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Yangwang vs Rolls-Royce: size and tech can't beat legacy

Mon, 9 Nov 2026 15:03:50 +0000

Big value has worked for China's mainstream brands but BYD's luxury arm faces an uphill battle

With the unveiling of the new Yangwang Altior comes a real test for one of China’s fastest-growing and most prolific global car makers: can BYD’s new luxury brand truly capture the attention of the world’s most well-heeled car buyers and lure them away from the Rolls-Royce showroom?

Much of BYD’s growth outside China so far – and indeed that of many other Chinese firms, like Chery and Geely – has been founded on cost-competitiveness. It hasn’t really mattered what the badges on the bonnets said, because the cars weren’t aimed necessarily at people who really cared.

These are buyers who justifiably care more about saving £50 per month than they do tapping into any latent brand equity by buying from a legacy marque – hence the Jaecoo 7's blistering ascent up the UK sales charts.

But my money is on that strategy not working in the highest echelons of the market, where badges are bought and cars are almost thrown in for free. If a billionaire wants a Rolls-Royce Phantom, they want a Rolls-Royce Phantom, not a car that looks similar and does much the same thing – even if there are significant savings to be had (and some undeniably impressive new technology thrown into the bargain).

As you push past six figures, brand equity becomes one of the deciding factors in a purchase. Bugatti, Bentley, Lamborghini and Rolls-Royce each have decades (if not centuries) of powerful, illustrious history to tap into, as they remind us increasingly often in today’s hugely competitive market, and the newbies are always going to struggle to compensate for their comparative lack of legacy with dazzling tech and dizzying capability.

None of this is to detract from the undeniable allure of the Altior, a top-drawer, quad-motor electric limousine with no shortage of headline-baiting attributes and features – not to mention an imposing silhouette that rivals its Sussex-built rival for sheer stately presence.

Plus, with a mammoth range, acres of digital real estate and no doubt extremely generous power reserves, it’s easy to see how it will stack up as a rival to the stalwarts convincingly on paper – and maybe even edge them in some regards. The Phantom can’t, for all its lofty qualities, turn on the spot, after all.

However, for your average Premier League manager or Bitcoin tycoon to send their millions eastwards, Yangwang must convince them that it has the brand cachet and the organic desirability of its rivals – and these are strengths that arguably come with time, not TikTok likes or celebrity partnerships.

The company’s commitment to quality is evident – all the Altior’s buttons and switches have been aurally tested with small hammers – and that’s a great start. Tactility and analogue appeal go a long way up here in the clouds, but however objectively competitive its cars may be, Yangwang faces a steep uphill struggle in carving itself a slice of this most prestigious market.

New emissions rules this month to target brake dust and tyre wear

Mon, 9 Nov 2026 12:00:00 +0000

How manufacturers are changing brake pads and discs to meet new EU emissions standards

Euro 7 emissions regulations will kick in across the EU on 29 November.

Significantly, they are the first to target not only exhaust emissions from ICE vehicles but also particle emissions from braking systems and tyre wear. This means EVs will also be impacted by the new regulations for the first time. EVs will also be subject to 'battery durability requirements': minimum requirements for battery life will dictate they hold a minimum of 80% of the original capacity for the first five years or 62,000 miles (100,000km) of a car's life, then 72% from five to eight years or 99,422 miles (160,000km), whichever comes first in both cases.

Brake particle regulations will apply to both EVs and ICE cars. EVs will face a tougher figure of 3mg/km (4.8mg/mile) while ICE cars must hit 7mg/km (11.3mg/mile). The lower figure for EVs reflects the part played by regenerative braking in reducing the work done by conventional friction brakes and the corresponding reduction in the amount of dust generated. The regulations target particle sizes of 10 microns or smaller (PM10) and are the result of brake pads gripping steel discs to generate friction and convert the kinetic energy of the moving car into heat energy.

Where manufacturers tread, aftermarket suppliers must follow. Regulation ECE R90 is in place to ensure that replacement brake materials are up to the job of factory parts and safe to use on the highway.

Although Euro 7 currently applies only to new cars and original equipment, aftermarket suppliers are already ensuring their products meet the same criteria.

ZF Aftermarket has a solution ready based not just on the brake pad materials but also on the way the discs are made. Under its braking component brand, TRW, it has developed a next-generation 'DTEC' dust-reducing technology disc and pad designed to reduce fine dust emissions.

A large proportion of the dust particles generated under braking comes from the steel disc rather than the friction pad, and a fundamental method of reducing particle emissions is by hardening the disc surface. ZF expects manufacturers to use a variety of disc surface treatments rather than a 'one size fits all' solution, and it thinks an appropriate combination of disc surface treatment and pad friction material composition will be dictated by a vehicle's inertia and engine type.

Hardening the disc surface can cause more challenging NVH behaviour, so it's important for ZF to understand the interplay between all the components in the braking system. That is done via a test rig called DustIN that uses the same test regimes used to develop the Euro 7 regulations.

Big car insurance hikes incoming - but you can lessen the blow

Mon, 9 Nov 2026 08:00:00 +0000

Insurance prices are on the rise - here's how to save money on your premium

Bad news for anyone about to renew their motor insurance: an insurer is urging the industry to raise premiums to combat increases in claims costs.

Speaking to the Insurance Times, Geoff Carter, CEO of Sabre Insurance Group, said he expected the cost of claims to rise by up to 7% this year and "some pretty chunky price increases" were necessary across the industry.

His claim is backed up by professional services giant EY, which has said that motor insurers are currently loss-making and therefore will have to raise premiums by 4% this year and 12% next.

The one ray of hope for motorists is that so far insurers have been struggling to make any increases permanent. One reason is how competitive the UK's motor insurance market is. Even so, new entrants are still popping up, among them Vector Drive, a broker specialising in low-mileage drivers that's launching soon.

Its founder, Charles More, has shared these expert tips for buying motor insurance:

"Take time to get your mileage declaration right. Many insurers offer decent discounts when your declared mileage roughly matches the average they can deduce from your MOT history. Never under-declare; almost all insurers penalise you.

"Check the details of any claims from the last five years and declare all of them accurately. Insurers look them up in the Motor Insurers' Bureau's Claims and Underwriting Exchange database anyway. They just want to see if you're honest.

"When asked how you'd prefer to pay before you have a quote, say 'annually'. Some insurers will offer a cheaper price for it. Once you have the quote, you can still elect to pay monthly and keep the lower premium."

UK government set to ease electric vehicle sales targets this week

Mon, 9 Nov 2026 07:15:46 +0000

Louise Haigh is poised to relax mandated EV sales targets following consultation with car makers

The UK government is expected to significantly downscale its electric vehicle sales targets this week, as car makers fall well short of the previously imposed quotas.

The Guardian and BBC are reporting that first secretary of state Louise Haigh will reveal a new-look zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate in the coming days, with targets that are more closely aligned to real-world EV demand.

Government insiders are said to suggest that the 2030 EV sales target could be reduced from 80% to 60%, and car makers will continue to have access to various flexibilities within the mandate's mechanisms until 2034.

Under the existing framework, car makers must achieve a series of annually increasing EV sales mix targets on the way to an 80% share by 2030 and a ban on new combustion-engined car sales in 2035.

But those targets have so far proven out of step with organic consumer demand, forcing many manufacturers to heavily subsidise their electric cars – at significant cost – to drive up demand, or to pay significant penalties for non-compliance.

Electric cars have ballooned in popularity in recent months, with recent figures showing more than 500,000 were sold from January to November – a 30% year-on-year increase – and a third of all cars sold last month were electric. That has been driven in part by huge increases in the cost of petrol and diesel, and the greater availability of affordable EVs as manufacturers expand their line-ups.

Nonetheless, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) says car makers will fall far short of achieving the mandated 33% EV mix for 2026, forecasting that just 27.2% cars sold over the whole of this year will be electric.

It says the gap will then widen next year, when the target increases to 38% and EV sales are expected to reach 32% – and then again in 2028, when EV share will be 14.5 percentage points behind the 52% target. Flexibilities within the mandate mean car makers can mitigate the impact of any shortfall with increased hybrid sales, or defer their targets.

The government has been consulting with car makers over changes to the ZEV mandate in light of the disparity and SMMT boss Mike Hawes said last week the outcome of that review process is urgent.

“Almost one in three new cars registered in October was electric – great progress in the transition, but one that comes at enormous cost," said Hawes. "The industry and government are spending billions to help drivers switch, but that support cannot be sustained indefinitely with the gap to mandated targets set to more than double by 2028, just as a new EV-only tax is introduced.

"Higher targets may force supply, but they do not create demand. The ZEV mandate review must deliver substantive reform effective immediately to ensure we have a healthy market and an attractive pitch to investors.”

The Guardian says Haigh will finalise the plan after a "crunch meeting" on Wednesday to "settle the dispute between the transport, energy and business departments".

Any move to ease the EV transition for car makers will be met with relief from the automotive industry but it will be viewed by many as a weakening of an important component of the UK's decarbonisation policy. If the targets were kept and met, the ZEV mandate was expected to achieve 14% of the government's targeted CO2 reductions between 2028 and 2032.

Downing Street told the BBC that no decision has been made and a government source was quoted as saying the issue will be approached in a "pragmatic and balanced" way.

The government considered a number of options as part of the review process with car makers, ranging from preserving the targets but extending flexibilities that make it easier for car makers to hit them, to simply cutting the 2030 sales mix down to 50%.

The Guardian says Whitehall is divided by the proposals, with business secretary Jonathan Reynolds calling for the steepest cut, transport secretary Heidi Alexander arguing for 60% and energy secretary Ed Miliband campaigning to keep the 80% mandate.

It is reported that prime minister Andy Burnham has taken himself out of the deliberations, as his wife, Marie-France van Heel, is an advisor to Manchester-based EV charging firm Be.EV.

Better than an M3: Loyal M car customer swaps to a Jag F-Type

Mon, 9 Nov 2026 07:00:00 +0000

Unlikely tax benefits and raucous exhaust note are just two reasons this Jag buyer couldn't be happier

Timing is everything. Take Chris Burford and his Jaguar F-Type 5.0 V8 auto. The model emits as much as 269g/km of CO2. Had it been registered before April 2017, when VED rates were based on CO2 emissions, it would currently attract annual road tax of £790.

However, it was registered in 2018, around 12 months after that scheme was replaced by a lower, standard rate across all new cars plus, on those costing more than £40,000, an 'expensive car supplement'. This supplement applies from a car's second year and expires on the vehicle's sixth birthday, which, in the case of Chris's F-Type, fell two years ago. As a result, his F-Type today attracts road tax of just £200.

"It shows how crazy the system is, but I'm not complaining!" says Chris, a former marine engineer in the Royal Navy.

He has owned his F-Type coupé, which has done 65,000 miles, for six months and doesn't regret buying it one bit. Given that he came from a succession of rather tasty BMW M cars, that's quite a statement.

"I've owned a lot of M cars, the last of them a G80 [current-generation] M3 xDrive with a stage-three tune," he says. "However, the four-wheel drive system made it feel a little detached. The F-Type is also four-wheel drive but feels a lot more involving."

In fact, out of all the cars he has owned (in addition to his M cars they include an R33 Nissan Skyline GT-R and a fourth-generation Toyota Supra), Chris reckons this V8 Jaguar is the best.

"The engine is like a nuclear bomb!" he says. "It's quite an old-fashioned, agricultural thing but it works, and the sound... How did Jaguar ever get it past noise testing?"

Chris bought his F-Type out of a fascination with its designer's work.

"I've always liked Ian Callum's designs and thought it was time I had one of his best. It was a toss-up between an F-Type or an XKR-S. I drove an XKR and loved it but then drove an F-Type and realised that the XKR is more of a gentleman's cruiser, while the F-Type is so much more. Its handling is phenomenal. It grips really well—so well that the Dynamic Launch [control system] isn't necessary," he says.

Chris paid £35,000 for his car, which features a few factory-fitted options, including Alcantara cloth for the headlining and dashboard and a fixed rear spoiler in place of the active one that was fitted as standard to most F-Types.

Meanwhile, he has some advice for anyone tempted to buy their own F-Type: "The clamshell bonnet is very heavy and most people hold it at the side to open and close it, causing it to twist and not sit flush. The coolant pipes are plastic and located under the supercharger. After repeated heating and cooling, they split with very little warning. It's a six-hour job to replace them with metal pipes. The actuator for the exhaust valves can fail: listen for a rattling under acceleration. So can the coupler on the supercharger: listen for it rattling when the engine is switched off."

It all sounds a little off-putting but, as Chris says, all cars have their problems and all you can do is buy the best you can afford. He certainly thinks he has done that.

BMW could build V8 Alpina concept as luxury brand's 'M1 moment'

Mon, 9 Nov 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Conti GT rival in the frame as BMW aims to make a big impact with its new upmarket brand

BMW executives are hoping to put the Vision BMW Alpina concept, which the company launched at the Villa d'Este concours in May, into full production.

If ratified - and Autocar understands a final decision has not yet been made - it would be what insiders call an "M1 moment", as BMW prepares to relaunch the Alpina brand after the sale from the founding Bovensiepen family was finalised at the beginning of this year.

The mid-engined M1 supercar was the BMW M division's first bespoke model and set a tone for the performance sub-brand going forward.

Alpina was a developer of sports-minded BMWs but technically independent of BMW and registered as a stand-alone manufacturer.

However, it had access to early BMW prototypes and engineering data, and so it developed its models alongside base BMWs.

Its cars differed from contemporaneous M cars mainly by offering more comfort. It was a differentiation that suited both parties and which BMW is keen to keep when it relaunches the brand.

Aware of customer concerns that it might become little more than a trim level, however, BMW would like to make a splash with a stand-alone vehicle. The Vision Alpina is a 5.2m-long, V8-powered 2+2 coupé of considerable luxury and would fit that bill.

Speaking at the launch of the new BMW i3, head of Neue Klasse Mike Reichelt downplayed the likelihood of the Vision Alpina making it to production in concept form but said the designers "had given the engineers a headache" because of demand for the car and that Alpina would like to make "a limited-volume" model.

The Alpina name is currently set to be officially relaunched with a version of the 7 Series luxury saloon, whose size alone would differentiate it from BMW's M division, which doesn't touch cars that large.

Whether BMW is willing to make an M and an Alpina version of the same model is still up for discussion, understands Autocar, but keeping distance between the two is why insiders say a luxury model "makes the most sense". The previous-generation Alpina B7 was widely respected across the industry and used as a benchmark by rival manufacturers.

Meanwhile, the Bovensiepens are launching their own line of cars under their own name. However, since the sale of Alpina they have lost access and advantages they had before: models typically rolled down BMW lines, even with an Alpina chassis number attached, before some final trim work after general assembly at Buchloe in Germany.

Bovensiepen cars won't have this benefit. They are likely to be built by the dozen or the hundred - such as the forthcoming 99-run Spider - which may assuage some disquiet in certain quarters of BMW HQ about the family creating a new car brand.

Own your dream car fleet for less, by fixing them yourself

Sun, 8 Nov 2026 07:00:00 +0000

There is an undeniable satisfaction to keeping a car on the road without calling on costly mechanics

I once heard a man say that if you don't have loads of money but you want nice things, you have to make them yourself. He was digging his own swimming pool at the time.

I'm not going to dig a swimming pool, but I am, perhaps like you, blessed with a hobby that has the potential to consume considerably more money, time and space than I have going spare. Liking cars a bit too much is an affliction that dominates my life. Wouldn't it be easier if I only loved, I don't know, running or playing the harmonica?

Anyway, I can't physically create more space to enjoy cars, because moving house is a tremendous ball ache, and nor can I find more time, because I have a job, but I can try to bend the rules when it comes to money. Influencers might call this a 'life hack', but it's just something people have done for centuries: fixing or making things yourself.

I have five cars, which is, by any standards, a lot. I accept that I'm very fortunate, but I've also bought cleverly. Without going into the grubby cash specifics, I've spread out buying them over the past 15 years and combined they have cost me less than one new Ford Kuga. I wouldn't be able to own them if it weren't for backyard mechanics.

Only one, a Land Rover Defender, routinely goes to a garage; it isn't entirely mine and needs to work all the time. I sent another to a garage recently because I was out of time and it needed an MOT. They were brilliant with it and charged less than they should, but a two-grand bill on a £500 car feels awkward.

So I like to work on them myself, which is why two cars are presently, um, 'resting', while the others work fine, but all of them would benefit from some TLC when I get around to it. Fortunately, though, I love tinkering with them. Or do I?

Does anybody, really? I mean, I like the creativity of painting, even welding, and get satisfaction when something assembles as it should. I like the little wins and appreciate good engineering. But what about the bit where you're lying on your back on a freezing garage floor, your face just inches from your car's rusty underparts while simultaneously stripping the threads from a bolt and the skin from your fingers? I can take or leave that. Leave, ideally.

I'm envious of the people who actively enjoy it, those who can wake up on a weekend morning with the same enthusiasm for tracing a wiring fault as I have for eating marmalade on toast.

The bit of backyard mechanics I love (other than choosing new tools, which perhaps doesn't count) is the feeling when it all goes back together and I have a cool working thing I wouldn't otherwise be able to enjoy. Backyard mechanics is an enabler. I don't love the process but I love what it can bring me. Hence by association, I suppose, I love backyard mechanics.

A green ice cream? The British firm turning ice cream vans electric

Sun, 8 Nov 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Whitby Morrison has been making ice cream vans since 1962, and now it's turning electric. Here's the scoop

Mr Whippy and Whitby Morrison: two great British institutions.

The former is a soft ice cream franchise launched in 1958 by British businessman Dominic Facchino; the latter was founded in 1962 by Bryan Whitby, a British engineer, after he developed a system for powering an ice cream van's soft-serve machinery directly by the vehicle's drive system.

There are lots of different soft ice cream brands now, but there is only one Whitby Morrison, based in Crewe and still a family business. We last visited the factory in 2018 when memories of a prominently placed Whitby Morrison ice cream van in Top Gear's memorable tribute to Britain's vehicle manufacturers were still fresh. Now I'm back again, keen to catch up with this flourishing business but sadly in the same week that, down the road in the West Midlands, JLR has announced 4000 redundancies. However, reminding us that it's not all doom and gloom for car makers, as we approach the factory a convoy of three new, Crewe-built Bentley GTs barrels out of a roundabout. It makes a stirring curtain-raiser to my visit.

Around 80 new ice cream van conversions, most of them based on Mercedes Sprinter chassis cabs and destined for UK operators, leave Whitby Morrison each year. Each takes around eight weeks to build, and the average lead time to delivery is 12 months. Coincidentally, the week after my visit, motor industry trade body the SMMT reported that more than £1 billion has been committed to Britain's van, truck and bus manufacturing industry and supply chains over the past five years. It said this investment underlines the sector's growing role in the global transition to zero-emission transport and went on to highlight the fact that more than 30 different models and conversions, from low-emission vehicles to cutting-edge electric and hydrogen options, are already being built or planned for production.

As luck would have it, an example of exactly what the SMMT is talking about is parked on Whitby Morrison's forecourt as we arrive: its newest creation, an electric ice cream van. Its significance is not lost on Ed Whitby, operations director of Whitby Morrison and grandson of the founder. "Every so often, a vehicle comes along that feels like a real turning point," he says. "This is one of those moments: the launch this year of our first fully certified electric ice cream van is something we are incredibly proud of. It has been developed to meet the needs of operators while helping move the industry towards a cleaner and quieter future."

The idea for an electric ice cream van has its origins in the BMW i3 that Ed's father Stuart, the firm's managing director, once owned. "He loved that car, and when we started seeing the first electric delivery vans on the road around five years ago, we considered building our first electric ice cream van," says Whitby. "But we quickly realised that range and payloads were insufficient. Then Mercedes, our chassis cab supplier, launched the eSprinter - a much more suitable base vehicle, although then available only as a panel van. A year ago, we had the opportunity to order the first couple of new eSprinter 414 81kWh chassis cabs, and we jumped at it. My brother Kris, who is also our production director, got to grips with understanding how to work with electrical drive power and organised training and certification for our staff. A few months ago we completed our first conversion."

The electric ice cream van on the forecourt is the company demonstrator. It's an eMondial Lusso, and unlike the traditional and brightly coloured diesel ice cream van - the ICE ice cream van, if you like that's parked close by, it's finished in a rather joyless cream. Whitby says that's because it's earmarked for a customer in London who trades at upmarket locations where a traditional van would look out of place. However, at least those vanilla looks don't compete with the vehicle's important electric messaging that includes 'Helping the environment one cone at a time'. Hilarious, but I can't help wondering, given how steeped in tradition the ice cream business appears to be, if it's a hard sell persuading the nation's ice cream vendors to trade in their trusty diesel vans for a new EV costing £200,000 plus not only VAT but also questions concerning range, charging time and vehicle payload nagging at them. Whitby is unfazed. The self-confessed optimist points to the sale already of a vehicle to Hocking's Dairy Cream Ices, one of Britain's longest-established operators, based in Devon. It's a huge region characterised by twisty lanes that increase distance and journey times and which, in summer, is a mecca for families seeking sun, sea and ice cream. Woe betide any Mr Whippy who runs out of 99s halfway through their shift.

"Our electric vans, which can be driven on a car licence, have a gross vehicle weight of 4250kg and a payload that's more than adequate for a busy vendor," says Whitby. "Fully charged, they have a real-world range of 180 miles, although in testing we've seen 200. Using a 22kW charger, recharging the drive battery from 20% to 80% takes just over two hours, a task that can be done at night. If necessary, a 110kW rapid-charge point brings that time down to 26 minutes for a cost-per-mile charge the same as a diesel Sprinter. Charge overnight at home, though, and the electric van's running cost is less than a quarter."

