 2.0 TDI vRS AAAAC 17.2.21 S60 T8 Polestar En’d AAABC 24.12.19
key exterior vehicle dimensions, and we also weigh SF90 Stradale AAAAC 3.11.21 720S 4.0 V8 AAAAA 24.5.17 Superb 1.4 TSI iV 218 SE L AAAAC 26.2.20 V60 D4 Momentum Pro AAAAC 27.6.18
every car we test. Senna 4.0 V8 AAAAA 10.10.18 Karoq 2.0 TDI 150 Scout AAABC 30.1.19 XC60 D4 AWD R-Design AAABC 5.7.17
F I AT P1 AAAAA 7.5.14 Enyaq iV 80 AAAAC 18.8.21 S90 D4 Momentum AAAAC 13.7.16
Just as every new car is different, however, the road Panda 4x4 Twinair AAAAB 17.4.13 Kodiaq 2.0 TDI Edition AAAAC 23.11.16 V90 T6 Recharge R-Design AAAAB 11.11.20
500 Abarth 595 AAAAC 26.2.14 MERCEDES-AMG XC90 D5 Momentum AAAAC 17.6.15
test has developed to be versatile enough, week by A-Class A45 S 4Matic+ Plus AAAAB 4.3.20 S S A N G YO N G
week, so as to best assess and reflect the suitability FORD C-Class C63 AAAAB 3.6.15 Tivoli XLV ELX auto AAACC 14.9.16 WESTFIELD
Fiesta 1.0T Ecoboost AAAAC 9.8.17 C63 S Coupé AAAAB 24.4.19 Sport 250 AAAAC 29.11.17
of each test subject to its intended purpose. It now ST-3 1.5 T Ecoboost AAAAB 15.8.18 CLS 53 4Matic+ AAAAC 17.10.18 SUBARU
includes modular sections describing in detail the Focus 1.5 Ecoboost 182 AAAAB 20.2.19 GT S AAAAC 29.7.15 XV 2.0i SE Lineartronic AAACC 28.2.18 ZENOS
ST AAAAC 11.9.19 R AAAAB 10.5.17 Levorg GT 1.6i Lineartronic AAACC 13.1.16 E10 S AAAAB 7.10.15
limit handling of a new car, or its semi-autonomous RS AAAAA 4.5.16 GT 4-Door Coupé 63 4Matic+ AAAAB
S-Max 2.0 TDCi Titanium AAAAC 26.8.15
assisted driving technologies or its off-road capability.
Mondeo 2.0 TDCi AAAAC 14.1.15 SLC 43 AAABC
13.3.19
6.7.16
GREATEST ROAD TESTS OF ALL TIME
All of this goes to bringing you the most thorough, Mustang 5.0 V8 GT F’back AAAAC 24.2.16 GLC 63 S 4Matic+ AAABC 13.6.18
relevant and fair test of a new car we can produce. The Bullitt AAAAC 5.12.18 GLE 53 4Matic+ AAABC 14.10.20
Mustang Mach-E Extended Range RWD
scores reproduced here are the ones we gave the cars AAAAC 23.6.21 MERCEDES-BENZ
at the time so they don’t necessarily represent what Puma 1.0T 125 MHEV AAAAB 25.3.20 A-Class A200 Sport AAAAC 4.7.18
ST AAAAC 24.3.21 A250e AMG Line Premium AAACC 5.8.20
those same cars might score today were they rejudged Kuga 2.5 PHEV ST-Line AAABC 24.6.20 B-Class B180 Sport AAAAC 3.4.19
using current class standards. But you can dig deeper Ranger Raptor AAAAC 28.8.19 CLA 250 AAACC 21.8.19
C-Class C220 Bluetec AAAAC 23.7.14
into their attributes by using the magazine publication GENESIS E-Class E400 Coupé AAAAC 14.6.17
dates listed here to look up an old test in your own G70 2.2 CRDi Luxury Line AAABC 10.11.21 E300 Cabriolet AAABC 6.10.21
