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Speed is good for you: the anti-car lobby has it all wrong

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0100

Leaving our cars at home is good for the step count - but maybe not social progress

Is breakfast the most important meal of the day? Pfft.

Only if you want it to be: there's not much evidence beyond some observational studies. But we've been conditioned into believing it by a breakfast food maker who asked a physician to agree it was true, who in turn asked a group of other doctors to countersign his statement.

That was sent to the newspapers and so later it's what our mums told us when they wanted us to eat our porridge. Ultimately, though, it was a marketing campaign, a message that Big Bacon concocted when it wanted to boost sales. Eat a heavy breakfast! It's the most important meal of the day!

Look, have a croissant or don't: it probably won't make any difference.

I wonder if Big Underwear, meanwhile, is behind the latest recommendation I've read, which is that one should change one's underpants every six months (as in throw out and replace, not just get dressed). An alternative suggestion I see is after 50 washes.

Either the entities pushing these theories haven't coordinated their strategies or I own a lot of underpants, because – TMI? – I don't have so few that I'm washing the same pair twice weekly. (Maybe I should cut down on stock levels. Reduce storage bills and energy costs. A just-in-time strategy for domestic laundry. I already only wear black socks to save time pairing them. It's the next logical step.)

Anyway, call me cynical, but I wonder what motivates these various theory merchants. Could it be that in the way cereal makers would prefer us not to wait for a lunchtime meal deal, underwear makers and retailers want to give pant-wearers - most of us - a nudge to replace ahead of time?

The pants thing hasn't entered public consciousness like the breakfast messaging. At least not yet. The difference being that bacon producers said it loud, with authority, and found a slogan: their version of 'Guinness is good for you' but less easily disproven.

Big Underwear - forgive me; Big Pants? - needs to pull its socks up if it wants to compete.

So perhaps we, as car drivers, need to start marketing our preferences better too. Because the active travel lobby is definitely selling itself well.

They say that it's good for you and the planet if you get out of your car and onto your bike or your feet, and that by doing so you will live a healthier, longer life.

It's a message that has cut through, certainly to politicians, who think this sounds easier and cheaper than filling potholes and can be used as an excuse to tax drivers ever more highly.

But it's not really right, is it? When we all walked or took horses everywhere, technological progress was glacial. We lived short, painful and difficult lives, mostly very close to home.

If you wanted a doctor before the car existed, he would take a day to come, and he would have only ever read one book, and it recommended leeching. The car changed all that. It revolutionised education, culture, health and love.

Heathcliff and Cathy would have been fine if only they had got out more, stopped moping around on the moors and popped to Harrogate for a night out.

Is it really good to walk three miles to a parochial workplace? Or might it not be better for brilliant people to drive around the country, or indeed fly around the world, to meet similarly brilliant people in laboratories where together they cure diseases?

Our ability to go places at speed changed the world. High-speed travel lets us meet more people, build more connections and solve more problems.

I wonder if it's a coincidence that quality of life improvements the expectation that children will have better lives than their parents seems to have stalled at the same time as our ability to go places quickly. Congestion stifles our crumbling roads.

The average speed fell by 6% on the UK strategic road network in the decade to last April. The latest railway stats show "the lowest July-to-September quarterly percentage [of punctual trains] since 2018". Concorde hasn't flown for 23 years. And coming down with average travel speeds is the country's productivity.

We're trapped in a sluggish fog, metaphorically and literally going nowhere fast. This slogan might need work, but: speed is good for you.

How Goodwood chooses its centrepiece - according to the Duke

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 08:00:00 +0100

Duke of Richmond tells Autocar podcast the secrets behind his annual towering automotive artwork

The Goodwood Festival of Speed is a cornerstone of the global automotive calendar, but how does the estate decide who secures the famous central spot on the lawn?

Charles Gordon Lennox, the 11th Duke of Richmond, has revealed the process behind the feature to Autocar's editor-at-large, Steve Cropley. You can listen below.

This year the honour falls to Singer, Rob Dickinson’s famed Porsche restomodding firm. The sculpture will celebrate Singer’s influence and be flanked by a collection of its cars.

When it comes to who is honoured by the annual artwork, there isn’t any sort of shortlist. It all depends on which manufacturers want to do it or if there’s an anniversary worth celebrating.

But mostly it comes down to what feels right, according to the Duke. He told the Autocar podcast: “We felt Singer was the right moment to do it – and the cars are so popular, to see lots of them together, it'd be pretty spectacular.”

The Duke and his family are huge fans of Singer, he added: “I love them. My son Charlie's driven them more than me. Annoyingly, I’m usually too caught up, but he's driven quite a lot at the events.”

The structures are created by designer Gerry Judah, who has collaborated with Goodwood for years. “He's not a car guy, really, he’s an artist, and he has a great feel for brands, what they stand for,” said the Duke.

Judah will work on a design, then he and the Duke will present it to the client, who will then be able to ask for additional changes or requests.

Finally, there is the question of engineering. While some brands have ambitiously requested carbonfibre or glass, practicality usually dictates the final product. “We know what works, and we know that steel is the best material,” the Duke said.

Crucially, the steel construction means the towering sculptures are entirely recyclable, destined to be melted down and repurposed once the festival weekend concludes. Some clients request to keep the sculptures, but that's a rarity.

Up and Atom: Why Ariel is the unsung hero of UK car industry

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 08:00:00 +0100

Atom has been thrilling car enthusiasts for 27 years over four generations, but there's more to Ariel...

People think the main thing about starting a car company is coming up with a special machine that people will want to buy - but that's only part of it.

A key part, for sure, but almost certainly not the biggest part. And the reason I love Ariel so much is because its founder and owner, the creator of its cars and the bloke who still makes all the big decisions, Simon Saunders, understood all these things from the beginning.

The Atom, the basis of Ariel's success over four generations, had its beginnings 25 years ago in a design competition run by Saunders (with Autocar participation) during his time as a senior lecturer at Coventry University's transport design school.

Already a proven designer of mainstream cars, motorcycles and supercars, Saunders was continuing to run a solus design consultancy while attempting (out of the goodness of his heart) to help students learn the invaluable lessons from industry you don't find in books.

The simple, skeletal Atom, designed in the mid-1990s by student Niki Smart, stood out from the rest as having the potential for production.

Saunders set about forming the business that would be needed to make it - refining the design to make it practical for real, live buyers, acquiring rights to the age-old name of a once-famous British firm that made cars and bikes, visualising how and where the new cars could be made, negotiating with potential parts suppliers, raising finance, designing an efficient build process, deciding how the cars would be sold (direct from the factory), understanding the implications of providing a service and repair facility, and seeing the beauty of controlling the second-hand market.

Born in Coventry as the LSC (Lightweight Sports Car) in 1996, the car went on sale in 1999 as the Ariel Atom - the name suggested back in the day by your humble author. The original base was a couple of converted barns at Saunders' own home in Crewkerne, Somerset, but as the business grew, it moved to roomier premises a few miles out of town.

Over time, the Atom was joined by a radically designed motorbike (powered by a 1200cc Honda V4) called Ace, then by a much-praised off-road buggy called Nomad (also Honda-powered). Annual production of all three combined has never totalled much more than 200 (Saunders has always seen the beauty of simplicity and a small size for his company), and the waiting list for cars and bikes has frequently exceeded a year, even through the Covid lockdowns.

However, the growing service and secondhand business, and Saunders' urge to have more space for a "proper" museum and for bigger workshops to build the cars that he's always developing in secret (such as the 1180bhp Hipercar EV), means Ariel will move over the next year or two into new, purpose-built headquarters near Yeovil, which will make it possible for more vehicles to be produced and for the waiting list to be shorter.

But in usual car company terms, Ariel will never be bigger than tiny, and it will always shun mainstream vehicles in favour of the most radical designs. This and the wise, self-made nature of Ariel's formation is why I love it.

"Councils can do more..." The truth about the pothole pandemic

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 07:00:00 +0100

The UK's roads continue to deteriorate, but just a small number of councils are investing in permanent fixes

Ineffective repair practices, poor financial controls and a lack of long-term maintenance planning by councils are among the reasons Britain's motorists are experiencing record numbers of potholes, claims an industry expert.

For the 2025/26 financial year, the UK government handed councils an extra £1.6 billion for highway maintenance and has pledged a further £7.3bn over the next four years. However, the latest Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance survey by the Asphalt Industry Alliance claims that the 17% budget increase has yielded only marginal improvements in the conditions of UK roads.

Indeed, only 16 of the 154 local authorities in England are using that extra budget effectively, according to the Department for Transport. For example, many are still using expensive, short-term repairs instead of more cost-effective, long-term preventative measures, it says.

More potholes mean more damage to cars. The AA reports that its teams were called out to 137,000 pothole-related incidents in January and February, an increase of 25,000 on the same period last year.

The RAC said call-outs it received for damaged wheels and suspension systems averaged 225 per day in February (up from 66 per day the year before) due to heavy rain concealing potholes – 26 areas across the UK experienced their wettest month on record. "Water is the enemy of the roads and preventing it from sitting on them is key to their long-term health, so it's vital more work to improve drainage is carried out," the RAC told Autocar.

What's more, Admiral Insurance has so far this year received 75% more pothole-related claims than it did in the same period last year. Claims for February were up 144% year on year.

Ben Rawding, general manager of JCB (pictured below), is a member of the Pothole Partnership, a lobby group that is calling for non-emergency pothole repairs to be covered by a five-year warranty. He said inefficiencies and inconsistencies in how councils maintain roads are making a bad situation even worse.

"Councils have huge scope to do more with their existing budgets," said Rawding.

"However, where they use contractors and sub-contractors to maintain and repair their roads, we see inefficiencies compared with those councils, typically in the north of the country, that are directly responsible for the work.

"Widely varying contract terms, poor economies of scale and an absence of key performance indicators characterise the worst."

Rawding said efficient councils recognise that planned rather than reactive maintenance is key to reducing the incidence of potholes.

"With planned maintenance, the council focuses on a stretch of potholes, removes the road surface and puts in some 'hot mix' compacted with a roller to bind the repair. 'Throw and go', where a contractor just shovels in cold mix, can only be temporary. Around 40% of Wales's roads are repaired in this way, which is crazy. The goal should always be a one-time fix, said Rawding.

Among the 16 councils awarded a green rating by the Department for Transport for repairing potholes effectively and for investing in long-term preventative maintenance Is Wiltshire County Council. This financial year, it will spend 88% of its £38 million highways budget on preventative rather than reactive maintenance.

"It's the only way to avoid going around in circles," said councillor Martin Smith, cabinet member for highways. However, while he was pleased the council received a green rating. he admitted that drivers remain sceptical about the condition of the roads.

"Our green rating is not drivers' lived experience, where the recent wet weather has created many potholes," said Smith. "However, our contractors, who we manage carefully, have repaired almost 5200 potholes so far this year. Many are temporary fixes for safety reasons but we'll be back later to close the roads and repair them properly."

Inside Jason Plato's grand plan to dominate the BTCC - again

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 07:00:00 +0100

Never say never again: 97-time winner rips up the rulebook as he returns to the sport as a team owner

"We want to create the finest racing team ever for a national championship. We want to take the British Touring Car Championship by storm and be incredibly successful. We want to dominate and blow everyone's doors off – and that's what we will do."

Yes, in case you haven't noticed, Jason Plato is back in the BTCC. And he's being, well, very 'Jason Plato' about it. The two-time champion, who won a record 97 races as the overblown character fans both loved and hated (often at the same time), retired from driving at the end of 2022 and consistently made it very clear, in his preferred brand of colourful language, that he had zero interest in making the transition to team ownership.

Yet now, as another BTCC season kicks off at Donington Park this Sunday, there he will be on the pitwall, chief of bright and shiny Plato Racing. It's the big story of 2026. "I genuinely didn't want to do this," he insists, dragging deeply on a cigarette when Autocar finally pins him down in the smoking hut outside his new team's HQ in Wellingborough at the end of a chaotic, celebrity-strewn team launch (close friends Sir Chris Hoy and Ross Brawn among the guests). "But I'm doing it my way, which is different from the way most people do it."

That's a rare understatement from Plato. From a seed of an idea last summer – "we didn't even have a bank account last August" – the 58-year-old has assembled a crack team of experienced BTCC old hands to help him. It includes team manager Malcolm Swetnam and design engineer Paul Ridgway, who will run a pair of Mercedes-AMG A35 saloons built by respected British motorsport powerhouse RML – the first of many points of contention about the Plato return, given that RML is also a key supplier of parts to all the teams on the BTCC grid.

It's fair to say there's no false modesty about Plato Racing. A podium first time out at Donington this Sunday is the stated aim, and the team has detonated on impact as it lands in the paddock. So why is Plato doing it if, as he makes clear, he never really wanted to? In short, you could say because he had to. Plato has been strikingly open about his mental health struggles since retiring from the sport that defined his whole existence.

In short order, along with his old racing life, he also lost his TV work (presenter of Channel 5's Fifth Gear), a sum of money in investments that went wrong and his marriage. Rock bottom included two attempts to take his own life, he says, and he credits the support of friends such as Brawn for pulling him out of the darkness. Now, returning to the sport he loves as a team owner has given him a new lease of life – in an uncomfortably stark and literal sense.

"But we're late," he says of the start-from-scratch project that only really began to take some form in October last year. "There's no one solely to blame. And guess what? I've never run a team before. Yes, I've got some experienced people, but it's probably fair to say they have never been involved with a team like this. The stuff we are ordering and doing, it's off the scale. We've assembled a great team and have kicked the others hard in the nuts because we've nicked all of their best staff... I'm sure there are going to be some fireworks."

Now he's committed to it, this season will be fascinating if only to see how Plato handles the transition from racing driver to team principal. "I have to respect the business, it's not about me anymore," he states. "Regardless of what any driver tells you, they don't give a f*** about anyone else but themselves. It's a selfish, blunt, narcissistic game. That's ingrained in me, because that's what I've been all my life. But now I can't be like that. If I do something wrong I could hurt people here. So I have to think about things differently."

RML has leased one of its units to Plato Racing – the same one out of which it ran Plato to the second of his titles in 2010, in a Chevrolet Cruze. Company CEO Paul Dickinson is all too aware of the fine line RML is walking. Under the BTCC's tightly regulated New Generation Touring Car (NGTC) rulebook, it supplies all the suspension parts for the entire grid: wishbones, pushrods, rockers, uprights, steering systems and the front and rear subframes that house them.

Now RML is also building a complete car, just as it used to with the Chevys and back in the 1990s with Vauxhall and Nissan. "Let's be clear, the other teams are worried, as I would be if I was them," admits Dickinson, who needed to work hard to convince BTCC boss Alan Gow that Plato wouldn't be gaining an unfair advantage by commissioning RML to create its pair of A-Class Mercs. "But this is why we're not running the cars," he adds, emphasising this is a supplier relationship: yes, RML built the cars, but it has now handed them over to Plato's team to race them. "At events we will be there in our RML shirts in the RML truck selling parts. We won't be in the Plato truck optimising his car."

As we're speaking, the team is shaking down one of the cars for the first time. "You'll notice we are not there," says Dickinson. Still, paranoia is ingrained in racing paddocks, and it won't help that Plato Racing lives directly next door to RML. "We know this car will be scrutinised to the nth degree more than any other on the grid," says Dickinson. "That's just part of the Jason story."

The NGTC regulations have been around a long time, since 2011, yet this is the first time RML has built a car to the rulebook. "The key is to take RML back to the forefront of motorsport, not just sat in the shadows supplying the parts," says Dickinson. "This is the first of hopefully many racing cars we will be building in the future. It will get us back on the map. You never know where Plato Racing will go in the future or where we might go with OEMs. There are a few Le Mans trophies in our building."

As for the cars themselves, the Mercedes-AMG A35 saloon was chosen primarily for its shape: the base model is said to have the best drag coefficient on the grid. Meanwhile, RML says it has benefited from zero help from Mercedes directly. Plato sourced three road car shells – two of which had water damage from a river and a lake. RML dipped, took apart and scanned the shells to create its own CAD drawings, then rebuilt the cars on roll-cages via CFD modelling to create a slippery thoroughbred racing car with a likeness of the original Mercedes road car. Under the skin, there's a lot of carbonfibre. It looks more like an old DTM car than what we are used to seeing on the BTCC grid.

Dickinson says he spotted plenty of well-thumbed copies of TOCA's BTCC rulebook among his team during the design and build process, complete with highlighter pen marks. But is there really scope for any car builder, even one with the tech know-how of RML, to find a new edge from such a mature ruleset? Adam Airey, head of vehicle engineering, pauses before he answers. "It's very close in the BTCC," he says, eventually. "We might not find much of an edge, but I like to think we have the tools to ensure the cars are always optimised, whatever the circuit."

On the driver front, Dan Rowbottom has transferred across from BTCC superteam Alliance Racing, bringing his backing from Cataclean. The 37-year-old is much more than a simple driver signing – he is also a founding partner in the new team. Quitting the reigning Napa-backed Ford Focus champion squad for an all-new car and outfit sounds like a risk, especially after winning three times during a strong 2025 campaign. But he says stepping out from the shadow of old team-mates Ash Sutton and Dan Cammish was essential if he ever wants to make a serious challenge for a BTCC title.

"It was clear there wasn't a requirement for me to do more than I was doing, because they had a driver [Sutton] who could challenge for the championship," says 'Rowbo' of his former employer. "Which was fine, I accepted that. But I had conversations with the management saying where I needed to be. I'm getting older and I want to challenge for a championship before I retire. The response was 'we are quite happy where you are'. They did a fantastic job, for me and commercially for Cataclean. But it was time to move on."

Rowbottom has recruited childhood friend and old karting rival Adam Morgan as his team-mate. Morgan, 37, is an 11-time race winner and has been a BTCC mainstay since 2012. He's also a much more placid character than Rowbottom, who is a chip off the old Plato block in terms of personality. "I'll leave Jason and Dan to ruffle the feathers – I'll just take the race wins," grins Morgan, who says he could have stayed put in the Excelr8 Hyundai as team-mate to reigning champion Tom Ingram. "I've been around long enough to know that unless you are in the right place at the right time, you're just making up the numbers – and I'm not here to do that. I believe I can win the championship with Plato Racing."

Rowbottom feels the same way, and while he clearly wants to beat Morgan, their friendship means they should work well together. "To be able to be a part of Jason's revival is a massive opportunity for everyone involved," says Rowbottom. "It's great for the paddock and the press. He will definitely cause some controversy, but that's why we love him. The team is set up to disrupt the BTCC. I've grown up with this championship and fell in love with it when I was 14. We have fantastic drivers and teams, but it's missing a bit of magic. It needs a kick up the arse. I firmly believe Jason will do that."

Both smile when Autocar asks them how they expect to find Plato as a team boss. The man himself has a glint in his eye when asked the same question. He was given his big break by Frank Williams and Patrick Head in 1997 when he was recruited to the Williams-run Renault team. He knows what the highest standards look like.

"You know me," he says. "I don't sugarcoat anything, and that has got me into lots of hot water before. But I'm ultimately a really fair bloke and I demand excellence, and if that's not given through lack of effort I go f****** apeshit. But that's not going to happen, because everyone has bought into this. We're at the start of something really amazing."

What else is new in the BTCC?

Saloons are back in vogue in the BTCC. Alliance Racing switches from the Ford Focus hatchback to the Titanium saloon in search of aero gains, as Ash Sutton and Dan Cammish work to depose Tom Ingram as champion. Alongside Sam Osborne is Lewis Selby, who steps up from Minis to replace Dan Rowbottom.

2024 champion Jake Hill has quit the BTCC, so Laser Tools Racing and Mark Blundell switch their support to Speedworks' Toyota Corollas for Gordon Shedden and Árón Taylor-Smith.

Audis will return to the BTCC grid this year. Power Maxed Racing, which lost its Vauxhalls to a devastating fire at its HQ last year, has built an all-new Audi A3. The highly rated Mikey Doble will lead its charge.

The biggest change in format is the introduction of a qualifying race on Saturday afternoons to decide the first grid. Three races remain on Sundays. This is the second season the BTCC is using 100% renewable fuel and turbo power boost, but this time weight has been reduced by a sizeable 55kg.

2026 BTCC Calendar

Month	Date	Venue
April	18/19	Donington Park
May	9/10	Brands Hatch Indy
May	23/24	Snetterton
June	6/7	Oulton Park
July	25/26	Thruxton
August	8/9	Knockhill
August	22/23	Donington Park GP
September	5/6	Croft
September	26/27	Silverstone
October	11/12	Brands Hatch GP

My Mini mission to Sweden: A freezing tribute to affordable cabrios

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 06:00:00 +0100

Mini makes one of the few affordable cabrios still on sale. Where else to celebrate than on a frozen Swedish lake?

It has become a little tricky to drive topless in Britain.

You needn't flick too far back in the Autocar archive to find price lists awash with cheap convertible cars, many of them spun from humble hatchback origins and sporting an SLK-lite folding hard-top. While we rarely lavished them with unmitigated praise - cohesive styling and chassis rigidity weren't always strong suits of this particular sub-genre - hindsight suggests we should have appreciated these cars a little more.

The affordable cabrio market came and went as the 'Juke effect' lifted most of their owners several inches further from the ground and into crossovers that allowed the sun to beam in from above via a panoramic glass roof.

Two manufacturers stuck firmly to their beliefs, though, and you can still buy a pair of delightfully familiar drop-tops for less than £30,000 (or £300 per month). The Mazda MX-5 has remained steadfastly on sale through four generations since the late 1980s, and it can take a lot of credit for the sudden influx of cheap cabrios and roadsters that followed its launch.

Just £28,585 nabs you an entry-level 130bhp 1.5-litre Prime-Line - a price that sits significantly below its original baseline once inflation has been applied. A bargain, then.

The new-age BMW Mini has been sold in folding soft-top form since 2004, and it too has reached its fourth generation. Just £28,955 slots you neatly into a 161bhp Cooper C, its larger-lunged 2.0-litre turbo engine, cosy back seats and bigger boot lending it more flexibility than the little Mazda, although its front-drive layout and auto-only transmission ensure it's not a patch on the MX-5 as a driver's car.

Nevertheless, Minis have always punched well above their modest weight when it comes to entertainment. Another three grand gets you a 201bhp Cooper S like the one you see here. Still no manual gearstick, nor even paddles to influence its dual-clutch 'box (at least not without an options pack upgrade), but today I should be kept busy enough without. Its standard tyres have been swapped for studded Nokian Hakkapeliittas and the stage is set for a day of driving like few I've experienced before.

The difficulty of buying a brand-new drop-top poses all the incentive I need to fold back the fabric hood of this Mini Convertible the moment I'm handed its key and not whirr it back until the day is out. Further motivation is beamed from the 'Always Open Timer' on its vibrant circular touchscreen, which claims the roof has been down for almost 22 hours since the car first rolled out of the factory.

We had better click that over to a full day, then, regardless of the temperature in deepest Scandinavia loitering around -16deg C. The skies are cloudy, but luckily it's dry and there's only an occasional, light dusting of snow to speckle the Mini's interior. Thermals on, coat zipped up and woolly hat pulled low, it's time for an unlikely adventure to celebrate the fact Mini still makes these things.

The Mini is also a fully British affair again. Production of this fourth-generation Convertible returned to Plant Oxford after a decade's hiatus, while the four-cylinder 'B48' engine up front is pieced together at Hams Hall in Birmingham and BMW Group Plant Swindon supplies its body panels and sub-assemblies.

We're an awfully long way from those factory lines now, mind you. We've landed in Trondheim, Norway, to drive two hours east to Áre, a Swedish town famous for skiing, mountain biking and ice driving. Plenty of companies run joyful days of skidding around on the area's frozen lakes, whether in well-used Toyota GT86s or the classic Tuthill 911s of Below Zero, and our day will close with a little taster of the fun.

With a few fistfuls of luck we'll be greeted by the aurora borealis - the Mini Convertible presents a perfectly open viewing canopy for seizing any opportunity of a sighting.

The drive looks fairly innocuous on a map -you turn right out of the airport, subtly cross a border then sit on the E14 until the glowing bars of Are heave into view. The road gently wends its way through scenery that appears frozen solid, the Cooper S taking it all in its stride on those foolproof-feeling studs - until WOAH!, an urgent, cold-blooded stamp of the brake pedal and a swing left of the Mini's steering wheel to avoid an errant moose that's chosen now, of all moments, to wander blindly into the road.

The 'elk test' was given its 15 minutes of infamy by the first-gen Mercedes-Benz A-Class, but I'd never imagined experiencing it in real life. Thankfully, the tenacity of those tyres - plus the innate balance of the Mini - makes mincemeat of such tests, whether staged or otherwise.

Even with studded rubber and the loss of a fixed metal roof, the core agility we have always adored in Minis hasn't been lost: its steering is quick-witted and the rear axle always gleefully follows behind. The more potent Cooper S and JCW drop-tops enjoy a bit of extra chassis bracing, and the end result feels delightfully close to the S hatch that road tester Illya Verpraet enjoyed so much. He praised the low-slung, BMW-like driving position, one that only feels boosted by the loss of B-pillars and more expansive visibility.