Whether powered by diesel or electricity, the business of building a Whitby Morrison ice cream van is largely the same. We're so used to believing that other countries, notably China, have a monopoly on making things that it's a real surprise to step into Whitby Morrison's factory and see people turning bare chassis cabs into ice cream vans before your eyes. Much of the vehicle, from the glassfibre body to the fridges and freezers that can keep ices and lollies at temperature for days, is produced here by around 50 people, including, crucially, apprentices. One important lesson Whitby and his team learned early on is that they can't weld anything to the chassis of the electric eSprinter - it must be bonded. Although ceiling-mounted cranes do much of the heavy lifting, converting a van is manual work, albeit highly skilled. A great example of that is the cabinet shop where sheets of metal await cutting, filing and shaping on their way to being turned into beautifully crafted fridges and freezers, heavily insulated with doors that open and close just so. Elsewhere in the main building is the brand-new paint shop, which, says Whitby, cost well into six figures. Not far away, technicians patiently assemble Whitby Morrison's patent ePower system.

Developed and designed by the company, it's an electrical power management system that allows operators of their diesel ice cream van to turn off the engine and power their van cleanly and silently from three lithium ion batteries with a combined capacity of 15kWh. That's sufficient to meet all of its energy needs, including filling 3000 cones from the Carpigiani soft-serve ice cream machine. The batteries can be recharged cheaply from home or even for free via solar panels on the roof. Fitted to a diesel van, ePower enables a trader to operate in green spaces such as parks and at festivals and theme parks where organisers are keen to promote environmentally friendly trading. Even indoors at an exhibition, for example. Naturally, the new fully electric van comes with the same system as standard.

Whitby says its UK market has picked up, in part thanks to more people holidaying here, while exports have fallen to around 5% of the company's business. The last time I was at the factory, Whitby Morrison claimed to be exporting around 10 vans each year. One was poised to make the journey to Libya; in 2014, 20 vans went to Azerbaijan. Alas, no longer. "Since Brexit, foreign firms have become less inclined to buy British," says Whitby. "It's up to companies such as ours to encourage them to do so through innovation, technology and the quality of our products."

It's early days, but on that point Whitby Morrison has so far received only a 'handful' of orders for its electric vans. However, Whitby himself is confident that as operators renew their vehicles and realise the benefits of going electric (lower operating costs and much less resistance to their trading from councils and events organisers), more operators will be tempted to take the plunge. In the meantime, the ePower system means they can still go the diesel route but operate more cleanly and efficiently. In fact, 70% of new diesel vans have the system installed.

After a morning learning about Whitby Morrison's state-of-the-art ice cream vans, I'm toying with the idea of going into business with my own. A quick shufty around the beautifully finished electric van on the forecourt-with its sturdy counter and cabinets, serving windows that glide open and shut and elevated position from where I can contemplate the happy faces of my imagined customers as they queue for their 99s-persuades me it might be money well spent. How much would I earn, I ask Whitby. "With a good trading patch, you could clear £60,000 in six months," he says. An eWhippy, anyone?

Huge new Yangwang Altior is BYD's answer to Rolls-Royce Phantom

Sat, 7 Nov 2026 17:00:00 +0000

Chinese mega-limo is all about big stats and craftsmanship: 5.6m long, 621-mile range, 21.4in screen, two fridges

BYD-owned Yangwang is going after the Rolls-Royce Phantom with a huge electric 'ultra-luxury' limousine that promises extensive personalisation options and private-jet-style refinement.

It's called the Altior (meaning 'higher' in Latin) and is one of the largest and most opulent cars yet to come from China - or indeed any manufacturer globally.

Measuring a colossal 5.6m from bumper to bumper (400mm longer than even the extended-wheelbase Mercedes S-Class), it has a wheelbase of 3500mm, which allows the four-seat cabin to be as cavernous as possible.

Yangwang said the imposing new flagship – which will sit above the U7 saloon, U8 SUV and U9 hypercar – is designed to "bring the depth of Chinese culture into a contemporary vision of ultra-luxury".

The brand places a heavy emphasis on the craftsmanship on display throughout the car, which builds on "millennia of aesthetic traditions" from Chinese culture.

One example is the intricately decorated front grille, which Yangwang described as "a masterpiece of high jewellery" and appears to change pattern in different lights.

That ceremonial sense of occasion carries over to the headlights, which feature 12 individually rotating elements that perform a routine when the owner approaches.

There are also bespoke patterned umbrellas stored in the back doors, which open backwards like on the Phantom to create "an elegant transition into the cabin".

Inside, the air vents are detailed with a special Chinese variety of jade stone, while the seats have been decorated in minute detail using a traditional method of splitting silk spreads.

Bucking the Chinese EV trend towards all-out digitisation and minimal dashboards, the Altior features an extensive suite of physical buttons and switches - albeit alongside a full-width, Mercedes-esque touchscreen.

Yangwang said it ensured these had suitable sound and feel by tapping them with small hammers during development.

Beyond tactility, Yangwang emphasised the sheer spaciousness and decadence of the Altior's interior, claiming a huge 1209mm of leg room in the rear (that's half a Citroën Ami), while "aviation-style zero-gravity seats" are said to support a "deeply relaxed" seating position.

Each is naturally equipped with a massage function and can fully recline in Relaxation mode, which also closes the blinds, softens the lighting and raises the leg rests.

Like in the BMW i7, there's a 21.4in cinema screen that folds down from the ceiling for conference calls and entertainment, while refrigerators in the front and rear ensure the champagne is cold at all times for all occupants.

The Altior is based on the same architecture as Yangwang's other models, so it uses a similar quad-motor electric powertrain – output undisclosed but tank turning confirmed – and rides on the brand's advanced DiSus active suspension, which monitors the road ahead and prepares the car for bumps and changes in terrain.

Full technical details remain to be confirmed, but Yangwang promises a range of more than 621 miles per charge, albeit on China's generous CLTC testing cycle.

BYD vice-president Stella Li previously said Yangwang was being prepared for a European launch in 2028, but it remains to be seen if the Altior will form part of the line-up over here.

It would be the first ultra-luxury electric limousine on the market (Rolls-Royce's Spectre EV is a coupé) and certainly one of the largest cars ever sold in the UK.

The 23 best cars from the world’s craziest car show

Sat, 7 Nov 2026 14:00:00 +0000

Custom cars, trucks and off-roaders are making waves at the annual SEMA event in Las Vegas

The annual SEMA Show – the world’s biggest aftermarket, tuning and custom car event – is under way at the Las Vegas Convention Center in the US.

Expected to attract more than 150,000 visitors over the course of the week, it’s a huge show, measuring about a mile from end to end.

As usual, we found a stack of interesting machinery within the event’s four halls and vast outdoor displays. It’s a wonderfully varied mix of manufacturer show cars, incredible work from custom build shops, wild off-roaders and high-performance machines.

Many of the year’s best new builds are completed just in time to make their debuts at the SEMA Show, as with Raymond Canales’ Volkswagen-inspired hauler, pictured above.

Join us for a look at some of this year's best custom cars, trucks and off-road vehicles…

1. Honda Passport Baja Spec Trophy Truck

A new Trophy Truck for the 2027 Score World Desert Championship – the first to be hybrid-powered – made its public debut at SEMA. Carrying the name of Honda’s mid-size Passport SUV, the racer is powered by a 1300bhp 2.4-litre twin-turbo V6 with an 800V electrical architecture. Its maker says the combination is more powerful than the 9.0-litre V8s in current Trophy Trucks. The truck was developed by Honda Racing Corporation with Mason Motorsports and will be driven by two-time Baja 1000 winner Bryce Menzies.

2. 1977 Chevrolet C-10

The classic ‘Squarebody’ remains a hot property in the custom truck scene. Builders Jeff Lutz and Clay Millican made an Edelbrock/Musi-carburetted, 940bhp big-block V8 the centrepiece of this pro-street-style restomod truck for a good cause: the C-10 will be auctioned for charity, with the proceeds supporting TechForce trade school scholarships.

3. Ford Bronco Frostwarden

Ford’s big announcement at SEMA was the introduction of the ‘Megazilla 2.0’ crate engine for racers and other custom-vehicle builders. Newly supercharged with a 3.0-litre Whipple blower, the 7.3-litre V8 can deliver more than 1200bhp – almost double that of the most powerful, normally aspirated Megazilla – and more than 1000lb ft of torque. Showcased in a modified Bronco Frostwarden – an Arctic search-and-rescue concept – on Ford’s SEMA stand, the new motor will be available from Ford Racing Parts from the spring of 2027.

4. 1966 Ford Thunderbird Custom

Renowned Illinois hot rod shop Rad Rides by Troy spent over four years building this elegant 1966 Ford Thunderbird for owner Jim Bridgewater. Highlights include an upgraded, ground and polished 428 motor with Holley fuel injection; custom ‘Bridgewater Brown’ paint; nickel-plated brightwork; a full custom interior trimmed in Italian leather; LED sequential tail-lights; and rebuilt original gauges. After competing on the show circuit, Bridgewater plans to drive the car regularly, rather than treat it as a show queen. For ease of use, it’s fitted with an automatic transmission and cruise control.

5. Jeep Scrambler SRT Concept

Jeep brought a new Scrambler to SEMA, looking to gauge reaction to a Hemi V8-powered two-door aimed at fast, off-road use. The Wrangler-based concept is notable for its independent front suspension – designed by off-road racer Casey Currie – and reversible, removable seating in the load bed, which is as long as the load area in a full-size Ram pick-up. If reaction is favourable and the concept is greenlit for production, it could be on sale by 2030.

6. Gas Monkey Garage Ferrari F6

The SEMA Show is known for its wild customs, and this six-wheeled Ferrari Testarossa, first revealed this summer by Gas Monkey Garage, is no exception. A Katech-built Chevrolet 'LT4' V8 delivers 1200 supercharged horses to the rear four wheels. The car is about a metre longer than standard and also features a rear wing, new suspension, larger wheels and Michelin tyres.

7. Chevrolet El Camino SS ‘Mr Yuk’

Kings Kustomizing created this ‘Toxic Green’ Chevrolet El Camino atop a Schwartz Performance chassis. Power comes from an astonishing 10.5-litre big-block V8 with an 'ATI 4L85E' four-speed transmission built to handle more than 1000bhp. The name 'Mr Yuk' comes from a poison-prevention character who, like the truck, dates from 1971.

8. Idemitsu Honda Prelude Type R

Honda has no public plans to put the Civic Type R powertrain in the attractive new Prelude coupé shell, but that hasn't stopped lubricant supplier Idemitsu from finding out how it measures up. At the heart of things is the 'K20C' 2.0-litre turbocharged inline four, with a rev-matching six-speed manual gearbox. Body mods include a larger grille for better cooling, a deeper front splitter and a rear wing.

9. Hoffman Badger

It doesn’t look like it, but this Badger prototype is a rebodied Tesla Model 3. Hoffman Manufacturing has been around for decades, fabricating metal, wood and latterly DeLorean EV conversions. Now owner Geoffrey Hoffman – who was at the SEMA Show to gauge reaction to the idea – sees an opportunity to build more modern vehicles using salvaged Teslas. The Badger would be certified as an 11-seat bus, which would smooth the path to market, but he envisages many different body permutations. Hefty chassis-side extrusions are said to offer improved impact protection for the carryover battery pack.

10. 1971 Ford Capri

Ontario-based JH Restorations is a SEMA Show regular. Its latest build is a 1971 Mk1 Ford Capri with a 5.7-litre Ford Racing V8 under the bonnet, complete with a distinctive, Borla eight-stack intake. The body lines benefit from extensive tweaking, including skilfully incorporated wheel-arch extensions to house wide American Racing wheels. UK suppliers to this SEMA Battle of the Builders Top 12 finalist include GAZ (suspension) and D-Class Automotive (custom interior).

11. Mitsubishi Outlander Diamond Trail Edition

Mitsubishi is refreshing its all-SUV North American line-up as part of its ‘Momentum 2030’ mid-term business plan. The next new model will be the Diamond Trail Edition of the conventionally powered Outlander, which will arrive as a 2028 model. Reprofiled bumpers increase the approach and departure angles, all-terrain tyres deal with slippery surfaces, a new seating material is easier to clean and redesigned roof rails can support a much heavier load, such as a rooftop tent.

12. 1946 Dodge Power Wagon

Another new build making the trip south from Canada was this stone-grey 1946 Power Wagon with a custom four-door crew cab. It rides on a Tisdale Coachworks chassis and has a 5.9-litre Cummins diesel engine under the bonnet. Classic custom touches include hidden hinges and a flush-fitting windscreen, while the bed is lined with satin-black 'Carbon Series' hardwood from BedWood.

13. Nissan Sentra Spec-V

The Spec-V taps into Nissan’s sport compact heritage – specifically the Sentra SE-R, which arrived in the US in 1991. Based on the current Sentra, the concept swaps the regular normally aspirated 2.0-litre four and CVT for a turbocharged unit with 300bhp and the six-speed manual from the Juke Nismo RS. The Brembo brakes and Recaro front seats come from the GT-R.

14. 1965 Pontiac GTO Convertible

Ringbrothers’ latest creation is ‘Billie’ (as in ‘GOAT’), a 1965 Pontiac GTO custom based on a Tempest Convertible. The finished body is five inches wider body than standard, with carbonfibre doors, reshaped front wings, widened rear wings and lengthened rocker panels. A supercharged Chevrolet 'LT4' from Wegner Motorsports provides the power, routed through a Bowler 10-speed automatic gearbox.

15. Jeep Recon Overwatch Concept

Silent running on the trail is touted as a virtue of the new Jeep Recon EV, which is given the SEMA custom treatment at this year’s show. The 670bhp Overwatch Concept gets a prototype 2in lift kit, destined for future availability through Jeep Performance Parts, and rides on 34in tires on JPP-designed beadlock wheels. The body, with removable doors and rear glass, is finished in muddy-white Ghost paint, while the interior gets pistachio-green leather seats.

16. AFE Subaru Outback Wilderness Custom

The petrol-powered Outback is gone from the UK market but lives on its seventh generation in North America. The factory Wilderness edition already ups the ruggedness factor, but this custom on the AFE booth takes things a step further with performance engine parts, a Warn winch, an AFE lift kit, a skidplate, an intercooler shield and Falken WildPeak all-terrain tyres.

17. 1962 Ford F-250

Brothers Tyler Waltz and Damien Bakke made the Battle of the Builders Young Guns Top 10 with this imaginative take on vintage ‘Good Humor’ ice cream vans. Named ‘Dirty Humor’, the roadster-style Ford F-250 rides on a new chassis and updated drivetrain. The ‘Strawberry Smoothie’ and ‘Mint Green’ powder-coating is a neat touch.

18. Toyota RAV4 Woodland Plug-in Hybrid Concept

Outdoor-friendly family SUVs are all the rage in North America, and Toyota is one of several manufacturers to establish a new name – Woodland – to denote the most rugged version of multiple model lines. For this year’s SEMA Show, its CALTY Design Research operation created a set of Woodland concepts, including this RAV4, with lift kits, chunky wheel-arch extensions, satin black wheels and all-terrain tyres. All are painted Horizon Blue, a shade inspired by a 1960s Toyota colour.

19. Urban Rolls-Royce Cullinan Series II Widetrack

British customiser Urban Automotive has marked its expansion in North America by exhibiting at the SEMA Show for the first time. On its stand are two vehicles featuring its Widetrack styling programmes: a Mercedes-Benz AMG G63 and the Emparador Truffle-painted Cullinan shown here. All the original chrome detailing is replaced with dark trim, including a black Spirit of Ecstasy, while the build also includes sill extensions and carbonfibre for the front bumper, rear bumper, diffuser and wheel arches.

20. Honda Civic Type R HRC Concept

Due to be launched in the coming months, this higher-performance Civic Type R will be the first production car to wear the Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) badge since it merged with Honda Performance Development (HPD) in 2024. Precise details of its performance upgrades remain thin on the ground, but Honda has confirmed at the SEMA Show that the hottest Civic yet will be sold in North America.

21. 1928 Ford Model A ‘McLaren-Honda’

California-based customiser Tony Quinones, who appeared in the Netflix series Car Masters: Rust to Riches, has just finished this unique, McLaren-Honda-inspired build for Ayrton Senna fan Bill Cardoso of Scorpion EV. The 1928 Model A’s L-head motor is replaced by a mid-mounted 300bhp Honda 'K20C1' crate engine mated to a Porsche six-speed transaxle. Adjustable wings with built-in LEDs and a 3D-printed air intake help achieve the Formula 1 look.

22. Shelby GT500CR Carbon

Priced at $749,000, this is no ordinary Mustang. The carbonfibre-bodied Classic Recreations GT500CR – licensed by Shelby – packs a 1000bhp Wegner-built 'Coyote Gen 4X' V8 with a Whipple supercharger, managed by a FuelTech 'FT700' ECU with traction control. Modern chassis performance comes courtesy of Nitron electronic ride control, Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres. Classic Recreations expects production in Florida to rise from around 15 cars across the steel and carbon-bodied versions in 2027 to about 50 a year by 2030.

23. 2024 McLaren 720S

Finally, another regular SEMA Show car builder, John Sarkisyan, turned heads with this modern take on McLaren-Mercedes’ race-winning history. The supercar styling of a 2024 McLaren 750S has been swapped for the streamlined form of a millennium-era Mercedes CLK GTR racer. The original suspension and twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 remain, but there’s a custom exhaust and HRE wheels.

Why buy new? Bag a B9 Audi A4 for less than £20,000

Sat, 7 Nov 2026 07:00:00 +0000

Need a low-key premium exec saloon or estate? A B9 A4 is the answer

You might buy a BMW 3 Series for its performance or a Mercedes-Benz C-Class for its badge, but what about an Audi A4? For its discretion?

Putting sporty versions aside, the A4 saloon doesn't exactly shout from the rooftops. The B9 generation considered here arrived in 2015, at first glance appearing much like its predecessor.

However, on closer inspection the new model was sharper and more assertive-looking thanks to its sculpted sides, serrated headlights (matrix LEDs were an option) and subtle aero. By adopting Audi's then new front-drive MLB Evo platform, it was a bit longer, too, and slightly roomier.

Power was provided by a choice of petrol and diesel engines trumpeting lower emissions and improved economy. In the petrol corner was a turbocharged 1.4-litre producing 148bhp (it's smooth but a bit lacking when the car is full) and two 2.0-litre engines: one produces 187bhp, the other has 249bhp and was reserved for Quattro versions.

Diesel engines were represented by a pair of 2.0-litres making 148bhp and 187bhp and a 3.0-litre V6 with 268bhp. Ultra variants of the 2.0 diesels were tuned to deliver even better economy.

From 2017, petrol and diesel engines were identified by a new naming convention, respectively 35, 40 and 45.

With the 2019 facelift, the diesels became mild hybrids with revised power outputs. The 134bhp diesel was the 30 TDI, the 161bhp engine the 35 TDI and the 201bhp engine the 40 TDI. The dual-clutch automatic S Tronic gearbox remained a popular option.

Today, there are slightly more petrol A4s for sale than diesels, but if you tow or the idea of 70mpg appeals, you need the latter engine.

Being front-wheel drive, the A4 was never going to best the rear-drive 3 Series from a steering and handling perspective. So it's smooth and comfortable instead? SE and Sport versions are certainly that, but the larger-wheeled and more stiffly suspended and lowered S Line and Ultra A4s are easily unsettled; optional adaptive suspension brings a welcome improvement.

Some owners have reported rattles and buzzes from the dashboard, but otherwise the B9 A4 looks and feels premium. The cabin is roomy, although the driver's footwell is cramped and the pedals are offset to the right. Practical touches include a back seat that splits 40/20/40.

There are four trims: SE (xenons, 17in alloys, parking sensors, infotainment with connectivity), Sport (sports seats and a sat-nav), S Line (bodykit, sports suspension, 18in alloys) and Black Edition (19in alloys, black colourways). The most obvious styling changes with the 2019 facelift were restyled LED headlights and a broader and flatter grille.

Inside it gained a new infotainment system and the standard fitment of Audi's virtual cockpit. SE trim became Technik.

One last thing: from 2017, the so-called expensive car supplement, also known as the luxury car tax, was introduced on new cars costing from £40,000, with or without options. It's currently set at £440 and is added to the vehicle's regular road tax charge. It starts in the car's second year and applies for five years, meaning that depending on its price when new, a qualifying A4 registered in 2022 is still subject to the charge until 2027.

What we said then: "Audi has conformed spectacularly to national stereotype with the new A4, giving us aerodynamic and material efficiency to the envy of all of its German compatriot manufacturers." 4 November 2015

AN OWNER'S VIEW

"My A4 has done 170,000 miles and still drives beautifully. It spends most of its time on the motorway, where it's smooth, quiet and rock-steady. It's a manual, which in my experience is better for quick overtakes.

"My car was registered in 2017, and it's a 2.0 TDI Ultra SE so very economical. It's had a couple of problems: most recently, the ABS light came on and has stayed on. The brakes work fine, though, and it passed its MOT!

"I can't afford to get the system reset, so I'll put up with it for now. The other problem occurred around five years ago, and again involved the brakes. It was a faulty brake pressure sensor that cost £200 to fix." Dan Barnes

BUYER BEWARE...

Engine: At around 70,000 miles the 2.0 TFSI can start using more oil. All engine types are known to suffer coolant leaks. With diesels, check invoices for records of DPF work.

Gearbox: Make sure the S Tronic 'box shifts smoothly (some drivers report theirs lurching). If it's a Quattro, check the rear diff casting is dry.

Suspension, brakes and tyres: Test the electronic parking brake, making sure it deploys and releases without fuss. Try a few emergency stops to test the ABS - there have been issues with the control unit. Feel for steering wheel tremble, suggesting alignment or balancing issues. Listen for noisy suspension on speed humps. Where fitted, cycle through the adaptive suspension settings. Be sure you can tolerate the stiff ride on larger wheels.

Body: Lots of A4s are ex-lease cars and while superficially tidy may show evidence of repairs - some good, some bad. Check panel gaps and for overspray. Feel for damp carpets in the boot and cabin. Be sure the headlights work, because LED units are expensive.

Interior: A4s wear their mileage well. A shiny steering wheel and worn pedal rubbers may indicate a higher mileage than displayed. Cross-check MOT mileages online. Be sure the air blower, infotainment and cameras work and your phone connects. Listen for noisy trim and suspension.

Recalls: The A4 is the subject of no fewer than eight recalls, ranging from a suspect front backrest (recall released 2017) to, where fitted, a hinged towing bracket with a faulty hinge-locking module (2021).