GV80 3.0D Luxury 5-Seater AAABC15.9.21 S-Class S350 Bluetec AAAAA 16.10.13
collection or on digital platforms such as Readly EQA 250 AAACC 17.11.21 AC ACE it straight on the motorway.
and Exact Editions, or you can order a back issue by HONDA GLB 220d 4Matic AAABC 16.9.20 TESTED 24.2.99 We also experienced multiple
E Advance AAABC 26.8.20 GLC 250d AAAAC 10.2.16 Three years after AC Cars failed, component failures. In short, the
phoning 0344 848 8816. Jazz 1.5 i-MMD Hybrid EX AAABC 7.10.20 G-Class G350d AMG Line AAAAC 17.7.19
a new owner decided to bring the Ace was in no way competitive
In that vein, it only remains to wish you many happy Civic 1.5 i-VTEC Turbo AAAAC 19.4.17 GLS 400d AAABC 12.2.20
2.0 Type R GT AAAAB 25.10.17 X-Class X250d 4Matic AAABC 20.6.18 low-volume Ace roadster back with the £13,000-cheaper
hours lost in the many numbers of our road test archive Clarity FCV AAAAC 12.7.17 to life. It wasn’t the best idea… Jaguar XKR cabriolet. Not a
and to thank you for reading. CR-V 1.5T EX CVT AWD AAABC 7.11.18 M G great showing, then, but for the
NSX AAAAB 5.10.16 3 1.5 3Form Sport AAABC 25.12.13 First impressions were that fit wrong reasons a memorable one.
Matt Saunders, road test editor 5 SW EV Exclusive AAABC 25.11.20 and finish was improved inside
HYUNDAI ZS EV Exclusive AAACC 4.12.19 and out compared with the test FOR Improved fit and finish,
i10 1.2 MPi Premium AAAAC 15.4.20 car we’d driven a year earlier. pretty swift, good brakes
ABARTH AUDI i20 1.0 T-GDI 100 48V AAABC 24.2.21 M I N I Interior leather and wood were AGAINST Price, dubious ride,
124 Spider AAAAC 22.3.17 A1 Sportback 35 TFSI S line AAABC 2.10.19 N AAAAB 25.8.21 Mini Cooper S AAAAB 2.4.14
A3 Sportback S3 AAABC 18.11.20 i30 N AAABC 27.12.17 Cooper S Works 210 AAAAB 6.12.17 of a standard suited to the car’s handling, steering, thirst
A L FA R O M E O A4 S4 TDI AAAAC 18.9.19 1.4 Premium SE AAABC 13.9.17 Clubman Cooper D AAABC 25.11.15 price, but cheap Ford switchgear
Giulia Quadrifoglio AAAAB 29.3.17 RS4 Avant AAAAC 14.2.18 Kona Electric 64kWh Premium SE AAAAC Convertible Cooper S Sport Automatic was not. The electric soft top FACTFILE
Stelvio 2.2D 210 Milano AAABC 3.1.18 A5 S5 AAABC 11.1.17 31.10.18 AAAAC 19.5.21 operated well and stowed neatly. Price £79,750 Engine V8, 4942cc,
Quadrifoglio AAAAC 9.1.19 A5 Sportback 2.0 TFSI S line AAABC 8.3.17 Santa Fe 2.2 CRDi P’m SE AAABC 6.3.19 Countryman Cooper D AAABC 22.2.17 Power came from Ford’s supercharged, petrol Power 325bhp at
4C Spider AAACC 27.1.16 A6 40 TDI S line Avant AAAAC 14.11.18 Tucson 1.6 T-GDi Hybrid P’m AAAAC 17.3.21 Plug-in Hybrid AAABC 26.7.17 5.0-litre pushrod V8, blown 5700rpm Torque 385lb ft at 3500rpm