My only qualm with the way this car drives is (inevitably) the lack of manual control over its seven-speed transmission. But the car's own mapping is pretty good, and you can nicely edit its Go-Kart driving mode to mix and match the throttle, steering and DSC mapping to mould a car with a more eager shift pattern, a cleaner steering response and a less studious eye on your mischief. It's a perfectly natural car in which to start unwinding the stability control, although I'll reserve 'DSC Off' for the frozen lake...

The rest of the car has a surprising assuredness to it. These are grown-up things beneath the jovial interior design, with a good smattering of mature BMW tech woven among the extravagant circles. Mostly, I'm thankful for its three levels of heat for the front seats and steering wheel.

Driving roof-down in the biting cold gathers a lot of stares and the occasional hooted horn once we roll into downtown Åre, but I won't let the attention stop me. And while its turbo four isn't the most rousing of engines in most circumstances, its role too perfunctory for a car with sporting intentions, it doesn't half blare nicely in the sub-zero air.

The Mk4, F67 Mini Convertible is actually a heavily updated Mk3 - hands up if you remember the Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet doing similar in the late '90s. The fact is evidenced by old-gen tail-lights that don't tally with the latest Mini hatch; its F57 predecessor was actually launched a year after the ND-gen MX-5 that remains on sale.

It poses the question: wouldn't we rather have two gently evolved soft-tops to choose from rather than none at all? We meander through an innocuous barrier onto Äresjön lake with a joyful little circuit laid out ready on the ice. It's a chance to explore all the handling hilarity that was hinted at on the road amid a safer expanse of space.

Turning off the DSC makes it an easier thing to get moving from a standstill: its scrabble for grip is reminiscent of a Cooper S on the mildly damp roads of home, and the car feels no liability in the turns with the aids extinguished. It's a doddle to initiate the lift-off oversteer BMW Minis have typically revelled in, and the ensuing slide can be gathered up quickly with an opposing flick of your wrists or kept going with surprising ease on the throttle. Just mind the snow spray if you've dropped all four windows down...

This is outright frivolity rather than anything resembling consumer advice, I'm only too aware, but it's nice to know the Monte spirit still lives and breathes beneath a 1.4-tonne Convertible. This is a proper Mini, roofless or not, and proof that one of the last affordable drop-tops left on British price lists is recommendable for its talents and not just the mere scarcity of its offering.

Less promising is the sky, where thick cloud and a riotous blizzard have rolled in when we had hoped to see flashes of green and pink swirl above us. Time to roll the roof back up and relinquish the keys, then the bright teal -backlighting of the fabric dash teasing us with a glimpse of the dazzling show we could have had. Mischievous as ever, this Mini Convertible. Let's hope it stays that way for a long time yet.

Mini Cooper S convertible
Price	£31,990 (£33,790 as tested)
Engine	4 cyls in line, 1998cc, turbocharged, petrol
Power	201bhp at 5000-6500rpm
Torque	221lb ft at 1450-5000rpm
Gearbox	7-spd dual-clutch automatic, FWD
Kerb weight	1455kg
0-62mph	6.9sec
Top speed	147mph
Economy	42.8mpg
CO2, tax band	149g/km, 35%

Dodge Caliber retrospective: The crossover that arrived too early?

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 13:00:00 +0100

It was a quiet trailblazer for the modern crossover market, offering American styling and practicality on a budget

It looked slightly interesting then, and it looks slightly interesting now.

It was a quiet trailblazer too, the Caliber, though into a bit of a cul-de-sac of the kind occupied by the Talbot Matra Rancho and all those faux off-road superminis like the VW Polo Cross, the Rover Streetwise, the Hyundai Getz Cross (regrettably not sold here) and today’s admittedly more successful Dacia Sandero Stepway.

We’re talking crossovers, machines milder than the Caliber’s Jeep Compass cousin or even the Nissan Qashqai, which rides higher.

As a follow-up to the Dodge Neon (Chrysler to us) the Caliber certainly moved with the times, DaimlerChrysler’s budget US offering shifting from front-drive, low-roofed four-door sedan to the higher-riding crossover Caliber.

The Neon was spectacular at launch for its exceptionally low price, and when you started probing into how that was achieved, an interior whose quality was little better than that of the packaging you release a new smartphone from.

Regrettably this trashy characteristic was carried over to the Caliber with almost undiminished enthusiasm. Its constituent cabin components may have been more firmly tethered to its body than the Neon’s, but the plastics were of grades barely any better than those that had twittered aboard the Chrysler.

The Caliber was created in the era when the Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge areas of the DaimlerChrysler empire had no separate interior design department, the cars’ cabin design a mere must-do part of the creative process rather than an area in which design might excel.

As you might expect given these priorities, the Caliber’s exterior was a rather more polished effort of creativity.

Being a Dodge alone – there was no Chrysler version – the aim was to vest the Caliber with some of the visual robustness of the RAM pick-ups that the marque was better known for domestically.

A big grille sporting the Dodge crosshairs décor and a ram badge – the trucks had yet to be split away to create the distinct RAM brand – chunky blistered wheelarches, a bonnet that sat proud of the wings, a chunky back bumper and huge taillights all referenced the rugged world of pick-up trucks.

But the most distinctive feature were the twin arcs of matt black paint spanning the length of the roof, a pleasingly effective visual device that did much to emphasise the coupé-like glasshouse.

The Caliber was quite a clever piece of design and ought to have appealed strongly in the US and even here, where the link to the trucks would not have registered.

And though cheaply finished the interior was at least spacious, and on some versions came with unexpected extras that included a rechargeable torch for chasing down rattles and a coolbox for consolatory drinks.

An unusually fulsome Boston stereo was also available, this going a long way to drown out the cabin’s plastic-on-plastic creaks and the owner’s sorrow at their existence.

There was more than the chatter of trim to overcome aboard some versions of the Caliber. Many UK buyers chose the special-to-Europe version fitted with a 2.0 litre VW turbodiesel of ageing tech, this a power unit whose narrowly effective torque band brought thrust, economy and its own brand of growlingly vibratory din to the Caliber mix.

Couple this to suspension whose most successfully executed task was holding the Caliber’s body a few inches from the ground – this Dodge neither rode nor handled well – and you had a car whose presence in UK showrooms was hard to fathom.

Indeed, the presence of Dodge at all was difficult to understand when sister brand Chrysler was sporadically struggling to survive, and when the more promising Jeep still needed loads of help.

The scheme to launch Dodge in Europe was part-dreamed up by some Detroit based Mercedes executives whose grasp of the sheer crapness of the Chrysler corporation’s cabins had clearly failed to make much impact.

The idea was to present Dodge as a cheap route to performance, but the only Caliber offering anything like the necessary punch was that yelling diesel.

Still, it was undeniably cheap, different and practical, these qualities sufficient to shift just over 6000 in the UK.

Physical buttons poised to become key brand differentiator

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 11:00:00 +0100

Car makers will return to buttons – and could even shrink screens – in a bid to stand out, says brand expert

Physical car controls will become an increasingly crucial way for car brands to stand out in the future, according to a leading design firm.

"You can see how screens have made their way into vehicles and they're upgradable, but unless they're dealt with well, it can be quite a lazy intervention," Luke Miles, founder of NewTerritory, told Autocar. "There is a moment [coming] when there's going to be a new level of value in some of the analogue bits, some of the real high-value bits that you interface with."

NewTerritory has historically focused on aviation, designing interiors for US giant Delta and Virgin Atlantic, but it has now moved into the car industry, with clients including Ford and Mercedes. Miles himself previously led design at LG Europe and Virgin Atlantic.

The increasing sophistication of voice and gesture controls gives manufacturers a means of moving away from the screen's dominance in car interiors, according to Miles. "When things are voice-activated or gestural, then you're in a space where those moments - whether they are analogue or more physical - become really valuable," he said. "You boil down the brand into these really beautiful, well-engineered, well-crafted human moments."

He added: "You can imagine this very lovely space where you're blending the foreground and the background - background technology being voice, illumination, gestures maybe. The foreground is beautifully crafted moments of interaction, whether it's a metallic piece or maybe it's [a control] which is built out a little bit more with a digital capability embedded in it."

Physical controls, according to Miles, create those "human moments" that foster the connection between car and driver. "The sense of feedback of a knurled object, or a click, gets you to a place where you realise it's been beautifully assembled," he said.

Meanwhile, voice controls "could mean the screen shrinks again", he said. "You don't necessarily need it [at all]."

Major players have already started a move back towards physical buttons. Volkswagen brand chief Thomas Schäfer, for instance, has said the company's previous shift away from buttons did "a lot of damage".

VW's revised approach to interior design - described as a "premium haptic" concept, majoring on switchgear and rotary dials - is exemplified by the forthcoming ID Polo, ID Cross and the updated ID 3.

Overall, suggested Miles, manufacturers will "want to invest in moments of positive friction", providing touchpoints that differentiate them from the competition in terms of how they look and feel.

Proper keys: A touchy subject

Keys are another crucial point of interaction between the car and driver, suggested Miles.

He said: "It's a part of the brand that you carry around with you continually when you're not in the vehicle, but sometimes the value of that thing is actually quite limited."

Miles described the interaction of placing a key to start a car - something that has largely disappeared with the proliferation of push-button starters - as a "handshake" and "a threshold moment of getting in and going from one mode [of movement] to another, which the key is instrumental to".

The upcoming Ferrari Luce is one example of how a manufacturer has used the key as part of this 'handshake'.

To start the car, its fob has to be clicked into place on the centre console.

The key contains 'e-ink' that, after it is secured, 'bleeds' into the console and unlocks the gear selector.

However, other firms have sought to ditch traditional keys. Tesla, for example, does not include a physical keycard as standard on the entry-level versions of the Model 3 and Model Y.

Volvo and Polestar, meanwhile, have replaced traditional keys with credit card-style fobs and digital facsimiles accessed through a phone app.

Audi could hybridise RS3's five-pot to keep it on sale in Europe

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 10:29:21 +0100

Current 2.5-litre 'EA855' engine falls foul of Euro 7 emissions regulations coming into force in November

Audi could hybridise its 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine as a way of keeping it on sale in Europe in the face of stricter emissions regulations, Audi Sport boss Rolf Michl has told Autocar.

In its current configuration, the 394bhp 'EA855' falls foul of the new Euro 7 emissions regulations coming into force in November.

Bringing it into compliance would demand a substantial engineering investment – a difficult business case to justify when the engine is deployed in just two models globally: the Audi RS3 and Cupra Formentor VZ5.

The recent launch of the RS3 Competition Limited was seen as a potential swansong for the unit, after Audi CEO Gernot Döllner told Autocar that the EA855’s future was "still under discussion" at board level, adding that “I don’t know if we’re able to refinance the investment in EU7 regulations”.

In order to keep it on sale, sources have told Autocar that the engine would need substantial hardware changes, such as a new particulate filter, more sensitive NOx sensors, recalibrated injection mapping and higher cell-density catalysts.

However, when pressed on whether hybridisation could instead be the answer, Michl told Autocar: “We are open to every possibility. The thoughts [on how to do that] will continue at our end. I can tell you we are still thinking in different technological possibilities.”

He added: “At the end of the day, the most important thing is the maximum amount of emotional driving experience for the compact segment.

“We are absolutely aware of the DNA of a five-cylinder engine and we are open to every possibility.”

If the 2.5-litre unit isn't updated, it won't be killed off completely, as Audi intends to keep selling it in markets with less stringent environmental mandates, such as the US.

If it is re-engineered, Autocar previously reported that Volkswagen was looking to take it for a special Golf to mark 25 years of Volkswagen R next year.

Incoming electric Rolls-Royce SUV to feature split-bonnet design

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 07:00:00 +0100

New images of electric SUV reveal its design will be influenced by the recently revealed £7m Project Nightingale

New images of Rolls-Royce’s upcoming electric SUV show how its styling will be influenced by the Project Nightingale, the firm’s new £7 million electric convertible.

The limited-run EV, revealed earlier this week, is the first in a new range of ultra-exclusive models under Goodwood’s new Coachbuild Collection.

Sporting a radical 'boat tail' design and features experimental elements such as a huge rear diffusor, it's said to showcase a refreshed look for the brand under the direction of former BMW design boss Domagoj Dukec, who moved within the BMW Group to join Rolls in 2024.

“It will shape everything that follows,” he said – and new images from Autocar spy photographers show that the first model to feel Project Nightingale’s influence will be the incoming Cullinan-sized electric SUV.

The EV has been seen with a two-piece bonnet design that features a pair of side-hinged openings, clearly inspired by the drop-top’s lavish ‘piano boot’. Indeed, patent filings have been submitted by BMW Group for such a design.

They seem likely access points to a frunk, which would also be a first for Rolls-Royce: neither the Spectre nor Project Nightingale featurie one. They would also revive a classic bonnet design synonymous with the firm’s earliest models.

The images suggest another key design the EV could take from Project Nightingale is its vertical daytime-running lights. The design will be more traditional, however, as the Project Nightingale lenses are hand-built and each take days to produce.

This is the second time the Cullinan-sized electric SUV has been spotted testing by Autocar.

The SUV will sit on the Architecture of Luxury platform used by all existing Rolls-Royce models including the Spectre coupé, the firm's first EV.

As such, expect it to use the same battery and motors as the Spectre. That model draws electricity from a 102kWh battery, offers 329 miles of range and delivers up to 650bhp from a dual-motor powertrain in top-rung Black Badge guise.

Another option for Rolls, however, could be to fit the SUV with BMW's new arsenal of Gen6 technology - including batteries and motors-that will feature in its sibling brand's forthcoming range of Neue Klasse EVs, starting with the new iX3 SUV.

The compatibility of that tech with the Architecture of Luxury platform could be a stumbling block, however.

Given the test mule appears to be close to production spec, it is expected to be unveiled later this year, around the same time as rival Bentley's forthcoming maiden EV, before going on sale around a year later.

This would follow the same timeline as the Spectre, which was spotted testing for the first time at the end of 2021 and revealed in October 2022, with deliveries starting a year after that.

How Autocar thinks the SUV will look

Rolls-Royce has yet to disclose any official details about its new SUV.

When approached, a spokesperson told Autocar that the company was "unable to comment on future product plans".

Exclusive: Behind the scenes of McLaren's radical reinvention

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 06:00:00 +0100

It's been a quiet year since McLaren's merger with start-up Forseven – CEO Nick Collins explains what's next

"I said a year ago this is the most exciting story in automotive," says Nick Collins, sitting in his office in the McLaren Technology Centre.

"I still believe that's true." When Collins first said that to Autocar, his quote accompanied the bombshell revelation that Forseven, the nascent start-up he led as CEO, was merging with McLaren Automotive in a deal brokered by their shared owner, CYVN Holdings - an Abu Dhabi government investment fund.

The bold ambition was to revive McLaren so that it could truly compete with luxury rivals such as Ferrari, Aston Martin and Lamborghini. We broke the news in our 9 April 2025 issue, with Collins - an industry veteran who previously worked for Ford and JLR - outlining plans to expand McLaren beyond its core of two-seat mid-engined supercars and promising more details in a "bigger bang" event before the end of 2025. Twelve months later, those plans remain under wraps.

McLaren may be an exciting story but, like George RR Martin fans, we're left to question when the next chapter will actually arrive. Inside the company, of course, it has been different, as Collins explains: "We've had a hell of a busy year setting the groundwork for the future. We made some super-quick decisions and have done some really big, transformational things.

"We've committed more than $2 billion of investment and we're a debt-free company that now has the right foundations, with an unapologetically bold plan to grow and the means to do it." Exactly one year on, it's time for Autocar to sit down with Collins again, for an in-depth update and, yes, to press him on when we will finally see something tangible from the revamped firm.

Rebuilding McLaren

The early focus was to address "foundational things" to stabilise McLaren, starting with clearing its debt. "McLaren is a luxury brand, so we've really focused on quality," says Collins. "We've improved our warranty by 80% and our production quality by more than 60%." Annual production volume was also cut by around 1000, to 2000 cars last year. "We had too much stock in our dealers," says Collins. "Securing residual values helps our relationship with customers and gives us the platform from which to grow."

The integration of McLaren and Forseven - which had around 700 employees - sparked a reorganisation, and Collins acknowledges "some of our colleagues departed as part of that". Those included McLaren's then CEO Michael Leiters and chief designer Tobias Sühlmann, both of whom are now at Porsche. Collins says he was impressed by the "amazing people in McLaren", adding that "the depth of technical knowledge is phenomenal. It's a young workforce compared to some other firms, with very high technical talent."

Collins attributes McLaren's struggles in recent years to process, not personnel, explaining: "We didn't take decisions fast enough. We didn't make complicated things simple to make things faster. Like a lot of car companies, we have a lot of acronyms, and I believe passionately in plain language."

Collins admits that "different people embrace change in different ways", adding: "The reality of the business and where it was at was not as well known as it should have been, and there was maybe a false comfort around the condition of the company. We needed to do things urgently to get to where we need to be, and we still need to act with urgency, because we have to grow this company.

"We're in a privileged position of having the financial means to go and pursue that opportunity. It's more exciting to have a bold ambition than it is a half-filled ambition."

Targeted investment

The £1.5bn invested by CYVN is going towards "new product and capabilities to execute that new product", says Collins. There has been a major overhaul of McLaren's IT systems, for instance: "We're determined to grow in a super-efficient way and not become stuck with legacy data systems slowing us down. When you see what Chinese companies have built, we tend to think about the product, but the underlying systems and technology they're using unlocks their speed to market."

Beefing up the design team has been another focus. A state-of-the-art design studio and full clay modelling shop in Bicester now provides far more space than the small facility at Woking, enabling the team to work on more projects faster. While a large part of the former Forseven team remains in Bicester, McLaren is committed to stay in Woking alongside the Formula 1 team. CYVN has worked to secure the MTC as the long-time home of the McLaren brand after the lease to the site was sold in 2021.

The future plan

Collins says he has been "humbled" by his interactions with McLaren customers at various events, noting that "the passion for the brand way outpunches the reality of the company at the moment". Building on that passion is key: "We're determined to be a luxury company but not have any arrogance. It goes back to Bruce McLaren's era: he had a certain maverick nature [and] his team had a spirit, a joy in what they were doing. We want that in our team."

The restructuring and merger process was completed by around October last year, and since then "we started doubling down on exactly what we were going to execute for the future [and] how we were going to do that, with which technologies and in which sectors". Late last year, McLaren bosses met retailers and showed them full-size design models "of everything we're going to do through the end of the decade".

So why no public unveiling yet? "We changed our path in terms of when we wanted to do that, not what we were doing," answers Collins. "We showed some of our retailers and employees but we chose not to extend that into the media arena." When pressed, he insists that this wasn't due to any delays, rather a focus on "how we wanted to do something". He insists that "from this summer we will start to unpack visibly. After that there will be a very rapid and consistent narrative."

Deliveries of the W1 hypercar- the 1275bhp V8-engined hybrid successor to the P1 - will start this summer, and the hint is that any announcement could come around then. While he won't go into specifics, Collins is clear that "the overall portfolio will grow over time", and he says McLaren will have "more differentiation" so it's easy to understand "what each car is doing in the portfolio".

Line-up flexibility

Having spent a year working at McLaren, Collins says the plan hasn't changed but "evolved". He elaborates: "We took early decisions, even pre-closing [the deal], because we knew where we wanted to go with the business and the reality of the market at the moment. We made very quick decisions around propulsion technologies. We've evolved the plans because we could see a clearer way of locking in a sustainable competitive advantage long term. And, of course, the more time you spend driving these cars, you understand elements of the recipe are applicable in multiple different segments or can be applied in a unique, brand-defining way to a different segment of vehicle that McLaren has never participated in."

Collins "still believes vehemently the long-term trajectory will be towards EVs, but it was never going to be a linear line". He adds: "We will do an electric vehicle when our customers want one. We're not going to force it into a market that doesn't yet want it, and right now the market doesn't want it. We have the tools to deploy EV at the point that we need to do it. That clarity of purpose is important to accelerate our plan. We are very clear on the technological building blocks to execute our portfolio."

This raises a question: since the model plan for 2030 exists in clay form, does McLaren have the flexibility to offer some of those models with electric technology if demand changes? "I have to be careful how I answer that," laughs Collins. "We have flexibility but not in the traditional sense. The way we've gone about that flexibility is unique. But factually, we will only push EVs into that flexibility at the point somebody is asking us to do it - and, very clearly when we talk to our customers, that time is not now."

In terms of that portfolio, Collins is sticking to his line that "we will do everything we've always done but even better and some more things as well. Certain things are bankers, very logical things for us to do. But there's that maverick spirit here that goes back to Bruce's day: people come up with left-field ideas and we have the spirit to explore those."

Greater customisation

One area of the business that will grow significantly is McLaren Special Operations (MSO), the customisation division. Collins sees special models as vital for helping push McLaren firmly into the high-end sphere. "We've got incredible craftspeople in MSO and we want to broaden that offer," he says. "We want more people to tailor their cars and increase personalisation as a percentage of our total order bank. People go there with their dreams and that team makes them come to life. Some of our customers have decades-long connections to the brand and their own views and ideas."

Collins insists that he's receptive to feedback and ideas from existing buyers, saying "we're not so proud or corporately stuffy to think we're the custodians of every good idea".

The next year

Collins insists that McLaren is in a much better position than last year - and poised to capitalise on the challenges being faced by luxury rivals. "We dealt with that last year," he says. "My determination is to grab that opportunity before everybody else has settled their restructures. To take a racing analogy, we're going to put the pedal down and overtake before they can press the accelerator."

So, if we return again to speak to Collins this time next year, where will McLaren be? "We will have definitely launched a few things into the world," he says. "People will understand our trajectory and they will feel the underlying spirit and persona of the company. I believe there will be huge excitement around what's next."

Learning lessons from the track

McLaren Automotive is now a separate business from the McLaren Group, which encompasses the Formula 1 team, but the two still share a base and brand identity. "The two businesses operated quite separately in the past, not to the benefit of the underlying brand," says Nick Collins, but promises that will change in the future. "[McLaren Racing CEO] Zak [Brown] is a brilliant entrepreneur," he continues, "and we're super-aligned on what we can do. We communicate daily.

"Look at the F1 team's results, look at how they communicate, their fans, sponsors and ethics, how they hold each other to account in the right way. There's a lot to learn about the way they operate. The technological solutions might be different, but the way they do it is teachable."

After years of struggles, McLaren won both F1 titles last year, and Collins acknowledges the parallels with McLaren Automotive's current restructuring: "Zak has been very open to me about that journey, and we recently shared a bit about where we're going with them. What spins from that is ideas and what else we can do together."

Alfa Romeo Giulia

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 21:06:51 +0100

Italian saloon looks as enticing as ever, but can it still objectively compete with BMW and Audi after a decade on sale? Can you believe that the Alfa Romeo Giulia is celebrating its 10th birthday this year?By modern automotive logic it should be a thing of the past, yet it has survived through interior updates and a major facelift in 2023 – and is now set to live on until at least 2027.The high-ups in Turin recently granted the car a stay of execution by shelving plans for an electric-only successor (an all-new Giulia will instead arrive in 2028 with both combustion and EV power) and reopening order books for the 513bhp V6 Giulia Quadrifoglio.That's good news for enthusiasts. While rivals have introduced plug-in hybrid systems, touch-sensitive tech and irritating ADAS, Alfa has kept things simple while offering excellent handling and driver engagement.But in 2026, does this old-school driver's car still hold its own, or have rivals like the BMW 3 Series, Audi A5 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class left it behind?

Mercedes C-Class EV interior revealed with 39.1in Hyperscreen

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 17:16:15 +0100

New electric saloon to be fully unveiled April 20; CEO says it is "most spacious and most intelligent C-Class ever"

The first official pictures of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class EV – shown just days before its unveiling – reveal that it will adopt the same digital-heavy interior as the larger GLC EV.

The C-Class with EQ Technology, as it's expected to be officially known, will be unwrapped at an event in South Korea on Monday and go on sale this summer as a rival to the new BMW i3 saloon.

The first electric variant of the hugely popular C-Class – which we took a ride in last month – will share most of its technical makeup with the electric GLC.

This includes its 800V MB.EA platform, which will allow it to offer a range of more than 450 miles, and its dashboard-spanning, 39.1in MBUX Hyperscreen.

On the centre console below the Hyperscreen sits two wireless phone chargers and a smattering of physical controls for functions including the parking camera, drive modes and audio volume.

Mercedes claims the new C-Class “sets new benchmarks” in the segment for interior quality. It will be offered with a wide range of materials, including Nappa leather and, for only the second time in a Mercedes, vegan leather. Shiny metals, which adorn key touchpoints and vents, are said to “enrich” the cabin.

New seats also feature which are said to be more comfortable over longer distances than those in today’s car. This, according to the firm, is down to their ‘electro-pneumatic’ lumbar support which “adapts the backrest to the natural curvature of the spine”. The seats also feature heating, venting and massage capabilities.

As with the GLC, top-end models will feature a Burmester 4D Surround Sound System that adds transducers (which Mercedes calls “exciters”) into the seats that transmit bass so passengers “feel” the music.