Also worth knowing: Official Audi servicing isn't the cheapest, but pay-monthly plans ease the pain. To find the right one for your A4, go to the service area on Audi's website and enter its registration number and mileage.

For a 2020-reg A4 2.0 TFSI 40 with 57,000 miles, Audi quoted us 24 payments of £19.99 for the Standard plan (two oil services and two MOTs).

HOW MUCH TO SPEND

£2000-£7999: Lots of early, starship-mileage diesels.

£8000-£12,999: Early diesels and 187bhp petrols with mileages a touch below 100k, rising to 20-reg mid-mileage 148bhp petrols.

£13,000-£19,999: Peak A4 shopping territory, with a huge choice of engines, specs and mileages, up to 2020-reg.

£20,000-£28,000: More facelift examples, ranging from 23-reg TFSI and TDI 35 models showing around 40,000 miles up to super-low-mileage 24-reg cars.

Grandland grand tour: A rapid, relaxing Parisian fling in my electric Vauxhall

Sat, 7 Nov 2026 06:00:00 +0000

An important mission in Paris awaits – is the Grandland Electric the right car for the job?

My summer trip across France in colleague James Attwood’s BMW iX3 has given me confidence in the idea of longer journeys in an EV, so when daughter Elsa asked if I’d give her – and most of her worldly goods – a lift to Paris for a year of studying abroad, I had no hesitation in taking the Grandland Electric.

Two warnings to note. First, the Vauxhall’s bootlid isn’t steel – as I found when I ordered a magnetic UK plate and it promptly fell off. Second, you’ll need a Crit’Air emissions sticker if you’re going into a major city in France, and don’t trust a quick Google search when buying one.

I was served a number of scam websites charging £40 for this vital pass, which you’ll need to access low-emission zones even if you’re in an EV, but then discovered I could get it for just €5.11 (about £4.40) from the official government site. Then the only thing left to do was pack (grateful once again for the huge boot) and disable the automatic main beam function: the Intelli-Lux headlights adapt to avoid dazzling oncoming traffic so don’t need deflectors.

Because I was going to be out and back within 24 hours, I booked myself on to an evening LeShuttle from Folkestone. Taking the Channel Tunnel is by far the quickest way to get to the continent and there are other advantages too – such as being stuck on the next available train when I was running early.

I was surprised to find my car wasn’t considered large and was directed to the top deck, which was a bit of a squeeze. But looking at it in situ, it’s really more of a tall estate car than a traditional rugged SUV. LeShuttle is a fast and relaxing way to travel and soon spat us out in France.

We’d booked an overnight in Amiens and the Grandland made swift progress on the autoroute, whose smooth surfaces suited the firm ride. Only a fair amount of wind/road roar disturbed the peace. The car did demand a bit of correction to stay on track too, particularly in crosswinds.

Although it’s quite comfortable cruising at the 130kph (81mph) limit, economy takes a steep dive if you do. My total average dropped from 3.5mpkWh to 3.3mpkWh during the trip, and I reckon we were returning well under that at those speeds, dropping the range below 200 miles.

With no chargers at our cheap motel, I was up at dawn to plug in at a nearby supermarket while Elsa slept, before another toll-road blast to the outskirts of Paris, then the inevitable crawl around the Périphérique and into the middle of town.

Sadly, Paris underground parking is designed for Twingos, not Grandlands, and after squeezing in through the narrow, steep, concrete-lined entrance, I spent most of the day worrying about how we’d get out again. But with Elsa safely installed, she helped me emerge unscathed and, after an emotional goodbye, it was back on the road bound for Calais.

On a previous trip to Bordeaux, I’d been amazed by the number and quality of charging options, but the Parisian trail appears to be less well served. So upon leaving the capital, I plumbed in a major shopping centre, but the promised 300kW stations were out of service and the best I could find was a 150kW unit a walk away from the supermarket where I’d planned to stock up.

Although the Vauxhall has a maximum charging rate of 160kW, the most it received was 120kW and it took over an hour to add 55kWh (I’m becoming convinced that charging rate is even more important than battery capacity), so I opted for a couple of brief top-ups en route rather than another lengthy wait.

That aside, it covered nearly 700 miles in two days with ease and I arrived home far less exhausted than I’d expected. Mission accomplished.

A 2000-mile road trip in a Mercedes E450D proved diesel still has a place

Sat, 7 Nov 2026 05:00:00 +0000

When a flight isn't available, only a big diesel will do - and they don't get much better than this

How often do any of us use our cars for the exact purpose they were designed for? I'd wager the answer is 'not very'.

As I creep off LeShuttle and into the French daylight, I think about the death of the big diesel estate. Audi and BMW have dropped their mile-munching load luggers from sale in the UK, and you can sort of understand why. Great Britain isn't a large island, after all, so who really needs the ability to haul a wardrobe from Plymouth to Inverness on one tank?

Well, I do - but not on our poky little rock in the sea. I've got a full tank of Rudolf's finest, it's 790 miles to the northern tip of Denmark and I'm behind the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz E450d Estate. And I'm wearing sunglasses. Hit it.

I probably ought to explain what I'm doing. Every September, the motoring journalists of Europe flock to the bleak but charming seaside town of Tversted as part of the judging process for Car of the Year.

I've flown to the Tannistest for the past few years, but airline schedules have changed, so if I'd tried the same thing this year I'd have found myself at a loose end at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport for eight hours. So I've chosen to drive and to do so in a car that was designed to crush continents.

France goes as quickly as it comes and I cross into Belgium, a land of average speed cameras that turn flowing motorway traffic into a single blob, making the feeling of making progress impossible. As I reach Brussels, the traffic gets even worse, slowing to a crawl through mile after mile of roadworks. In anything else I'd be seriously annoyed. Cocooned in the E-Class, though, I'm miraculously unbothered.

It's immediately clear to me that one of this car's biggest talents is the ability it has to disconnect you from the annoyances of the road, cosseting you in a cathedral of luxury as you float along on the air suspension.

Even at low speeds the ride is impressive, taking in nasty potholes as if they weren't there at all, while the lightness of the control weights does a stellar job of keeping me at ease.

Brussels is cleared and normal progress resumes, the quietness, the velvety ride and the multifunction massage seats turning what would have been a drag across the Low Countries into something of a blur. I cross the border somewhere near the old Zolder Formula 1 track, passing into a short and utterly unremarkable section of the Netherlands.

Before long I'm in Germany. I know this partly because of the signs but mostly because a BMW M6 Cabriolet has just blasted past me at approximately Mach 2. It's an invitation that looks awfully tempting, despite my aim to use as little fuel as I can.

At present, a litre of diesel will cost you €2.40 (£2.03) out here. I check the trip computer and see the Mercedes has been barely sipping since crossing the Channel, having averaged an impressive 48mpg.

It would be nice to keep this up, I think - and then I remember how rare it is that I find myself on an unrestricted autobahn and decide to plant my right foot. Unfortunately, this Sunday afternoon is surprisingly busy and I don't really find the space to stretch my legs as I waft past the gargantuan steelworks of Duisburg.

However, as the sun sets past Osnabrück, the traffic begins to thin out. I select Sport mode, feel the air suspension hunker down to its lowest setting and get childish with the throttle.

The way the E450d gains speed is oddly sedate. There are no kicks to the head from gearshifts or moments of stasis: it just gently pushes you onwards at a seemingly constant rate of acceleration with a level of serenity that completely belies the serious speeds at which you soon find yourself.

The turbocharged 3.0-litre straight six up front is a real masterpiece, generating a staggering 553lb ft of torque from just above idle all the way up to 2800rpm and allowing the car to simply surge forward. As 367bhp propels me towards Dinklage, I realise that driving quickly on an unrestricted autobahn is possibly one of the most exhilarating experiences this side of base jumping.

As I approach 140mph, I feel like I'm looking a mile down the road, my saucer-sized eyes searching for even the slightest hint that someone might pull into lane three. Middle-lane hogs are a nuisance in the UK; over here they're a genuine threat to your life.

As I'm using all of my brain function to ensure the road ahead remains clear, the one thing I don't have to worry about is the car itself. It remains unbelievably planted at high speed, the steering wheel rock-solid in my white-knuckled hands, and the only real signs that I'm doing more than double the UK speed limit are the animalistic yet slightly muted howl of the wind and the speed at which things are approaching through the vast windscreen.

I hit the 155mph limiter and back off, the car staying stable under braking as I exit the autobahn and enter my hotel for the night.

The next morning, I rise early and make a run for the Danish border, a mere 200 miles north, at a more sedate pace. With the engine sitting at just 1500rpm at my chosen cruising speed of 80mph, the three-pointed star at the end of my bonnet leads the way through a grey dawn.

I'm making good progress until I hit Hamburg, catching the rush-hour traffic. Frustrating, but at least it gives me plenty of time to admire the incomprehensibly large container ships moored right next to the autobahn.

The roads empty again as I approach Denmark, stopping only for an eye-wateringly expensive fill-up at the last fuel station before the border. Even with far more high-speed running than I'd planned for, I've still covered almost 600 miles on one tank with range to spare.

After a refill, a 225-mile slog up the spine of Jutland awaits. Frankly, the less said about this section the better. This is a very pleasant country, with gently rolling hills and lush green fields, but you do get extremely bored seeing these two things over and over again.

Even this car can't make this trip go past quickly, so it's a relief when I finally park up on the beach and find road test editor Matt Saunders ready to meet me for dinner.

Flash cut to two days later and I'm once again approaching Hamburg, having travelled the length of Denmark twice on a single tank of diesel.

This time I don't bypass the city, instead heading straight into its heart. It's a busy old place with surprisingly narrow roads once you get into the warehouse district, but the E450d takes it firmly in its stride, the low windscreen scuttle allowing me to easily place the car on the road and the light steering letting me palm my way around the city with ease.

I've come here to visit Miniatur Wunderland, the world's largest model railway. As I wander around marvelling at the scale of the place - more than 10 miles of track across 12 layouts, populated by 292,000 figurines, 11,800 cars and 52 flying planes - I get a call from my hotel in Lüneburg, saying that I must be there before 8pm, as that's when the check-in desk closes.

A quick check of Waze tells me that I won't be there until 8.15pm. Ah.

What follows is a mad dash for the historic city. Escaping Hamburg, I find myself on a blissfully quiet stretch of unrestricted autobahn, and once I hit that magic 200kph (124mph) mark I don't fall below it again until I reach my exit.

When did I arrive? 7.53pm. It's what this car was made for, after all...

The next morning, I set off across the countryside at a much more relaxed pace, eager to eke out the last little bit of diesel in the tank. In Comfort mode the E450d will shut down its engine and freewheel along at the speed limit, something that allows me to get all the way to Ralf Schumacher's karting centre before I need to replenish the tank I've covered 659 miles with. That's 49mpg - impressive stuff.

Germany slips by as I cruise the 250 miles to a little town called Dietzhölztal, high in the rolling hills of the Rhenish Massif. The twisting passes around the town reveal a new dimension to the E450d, letting me see its less relaxed side.

Obviously it's no Lotus Elise, but 2140kg has rarely felt so light, and I quickly traverse the hills. The steering is so much better than you would expect, not giving you all that much feel but compensating with wonderful weighting in a rack that's so well sped, while the four-wheel drive system operates with ruthless efficiency.

I've decided to visit Dietzhölztal for one reason and one reason only: to check out the recently opened National Auto Museum. It's possibly the most impressive such museum I've ever visited, situated in a former factory and populated by a collection of cars amazing enough to keep me there for days. With everything from a Tatra 77A to a Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Roadster on show, it's all I can do to keep my jaw off the floor.

Mind sufficiently blown, I head north-west for my overnight halt in Cologne, and when dawn breaks I set my sights on Calais.

On my way, I stumble across Europe's largest open-cast mine, populated by a fleet of 100m-tall excavators that are among the largest vehicles on the planet. They're so large that they're officially referred to as landships - a moniker I don't think would be ill-fitting if applied to the E450d, owing to the ease with which it travels unthinkable distances.

I'm watching my fuel gauge all the way back to France, hoping and praying that I can make it on one tank. It's a little touch and go at times, but some gentle driving means that by the time I reach the Eurotunnel I've still got 50 miles of range showing up on the dashboard.

Filling up, I reflect on my journey. I've covered just shy of 2000 miles across five countries in six days, which is no mean feat. I

s there a better car for the job? Based on how relaxed I still feel, I think not. Bravo, Mercedes.

VW Group could put Chinese tech architecture in 75% of European cars

Fri, 6 Nov 2026 13:51:31 +0000

ID Unyx 08 is first car co-developed by VW and Xpeng, and could be a global tech flagbearer

Firm evaluates adopting electricals developed with China's Xpeng across core models in its home market

The Volkswagen Group is evaluating whether to deploy its China-developed electrical architecture across the majority of its future European core models – a move that could dramatically reshape the German firm's global engineering strategy as it battles to cut costs.

According to internal discussions confirmed by Group board member and Volkswagen brand CEO Thomas Schäfer, up to 75% of the firm's core models in Europe (spanning the Volkswagen, Cupra and Skoda brands) could eventually use the China Electronic Architecture (CEA).

Developed in partnership with Chinese EV maker Xpeng, the CEA is described as “a zonal electronic and electrical architecture with high-performance central computing” that “enables software-driven innovations across all powertrain types”, from combustion to hybrid to electric.

The proposal signals a significant shift in Volkswagen's regional strategy. The firm currently relies on the CEA for the Chinese market and is developing a separate RVT electrical architecture with American EV maker Rivian for the western hemisphere.

The RVT architecture is set to make its debut on the production version of the ID Every1, Volkswagen's upcoming electric successor to the entry-level Up, which is tentatively scheduled to be unveiled at the 2027 Munich motor show.

Speaking on the Volkswagen Group's evolving software strategy at an event in China, Schäfer outlined the complex geopolitical and financial calculations driving the debate.

"First of all, it's clear that we need two architectures ultimately. One is CEA and one is RVT for the western hemisphere," he said.

"We are at the moment looking at the most cost-efficient way of making it ready for the volume segment and we are investigating if the CEA is indeed the right one for Europe.

"The minute you start making either software architectures of vehicles ready for Europe, complying with all the European rules and regulations, you make the cars more expensive here in China or you create a variant.

"So there's always a debate: do you make the cars here in the most competitive market more uncompetitive in order to have an advantage in Europe or is it better to stay separate?"

While Schäfer cautioned that no final decision has been made, he indicated a strong leaning towards adopting the Chinese technology for the European market.

"I believe it will be," he said, "but we're not finished yet."

The potential pivot comes as Europe's largest car maker faces intense pressure to lower EV development costs and fend off fierce competition from Chinese rivals.

How the Skoda Peaq takes family luxury to new levels

Fri, 6 Nov 2026 13:30:00 +0000

The all-new Peaq represents a bright new future for Skoda, one in which it combines its traditional strengths of usability and value with a generous helping of luxury

Think Skoda and you probably think practicality, smart touches and lots of space for your money. The brand has built its reputation on giving families the things they actually need, without asking them to spend a fortune in the process.

But luxury? That's perhaps not the first word that springs to mind.

That is changing with the arrival of the all-new Skoda Peaq, the largest and most luxurious vehicle the brand has ever produced. It's a seven-seat electric SUV that's packed with the sort of features you'd normally expect to find in considerably more expensive cars.

And yet, despite all that extra luxury, Skoda hasn't forgotten one of the qualities that has made it so popular in the first place: value for money. Prices start from £51,980, making the Peaq cheaper than many direct electric seven-seat rivals.

Luxury and value? That's got to be peak Skoda. So, what exactly does the Peaq bring to the table?

Learn more about the Skoda Peaq

Enormous space

Skoda has always been rather good at making the most of the space available inside its cars, and the Peaq takes that idea to another level. It's the largest Skoda ever made, measuring almost five metres long, 1.7 metres tall and just over 1.8 metres wide, with more than 2.9 metres between its front and rear wheels.

Those are some serious dimensions, and they translate into a cabin with plenty of room for seven occupants. First and second row seats can recline, while third row passengers have more than enough space to get comfy – giving everyone the opportunity to properly relax, while the optional adaptive suspension helps keep the ride positively cloud-like.

And, naturally, there's plenty of room for luggage, too. With all seven seats in use, the Peaq offers 299 litres of boot space. Fold the rearmost seats down and that increases to a whopping 890 litres, while the usual collection of hooks, cubbies and smart storage solutions means there's plenty of room for all the smaller things a family tends to bring along.

Relax Package

Let's be honest, sitting around waiting for your electric car to charge at a rapid charger isn't the most exciting, or comfortable, way to spend your time. Usually, you're stuck sitting in the same position you've been in for the last few hours, with little opportunity to properly kick back and relax. That's where the Skoda Peaq's optional Relax Package comes in.

Spec it, and your Peaq will be transformed into a portable airport lounge. The upgraded Relax front seats are officially certified for back health by the German AGR institution and come with massage functionality, electrically adjustable leg rests and Comfort pillows. In other words, you can stretch out, put your feet up and get properly chilled.

You can also kick back and watch YouTube or a movie on the Peaq's large, 13.6in central touchscreen.

The Relax Package also brings a handy fold-away table, which can act as a sturdy workstation for your laptop or somewhere to put your drinks, snacks and other goodies while you wait for the battery to recharge.

Although, as it happens, you won't necessarily have to wait that long. Thanks to its monster 199kW charging capability, even the largest-battery Peaq can charge from 10-80% in around 28 minutes.

Panoramic sunroof with Dynamic Shade Control

As we've already established, the Škoda Peaq doesn't do things by half, and that attitude extends to its optional panoramic sunroof with Dynamic Shade Control.

For starters, it's the largest sunroof ever fitted to a Škoda, measuring more than 2.1 square metres. The result is a cabin flooded with natural light, adding to the airy, spacious feel.

But when you want a little less sunshine, there's no need for a conventional physical shade. At the touch of a button, Dynamic Shade Control changes the glass from brilliantly clear to perfectly opaque, almost like something you'd see in a Star Wars film.

Even better, the roof is split into nine independently controlled segments, so you can adjust the opacity of different sections individually. That means rear passengers can block out the light if they're having a snooze while those in the front can keep the view open.

Sounds by Sonos

When Škoda set out to make the Peaq its most luxurious SUV yet, a premium sound system was always going to be part of the package. So it teamed up with Sonos, the world-renowned audio brand best known for its high-end home sound systems.

The result is a seriously impressive setup, with no fewer than 16 speakers positioned throughout the Peaq's cabin to create an immersive 3D sound experience. There's a subwoofer – housed in an 18-litre chamber for deep, resonant bass – a centre-dash speaker and speakers built into the doors and door pillars.

The result is up to 755 watts of rich, detailed sound, with the speakers spread throughout the cabin so that everyone gets to enjoy the music exactly the way they want to.

Park your Peaq, even if you're not in it

One of the nicest things about modern luxury cars is that they increasingly take care of the little jobs for you, and the Peaq is no exception.

Its Trained Parking system can learn a particular parking manoeuvre after you've performed it once, allowing the car to repeat it whenever you return to the same location, such as your driveway. You simply control the accelerator and brake while the Peaq takes care of the steering. And when it's time to leave, the car can reverse itself out of the saved space, too.

Better still, you don't have to stay inside the car at all. The Peaq can perform these manoeuvres remotely, recognising a previously saved parking area and prompting you when it's ready to take over. You can then get out, approve the procedure through the MySkoda app and watch as the car handles the parking shuffle by itself.

Smart touches, everywhere

For all the Peaq's impressive luxury features, it's the smart little touches dotted around the cabin that remind you this is still very much a Skoda at heart.

Take the electric tailgate with Virtual Pedal. If you've arrived home with your hands full, simply wave your foot beneath the rear bumper and the boot opens automatically. There are also two wireless smartphone charging pads, which are illuminated and cooled to prevent your phone from overheating, as well as being magnetised to stop it sliding around while you're on the move.

There's wireless smartphone connectivity, too, allowing you to run Apple CarPlay or Android Auto through the large, 13.6in central touchscreen. You also get Skoda's 10in Virtual Cockpit which put puts key driving information right where you need it.

And that's perhaps the Peaq's biggest achievement. It might be Skoda's first true luxury car, but it hasn't achieved that by forgetting what made the brand successful in the first place. In other words, the Peaq hasn't abandoned the traditional Skoda formula. It's simply taken it somewhere considerably more luxurious.

All in all, if you had to say where the new Skoda sits in the luxury-car class, you could say it's right at the peak.

Learn more about the Skoda Peaq

EV emissions in spotlight as increased weight drives up tyre wear

Fri, 6 Nov 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Increased wear, owner neglect and driving style cited as factors, as particulate emission rules present new challenge

New research shows that increased weight and neglected maintenance cause EVs to suffer more tyre defects than combustion-engined cars - but experts say faster tyre wear won't erase their overall climate advantage.

According to a report by analyst New Automotive, for every 1000 MOT tests on cars three to eight years old, about 26 EVs recorded tread below the legal limit, compared with 18 petrol cars.

Cuts reaching the cords were recorded in approximately 30 EV tests, compared with 14 petrol cars. The comparison covered 1.6 million EV tests and 17.9 million ICE car tests.

"For a per cent extra weight of car, you get a percentage extra in tyre abrasion," said Nick Molden, founder of Emissions Analytics, calling it "a rough rule of thumb".

He added: "An EV would typically be 20% heavier than an ICE car. Before fitting specialist tyres, you're looking at 20% or so more wear on an EV."

The British Tyre Manufacturers Association (BTMA) has also found a higher tyre failure rate among EVs. Its latest figures put the failure rate for EVs at 6.0%, compared with 4.7% for diesels and 4.3% for petrol cars.

The BTMA points to greater weight and instant torque wearing tyres more quickly.

Darren Lindsey, head of the BTMA, said driver behaviour and maintenance are also part of the problem, explaining: "People tend to drive and forget now."

He argued that because EVs need less routine servicing, tyres can be overlooked.

Lindsey warned that the higher reported defect figure - roughly 80% higher than for ICE cars - shouldn't be interpreted as a direct measure of wear.

"That's probably down to how people are treating the vehicle," he said, pointing out that a defect could be "a cut in the sidewall", "a small bulge" or another problem that isn't simply down to tread wear.

