Best cars

The best first cars for new drivers - driven, rated and ranked

If you’re a petrolhead looking to stand out without paying through the nose for insurance, check out this list

21 January 2025
The best first cars for new drivers - driven, rated and ranked
Citroen Ami Paris
France cut its EV subsidy in November and a month later, sales fell dramatically
Electric vehicles

Electric car sales in EU drop as governments withdraw subsidies

New data from industry body reveals a slump of almost 100,000 sales after Germany and France cut grants

21 January 2025
Autocar Business
Electric car sales in EU drop as governments withdraw subsidies
Alpine A290 front 3 4
The A290 is £10,505 more expensive than the regular Renault 5
New cars

Alpine A290 hot hatch goes on sale in UK, priced from £33,500

French performance brand's first EV is a warmed up Renault 5 with up to 215bhp; range tops out at £38,500

21 January 2025
Alpine A290 hot hatch goes on sale in UK, priced from £33,500
From the archive

London's war on driving has been raging since 1973

Restrictions on cars in town centres and parking limitations meant navigating London was a challenge

21 January 2025
London's war on driving has been raging since 1973
smart hashtag5 premium
Decision to add PHEV tech to #5 is a response to market trends in China
New cars

Smart #5 to gain plug-in hybrid as brand slows all-electric plans

New SUV to go hybrid in selected markets as Smart steps back from all-electric line-up

21 January 2025
Smart #5 to gain plug-in hybrid as brand slows all-electric plans
Land Rover Defender P400e hybrid
Defender is already offered with PHEV but "it's not easy to find the extra space" needed for more batteries
New cars

Land Rover Defender to get EV in next generation

JLR commercial boss reveals potentially insurmountable packaging difficulties with current car

21 January 2025
Land Rover Defender to get EV in next generation
BMW i7 Innoviz lidar
Innoviz lidar is used to enable level 3 autonomous driving in the BMW 7 Series
Autonomous vehicles

Europe’s most outspoken tech boss dishes the dirt on lidar

Lidar unlocks autonomy, and to unlock lidar, you need to speak to the plain-speaking boss of Innoviz

21 January 2025
Autocar Business
Europe’s most outspoken tech boss dishes the dirt on lidar
Ford Bronco Sonatus EV conversion front quarter
Sonatus is using a Ford Bronco electromod as a demonstrator
Software

Meet the company that 'invented software-defined vehicles'

Sonatus boss Jeffrey Chou was among the first to see the industry's ongoing shift to software-defined vehicles

21 January 2025
Autocar Business
Meet the company that 'invented software-defined vehicles'
Canoo LDV 190 van
Canoo had attempted a UK launch, delivering a van to Royal Mail
Electric vehicles

Electric van start-up Canoo files for bankruptcy

American maker of radical EV goes bust after failing to secure crucial cash injection

20 January 2025
Autocar Business
Electric van start-up Canoo files for bankruptcy
Technology

The invisible biometric tech making your next car safer

The biometric system uses 3D distance mapping to detect the driver’s exact position

20 January 2025
The invisible biometric tech making your next car safer

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