Mercedes also claims that the C-Class EV (a test mule pictured below) will be “exceptionally quiet” on the move having been “engineered to the highest standards of acoustic comfort”.

It points to elements such as the laminated side windows, “specially refined” electric motors, and a new air-conditioning unit as key to this claim.

Mercedes additionally claims that the car’s highly rigid bodyshell and aerodynamically optimised design reduce noise and vibration “with remarkable effectiveness”.

Boss Ola Källenius said: “With the all-new electric C‑Class, we’ve raised everything customers love about this model to the next level. The result is a new benchmark for quality, craftsmanship and comfort. It is the most spacious and most intelligent C-Class ever.”

Autocar Great Women 2026: Ford's Lisa Brankin takes top award

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 16:00:00 +0100

Lisa Brankin has led Ford in the UK for more than five years

The initiative celebrates the achievements of the most influential women across the motoring sector

Ford of Britain and Ireland boss Lisa Brankin has been named the most influential woman in the British automotive industry at the Autocar Great Women Awards 2026.

Autocar Great Women is an initiative held in association with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) to celebrate the achievements of the most influential women from across the motoring sector.

At this year's ceremony, held at the Stellantis UK headquarters in Coventry on 16 April, we recognised the influence of 108 inspiring female leaders in 11 categories, including executive, vehicle development, sales, PR and communications and talent.

Each category's shortlist was topped by an overall winner, as determined by a panel of Autocar and SMMT judges, with Brankin topping the Executive category and being named the overall winner of Autocar Great Women 2026. You can read about the achievements of all the shortlisted candidates and category winners on our dedicated website.

Brankin was promoted to the position of UK chair at Ford’s national sales company in August 2023 in addition to the responsibility of being managing director of Ford of Britain and Ireland, a role she took on in November 2020. Brankin’s posting to the very top position within this key Ford market – its largest in Europe – was the pinnacle of more than 20 successful years rising through the ranks of the brand.

Originally from Northern Ireland, Brankin graduated from the University of Ulster in 1990 and joined Ford as graduate trainee in the same year. She quickly moved into senior positions, including director of dealer operations; marketing manager for dealers and consumers; and communications, events and sponsorship manager.

In more recent years, Brankin was promoted to marketing director, before becoming sales director, then in 2019 she was promoted to director of passenger cars, overseeing all of Ford’s sales and marketing in Britain and Ireland.

During her time at the company, she has overseen Ford’s shift away from its traditional position of passenger car leader to a company with greater focus on the more profitable sales of light commercial vehicles, where Ford remains number one.

Accepting her award, Brankin said: "I’m incredibly honoured to have been inducted into the Hall of Fame at this year’s Great Women Awards and want to thank Autocar for this very special recognition.

"What makes this even more meaningful is seeing so many brilliant Ford colleagues recognised alongside me. Their passion, talent and leadership help shape the future of our business and our industry every day.

"Congratulations to everyone recognised and thank you again to Autocar for a fantastic event and for championing women in the automotive industry."

With this her second overall Great Women victory, Brankin joins the initiative's Hall of Fame, alongside other Great Women who have won multiple times, including Stellantis's Alison Jones, McLaren's Helen Foord and BMW's Michelle Roberts.

Haymarket Automotive managing director Rachael Prasher said: "I offer my warmest celebrations to our 2026 honourees and the remarkable leaders recognised this year. The extraordinary calibre and multifaceted skillsets found across every corner of the automotive landscape are truly inspiring.

"As we accelerate through this era of total industry evolution, such pioneering spirit and plurality of vision have become the indispensable cornerstones of our collective success - and it's laying the foundations for a whole new generation of amazing female leaders."

Autocar editor Mark Tisshaw added: "The Autocar Great Women initiative is vital, because it shines a necessary spotlight on the brilliant female talent redefining our industry’s future.

"These winners are far more than high achievers; they are truly inspirational trailblazers whose dedication breaks barriers. By celebrating their success, we ensure the next generation sees that a rewarding, limit-free career in automotive is firmly within reach."

Autocar Great Women 2026 is proudly sponsored by Bentley, IM Group, JLR, Keyloop, Nissan, NTT Data, Stellantis and Volvo Cars.

Read about the initiative and all the 2026 winners here.

How VW's new 'Unified Cell' will slash the price of its EVs

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 16:00:00 +0100

The VW Group is unlocking cheaper EVs by standardising battery design across 80% of its brands

Setting consistent standards has been a persistent bugbear in the engineering of cars since the year dot.

Trouble is, everybody has a different idea of how to do things, so the world ends up with umpteen different versions of the same thing with little or no compatibility.

Take the various EV charging connectivity options, such as Type 1, Type 2, Chademo and CCS. Which type dominates can depend on where you live in the world.

Volkswagen has nipped this phenomenon in the bud where EV battery and battery cell design are concerned. Its Unified Cell, which we have previously reported on, has been developed in conjunction with its subsidiary PowerCo to standardise battery cell design, and last year it revealed its first production-ready examples.

The Unified Cell will make its debut in the company's Electric Urban Car Family, appearing with Volkswagen, Skoda and Cupra badges, and Autocar test drove a prototype of the VW ID Polo in December last year.

The cell, which will eventually be used across 80% of the Volkswagen Group's brands, is claimed to be a big leap forward in cell design, with an energy density of up to 660Wh (0.66kWh) per litre of volume the cells occupy.

That's said to be an improvement of 10% over previous cells' best, helped by installation on a cell-to-pack basis that does away with the intermediate stage of packing cells in modules before installing into a battery pack. The aim is for the Urban Family cars to have a range of 280 miles and a charging time of under 25 minutes, depending on the cell chemistry used.

The Unified Cell can accommodate different chemistries including LFP (lithium iron phosphate, the 'F' being for 'ferrous', as the cathode material) and NMC (nickel manganese cobalt), which typically has a greater energy density than LFP to give more range for the same weight and volume.

The cells can also accommodate sodium ion (Na ion), which first went into mass production last month with Chinese battery maker CATL.

There's more to Unified Cells than just a format to suit the manufacturer. VW says standardisation will lead to huge economies of scale in both cells and whole battery systems.

The cost of the battery accounts for around 40% of an EV's price, so it should mean cheaper cars, which is essential if urban EVs are to succeed commercially.

Sodium ion's drawback has always been a lower energy density than lithium ion, but that is improving with development. Raw materials are cheaper and the environmental credentials are better, so sodium-ion batteries have the potential for a cleaner carbon footprint during their lifetime.

Unsexy yet vital: Why tyres are worth obsessing over

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 15:00:00 +0100

A tyre change isn't just maintenance - it’s an opportunity to play development engineer

Do you know which company made the oil filter in your car? What about the seats or the windscreen? Unless you recently changed any of these parts yourself, it's likely that you don't. And why would you?

They make little material difference. You might know that the eight-speed automatic gearbox comes from ZF, but there's not much you can do to change that even if you really wanted to.

But you might know whether you have Goodyears or Pirellis. Now, I'm sure the average motorist couldn't care less whether the pieces of overpriced rubber on which their car sits say Sailun or Lanvigator on the side, but the car enthusiast may well have made the conscious decision not to opt for a Comforser and instead spent a bit more on a Michelin or four, and not just the normal Pilot Sport 4, but the 4S.

Tyres have a reputation for being unsexy, but I believe they are among the most interesting parts of a car. They are the only thing that connects your car to the road, and therefore they influence almost every aspect of its behaviour. Grip, of course, but also ride comfort, noise, fuel economy, and how fast it can accelerate and stop.

When my oil filter needs replacing, the garage will fit whatever brand they tend to use. It works or it doesn't, and unless it's so bad that the engine seizes up soon after, I won't know the difference. But when my tyres are up for replacement, it's an opportunity for me to play at being a development engineer. Never mind settling for some Kustone or Saferich ditchfinders; I have the chance here to make a meaningful difference to the way my car drives. Off to read every tyre test on the internet I go.

Tyre testing requires a lot of resources and specialist expertise to do well, so it's best left to the specialists — and I find reading and watching their evaluations strangely magnetic. How can the same BMW 3 Series be safe but a bit numb and understeery on the Michelin, fun and slightly oversteery on the Pirelli, and a hopeless, unpredictable mess on the Hifly?

Thing is, most automotive engineers don't fully understand either. Even Tesla and BYD, the champions of doing it all themselves, fit tyres from known brands. On performance cars in particular, the tyres will be specific to that OEM or even a particular model, and the P Zero on a BMW M3 will have little in common with the ostensibly identical P Zero on an Alpina B3.

Engineers from the tyre company will often be involved with the development process of the car from the start, in order to tune the tyre to what the OEM wants, whether that's ultimate fuel consumption, perfect handling or, most likely, a trade-off between the two, skewed slightly in one direction or the other depending on the new model's positioning.

It works this way because tyre development is a very specialised discipline. The ways the natural and synthetic rubber work together with various additives such as silica and carbon, as well as the more rigid carcass, are less like normal mechanical automotive engineering and more closely aligned with alchemy. That air of mysticism, combined with how tyres are a relatively easy way to make a big difference to your own car, makes them fascinating things. It almost makes me feel guilty when I'm turning them into smoke by way of an 819bhp V12. Almost...

Leasing firms slam overstimulated fleet EV market

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 12:56:31 +0100

Artificially high demand for EVs is causing oversupplied used market and heavy de-fleeting losses, they say

The rush for electric company cars is out of step with natural demand for EVs, causing an oversupplied used market and heavy losses when cars are de-fleeted.

That’s according to a new report from the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA), whose members run a combined fleet of 1.6 million cars and account for a large share of new EV registrations each year.

Data from the fourth quarter of 2025 shows that demand for electric company cars continued to surge, supported by cheaper newcomers reaching showrooms and aggressive discounting from manufacturers trying to meet the government’s ZEV mandate targets.

Both of those factors are important for salary-sacrifice schemes, whereby drivers lease a car through their employer using their pre-tax wages. The main restriction is the monthly rentals can’t nudge their remaining income under the national minimum wage threshold.

With an influx of cheaper plug-in hybrid and electric cars, BVRLA members claim almost half of salary-sacrifice deliveries are now going to 20% taxpayers, many of whom wouldn’t previously have been eligible for such schemes.

However, the organisation highlighted ultra-low benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax rates for EVs as the main catalyst for both company car and salary-sacrifice volumes.

An EV driver would be taxed on 4% of the vehicle’s list price in 2026/27, compared with 25% for the most efficient petrol models, resulting in a monthly tax bill roughly six times lower.

BVRLA members’ business contract hire (BCH) fleet grew 10% to 983,388 cars during 2025, of which almost half (48%) were electric. Meanwhile, salary-sacrifice volumes more than doubled (up 125%) to 226,663 cars over the same period, with a 77% EV share of new deliveries during Q4 of 2025.

Leasing firm executives have now warned that those conditions have pushed EV registrations beyond the “organic” demand for EVs.

With few incentives for retail customers, members’ private contract hire (PCH) fleets shrank by 4% to 236,804 cars. CO2 emissions for new deliveries averaged 90g/km – more than twice that of the EV-heavy new BCH fleet (44g/km).

That imbalance is compounded by mixed messages from the government, including a new pay-per-mile tax (eVED) for EVs from April 2028, which has already affected order rates, while the Iran war is expected to raise borrowing costs and cause inflation, impacting business and consumer confidence with a risk of stalling the new car market, the BVRLA added.

Leasing firms are already facing “body blow” losses, often thousands of pounds per vehicle, when they remarket ex-fleet EVs at a lower price than the residual value that was forecast at the start of the contract.

That has caused monthly rental fees for EVs to rise faster than list prices, as a protective measure from further losses.

Customer behaviour is changing too, with average contract lengths increasing by 10% during 2025 and rising demand for used cars on salary-sacrifice and BCH fleets.

The BVRLA believes salary-sacrifice could absorb more ex-fleet volume if drivers were taxed based on the vehicle’s used value. BIK is fixed for a vehicle's entire life, based on its list price when new.

BVRLA chief executive Toby Poston said: “Persistent pressure on electric vehicle residual values, combined with wider economic uncertainty and global unrest, means margins are being squeezed like never before.

"Sustained progress will depend on greater market stability and clear, consistent policy signals from government.”

I'm a serial Lotus buyer – the Evora is better than an Elise

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 11:00:00 +0100

This Lotus enthusiast explains why his 345bhp Evora is the one car from Hethel he can't sell

Chris Smith bought his first Lotus, an Elise S, in 1996, when he was 23.

"It was my only car and people said I was crazy," he recalls. "But every journey was great fun. I had it for seven years." He'd owned a BMW 3 Series before and it was another German car that subsequently replaced the Lotus.

"I bought a Porsche Cayman," he says. "It was a great car but it was big and too comfortable and lacked the Lotus magic."

So back to Lotus he went, this time buying a 2010 Elise S3: "It had the 1.6-litre Toyota engine. You really had to wring its neck and keep it above 4000rpm. It was great fun."

Eventually, Chris sold it and some years later bought an Esprit Turbo. Then, five years ago, he bought his current Lotus, a 2014 Evora S Sports Racer. "I got it from Paul Matty Sports Cars," he says.

"I spent ages looking at his cars. He was a great chap to talk to. He's retired now so I feel very fortunate to have been able to buy a car from such a Lotus legend."

Chris's Evora had done 13,000 miles when he bought it and he's added only 4500 miles since. "I share it with my other cars, which include a Ginetta G15," he says. "In fact, me and Dad built a Ginetta when I was still at school and that triggered an interest in cars which has stayed with me to this day."

When new, his Evora would have cost around £65,000, but six years later Chris paid £35,000 for it. He now reckons it's worth around £40,000. "Evora prices are creeping up," he says.

The S in its name stands for supercharged. The car's 3.5-litre V6 Toyota engine makes 345bhp compared with the 'base' unit's 276bhp. Sports Racer was a limited-edition trim available from 2013. Lotus pretty much threw the options catalogue at it, including the Sports Pack and Tech Pack. It was good value and at the time regarded as the pick of the range.

However, although Chris knew his Lotuses, when he bought the Evora he hadn't driven other examples beforehand. "It immediately felt familiar," he says. "All the usual Lotus qualities were present: accurate steering, a wonderful ride and that sense of being connected to the road. It drives like a bigger and faster Elise, although it is more comfortable and, of course, practical.

"It's got a decent-size boot and, being a 2+2, there's just enough room for a couple of passengers in the back. I've had an adult passenger in there, although they did have to sit side on! And then when you've come back from holiday, you can take it on a track day and have a blast. Not that I do..."

Aside from needing a new upper rear suspension arm (it's a known problem and Chris did the job himself in less than one hour - he does have a fully equipped workshop), the Evora has behaved itself. But after five years, is Chris not ready for a change?

"There's not much on the market for £40,000 that will do what the Evora can do," he says. "Whenever I think of selling it, I take it for a drive and decide to keep it. There's something about Lotuses; they get under your skin."

First look at Dacia's new £16k electric city car

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 09:11:58 +0100

New Twingo-based EV will be revealed later this year ahead of a public debut at the Paris motor show

Dacia is priming a sub-£16,000 city car as one of four new EVs it will launch between now and 2030 – and the urban runabout has now been spotted testing for the first time.

The new model is twinned with the Renault Twingo, and the close ties between the two models are evident. Like its retro sibling, the Dacia has a raked C-pillar, curved roofline and rounded rear windows, plus similar surfacing around its wheel arches.

Yet significant differences are also evident: it loses the Twingo’s signature rounded front light design for a thin gloss-black panel, like that on the Spring. At the rear, it does not have the Twingo’s lozenge-style window shroud, and the brake lights are notably higher-set than those on the Twingo.

The new Dacia city car will be revealed later this year, ahead of a public debut at the Paris motor show in October. It has been developed in just 16 months.

Although it is positioned similarly to the Spring, it will not immediately replace that model. Speaking to Autocar, Dacia product boss Patrice Lévy-Bencheton said “they are still quite different” – it will be slightly larger and wider, and its design takes greater influence from Dacia’s SUVs.

While Dacia has yet to give firm technical details of the car, it is likely to closely match the Twingo, with a 27.5kWh battery giving a range of just over 160 miles. Notably, Dacia has confirmed the model will be priced from less than €18,000 (£15,600), undercutting the sub-£20,000 Twingo and making it one of the cheapest EVs on sale.

Three more Dacia EVs in next four years

Dacia has committed to the launch of three further electric vehicles over the next four years, although it has not yet given full details of them. One, however, will be the electric version of the next-generation Sandero, which, the company has confirmed, will adopt a “multi-energy powertrain range”.

As previously reported by Autocar, it will use Renault’s CMF-B platform, which allows for pure-combustion, hybrid and electric powertrains.

The Sandero will “remain the value-for-money benchmark in its segment”, said Dacia. It was for years the cheapest car on sale in the UK.

As well as increasing its EV line-up, Dacia will continue to expand its hybrid offerings. While around a quarter of Dacias currently sold feature a hybrid powertrain, the goal is for that to reach two-thirds in the future.

The Striker and Bigster will be key to growing sales in the larger and more profitable C-segment. That market currently accounts for around one fifth of the brand’s sales, but the aim is for the combination of the two vehicles to increase that share to one third in the coming years.

More broadly, Dacia will continue to lean on what it calls a “unique business model”, drawing on a “disciplined” design-to-cost strategy that, helped by the use of shared group platforms and a lean distribution system, gives it a cost advantage of 15% compared with rivals, it says.

Dacia is also aiming to further strengthen its customer loyalty. It claims that more than 70% of owners stick with the brand when buying a new vehicle, with a further 10% switching to Renault.

Toyota Yaris Cross gets new look and drops entry-level hybrid

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 08:33:15 +0100

Small crossover drops 116bhp hybrid set-up in favour of more powerful 130bhp variant

Toyota has updated the Yaris Cross with a fresh look that brings it into line with the brand’s newer models, such as the Aygo X and Prius.

Key changes include new LED headlights with C-shaped daytime running elements, plus a new honeycomb-style grille.

Inside, the sports seats that were previously exclusive to the second-from-top Excel trim level are now standard on Design, a grade below. Design also gains ambient lighting and a wireless phone charger as standard.

Excel, meanwhile, gains a power-opening boot, while electric folding door mirrors have been made standard across the range.

The entry-level 116bhp 1.5-litre petrol-hybrid powertrain has been discontinued, meaning the only option is the more powerful 128bhp variant that was introduced in 2024. It is available with either front- or four-wheel drive, with the latter adding an electric motor on the rear wheels that kicks in when traction is limited at the front end. The power output remains the same regardless of which drivetrain you choose, however.

Order books will open this autumn, Toyota UK has said. Prices have yet to be confirmed but are expected to rise slightly for the entry-level Icon and Design trims (£27,295 and £29,775), given the discontinuation of the 116bhp hybrid set-up. The rest of the range – which goes up to £33,180 for the Excel grade – is expected to remain broadly the same.

New Volkswagen T-Roc driven: Has it made the Golf redundant?

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 08:00:00 +0100

New-generation of VW's medium-sized crossover has plenty of strengths, but can it really cope with our tatty roads?

You may already have read Illya Verpraet’s comprehensive report on the new Volkswagen T-Roc, dispatched from Lisbon in November.

And in just a couple of months' time you’ll be able to read an even more comprehensive review, bolstered by economy and performance figures obtained at Horiba MIRA proving ground, when the T-Roc undergoes its full road test.

But in case this is somehow not enough T-Roc for you, here’s a brief report from the car’s fresh-off-the-boat arrival into the UK – a market in which the first-generation model was spectacularly successful between 2017 and 2025, even as its specific niche became increasingly crowded. In 2026 its chief rivals are the Toyota C-HR, Renault Symbioz and Skoda Karoq, and the latest Nissan Qashqai is another serious alternative.

These drives on UK Tarmac matter more for some cars than others, and the Golf-on-stilts T-Roc is one of those for which our crumbling roads might be its undoing. For one thing, VW will sell plenty of these in top-billing R-Line trim, shod with 19in flying-saucer wheels and slithers of rubber for sidewalls.

Found beneath other models in the VW stable, the T-Roc’s MQB Evo platform has also been hit-and-miss in terms of ride quality, but it's a complex picture, because the dampers you opt for have a significant bearing on the car’s ability to weather cruddy surfaces. Even with the T-Roc, a comparatively junior member of an SUV family that culminates in the Touareg, you can choose between ordinary passive dampers and adjustable dampers with selectable rates (for £765). Ride quality is likely to be rather dependent on specification, then. More on that in a moment.

As for the engine line-up, for now there is only VW’s excellent 1.5-litre eTSI mild-hybrid petrol four, albeit available in two tunes: 114bhp or 148bhp. If you can wait until later in the year, the T-Roc will gain a full-hybrid powertrain with 134bhp or 168bhp, which ought to push economy well beyond the declared figure of 50mpg for the 1.5 eTSI.

Of course, a hybrid T-Roc will also be a more expensive T-Roc. Currently the range starts at £31,635 for base Life trim with the 114bhp engine and extends to more than £40,000 if you opt for R-Line trim with the 148bhp engine and some optional extras, such as the £2260 Leather Comfort Pack and £465 matrix headlights (all very grown-up).

I won’t dwell on the cabin here, but in a nutshell the comfort of the seats (particularly in R-Line cars) and the general feeling of quality are improved versus the original T-Roc, and they certainly sit at the sharp end of the class. The fact that the new car has had 30mm injected into the wheelbase has done no harm to rear leg room either, and a longer rear overhang takes boot capacity to 475 litres, up from 445 litres. The T-Roc still can’t match the Karoq (521 litres), but it comfortably outhauls the Golf.

Drivability is generally good, the 1.5 eTSI pulling you along with decent smoothness and enthusiasm from 2000rpm and pairing neatly with the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. Having tried the 148bhp variant, I possibly wouldn’t entertain the thought of having the 114bhp version unless the cost difference (reasonable at just over £2000) were going to be a deal-breaker.

Economy is good too: my car returned 46.4mpg on a representative mixed-driving route. That’s 500 miles on a tank.

The T-Roc also steers and stops with the intuitive maturity you’d generally expect of a Volkswagen.

It’s all appealing enough, but ride quality is indeed the possible weak spot. My test car rode on passive dampers and the smallest 17in wheels, with a general set-up that clearly tends towards the sportier end of what’s acceptable for a basic T-Roc (stand by for a possible R derivative). Body control is fine and the car corners cohesively.

It isn’t difficult to imagine being impressed with the package on smoother European roads, and the T-Roc is assured on the motorway. But that decision to tie the body a little more closely to the chassis has repercussions here in the UK, and one of them is that, on country roads and smaller A-roads, the T-Roc will crash over pockmarked surfaces and the like. Unfortunately there is currently enough of that sort of thing in the country to make this a notable drawback.

Interestingly, a car with the same dampers but the larger, 18in wheels fared no worse.

Your best bet is probably to spec an R-Line car with the adaptive dampers and the 18in wheels. Very few people will do this: it’s expensive and people generally don’t buy an R-Line VW to have smaller wheels. But if it rounded off the ride, the result would be an even better little crossover.

Volkswagen T-Roc Life 1.5 eTSI 150PS

Price £32,335 Engine 4 cyls in line, 1498cc, turbocharged, petrol, plus 48V ISG Power 148bhp at 5000-6000rpm Torque 184lb ft at 1500-3000rpm Gearbox 7-spd dual-clutch auto, FWD Kerb weight (DIN) 1399kg 0-62mph 8.9sec Top speed 132mph Economy 50.3mpg CO2, BIK tax 128g/km, 31%

Honda pulls e:Ny1 from UK market in great EV reset

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 06:00:00 +0100

Japanese company now sells no electric cars in the UK as it struggles with electrification globally

Take a look at Honda’s UK website and you will notice a big omission: no electric car.

Given that car makers here are legally bound by the ZEV mandate to hit an EV sales ratio of 33% this year, how does the Japanese company avoid fines?

The EV paucity comes after Honda decided to axe the Chinese-built e:Ny1 after less than three years on sale in the UK. It struggled to generate organic sales without the help of discounts, selling just 7122 examples here.

Honda has told Autocar that the SUV has "reached the end of its life cycle in the UK and there are currently no plans for it to return to our line‑up".

The e:Ny1 is also now missing from configurators in other European markets, including Germany and Spain.

Honda will in July launch the sub-£20,000 Super-N city car to take over electric duties, but its range is limited to just 128 miles.

Honda has been buffeted by global market shocks, leaving its EV strategy severely wanting. In March it cancelled its 0 Series SUV and saloon mere months before production was to start, citing the US government’s U-turn on climate-change obligations. It subsequently killed the Afeela electric premium brand developed with Sony, as its two cars were due to use 0 Series underpinnings.

After years preparing for an electric future that Honda believed was inevitable in its key markets of the US and China, circumstances got in the way.

“During the past few years, our business environment has drastically changed at a speed far exceeding our projection,” president and CEO Toshihiro Mibe said in March.