RS6 Avant Carbon Black AAAAC 11.3.20 Nexo AAABC 12.6.19 by a hushed, belt-driven 0-60mph 6.2sec 0-100mph 16.4sec
ALPINA A7 Sportback 50 TDI Sport AAABC 11.7.18 MITSUBISHI
JAGUAR supercharger. Despite such Standing quarter 14.9sec, 94.5mph
B3 Touring AAAAA 4.11.20 A8 L 60 TFSIe Sport quattro AAABC 17.6.20 Eclipse Cross 1.5 First Edition 2WD AAACC
B8 Gran Coupé AAAAC 22.9.21 TT RS AAAAC 7.12.16 F-Type V8 S Convertible AAAAC 12.6.13 14.3.18
grunty credentials, 1600kg of Top speed 145mph Economy 15.5mpg
E-tron 55 quattro AAAAB 26.6.19 V6 S Coupé AAAAB 11.6.14 Outlander PHEV GX4hs AAABC 16.4.14 kerb weight hampered both
ALPINE S quattro AAABC 2.6.21 2.0 R-Dynamic Coupé AAAAC 22.11.17 performance and fuel economy. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT…
A110 Premiere Edition AAAAA 16.5.18 Q2 1.4 TFSI Sport AAAAC 9.11.16 P575 R AWD Coupé AAAAC 29.4.20 M O R G A N The monocoque chassis felt Production barely broke double
SQ2 quattro AAAAC 20.3.19 XF 2.0 R-Sport AAAAB 2.12.15 Plus Four AAABC 12.8.20 reassuringly stiff, producing less figures before the Ace was axed,
ARIEL Q4 E-tron 40 Sport AAABC 7.7.21 300 R-S Sportbrake AAABC 17.4.19 3 Wheeler AAAAA 6.6.12 scuttle shake than a BMW Z3. but three Aceca four-seat coupés
Atom 4 AAAAA 9.10.19 Q5 2.0 TDI S line AAAAC 15.3.17 XE 2.0 R-Sport AAAAB 1.7.15 Despite that, the ride was jittery, were also built using Ford’s
Nomad AAAAA 24.6.15 SQ5 quattro AAABC 21.6.17 E-Pace D180 AWD SE AAABC 11.4.18 N I S S A N harsh and crashy, while body 4.6-litre V8. After a troubled
Q7 SQ7 4.0 TDI AAAAC 26.10.16 F-Pace 2.0d AWD AAAAC 11.5.16 Micra 0.9 N-Connecta AAAAC 26.4.17
ASTON MARTIN control was lamentable. period, AC Cars resurfaced to
Q8 50 TDI S Line AAAAC 26.9.18 SVR AAAAB 24.7.19 DIG-T 117 N-Sport AAACC 27.3.19
Vantage V8 AAAAB 23.5.18 R8 V10 Plus AAAAC 30.12.15 I-Pace EV400 S AAAAB 12.9.18 Juke 1.0 DIG-T 117 AAABC 29.1.20 The power-assisted make Cobra-style roadsters
F1 Edition Coupé AAAAC 1.9.21 Qashqai 1.3 DIG-T 158 AAAAC 28.7.21 steering was too quick and and the Zagato-penned 378 GT
DBS Superleggera AAAAA 21.11.18 B E N T L E Y JEEP GT-R Recaro AAAAB 16.11.16 light. It tended to add lock by during the 2010s. Today, it offers
DBX AAAAB 28.10.20 Continental GT W12 AAAAB 2.5.18 Compass 2.0 M’jet 4x4 L’d AAACC 3.10.18 itself and the Ace required the petrol and electric versions of the
Flying Spur W12 AAAAB 15.7.20 Renegade 4xe Trailhawk AAACC 30.6.21 N O B L E driver to concentrate to keep Cobra and 1961-era Ace.
Bentayga W12 AAAAB 18.5.16 Wrangler 2.2 M’Jet-II Ov’d AAAAC 10.4.19 M600 AAAAB 14.10.09