Maintenance aside, Jon Andersson, Ricardo's global technical expert on emissions measurement and standards, pointed to several reasons why EV tyres wear more quickly.

"Mass is definitely an important factor - perhaps the most significant," he said. "But speed, braking, tyre characteristics, alignment, maintenance and driving style can all play a part."

CAN EV-SPECIFIC TYRES CUT WEAR?

Molden said specialist EV tyres are generally "just offsetting the added wear from the extra vehicle weight and torque" but that comes at a price: EV tyres, "in round numbers, are up to 50% more expensive than normal ICE tyres".

Molden said the main problem comes when "these heavy cars with high torque" are fitted with tyres "which are not suitable for that" and that the wrong tyre can double wear rates.

WHAT ABOUT EMISSIONS?

While EVs wear out their tyres more quickly, experts say increased degradation does not necessarily mean more pollution - but EV-specific rubber could bring its own set of concerns.

Andersson said wear and airborne emissions aren't equivalent: "A tyre with higher overall wear does not necessarily generate proportionally more airborne particle pollution."

Yet as impending Euro 7 abrasion standards compel manufacturers to create longer-lasting compounds, solving wear may simply shift the hazard. Molden said new compound formulations "will affect the toxicity of the particles".

That chemical profile remains a critical blindspot. University of Surrey professor Prashant Kumar, who studies the impact of air pollution on health, said tyre-wear particles can contain metals and chemicals whose long-term health impact "is not very well understood". Larger rubber fragments stay on the ground and are washed away by rain but finer particles "could become airborne" and pose a risk.

Asked to comment, the BTMA pushed back, saying any changes to materials or product design are subject to "extensive technical evaluation and scrutiny".

SUSTAINABILITY CONCERNS

If EVs wear through tyres more quickly, another issue is what happens to them once they are spent.

Molden said "around two billion" end-of-life tyres are discarded globally per year. Manufacturing more tyres would add to CO2 emissions, he said, but that wouldn't wipe out the overall CO2 advantage of an EV. He put this at "approximately 50% on a life-cycle basis", not including the impact of the tyres themselves.

He added: "Intuitively, the combustion engine produces a lot of CO2. Tyres on average last about two years, so there is no way going through tyres faster will negate the benefit of electrification."

WHAT'S NEXT FOR EV TYRES?

Volkswagen Mission Efficiency: Continental has developed a new compound for VW's new streamliner. The tyre has an 'industry-leading' rolling resistance around 25% less than needed to hit an 'A' rating under the EU's energy-efficiency label system. The tyres will influence Continental's next-gen EV compounds.

Citroen 2CV: Here 'digital twin' technology monitors the car's and the tyres' metrics (laden weight, temperature, pressures etc) to create a digital simulation of the tyre - its 'twin'. The car then adjusts its behaviour to suit - for example, ramping up the stability control in lower-grip conditions.

Classic cars can do the everyday: 2500 miles in my E30 BMW 325i

Fri, 6 Nov 2026 11:55:00 +0000

All eyes are on BMW's Neue Klasse era, but touring in my Touring shows the Old Klasse still shines

How did you celebrate 50 years of the BMW 3 Series? I may have taken it a bit far by buying this E30-generation 325i Touring from 1990.

Ever since selling my Porsche 944 four years ago, I've had a hankering to own an old car again. Something simple, light, moderately interesting and, above all, fun. The E30 ticked the boxes of being a relatively compact car (it's narrower than a current Mini Cooper C) with an interesting engine, rear-wheel drive and a manual gearbox.

It strikes that balance of being purer and more mechanical than modern cars but still comfortable and refined enough that you can take it on big trips quite easily. My parents got a 320i when I was two years old, so it was the first car I was really aware of, and my own first car was a 316i Touring too.

When I saw the ad, I immediately knew this was the one. It's a good colour combo and has factory air-con (which doesn't work, yet). It's also a manual car that's had a few choice performance upgrades over the years (a limited-slip diff and Bilstein dampers).

Some people say E30s are really expensive now. Compared with 10 years ago, when you could pick up a 325i for a few thousand pounds, I suppose they are.

On the other hand, this very nice example cost me less than a new Renault Clio. Just how nice is something I intend to find out soon by taking it to a classic BMW specialist to try, and hopefully fail, to poke holes in it.

Not just an MOT

Almost any 35-year-old car will have lived a life, and even though 91,000 miles is relatively low for the age, that's still plenty of time for components to wear out and rust holes to form. You can read all the buying guides you want before you view a car, but in the end you can never know everything.

Very soon after buying my E30 BMW 3 Series, I booked it in with Classic Bahnstormers for one of their 'appraisals'. Initially I was a little startled at the cost (£456), but then this isn't just a superficial MOT. They take it for the day for both the mechanics and bodywork guys to dig into it, take parts off and do a test drive.

The result is six sheets of A4 listing absolutely everything you could do to restore it to showroom condition-from the major stuff (leaky radiator and perished fuel hoses-eek!) to impossibly minor stuff (no rear ashtray illumination) - and an hour-long phone call to come up with a plan.

The takeaway is that my car is a really good one with next to no rust and I could probably get away with just doing some essentials. The trouble is I'm permanently in road tester mode, finding every functional fault. I've kept old cars going with ad hoc repairs and just ended up frustrated.

This one is probably a keeper, so it has to be right. I can live without ashtray illumination, but the air-con, suspension and central locking all need to work perfectly. This might get expensive.

A-B testing

The trouble with old cars is that you’re never sure whether a particular attribute is down to design, or that particular example with 92,000 miles and a mix of old original, new original and aftermarket components.

If I’m honest, I’m slightly disappointed with the ride and handling of my 325i. It has a slightly lazy front end and a crashy ride. I had suspicions that the Uniroyal tyres (decent quality but not very sporty tyres) and the H&R lowering springs weren’t doing it any favours. I needed some A-B testing to know for sure.

Fortunately, Autocar shares an office with Classic and Sports car, whose deputy editor Aaron McKay owns a very tidy 325i Sport, albeit a saloon from 1986. A plan was hatched for a car swap.

Aaron’s car has the same Bilstein B6 dampers as mine, but with standard M Technic springs, and rides much better, with no penalty in handling. The steering also feels a bit lighter but tighter and more incisive, and the gearchange is more precise.

It feels a bit quicker too, with less valvetrain noise (although it may just be masked by the naughtier stainless exhaust). Detail stuff, but all together, it really does tie the driving together.

It was really interesting driving the two back to back, and reassured me that there are gains to be made with my car. Between the tyres, the springs, some suspension bushes that need replacing and an overdue service, I think my car can easily be lifted to the next level.

Still a do-it-all car even after 36 years

I've been delinquent in writing about my E30 BMW 3 Series, but not because I haven't been driving it. My intention was to get a usable classic to actually use, and that's what I've been doing. So as I near a year of ownership, here's a rather-too-quick round-up.

A while back, I was attending a launch in the south of Portugal and, instead of flying, decided to drive there by way of the Portsmouth-Santander ferry. Because the Autocar long-term garage was full of plug-in hybrid SUVs, it had to be the E30.

It was at Classic Bahnstormers in Gloucestershire for a load of deferred maintenance, because the previous owner drove it about 1500 miles in six years and it had sat idle for 10 before that. I begged them to hurry up, they obliged and I set off on a 2500-mile road trip.

There's no better way to get to know a car, and the E30 turned out to be exactly what I wanted it to be. It doesn't feel like a modern car at all, but it does have the comfortable seats, noise isolation and grunt to eat miles like one.

It will sit happily at whatever fast motorway speed you like. Then, as the roads of central Portugal got more interesting, it turned fun and engaging. It's practical too, yet also narrow enough to fit through the alleys of medieval towns. And it returned 30mpg, which I think is pretty good

The MPG readout on the 'on-board computer', by the way, is dead accurate. Of course, it will still do old car things. The heater matrix started to leak blue coolant over the beige carpet, the headlining got soaked after a rainstorm, it now requires a lot of cranking to start and the driver's door needs a secret handshake to open.

Nothing that stopped progress, but clearly those issues need addressing soon.

Finally everything works. I think….

After my 2500-mile continental road trip – more than my 'E30' 325i Touring had done in the past 10 years – a few things needed sorting out. When I'd told the classic BMW specialist to hurry up before my road trip, they hadn't got round to fitting a new radio and fixing the air conditioning. But they have now.

By far the biggest cost was the heating and ventilation. A company in the US makes a kit to convert the E30's air conditioning to modern R134a refrigerant, with a new compressor, condenser, filter-drier and a bunch of lines and brackets, although fitting it to a right-hand-drive car is apparently a bit of a pain, as is replacing the leaking heater matrix.

Anyway, that was sorted out, along with the temperamental central locking system, the aerial that was letting water into the roof, and the slowly failing fuel pump. To finish things off, a new radio went in. I couldn't bear a modern one with blinking lights, so I went for a retro Blaupunkt Frankfurt, which looks exactly like the kind of thing it could have come with new, except it has Bluetooth and DAB..

It all took a couple of months because sourcing parts for old cars can take a while, and I did tell them to take their time because I wasn't going to drive it through road salt anyway.

I think I now have a 36-year-old car where everything works, but that does draw into focus other areas for improvement. It's still on aftermarket sport springs that are too hard and too low, and for a car that has a reputation for swapping ends, I find it disappointingly inert in the dry. I suspect the Uniroyal RainSport tyres aren't doing it any favours.

I see some original springs and better tyres in my future. It's just like a regular lease payment on a new car…

5000 electric Volkswagens hit with 80% charge limit over fire risk

Fri, 6 Nov 2026 09:53:11 +0000

Owners of some ID 3, ID 4, ID 7, Buzz and Cupra Born models are unable to fully charge until the battery is checked

Owners of some electric Volkswagen and Cupra models have been prevented from charging their cars past 80% over concerns that the battery could overheat and catch fire.

The Volkswagen Group is preparing to issue a recall for selected ID 3, ID 4, ID 7, ID Buzz and Cupra Born models produced between 2022 and 2025 in order to check that their battery components "meet quality standards".

A recall issued in other markets also includes Audi Q4 E-tron models produced during that period, but the SUV is not listed by the UK notice.

The notice applies to around 5000 cars in the UK, Autocar understands, of some 85,000 worldwide.

The affected vehicles are fitted with batteries from an unnamed supplier, containing components that "might not meet our high-quality standards" and could overheat when charged above 80% capacity, "posing a fire risk", said VW.

"This could result in serious or life-threatening injuries to people inside and outside the vehicle, as well as significant property damage," the company warned.

There have been no confirmed cases of injury, said VW, but some property damage has been reported.

Ahead of the impacted vehicles being checked, an 80% charging limit has been imposed via an over-the-air update, meaning owners are unable to use their car's full range in the meantime. Based on official WLTP figures for the ID 3, the 20% shortfall could amount to between 40 and 70 miles of lost range.

Volkswagen says it has contacted retail customers where possible and advised fleet companies of the move. It has also posted notices on the relevant brand websites.

The company advises that technical faults with the battery would not be "necessarily recognisable" so all 5000 cars will need to be checked. It has not given a timeframe for the process.

Owners will be contacted and some will need to take their car to a workshop for a physical safety check – lasting one hour – and battery modules replaced where needed.

Other cars can be checked and updated over the air, said VW, and owners will be given a date and instructions in due course.

Huge '9 Series' SUVs cracked China - can they beat Range Rover here?

Fri, 6 Nov 2026 08:00:00 +0000

China's largest, premium SUVs are set to go on sale in Europe after dominating their home market

The claim that China’s car industry is exporting its overcapacity isn’t being disproven by the recent decisions of brands including BYD, Freelander, iCaur, Jetour and Zeekr to sell 5m-long SUVs in Europe.

Chinese brands have been persuasive in selling us SUVs slightly bigger than our normal comfort zone of around 4.5m, but these Goliaths are well outside that.

This isn’t a targeted strategy but more a spray-and-pray, given that 5m-long SUVs here are a tiny category dominated by a handful of entrenched premium brands.

These ‘9-series’ SUVs (so-called because most have a 9 in their name) are a booming category in China as local brands look to more profitable segments. Without too much effort I counted more than 20 of these monsters on sale there, most launched within the past year.

Their specs are eye-popping. In an effort to derail Land Rover and the German premium brands, the likes of Aito, Leapmotor, Luxeed, Nio and Xiaomi have chucked the kitchen sink at their home-grown alternatives. Most are range-extender EVs, with 50kWh-plus batteries, an 800V electrical architecture for ultra-rapid charging, air suspension, sub-5.0sec 0-62mph times and lavish interiors.

The inspiration of the Range Rover and/or the Defender can be clearly seen in their designs. Either you’re off to the opera or Outer Mongolia. If it’s the latter, perhaps the Xiaomi Skynomad N90 might suit, with its camper van-style pop-up roof and one-touch bed mode for the second and third row of seats.

This voracious competition is gobbling up the established premium brands in China, which are losing sales at a frightening rate.

“In China the market is rapidly declining, and especially for the Western premium manufacturers,” said a gloomy Håkan Samuelsson, Volvo’s CEO, last month.

Most successful is the BYD Fangchengbao Ti7, which, astonishingly for a 5m-long SUV, sneaked into China’s top 10 best-selling models chart in August. This car is now available in the UK as the plain BYD Ti7 plug-in hybrid, starting at £47,995.

Other brands are being even more bullish. Geely-owned Zeekr is offering its opulent 9X, another huge plug-in hybrid SUV, for €119,500 in Germany and France.

Now comes the crunch. These behemoths meet or beat the local premium SUVs on tech. Spec for spec, they do on price too. But the brand aura carefully cultivated by the likes of JLR is a forcefield in Europe that the Chinese will find much harder to penetrate than in their own market. These are the rare Chinese models that are likely to remain niche.

Dacia considers Renault Bridger EV as Fiat Panda rival for Europe

Fri, 6 Nov 2026 07:00:00 +0000

Due to go on sale in India next year, production Bridger may also be offered in Europe by Dacia to cut emissions

Dacia is considering bringing the Indian-market Renault Bridger to Europe with electric power as part of a push by the Romanian brand to reduce its CO2 emissions.

The Bridger, revealed as a near-ready concept earlier this year, is a chunky, small SUV in the mould of the Suzuki Jimny. It was designed to sit underneath the slightly larger Renault Duster - an adapted version of Dacia's European SUV of the same name - in the French brand's Indian showrooms.

It will be launched next year in line with the Renault Group's strategy to significantly expand its global footprint by introducing market-specific models in key regions.

As with other international offerings, including the Renault Filante, Boreal and Niagara, the Bridger hadn't been planned for launch in the company's home market of Europe.

However, with the group's value-focused Dacia brand needing to electrify its line-up quickly and affordably, and with heavy incentives in place to build its cars locally, company insiders have revealed it could adapt the Bridger for the European market, where it would go up against the similarly conceived Citroën ë-C3 and Fiat Grande Panda Electric.

Electrification and reducing CO2 emissions are top priorities for Dacia, with the Romanian firm trailing its Renault Group counterparts on emissions, owing to its limited electric line-up.

Dacia is also reviewing its plans in light of proposed rules under the EU's new Industrial Accelerator Act. This could introduce super-credits for EVs built in Europe, which would be more generous for models that are less than 4.2m long.

Dacia has announced that it plans to launch four EVs by 2030 but hasn't named them. Autocar can reveal that they are the Spring, Sandero, Sandero Stepway and a fourth car.

That final slot was intended to be an electric version of the new Striker crossover, but plans for that have been cancelled, according to sources, and a European-built version of the Bridger is a contender to replace it.

Speaking at the Paris mator show last month, Renault Group CEO François Provost said the Bridger was "created for India but it could one day come to our markets too".

As reported by Autocar, Dacia is due to also add a production version of the Hipster microcar to its European line-up in the coming years, but that will sit outside the main car line-up as a Citroën Ami-sized quadricycle.

Pierre Henry

Rebranding or reblanding? Car logos are trading character for cleanliness

Fri, 6 Nov 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Vauxhall and McLaren are the latest to adopt bold, simple new emblems - but where's the individuality?

So the Griffin has become the latest prey of simplification syndrome, with the Vauxhall logo one of many that have in recent years been made increasingly basic and two-dimensional.

One aspect of the new look feels deliberate: the griffin has laid down her flag ('her' because in heraldry female griffins typically had eagle's wings, like Vauxhall's logo usually does, whereas males had spikes).

It's the first time in 111 years she hasn't held one aloft.

Could be a coincidence, could be because flag-waving apparently isn't perceived as quite such a done thing as it used to be and the griffin is evidently not one to be seen climbing a lamppost.

Seems a pity if it is culture war-related, but I imagine it will be back one day.

The second aspect of the redesign is less of a lifestyle choice and more of a modern necessity.

See also McLaren's recent redoing, the flattenings of Lotus (2019), Volkswagen (2019), Citroën (2023), and many more besides. Reblandings rather than rebrandings.

It's hard to hold designers to account for this. At least it's hard to hold company logo designers responsible.

Less so, perhaps, the hardware and software creators whose myriad technologies, despite their vast cost and complexity, have apparently limited ability to show complicated three-dimensional logos at different scales.

It's this which is largely behind so many logo redesigns of late.

Tricky or three-dimensional designs are out and simpler, more scalable, more easily presented monochrome styles, which must look the same on a poster or at a mere 120x120 pixels, are in.

Bit of a shame, this, I think. Curiously, in most aspects of life, as things evolve they tend to get more complicated.

All life on earth can trace its lineage back to single-cell organisms from billions of years ago.

Logos, seemingly not so much. They're now so often monochromatic, flat and simple-all driven not by the need for distinctiveness and certainly not to be more beautiful but to satisfy the demands of accurate replication, at any size, in any medium, without distortion, from a small screen to a big one, from being moulded into plastic to printed on a cap.

As a result, though, shorn of effects, colours, shading, shadow and reflection, they're starting to lose their individuality.

Sure, even in a small pixel icon there are lots of colours to choose from and lots of places to put them.

But there's also an almost limitless number of QR code variations, and can you tell those apart?

How the F1-based Mercedes-AMG One hypercar is shaping the brand's new era

Fri, 6 Nov 2026 05:00:00 +0000

From mega-powered electric SUV to savage V6 hypercar, we drive the cars that define modern AMG

The last time I remember Autocar running a story reporting the experience of doing doughnuts from the unenviable vantage point of the passenger seat of one of the most powerful cars on sale, it was 1989, the car a Ferrari F40 and its intrepid pilot none other than a flat-capped, moustachioed Nigel Mansell.

It was not me in the passenger seat that day but the rightly famed and now sadly long departed sports writer Frank Keating. It was one of the greatest pieces of motoring journalism I can recall appearing between these covers and I’d urge anyone to read it, which you can do for free here this month.

Today, I’m afraid, you have me but, like Frank was, I am at least in one of the most powerful cars on sale.

Sadly, it’s not an F40, then and now my favourite road car, but a near 2.7-tonne electric SUV, the latest in a line of bespoke Mercedes-AMG products that began with the gullwinged SLS back in 2009.

We’re going round and round in expensive circles, the 1153bhp at our disposal grinding Michelins to dust while its intrepid test pilot demonstrates how easy or difficult the process of using such a device to describe a mathematically near perfect arc can be, depending on how far you twiddle a knob between the seats. Valuable stuff in a high and heavy five-seat family car, you will agree.

Now, this is not a full road test of the new Mercedes-AMG GT 63 SUV, because while I did drive it, and as fast as I could make it go, it was only for a few minutes within the confines of a vast test track and Autocar requires something a touch more rigorous before designating it a review. For that, you can read my colleague's fuller verdict here soon.

But my experience was perhaps indicative of where AMG is today as it prepares for 1 June next year – the 60th anniversary of former Mercedes engineers Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher getting together over a stein or two to form a little tuning company, borrowing its third letter from the former’s place of birth in Grossaspach, north-east of Stuttgart.

Unlike some such companies, the chaps enjoyed ever closer working relations with the factory, selling cars in Mercedes dealerships from 1990, launching their first co-developed car in 1993 (the C36 AMG) and selling a controlling interest to Mercedes in 1999, which six years later acquired the company outright.

I wonder what you think of when you think of AMG today. To me an AMG is a saloon or estate making sounds that I’d happily have played as I proceed feet first through the curtains under the big chimney. They’re there courtesy of some monstrous bent-eight motor under bonnet lovingly constructed by a single master craftsman or woman in Affalterbach, where the company has lived these past 50 years.

Except there’s a problem. You can’t buy a V8-powered AMG saloon or estate any more. Indeed, if you want a V8-powered AMG today, you need to buy a convertible SL grand tourer, a GT supercar, a G-Class or GLS off-roader or… well, you may still be able to buy a GLE SUV with the big banger under the bonnet, but on the website it’s claimed to be a bespoke car that can only be made to order with no price next to it. So good luck with that. There is, gloriously, the new CLE 646 coupé to consider, but given that it costs north of £600k and all 30 units have been sold already, it can hardly be called a C63 replacement.

AMGs today are otherwise powered by four- and six-cylinder engines, and they’re some of the best such motors in the world, but these are the string quartets and musical ensembles of the AMG world and sometimes you want the full symphony orchestra. We won’t dwell on the disaster that was the attempt to replace a 4.0-litre V8 in the C63 with a hybridised 2.0-litre four (a car now quietly removed from sale without so much as a tear-stained hankie to send it in its way). And, as we've already seen, the EVs are on their way in the form of the GT SUV outlined above and its already-launched GT 4-Door Coupé sibling with its great face for radio.

Now, to be fair, the GT SUV does make V8 noises. Loud V8 noises, a sort of K-tel compilation of AMG’s greatest V8 noises over the years all blended into one stupendous soundtrack if you choose the right mode. And it is unbelievably convincing, right down to the little electric motors in the seats that send shivers up and down your spine in time with every pop and bang on the ‘overrun’. Yes, really. But it’s not quite the same. It’s a battery versus a mechanical watch: both tell the time, the battery-powered one rather better if we’re honest, but there’s nothing like having a chunk of mechanical precision engineering on your wrist.