Meanwhile, Honda’s strategy in China of producing EVs with Chinese partners Dongfeng and GAC has run into the brick wall erected by fierce local competition. There it has the opposite problem to that in the US, Mibe acknowledged: “Competitors have launched products and deployed electrification and intelligent technology faster than expected."

Honda’s European sales meanwhile have shrunk to such a level that it can’t really afford to maintain a separate EV strategy for the region. Last year it registered 71,825 cars across Europe for a market share of just 0.4%, according to figures from industry body the ACEA. Of those, just 2.6% were electric as e:Ny1 sales plummeted.

Honda isn’t the only Japanese player struggling with electrification. They have all been slow out of the gate with the technology, perhaps because EVs play such a small part in Japan's car market, accounting for just 1.6% of the 3.8 million sales there last year.

Indeed, Honda’s sales focus is now on markets with only marginal EV growth, including the US, Japan and India, the company said in its March presentation.

Suzuki and Subaru have joined forces to collaborate on EVs in regions where they're needed but are relying on partnerships with the dominant force that is Toyota.

Nissan meanwhile has maintained enough of a European presence with its Sunderland facility to be able to create EVs with local buyers in mind, first with the Leaf (now hitting the sweet spot in its third generation) and now also the Juke.

Local production is becoming almost de rigeur for any car maker selling EVs in Europe, as the UK and the EU reward those models connected to the local supply chain and exclude those that aren’t.

Honda’s decision to close its Swindon plant in 2021 means it can’t localise an EV to access the UK’s generous Electric Car Grant, leaving it to rely on sourcing from China – the one country that the UK and EU are looking to protect local manufacturers from. Competing with companies with access to the ECG scheme is becoming very difficult without offering discounts to match it.

With the Super-N, Honda is switching EV production from China to Japan. That’s unlikely to unlock the ECG, but the car’s promised low entry price will at least give Honda some room to generate sales to customers looking for a local runabout with a bit of kei character, a low kerb weight (of around 1300kg) and a sporty demeanour, with its artificial manual gearbox. Honda is also targeting European markets with this car, for example Spain.

The Super-N will definitely fill a gap but history has shown the limitations of kei car sales in Europe. What will come after Super-N is an open question.

Honda in Japan has shown the Insight, a 4.8m-long electric crossover that reworks the Chinese-market Honda e:NS2 made by Dongfeng. The car recently appeared at the Bangkok motor show as the e:N2, suggesting it’s ready for right-hand-drive export sales.

Not all Honda’s homegrown EV development is dead. In the March presentation, it confirmed that it's still working on the 0 Alpha SUV concept, with its "thin, light and wise" design philosophy, first shown in 2025 ahead of planned sales in 2027. It's primarily aimed at Japan and India, which has relaxed its fearsome new-car tax burden for EVs.

“We can see profitability in the future in these regions. That's why we decided to keep this model,” Mibe said.

The global strategy for the 0 Alpha (which will roughly match the e:Ny1 for size) has yet to be revealed, but selling it in Japan at least overcomes the right-hand-drive hurdle.

As far as hitting the ZEV mandate target goes, Honda managed to ramp up e:Ny1 sales in the first three months of this year to hit an impressive electric share of 17.3%, according to figures from EV-focused transport research organisation New Automotive.

That doesn’t leave Honda too far adrift of its ‘real’ target of 22.7% EV sales, according to New Automotive's calculations, which takes into account the various flexibilities allowed by the system, including CO2 emissions reduction from electrified vehicles. (Honda’s all-hybrid line-up helps on that score, with an extra boost coming from its sole plug-in hybrid, the CR-V e:PHEV.)

However, a dramatic 65% drop in sales of Honda's best-selling Jazz supermini across the first three months suggests the company is having to limit sales of some ICE models to avoid fines inflicted by missing its EV target.

"Japanese brands essentially won the hybrid battle but risk losing the electric war,” New Automotive CEO Ben Nelmes told Autocar. “By doubling down on hybrid technology, they successfully trimmed emissions in the short term, but it has left them in a high-speed chase to catch competitors who went all-in on battery-electric from the start."

Mibe admitted in March that Honda had struggled to stay flexible enough to keep pace with changes to global legislation on electrification but said the company hadn’t abandoned EVs and promised to say more in May.

“As of today, EV demand is declining in North America and other regions. However, this trend will not be permanent,” he said. “To achieve carbon neutrality when EV demand resumes, Honda will be ready to fulfill customer expectations.”

6000 miles in a Volvo XC90: Seven seats, endless frustrations

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 06:00:00 +0100

Has the sun finally stopped shining on this suave seven-seat Swede?

I’ve said an awkward ‘sayonara’ to one seven-seat plug-in hybrid SUV and an enthusiastic ‘hej’ to another one, these two being the fresh but underwhelming Mazda CX–80 and the decade-old yet still entirely relevant Volvo XC90.

The big Swede recently underwent a second facelift–but thankfully this surgery hasn't had the alarming result often seen on Graham Norton's couch, instead being subtle and very sympathetic to the handsome original design that so contributed to this car's remarkable popularity.

It has also noticeably slimmed down, shedding its B6 petrol and B5 diesel engine options, while lightly updating the B5 mild-hybrid four-cylinder petrol and the T8 PHEV, both of which come exclusively with four-wheel drive. Perhaps surprisingly, considering the ongoing plug-in hybrid renaissance, the T8's battery has been left at just 14.7kWh, providing an electric-only range of 43 miles.

Then again, such EV capability still means it's green enough in Westminster's eyes to attract just 9% company car tax. That battery feeds a 143bhp permanent magnet synchronous motor that works in conjunction with a 306bhp turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine. As with the CX–80 PHEV, I've already found the combination can be incongruously accelerative if asked to be.

One significant change that Volvo has made is to the suspension: a new double-wishbone arrangement up front, an integral link at the rear and frequency-selective damping are claimed to make this already comfort-biased car even comfier.

Extra soundproofing measures now feature as well. However, my XC90 is in range-topping Ultra trim and therefore has swapped the standard springs for active air suspension that scans the road and reacts accordingly up to 500 times per second.

In brief summary, this car is in a different league from the CX-80 PHEV in terms of ride and refinement. Interestingly, Mazda and Volvo appear to have cut their interiors from the same cloth, figuratively and almost literally too. Both espouse a kind of restrained luxury and employ ‘alternative’ materials that really do it for me, and both my test cars were specified with light-coloured materials, which beat the dark options any day.

The major difference between them is their makers' attitude towards physical switchgear: while Mazda has kept all of it in the CX-80 and even disables touchscreen functionality on the move (making you use a rotary dial instead), Volvo has caught touchscreen fever to the extent that there are now very few buttons left in the XC90. I probably don't have to tell you which I prefer; well organised though Volvo's software may be here, it has already caused frustrations.

On the bright side, Ultra trim provides an absolutely stonking Bowers & Wilkins sound system, which will be perfect for my long commutes, and even massaging front seats, ditto for my drives home from the gym. Absolutely spoilt, eh? Well, so anyone should be after forking out £84k.

Even the T8 Core is £73k, while the B5 Core is £65k. Then there's the similarly conceived but technically unrelated electric EX90 at £83k to £96k.

There's no debate about it: Volvo is firmly a premium brand nowadays. The supreme comfort and refinement of the XC90 T8 resoundingly justify that positioning, as indeed does the performance. Only its suitability for a user with limited charging opportunities remains in question.

Volvo has form with keeping cars going for much longer than the German premium brands, and going in good health, yet it's still incredibly impressive that this old-timer, based on initial impressions, remains objectively better than some brand-new PHEV SUVs. The CX–80 PHEV compelled me to write a particularly downbeat final report; the chances of the XC90 T8 doing likewise after the next few months running it seem slim to nil.

Please, don't let it stumble...

To Italy via Wales

Averaging 230 miles daily for nearly a fortnight is a foolproof way of exposing any car's weaknesses.

This near-£90k Volvo certainly has its share – alongside plenty of strengths – but how will it handle a 3000-mile road trip to Italy via Wales?

Read the full feature here

Software, spiders and screws

Sudden loud screaming is possibly the last thing you want to hear while driving. Thankfully I managed to avoid crashing while jumping out of my skin on this occasion. And I was at least a bit sympathetic, because I am arachnophobic just like my poor girlfriend, who had just discovered the sickening cause of the tickling on her left leg in the dark footwell.

The tarantula in question reacted as instinctively as I had, rapidly retreating back through a trim gap somewhere. He's about as welcome to stay in my car as a politician would be in my home, but unfortunately he's much harder to kick out-as evidenced by the occasional webs that I continue to find atop the dashboard.

You can understand, then, why my blood ran cold when I felt something fall onto my leg while driving on a motorway recently. To my relief, the culprit was not the horrifying chief suspect but a large screw. Although that relief didn't last for very long, because screws are there for a reason - holding together two things that need to be held together, usually.

The relevant components here were the dashboard and a large trim piece. Whether the screw had been left loose by the factory or the Volvo Assistance technicians who had come out to fix the in-built Google sat-nav (Autocar, 31 December 2025), I couldn't say, but I would assume the latter, given the timescales involved. Either way, not ideal. Especially because I don't seem to own the required screwdriver head.

Yet this is actually pretty low down on my list of problems with the XC90. Since early on, I've had trouble getting it to play my music. Initially I connected my iPhone to Volvo's system via Apple CarPlay - not wirelessly, annoyingly - and listened from Spotify. Then one day this functionality was confiscated. The connection was acknowledged by my iPhone but not the car.

An unintentional by-product of the technicians resetting the electrical system? Again, I can't be sure. Consequently I had to switch to Volvo's simple Bluetooth media player, which meant no more WhatsApp communications on the move - again, annoyingly. This software also had a curious habit of displaying album artwork one track late.

Of course this doesn't strictly matter, but if you're going to offer such functionality, you should at least make it work properly. Then, after a few weeks, suddenly Apple CarPlay began working again. Same phone, same wire, same everything... so bafflingly random.

That is the usual nature of glitches in my XC90. As a result, I've started to doubt my own sanity, or at least my memory. On one journey, the internal indicator ticking noise just didn't register. At least I think it didn't. It has worked perfectly every other time, so... Worst of all, though, particularly now that winter has descended, is the adjustment of the interior brightness.

There's a digital slider that's meant to dim or brighten the touchscreen and instrument display, but it doesn't actually do anything. Hence the touchscreen stays uncomfortably, distractingly bright, and sometimes the other screen follows suit. I presume its changing behaviour is linked to the automatic headlights' day-or-night sensing system, as in most cars.

Actually, maybe the touchscreen also goes dim sometimes? Honestly, I can't keep track any more. What I do know for sure is that I now have to drive home from work with plain-black 'screen cleaning mode' active to prevent my photophobic eyes from being painfully strained.

Volvo has told me "the issue has been identified and will be fixed in a forthcoming over-the-air software release". Software, eh? You gotta love it.

Comfortable but confusing

Not long after Volvo promised me an over-the-air software update to fix the non–functioning touchscreen brightness adjuster in my XC90, a message appeared on that very screen offering me the enticingly named Update 4.2.13, which would make "minor refinements and stability improvements".

On average, promises Volvo, owners will receive four such updates per year. An XC90 will download any update automatically (using its mobile data connection) before offering its installation. Even so, this update would render my car inaccessible and unusable for an estimated 90 minutes – significantly longer than the 25–minute duration of my last over-the-air update, a few years ago, in a Peugeot 408.

What it did have in common with that update, however, was the subsequent absence of any obvious changes. Yes, to my immense annoyance, the screen stubbornly remains at its painful brightest. Sadly, Volvo's website offers nothing more specific about the 4.2.13 package than the screen had done.

But I'm hoping whatever links the indicator stalk to the blinkers received some attention because, while on a main road pre–update, flicking for an overtake prompted this warning message on the dash: "Right turn indicator malfunction." Crikey – that's a new one.

The orange bulbs did appear to be illuminating for the rest of my journey and then passed an exterior check once I got home, so whether there really had been a temporary outage or the warning was triggered in error, I shall never know.

It's such a shame that I'm having to report yet another negative about this car, because there are so many positives waiting to be discussed. Primarily they concern comfort.

Although the standard active air suspension doesn't handle potholes particularly deftly, it generally gives a comfortable, settled and quiet ride, taking some of the stress out of the rush–hour rat race. Similarly it's very refined, in the sense of quietening road noise – so much so that swapping it for a supermini recently had me checking that all the windows were fully closed.

Then there's the absurd PHEV performance. Merging onto main roads from petrol station slip roads always makes me chuckle: people see a big old Volvo bus indicating to join in front of them and move over into the middle lane, only for it to launch itself so rapidly that they needn't have taken any precaution.

Indeed, the XC90's energy levels sometimes continue to surprise even me, because its decidedly soft and laid–back character means I rarely exploit anything like its full, 449bhp potential. The reality that a Volvo seven–seat SUV has considerably more horsepower than a current Porsche 911 is bizarre, and even at 2.3 tonnes it's a scant 1.5sec slower in charging from 0–62mph.

Cancel the removal van

There's quite the array of itinerant renters here at Haymarket Automotive, so flat moves are frequent and begging for temporary use of large test cars is inevitable. On the scrounge for a big car last month was Classic & Sports Car's Aaron McKay and there are few cars bigger than my Volvo XC90, with its greedy 4953mm by 2140mm seven-seat SUV footprint.

There was some irony in Aaron's request, because I commit the fourth deadly sin whenever I see his own car: a 1985 BMW 325i with those wheels. But the biggest piece of furniture he could fit in his saloon's boot would be a footstool, whereas he could almost park his whole car's petite form in my Volvo's load bay at full extension (2040mm long, 1192mm wide, 816mm high).

It's interesting to note, by the way, that those internal dimensions are exactly the same for the conventionally powered versions of the XC90: unlike many plug-in hybrid models, the T8 doesn't demand any practicality compromise here, because its battery is not lazily lumped into the boot but stacked atop the driveshaft.

"My outrageously large and awkward corner bookcase – 1100mm corner to corner, 450mm deep and goodness knows how tall – was swallowed neatly," reported Aaron, "with enough space left over for my former flatmate's dismantled double bed frame and folded mattress – off to the tip – plus loads of boxes and two large suitcases."

For boring logistical reasons, Aaron's move from London to elsewhere in London required his stuff to be temporarily stored back home in Wales, so it wasn't just the XC90's outrageous capaciousness or free use that had swayed him away from simply renting a van – Ford doesn't do a near–500bhp Transit with massage seats and active air suspension, you know. You can even command the XC90's springs to sink lower for easier loading (via a touchscreen menu, obviously).

I imagine that seven adult men would weigh significantly more than all of Aaron's worldly possessions (actually, they could take the Volvo close to its three–tonne maximum gross weight), but we were nevertheless impressed that it did 32mpg on a flat battery when cruising to Wales.

That's no different from what it had been averaging with just me aboard. Better still, the car "never felt excessively heavy, underdamped or underbraked" in the way it drove when fully loaded – Volvo evidently designed the XC90 with heavy–duty usage front of mind.

Any complaints at all? Well, perhaps some would quibble about having to manually fold away and re–erect the third–row seats, having paid £85,000, but look, I didn't build these huge muscles for nothing...

Goodbye

Gambling has never been one of my vices, which is most definitely a good thing on the evidence of my prediction for life with a Volvo XC90 plug-in hybrid.

Initially delighted by it, I concluded my first report thus: "The Mazda CX–80 PHEV compelled me to write a particularly downbeat final report; the chances of the XC90 T8 doing likewise after the next few months running it seem slim to nil."

If I were a betting man, I would have lost some money, because my relationship with this biggest of Volvo SUVs steadily deteriorated over the ensuing months to the extent that I was glad to see it go.

"Please, don't let it stumble," I had prayed, but it stumbled not just literally over every pothole but also figuratively with several faults, admittedly minor but nevertheless unacceptable.

Considering that the XC90 is one of the oldest cars on the UK market, having been launched way back in 2015, you might expect any flaws to have long since been rectified, but naturally Volvo has continually updated its technology through the years and, as we all know, new software is rarely perfect. Hence it was from that all–controlling touchscreen that my troubles stemmed.

First the in–built Google Maps sat–nav failed to realise the car had returned from a trip to Italy, necessitating a visit from Volvo Assist mechanics to perform a hard reset of the car's electrical system.

Then the Apple CarPlay suddenly stopped communicating with my iPhone, only to resume relations randomly some weeks later. And the brightness adjustment slider was impotent, leaving that expanse of pixels fully aglow at all times, which made driving in darkness very uncomfortable on my eyes.

The worst thing about all this, really, is that these glitches distracted from what was otherwise a generally pleasant car that performed admirably enough in the important fields of practicality, comfort, refinement and performance – if not, it must be said, economy, particularly by the standards of the freshest plug-in hybrid SUVs.

The XC90 T8 was born with a battery capacity of 9.2kWh and an electric range of 24 miles, but it was early to the PHEV party, when those numbers were impressive.

The T8 powertrain has been updated a few times since, shedding the supercharger from its four-cylinder petrol engine and gaining in battery capacity through 11.6kWh to 18.8kWh–where it has stayed since 2023, despite a significant facelift for the XC90 last year and new rivals having more than triple that.

That's the compromise you make to have that third row of seats, but it means the electric–only range is 43 miles on paper and, as my colleague Alastair Clements found to his disappointment, barely more than half that on suburban streets. It hardly seemed worth the effort for me to charge – not having access to a home charger– especially since the fastest–possible charging rate is a mere 3.7kW and my local lamp–post chargers are very expensive.

I therefore mostly ran around on a flat battery. Defeating the point? Perhaps, but perhaps not when you consider that many PHEV drivers will be in the same situation as me, having chosen a car purely due to the questionable manner in which company car tax is apportioned.

Life was much less stressful simply driving the T8 around like a conventional petrol luxury car and accepting the financial pain of 30mpg.

Luxury is no exaggeration: this is an £85k purchase that rides smoothly on active air suspension (well, until it encounters a pothole) and in impressive quietness, despite having only four cylinders at its disposal and weighing nearly two and a half tonnes.

One with big, cosy, massaging seats upholstered in nappa leather, bathed in sunlight from a full–length glass roof, with seemingly endless space for rear passengers and capable of really entertaining all aboard with a truly exquisite premium sound system.

And also one capable of stonking performance once both its engine and its rear–mounted electric motor are called upon. Its accelerative potential was silly back in 2015, when it had 316bhp; nowadays, despite having lost that supercharger, it's laughably absurd at 449bhp.

In its time with us, this XC90 T8 proved its touring talents by taking deputy road test editor Richard Lane to Italy, its outstanding capaciousness by helping Classic & Sports Car's Aaron McKay move to a new flat and its suitability for everyday mundanity by taking myself up the motorway to work and through town to the shops and the gym.

What the XC90 T8 hasn't done, though, is entirely convince us that it in itself warrants its recently granted stay of execution.

Volvo XC90 T8 AWD Plug-in Hybrid Ultra

Prices: List price new £84,260 List price now £83,765 Price as tested £85,055

Options: Denim Blue paint £795, Blond nappa leather interior £0, Bright exterior £0

Economy and range: Claimed economy 201.8mpg Claimed electric range 43 miles Battery 18.8/14.7kWh (total/usable) Test average 30.2mpg Test best 55.3mpg Test worst 28.6mpg Real–world range 24 miles (electric), 470 miles (ICE)

Tech Highlights: 0–62mph 5.4sec Top speed 112mph Engine 4 cyls in line, 1969cc, turbo, petrol, plus electric motor Max power 449bhp Max torque 523lb ft Gearbox 8–spd automatic, 4WD Boot 298/977/1941 litres Wheels 9.0x21in, alloy Tyres 275/40 R21, Continental PremiumContact Kerb weight 2365kg

Service and running costs: Contract hire rate £855 pcm CO₂ 28g/km Service costs None Other costs None Fuel costs £685.91 Running costs including fuel £685.91 Cost per mile 20 pence Faults Several software glitches, one of the dashboard trim screws fell out

The best family cars – driven, rated and ranked

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 16:32:53 +0100

From large SUVs to practical hatchbacks, family cars aren't tied to any particular segment. We reveal the very best

Not long ago, family cars were predicatable beasts that typically came in the shape of an MPV or estate car, but today what actually makes a family car is much harder to define.

In 2026, the family car is more ubiquitous than ever before: it can be a smooth and silent electric SUV, a plug-in hybrid hatchback or a diesel estate. The amount of variety on sale means that it’s much easier to find a car that meets your lifestyle, however demanding it may be.

Comfort, practicality and strong build quality are all non-negotiables, but the very best family cars also bring a layer of versatility and flexibility that makes them ideal for both short hops into town and longer motorway trips.

Right now we think the BMW 3 Series Touring is the definitive choice. This is an estate with peerless all-round capabilities, nailing the family car brief with its high quality cabin, excellent ride and handling and overall practicality. The PHEV version offers a good electric-only range, too.

But there are many other options well worth considering, from SUVs to hatchbacks. Read on as we reveal our top 10 best family cars on sale today.

Whatever happened to the coupe-convertible?

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 15:00:00 +0100

The 'CC' exploded onto the scene, hit 1.3 million annual sales and shrunk to a niche curiosity within just a decade

Today Mazda's decade-old MX-5 RF is the only coupé-convertible (CC) you can buy. Amazing, really, considering that 20 years ago the market was awash with them.

Mercedes-Benz was to thank - or perhaps blame – for this craze. "The innovative electrohydraulic hard top, dubbed 'Vario top', has the ability to transform the SLK from a coupé into a roadster in just 25 seconds," we explained in 1994, as the firm unveiled an evolution of an earlier roofless sports car concept.

"At the press of a button, the aluminium roofing structure splits just above the rear window and the leading edge of the bootlid tilts upwards. The roof then folds within itself and is stowed in a dedicated well behind the seats. The process is completed with the bootlid snapping shut and the parcel shelf moving into position."

Mercedes had been thinking about making an affordable sports car since the late 1980s, but it took the roaring success of the original MX-5 to give it the confidence to proceed.

Enjoy full access to the complete Autocar archive at the magazineshop.com

The design team (led by stalwart Bruno Sacco and prominently featuring future Porsche 911 supremo Michael Mauer) felt that such a car would need a unique selling point and settled on a retractable metal roof.

Two years later, the SLK came to Autocar for road testing and we concluded that, despite it weighing a significant 33kg, "the Vario roof is quite simply the best convertible roof we have ever seen", playing a major part in making this £30,000 newcomer "the ultimate no-compromise roadster".

Such affordability for something so stylish and the perceived practical benefits of a hard top combined to make the SLK an instant hit: Mercedes had expected demand for some 30,000 annually, yet sold 55,000 in its first full year.

Suspicions of copying were thus natural when Peugeot previewed a CC in early 1998 and fuelled by the fact that its designer, Murat Günak, had actually worked on the SLK.

Like that Mercedes, the cheesily named 2-0-Heart concept aimed to "narrow the gap between dreams and reality" by offering open-air romance and stylishness atop the mechanicals of an everyday model.

Yet Günak insisted that his baby was no copy. "It's simply not true, though we expected people would say such things," he told Autocar. "The truth is that retractable hard tops are very much in the Peugeot tradition. Even the official book of the SLK contained a photograph of our pre-war Peugeot Eclipse."

Peugeot had in fact been the very first company to put a 'metallique decouvrable' into series production, half a century beforehand. Initially based on the 401 saloon, the Eclipse benefited from the ingenuity of Georges Paulin, chief stylist at French coachbuilder Pourtout.

Autocar had noted the increased prominence of cabriolet coachwork at the 1935 Paris motor show, noting: "Where mechanical operation is adopted, a solidly constructed head is frequently employed, the entire head unit being made to lower by means of side links into the boot, the lid of which is automatically raised prior to the lowering of the head." This took as long as a minute.

Anyway, Günak's idea came to fruition in late 2000 as the 206 CC. It was no more powerful or agile than the 206 hatchback, but that was never the point, and it proved another winner, attracting more than 70,000 buyers in its first year.

Unsurprisingly, rivals piled in: first the Daihatsu Copen, then the Renault Mégane CC, Vauxhall Tigra TwinTop, Nissan Micra C+C, Volvo C70, Volkswagen Eos, Mitsubishi Colt CZC, Vauxhall Astra TwinTop, BMW 3 Series Convertible, Ford Focus CC...

As such, we reported in late 2006: "Few suspected that the SLK would herald a new genre of cars, but today all the major manufacturers have a flip-top in their portfolio or are preparing one for production."

Convertible sales were growing rapidly, leading analysts to predict a global market of 1.3 million by 2010. What they couldn't have foreseen, of course, was an almighty global financial crash that would prevent people from indulging in 'toy cars' and maim or kill key contractors (Pininfarina, Heuliez, Karmann), nor the subsequent mad rise of the crossover.

Almost as soon as it had started, the CC craze was over.