17 NOVEMBER 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 81

 Matt Prior
Solterra has good
ride height, 4WD
and decent range
ould Subaru be on its
C way back in Britain? Yes.
Very modestly speaking,
I mean. By its own
admission, the Japanese brand put
in an “embarrassing” performance
here last year, selling just 951 cars.
It has decided against bringing its
next BRZ sports coupé to the UK and
no longer sells the WRX here, while
the estates and 4x4s it does specialise
in – and for which it’s known among
the rural private buyers that have
traditionally been its heartland –
aren’t exactly fuel efficient.
Which is why the new Solterra,
an electric SUV similar to Toyota’s
bZ4x (see p11), gives me some hope.
In rural areas, buyers are more
likely than townies to have space to
charge a car, so as to make it warm
and ready for a cold winter morning:
cabin cosy, windows cleared of
frost. Farm and business units have
strong electricity supplies for quick
charging and EVs return good
efficiency on slow rural roads.
TESTER’S NOTES
This practical electric Subaru wagon could
be a proper car for those out in the sticks
With a deft torque-vectoring four-
wheel drive system and on rugged
tyres, this practical electric Subaru
wagon could be a proper car for those
who live out in the sticks. It’s about
the same size as the Forester.
With its fast Imprezas, Subaru
spent time building a reputation as
a performance car manufacturer
when it wasn’t one. This could be
the right car at the right time.
■ “Feeling hungry?” rang a recorded
message across the forecourt as
I refuelled my car. I wasn’t, but I,
probably like the filling station’s
nearest neighbours, couldn’t help
listening to the broadcast. Quite
loud. “Check out our quick food-to-go
selection,” it said. Righto. “You will
be amazed at what we have to offer!”
Will I be? Really? Amazed?
This was a bold claim for a small
filling station on the outskirts
of a provincial market town.
If it didn’t just have a coffee
machine, bottled drinks, a bunch
of pasties, a small selection of
sandwiches, some crisps and
biscuits and sweets and that’s about
the size of it, then yes, I would be
amazed. Reader, I wasn’t amazed.
I know it would be unreasonable
E S TA B L I S H E D 1 8 95
Map for motorists 1930s
MANY THANKS TO the anonymous
reader who recently posted us a
beautifully preserved example of
our forebears’ work, as seen above.
Produced in the early 1930s,
The Autocar map for motorists
of England and Wales (plus some
of Scotland and the Isle of Man)
was printed on 20 card sections –
featuring contour colouring and
mileage intervals, we boasted –
at a scale of eight miles to an inch.
It could be bought from “leading
bookshops” or by post in 1931 for
15 shillings and sixpence (about
£54 today), plus a “stout and
attractive” leather envelope could
be had for six and six (about £23).
“Get your copy of this map
` to-day!” we enthused. “You will
appreciate its usefulness for
touring and week-end trips!”
Today, it’s most fascinating to
see how our urban areas and road
network have been transformed.
a „ Visit themotoringarchive.com
pre-packaged food with as long a life for all of Autocar’s history
as possible, plus some fresh sangers,
is the most it’s ever likely to offer,
because that’s all its footfall expects G E T M O R E AU T O C A R
– perhaps demands. If I wanted
a full delicatessen with a cheese
counter, I could find one in one of the
supermarkets or the town centre all
within a few minutes away, not here.
Here, time is of the essence: fill
the tank and grab whatever you
need for the ensuing drive – and X
quick, before somebody wants to
use the pump at which your car is New Toyota GR 86:
parked. I expect nothing more. join us for a first drive
I would like, though, something
more from the advertisement – one
of my other pet subjects beyond cars.
This is a poor advert.
youtube.com/autocar
I wasn’t amazed. I know a filling
station has some food. Sell it to me.
Play a better recording and on a timer facebook.com/autocarofficial
so that instead of a repetitive loop
(I heard the same advert twice), I’m
offered a coffee to relieve my bleary twitter.com/autocar
eyes in the morning or late at night;
recommended great snacks for
elevenses; or asked whether I autocar_official
would like an afternoon bun.
Or, better still, just leave me alone.
SUBSCRIBE
GET IN TOUCH
This is Prior’s idea of lunch on the go
82 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 17 NOVEMBER 2021
 matt.prior@haymarket.com
autocar.co.uk/subscribe
to expect more fare, so I don’t. For all our latest print and digital
This is a small filling station and @matty_prior subscription offers
THE NEW CORVETTE STINGRAY
Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 6.2L V8 - Fuel consumption combined (mpg): 23.3.
CO2 emissions combined (g/km): 277. Energy efficiency category: M.

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Sandhills Lane, Virginia Water GU25 4BT

01344 842801
www.ianallanmotors.co.uk

© 2021 GENERAL MOTORS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. CHEVROLET®

 NEW 508
PIONEERING PERFORMANCE AGAIN
360 hp–CO₂ From 42 g/km*–All Wheel Drive

 Official Fuel Consumption in MPG (l/100km) and CO₂ emissions (g/km) for the new 508 PEUGEOT
SPORT ENGINEERED range are: Combined N/A – 138.9 (0.0 - 2.0) and CO₂ 0 - 42 g/km.
The fuel consumption or electric range achieved, and CO₂ produced, in real world conditions will depend upon a number of factors including, but not limited to: the accessories fitted (pre and
post registration); the starting charge of the battery (PHEV only); variations in weather; driving styles and vehicle load. The plug-in hybrid range requires mains electricity for charging. The WLTP
(Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure) is used to measure fuel consumption, electric range and CO₂ figures. Figures shown are for comparison purposes and should only be
compared to the fuel consumption, electric range and CO₂ values of other cars tested to the same technical standard. The figures displayed for the plug-in hybrid range were obtained using
a combination of battery power and fuel. *Figures shown are for the new 508 PEUGEOT SPORT ENGINEERED. Information correct at time of going to print. Visit peugeot.co.uk for further details.