Not that Mercedes has in any way lost the ability to make genuinely extraordinary engines. Another thing I did that day was drive the AMG One, the only road car ever to feature an engine not loosely based upon but directly derived from a Formula 1 power unit. It is an incredible as it sounds. A 1.6-litre V6 developing 566bhp all by its little old self. To save you the maths, that’s 364bhp for every litre of capacity; the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport's W16 produces around 200bhp per litre.

For an engine designed to last not a few hours but tens of thousands of miles, that’s nuts. It is also unprecedented in the road car arena. And that’s before you’ve added the power from the MGU-H, MGU-K and the front electric motors that give it four wheel drive to provide a total system output of 1063bhp. Did I mention it also revs to 11,000rpm?

Yet despite all this, I thought AMG would drape a veil of civility over this powertrain (designed and developed in Northamptonshire, lest we forget), however gossamer-thin it might be. I thought wrong. If you thought that (A) modern F1 engines don’t make much noise, (B) that small engines don’t make much noise and that (C) small turbo engines make even less noise, you’re in for a shock.

The single-turbo V6 fires up with all the grace of a demolition charge going off behind your head. It’s so loud, so angry and so fabulously raw. Not the slightest attempt to tame it has been made, save that required to get it through homologation which might be its engineers’ greatest achievement of all. You may recall the company went to hell and back trying to get it to work on the road, leading to delays best measured in years and for the former boss of AMG and today chairman and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Ola Källenius to say to some investors at Monaco in 2022: "I will have to go back and check the meeting minutes, but I’m sure we were drunk when we said yes…"

I’m so glad he did. The One is unlike any other road car I’ve driven, because it doesn’t feel like a road car at all, least not in its raciest lower-than-rattler’s-belly mode in which I drove it. You sit bum down, feet up in a driving position more akin to a Le Mans prototype than any kind of normal road car. You then try – and fail – to make sense of the screen in front of you and the one to your right which is telling you the temperatures of myriad components I don’t even recognise. What I do see and understand, however, is that under each one is a little green box with the word ‘go’ at its centre. So I do.

It’s actually quite easy to drive slowly. Pull a paddle, press a pedal and you’re off. I’m following a GT Black Series – far and away the fastest series-production car ever produced by Mercedes, but context is all in such situations and here it is no more than what stands between you, what you know already is going to be a new driving experience and a whole stack of fun. Overtaking is verboten at this event, I guess because they don’t want me trying to find out whether it is car or driver that has the higher personal limit. So I instead I hang back half a lap and then let it do its thing.

It is the only supercar/hypercar I’ve driven that really does feel closer to a racing car than anything intended for the road. Despite its not-very-racing-car 1695kg kerb weight, the way it is set up combined with the vast amounts of downforce it generates, its bespoke Michelin Pilot Cup 2R tyres and the active torque vectoring across the front axle afforded by those electric motors makes it turn in flatter and faster than anything I’d hitherto have credited with being entitled to wear a numberplate.

Such is the lateral acceleration it can generate, when I call it a breathtaking display, I mean it in the most literal way. It is not just the fastest road car to lap the full Nürburgring Nordschleife, it is the fastest by over 14 seconds, dropping the quickest opposition ever to have tried by more than a second per mile, every mile.

And the good news is that the aroma of coffee is once more flooding the halls of Affalterbach. AMG is rolling out an all-new V8, hybridised to keep its emissions within the right window, and I’ll bet every tooth in my head that it will be reintroduced into all those medium and large saloons and estates that we were once so used to seeing with such power under their bonnets. And you don’t go to that kind of expense if you think your new engine is only going to last a few years.

So, from once fearing that AMG might be losing the V8 for good, it now seems it’s likely to be around for the foreseeable. And if that’s not worth raising a stein or two, I’m not sure what is.

Specification	Details
Price	Circa £2.4 million
Engine	V6, 1599cc, petrol plus MGU-H, MGU-K and two electric motors
Power	1063bhp at 9000rpm
Torque	na
Gearbox	7-speed single-clutch sequential, 4WD
Kerb weight	1695kg
0–62mph	2.9sec
Top speed	218mph
Electric range	11 miles (WLTP)
Economy	3.5mpkWh, 28.5 mpg
CO₂, tax band	224g/km, 37%
Rivals	Aston Martin Valkyrie, Ferrari F80, McLaren W1

Pod Power by EDF: The EV tariff that slashes your charging costs

Fri, 6 Nov 2026 04:30:00 +0000

Home charging should be the easiest and cheapest part of running an EV. Here's how Pod's tariff keeps running costs super low without any effort from you

It’s common knowledge that making the switch to electric driving can significantly reduce your daily running costs. That’s because charging at home can be between 55% and 85% cheaper per mile* than filling up at a petrol station – and that’s before you take into consideration the record prices currently at the pumps.

While charging at home is already significantly cheaper than petrol, the energy tariff you choose can make a big difference to just how much you save. Most standard electricity tariffs aren’t designed specifically for EV charging, and drivers on a standard variable rate can be paying as much as four times more than they need to for their charging. So, choosing the right tariff is key to unlocking the biggest savings from going electric.

That’s where Pod Power comes in. As experts in EV charging, Pod has partnered with EDF to create an energy tariff exclusively for Pod customers. Designed specifically with EV home charging in mind, it offers ultra-cheap off-peak rates, potentially saving you hundreds of pounds a year on charging**. The tariff also works seamlessly with Pod Rewards, the rewards programme where Pod customers can earn up to £100 a year in cash for ‘smart’ charging at off-peak times.

The result of all this is clear. By combining an exclusive bespoke, low-cost EV tariff with real cash rewards, Pod is slashing the cost of your daily motoring and putting money back into your pocket.

Here’s everything you need to know about it.

Become a Pod customer and start saving today

Made by EV experts, for EV drivers

Pod knows a thing or two about helping people make the switch to an EV. Founded in 2009, it has spent more than 17 years helping drivers make the move to electric and now has more than 300,000 customers across the UK, making it one of the country’s leading home-charging providers. Indeed, Pod powers more than five million miles of electric driving every single day.

And it’s earned its fair share of plaudits along the way. What Car? named Pod as the Best Value Home Charger Provider in 2025 and 2026, while its seamless, end-to-end home charger installation service is Which? Trusted Trader endorsed – the first EV charging company to receive the endorsement – following an assessment of its customer service and installation process.

And now, through its partnership with EDF, Pod is bringing that charging expertise together with the energy know-how of one of Britain's biggest zero-carbon electricity generators. The result is an offering designed to make charging at home as simple and affordable as possible.

A tariff that could save you hundreds

Pod Power offers an off-peak rate of just 6.18p per kWh, giving eligible customers seven hours of cheap electricity every night between 11pm and 6am. That’s the cheapest off-peak rate available – and it’s considerably less than the 26.32p/kWh rate of a standard variable tariff aligned with the Ofgem price cap. So, what does that mean in practice?

Take an EV covering 8900 miles a year – the distance the average EV driver covers annually in the UK – and averaging 3.5 miles per kWh. That works out at an annual electricity consumption of 2543kWh. If all of that charging takes place during the off-peak period, you’d pay around £157 a year with Pod Power, compared with around £669 on a standard variable tariff.

That’s a saving of more than £500 a year on charging alone – simply by choosing a different tariff.

Get rewarded for smart charging

Pod Power is only part of the saving. Customers can also earn up to £100*** a year through Pod Rewards by smart charging through the Pod Home app.

The app’s clever tech manages your charging for you, automatically charging your EV when electricity is cheapest, so you can make the most of the cheaper off-peak rate without having to manage your charging schedule yourself.

And because Pod Rewards is based on how much you charge, the more often you choose to smart charge your EV, the more you can potentially earn – up to £100 a year in cash on top of the savings you make with Pod Power.

The Pod Home app also gives you control when you need it. Packed with user friendly features, it has a simple boost function that lets you start charging straight away, while you can lock your charger remotely, keep track of your charging activity and manage multiple EVs from one place.

One simple decision

There’s no need to work out your charger, installation and energy tariff separately. Pod brings them together through Pod Drive, giving you two ways to get a Pod Point charger: buy it upfront from £999 or subscribe from £34 a month. Either way, the charger is yours to keep.

Whichever option you choose, you can access Pod Power and Pod Rewards, bringing together cheap overnight charging with the opportunity to earn up to £100 a year in cash for smart charging.

It’s one simple decision that takes care of your home charging from the moment you make the switch to electric – while helping keep your EV’s running costs down.

Become a Pod customer and start saving today

* https://www.smarthomecharge.co.uk/guides/home-charging-costs/

** 8900 miles a year at 3.5 miles per kWh, 2543kWh annually, all charging off-peak. Savings calculated against a standard variable tariff aligned to the Ofgem price cap. Individual savings will vary. Figures correct as of 1st October 2026

*** Maximum figure. The amount a customer earns depends on how much they charge

UK car sales: third of buyers go electric but Jaecoo 7 claims top spot

Thu, 5 Nov 2026 16:09:13 +0000

Car makers approaching ZEV mandate targets after high fuel prices boost EV sales – but ICE car claims crown

Electric car registrations in October reached their highest share of total UK sales this year, at almost 33%, as the overall market continued to grow.

The Skoda Enyaq was the biggest electric seller in the month, followed by the Mini Countryman, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

The Jaecoo 7 was the UK’s top seller for the second consecutive month in October, with 3412 sales, closely followed the Ford Puma, which remains the UK’s overall best-seller for the year.

Volkswagen remained the UK’s favourite brand, with a market share of 9.0% in the month, while BMW overtook Audi for second spot with a 5.6% share. Sales overall grew 5.4% to 152,730.

Chinese brands again shone in October, but their combined market share of 21.3% was lower than for the month of September, when it stood at a record 23.3%.

MG remained the leading Chinese brand in the UK, recording an 85% increase in sales over the same month last year, landing it in fourth spot ahead of Kia and Skoda. Jaecoo was ninth and BYD 10th.

Strong EV sales in October came without the might of Tesla, which recorded just 282 registrations after its September push, when it topped electric sales in the country.

Instead Kia was the number-one EV seller, according to data from independent transport researcher New AutoMotive.

The EV share for the month came within a whisker of reaching the government’s mandated figure of 33% for the year.

The EV share has steadily risen throughout 2026 as buyers have reacted to the rising fuel prices caused by the Iran war, plus the increased availability of more affordable EVs.

The overall EV share for the year stands at 30.4%, although flexibilities in the ZEV mandate system means car makers need to reach only 24.6%, according to calculations by New AutoMotive.

Car makers are hopeful that the government’s review of the ZEV mandate will lower the rising EV sales targets, which are currently set to hit 80% by 2030.

The rise of EVs and plug-in hybrids has bitten into demand for petrol cars, which accounted for 37% of sales, down from 41% same month the year before.

Diesel meanwhile dropped to a new low of 3.8%, recording just 5811 sales in October.

Hybrids also suffered after sales dropped 5% in the month. PHEVs meanwhile grew by 30%, overtaking hybrids with a 15% share versus a 12% share.

"Depressing yet exciting": When Brits were invited on Soviet road trips

Thu, 5 Nov 2026 15:31:13 +0000

Tourist coaches in Red Square, Moscow, in 1967 | Credit: Getty Images

Amazingly, the USSR lifted the Iron Curtain to foreign drivers in the '50s and '60s – but they did keep a close eye…

The common perception of the Cold War period is of two isolated worlds, divided by an unmoving, impenetrable Iron Curtain. Yet in fact communist nations did accept tourism from their capitalist rivals – encouraged it, even.

And while the prospect would have scared many, Autocar found in 1957 that “a road journey through the USSR may be undertaken without apprehension”.

Back in 1928, we had run a report from a war correspondent in which he recalled the revolutionary days of 1921, when some rural people “in their hunger had learned a very ugly form of cannibalism” and “night after night, the dead silence was disturbed by the crack of revolvers from the prison”, and promised: “If you know enough Russian, you can listen to the youths denouncing you as they gather round your car, and asking why, since all men are equal, you should drive while they walk.”

Funnily enough, those quotes weren’t picked out for posters or brochures by Intourist, the state travel agency formed in 1929.

Having successfully run Arctic cruises and opened a London office, in 1935 Intourist began offering motor tours on which Brits could drive their own cars.

For the modern equivalent of £2130, each got “three meals daily, the specified ‘sights’ in Moscow, Novgorod and Leningrad [St Petersburg], services of interpreters, garage of cars and the Soviet visa”.

Of course World War II broke out soon after, and the offer wasn’t reinstated until 1957. Geopolitical relations were tense (the USSR had threatened to nuke Britain amid the Suez crisis, then brutally put down an anti-communist revolution in Hungary), yet incredibly several thousand Brits expressed interest.

Two bigwigs from the RAC took the first tour, reporting in Autocar that, after completing “a mass of formalities” and grillings from border agents, they had “covered 4315 miles in 15 days, through blazing heat and lashing storms”.

“The Brest-to-Moscow highway is a mild imitation of an autobahn,” they continued. “High speeds can be maintained consistently and easily, though vigilance is necessary, for the surface is apt to be uneven.

“Whenever our Standard halted, it became immediately the centre of an admiring crowd, eager to fire questions at us on all sorts of topics.”

The problems were the scarcity of fuel stations and their low-octane petrol, the length of time needed off work and the high cost (£5410), due to unfavourable exchange rates.

Despite this, not to mention the ever-looming spectre of nuclear apocalypse, a few thousand Brits visited the USSR in 1958.

One reported in Autocar on a 1963 holiday with his wife and children in their Riley 1.5 – complaining of inedible food, scarce signage, lane-hogging lorries and threat of arrest for using the wrong roads or taking photos in the wrong places.

In 1973, another writer “made the mistake of driving at night – an extremely hazardous experience. Soviets have a habit of driving without any lights, and it was common for them to become irate when passing our lit minibus.”

“The boredom and long hours on the road are worthwhile just to be able to visit the capital,” he added. “The Kremlin, overlooking Red Square on one side and the Moskva river on the other, the colourful cupola domes of St Basil’s and GUM, the world’s biggest department store, are all sights that had to be seen. The wide thoroughfares, too wide for normal traffic, some of the grotesque buildings and the grey, sullen faces of the people all add up to make Moscow an interesting city.

“We found the USSR depressing yet nevertheless exciting. The people were always friendly and extremely helpful and showed great interest in our travels and in our Ford Transit.

“Intourist became more and more disorganised as we proceeded deeper inside Russia. However, they always managed to keep a check on us and knew exactly where we should be at any given moment.”

We visited once more in 1979, on our way home from Sweden in the all-new Saab 900 Turbo. We found it curious how “the border guards were the only Russians who showed the slightest interest in it” but the unrestricted, dreadful roads were ideal “for proving the worth of a fast, rugged car with improved handling and good ride qualities”.

Perhaps the reason so few people realise that Westerners could duck the curtain, then, was because very few would’ve had any desire to do so.

A personal experience - I actually did it

One of the few who did take up the offer was Autocar reader Terry Dudleston, whose parents took him to Moscow in their Jaguar MkVIII M in 1960.

"A lot of the roads were just dusty dirt tracks, and at times our average speed was about 10-20mph," he recalled.

"I can still smell the low-octane petrol, which did cause some pinking even though the Jaguar’s ignition was retarded.

'We were allowed into the Kremlin, obviously with a guide, and we were always aware of being shadowed by men in dark coats – probably KGB – keeping a close eye on us wherever we went.

"The food in Russia was mainly borscht, which was ghastly, but all our guides and translators provided by Intourist were very friendly and helpful. The Jaguar created a lot of interest from locals.

"The whole holiday took four weeks and, as I was only 12 at the time, I probably didn’t appreciate the enormousness of the whole trip and experience."

Car makers win reprieve as EU eases 2035 emissions rules

Thu, 5 Nov 2026 14:45:44 +0000

Credit: Getty Images

Brussels lowers CO2 reduction targets from 100% to 87.5%, paving way for combustion cars to remain on sale

The EU will allow more ICE cars to be sold after 2035 after its Environment Committee approved a proposal to lower CO2 reduction targets to 87.5%, down from 100%.

The committee also voted in favour of a proposal to allow “vehicles running exclusively on eligible fuels” (VEEFs), including biofuels, to be classed as zero-emissions as well as establishing ‘super-credits’ for small and ultra-efficient electric cars built in the EU.

The vote on 4 November was given a cautious welcome by European car industry body the ACEA, which acknowledged the “pragmatic” approach and extra flexibility.

However, the ACEA said more was needed: “For passenger cars this remains too limited in scope and duration to adequately address the industry’s concerns."

Toyota called it a “welcome step” while also calling for more flexibility in a statement to Autocar.

European car makers have been pushing to allow more ICE car sales after 2035 as they struggle to lower the cost of EV batteries.

ICE cars are more profitable for this reason, even as EV sales have soared across Europe this year on account of the increase in petrol and diesel fuel prices.

The 87.5% figure refers to the reduction from the 2021 baseline target and now gives car makers room to sell more combustion-engine models.

A projection by the green lobby group Transport & Environment estimates that car makers could avoid falling foul of the new rules in 2035 even with a 50% sales mix for range-extender EVs.

Under the changes, car makers will have to offset up to 7.5% of their emissions by using credits for EU-made low-carbon steel.

Those companies building EVs up to 4.2m long in the EU will qualify for super-credits meaning every car they sell will count for 1.4 EVs, thus allowing them to sell more ICE cars.

Ultra-efficient EVs over that size would collect credits worth 1.2 sales if they’re made in the EU.

No details on the efficiency targets were announced, but it will probably focus on those achieving above 15kWh per 100km, or 4.0mpkWh.

The UK is currently negotiating for cars made here to qualify under the scheme.

Other concessions made to manufacturers voted for by the Environment Committee include reducing CO2 emissions for vans by 35% in 2030, compared with 40% in the original proposal and 50% under the existing rules. The 2035 target would decrease from 100% to 80%.

The changes are part of a wider package of measures designed to strengthen automotive manufacturing in the EU as it comes under attack from more agile Chinese competitors offering cheaper electrified models.

These measures include accelerating the development of an EU-made battery value chain as well as reducing the legislative burdens.

Mercedes-AMG GT 63 EV: £160k hyper-saloon makes up for the V8

Thu, 5 Nov 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Porsche Taycan chaser brings 1169bhp, game-changing drivetrain tech and eerily convincing ICE sensations

Somewhere between Malaga and the Ascari circuit, focused on driving a car this powerful on roads this demanding, I lost sight of the fact that the new Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupé was electric.

Mostly because the driving experience just feels so alluringly familiar. For starters, it's very deliberately not silent in its more sporting driving modes. Select the AMGForce option and it sounds for all the world like a traditional combustion-engined AMG model: loud, brutish, unapologetic.

The synthetic revs rise and fall, the seat vibrates and the paddles trigger a jolt that feels, absurdly, like a gearshift. It's a carefully orchestrated illusion, all played through a series of speakers, and for a mile or two on those Andalusian roads in the mid-ranking GT 55 4Matic+, it worked a treat.

This is AMG's first dedicated electric model, built on the AMG.EA platform with an 800V electrical architecture and axial-flux motors developed with Yasa, the British firm that Mercedes-Benz acquired in 2021.

A GT SUV will follow early next year, then a GT SUV Coupé, giving AMG three models to take on the Porsche Taycan and Cayenne Electric and Lotus Emeya and Eletre.

The GT 63 4Matic+ is the flagship 4-Door Coupé. Its three motors – one front, two rear – deliver up to 1169bhp and 1475lb ft of torque in 63sec bursts (appropriately), dropping to a sustained 721bhp and 811lb ft during constant throttle running.

The GT 55 4Matic+ uses the same drivetrain layout, serving up 816bhp and 1328lb ft, and settles for a milder continuous output to protect the battery and motors under sustained load.

The GT 63 hits 62mph in a claimed 2.4sec and 124mph in an even more impressive 6.4sec. Top speed is limited to 186mph with the optional Driver's Package or 155mph as standard. The GT 55 dispatches 0-62mph in around 3.0sec, although final figures are unconfirmed.

The motors are of axial-flux rather than radial-flux construction, allowing a flatter, lighter housing than any electric motor AMG has used before. Each rear unit measures just 80mm in width and weighs 24kg.

A 106kWh battery sits low in the floor and centre tunnel, with 2660 cylindrical cells and oil cooling. AMG claims 600kW peak charging, enough to add 286 miles in just 10 minutes, it says. During a demonstration at Ascari, the GT 63 pulled a mind-boggling 637kW, hinting at conservative claims. The WLTP range is put at between 370 to 432 miles, depending on the model.

At 5094mm in length, 1959mm in width and just 1411mm in height, the 4-Door Coupé sits 40mm lower than its V8 forebear.

An adjustable rear spoiler and active diffuser contribute to aerodynamics, but the shape is cleaner and less aggressive than the figures suggest.

Inside, the driving position is a real strength. You sit low, not perched above the battery, with a substantial centre console separating the front seats. The seats provide excellent support and the relationship between wheel, pedals and instruments sets up a fittingly sporting driving position.

A 10.2in instrument display and 14in central touchscreen dominate, along with an optional 14in passenger touchscreen. Crucially, AMG has retained physical controls - most enticingly the three rotary dials marked Response, Agility and Traction, which form the AMG Race Engineer system, each offering nine stages of adjustment. It's a tangible, tactile interface for an ostensibly software-defined car.

Boot capacity is 415 litres; there's no frunk.

On the road, the 4-Door Coupé feels less like a Taycan rival and more like a rethinking of what a fast electric saloon can be. Around town and on secondary roads in Comfort, it's remarkably civilised.

The steering is nicely weighted, the ride settled and the damping excellent – fluid, with impressive shock absorption. It breathes with the road and is superbly controlled, never floaty or brittle.

Switch to Sport+ mode and the character shifts. The throttle sharpens, the ride firms up a notch or two and the synthesised soundtrack, constructed from over 1600 audio files sampling the two-door GT R's twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8, transforms the experience.

It should be ridiculous – and in a way it is. But the AMGForce also heightens the interaction between driver and car, providing clear reference points of throttle position, speed, lateral load, steering angle and braking force. Turn it off and those reference points vanish, leaving you with a car that's undeniably fast but oddly mute.