Dacia Jogger

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0100

MPV and SUV tropes fuse with a compact seven-seater of likeably humble aspect The Dacia Jogger touched down in 2021 as the successor to the largely ignored Logan MCV, and when we first road tested this curious crossover-estate the following year, praise flowed.Dacia had shown “great design” along with “outstanding product positioning”, and to top it all off the asking price beggared belief in light of the capacious dimensions. It was a basic car and underpowered, but at £16,000 nobody was complaining and Joggers could soon be seen on street corners countrywide.In the years since, Dacia has tweaked styling details, new trim elements have been announced and EU GSR2-compliant ADAS has been integrated, but only recently has the Jogger undergone what could justifiably be called a facelift.There’s nothing here that screams ‘new car’, but the subtle design revisions are numerous enough to keep the Jogger looking sharp in 2026. There’s also a new powertrain option, which brings another level of performance and is the reason for this test. Inherited from the recently launched Bigster, the Hybrid 155 powertrain takes the Jogger’s displacement out to 1.8 litres and drops the official 0-60mph time below nine seconds for the first time. Might it be worth the extra outlay? We will find out shortly.More broadly, is the Jogger still the smash hit it was at launch? Or have competitors demonstrably gained ground as Dacia has been forced to incrementally raise prices for its cut-price seven-seater?

All the cars eligible for the UK's Electric Car Grant

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:42:56 +0100

We list every electric car eligible for the government's £1500 and £3750 and purchase grants

Thinking of making the switch to electric? The UK government’s Electric Car Grant (ECG) offers up either a £1500 or £3750 discount to help accelerate the nation’s transition to EVs.

This £650 million scheme began rolling out in July 2025, and new models are gaining eligibility almost weekly.

Here we list every single car that qualifies for a discount and deliver the definitive Autocar verdict on what each is like.

How the ECG works

The ECG targets the affordable end of the market, capping eligibility at electric cars priced below £37,000 or in some cases £42,000.

To qualify, manufacturers must prove their vehicles meet stringent criteria regarding real-world range, overarching sustainability and long-term warranty cover.

The two-tier system

The grant is split into two distinct structures, with the full £3750 discount being rewarded to only the greenest cars.

Eligibility hinges on the carbon footprint of the car's production, factoring in emissions from battery manufacturing and the assembly line – even the carbon intensity of the electricity grid in the country of origin.

The eligible EV shortlist

Categorised by their grant bands and outlining your potential savings, we've got everything you need to know.

Read on to find out which ones deserve a spot on your driveway...

Band one – £3750 discount

Alpine A290

Original price: £33,500

Price after grant: £30,245

Read our Alpine A290 review

With excellent handling, a punchy powertrain and old-school charm, the Renault 5-based Alpine A290 shows that the hot hatchback still has a place in the EV era. The 217bhp enables 0-62mph in 6.4sec - making it by far the fastest car on this list - and it has won plenty of awards already.

Citroën ë-C5 Aircross

Original price: £36,685

Price after grant: £32, 935

Read our Citroën ë-C5 Aircross review

This ë-C5 Aircross offers plenty of metal for the money. The range-topping Long Range version can travel up to an impressive 421 miles on a charge, and its versatile, lounge-like interior will suit many families both large and small.

Ford E-Tourneo Courier

Original list price: £33,690

Price after grant: £29,940

Read our Ford E-Tourneo Courier review

This five-seat MPV is a spacious option that offers up to 2162 litres of cargo space, plus a range of 177 miles.

Ford Puma Gen-E

Original list price: £28,999

List price after grant: £25,249

Read our Ford Puma Gen-E review

The electric Ford Puma is a good all-around option. It has a huge boot, despite its compact dimensions, it’s fun to drive and it's one of the more efficient mid-sized electric cars on sale right now. Ford claims a range of around 233 miles and charging speeds of up to 100kW.

Hyundai Kona Electric

Original list price: £32,400

Price after grant: £30,900

Read our Hyundai Kona Electric review

The Kona Electric is Hyundai’s first model to qualify for the ECG. The Long Range version’s 69kWh battery delivers a competitive WLTP score of 319 miles, while its motor puts 215bhp through the front wheels. It remains a benchmark for efficiency too: expect a real-world figure comfortably in the region of 4mpkWh.

Mini Countryman

Original list price: £32,805

Price after grant: £29,255

Read our Mini Countryman Electric review

The Countryman makes a relaxing, fun and overall a very good electric SUV – and now qualifies for the £3750 grant. It’s not the be all and end all of value or practicality but is immensely likeable, with a beautifully minimalist interior. Good economy too: during our testing, we achieved an average of 3.4mpkWh, which is creditably close to the official figure of 3.6mpkWh.

Nissan Leaf

Original list price: £35,999

Price after grant: £32,249

Read our Nissan Leaf review

The original mass-market EV has returned to its roots as a value champion, becoming the latest addition to the government's grant list. The Sunderland-built crossover secures the full £3750 discount, undercutting key competitors such as the Kia Niro EV and Volkswagen ID 3 significantly. For that outlay, you get the 'Engage' model paired with a 75kWh battery, capable of a claimed 386 miles between charges. Standard kit is plentiful, with a heat pump and Google Automotive services included.

Nissan Micra

Original list price: £26,995

Price after grant: £23,245

Read our Nissan Micra review

Renewed and redesigned, the Nissan Micra is back as an electric hatchback, this time sharing most of its underpinnings with the Renault 5. That means two battery options – 40kWh and 52kWh – with an official range up to 260 miles. It's this 52kWh version that gets the full £3750 discount.

Renault 4

Original list price: £27,195

Price after grant: £23,445

Read our Renault 4 review

Some 30 years after the Renault 4 was retired, it returned as a small electric crossover. Don’t think the model's heritage has been lost, though, because the new one is a retro design that takes cues from its predecessor. Renault also claims a competitive range of 247 miles. It now qualifies for the higher grant sum, too.

Renault 5

Original list price: £27,695

Price after grant: £23,945

Read our Renault 5 review

The Renault 5 is one of the most talked-about cars of the year, and for good reason. It’s fun to drive, comfortable and has a class-leading interior, as well as a good, usable range between charges. Drivers can choose from either a 40kWh or a 52kWh battery for up to a claimed 250 miles. The latter is eligible for the full £3750 grant, too.

Renault Scenic

Original list price: £36,995

Price after grant: £33,245

Read our Renault Scenic review

Once an MPV, the Scenic is an SUV these days. It employs the same 215bhp powertrain as the Megane but adds a much larger battery. Its 87kWh size enables an official range of up to 379 miles, which is almost as impressive as its practical, 545-litre boot.

Band two – £1500 discount

Citroën ë-C3

Original list price: £22,095

List price after grant: £20,595

Read our Citroën ë-C3

Citroën’s smallest car is comfortable and relaxing, with decent levels of space for the price. It’s also packed full of equipment, including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, heated seats and a suite of safety tech. Its main downside is a small, 44kWh battery, which produces around 199 miles of range – and that might not be enough for some people.

Citroën ë-C3 Aircross

Original list price: £23,095

Price after grant: £21,595

Read our Citroën ë-C3 Aircross

The ë-C3 Aircross is a larger, SUV-shaped alternative to the ë-C3. The ë-C3 Aircross is available with seven seats, plus a larger battery that provides a claimed 247 miles of range. It retains its smaller sibling’s comfort and equipment levels too, which is a key selling point.

Citroën ë-C4

The ë-C4 offers a lot of car for the money, entering the fray as a larger option for the price of some electric superminis. A 54kWh battery enables an official range of 257 miles and soft suspension means it's a comfortable car for most journeys.

Read our Citroën ë-C4 review

Original list price: £27,650

Price after grant: £26,150

Citroën ë-C4 X

Original list price: £28,715

Price after grant: £27,215

Read our Citroën ë-C4 X review

The ë-C4 X is the saloon counterpart to the hatchback ë-C4, offering more leg room and a larger boot. At 510 litres, the saloon's cargo space is 130 litres roomier than the hatch's. Range figures are pretty much the same, as are its levels of comfort and equipment.

Citroën ë-Berlingo

Original list price: £31,240

Price after grant: £29,740

Read our Citroën ë-Berlingo review

The key selling point of the ë-Berlingo is its cavernous interior, which can accommodate just about anything. Its boot measures 775 litres, and there’s even an XL model with seven seats. Range isn’t really a strong point, though: an official 213 miles from a 52kWh battery.

Citroën ë-Spacetourer

Original list price: £36,995

Price after grant: £35,495

The ECG also affects passenger-carrying vans, and the Citroën ë-Spacetourer is one that has £1500 knocked off its list price. Citroën claims a range of 136 miles, which might sound pretty poor, but it’s suitable for city–focused deliveries and taxi work, because you can seat up to nine passengers in the XL model.

Cupra Born

Original list price: £35,690

Price after grant: £34,190

Read our Cupra Born review

Our former Best Electric Car title holder is still a compelling buy today, thanks to a host of recent updates, including a new infotainment system. The Born is one of the best cars on this list to drive, possessing dynamic handling, a comfortable ride and a claimed range of up to 360 miles. It merits a place near the top of your shortlist, especially with that £1500 grant saving.

DS 3 E-Tense

Original list price: £35,995

Price after grant: £34,495

Read our DS 3 E-Tense review

Not a car you really buy with your head. Range is fine at 250 miles, material quality for the price is just about fine and it comes in some sophisticated bright colours. But ultimately it's a car clinging on to the small premium electric SUV class standards by its fingernails.

DS No4

Original list price: £36,995

Price after grant: £35,495

Read our DS No4 review

The new DS No4 leads the French premium brand’s design revival, and it’s available with the grant when you select its entry-level Pallas specification level. There’s just one electric powertrain, featuring a single 210bhp motor and a 58.3kWh battery for an official 278 miles of range.

Kia EV2

Original list price: £28,495

Price after grant: £26,995

Read our Kia EV2 review

The EV2 is Kia’s entry-level electric crossover. It may have compact proportions, being just 4060mm long, but it maintains a proper SUV vibe with its boxy, shrunken EV5 silhouette and chunky bumpers. It utilises a 400V electrical architecture and is available with either a 42.2kWh or 61kWh battery, offering ranges of 197 miles and an outstanding 281 miles. Both options can rapid-charge from 10-80% in less than 30 minutes and feature vehicle-to-load technology.

Kia EV3

Original list price: £33,055

Price after grant: £31,555

Read our Kia EV3 review

Crowned Autocar’s Best Electric Car of 2025, the Kia EV3 is one of the most well-rounded EVs currently on the market. Designed to take on the Volkswagen ID 3 and Cupra Born, it features bold, chiselled styling clearly inspired by the flagship EV9 but condensed into a highly practical family footprint. It offers a choice of two battery packs, of 58.3kWh and 81.4kWh. Paired with a 201bhp front-mounted motor, the larger battery allows it to thoroughly outshine its rivals with a 375-mile official range (and regularly affords 270-300 miles in reality).

Kia EV4

Original price: £34,745

Price after grant: £33,245

Read our Kia EV4 review

The Korean brand's Honda Civic-sized EV is a sensible and comfortable electric hatchback that builds on the success of the smaller EV3 thanks to its strong range, space and drivability. For value, efficiency and refinement it should make it onto any shortlist for a family looking to make the switch to an EV; just don't expect much driver engagement.

Kia PV5

Original price: £32,995

Price after grant: £31,495

Read our Kia PV5 review

The PV5 was already keenly priced but now qualifies for the £1500 grant, making it almost £30,000 cheaper than an equivalent Volkswagen ID Buzz. And while the VW benefits from retro-charm, the Kia is a tempting choice for its ease of use, flexible and versatile interior and strong value for money. The big battery version qualifies for the grant, which has a more usable 256-mile range.

Nissan Ariya

Original list price: £35,000

Price after grant: £33,500

Read our Nissan Ariya review

Nissan dropped the Ariya’s price by a dramatic £6000 to make sure it qualified for the ECG, meaning it’s available for as little as £33,500 after the discount has been applied. All Ariyas that qualify are front-wheel-drive and come with either a 63kWh battery or a 87kWh one, with up to 310 miles of range claimed.

Peugeot e-208

Original list price: £30,150

Price after grant: £28,650

Read our Peugeot e-208 review

Peugeot’s supermini becomes a more enticing EV with the ECG, which brings its price down to £28,650. For that, you get a 50kWh battery and a claimed 226 miles of range. The larger-battery version also qualifies, which gives you 268 miles of range, according to Peugeot.

Peugeot e-2008

Original list price: £35,400

Price after grant: £33,900

Read our Peugeot e-2008 review

Like many of the models from brands in the Stellantis stable, the Peugeot e-2008 gets either a 50kWh or a 54kWh battery, offering up to 247 miles of official range. A 434-litre boot means this electric SUV is a good option for families, although it’s still down on the Kia Niro EV’s cargo-carrying ability.

Peugeot e-308 and e-308 SW

Original list price: £36,460

Price after grant: £34,960

Read our Peugeot e-308 review

The Peugeot e-308 offers more versatility than most, because it’s available as both a hatchback and an estate (badged SW). The hatch comes with 361 litres of boot space, while the estate gets an impressive 508 litres. Peugeot says you can expect 267 miles from the 54kWh battery.

Peugeot e-408

Original list price: £36,170

Price after grant: £34,670

Read our Peugeot e-408 review

The e-408 is fundamentally a practical and efficient car that is mostly good at most things, with a range of 281 miles. The deciding factor in your hard-earned being ploughed into one is what you make of the design. It's striking in the metal, with sharp creases and pronounced haunches. If you put form over function, this is the ECG car for you.

Peugeot e-Rifter

Original list price: £32,250

Price after grant: £30,750

The e-Rifter shares its underpinnings with the Citroën ë-Berlingo, Toyota Proace City Verso and Vauxhall Combo Life Electric. That means a spacious cabin with room for up to seven people as well as equipment such as a 10in infotainment system, a digital driver's display, overhead storage, rear parking sensors and a heated steering wheel as standard.

Peugeot e-Traveller

Original list price: £36,925

Price after grant: £35,425

Read our Peugeot e-Traveller review

The e‑Traveller is a cavernous people-carrier with genuine family appeal, thanks to its van-based architecture and eight-seat flexibility. Potential range is 217 miles, but our real-world results fall closer to 180 miles – still not bad for something of this size. The front-mounted 134bhp motor struggles with the 2.2-tonne kerb weight, though, and delivers a leisurely 0-62mph time of 14.3sec.

Renault Megane

Original list price: £32,495

Price after grant: £30,995

Read our Renault Megane review

The Megane provides a 215bhp motor and a 60kWh battery for a claimed 285 miles of range. It also has a heat pump as standard, which is vital for boosting efficiency. There’s a larger, 12in infotainment system following a 2024 update, plus adaptive cruise control as standard.

Skoda Elroq

Original list price: £31,710

Price after grant: £30,210

Read our Skoda Elroq review

Few cars on this list are more capable than the Skoda Elroq. Most versions of the crossover are eligible for the grant discount, including the 85 SE L, which offers an 82kWh battery and up to 356 miles of range, according to Skoda.

Skoda Enyaq

Original list price: £39,010

Price after grant: £37,510

Read our Skoda Enyaq review

Oddly enough, the Skoda Enyaq has a list price above the government’s £37,000 threshold, but it still qualifies for the grant because it shares much of its underpinnings with the Elroq. That means you can snap up an SE L or 60 Edition for £1500 less than usual. For that, you will get a competitive 270 miles of range, based on the official figures.

Toyota C-HR+

Original list price: £34,495

Price after grant: £32,995

Read our Toyota C-HR+ review

The C-HR+ brings a familiar SUV-coupé silhouette to the ECG ranks – but confusingly it isn't actually related to the C-HR hybrid. The EV is available with two battery sizes, the larger 77kWh unit unlocking a headline-grabbing 378-mile range. Toyota may have been slower than some rivals to embrace full electrification, but the C-HR+ makes up ground by balancing style and practicality with a commanding 10-year warranty and a refreshingly intuitive interior.

Toyota Proace City Verso

Original list price: £31,995

Price after grant: £30,495

We haven't driven this MPV yet, but it's essentially the same as the Citroen ë-Berlingo, Peugeot e-Rifter and Vauxhall Combo Life Electric found elsewhere in this list. Lots of room for not a lot of cash. Added bonus of a 10-year warranty.

Vauxhall Astra Electric and Astra Sports Tourer Electric

Original list price: £35,005

Price after grant: £33,505

Read our Vauxhall Astra Electric review

The electric Astra shares its underpinnings with the Peugeot e-308, including its battery. Vauxhall claims a range of 256 miles and its power output is 153bhp. As with the e-308, there’s a choice of a hatchback or a roomier estate.

Vauxhall Combo Life Electric

Original list price: £32,190

Price after grant: £30,690

The Combo Life is a sibling to the Citroën ë-Berlingo and co. There’s a choice of five- or seven-seat layouts but just one battery: a 52kWh unit. In the Combo Life, it produces an official 213 miles of range. Boot space is rated at 597 litres and there are 27 different storage areas throughout the car.

Vauxhall Corsa Electric

Original list price: £27,505

Price after grant: £26,005

Read our Vauxhall Corsa Electric review

Formerly the UK’s best-selling car, the Vauxhall Corsa is just as good to drive with battery power as it is with a combustion engine. At its lowest price, you will get the small battery with a claimed 223 miles of range. Thankfully, the model with a 54kWh battery is also available with the ECG, and it produces a far more practical 256 miles of range, according to the official figures.

Vauxhall Frontera Electric

Original list price: £23,995

Price after grant: £22,495

Read our Vauxhall Frontera Electric review

Vauxhall recently revived the Frontera name for a small electric crossover, which shares its footprint and mechanicals with the Citroën ë-C3 Aircross. Like the French car, it produces a claimed 189 miles of range from a 44kWh battery as standard, but it also offers a 54kWh battery for an official range figure of 252 miles.

Vauxhall Grandland Electric

Original list price: £36,995

Price after grant: £35,455

Read our Vauxhall Grandland Electric review

If the Corsa and Frontera are too small, you can look to the Grandland. Thanks to a 72kWh battery, it promises 323 miles of range. An even longer-range, 97kWh version is coming soon too, although we expect that to fall outside of the ECG threshold. Boot space is 550 litres – close to that of the Skoda Enyaq and Tesla Model Y.

Vauxhall Mokka Electric

Original list price: £32,505

Price after grant: £31,005

Read our Vauxhall Mokka Electric review

Just one electric option is available for the Vauxhall Mokka. It comes with a 54kWh battery and a claimed 252 miles of range. Maximum charging speed is capped at 100kW and its single electric motor produces 154bhp. That’s sufficient to get you from 0-62mph in 9.0sec.

Vauxhall Vivaro Life Electric

Original list price: £39,100

Price after grant: £37,600

Another Stellantis group whopper. Vauxhall describes it as a lounge on wheels, and it offers six- and nine-seat options. Two battery options to choose from too, the smaller resulting in a 139-mile range, the larger 219 miles.

Volkswagen ID 3

Original list price: £32,350

Price after grant: £30,850

Read our Volkswagen ID 3 review

The Volkswagen ID 3 is good to drive and a sensible option for people looking to combine efficiency and comfort. Entry-level cars get a claimed range of 241 miles, but you can also step up to the Pro S Essential with 352 miles of range and still qualify for the ECG.

Volkswagen ID 4

Original list price: £36,995

Price after grant: £35,495

Read our Volkswagen ID 4 review

Like the ID 3 but bigger. It has a large, 543-litre boot and its cabin impresses too with generous rear leg room, although the materials feel less premium than in some rivals and the touch-sensitive controls won’t be for everyone. The ID 4 is composed and easy-going on the road, with sharp initial acceleration for the more powerful models. Claimed range of up to 339 miles too.

Volkswagen ID 5

Original list price: £36,995

Price after grant: £35,495

Read our Volkswagen ID 5 review

Mechanically identical to the ID 4 above but with a more coupé-like backside, yet peculiarly it has a larger official boot capacity.

New Volkswagen ID 3 brings more range, buttons, "true VW" spirit

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:00:00 +0100

'Neo' update brings fresh styling, bigger batteries and an all-new interior with an array of proper buttons

The ID 3, Volkswagen's first bespoke electric car, has received a massive update - and a revised name - as part of an effort to right the wrongs of the six-year-old hatchback and increase its appeal.

The EV has been given fresh exterior styling, bigger batteries and, most significantly, a completely new interior that features an array of physical buttons, which will be shared with the soon-to-be-revealed ID Polo and ID Cross siblings.

Volkswagen is moving away from using number designations for its EVs (the ID 4 is set to be rebranded as the ID Tiguan when it receives a major update shortly), but the ID 3 will keep its number, due to the brand equity it has built up. It will, however, now be called the ID 3 Neo - a nod to the ID 3's original development codename and intended to emphasise that this is more than a standard mid-life refresh.

According to Volkswagen boss Thomas Schäfer, the changes, especially those inside, are designed to address the shortcomings of the brand's first wave of bespoke EVs, which started with the ID 3 in 2020 and continued with the ID 4, ID 5, ID 7 and ID Buzz. This is the second facelift for the ID 3, after an update in 2023 to resolve well-publicised issues with software and usability.

Schäfer said the ID 3 Neo, which will arrive in July, is the first in a new series of "true Volkswagen" cars, adding that the brand has a "clear goal: to build real Volkswagen models again". He said that "Volkswagen has always been about cars that become part of people's lives, cars that you can rely on, cars that work, cars you understand" but when he took over in 2022 "it was clear we were losing our core, what Volkswagen really stands for".

Schäfer said the ID 3 Neo is the first car to benefit from a complete change in the way that Volkswagen develops cars. He explained: "In the past, we had engineers who created long lists of features and requirements [and then] we wondered why everyone didn't feel comfortable using it.

Today we start differently: we start with people. Who's actually driving this car? It became very clear, and that changed everything in the way we did development faster, more focused and much closer to reality."

Inside is where the "biggest jump forward" has been made, according to Volkswagen tech boss Kai Grünitz, with changes that "address many of the criticisms our customers had about the first ID 3" and "finally make it a true Volkswagen".

"The ID 3 got really positive feedback for its sense of space and for its driving performance and precision, but there were also aspects that had to be improved," said Grünitz. "We already fixed many issues but not all of them, and that's why we took the next step with the new generation of the ID 3."

The cabin is entirely new, featuring higher-quality and softer materials and a host of physical controls. Notably, among them are a volume knob and heating switches, replacing the controversial touch-sensitive 'sliders'. Furthermore, the driver's door now features a button for each window: originally there were two switches with a toggle button to change the controls from the front to the rear windows. The steering wheel is also new, featuring physical buttons in place of the previous haptic ones, as well as a light-up VW logo.

The 13in landscape-mounted infotainment touchscreen and 10.25in digital driver's display are also new, and the latter can be customised to resemble the instrument cluster of a 1980s Golf, complete with a charge 'gauge.

The curved dashboard is now straight to emphasise space, while a new full-length centre console has been fitted following customer feedback. This features a storage bin deep enough for a 13in tablet and a wireless charging pad big enough for two phones.

The exterior changes are less extensive, the most notable being a new front end to bring the ID 3 Neo in line with the upcoming ID Polo and ID Cross. "It clearly shows the new family face", said Grünitz, but "it looks a bit more mature than the ID Polo". The ID 3 Neo also sports a painted roof and tailgate, which, according to Grünitz, gives it "new proportions", making it look flatter and wider than before.

The rear-wheel-drive hatchback continues to be available with three power outputs, each allied to a new battery. The new combinations are a 50kWh battery with a 168bhp motor; a 58kWh battery with a 188bhp motor; and a 79kWh battery with a 228bhp motor. In its most efficient guise the range is 391 miles, some 20 miles more than before, which Grünitz claimed is "more than any other car in its class". The maximum rapid-charging speed is a slightly improved 183kW with the biggest battery.

Although unconfirmed, a successor to the 322bhp GTX Performance hot hatch is expected to be revealed later this year and, as previously reported by Autocar, is set to adopt the iconic GTI badge.

The ID 3 Neo also gets Volkswagen's latest software, allowing for the addition of new functions including Travel Assist (ie semi-autonomous driving) and a one-pedal mode. The battery will also gain vehicle-to-load capability. Owners will be able to control their ID 3 Neo using a new digital key feature on their smartphone, too. Grünitz said the new software will bring "more performance and an even better customer experience" to the car.

Jensen Interceptor GTX to be revealed in spring with screaming V8

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 09:00:00 +0100

Autocar render based on Jensen teaser image shows what full rear end could look like

New car has been created by restomod firm Jensen International Automotive and will be built in Oxfordshire

The Jensen Interceptor is to be reborn as a new British-built, V8-powered GT, 50 years after production of the iconic original ended.

Banbury-based Jensen International Automotive (JIA) has confirmed its new model, due to be revealed in the coming months, will be called the Interceptor GTX.

It will be JIA's first clean-sheet design, the firm having previously specialised in restoring and modernising Interceptors, creating restomods such as the Interceptor R. It will be hand-built in “ultra-low” numbers and therefore probably command a very high price.

It is claimed to be an “ultra-high-performance”, luxury proposition that will offer a fully analogue driving experience.

This suggests that it will use a manual gearbox and the cabin will be flooded with physical controls and switches, similar to the original 1960s Interceptor.

While further details have yet to be revealed, Autocar understands the new car will be powered by the engine from the latest Chevrolet Corvette.