There's more to it than synthesised noise, though. Turn in to a bend, feed in power and you feel the rear axle helping the car around. By varying torque between the rear wheels, it encourages the GT to rotate towards the apex, allowing you to open the steering earlier and accelerate away hard. It's progressive rather than abrupt, with sufficient feedback to feel natural.

Adjust the agility dial and you can alter how eagerly the rear axle joins in. Keep it restrained and the car feels safe and secure. Dial it up and the rear end responds sharply, allowing you to use the power to pull the nose tighter into the line.

Out on the Ascari circuit, everything scales up. With the electronic systems relaxed, the active rear axle allows the GT 63 to adopt a remarkably adjustable attitude through tighter corners. You can lean on the chassis harder than you would on the road, and it obliges with composure that belies its mass. There's reassuring stability through faster sweepers, while huge carbon-ceramic brakes deliver strong, consistent stopping power lap after lap.

What's most impressive is how approachable it all feels. The GT 63 isn't a car that demands heroics; it simply asks that you trust it and, from what we've seen so far, it doesn't disappoint.

The AMG Active Ride Control air suspension uses hydraulically linked dampers instead of conventional anti-roll bars to stiffen up in corners and softens on straight. The suspension uses forged aluminium double wishbones up front and steel and aluminium multi-links at the rear.

Rear-wheel steering turns up to 6deg, adding to the sense of agility. Underbody Venturi panels also drop down at speed to suck it to the road. The low-mounted battery provides the basis for a centre of gravity that's described as being significantly lower than the old ICE car's.

Body control is excellent, the car resisting roll in a way that defies its substantial 2460kg kerb weight.

The 4-Door Coupeé is not subtle, not restrained and certainly not cheap – but it is genuinely impressive.

The AMGForce function will divide opinion. Some will find it annoying; others will recognise it as an acknowledgement that electric performance, however brutal, lacks the sensory richness of internal combustion. AMG has chosen to simulate it rather than ignore it, and, far from feeling like a gimmick, it adds a layer of theatre that makes the car feel special.

Less potentially divisive are the undeniably impressive technical leaps this car makes: its axial-flux motors are a genuine game-changer, the charging speed lets you top it up almost as quickly as an ICE car and the chassis is a masterclass in controlling mass without ever feeling inert.

Sales have already begun in the UK, with prices ranging from £103,275 for the dual-motor GT 53 4Matic+ to £120,095 for the GT 55 4Matic+ and £159,860 for the GT 63 4Matic+.

The concern was that pure-electric drivetrains would ultimately soften the character of AMG models. But on the right road with AMGForce doing its thing, this proves the opposite.

Mercedes-AMG GT 63 4Matic+ 4-door coupe
Price	£159,860
Engine	Three permanent magnet synchronous electric motors
Power	1169bhp (721 bhp continuous)
Torque	1475lb ft (811 lb ft continuous)
Gearbox	1-spd reduction, 4WD
0–62mph	2.4sec
Top speed	186mph (with Driver's Package); 155mph (standard)
Range	370–432 miles (WLTP combined)
Battery	106kWh usable
CO2, tax band	0g/km, 4%
Key rivals	Porsche Taycan Turbo GT, Lotus Emeya R

The best small electric cars 2026 – driven, rated and ranked

Thu, 5 Nov 2026 08:00:35 +0000

Longer real-world range, rapid charging, and sensible price tags prove you don’t need an SUV to go electric. We rank the best small EVs on sale

Cast your mind back just a few years and small electric cars were tough sells, being compromised by a short real-world range, slow charging speeds and a steep list price.

Today the landscape could hardly be more different. The small electric car segment has been revolutionised by evolving battery technology, falling production costs and government incentives sparking a renaissance at the compact end of the market.

Crucially, the latest generation of small EVs proves that you don’t need an SUV to reap the rearwards of electric motoring. Thanks to the development of energy-dense battery packs and space-efficient platforms, car makers are now able to squeeze all the benefits of an EV into a much smaller package, without sacrificing on range or usability.

But while the class has taken big strides in terms of price and range, the class has never been more vibrant, with buyers able to choose from chic, retro-styled superminis to sensible budget-friendly commuters.

The question is, which small electric car is the best? Our expert team of road testers have driven, tested and evaluated every one on sale. Key contenders on this list have also been extensively assessed through our instrumented road test, in which we gather raw data at MIRA proving ground in order to deliver the most definitive verdict possible.

Best small electric cars at a glance

Car Model	Best For	Starting Price (UK)	Official Range (WLTP)	Boot Capacity
Volkswagen ID Polo	Range, comfort and charging speed	£23,945	200–281 miles	441 litres
Cupra Raval	Handling and practicality	£26,995	203–277 miles	441 litres
Renault 5 E-Tech	Chic styling and all-round ability	£21,495	192–248 miles	326 litres
MG 4 EV Urban	Practicality, space and value	£23,495	200–258 miles	577 litres
Nissan Micra	Mature ride and refinement	£21,495	196–257 miles	326 litres

The best small electric cars

We think the Volkswagen ID Polo is the best small electric car on sale. This is an electric supermini that makes zero compromises on range, charging, comfort and practicality and brings with it the grown-up completeness and refinement of the Golf in a much smaller package.

Equally compelling is the Cupra Raval, which brings all the goodness of the ID Polo but in a lower, firmer and sportier package.

If you’re after something with retro chic, the Renault 5 and Fiat Grande Panda Electric will both appeal on the design front.

Finally, for those who want a small car that maximises practicality and passenger space, the MG 4 EV Urban is the standout value champion.

My Volvo ES90 suffers a very traditional setback - then a brand new one

Thu, 5 Nov 2026 07:00:00 +0000

We though a puncture was bad enough, until our home charger stopped working

Your car can be as fancy-pants-new and technology-led as you like, but whatever you do, it’s bloody hard to get away from the oldest motoring tribulation in the book: a punctured tyre.

Now, on this particular occasion, I’d only driven five minutes down the road to a gong bath. At a guess, I’d say most of you reading this aren’t gong bath-goers, so in case you wondered it’s essentially lying down and listening to the sound of large metal percussion instruments intended to relax you.

So there I was, post-gong bath, in a happy haze of relaxation, when I stepped back into the Volvo ES90 and heard a ping. Low tyre pressure. The relevant screen said the nearside tyre was 31psi while the rest were 40.

My zen state dissipated. I drove straight home, given it was so close, and didn’t take long to find an awkwardly angled nail deep into the tyre, along with the considerable sound of air quickly escaping.

There was little I could do at the time – the ES90 comes equipped with a temporary puncture repair kit rather than a spare – and, as expected, when I woke up in the morning, the tyre was royally flat. I called Volvo Assist (you receive three years’ free cover from a car’s registration date) and within a few hours a mechanic turned up.

He was hoping to patch it or pump up the tyre enough that I could drive it to the nearest dealership, eight miles away, but the nail was so awkwardly positioned that he determined the best option was a tow. Less than two hours later a flatbed truck arrived and took the car to Volvo North West London.

Not long after that, friendly Jamie from said dealership called to inform me they had the correct tyre and the ES90 would be ready to collect the next day. Honestly, if it wasn’t a Volvo-owned car, I would have gone to the tyre place round the corner for convenience, but it was good to see how Volvo’s services tie together to help its owners.

Going from that age-old issue to one far more modern: charging a drive battery. After Ohme installed my home charger, I kept getting this notification on my phone: ‘Charging Error. Your car is charging slower than expected! Is the battery full? Please check your car!’

The battery wasn’t full and, because I’ve not yet had to charge my car urgently, I hadn’t been paying close attention to how long it was taking to charge. That was until a BMW iX3-owning friend used my charger overnight and returned in the morning to find its battery was only half-full…

I checked the app and it was charging at a rate of about 3.6kW, rather than the expected 7kW. I told Ohme and it remotely diagnosed a problem with the current transformer clamp. So an engineer came and changed the CT clamp, but that didn’t address the charging power issue.

At that point it was determined that a CT clamp wasn’t required to manage the electrical load to protect it from cutting out, because I have a 100A electricity supply (rather than, say, 60A), which is – ahem – ample for the household.

Now the Ohme app shows a maximum charging rate of around 7kW, so hopefully it’s all resolved now. Watch this space.

Why F1 picked Rwanda for a new race over France and Germany

Thu, 5 Nov 2026 06:00:00 +0000

As Formula 1 returns to Rwanda, motorsport’s commercial future collides with traditional racing heartlands

There's no place on the Formula 1 calendar for a grand prix in France or Germany, but there will be in the next few years for one in Rwanda. That sums up the state of play, for not just F1 but the majority of international sport today. Traditional heartlands are no longer sacrosanct, especially when untapped regions of the world offer rich returns.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Uninspiring Paul Ricard hasn't been mourned by many F1 teams, drivers or fans (who aren't French) since it dropped off the schedule after 2022, although it's faintly astonishing that Germany hasn't hosted a race since the one-off Eifel GP at the Nürburgring in Covid-affected 2020, especially with Audi having joined Mercedes on the grid. But if F1's eye-watering hosting fees can't be met by either private or public investment, no country should be entitled to a place at the table, especially if demand can be met elsewhere—and there sure is demand for F1 today, given its progress as a global force under Liberty Media since 2017.

In the Rwanda case, a return to Africa for the first time since 1993 would certainly be a good thing and is long overdue, as Lewis Hamilton has consistently pointed out. The new 10-year deal, due to kick in during the early 2030s, once an ambitious new race track is built, is another major landmark for F1 chief Stefano Domenicali and his team, in the wake of the successful US expansion in Miami and Las Vegas. Rwanda is justified by F1's claim of a 100 million-strong following on the African continent, even without a grand prix, and a high percentage of them are under 35. It's great to expose motorsport to fresh eyes, even if it's a shame that fans in countries where racing is rooted must now travel beyond their borders to get their fix.

Naturally, for a country haunted by the atrocities of genocide well within living memory, there's an underlying seam of controversy. Claims of sportswashing followed the announcement last month, for a nation that still has questions to answer on its human rights record. But we've said that before, haven't we? For F1, as in football, boxing and the rest, such queasy inconveniences tend to skim off the surface, along with any suggestions that such massive funding—said to be drawn from a mix of private and public sources—could be spent in ways that might more directly improve the lives of local people.

"Rwanda is one of the world's great success stories," said Domenicali. "A nation of extraordinary natural beauty and stunning landscapes, combined with resilience and courage to overcome and be reborn from challenges of its past. It is a nation filled with ambition, creativity and determination... to become a destination for international investment, innovation and opportunity."

From a sporting perspective, the plans for a circuit based in Bugesera, not far south of the growing capital city of Kigali, are enticing. An initial design for a 3.6-mile, 17-turn layout inspired by established great circuits also includes 200m of elevation change. Ex-F1 driver and two-time Le Mans winner Alex Wurz is involved, which bodes well. Since stepping away from the cockpit, the Austrian has shown the personal qualities that would make for a great FIA president one day.

There's no guarantee the Rwandan GP will happen—not until the circuit exists. But at face value, there's more reason to think it will than it won't. How we feel about that, conflicted or otherwise, is almost beside the point.

Congratulations to Jason Smyth for becoming the first back-to-back Formula Ford Festival winner in the much-loved showcase's 55-year history. But boy, the old junior proving ground is as competitive and contentious as it ever was in its 1970s/1980s/1990s heyday.

Thankfully run in crisp, dry conditions in the wake of Storm Boelo, the grand final at Brands Hatch left a bitter taste for Smyth's rivals Niall Murray and Jordan Dempsey. Let's just say Smyth put up a 'robust' defence while leading from pole position in his Team Dolan Van Diemen. How previous two-time winner Murray came to grief, edged on to the grass by Smyth and into a spin on the run up to Druids, was sadly all too predictable. The winner was lucky to avoid a penalty—but as I well remember from the day Jenson Button left Dan Wheldon spitting Clearways gravel at the close of another contentious final way back in 1998, there are always two sides to every story.

By the time you read this, the Formula Ford swarm will have swept in and out of Silverstone for the Walter Hayes Trophy follow-up, and the British autumn wouldn't be complete without either. Rwanda is welcome to F1, as long as some heartland motorsport traditions are kept alive and continue to thrive.

Radical new Toyota Corolla hybrid set to nudge 100mpg

Thu, 5 Nov 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Crucial new iteration of hugely popular hatch will offer HEV, PHEV, EV and ICE on same platform

Toyota will launch the new Corolla by 2030 with the option of an all-new hybrid system that promises to return almost 100mpg in daily use.

Previewed by a rakish, futuristic concept at last year's Tokyo motor show, the 13th generation of the world's best-selling car will be a complete technical and visual departure from the current model.

As well as ushering in a bold, new-look design language, the next Corolla will be the first to use a new 'multi-pathway' platform that can accommodate all types of powertrain — including, for the first time in the Corolla, pure-electric power.

The new architecture will also host a next-generation hybrid system that is claimed to bring significant improvements in packaging and efficiency compared with the system used by Toyota's current models. Based around a new 1.5-litre petrol four-pot — which can operate with or without a turbo — the new hybrid powertrain is said to be capable of 15% better fuel economy too. Toyota has not disclosed official forecasts but points to the ability of the current Aygo X to achieve mid-80s MPG figures in the real world, suggesting almost 100mpg would be feasible on the road.

The system has also been engineered to be as compact as possible so that it can fit in the new generation of 'EV-first' platforms that will underpin Toyota's future line-up. The engine itself is 10% smaller than the 1.5-litre engine used by today's Aygo X and Yaris — despite having an extra cylinder — and the electric element has been similarly downsized, courtesy of a new motor with a smaller inverter and power control unit.

By making the combustion element of the drivetrain smaller, Toyota will be able to offer ICE cars with the same interior space as their EV counterparts while also enabling lower, sleeker silhouettes, which boost aerodynamic efficiency and thus cut fuel consumption — important for both EVs and ICE cars.

Crucially, engineering a hybrid drivetrain into an EV platform means that combustion and electric versions of the same car can be produced on the same line. This reduces the amount of investment needed in retooling factories and enables Toyota to react more flexibly to changes in demand.

The modular new platform is described as EV-first because, as Toyota Europe R&D boss Thiebault Paquet explained: "The battery-electric vehicle is the most challenging.

"If we want to make that efficient, we want to have the best possible aerodynamics. Also, for the customer, we want to create a good value proposition with packaging space — so we have decided that this is the base platform.

"We don't want to make any compromise. As a result, we need to find a way to integrate the plug-in hybrid and hybrid powertrains [into an EV platform]."

Toyota is also aiming to recoup some of the substantial development costs associated with its new platform and powertrain by selling the new hybrid system to other manufacturers — with its modularity and compact nature touted as chief selling points.

Powertrain boss Timothy D'Herde said: "Thanks to making this powertrain very compact, we also strongly believe in the opportunity from a business point of view — because having this highly efficient, very compact powertrain will allow this to be integrated in other OEMs' platforms."

Toyota says it is in conversation with potential buyers already, including at least one unnamed UK manufacturer. Lotus has used Toyota engines in its lightweight sports cars for more than 20 years, but with the Emira set to swap its Toyota V6 for a new hybrid powertrain supplied by Renault-Geely-owned Horse in the coming years, it remains to be seen which UK firms will take Toyota up on its new hybrid system.

Life after China: Can the US save Europe's luxury car makers?

Thu, 5 Nov 2026 05:00:00 +0000

As Chinese gold rush ends, JLR, Audi, Volvo et al go after wealthy Americans with massive SUVs and local factories

The streets of America are paved with gold, according to the traditional émigré’s wishful thinking.

Europe’s premium car makers have done pretty well to fill those streets with their products, but the US market has now taken on a greater significance as their extended gold rush in China looks to be ending.

Audi announced in October that it would spend $4 billion (£3bn) on building a new plant in Georgia, with production of SUVs slated to start in the early 2030s, belatedly following its German rivals BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

Meanwhile Britain's JLR is expanding sales in the US with the promise that this market will eventually match the size of its entire global business today.

JLR has already lit a fire under its ambitions, with a 52% increase in wholesales (sales to dealers) in the US and Canada across the three months ending September.

Led by sales of Range Rover and Defender models, North America now accounts for a third of all JLR sales, while its once-largest market of China is down at just 7% after sales collapsed by 46% in the quarter.

Mercedes too is growing in the US, promising to invest $7bn in its American operations, including $4bn into its SUV-focused plant in Alabama.

Mercedes so far has mainly focused on larger models for US production but recently announced that it will also build the smaller GLC there.

Sweden's Volvo has also said that it will start building its GLC rival, the XC60, at its plant in South Carolina.

The push to localise in the US is partly to avoid tariffs slapped on imports by president Donald Trump in 2025, which add 15% to the cost of EU-built cars and 10% to the cost of UK-built cars.

But the bigger reason is that the US is a safe haven full of wealthy car buyers who genuinely appreciate European luxury and are prepared to pay for it.

They are becoming crucial to premium car makers after this year’s mass abandonment by Chinese buyers, who turned out to care very little about the heritage behind the propeller, three-pointed star or four rings when presented with objectively better electrified models from home-grown brands.

“The US is one of the most profitable markets and the most promising markets,” Arno Antlitz, CFO of Audi parent company the Volkswagen Group, told investors on its third-quarter earnings call.

In addition to localising production, premium car makers are developing models specifically targeted at US customers and their love of massive SUVs.

Audi will start sales next year of its 5.3m-long Q9, which will look to pick off Range Rover, Mercedes GLS and BMW X7 buyers.

BMW is going one step higher with a new model above the X7 “tailor-made for the US market”, CEO Milan Nedeljković said on the company’s third-quarter earnings call.

Porsche and Volvo are also planning range-topping SUVs, with the latter's CEO, Håkan Samuelsson, saying: “Our cars should not look small when they park beside a Range Rover [in the US]."

JLR is planning a new US-built Defender model developed with Stellantis, reported to be a pick-up and expected to hit a more retro note than the existing SUV.

These behemoths could have also worked in China, given that market’s headlong rush to buy 5m-plus SUVs, but that looks increasingly unlikely, given the collapse in demand for European premium models there this year.

Sales in Europe won’t be nothing for these halo models, but mainly they're designed to grab the attention of Americans and tempt them out of their Cadillac Escalades.

“A one-size-fits-all [approach] will not work in the future; we need much more regional approach,” said Samuelsson on Volvo's third-quarter earnings call.

The US is a rich seam of gold for car makers that get it right. For example, the average selling price of Mercedes cars in the North America in the first nine months this year stood at €64,323, which was 58% higher than it achieved in Asia.

In his pitch to investors earlier this year, JLR CEO PB Balaji told them that the US was already the most profitable market for the company.

JLR plans to “pivot its entire organisation towards the US”, revealed Balaji, explaining that buyers were only going to get richer.

“The sheer number of millionaires and billionaires, the sheer amount of wealth transfer [inheritances] that’s going happen in the next few years, the pedigree of our brands, the [low] level of delivery in that market over the last few years - everything gives us the right to win in the US,” he said.

The market also offers protection against increasingly confident Chinese premium brands, which have been have been effectively banned through tariffs and other barriers.

But the car makers shouldn’t expect to smoothly pivot from China to the US.

“You can’t just take these volumes and just move them into North America as a release-valve market,” said Patrick Hummel, autos analyst for investment bank UBS. “There is not that much growth.”

While JLR, Mercedes and BMW posted increases this year in the US, Audi, Volvo and Porsche sales in the country were all down in the nine months to the end of September.

“The US is very challenging. It has proven to be a difficult market to find profitability in,” said Samuelsson. “The consumer sentiment in the US right now is at a 50-year low. And on top of that you have tariffs. On top of that you also have changes in regulations and electrification.”

Volvo was perhaps hit hardest by Trump's decision to roll back electrification targets and slash EV purchase incentives. The company wrote off the equivalent of £84m in the third quarter because it would no longer receive credits paid by rival companies that weren’t as far along the electrification journey as it was.

Trump’s sudden U-turn on electrification has hurt all European car makers selling in the US, widening the gulf between model strategies there and in their core European market.

Volvo, for example, is well on the path to going fully electric in Europe but has to develop plug-in hybrid and even 'self-charging' hybrid drivetrains for the US market.

“The US is electrifying slower than the rest of the world, so we need to have a new car that is also flexible,” said Samuelsson.

The huge swing towards Democrats in the mid-term elections further complicates future planning for the premium car makers, given the party could reverse the Republicans' anti-EV stance.

The likes of Volvo, BMW and JLR are realising that electrification could present them with a chance to grow sales in the US by being more canny in terms of regional targeting, especially given their Europe-honed advantage over the few home-grown premium incumbents, like General Motors' Cadillac.

Volvo, for example, has split its US organisation into four regions, said Samuelsson: “For example, [we have a] boost plan around California which is actually quite highly electrified and fits very well to our electrification strategy."

JLR too is confident its new EV products such as the Range Rover, Range Rover GT and Jaguar Type 01 can help it grow its American share by unlocking new markets.

“In Los Angeles you'll find a lot of our products, but just go a little bit up north into San Francisco and you will not find us; we are not there in Seattle,” said Balaji. “The reason they don't want us is that there's no electric vehicles.”

However, the idea that American growth can balance sales lost in China is fanciful, especially given that everyone will be chasing the same limited pool of customers.

“It has been a nice couple of decades, where the growth in China has basically allowed you to grow everything from the R&D department to other nice-to-have things,” said Hummel.

"Now is the crunch time where you just have to right-size the entire organisation, including the overheads in Germany, to [cope with] the new realities. You can't rely on the US market to really offset that weakness in China."

EV drivers in conservation areas miss out on relaxed charger installation rules

Wed, 4 Nov 2026 12:36:25 +0000

Government has loosened planning process for home chargers – but many households aren't included

Electric car drivers who live in one of the UK’s many conservation areas could face extra costs and delays when installing home charging equipment, despite recent changes to planning rules aiming to speed up the process.

Historic England told Autocar that nearly two million households are located within conservation areas across England, which are not included in the new permitted development rights that make it easier for motorists without driveways to install cross-pavement charging infrastructure.

This means people living within those boundaries without off-street parking may still need planning permission for both the charger and the pavement channel.

Historic England doesn't have data for how many conservation area homes lack driveways, but the national average is around 40%.