The Corvette’s 6.2-litre V8 puts out 495bhp and 452lb ft of torque as standard, but JIA said its new car's powertrain will be “bespoke”.

The original Interceptor used a 6.3-litre big-block Chrysler V8, giving it more than 250bhp and a top speed of nearly 140mph.

The as-yet-unnamed JIA GT will sit on a lightweight aluminium chassis, likely as part of an effort to give it the highest power-to-weight ratio possible.

While its design has yet to be revealed, the first official picture confirms that it will follow a similar philosophy to the original, with a long bonnet, raked roofline and a low-slung stance.

Managing director David Duerden said JIA is “taking the theme of the luxury British GT to fresh, thoroughly modern heights” with a car that “will stand proudly as a completely all-new car in its own right”.

A release date has yet to be confirmed but, given that JIA is keen to highlight the car’s British roots, a debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July seems plausible.

Velar buying guide: Grab a real Range Rover for Jaecoo 7 money

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 07:00:00 +0100

This luxurious SUV now starts at £12,000, so why bother with a lookalike from China?

Everyone knows Jaecoo as the "Temu Range Rover' but let's shift the narrative.

Can you pick up an actual Range Rover for the same price as this value-led Chinese newcomer's SUVs? Boy, can you - and we're not talking about a boggo Evoque or hypermiled Mk2 Range Rover but the sleek Velar, which is soon to enter its second generation yet still looks as fresh and decadent as it did nine years ago.

For £24,505, the price of the entry-level Jaecoo 5, you could get a 2021 Velar with only 58,000 miles on the clock. And that's with a mild-hybrid diesel that can return 43mpg, versus 41mpg for the petrol 5.

Up your budget to £30k, where prices for the larger Jaecoo 7 start, and you could nab a same-age Velar with the creamy 3.0-litre straight-six diesel and just 40,000 miles. It's a match for the cheaper car on economy, and for performance, ride, handling, refinement and tech it's got the newbie licked.

The Velar still looks like a concept car with number plates and the interior remains similarly striking with its triple screen set-up. It's intuitive to use too, with the third screen on the lower centre console offering permanent shortcuts for the heated seats and the like, and physical dials for the climate control flanking it on either side.

In 2023, the interior became more minimalist and generally less usable when the two central screens were replaced by one larger unit, which did away with the dials and permanent shortcuts. However, material quality overall has always been generally very good throughout the car's life cycle and the steering wheel and seats feel especially expensive.

The Velar's footprint is similar to the BMW X3's and Audi Q5's, and despite the shapely body, it's a practical car. Space in the back is on the money for this class, with enough room for tall adults, and the boot betters its rivals, at 632 litres.

As for the driving experience, the Velar is a sort of long-distance GT dressed as an SUV. It makes for a fab motorway weapon, cruising fast and comfortably. On twisting roads, the Velar handles competently, but it stops short of being engaging.

So the Velar is a pretty compelling all-rounder and you might see fit to overlook gripes such as the slightly fussy ride and noisy cabin exacerbated by the largest, 22in wheels. Air suspension improves that. It was an expensive option on four-cylinder models but standard on six-cylinder cars.

There are other reasons to choose the bigger engines. The fours are pretty refined, but the smooth sixes are excellent and more reliable. We would avoid the D180 and D240 2.0-litre diesels with a high reported failure rate. The D200 (the numbers correspond to a model's power in PS) is a revised version, introduced in 2021, and is proving more reliable. The six-pot D275 and D300 are the picks of the range (they switched from V6 to straight-six power in 2021).

The petrols are rarer but also more reliable than the 2.0-litre diesels. In 2.0-litre P250 and P300 form, they're fine. The 3.0-litre P380 and later P400 are fantastically powerful, smooth and sonorous, but don't expect more than 25mpg. There's also the P400e, which pairs the 2.0-litre petrol with a battery and electric motor. It's good for around 30 miles of EV range in the real world and owners haven't reported any major reliability concerns. It doesn't command a significant premium either.

What to look for

Four-cylinder engines: There are many horror stories about the 2.0-litre diesel, particularly regarding the diesel particulate filter, timing chain, turbos, oil dilution, excessive cylinder wear and coolant leaks. The 2.0-litre petrol and later 2.0-litre MHEV diesel are safer bets, but they can still suffer timing chain and turbo issues.

Six-cylinder engines: Many owners agree the 3.0-litre V6 and straight-six petrol and diesel engines are the most reliable. Nevertheless, listen for knocking in the diesel (crankshaft issues) and watch out for heavy coolant use in the petrol (water pump problems).

Alternator: The belt tensioner can fail in MHEV cars. Budget for as much as £2500 unless it's covered by a sensible extended warranty.

Steering: If the electric steering motor develops a hairline crack, the electrical circuit board inside the unit is exposed and becomes corroded, rendering the car undrivable. Check for grinding, groaning or a heavy feel.

Transfer case: Signs of a drip or transmission warning messages could point to a leaking transfer case, which can lead to component damage and costly repairs.

Electrics: Many owners have faced frozen display screens. The solution is normally to turn the car off and on again. Failed parking sensors have also been reported, typically rendering the entire sensor system inoperative.

Also worth knowing

Service intervals are every year or 16,000 miles, but some owners recommend changing the oil more frequently.

Given JLR's reputation for patchy reliability, you might value the reassurance of an extended warranty. It will typically cost around £1000 for a year from JLR. For a little more, plenty of third-party providers will cover a Velar for three years.

A Velar that's more than five years old won't attract the £425 luxury car supplement. VED will be £195 annually - or £620 if the supplement applies.

Insurance is a thorny issue for some Range Rovers, yet the Velar was never that badly affected. Insurance groups range between 31 and 50, so it could still be costly, though.

How much to spend

£12,000-£15,999 Mostly early, low-spec and high-mileage examples. Be wary of cars with only part service history.

£16,000-£24,999 Reasonable mileages (below 70,000) and models other than the poorly regarded 2.0-litre Ingenium diesel.

£25,000-£34,999 Lots of low-mileage, high-spec examples, including plug-in hybrids and rare 3.0-litre petrols.

£35,000-£80,000 Low-mileage two- or three-year-old Velars through to nearly new cars. Hot SVAutobiographys (542bhp supercharged V8) too.

An owner's view

Arianne Smith: "After 85,000 miles in our V6 diesel Velar, we recently sold it. There were highs and lows. The dealership experience has been patchy. It began really well. Then the JLR parts shortage led us to being told to place a blanket over the engine block every night to retain some heat to mitigate an issue with the faulty glow plug control unit. But we also had some amazing times: our Velar coped with Austrian Alpine winters, 3500-mile round trips between our homes in Tyrol and Scotland, and returned 43mpg, even fully laden."

Brexit still battering UK car industry 10 years later

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 05:00:00 +0100

EU's proposed Industrial Accelerator Act could exclude UK-built EVs, with significant ramifications

Sorry to rake over a painful subject, but we need to talk about the continuing disastrous effect of Brexit on the UK automotive industry.

Car makers operating in the UK were always opposed to Brexit, mainly because it made life a lot more complicated. And another complication has now arisen from confusion about the EU's proposed Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA), which is designed to protect its industry from Chinese rivals with a series of benefits for EVs built within the bloc.

The IAA was attacked by the UK's SMMT for being "poorly drafted". Indeed, in its current form, it's hard to work out whether UK-made EVs will be excluded from two key incentives or all four. Maybe it will be cleared up as wrangling continues and maybe, like the post-Brexit EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, it will be negotiated in our favour, with EVs such as the Nissan Leaf being defined as "Union-assembled".

But it's the uncertainty that's the killer. Global car makers are continually assessing where to locate production, and right now, as from 2016-2020, they can't be sure if the UK will be a sensible place to do business.

Nissan is largely locked in and our luxury car makers have too much invested in their Britishness to go elsewhere, but this could gravely affect BMW's decision to finally bring an electric Mini to Oxford, as well as the future of Toyota's Burnaston plant.

This isn't the only question mark. As it was in 2023, the 'rules of origin' element of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement is due to hit a cliff edge at the end of the year, stipulating a much tougher local parts content (UK or EU) of 55% to remain tariff-free. That will probably be renegotiated so as not to punish those EU-built cars with batteries from abroad, but again we don't know.

It's not even controversial any more to say Brexit was bad for our car industry. Just look at the production figures, down from a high of 1.7 million in 2016, the year of the vote, to 764,715 last year.

There are benefits to being outside the EU. For example, we can be more flexible when it comes to the shift to EVs, even if it's not as flexible as some would like. And we have a better tariff deal on cars with the US. But our unmoored state leaves us more vulnerable to global shifts, and the rise of the Chinese car industry is one of the biggest shifts the industry has ever seen. If the EU does close its doors, we will be very exposed indeed.

Porsche 911 GT3 gets £200k convertible option

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 15:00:00 +0100

GT division boss Andreas Preuninger told Autocar that Porsche has “wanted to do this GT3 cabriolet since the 997”

Porsche has launched a drop-top version of the 911 GT3 for the first time – and the firm’s bosses claim it handles identically to the fixed-roofed version.

Called the 911 GT3 S/C, the new cabriolet is effectively the seventh iteration of the 911 Speedster, but instead of being a limited-run model like that line of cars, the £200,500 GT3 S/C will be a permanent fixture in the line-up alongside the GT3 coupé.

GT division boss Andreas Preuninger told Autocar that Porsche has “wanted to do this GT3 cabriolet since the 997” but it has never had the capacity. However, with GT3 RS production ending, “now is the time”.

The S/C uses the GT3 4.0-litre flat six tuned to deliver 503bhp. That is 15bhp down on the S/T due to new emissions hardware, but by retaining the 992.2-generation GT3’s RS-spec camshaft, it still spins to 9000rpm.

The GT3 S/C is sold exclusively with the GT3’s close-ratio manual gearbox, with Porsche positioning the car “for the guys and girls who just go out to drive”, said Preuninger. He added: “That’s why it’s manual only, because manual gearboxes matter for drivers.”

He said the electrically folding roof makes the S/C much easier to live with than the manual roof traditionally fitted to a Speedster. “It’s for those who want something that’s Speedster-ish but with an automatic top, which is why I like to call it the ‘Cabster’. It’s going to be more useful for British drivers when the weather changes fast!” said Preuninger.

At 1497kg, the GT3 S/C is just 28kg heavier than the GT3 coupé and 32kg heavier than 2019’s 991-gen Speedster, but much of that is because of the electric roof mechanism.

Weight has been saved via carbonfibre-reinforced plastic panels for the bonnet, front wings and doors, while carbon-ceramic brakes are fitted as standard and the 911’s rear seats have been removed.

Ultimately, the weight difference to the GT3 coupé is small enough that the S/C has identical spring and damper rates. It is also fitted with staggered 20in and 21in magnesium wheels, and rear-steer geometry.

The GT3 S/C dispatches 0-62mph in an identical 3.9sec to the GT3 coupé manual and top speed rises 1mph to 194mph, mainly because the S/C’s lack of rear wing makes it sleeker.

Preuninger told Autocar the set-up feels “identical to drive” to a GT3 coupé’s for anyone this side of a “professional racing driver”.

He said the use of a dual-mass flywheel clutch makes crawling in traffic much easier than in the S/T. With the optional (and bespoke to the S/C) bucket seats fitted, Preuninger reckons the S/C is the ultimate GT3 experience because it brings you closer to the emotion of the flat six.

Buyers wanting an even more exclusive GT3 S/C can opt for the Street Style pack, which “allows you to adapt the vehicle even more individually to your personal taste”, with leather woven seats featuring a tartan pattern, different wheel and brake colour combinations, and decals on the bodywork.

“We make these cars for people like us at Porsche GT,” said Preuninger. “When we dreamt up this car, I wanted to make the GT3 experience as raw and engaging as possible.”

Revealed: Rolls-Royce rethinks design with £7m electric special

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 13:00:00 +0100

Coachbuild Collection ushers in new era, with Nightingale to influence future Rolls-Royce models

The new Rolls-Royce Project Nightingale, a limited-run electric convertible, is the first in a new range of ultra-exclusive models from the Goodwood-based firm that, it says, will spark a change in how it designs cars forever.

The 100 examples of the new two-seater will be the first products of Rolls’ new Coachbuild Collection. Each of the 100 EVs will be priced from around £7 million but the final cost is likely to be significantly higher due to extensive customisation.

Rolls plans to launch a range of limited-run cars with bespoke designs and a high level of personalisation options under the Coachbuild Collection banner, with new arrivals every two to three years.

The Coachbuild Collection models will sit between the series-production one-offs, such as last year’s Phantom Goldfinger, and the ultra-exclusive full Coachbuild models, such as 2021’s three-off £20m Boat Tail.

All of the Project Nightingale models – not the car’s final name – are already accounted for, with owners chosen by the firm.

“We’re only talking to our best clients here,” said head of future products Phil Harnett. “We want to find proper homes for them, with the people who appreciate this and want to drive them. We are making sure every single one of those clients is the right person and they are people who are going to hold on to that car.”

Testing of the new model will begin this summer ahead of first deliveries in 2028. Although it is still a concept, Rolls claims Project Nightingale is 99% production ready.

The drop-top is a modern-day interpretation of the 17EX Torpedo, a streamlined touring coachwork test chassis of the 1928 Phantom I. Like that car, much of its length (at 5.76m the new car is as long as the flagship Phantom) is devoted to the long tail.

The design also points to a refreshed look for the brand under the direction of former BMW design boss Domagoj Dukec, who moved within the BMW Group to join Rolls in 2024. “It will shape everything that follows,” he said.

While the model is based on the same Art of Luxury platform as the rest of the brand’s range, Rolls says most of its parts are unique and insists that it shares little with the smaller Spectre, the company’s first electric car.

Coachbuild-lite

Harnett said the Coachbuild Collection was driven by customers who wanted a bespoke Rolls but “didn’t have the time” needed to become immersed in the full Coachbuild programme.

The project also gives Rolls’ designers the freedom to create experimental and “extravagant” elements and features that will later trickle down to shape the design of higher-volume models.

Crucially, it will be a significant revenue driver for the firm, which sold 5664 cars last year. The heavy personalisation means these models should offer higher margins.

“We’ve been wanting to do more,” said Harnett, “from the sales side to designers. They are always sketching something. When you go to our design offices, you’ll always see pictures of extravagant things which we want to do.

“Then, talking to our clients, some people want to do a Coachbuild but they don’t necessarily have all that time they need to invest – you’re talking to the clients all the time: come in again; come in again; come in again. They also [said] they wanted to be led by us: ‘Could you do it for me? I’m paying you. You do the work.’ They want us to deliver something.

“So it’s these discussions, and we’ve been looking to see when the time is right. And then it just organically came that we said: ‘We’re ready now to do it.’”

Harnett said the project works in a “revolutionary” fashion: instead of showing prospective owners the finished cars, Rolls brings them in at the sketch stage, so they are part of the process, but without needing the level of input required for a full ultra-exclusive Coachbuild car.

“We’re doing something a bit back to front,” he said. ”We are taking our clients on a journey with us.” They will even be invited to take part in the car’s global testing programme at certain points.

“Everything we have done with this is different and that is exciting,” said Harnett. “This is a new chapter for Rolls-Royce: we have rejuvenated coachbuilding so that it is relevant again. Now we are revolutionising it again.”

Key for the Coachbuild Collection is to create cars that won’t just sit in garages, which is why the first car is a convertible. Harnett said: “This is not a show car. This is a car to drive.”

The production version of Project Nightingale has been sold to clients in the US, Europe and Asia in both left- and right-hand-drive guises. The range of owners is “diverse”, said Harnett, who added that “they are the real, real Rolls-Royce enthusiasts”.

While 100 examples of the car will be made, Harnett said future Coachbuild Collection projects could have production runs of varying sizes, although the aim is to keep them exclusive.

Unique design

Project Nightingale’s name is derived from Le Rossignol – French for ‘the nightingale’ – which was the name of a house used by Rolls designers, situated near co-founder Henry Royce’s winter estate on the Côte d’Azur in southern France.

The project was led by Coachbuild designer Jacobo Dominguez Ojea, a BMW Group stalwart of more than two decades who has previously worked on the exteriors of cars including the current-generation BMW 3 Series and 8 Series Gran Coupé.

“We realised very early on in the project that this was a once-in-a-lifetime model for Rolls-Royce,” he said.

Talking about taking design inspiration from the 17EX Torpedo, especially its long boat tail, he said: “We found that fascinating. The proportions: it had a very small cabin and this long tail, but of course [for Project Nightingale] we wanted to do something clearly modern, very bold and pure in its shape.”

He added: “From a side view, you see the presence that it has. It’s unique. There’s nothing like it with these proportions. It’s the length of a Phantom that’s just for two people.”

Opting for a convertible also fitted the project’s aim of creating a car that is “not just to go from point A to point B, but the experience of driving this car is the destination in itself”, said Ojea. “This car is about the wind in your hair. It’s about the feeling of openness, to feel and hear what’s around you.”

The team considered offering it as a speedster without a roof but felt the addition of a cloth top makes it more usable. It also means it met the brief of being a car “that people want to drive and want to use”, according to Ojea.

He pointed to a number of new elements that are the most likely to be adopted by the firm’s future series-production cars, including its 24in alloys, a frameless ‘RR’ badge on the rear and flanks, near-metre-wide front grille and large rear transom diffuser.

Elements such as the 55mm-wide hand-built headlights integrated into the nose and the wild side-hinged bootlid are too labour-intensive to be used in a higher-volume car. But their looks could influence future designs, including the forthcoming electric SUV.

There are also new elements inside, including a centre armrest that is designed to resemble a horse saddle, and the familiar Starlight Headliner feature that, due to the car’s convertible brief, has been built into the doors and behind the seats. Ojea said it is “a bit like the stars have been blown around you”.

Technical details are not yet finalised, said Harnett, given the early stage of the development (“we’ve only briefly been in a wind tunnel”), but he confirmed it will use a bigger battery than the Spectre’s 107kWh lithium ion pack while offering “close to” the same 329-mile range.

Power details also remain undisclosed, but expect a dual-motor configuration with an output that is likely to match the Black Badge Spectre’s 650bhp.

Project Nightingale will be offered in nine exterior colours that are exclusive to the Coachbuild Collection, as well as seven different roof and 11 interior leather options.

Rolls CEO Chris Brownridge called Project Nightingale “our most ambitious work” and said it has brought “three things together that have never co-existed within our brand: the complete design freedom of coachbuilding; our powerful, near-silent all-electric powertrain; and a uniquely potent yet serene expression of open-top motoring”.

5 ways CUPRA gets its e-HYBRID PHEVs right

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 11:00:00 +0100

CUPRA’s impressively capable and varied e-HYBRID lineup shows how good plug-in hybrids can be.

Looking for a car with low running costs, but not quite ready to make the jump to all-electric? It’s a familiar conundrum for today’s drivers – whether looking at private ownership or a company car. But there is an answer to ponder: plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, or PHEVs.

CUPRA has been hard at work making a formidable plug-in hybrid lineup to appeal to that crowd. And with a sizable electric range, impressive refinement and punchy performance, the e-HYBRID lineup does a remarkable job of showing the best of what a plug-in hybrid can be.

What’s more, there’s a usefully varied model range to choose from, including the award-winning Formentor coupé SUV, the agile and practical Leon and its Estate counterpart, and the supremely spacious Terramar SUV.

So what makes CUPRA’s awesome foursome worthy of your attention? Here are 5 reasons why these CUPRA e-HYBRID models should be on your shortlist...

Learn more about the CUPRA e-HYBRID range

1 All-electric range

One of the best parts of plug-in hybrid vehicle ownership is the versatility they offer. If you spend a lot of time darting around town, the all-electric mode will certainly be of interest.

Each of CUPRA’s e-HYBRID cars has an official electric range of between 69 and 81 miles*, depending on the model. So if you have a 10-mile urban commute, you could potentially make that journey without using any petrol – saving you a few pennies along the way.

There are no problems when it comes to charging, either. In the CUPRA Terramar for example, you can get from 10% to 80% charge in as little as 26 minutes** using the 50kW charging option with a CCS connection – which is widely available at public charging stations. If you prefer to charge at home instead, then you could get a favourable EV tariff from your energy supplier for a lower-cost charging option.

2 Driving modes to suit your mood

But you won’t tootle around town all the time. There will be occasions where you’ll need to drive many motorway miles – or want to have a fun run through winding country roads.

For those moments of spirited driving – a real strength of the CUPRA range – the petrol engine and electric motor can work together to deliver a bit more low-end thrust for more instant performance when you poke the accelerator pedal.

Or for a long economy run, the electric motor can support the petrol engine, taking some of the strain off the combustion engine – meaning you aren’t using as much fuel, so you can go that little bit further on a tank.

3 Top-end refinement

Even if you’re having fun up front in the driving seat, your passengers can still have an enjoyable trip without a barrage of engine noise and an unsettled ride.

Road and wind noise are kept in check on all models, and the electrical assistance keeps the engine pleasingly hushed.

And, of course: when you’re in all-electric mode in any of the CUPRA’s e-HYBRID models, you’ll have no noise coming from the engine bay at all. Even when the petrol engine kicks in, it’s far from obtrusive – unless of course you wish to rev it out to the redline.

If you have a model with the adaptive suspension, you have a choice of Sport, Comfort or CUPRA mode to select. If you’re looking for on-road thrills, then selecting Sport mode in any of these e-HYBRID models will give you the fix you’re looking for. CUPRA mode makes the suspension a bit stiffer, so you can press on with enthusiasm on an energised drive.

When you need to pop it into Comfort mode, then the compliant ride will smooth out all but the very roughest roads – even on the larger optional wheels. Individual mode allows you to amend the ride setting to just how you want it to be. But, even if you have the standard suspension, you’ll find a good balance between body control and comfort on each e-HYBRID.

4 A stylish, luxury interior

Inside each e-HYBRID model, you’ll find all the eye-catching materials that deliver that sense of interior opulence that we’ve come to expect from CUPRA. All around the plush cabin you’ll find higher-quality plastics and more soft-touch materials than you may expect even in more prestige models, accentuated by ambient lights and bronze highlights. It’s an ambience that pairs nicely with the refined and effortless nature of the e-HYBRID powertrain.

The driver – whether in the Formentor, Terramar, Leon or Leon Estate – will enjoy a sporty seating position, with the dash and centre console wrapping itself around. There’s a 12.9-inch infotainment screen from which you can navigate through the intuitive system to adjust and amend what you wish, too.

5 A hybrid model for every need

CUPRA has four cars in its e-HYBRID lineup, meaning there should be a model to suit all tastes and needs.

The Formentor is a terrific choice if you want a sporty-looking SUV. The rakish coupé roofline offers a desirable outline for onlookers – but there’s still more than enough room in the back for all but the very tallest passengers. The ski-hatch in the rear seats will let you transport longer items, too, along with you and three other people.

The Terramar offers passengers all the room they could desire, as well as copious cupholders and cubbies. Along with the 40/20/40 split folding seatbacks, the rear bench can also be slid forwards and backwards to boost the 400-litre boot by 90 litres.

For those who love a sporty hatchback, then the Leon may be the one for you. Even though it’s the smallest of the four, it’s spacious enough to cope with the hectic demands of family life. There’s plenty of room for four adults to sit in for long journeys without getting uncomfortable, while the 270-litre boot will easily cope with anything from the daily school run to the occasional airport pick-up.

If you regularly have a bootful of bags, the Leon Estate will be a better fit. With 470 litres of space available, you can easily add a pushchair and a couple of school bags in the rear with room for your weekly food shopping, too. As with the hatchback, the 60/40 split-folding rear seats can be lowered for loading your latest furniture purchases.

So no matter whether you want a perfectly practical hatchback, or a sporty SUV, CUPRA has an e-HYBRID for you. With a mix of luxury interiors, peppy performance and laid-back refinement, your next car will be a great balance without compromise.

Learn more about the CUPRA e-HYBRID range

*These figures were obtained using a combination of battery power and fuel. The CUPRA Leon is a plug-in hybrid vehicle requiring mains electricity for charging. Figures shown are for comparability purposes; only compare fuel consumption, CO2 and equivalent all electric range figures with other vehicles 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 (post-registration), variation in weather, driving styles and vehicle load. Data correct at March 2026.

**Estimated charging times for the standard specification CUPRA Terramar. Test data obtained under standardised conditions for comparison purposes. Actual charging times will vary depending on various factors, including the selected trimline, the options you choose, the type of charger used, the level of charge in the battery, the age, type, condition and temperature of the charger and the battery, the power supply to and usage of the charger, ambient temperature at the point of use and other environmental factors. Charging time will be longer in cold weather. Charging times will also be affected by the charging curve (for example, once charging passes 80%, charging will slow to protect the battery's longevity) and will be longer if battery temperature activates safeguarding technology.

Forget the fifth wheel: How satellites changed road testing for good

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 09:00:00 +0100

Modern telemetry makes extracting the 0-60mph time a breeze - but the tech can still bite back

When he was a fresh-faced doctoral candidate, one of my university professors was involved in the early stages of civilian GPS application.

His work centred on how to utilise this remarkable tech outside the secretive military domain. I remember him telling us about when, one morning in the 1990s, he had woken up to carry out his usual checks and discovered they were all over the place. Overnight the Americans had shifted the constellation (at this time not yet at its full strength of 24 satellites sitting 13,800 miles above us) to focus on the Persian Gulf.

Normally the orbital configuration ensures only four or so satellites are visible at any time from any point on the earth's surface. But the US navy wanted to put Tomahawks through the windows of regime buildings in Baghdad, so it clustered everything over the region for maximum accuracy.

I find it amazing that, 30 years later, I can go to Horiba MIRA proving ground with a logger-monitor barely larger than a hot-crossed bun and a tiny antenna, and it can tell me with tremendous accuracy, in real -time and regardless of what might be happening elsewhere on the planet my speed, heading and -the length of timed runs to two decimal places. All this for a few hundred pounds sterling.

The VBox Touch kit we use to record telemetry relies on a basket of constellations. These include not only GPS but Glonass (the Russian equivalent) and Galileo (EU), and if necessary BeiDou (China). It's an embarrassment of riches if you only need to know how fast a Jaecoo 7 will fire itself from standstill to 100mph (21.82sec, for the record).

It's a recent privilege too. The Americans turned off the 'selective availability' that degraded civilian GPS accuracy in 2000, but Glonass only became reliable in 2011, Galileo in 2016 and BeiDou as late as 2020.

Go back far enough and the figures in Autocar will have been taken with the famous 'fifth wheel', made first for us by Boon and Porter. This required our garage to borrow the test car from the testers the day before it went to MIRA, in order to clamp a towing eye to the rear bumper (a task that became much more complicated with the advent of 5mph bumpers).

To this we'd mount a heavy-duty cycle wheel with a tough hydraulic damper intended to keep the tyre in contact with the road as consistently as possible. It was all rigged up to a speedometer in the cabin and was accurate to about 0.5mph, which was considered high in 1960. From there, hand-timing using a Heuer and a clipboard secured us precious data.

Life as a road tester is a damn sight easier now, though over the years there have been various frustrations. They have, however, mostly been to do with a faulty (and cheaply replaced) antenna unable to secure a reliable signal. Last year I was all set to get the numbers from the Lamborghini Temerario - with six or seven support staff from Italy standing by and a rapidly closing window of dry weather - when the VBox simply would not get a location fix.

I was beginning to sweat because I thought I was using a new antenna and the slightly problematic old one was in the kit bag. Fortunately it was the other way around, and the new one was still in the bag. Note to self: always bin kit that's no longer 100% reliable.

The only time I've ever lost data was during the road test for the Caterham Seven 420 Cup. That was the brutish one with the white cage, no windscreen and the sequential gearbox.

I was already having a bad day because I'd given myself a nasty burn on the exhaust for -the first time in years of driving Sevens, and made worse by the fact I was wearing shorts, itself a rare occurrence, and only because it was a 36deg C day. By the time I'd done the hot laps and standing starts at MIRA, I'd logged 220 miles and was, to put it bluntly, shagged.

And so was the data, when I popped the SD card out of the logger and into the laptop. I still don't know why it was scrambled - the mad violence of the Caterham's lapping? Whatever it was, having to do it all again, then drive back to London sunburnt, wounded and sore... Pretty brutal.

This sort of thing has always been unlikely, and is even more unlikely now, with the VBox Touch I've just started using. As mentioned, it actually displays the telemetry data - something the old logger didn't do. This feature is invaluable when it comes to squeezing out the best standing starts with trial and improvement, and giving you the peace of mind knowing data is writing properly to card. In this era of digital overload, it's one display I'd never lobby against.

BMW M5 Touring readied as 708bhp PHEV with 43-mile range

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 07:19:47 +0100

The M5's powertrain will be based on that used by the XM SUV

One of M's final pure-combustion cars due on sale with hardcore chassis tweaks and bespoke aero

BMW is just months away from launching the totally reinvented M5, which will add plug-in hybrid power for the first time and is tipped to be one of the German firm’s most powerful road cars yet.

Due on sale in the summer, the seventh iteration of the M5 will be one of the final combustion-engined cars from BMW’s M division.

The performance arm has not yet announced an end date on its ICE line-up, but it will put its badge on a pure-electric sports saloon based on the next-generation BMW 3 Series in 2026 and is anticipated to transition to an all-EV line-up in the coming years as its parent company fleshes out the new Neue Klasse line of electric-only models.

The new M5 is said to be 36mm longer and 70mm wider than today’s car, and it will be differentiated from the regular 5 Series by its markedly lower suspension, wider tyres (reportedly 285-section at the front and 295 at the rear) and aggressive styling.

The bodywork will incorporate downforce-boosting measures including a chunkier roof spoiler and beefy diffuser, while its arches will be swollen to accommodate its wider track. Large cross-drilled brake discs are likely to be housed behind bespoke performance alloy wheels.

Its powertrain will be based on that used by the XM SUV, the first bespoke M car since the 1978 M1 supercar, pairing the twin-turbo 4.4-litre ‘S68’ V8 with an electric motor housed in the eight-speed gearbox to give a maximum output far above that of even the hottest version of today’s super-saloon.

The top-rung Label Red version of the XM is the most powerful road-going M car yet, with 577bhp and 553lb ft supplied by the petrol motor alone, boosted by 194bhp and 207lb ft from the electric motor to give totals of 738bhp and 738lb ft – well clear of today’s track-focused M5 CS.

Even in standard tune the set-up produces 644bhp, which is enough of a hike over the petrol M5 to compensate in theory for the added mass of a plug-in hybrid powertrain.

Sources suggest the M5 will launch initially with a bespoke state of tune, with 708bhp at its disposal compared with 591bhp in today’s Competition-spec car. That’s a substantial increase, but with the caveat that it’s tipped to weigh around half a tonne more, at 2435kg.

The main reason for the increase in kerb weight is the addition of a battery that’s said to have 18.6kWh of usable capacity. That’s down on the XM’s 25.7kWh unit but large enough, BMW CEO Oliver Zipse has suggested, for an electric range in excess of 43 miles.

The G90-generation M5 will be the first since the V10-engined E60 to be available in Touring form, meaning there will be two full-fat M estates on sale for the first time. Like the long-roof version of the M3, the M5 Touring will pack as much power and the same chassis set-up as the saloon, but it will have the requisite carrying capacity to double as a spacious family hauler.

The M5 Touring is due in production at the end of this year. It is tipped to be one of the most powerful estates on sale, with substantially more punch than the Audi RS6 and the new Mercedes-AMG E53. Only the Porsche Taycan Turbo S Turismo has more power, and then only in Overboost mode.

Taking the lead from its E34 and E60 predecessors, the G99-generation M5 Touring is aiming to achieve a balance between “sporting performance on the racetrack and superior ride comfort in everyday driving and over long distances”. In pursuit of that duality, it is being tested extensively in “urban traffic areas, country roads and motorways around Munich” while its chassis set-up is honed at the Nordschleife.

BMW is electrifying the M5 just as Audi does the same to the RS4, which is being rebadged RS5 for its next generation. Its 2.9-litre V6 will be paired with an electric motor to lift its total output well above the 444bhp of today’s car, while a 14.4kWh battery will give an electric EV range of around 45 miles.

Mercedes-AMG has yet to give any details of a new E63, following the retirement of the previous V8-engined car, but the smaller C63 recently swapped its V8 engine for an electrified four-pot.

New Nissan X-Trail revealed with hybrid power and bold new look

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 07:01:50 +0100

Nissan's biggest SUV overhauled as firm revamps line-up with focus on key global markets

Nissan has revealed the new X-Trail SUV as part of a wide-reaching overview of the company's future strategy, design language and model line-up.

Revealed alongside the new electric Nissan Juke in an event at the company's Yokohama headquarters in Japan, the new X-Trail E-Power is due next year as a rival to the Skoda Kodiaq, Kia Sorento and Peugeot 5008.

Nissan has shown only the exterior of the car so far and offered no technical details, but the E-Power badging confirms it will feature a version of the company's full-hybrid powertrain.

This system differs from conventional parallel hybrid technology in that the petrol engine is used purely as a generator to charge a small battery, which then powers the electric motor driving the wheels.

The X-Trail is already offered in E-Power form but is expected to receive the significantly upgraded system that recently made its debut in the smaller Qashqai, for increased power, refinement and efficiency.

The new car is expected to be closely related under the skin to the current X-Trail, which was itself recently restyled and tweaked as part of a mid-life facelift.

With a targeted launch date of 2027 for the new X-Trail and the current X-Trail having come to the UK only four years ago, it's unclear when the new car will come here.

It's possible that it could go on sale in the US as the Rogue first, before coming to Europe later, as was the case previously.

While the new X-Trail is expected to retain the modular CMF-CD platform used by the current car, it has been extensively redesigned in line with Nissan's new design hallmarks.

It has a bold new front end, dominated by a distinctive trapezoidal grille and angular LED lighting signatures, while the sides are more heavily creased and the back end has been made more angular and chunky too.

It was revealed as Nissan outlined details of the final year of its 'Re:Nissan' recovery plan, designed to take the company back to growth following a turbulent few years of falling sales and financial woes.

Central to the strategy is a 'streamlined' global product portfolio of 45 models, down from 56 today, with a greater focus on the "clarity of role" for each product.

That means Nissan will axe low-performing models and channel investment into its most successful lines, as part of a push to deliver "a competitive cost base, improved capacity utilisation and strong new‑product momentum that lays the groundwork for future growth".

The new line-up will be split into four categories: Heartbeat models, which "embody Nissan's identity, emotional value and innovation; Core models that consistently sell in large numbers globally; Growth models for emerging segments and markets; and Partner models developed in collaboration with other companies to boost market coverage.

Nissan said the new X-Trail is a global Core model while the new Juke EV is a European Core model, reflecting their respective market remits.

Meanwhile, Nissan has previewed plans for a pair of new Heartbeat models: the new body-on-frame Xterra 4x4 for the US market and a new Skyline performance coupé for Japan, which will be the 14th instalment in a lineage that stretches back to 1957.

Nissan said that while it will trim the number of overall models available, it will offer a greater mix of powertrains to "enhance customer choice", including electric and E-Power powertrains, as well as a new hybrid system specifically for frame-based vehicles like the Xterra.

The company also said it will offer plug-in hybrid and range-extender (REx) powertrains, sourced from partner companies, although it hasn't said which yet.

Its Alliance partner Renault recently said it planned to launch REx technology on its new-generation EVs from around 2028.

Nissan will also switch from developing each model individually to a new 'architecture-led' development strategy with a focus on the platforms, powertrains and software platforms that will underpin entire model families.

"Nissan will concentrate development around three product families that will account for more than 80% of global volume, increase volume per model by more than 30% while accelerating development speed and technology rollout," it said.

Japan, the US and China will be Nissan's focus markets moving forward but Europe, India and Africa will continue to "play a role in expanding Nissan's reach and supporting overall growth".

Toyota RAV4

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 07:00:00 +0100

World’s best-selling car gets tougher look and new plug-in hybrid drivetrain with more power and electric range Toyota has gone a bit nuts lately, hasn't it? Here's a company that built its empire on providing rock-solid, utilitarian dependability to the toughest corners of the world, yet now it's simultaneously trying to rival Rolls-Royce with its Century brand, building sold-out sports cars under the Gazoo Racing banner, developing a V8 GT and reimagining the legendary Lexus LFA supercar as an EV. But it still needs bread-and-butter cars out there earning a crust. And the Toyota RAV4 is precisely that.

New British-built Nissan Juke unveiled as radically styled EV

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 02:15:00 +0100

Electric SUV will go on sale in spring 2027 alongside an updated version of current-generation hybrid

Nissan has unveiled the new Juke as its fourth EV, a car that it says will “help us reach new customers”, thanks to its radical new exterior design.

The quirky SUV is Nissan's second best-seller in Europe after the Qashqai, with more than 1.5 million examples sold since the original was launched in 2010.

The third-generation Juke, unveiled early this morning at the brand’s future-looking Vision Event in Japan, is based on Nissan’s CMF-EV platform and so powered exclusively by electricity.

It will share much of its underpinnings with the smaller Leaf EV, alongside which it will be built at Nissan’s Sunderland factory.

The Japanese firm’s answer to the Ford Puma Gen-E and Kia EV3 sports a “reimagining” of the Juke’s heavily sculptured and distinctive design, as previewed by 2024’s radical Hyper Punk concept. It also features its own light signature at the front and rear.

As its predecessors have done since 2010 with their “bold designs” that “challenge convention”, the new Juke will “help us reach new customers” within the EV market, said regional product boss Clíodhna Lyons.

However, in an effort to continue catering for as many customers as possible, the new Juke will be sold alongside an updated version of the current second-generation Juke hybrid.

Nissan originally planned to replace the Mk2 with the Mk3, but slower-than-expected EV sales growth made this move financially untenable.

However, Nissan Europe boss Massimiliano Messina was steadfast in confirming that the brand “remain firmly committed to a fully electric future", saying the decision to offer both powertrains brings “greater choice” to buyers while helping to “accelerate our transition to zero-emission mobility”.

Expected updates for the Mk2 Juke, which is also manufactured at Sunderland, are expected to concentrate on aligning its design with the Mk3. Its technology, now seven years old, is also due a refresh.

Details of what underpins the new Juke have yet to be confirmed, but it's expected to mirror the Leaf. That car offers either a 52kWh or 75kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt battery for up to 386 miles of range; power tops out at 215bhp; and, unlike in the larger Ariya EV, drive is sent exclusively to the front wheels.

Nissan Europe's R&D boss, David Moss, previously hinted that the new Juke could feature a bespoke chassis set-up that would help distinguish it from the technically identical Leaf and emphasise its more 'dynamic' character. This differentiation is particularly relevant given that the Leaf has morphed from a hatchback into a crossover that's very similar in size to the Juke.

Nissan isn’t worried about the pair stepping on each other’s toes, however. Its chief performance officer Guillaume Cartier told Autocar previously that their buyers "are a totally different profile, with nothing in common” because they occupy completely “different customer bubbles”. He said that the Juke is a “Marmite” car and one that “will not be compared to anything else”.

The new Juke was designed, engineered and developed in the UK, Spain and Germany, which Nissan said “underlines [its] long-term investment in Europe as both a production and innovation hub.”

Build trials at Sunderland will begin in the coming weeks, ahead of full production commencing in early 2027. Sales will then begin in the spring.

New-look Mercedes EQS brings 575-mile range and steer-by-wire

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 23:01:00 +0100

Electric limousine heavily updated with new styling, battery chemistry and radical steering technology

One of Europe's longest-range EVs, the Mercedes-Benz EQS, has had its legs stretched even further with the addition of a new version that can go nearly 600 miles between charges.

The flagship electric limo has been heavily updated for 2026, receiving a raft of visual and technical enhancements that will help its case against the BMW i7, Lucid Air and upcoming Jaguar Type 00.

Chief among the tweaks is the adoption of a battery chemistry that boosts energy content by 3%, taking the outright capacity from 118kWh to 122kWh with no impact on the size or weight of the unit.

The increase in capacity, as well as various tweaks to improve efficiency, mean the rear-driven EQS 450+ now has 13% more official range, at 575 miles - only a few less than the Air Grand Touring, which is currently Europe's longest-legged EV.

The dual-motor EQS has meanwhile had its range boosted to 544 miles.

While the EQS remains on the EVA2 platform (which it shares with the smaller EQE), it has made the significant switch from a 400V electrical architecture to an 800V one, which means the maximum charging speed is up from 200kW to a much more competitive 350kW - in line with the maximum speed of most UK public chargers.

It can still use 400V chargers, though, having the capacity to 'virtually divide' its battery into two parts and top up each half at 175kW.

The EQS's motors are meanwhile said to mark a "generational leap" from their predecessors, being more compact, more efficient and more robust, while the amount of energy they can recuperate under deceleration is up by a third, at 385kW.

Elsewhere, the EQS has been fitted with a new optional steer-by-wire system (as recently tested by Autocar), which replaces the mechanical steering column with a virtual linkage to save space and weight and swaps the steering wheel for a yoke, as the lock-to-lock range has been reduced from several turns to just 270deg.

The EQS also gets an upgraded version of the Airmatic air suspension system that's fitted to the new electric GLC and updated S-Class, which uses data from the cloud to prepare the dampers for potholes and speedbumps.

There's also a new automatic reversing function for use in tight environments where turning isn't possible; the headlights illuminate a 40% wider field while using 50% less energy; and the front end has been resculpted to optimise aerodynamic efficiency.

The seatbelts now heat up, too, warming to 44deg in cold weather to "ensure rapid comfort as well as the brand's signature 'welcome home' feeling".

Customer deliveries are due to get under way in the second half of the year. Prices are expected to rise slightly; they currently start at around £100,000.

Ford Mustang designer Kemal Curic named McLaren design boss

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 15:25:24 +0100

Ford Performance Vehicles design boss moves to Woking to shape British supercar maker's new era

McLaren has announced its new design boss: Kemal Curic, who formerly led design for Ford Performance Vehicles.

Curic joins the British supercar maker after previous chief design officer Tobias Sühlmann left for Porsche last year after a three-year stint.

Curic had been at Ford since 2004, working first as an interior designer and going on to play a significant role in the design of the Mk3 Focus, before leading the styling of the S550-generation Mustang.

More recently, the Bosnian-German has been based in the US, heading up design for Ford's luxury brand Lincoln.

Stationed in Woking as of this month, he will be responsible "for shaping the design vision and creative direction of the McLaren Automotive portfolio", the company said, with a remit that encompasses interior, exterior, CMF and digital design.

McLaren is gearing up for a ground-up renewal of its product portfolio – and an expansion into new segments outside of the traditional supercar sphere – following its merger with start-up Forseven last year. It's due to preview its first model created under Forseven this summer.

It isn't clear whether Curic will play a leading role in the shaping of these first new-era McLaren models or whether their styling was signed off under the previous design administration.

Curic said: "McLaren is one of the most respected and aspirational brands in the world. I’m excited to be part of their journey to help shape the design vision of a company so deeply rooted in engineering excellence and racing heritage.

"I look forward to working with the talented teams at McLaren to create the next generation of breathtaking, purpose‑driven cars."

Lepas L6: Jaecoo 7 sibling confirmed for UK launch as PHEV and EV

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 09:00:00 +0100

Second model from new Chery-owned Chinese brand will be positioned as a rival to the Hyundai Kona

The Lepas L6 will arrive in the UK at the back end of the year as a Hyundai Kona-rivalling crossover with hybrid and electric power.

Cousin to the hugely popular Jaecoo 7, the L6 will be Lepas's second UK model following the flagship L8, which will arrive this summer to rival the Mazda CX-5 and Toyota RAV4.

Lepas (whose name is a portmanteau of 'leopard', 'leap' and 'passion') is owned by Chinese giant Chery and has been created with a focus on the European market. It's a sibling brand to Omoda, Jaecoo and Chery.

The five-seat L6 will be offered with the choice of two powertrains, either plug-in hybrid or battery-electric.

The PHEV uses the same 204bhp powertrain as the Jaecoo 7, which became the UK’s best-selling car last month. This combines a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor and 18.3kWh battery.

Lepas claims the PHEV is good for 700 miles of combined range, but it hasn't yet detailed how much of that is on the battery alone. For reference, the 7 offers 56 miles of electric-only range.

The electric L6 draws power from a new 67kWh battery pack, which gives it a range of 270 miles. It can be rapid-charged from 30-80% in 20 minutes.

This technology is a step up from its Jaecoo E5 and Omoda E5 electric cousins, which use a smaller 61kWh battery, have 257 miles of range and take 28 minutes to charge the same amount.

Lepas hasn't yet revealed what motors the L6 will use, but expect output to be similar to the E5's 208bhp.

No details on the L6's interior have been confirmed, but the larger L8 gives clues of what to expect. That features a portrait-oriented 13.2in infotainment touchscreen, an array of physical buttons for control climate functions and a wireless phone charger.

Lepas UK MD Ray Wang said the L6 “marks an exciting step for our brand in Europe and the UK market”.

Pricing and full UK trim specifications will be revealed closer to the car’s arrival in the last quarter of the year.

Can Denza really establish itself as a luxury brand?

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 07:00:00 +0100

As Denza prepares to hunt Porsche customers, we ask: is glitz and glamour enough to join the old guard?

The BYD-owned Denza brand has thrust itself onto the European stage with a lavish launch event at the Palais Garnier in Paris.

This cinematic, blockbuster-scale soirée marked its official entry into the European market - and it was by far and away the most opulent launch event I've ever attended.

The Palais Garnier is, of course, the Parisian opera house. Completed in 1875, it's a bona fide cultural institution and the legendary inspiration for Gaston Leroux’s 1910 novel The Phantom of the Opera.

The guest list was suitably stellar: motorsport royalty like Felipe Massa and Jean Todt rubbed shoulders with a glittering array of modern celebrities. Naturally, the requisite army of influencers did their bit, dutifully supplying the correct hashtags and parroting Denza's tagline, 'Technology Drives Elegance'. Global CEOs and politicians were reportedly in attendance too, keeping a decidedly low profile.

On arrival, I was met by a scrum of the young and glamorous queuing for half an hour just to snap a picture alongside the Z9 GT shooting brake, its modern lines contrasting sharply against the ornate Second Empire architecture. It was undeniably buzzy. It looked fantastic on Instagram.

But will any of this actually equate to sales? I understand the strategy: soft power is a potent weapon, one that nations and corporations alike have wielded for decades. BYD’s sponsorship of the Euro 2024 football tournament made perfect sense, capturing a cumulative audience north of five billion.

Yet I wonder if this Parisian spectacle possesses the same mainstream traction. Denza is not merely a new brand but also one deliberately swimming against the tide. It's transparently pitching itself as a Porsche rival, demanding Porsche money.

The Z9 GT EV will command around £100,000 when it lands in the UK. Granted, it boasts more than 1100bhp, a level of performance that would require parting with £160,000 in Stuttgart. But a standard Porsche Taycan can still be had for roughly £90,000, and Porsche buyers will require serious convincing to abandon heritage for an upstart.

So where else are buyers coming from? Polestar customers might embrace the disruptor narrative, but they are reassured by the underlying Volvo pedigree. Jaguar enthusiasts, perhaps? If online comment sections are any metric, Jaguar is currently struggling to attract Jaguar buyers.

Does the grand illusion work? Do buyers in the £100,000-car bracket actually attend the opera? While the Palais Garnier projects an aura of 'old money' to the uninitiated, it isn’t exactly where true wealth spends its weekends. A cursory Google search reveals the reality: it's a tourist attraction that occasionally stages an opera. You can rent a room there on Airbnb. You will find more about it on GetYourGuide than in Art Review.

Denza is undoubtedly a bold new brand attempting something different. However, the Z9 ultimately lacks the elusive 'wow' factor that's required to sever buyers' allegiances to established European marques. And I remain unconvinced that hosting a glitzy gala dinner at a heavily trafficked opera house will be enough to lure them into the showrooms.

New Denza Z9 GT EV: £100k, 1140bhp Porsche Taycan rival tested

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 07:00:00 +0100

Crab-walking, 0-62 in 2.7 secs and nine-minute charging: can it justify that £100,000 price tag?

This Denza is not quite like any Chinese car that has gone before it. You can - and I would - argue that other Chinese cars aim to beat the competition by offering more: more power, more tech, and more space, all for less money.

However, Denza is offering more for, well, more. Prices are yet to be confirmed, but this EV will cost around £100,000 at least. In France, it will be similar. In Australia - £55,000 to £60,000, and in China, about £45,000.

The EV (a PHEV will follow) uses a 309bhp motor on the front axle and twin 416bhp motors on the rear, producing a combined output of 1140bhp. Those independent rear wheels give it a few party tricks, including "crab walking" and turning the rear wheels in tandem to parallel park for you - simply drive nose-first, and the rear follows you in.

The rear wheel steering is ace in a tight spot - but it makes the steering quite heavy and grainy when you engage it at low speeds - like you need to push past some kind of mechanical barrier.

It has a 372-mile range, which is so-so. But Denza is hoping its new charging network will make up for that - and it become its Tesla Supercharger eureka moment. Dare I say, it really needs one, because the car is just good. It is better than fine, but not great.

It will be able to accept power at a rapid 1500kW, allowing it to charge from 10 to 97 per cent (stopping short of 100 per cent to extend the life of the battery) in just nine minutes. I watched it do this in a demonstration, and it is mesmerising. I drive a lot of EVs, and I very rarely need to charge from 10 to 90%. If I am rapid-charging, I am more likely to charge from 10 to 30% - just enough to get me home, where I will plug in because it is much cheaper. With this car, that will take a mere couple of minutes.

There is Lidar on the roof, too, futureproofing the car for autonomous driving. Denza is banking on governments changing legislation to allow for higher levels of autonomy; when they do, unlocking it should merely be a case of a software update.

But I’ll get back on terra firma and tell you about the actual car. It has a curious, estate-like shape. It’s not unhandsome and comes in some lovely, bright colours. The front is slightly generic, but there are some ornate creases along the sides and a lovely, shooting brake-like rear with large tail-lights that evoke 1960s Americana. It’s not anonymous, but it doesn't stop you in your tracks either.