The government’s plan to streamline the charger installation planning process – announced last month – has raised questions about how the new rules will work in conservation areas in Oxfordshire and Hertfordshire, where councils are already running cross-pavement charging schemes.

Oxfordshire County Council, which has 260 conservation areas, according to Historic England, told Autocar that it was “temporarily pausing new applications from residents” in these protected locations. It's also “holding applications that are conditionally approved, rather than risk residents incurring unnecessary planning costs”.

It added that it's working with local planning authorities to clarify the requirements for homes in protected locations. “When these matters are resolved, applications will reopen,” a spokesperson said.

Shayne Rees of Gul-e, which installs cross-pavement charging channels for the council, said a few dozen applications had been affected by the decision.

According to Rees, the council is trying to get on “rock-solid ground” before advising residents about the new rules. “I think we're talking days and weeks,” he said, rather than months.

Meanwhile, Hertfordshire County Council, which is running a cross-pavement charging trial with St Albans City and District Council, is taking a different approach.

It said it will “continue to consider applications for cross-pavement charging channels on a case-by-case basis”, including those in conservation areas.

It will add an additional step to its initial assessment to check whether an applicant lives in one of St Albans’ 19 conservation areas. If so, they will be advised to obtain the necessary planning approvals and directed to the relevant local planning authority.

Of the three such applications so far, one has been approved and the other two are still being considered.

According to AA president Edmund King, Hertfordshire County Council charges a £200 non-refundable assessment fee, while installation of a pavement channel normally costs £1200 after the subsidy. Those living in conservation areas also have to pay for planning permission for the charger.

Michael Goulden, founder and CEO of cross-pavement charging company Kerbo Charge, warned that the residual planning requirements for residents in conservation areas could put drivers off switching to an EV.

“There are already deterrents when people think about going electric,” he said. “People are leaving behind something they know and understand for something new.”

Getting planning permission for a cross-pavement charger “could take up to three months”, Goulden said, although he added that “it can be a little quicker”.

Goulden also wants to make planning applications less complicated, saying: “What we don’t want people to do is have to submit architectural drawings or in extreme cases carry out wildlife impact assessments."

Instead, he suggested that residents could submit a marked up photograph showing where the charger and pavement channel would be installed.

Historic England said it's “supportive of initiatives to design installations that are compatible with the historic character of conservation areas” and is considering changes to its guidance.

King added: “There obviously needs to be a balance between protecting our historic streets and helping people make the switch to electric, but these two objectives shouldn't be mutually exclusive.

"With discreet chargers and properly installed pavement channels, councils and government should be able to develop a simpler, proportionate approach.

"Home charging is one of the big advantages of running an EV, so we shouldn't create a two-tier system where having a driveway or simply living on the wrong historic street determines whether you can easily access it."

Peaq and Epiq: Meet the cars shaping Skoda’s electric future

Wed, 4 Nov 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Skoda has doubled its electric offering in one fell swoop with the all-new Epiq compact SUV and Peaq SUV

Confidence. As any sportsperson will tell you, it is the foundation on which you achieve peak performance, which in turn leads to epic success. Well, Skoda is a brand that is absolutely brimming with the stuff, demonstrated by the launch of its two new, trailblazing electric cars: the Epiq compact SUV and Peaq seven-seat SUV.

They bookend Skoda’s existing electric lineup – consisting of the award-winning Elroq and Enyaq – and introduce an all-new direction for the Czech brand in the form of a new, daring design language, reams of cutting-edge tech, and all the smart, spacious and stylish Skoda features you’d expect. Here’s everything you need to know about them.

Experience Skoda’s electric range

Skoda Epiq: a new generation of electric compact SUV

The Skoda Epiq is the new entry point to the company’s battery-powered offerings. With a starting price of less than £25,000, not only does it undercut some rivals by thousands of pounds, but it also represents a watershed moment of achieving near price parity with many petrol-powered alternatives. The result: Skoda’s electric expertise is now accessible for more people than ever before.

The Epiq has been developed on Skoda’s new MEB+ electric vehicle platform, which is designed for smaller EVs. This flat-floor, wheels-at-each-corner architecture has allowed Skoda to do what it does best: maximising interior space. Despite its city-friendly exterior dimensions, the Epiq is easily capable of carrying five adults, while its 475-litre boot is one of the biggest in its class, complete with all the clever hooks, cubbies and netting you’d expect of a Skoda.

The exterior of the new Skoda Epiq has been shaped with the brand’s new Modern Solid design philosophy, which features the now-distinctive Tech Deck face first seen on the Elroq electric SUV and a new T-shaped design for its front and rear LED lights. But the design isn’t form over function; a drag coefficient of just 0.275Cd means the Epiq eases its way through the air instead of shouldering it aside, which makes it a highly efficient electric vehicle.

On the topic of efficiency, there are two battery options available to Epiq customers – a 37kWh and a larger 52kWh. This means the Epiq offers up to 272 miles range (WLTP) and can be fast charged in under 25 minutes.

And there are two power outputs of 135PS and 211PS available from the electric motor, which drives the front wheels for the first time in an electric Skoda. Acceleration is punchy regardless of which version you go for, with 0-62mph covered in as little as 7.1 seconds. It also features one-pedal driving, making driving in-town seamless.

The interior of the Epiq also features the essence of Modern Solid, so it isn’t just spacious, it’s also the sort of space that makes you feel good about being in it. The Epiq envelops you in an area that feels stylish, functional and luxurious; it helps you to feel confident about and enjoy any journey, no matter whether you’re commuting to work or heading off for a long weekend of outdoor activities.

There are two trim levels, SE L and Edition, and the standard equipment roster on SE L is lengthy; it includes LED lights at both ends, a digital driver’s display and 13-inch central touchscreen, wireless smartphone connectivity, keyless start/stop and adaptive cruise control. Single zone climate control and rear parking sensors are also standard. Edition trim enhances the offering by adding sat-nav, a heated steering wheel and heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, wireless smartphone charging and a rear view camera. And of course, you can stay in touch with your Epiq at all times using the MySkoda app.

First Edition models – which are only available in a limited number at launch – come with a number of unique styling touches, including orange door mirror caps, a strip on the wheel trims, a black roof, and 20-inch alloy wheels.

Learn more about the Skoda Epiq

Skoda Peaq: a new level of family luxury

Even for a brand that’s known for designing and building exceptionally spacious vehicles, the all-new Skoda Peaq is the company’s definition of ‘going big’.

The Peaq is an all-new electrically powered seven-seat SUV designed for the sort of families who prefer spending their weekend adventuring rather than sitting at home. To that end, it’s the biggest car Skoda has ever made at nearly 4.9 metres in length – and that means you can bring all of the family along, as well as the next-door neighbours. There’s more than enough room for seven adults to be perfectly comfortable on a day out. Indeed, the nearly 3.0-metre wheelbase also translates into a vast amount of legroom for all concerned.

And the Peaq has your back if you want to carry luggage along with the living and breathing cargo. So, with all seats in use there is still 299 litres of boot space behind the rearmost seats, a huge 890 litres when the two rear seats are folded flat, and a van-like 2075 litres when all the seats are folded down. And if that isn’t enough, there’s also a 37-litre frunk under the bonnet, which is perfect for storing charging cables and suchlike.

The word ‘large’ doesn’t merely describe the Peaq’s dimensions, because it can also be used about the car’s battery, which is the largest ever fitted to a Skoda EV. This huge 91kWh battery allows the car to cover up to 395 miles between charging stops, and it can be recharged at speeds up 199kW, which means a 10-80% top-up takes around 28 minutes, barely enough time to consume a sandwich and a brew.

Better still, like the Epiq, the Peaq is a car that likes to share, so you can use its battery to power other electrical devices, such as a caravan or an electric bicycle. Or a kettle. Whatever suits you, in truth.

This gargantuan battery powers a choice of powertrains, called the 90 and 90x, the latter of which offers the security and extra traction of four-wheel drive. Power outputs range from 286PS to 299PS, which means any Peaq is properly fleet of foot, covering the 0-62mph sprint in as little as 6.8 seconds.

There are three trim levels available, called SE L, Edition and SportLine. Even SE L cars are well equipped with items such as a 13.6in central infotainment touchscreen with haptic controls, a 10in digital driver display, wireless smartphone charging, a heated windscreen, heated seats in the front and rear, and electric tailgate with Virtual Pedal, LED headlights and a mobile digital key that allows you to use your smartphone or smartwatch to access the vehicle.

Edition cars add a mix of real and artificial leather upholstery, matrix LED headlights, an illuminated Tech Deck face, Remote Park Assist and Trained Parking. SportLine models feature 20-inch alloy wheels, gloss black detailing, sports seats, a heated steering wheel and cloud-like Dynamic Chassis Control.

There are several options that can elevate your Peaq experience further. Spec the Relax Package and your Peaq will be transformed into a portable airport lounge. The upgraded relax front seats are officially certified for back health by the German AGR institution and come with massage functionality, electrically adjustable leg rests and Comfort pillows. In other words, you can stretch out, put your feet up and get properly chilled while waiting for your car to top-up on a public charger.

The Peaq is also available with the biggest sunroof ever fitted to a Škoda, flooding the cabin with natural light and adding to the light, spacious feel. Better still, it’s fitted with Škoda’s new Dynamic Shade Control. At the touch of a button, you can change the glass from brilliantly clear to perfectly opaque, like something you'd see in a Star Wars film.

Moreover, the roof is split into nine independently controlled segments, so you can adjust the opacity of different sections individually. That means rear passengers can block out the light if they're having a snooze while those in the front can keep the view open.

Finally, as you’d expect of a Škoda, value for money is key, which is why the Peaq’s pricing starts from just £51,980, which undercuts many of its direct seven-seat electric rivals by thousands of pounds. In fact, the price is about the only thing about the Peaq that isn’t big.

With the launches of the all new Epiq and Peaq models, Škoda has doubled its electric-vehicle offering in one swoop, and in the process has made a Škoda SUV available to a far wider customer base.

The new Epiq is a small SUV par excellence, because as with many other Škodas, it packs a vast amount of space and luxury into a comparatively diminutive footprint, which makes it both great to spend time in and completely unintimidating to drive. It’s the perfect car for the small family of today.

Meanwhile, with the new seven-seat Peaq, Škoda has entered the luxury-SUV arena with a car that offers a vast battery range, a huge amount of cabin space, copious amounts of standard equipment, and high-end ambience that makes you feel great about simply being in it.

These two new models are indicative of a Škoda that’s looking to the future. And with them it has every right to feel confident about that future.

Learn more about the Skoda Peaq

Why car makers won't slow EV push - even if ICE age extended

Wed, 4 Nov 2026 07:00:00 +0000

Manufacturers now seem likely to stick with EVs due to demand, rather than government policy

If the UK or the EU were to water down emissions legislation to give combustion-engined cars a longer exit route, would we see anything different in terms of the new cars launched?

One industry expert thinks not.

"The manufacturers are going to change exactly nothing," Patrick Hummel, automotive analyst at investment bank UBS, said recently. "If anything, I would accelerate the rollout of a proper EV portfolio."

The environmental lobby has long been pushing governments to stay strong on the 2035 timetable for phasing out new combustion-engined cars, but a statement like this from a big bank indicates that something major has changed.

Sell-side analysts like Hummel provide investment clients with detailed reports on the financial health of companies. These reports are figure-heavy, often impenetrable to outsiders and largely free of emotion (when not discussing Tesla). If the strategy of the target company isn't working financially, the next report carries a 'sell' message for clients to offload their stock.

EVs have been financially problematic. The cost differential with ICE vehicles couldn't be priced in, because demand wasn't there, reducing profits. But this summer that changed.

EV demand has soared as the gulf between the cost of fuelling ICE cars and EVs has widened sharply. New EVs now promise long ranges at prices little different from ICE equivalents. At the same time, charging infrastructure has markedly improved, achieving what Hummel calls the "triple parity" that finally shifts consumers.

Some car makers are still sacrificing profit margin to sell EVs, but others aren't. Volvo, for example, says its new electric EX60 makes a bigger profit than its ICE sibling, the XC60.

"It shows that you can make money on BEVs," the company's commercial head, Erik Severinson, told investors recently.

Car makers, then, have little choice but to speed up the EV rollout or lose out.

Hummel referenced Volkswagen's problem of waiting lists for its new ID Polo small EV extending into summer next year: "They decided on a ramp-up a couple of years ago, now they're surprised how many people actually want the car." Not every potential ID Polo customer will wait, he said: "They might shop for a BYD in the meantime."

Two years ago, we were mid-gloom about EVs after the early-2020s enthusiasm didn't pan out - now they're hot property again. No one knows what's next, but it's clear that fortune favours those with the quickest reactions.

India's Mahindra prepares 2027 UK launch with bold SUV trio

Wed, 4 Nov 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Long-range, tech-heavy SUVs – designed in Oxfordshire – primed to lead Indian giant's UK push

Indian car-making giant Mahindra is planning to launch in the UK next year with a range of striking electric SUVs designed in Oxfordshire, Autocar has learned.

Plans for Mahindra entering the UK market date back to 2016, when the company launched the battery-powered e2o city car and outlined a strategy to build a line-up of pure-electric models in the UK, where its Formula E racing team was already based.

The slow-selling e2o was dropped after a matter of months, but Mahindra rekindled plans for a full-scale UK entry in 2022, when it revealed five electric SUVs styled at its newly opened Banbury design studio and confirmed that it was targeting a European rollout a year later when it showed the chunky, Jeep-style Thar.E off-roader concept.

Now concrete plans are finally taking shape and Autocar has learned that Mahindra is only around a year away from putting cars in showrooms, with three of its UK-designed electric SUVs lined up to lead its push in the market.

Autocar understands that customer clinics have taken place as part of Mahindra's efforts to define its positioning and gauge its commercial potential in the UK.

Early pricing information suggests it will pitch its cars at the upper end of the mainstream market, in a similar space to the likes of Cupra and DS.

A source familiar with Mahindra's plans told Autocar that one of the brand's first UK cars will be the dramatically styled BE 6 (pictured above) – priced from around £41,000 to face off with the Tesla Model Y, Ford Explorer and Renault Scenic.

Based on Mahindra's self-developed Inglo platform for EVs, the BE 6 is offered in India with a choice of 59kWh, 70kWh and 79kWh batteries (the biggest sourced from China's BYD) for a claimed range of between 345 and 424 miles, and a choice of 225bhp and 278bhp rear-mounted motors.

Mahindra is understood to be targeting a simple line-up in Europe, with each of its models offered in just one mechanical specification – like Chinese brands Omoda, Jaecoo and Leapmotor – but it remains to be seen which combination of motors and batteries it will export.

An undisguised BE 6 prototype has been spotted testing on public roads near Mahindra's Banbury base, suggesting that homologation is under way on UK-spec cars.

The larger XEV 9e (below) – a similar size to the BMW iX3 and Audi Q6 – shares the BE 6's platform and drivetrains and is tipped to sit above it at £48,000.

Both cars feature a striking, tech-heavy cockpit with a panoramic digital display hosting the driver cluster and a central touchscreen – optionally accompanied by a separate touchscreen for the front passenger.

In addition, the smaller SUV can be had with an unusual 'halo' structure around the driver, inspired by Mahindra's Formula E single-seaters.

Mahindra has shown an additional, range-topping SUV to its UK focus groups, mooting a starting price of £52,000. This is understood to be a model not yet on sale in India – most likely the BE 07, a chunky mid-sized SUV (shown in concept form below) based on the Inglo platform with a similar footprint to the new Mercedes-Benz GLA.

Mahindra didn't comment when approached by Autocar, and it isn't yet known how the firm plans to scale up its retail presence in the UK.

COULD INDIA BE THE NEW CHINA?

Although India is the world's fourth-biggest producer of cars, the only models it currently sends to the UK are the Suzuki eVitara – built in Ahmedabad by market leader Maruti Suzuki – and its badge-engineered Toyota twin, the Urban Cruiser.

But last year India slashed exorbitant import tariffs on UK-built cars from as much as 110% to 30%-50% and it will eventually reduce that to 10%. The slackening of India's fiercely protectionist policies has been touted as an enabler of freer trade between it and the UK, which would have particularly positive implications for the UK's premium car manufacturers.

The UK government has reciprocated with a similarly structured approach to reducing import fees on Indian cars, paving the way for Mahindra to finally make good on its long-planned launch in the market – and possibly for further Indian-made cars to come.

Can BYD beat Renault? £26k Dolphin G PHEV takes on Clio

Wed, 4 Nov 2026 05:00:00 +0000

BYD's smallest PHEV is an intriguing new kind of supermini. Can it topple a fresh but familiar Clio?

For a market segment that emissions and safety requirements were supposed to have driven into oblivion by now, the European supermini class seems to be in rude health.

Four superminis in particular retain spots in our continent's top 10 best-sellers chart, which is proof that the appetite of European drivers for compact, efficient, well-priced cars, fundamentally straightforward in outlook and primarily petrol-fuelled, is ready to withstand almost anything.

The Renault Clio is one of those four (along with, for the record, the Dacia Sandero, Peugeot 208 and Opel/Vauxhall Corsa). Its success so far this year has been fuelled by the introduction of the sixth-generation version, which we're about to get to know a bit better.

The Clio has had to adapt to survive—to grow, mature and electrify—since the original model sashayed onto the scene back in 1990. Yet somehow it remains the closest thing the class has to an archetype. The defining and enduring, sophisticated yet simple, universally appealing and successful small European hatchback.

Today, in Denmark, we find out what chance it has of surviving its next existential threat. To date, the Chinese manufacturers that have been rapidly establishing their presences in various key European territories—chiefly the UK—have focused their attention mostly on bigger cars. There have been few serious Chinese tilts at fighting Europe's true heavyweights: its best-established, best-loved miniature heroes.

The BYD Dolphin G, however, is clearly a very serious car. This is a European-style supermini, made in China for now but destined for BYD's new factory in Hungary, with a brief to take on the indigenous population. And—spoiler alert—it's a rather good one.

First impressions

The Mk6 Clio has been on sale in Europe since the beginning of 2026, but won't arrive in the UK until early 2027. It's slightly longer and wider than the Mk5 we have now, on a longer wheelbase but using the same CMF-B platform. More interesting still, to us, is its altered, coupé-aping roofline and raked rear window; its slightly mean, pouty expression; and the fact that Renault uses words like 'technical' and 'resolute' to describe it. This is a Clio that Renault wants you to admire and desire—but categorically not because it's bonny or cute.

The Dolphin G is nearly 50mm longer but, more strikingly, 150mm taller than the Clio, and a lot less rakish. In its detailing, it's fairly sophisticated: a lot more so than the unrelated, fully electric Dolphin supermini of 2023. But in its overall shape, it's still like the kind of superminis that Europe was buying a decade or so ago: slightly tall and gawky but smart—and friendly-looking, just a bit MPV-influenced and not especially stylish.

It looks a little as if BYD split the difference between two design proposals: one bold and distinct, the other just a boil-washed, hatchback take on a Seal or Sealion. Like they couldn't quite understand the concept of putting so much unique personality into something so little.

I think it's fair to record that you might well buy the new Clio just for the way it looks—if it happens to be to your taste. With the Dolphin G, you still probably won't—but, to our eyes, it's well past the threshold of respectability.

Under the bonnet

This wouldn't be 2026 if we weren't talking about electrified powertrains—Renault will offer the Clio with a conventional 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol engine and a manual gearbox, if you would prefer one, but it expects the majority of buyers to choose a full hybrid, like our test car.

While the Mk5 Clio E-Tech uses a 1.6-litre engine, the new one moves to a 1.8-litre petrol motor and a bigger battery, with power swelling from 141bhp to 158bhp. Renault's innovative '4x2-speed', hybrid-specialised, clutchless automatic gearbox is carried over, though, as is the 48bhp main electric motor.

As we know from other Renaults, this is the kind of hybrid system that can run for short periods on electricity alone (at low speeds in town or maintaining a modest cruising speed out of town) but depends on its reciprocating pistons when there's meaningful work to be done. Which is to say nothing of the main technical difference between these cars: the Dolphin G can be plugged in and the Clio can't.

Using a high-compression, Atkinson-cycle, 1.5-litre petrol engine as a back-up and a generator, the Dolphin G's 161bhp main electric motor powers and drives it the vast majority of the time. And, in tandem with the 18.3kWh battery fitted to middle- and upper-tier models (compatible with both AC slow and DC rapid chargers), that means you can drive on electricity alone for 65 miles.

Yes, in a supermini. I would love to know how many superminis travel farther than 65 miles a day on average, but my guess is that 5% would be a very generous estimate indeed.

Is it fair to treat these cars as rivals, then? It's a reasonable point, albeit a redundant one, because right now there's no such thing as a PHEV supermini class in Europe. The Dolphin G becomes the only car of its kind with genuine, meaningful, home-chargeable, electric-only running. The closest things we've had to it have been range-extender EVs in the BMW i3 REx and Mazda MX-30 R-EV, both now departed.

Value for money

And then there's the price. You would expect a PHEV to cost more than a 'self-charging' hybrid, whichever class of the car market you happened to find it in. Sure enough, the Dolphin G will probably cost more than the Clio on strict like-for-like terms. But, while prices for the 2027 Clio are still to be announced, Autocar's sources suggest that Renault will probably hike those of the 2026 version by around £1000-£1500.

Which will put a range-topping Clio Esprit Alpine, very much like the one we've got here, within £1000 of a mid-range Dolphin G DM-i Boost—and could even make it more expensive on like-for-like monthly finance.

Away with any lingering doubts, then. Renault better consider itself on notice: these two cars are absolutely competing for the same money. And BYD is competing pretty hard.

On the inside

Two minutes spent hopping between seats confirms that the Dolphin G is the more spacious of the two cars here. Since it's the larger one, it ought to be. The difference isn't huge. To some people it won't be decisive either. But it's there.

Up front, for instance, there's plenty of space in both cars. The Clio's primary seat is set lower, the driving position better ergonomically, while in the Dolphin G you sit slightly higher and a little more over the controls.

But, perhaps because of its higher hip point, the Dolphin G is the kind of car in which an adult could travel in the back pretty comfortably, it having clear advantages over the Clio in terms of both leg and head room.