Inside, the quality is largely good. Stella Li, the executive vice-president, made numerous references to not wanting leather in her new Denza showrooms, which should arrive in the UK around July. Yet, this Z9 is full of cowhide. There is even a fetching, purplish colour option that I imagine very few will buy.

Space for passengers in the rear is top-notch. There are only four seats, but all four get heating, cooling, and massage functions, and the rear two can also recline. The boot is actually on the small and narrow side, but there is a bit of underfloor storage and a "frunk" too.

To drive, it is bloody quick. Pull the paddle behind the steering wheel to activate boost mode, and you can believe that sub-3.0-second 0-62mph time. The pace tails off beyond that, however. While from a standstill it is galvanic, its accelerative ability feels more subdued at every other speed. I think this is because of its weight.

Internet commenters, get your typing finger ready: it weighs 2.9 tonnes. Being this heavy has a profound effect on everything. When it accelerates hard, the nose lifts significantly. The suspension - more on that later - has an awful lot to do; sometimes it does a great job, and at other times, not so great. Then there are the brakes. With three tonnes and 1100bhp, you need good ones, and the carbon ceramics are strong. But the pedal has just too much travel before you hit the full anchors. Even after more than an hour of driving, it was still pretty hard to modulate.

Denza reckons it will crack 3.0 miles per kWh, and on my testing, it pretty much did just that. It’s not bad for a car of this size and power, but the Germans are getting much better results, admittedly with less power.

The dual-chamber air suspension has a few different settings, though its firmest is still pretty bloody soft. It could do with a touch more damping for UK tastes. It has a habit of burying itself deeply into undulations and emerging on the other side quite slowly. At motorway speeds on roads in good condition, it is really pretty comfortable; you could do serious mileage comfortably. But at lower speeds, there’s the jittery pitter-patter of a car that has a lot going on underneath it.

It’s a bit of a feeler, this car. It has 1100bhp - but does it feel that quick? It has the empirical hallmarks of luxury, but does it feel premium? It costs £100,000, but does it feel like a £100,000 car? I don’t think so.

There are oddities that prevent it feeling like a Porsche rival. The doors are electrically operated and the aperture it opens up is sometimes inconsistent, there are very unassured bits if you look (like the vanity mirror cover held up via magnet) and the touchscreen, while useful, has pretty standard fonts from an Android operating system, a few erroneous capital letters and there’s even a file manager - a bit like when the McDonald’s ordering screens aren’t working and it defaults to its operating system.

It's £50,000 elsewhere in the world. And apart from the crazy power, it feels like a £50,000 car.

Denza Z9 GT EV

Price £100,000 (est)Engine Three permanent magnet synchronous motors Power 1140bhp Torque 892lb ft Gearbox 1-spd reduction gear, 4WD Kerb weight 2895kg 0-62mph 2.7sec Top speed 168mph Battery 122kWh usable Range, economy 372 miles, 3.0mpkWh CO2, tax band Og/km, na Rivals Porsche Taycan, Polestar 5

New Bentley Bentayga due 2028 as high-performance PHEV

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 06:00:00 +0100

Firm has delayed its full EV plans in favour of plug-in hybrids – but will still offer some pure-ICE special editions

The next Bentayga SUV will arrive in 2028 as the flag-bearer for a new wave of Bentley plug-in hybrids following a major rethink of its EV strategy.

The Crewe manufacturer has scrapped plans to launch five new EVs by 2030, including an electric successor to the Bentayga. Instead, Bentley will invest in a new generation of PHEV-powered models.

The dramatic revamp to Bentley's product strategy is a result of the decision by sibling brand Porsche to delay a new electric platform it was developing in response to the slowing uptake of premium EVs.

Bentley boss Frank-Steffen Walliser believes PHEV technology will be the best bridge for the firm in the run-up to 2035 when under current legislation all new cars sold in the UK and 90% in the European Union will need to be fully electric.

However, the decision doesn't affect the brand's debut electric model - dubbed Luxury Urban EV - which will be unveiled in the second half of the year. Following that, said Walliser, the next Bentley EV won't arrive until after 2030.

The current Bentayga is the brand's best-seller and made up around half of all Bentley's sales last year. It has been on sale since 2015 and received a major facelift in 2020.

The new Bentayga, like its siblings, was initially slated to arrive as an EV on Porsche's advanced Sport ('61') version of parent Volkswagen Group's SSP platform. However, Porsche last year delayed the architecture until the next decade at a cost of €1.8 billion (£1.6bn), causing Bentley to substantially rewrite its product plan.

As a result, the second generation of the Bentayga will switch to the PPC platform used by the new combustion-powered Porsche Cayenne and forthcoming Audi Q9.

Walliser said the delay in the transition to electric means "we don't have to force people to change from a combustion engine or plug-in hybrid car to an electric car" when the buyer demand is not there yet.

He added that Bentley has "a very loyal fan base that stays in the Bentayga and this is very, very good for our business". His comments highlight the commercial benefits for Bentley in deciding to continue with ICE for its next-generation SUV.

The PPC architecture has been engineered to accommodate a range of six- and eight-cylinder petrol engines, as well as a next-generation plug-in hybrid system. The latter uses new-era batteries and electronics systems to deliver a greater EV range than the 30 miles offered by today's Bentayga PHEV.

As a result, the next generation of the luxury SUV will be launched primarily with a PHEV system centred on a 3.0-litre V6 and offer a similar output to today's 456bhp.

Alongside the incoming plug-in hybrid models, Walliser confirmed that Bentley will continue to offer pure-ICE power. But this powertrain option will be kept to "selective" models and depend on "markets. and legislation", he said, noting the differences in emission laws, particularly in the key US market.

As well as enabling Bentley to offer pure-petrol cars in markets such as the US, it is also possible that limited-run special models in the UK could go without electric assistance.

Further details of the new Bentayga are still unconfirmed, but the design will be led by the EXP 15 concept, revealed last year, and be closely linked to the smaller 'Urban SUV', which will slot in underneath the Bentayga as a rival to the Porsche Cayenne Electric and Lotus Eletre.

The new Bentayga's architecture can accommodate a host of new technologies, including advanced air suspension with active ride control and the latest driver assistance functions. It is also highly scalable, which will allow the Extended Wheelbase version of the luxury SUV - the most popular among buyers to continue.

Following the Bentayga, Walliser said the rest of the existing range – Continental GT, GTC and Flying Spur – will gain the next-generation PHEV tech. But to do this, they will need to move from their current MSB underpinnings to the new PPC architecture. Given that new generations of all three arrived in 2024, this is likely to happen close to the end of the decade.

Bentley's debut EV will be shown for the first time in the final quarter of this year before first deliveries begin in early 2027. it will use the same PPE platform as the new electric Cayenne, which suggests it will be offered exclusively with dual-motor, four-wheel-drive powertrains putting out as much as 1140bhp.

In the Cayenne, a 113kWh battery helps it to achieve a range of up to 398 miles.

Walliser described it as "a different proposition" from what "other competitors are doing". He added: "I strongly believe we have a very Interesting offer."

Although it is a similar size to the Bentayga, Walliser said Bentley will not position it as an electric equivalent. Instead, the brand is "targeting and looking for new customers", which in turn will allow the Bentayga to keep its own position in the line-up.

Level-three autonomy falters but China fear pushes car makers on

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 05:00:00 +0100

Key backers BMW and Mercedes pull support for next level of self-driving tech, citing low uptake and use limitations

Level-three autonomy is on the ropes again – just as it looked like the dream of your car taking over the boring bits of driving was becoming a reality.

The two car makers that had finally put a 'hands-off, eyes-off' solution on the road, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, have both pulled support for the technology, returning it to limbo.

“We realised that the demand for this was not currently a stage where we could be profitable, and we have to be profitable,” BMW R&D chief Joachim Post said on the company’s annual results call in March.

Mercedes meanwhile won’t include its level-three tech on the updated S-Class.

Neither systems were comprehensive. A range of conditions had to be met, including the right type of road, the right weather, the right light levels, the right type of traffic and even the right country.

“The technology was very expensive and it had many limitations,” Pedro Pacheco, analyst at consultantcy Gartner, told Autocar. “On paper level-three autonomous driving sounds fantastic, but then you try it and it’s a disappointment.”

So that’s it, then? No catching flies on the M25? Well, not quite, because the car makers aren’t giving up. It’s not consumer push that’s driving them but fear.

“To be honest, today there is no demand from customers for level-three autonomous driving,” Philippe Brunet, R&D chief at the Renault Group, told journalists in March. “We have no one coming into the dealers saying: 'You know what? I'm only going to buy this car only if you offer me level three.'”

The fear is emanating from China. Brunet recalled a recent test of the latest consumer-level autonomous system there: “It was very tough driving conditions, a lot of pedestrians, bicycles, people everywhere. But in the 45 minutes it was perfectly okay – no interventions." He didn’t name the manufacturer but said this was in Hangzhou, home town of Renault partner Geely.

China doesn’t yet permit level-three autonomy, but what Brunet experienced, and where Chinese manufacturers are becoming increasingly strong, is so-called level two-plus-plus. That means car essentially drives itself everywhere, including cities, while the driver maintains vigilance to take over at any time.

“In China, if you don’t offer such features, you cannot sell a car,” Brunet said.

As Nio, Xpeng, Leapmotor, BYD and other Chinese car makers are going hell for leather to meet that demand, the systems keep getting better and better – and European car makers realise it’s only matter of time before Chinese cars with these abilities come here.

“They will bring it to Europe, and I believe that on the C-segment they will offer it for free,” Brunet said. “And when they will offer it for free, they will create the demand. This is what I'm afraid of.”

That's why Renault is working on level-three technology without any push from the consumer, with 2028 as a target introduction date.

Canvassing car buyers isn’t much good anyway, believes Pacheco: “You can't ask consumers about what they haven’t tried."

The failure of Mercedes and BMW to create demand for a premium product that could be expected to trickle down hasn’t daunted them. Instead they're doubling their efforts to provide the same level-two-plus-plus technology that Tesla offers with its Full Self Driving (FSD) Supervised system and the Chinese are busy perfecting.

“They're very attractive systems for customers. They’re in high demand,” BMW’s Post said.

Pacheco agrees: “Level two-plus-plus is where the big party is. This is where Tesla is, this is where the Chinese are."

Right now, the most advanced European systems are what’s described as level two-plus, meaning hands-on, eyes-off up to the speed limit but only on motorways.

Ford’s BlueCruise tech is a good example. The company recent expanded its offering to special editions of the Puma and Kuga, which get the system as standard rather the normal £17.99 monthly subscription.

Despite a lot of noise, getting any hands-off system approved in Europe is difficult. That’s changing after the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) endorsed a new set of standards for driver control assistance systems (DCAS), including allowing overtaking on dual carriageways without explicit driver confirmation.

That has given the Chinese hope that it can bring its systems over to Europe. Xpeng CEO He Xiaopeng recently told investors that, following the DCAS regulation change, his company would bring its second-generation Visual Language Action (VLA) system over here by the end of the year.

The thorny issue of regulation remains, however. Tesla has been wrangling with Dutch authorities to give approval to its FSD Supervised system, from which it then hopes to quickly gain approval Europe-wide. Late in March, it said that it hoped 18 months of “intense” submissions would result in approval in April.

Tesla’s problem is that FSD is an end-to-end or ‘foundation’ AI machine-learning model, rather than a traditional rules-based system, so it makes decisions on the fly based on its learning.

“It means for every type of situation in existence in the regulation, they had to ask for an exemption and then prove that the system can perform well in that situation,” Pacheco explained.

Chinese makers like Xpeng also prefer end-to-end systems, but they have a different problem in that EU data protection law forbids training data from cars going back to China.

China enforces similar rules, so the high-tech driver assistance specialists have become very siloed. For example, BMW partners with Qualcomm in Europe but Momenta in China on its level-two-plus-plus system.

SAIC-owned MG acknowledges that it’s going to be harder to bring the sophisticated system that it offers in China to Europe.

“We are a little bit further behind on that in Europe,” European boss William Wang told Autocar. “If we work hard, we can catch up. We just needed to be more clever, take a long-term view and work hard.”

Chinese autonomy-focused software companies are setting up shop in Europe, including the favourite of the 'legacy' manufacturers, Momenta. Now they need to hoover up enough training data (essentially making computers watch driving videos) to train their software all over again for European driving.

Tesla is acknowledged to be the leader just in terms of data gathered, but questions still remain over the safety of the level-two-plus-plus systems.

BYD is under fire from owners in China that its God’s Eye system (now offered for free on all its cars there) suffers glitches, including missing highway exits and failing to stop for tollbooths, according to Bloomberg reporting.

In Europe, the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) flagged up “deep concerns” over changes to regulations by UNECE to allow level-two-plus-plus systems.

“These rules create a grey zone where the lines between assistance and automation are dangerously blurred,” Frank Mütze, automation specialist at the ETSC, said in a statement. “Asking a driver to monitor a complex machine for prolonged periods of time and then intervene in a split second when the system fails is a recipe for disaster.”

But European manufacturers are desperate not to be left behind in a race China has trained for years to win. AI learning has accelerated development in a way that couldn’t have been predicted five years ago.

“When AI technology comes, the world will change. In 10 years, half the cars in the street will be autonomous,” Wang predicted.

Level two-plus-plus is the gateway to level three, and when drivers are offered the ability to switch off while driving, car makers would be foolish to bet they will say no.

As ever with autonomous vehicles, the timelines are uncertain. But all it takes is a nod from the regulators and the flip of a switch. Car makers need to be ready.

The Metro 6R4 isn't the best Group B monster, but it is the coolest

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 16:00:00 +0100

Just like your nan used to drive, except cooler, noisier and more terrifying

I have never hung art in my bedroom. I can never find anything that looks right: too cliché, too kitsch or too highbrow.

I have, however, always displayed a poster of a Metro 6R4, mid-slide. That, for me, is worth 100 Warhol soup cans or Mona Lisa parodies - even if my university housemates didn't have quite the same vision. The appeal of the 6R4 lies partly in the brilliance of its development brief.

For the sake of appeasing British Leyland's marketing bods, the company's Group B racer simply had to be based on a Metro. That brought virtues - a short wheelbase, boosting agility - but also barely any room for cramming in a title-worthy drivetrain. In retrospect, the sensible answer would have been to fit a huge turbo to a downsized engine, graft in a four-wheel-drive transfer case and call it a day.

Turbos were all the rage: Audi, Lancia, Renault and Mitsubishi were all at it, with the newfangled tech promising huge power. Austin Rover Motorsport could have followed easily.

But no. The engineers instead stuck two naturally aspirated fingers up at the new school and set to work on an all-new free-breathing V6, enlisting ex-Cosworth maestro David Wood. The thinking was that you could have sold a showroom full of Metros in the time it took a small engine to build turbo boost - then the engine would have grenaded.

Plus, all the ancillaries required to manage the extra heat and thirst for fuel would have added significant weight, upsetting the Metro's balance. The end result was indisputably a success: a masterpiece in aluminium revving to 9000rpm. It could produce 400bhp, but that's not really the point, because it's the sound that is punched indelibly into my consciousness.

As propaganda tools go, little is more effective than the sight and sound of a gargling, mid-mounted, highly strung six-pot echoing through a forest. The shriek of the Metro as it approached pummelled spectators from head to toe. It's Megadeth on four wheels.

Were the 6R4 anything but a Metro, we might never have been gifted that sound. A larger, heavier Rover or Austin might have meant turbocharging would have been an acceptable compromise, and the resulting soundtrack may have fallen flat.

Nor, for that matter, would it have been so utterly outrageous to look at. Those comically extended arches were functional, but they gave the 6R4 plenty of billboard space to facilitate colourful liveries, and its popularity with privateers elicited a smorgasbord of memorable designs. The works Computervision livery, Jimmy McRae's Rothmans scheme and the lurid P&O Ferries rallycrosser all come to mind.

But most of all I think it's the 6R4's cruel luck that gets me. While MG toiled away at making everything work, the rest of the field had properly figured out forced induction. By the time of the Metro 6R4's launch in 1985, its boosted competitors were rumoured to be nudging 600bhp. No matter how much more drivable or dependable the 6R4 might have been, its tardiness doomed it to sit on rallying's fringes. What could have been, if only it had arrived a year or two sooner?

That the 6R4 is still so fondly remembered by so many is testament to its single-minded genius. I fear that if I ever drove one I'd lose the will to live, knowing I'd never be able to buy it. Yet it remains right at the top of my bucket list. For now, watching old videos of Kris Meeke and Colin McRae chucking theirs around the streets of Donegal in a demo event will have to suffice.

'Track' day: We go green-laning in a Dacia Duster

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 11:00:00 +0100

Forget blasting down B-roads in a sports car - try some low speed green laning instead

It's a sunny weekend and I’m awake early, coffee in hand and up for an adventure. But while my normal go-to might be to jump in the sports car and blitz down some B-roads, I’ve got another idea in mind: let’s off-road.

I'm behind the wheel of a Dacia Duster. It has a five-speed manual gearbox, a 128bhp mild-hybrid powertrain and, most importantly for my Sunday jaunt, four-wheel drive.

Autocar photographer and former fellow south coast-dweller Jack Harrison pointed me in the direction of Corfe Castle in Dorset, which is where we now find ourselves.

Just half an hour from Poole, the landscape here is awash with green rolling hills as far as the eye can see. Heading down a narrow B-road, I turn onto a short gravel track, at the end of which I’m met with a large metal gate adorned with a sign that says I must shut it or the cows will escape.

It feels odd to be here with a car, but despite the odd walker staring quizzically at me, this is a perfectly legal byway I can carefully drive along.

There’s even a sign clearly saying: ‘Green Lane Association, byway open to all traffic.’ So I open the gate, drive through and close it behind me. We’re in.

Ahead lies our first test: a slight hill strewn with small craters and a herd of cows. I twist the mode selector to Lock (to lock the central differential into 4x4 mode) and off we go. And you know what? This is a lot easier than I was expecting.

Okay, it’s hardly the Moab desert, but the amount of grip I’m finding with the Duster is impressive. Its light steering, which I’m already a fan of on the road, allows for much-needed quick corrections – especially when I go into a pothole that I didn’t know was there and which throws me in the direction of what looks like the chief cow.

At least the brakes are also working well. It then dawns on me that the Duster has parking cameras that work up to 12mph, and I could have used those for pothole spotting.

Next up: some grass. I know, perilous. But it’s steep, and I can really see myself getting stuck halfway up. But once again I’ve underestimated the Duster. I know this isn’t the hardest piece of off-roading to tackle, yet the ease with which the Duster seems to dispatch Dorset’s grassy inclines is quite exceptional.

I breeze up and pull over at the top, feeling very kingly as I survey Corfe Castle below. As I get back in the car, I receive a funny ‘you shouldn’t be up here’ look from a couple of walkers, but given the heat of the day, perhaps it’s more a look of jealousy as I enjoy the Duster’s air-con-cooled cabin.

Hill descent mode on – just in case – and I reach the bottom of the slope and turn right. Ahead is a trail that is no wider than the Duster and a badly damaged track full of deep crevasse-like cavities.

Luckily, with a breakover angle of 24deg (that’s more than even a Jeep Wrangler has), I avoid scuffing the underside and push on through the next gate as branches begin chattering against the wing mirrors.

The Duster rides through the potholes, though, and while the gravel underwheel is compromising grip, there is still some to be found. Another gate leads to a steep gravel track, strewn with cows and with, concerningly, a rather perilous drop on one side.

While building the courage to continue a problem emerges: there’s no room to get out of the car to open said gate. As if by magic, a cyclist appears, and she very kindly opens the gate.

I thank her but when I go to pull gently away there’s only wheelspin. That’s embarrassing. Try again: wheelspin accompanied by the smell of burning clutch. Then I notice the Duster has defaulted back to its normal driving mode and unlocked the central diff after I switched it off momentarily before the cyclist showed up.

I’m a dummy. I reset it to Lock and, as if by some more magic, I’m able to chug up the hill, eyes fixed ahead and very much not on the cliff edge to the left. I reach the top and, again, stop to admire another beautiful view.

This really is a great way to spend a sunny weekend. On my way back down I’m feeling really quite triumphant, but then my ego takes a punch to the throat as a ratty 2010-plate Volkswagen Touareg comes bounding up the trail I had ascended so carefully.

I move over so it can pass and the excited pair inside give me a wave as they crash their way up. That was definitely a wave goodbye rather than a wave hello…

After passing my herd of bovine best mates from earlier, I reach the entrance gate and get out to inspect the Duster: no scratches, no marks, no dents. Brilliant.

To think I’ve just spent my afternoon tackling an array of routes – some challenging, some steep – on a beautiful day with gorgeous views, and all while spending less than £15 in fuel (which includes getting here from home and back) in my daily driver that costs as little as £26,000 is, quite frankly, ridiculous.

While those more moneyed than I can afford to drive their Porsche 911s to their local circuit for a track day, rag it around and then drive home, this is my budget version – and I don’t need a new set of tyres afterwards. Next time I’ll just remember to take a picnic.

The 'grandmaster of kit cars' is back after 37 years

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 07:00:00 +0100

Famed maker of kit cars, many of them amphibious, Dutton is going back to its roots after a hiatus

Even if you're not clued up on the world of kit cars, the name Dutton may strike a chord of recognition.

In the 1970s and 1980s, the firm was the world's largest manufacturer of kit cars by volume, leading founder Tim Dutton to be described as the 'grandmaster of kit cars'.

Now Dutton has just unveiled his first new kit car in 37 years: the Phaeton 5. As the name suggests, there were four previous incarnations of the model until Tim became tired of the kit car scene at the end of the '80s after selling more than 8000 kits - an average of 363 per year from 1967 to 1989.

Why go to the trouble of developing a new kit car all these years later? "Why not? I can't retire. What on earth would I do?" says Dutton. His wit, as well as his energy levels, are just as they were when he started out building kit cars in a shed behind his mum's pub in Sussex 59 years ago.

Dutton took a short sabbatical after he packed up first time around, then decided that he would like to buy an amphibious car - as you do. Not satisfied with what was available, he decided to build his own, and to sell it in kit or turnkey form. Starting in 1995, there came a succession of Dutton amphibians: the Mariner, Commander, Amphijeep, Reef and Surf.

In this second chapter of his remarkable career, he sold a grand total of 282 such vehicles.

There was always something quite spectacular about driving out of the River Arun, up the jetty and parking outside Dutton's favourite waterside tea room in Littlehampton. He spent 28 years building these amphibians until selling the project to his agent in Poland in 2023.

Dutton then spent a short period buying and restoring some of his old machines (both road and river-flavoured) until he and his right-hand man of 15 years, Jack Gorski, decided that was too boring and they should start building new cars again.

The fruit of their labour is the Phaeton 5. Looking striking in vivid green (or, to give it the correct name, Lamborghini Verde Scandal; it's actually gel coat rather than paint), the Mk5 is larger than its Mk4 brother. Although with a 37-year age gap, it's more like a grandfather, because Dutton has recognised that people have grown larger over the years. What was snug back then is decidedly overly tight for many of us these days.

The Phaeton 5 is based on the Mk3 Mazda MX-5. Hiroshima's roadsters have become very popular donors for the kit car industry in recent years, and this iteration, produced from 2005 until 2015, is now the most common pick. You can use any soft-top Mk3 variant: for Dutton's new demonstrator, he found a suitable facelifted 2.0-litre Tech Sport model at a salvage auction.

In the case of the Phaeton 5, other than hardware (like the bodyshell, doors, bootlid, bonnet, windscreen etc) that Dutton supplies in his kit package, everything is from the donor car. This includes the seats (heated leather in this case), switchgear, wheels, tyres, you name it.

A bonus is that you can sell the Mazda parts you don't need; Dutton is adamant that you can recoup around £1000 doing so.

Out on the road, the 160bhp 2.0-litre atmo four feels lively, and the fact it comes with the six-speed manual gearbox is another bonus. The Phaeton 5 weighs almost half as much as the MX-5 donor so there's an instant performance boost. And thanks to the larger cockpit dimensions of the new model, it's easy to find a comfortable driving position, with plenty of adjustment, fore and aft.

If you wish, you can use the basic 1.8-litre version of the Mk3 MX-5, but my advice is to go for the 2.0-litre: you get 35 extra horsepower, an extra gear ratio, a limited-slip differential plus all the other niceties that the Sport model came with as standard.

When it comes to cost, the comprehensive kit comes in at £9990 (including VAT). Dutton reckons it's easy to find a suitable 2.0-litre Sport donor for around £800. Once you factor in the rebate from selling the unwanted bits and bobs, your Phaeton 5 can be on the road for less than ten grand, which is great value.

There are only three possible extras: a soft top, side screens/doors and a non-standard RAL gel-coat colour. Even going for all three of those only adds about £1200. He will even build you one from around £14,300 (including VAT).

Volumes may be much smaller than they once were, but building and driving your own Dutton kit car should be as enjoyable as it ever was.

Written by Steve Hole