In the boot, meanwhile, the Dolphin G's practicality advantage is even clearer: 425 litres under the window line plays 309 litres, the Clio's carrying capacity still suffering significantly for the space taken by its hybrid system. Somehow the BYD packages a far larger drive battery yet compromises far less.

Is interior quality on the European car's side? Better check those preconceptions (the Clio, incidentally, hasn't been made in France since the turn of the decade; it comes to us from Bursa, Turkey, these days). Renault claims to have made this a real area of focus for the Mk6 Clio but, ignoring the material adornments of our test car (some Alcantara on the dashboard and door panels, a flashy-looking colour-fade foil running behind the steering wheel and some conspicuous coloured ambient lighting), I don't think you would know it.

The fascia rolltop is hard and shiny and the door mouldings are similarly cheap-looking. There's quite a lot of nasty gloss black plastic around the cockpit to smudge and mark and, besides a few nicely finished switches, not a great deal that feels solid or inviting to the touch.

The Dolphin G's decor is more monotonous and the atmosphere a lot less racy, but the actual built-in material quality is much better. At a background level, the moulded plastics, up high and down low, are more consistently well finished and solid-feeling. The fixtures and fittings, from door-release pulls to window switches to column stalks, all feel heftier.

There's very little colour or imagination on show; BYD has simply reproduced much the same silvery-chrome, bridge-of-the-Starship-Enterprise ambience that so many of its cars have. Its achievement is in having managed that, however, in a car that's still priced to cut through.

And it lends the Dolphin G an aura of big-car refinement that, by and large, its driving experience capitalises on.

On the road

You could argue that the car's main dynamic strengths (comfort, isolation and drivability) are a bit misplaced in a supermini and that buyers tend to want something more spirited and fun—like the Clio, at least in some ways. But the Dolphin G is a pretty rounded car to drive and doesn't make you feel at all like either its ride or its handling is the catch that you've been waiting to find. It just drives, and perfectly nicely at that.

The bottom lines are starker than you might imagine. BYD's hybrid powertrain is quieter, better-mannered and more pleasant than Renault's, but it also feels a lot more responsive and powerful. The Dolphin G's ride is also quieter and plusher than the Clio's (although the fitted alloy wheels of our particular test cars, at 16in versus 18in, will have played a part in this, and you will doubtless be able to have smaller ones on your Clio if you prefer).

On the road, the Clio isn't easy meat. It's notably the better-handling, sweeter-steering, more dynamically vivacious supermini of the two. It grips and corners in a way that escapes the Dolphin G, which rolls and floats just a little when it has to change direction and can't quite hide the extra mass that it's carrying.

Renault has at least tried to meet the classic supermini brief, then to make the Clio the zesty, agile, light-footed modern small car that most would want it to be. But, whereas the Dolphin G's hybrid system lifts it up and makes it surpass your expectations in so many ways, the Clio's hybrid system sells it short.

Put your foot down in the Dolphin G and you're away in an instant, the electric motor always primed and the engine rousing itself only in the background when needed. Do the same in the Clio and you have to wait a second or so for the multimodal gearbox to shift and for the rather noisy 1.8-litre engine to rev—only to be met with what feels, by comparison, like a pretty coarse and underwhelming style of delivery.

We will ignore the argument in favour of the Dolphin G concerned with significantly reduced running costs and electric running powered by special-tariff home charging, as transformative and convincing as that may be, because it would also be to unfairly mark down the Clio, which isn't a PHEV and never set out to be one.

The fact is that it's bested by the Dolphin G in too many and quite varied ways to finish anywhere other than second place here.

On another day, with a simpler powertrain, a manual gearbox and a lower price, the Clio might have better asserted its pedigree. It might do yet. Europe still has a lot to teach the rest of the world about the art of the small car and China still has much to prove.

Hybrid for hybrid, though, Shenzhen has beaten Paris in this particular struggle for a key supermini-class battleground. Europe's supermini archetype has been deposed—and doesn't that feel like a watershed moment?

Verdict

1st. BYD Dolphin G DM-I Boost

Smooth, spacious and well-built; the Dolphin G is a supermini with a real breadth of ability. It might not be a looker, but Shenzhen's new supermini excels on the inside and on the road.

2. Renault Clio Full Hybrid E-Tech 160 Espirit Alpine

Beneath the chic exterior lies a slightly lethargic hybrid powertrain - it's by no means a bad small car, but the Clio comes up short here in hybrid form. We suspect the 1.0 turbo petrol version, due in showrooms next year with the option of a manual 'box, will be a much better drive.

Specification	BYD DOLPHIN G DM-i BOOST	RENAULT CLIO FULL HYBRID E-TECH 160 ESPRIT ALPINE
Rating	4/5 stars	3.5/5 stars
Price	£26,990	£26,000 (est)
Engine	4 cyls in line, 1499cc, plus ISG and electric motor	4 cyls in line, 1789cc, plus ISG and electric motor
Power	209bhp	158bhp
Torque	89lb ft (engine), 155lb ft (motor)	199lb ft
Gearbox	1-spd reduction gear, FWD	4-spd/2-spd auto (engine/motor), FWD
Kerb weight	1555kg	1296kg
0-62mph	8.3sec	8.3sec
Top speed	112mph	112mph
Battery	18.3kWh (total and usable), LFP	1.4kWh (total and usable), NMC
Economy	202mpg	72.4mpg
Electric range	65 miles	na
CO₂, tax band	32g/km, 10%	89g/km, 23%

Hyundai Ioniq 3: Good value, great to drive - and different

Wed, 4 Nov 2026 00:01:00 +0000

Hyundai's entry-level electric hatchback arrives with head-turning style and a jaw-dropping price tag The financial case for ownership of an electric car is now gathering serious momentum. Whether you feel it’s doing that for the right reasons may depend on your view about whether EV owners should get most of their VAT back when they buy their new car, in addition to dodging fuel tax - which remains an especially touchy subject; at least until the new eVED system comes into force in 2028. But that, in a nutshell, is how the UK government is driving their adoption.The industry, however, suddenly seems to be doing an awful lot more itself to ‘drive the transition’. The nature of the car market means that EV prices don't - and won’t - slowly decrease by themselves as time goes on, but rather descend in sudden leaps as new products arrive with the latest cost savings priced in. So when one turns up that at once reflects such a leap, but that also qualifies for the biggest ‘ECG’ government subsidy available, it really makes waves.That’s what the Hyundai Ioniq 3 feels like: a transformational development for UK electric-car buyers - perhaps even for UK car buyers full stop. This isn’t another novel Chinese brand offering an unknown quantity for a necessarily eye-catching tag, after all. It’s one of the best-practiced and -established purveyors of EVs that the UK has yet seen, unrecognisable from the days when it was itself just another obscure Asian budget brand, with an electric model debutant ready to make just about every rival look tawdry, small, short-ranged or expensive. In some cases, all of the above.Hyundai has had a tough twelve months, but has an ambitious plan to increase total production by 1.3 million by 2030 – a number that requires the launch or facelift of 100 models by 2030. Go big or go home, as they say. A total of 41 of those new releases will be landing on European shores, and this is the latest of them.

BYD Shark PHEV review: A £47k Ford Ranger rival with 435bhp

Tue, 3 Nov 2026 13:56:00 +0000

Chinese pick-up undercuts rivals despite PHEV power and generous kit The financial argument in favour of double-cab pick-up trucks has taken a turn for the worse in the UK, because their previously enticing benefit-in-kind tax breaks have evaporated and they’re now simply viewed by HMRC as cars.But BYD thinks differently. The Chinese firm reckons this is an ideal moment to launch its new Shark in the UK – for the following reasons. First, it comes only as a plug-in hybrid, the BIK tax on which is around a quarter of that charged for comparative diesels. Second, BYD has seen how successful Ford has been with the PHEV version of its market-dominating Ranger (nearing 30% in an arena formerly dominated by diesels). And third, albeit unspoken, BYD wants to offer a full line of models here and a pick-up flags that intention.

New 2027 Volvo EX40: Sweden's crucial Elroq rival shapes up

Tue, 3 Nov 2026 13:30:57 +0000

Successor to ageing XC40 in the frame as Swedish firm lines up second EV on its new SPA3 platform

Volvo will follow the EX60 next year with a more affordable electric model on its radical new SPA3 platform, which is set to take on the Skoda Elroq and Ford Explorer as a successor to the ageing EX40 crossover.

Primed to begin deliveries after the summer, the new model will target "a large lower-priced market segment" than the EX60, which starts at £57,000 and rises to £70,000.

The EX40 successor is one of 13 new cars Volvo will launch globally by 2030. It will be designed and engineered primarily for the European market, in line with the company's new regionalised product development strategy.

Volvo is also working on a new flagship SUV for the US market, based on the XC90's SPA2 platform, and six models specifically for China based on modular architecture from parent company Geely.

A 420-MILE ELROQ RIVAL?

Volvo hasn't given any firm details of the next SPA3 car, but that early hint at its positioning would suggest a smaller SUV aimed at Europe's most popular C-segment, where Volvo currently fields the ageing XC40. That model was recently facelifted after nearly a decade on sale. Available with petrol and electric power, the XC40 remains Volvo's second-best-selling model line after the XC60, for which the new EX60 serves as an electric equivalent.

It looks likely that the new volume-focused model will replace the EX40 EV, which starts at £44,000, while the ICE-powered XC40 will remain on sale using the CMA platform.

Volvo has previously said that its new European line-up will eventually include "new low and high body types", hinting at a return to the saloon and estate segments from which it has pulled back in recent years. But the second SPA3 car's volume focus means an SUV is more likely, given the much greater popularity of taller cars in the region.

The platform can be used for cars ranging in size from the EX30 (4.2m long) to the EX90 (5.0m), and it has been engineered to offer packaging flexibility: the battery cells can be rearranged within the floorpan to accommodate different vehicle shapes.

The SPA3 platform introduces a number of significant developments from its SPA2 predecessor, including a new cell-to-body battery design, 'megacasting' production that reduces the number of individual parts and new-generation drivetrain hardware that boosts efficiency and dynamics.

If the new model is the same size as the EX40, it would be around 300mm shorter than the EX60. As such it is unlikely to share the larger car's 112kWh flagship battery option, which offers more than 500 miles of range. The mid-range 91kWh pack could potentially be accommodated, however, which would give the new model a range of more than 410 miles — beating most rivals at this price point — and still be capable of 370kW fast charging.

SPA3 PRESSURE MOUNTS

Volvo said introducing a second, higher-volume model using the SPA3 will accelerate its efforts to recoup the substantial development and production costs associated with the new, bespoke platform. This is especially important as it battles to recover from heavy losses in recent months and make good on its ambition to achieve an 8% profit margin.

Volvo will also be hoping that it can accelerate production of the new car far quicker than it has with the EX60, which six months on from launch has yet to achieve full-scale output.

Volvo says its crucial new BMW iX3 rival is "taking longer than planned to ramp up" because of the challenges associated with its cutting-edge new technology and construction.

The company says it has taken more than 50,000 orders for the electric equivalent to the best-selling XC60, but so far it has built just 5000 units since the model entered production in April. CEO Håkan Samuelsson has warned that the crucial new model's "financial contribution will be delayed as we are not ramping up to the plan we had before".

The new Horse petrol engine that can run underwater

Tue, 3 Nov 2026 08:00:00 +0000

Hydrolocking could be a thing of the past as Horse reveals the ultimate engine for off-roaders

Injecting water into a combustion engine isn't as daft as it sounds: it's useful in very high-performance turbocharged units, for example, to suppress detonation and allow higher boost pressure and more advanced ignition timing to gain more power.

Immersing an entire engine in water, though? That's something else altogether.

In early September, Horse Powertrain announced the waterproof B20 engine, which is capable of operating at a depth of up to 1.1 metres and is suitable for hybrids. It can also maintain continuous output under extreme high-load, off-road environments, including climbing 100% gradients. The 2.0-litre inline four makes 189-280bhp and 221-280lb ft, depending on conditions.

Large amounts of water entering an engine can destroy it instantly. Liquids like petrol and water are incompressible, so a fine mist vaporising as it enters the engine is fine but a significant quantity entering the cylinder on the compression stroke causes hydraulic lock, preventing the piston completing its compression stroke and causing severe damage. Although deep wading isn't new, with serious off-roaders using snorkels to let their engines breathe, submersion is still a challenge, as electrics and other parts need to be considered too.

The B20 meets one of the highest levels of the Ingress Protection standard, IPX8.

It's configured for efficiency, running on the Miller cycle, with 48% of the fuel it burns being converted into mechanical energy. High-pressure-injection, high-tumble intake ports promote ideal air-fuel mixing and contribute to efficient combustion.

The pistons are designed to maximise the 'squish' effect. 'Squish' describes a flat area near the edge of the piston crown mirroring a surface on the ceiling of the combustion chamber to leave only a tiny gap when the piston reaches the top of its stroke. As it does so, the fuel and air mixture is literally squished and squirted back into the centre of the combustion chamber, increasing turbulence and improving combustion.

The B20 also features a rigid, gantry-type aluminium cylinder block with integrated exhaust manifold and a simplified balancer-shaft system to improve its refinement. A variable-displacement oil pump avoids the need to consume any more energy in pumping lubricating oil than absolutely necessary, reducing fuel consumption.

IPX8 certification is achieved by the fully sealed structure and dedicated engine-to-transmission sealing. Electrical components and sensors are also IPX8-rated. The latter detect when the engine is submerged, then the control system makes changes such as limiting power or altering throttle response.

IM5 vs Model 3: How does MG's Tesla compare to the real thing?

Tue, 3 Nov 2026 07:00:00 +0000

Our Chinese sports saloon meets its American rival - does it feel up to scratch?

Car design has changed dramatically over the past few decades. In the 1990s it was all about smooth lines, with cab-forward silhouettes dominating the automotive scene.

These were followed by more complex designs, featuring defined body lines and smaller glass areas, as showcased by the 'Flame Surfacing' of Chris Bangle's early-2000s BMWs. Then, in the 2010s, large front grilles, LED headlights and sharper creases became the norm-and, inside, physical switchgear slowly gave way to minimalism and touchscreens.

In think it's fair to say that car design has never been so radical, transformative and, above all, divisive as it is in 2026. You only need to look at the Jaguar Type 01 and the Ferrari Luce to see that.

Bespoke electric platforms have enabled car makers to improve cabin space and create sleek, fastback silhouettes to optimise aerodynamic efficiency. Such EV trademarks can clearly be found on our MG IM5, with its long swooping body and expansive proportions.

It might come as a surprise to learn that the IM5's aesthetic was overseen by Slovakian designer Jozef Kaban, a former Skoda and BMW studio chief and the man who styled the bullish Bugatti Veyron.

Look closely at the IM5, however, and it's clear where Kaban and his colleagues gained inspiration for its design, with similar minimalist styling to the Tesla Model 3.

Several people have commented on its likeness to the ubiquitous electric saloon, so I decided to put this to the test by comparing the IM5 with my neighbour's pre-facelift Model 3 Performance.

Parked tail to tail, the resemblance between the two is clear to see, but there's no denying that each still has its own identity. For a start, the Chinese car has a much larger footprint and longer wheelbase that positions it above the American car, making it a closer rival to the Volkswagen ID 7 or BMW i5.

The Tesla is more compact, but both have a similar teardrop, cab-backward roofline that sweeps neatly all the way to the bootlid. On the IM5's rear, I can't help drawing a comparison to the Aston Martin DBX; even the rear light bar looks similar to that of Gaydon's hot SUV.

And while the Model 3 sports a more defined look, via sharper swage lines, the IM5 opts for softer surfaces and a smoother beltline, which is what most sets it apart.

As is the way with modern EVs, both use flush-fitting electronic door handles. Of all the things to come out of the EV revolution, this is one of the most annoying. In fact, you don't even pull the IM5's handles; you slide your hand behind the handle and it pops open automatically.

The Tesla's door handles feel more natural, but both cars would benefit from a normal pull mechanism. Technology abounds inside both cars, and it's interesting to see how MG has taken a similar approach to Tesla.

Take the side-facing cameras: the IM5's design is different to the Model 3's, but its placement and function is much the same, helping the driver by creating a 360deg view of the car.

Inside, the IMS adopts the same button-less, screen-heavy layout as the Model 3. It features a huge 26.3in display that incorporates both the digital instrument display and infotainment screen - but also a 10.5in touch-operated control panel for hopping between functions.

I'm not sure that this makes the MG any more slick to use than the Tesla, which has just one large 15in display. Happily it's responsive and graphically sharp, but there are far too many sub-menus to deal with - and I've counted a total of just 11 physical buttons inside the car.

As a result, usability isn't great, but the IM5 certainly feels a bit more refined and upmarket than its rival - although the current Model 3 is a step ahead of its predecessor in terms of perceived quality.

While the IM5 leans heavily on the minimalist playbook pioneered by the trailblazing Model 3, there's no doubt that its bolder proportions, softer lines and greater refinement help give it a character of its own in a highly congested corner of the market.

Evoque and Velar to retire as £90k GT becomes entry Range Rover

Tue, 3 Nov 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Range Rover moves away from the mainstream by dropping two cheapest models after 2027

The Range Rover Evoque and Range Rover Velar will not be replaced when production of the pair ends later this decade.

That will leave the upcoming Range Rover GT and the Range Rover Sport as two very different but similarly priced entry points to JLR's now stand-alone luxury brand, sitting underneath the full-sized Range Rover in a three-strong line-up.

Range Rover boss Martin Limpert confirmed to Autocar that while the Evoque and Velar will continue in production throughout 2027, each is now close to the end of its life after around a decade in production and no replacement is being developed for either.

The demise of these model lines is partly down to JLR's House of Brands strategy, which has spun off Range Rover, Defender and Discovery as stand-alone marques from the Land Rover parent brand.

Given the luxury positioning of Range Rover and the newly expanded roles for Defender and Discovery - the former with a new entry-level model called Defender Sport soon to join the ranks - it is now no longer necessary for Range Rover to cover such a large part of the market. Instead, Range Rover will focus on the upper end of the market and smaller, more affordable models will be left to Defender and Discovery.

Range Rover GT

The Range Rover GT will be launched at the start of 2027 as a more road-biased and saloon-style model, based on the new electric-first EMA architecture and built at Halewood, where the Evoque and Discovery Sport are currently produced. It will be priced from around £100,000 as an all-electric model from launch, but hybrid versions will follow and are likely to reduce the entry price to around £90,000 - close to the current Range Rover Sport.

The Defender Sport will share both the GT's platform and its Merseyside production line, which is undergoing a £500 million overhaul to prepare it for EVs. The Discovery Sport will end production in December to make way for the GT. It's likely that Evoque production will then end ahead of the Defender Sport being launched around a year later.

The Evoque was the catalyst for significant growth and profitability at JLR in the early 2010s and prompted executives at the time to mull whether the group's sales could top one million. The Evoque exceeded 100,000 sales per year multiple times in the mid-2010s.

Last year JLR sales were just over 400,000, but the strategy has shifted from volume models to more premium offerings with greater profit potential, particularly from Range Rover and Jaguar. The Evoque starts from just below £40,000 and the Velar at below £60,000 - price points that will be covered by Defender and Discovery models in the future.

The Range Rover GT has been all but revealed as a lightly camouflaged prototype and Limpert said it has attracted a positive reaction from investors and retailers, with more than 80% of interest in it coming from customers of brands outside JLR. Investors have noted the lack of a "bullseye" competitor for the model, added Limpert, giving Range Rover confidence that it has found a true clear space in the market as it did with the Evoque in the 2010s.

Limpert also corrected a common misconception that the GT was conceived as a replacement for the Velar. He said that was not the case and it is an original offering with a road focus alongside trademark Land Rover off-road capability - a wide brief that, he said, is "testing us" in the GT's development programme.

The Velar is built at Solihull on the older D7a platform shared with Jaguar's now axed 'volume' models, including the XE, XF and F-Pace. It never achieved the same level of success as the Evoque, sales topping at around half of the Evoque's at its peak.

No Range Rover facelift – yet

The Range Rover and Range Rover Sport ranges have recently been expanded with the addition of new electric versions, based on the same MLA platform as the petrol, diesel and hybrid models and with no real notable visual differences.

Despite the pair having been on sale for almost five years, there was no need to facelift them yet, said Limpert, because Range Rover designs are meant to be longer-lasting and customers had asked for any electric variant to be visually identical.

The designs will continue to evolve subtly with model-year changes - as hinted at by recently spotted test mules - but Limpert did say there is a desire to offer greater design separation between the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport in the future, to give each a bespoke visual character. They are currently similarly styled but drive differently and they have been pushed even further apart for the electric versions. Future updates will build on that.

Limpert confirmed that diesel will remain a powertrain option for Range Rover. The MLA architecture was also created with the capability of accommodating hydrogen power and this remains possible, but a significant market shift will be needed for this to become a serious prospect for production.

What's happened to Land Rover?

The new 2027-spec Range Rover and Range Rover Sport feature just one Land Rover badge, but there are no plans to phase out the parent brand's emblem on future models.

It sits within the front grille, where it acts as a 'trust mark' for Range Rover models to highlight their off-road capability, and Range Rover boss Martin Limpert said the Land Rover badge will remain visible on the brand's upcoming models.

The Land Rover badge will play a bigger role for Defender and particularly Discovery models, as they are in a much earlier part of their development as stand-alone brands.

JLR to speed up EV launches

The Range Rover electric models arrive at a similar time to the Jaguar Type 01, but despite being large EVs from a relatively small company, they are based on completely different architectures and share only brake discs, vehicle engineering director Matt Becker confirmed.

Becker said the requirements for Range Rover and Jaguar are so different that platform and component sharing was never a serious option. The drive units for the Range Rover, for example, are bespoke, in-house creations that are different from anything on the market due to their ability to cater for hardcore off-road driving.

The use of bespoke parts like this has caused a lengthy development for the electric Range Rovers but Becker said the cadence of launches will now increase and there will be no long gaps between launches, especially now that JLR's three platforms - EMA, MLA and JEA (for Jaguar) - have been developed and it is a case of spinning models off them.