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Geely chases Chery with plan for 46,000 UK sales in 2027

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 09:45:37 +0000

Geely line-up comprises EX2, EX5 and Starray; three new models join next year

Chinese brand aims to more than double sales next year, backed by three new cars and big fleet push

Geely has ambitions to double its fleet and retail sales next year, backed by an expanded team of specialists and a pipeline of new electric and plug-in hybrid car launches.

That’s according to Alan Barrett, the Chinese brand's new head of fleet and used car sales, who was appointed in July having spent 10 years in senior fleet roles at Toyota GB.

Geely has expanded quickly since it launched in the UK October 2025 with only one model – the EX5 electric SUV – and full independence from sister brands Volvo, Polestar, Lotus, Smart, LEVC and Farizon.

It now has the Starray PHEV SUV and EX2 electric supermini on sale; UK headquarters in Coventry, a network of 100 dealers selected for scale and in-house fleet expertise; and nationwide overnight parts supply to minimise repair times – an important aspect for fleets.

Barrett told Autocar that Geely expects to sell 20,000 cars in the UK by the end of the year, 6000 of which have gone into end-user fleets (company car and salary sacrifice schemes), supported by building relationships with brokers and leasing companies and attending events to get drivers behind the wheel.

Within 12 months, the Geely line-up is available through all of the UK’s largest leasing and rental companies and has secured high-volume deals with salary sacrifice providers Tusker and Octopus.

It’s about to become available through the Government Commercial Agency, broadening its opportunities with public sector fleets, while an approved used car scheme launch is imminent.

“We’ve gone from being a new entrant to being recognised and trusted in the industry, selling across multiple channels in the public and private sectors," said Barrett.

"That comes down to our people. We’ve got a really strong team here, expertise in the right channels, we’ve created partnerships in the industry and it’s the [dealer] network as well.

“We really focused heavily in the first half of the year on creating long standing partnerships. Then in the second half of the year we focused on getting the right people in the right jobs and letting them get on with it.”

For 2027, the ambition is to more than double UK sales to 46,000 cars, with similar increases in fleet and retail volume (each of which accounts for around 50% of the total) as the line-up doubles from three to six models and Geely scales up its own team to meet that demand.

All three newcomers are fleet-relevant. The Monjaro PHEV SUV is confirmed, set to be followed by a high-performance electric fastback (likely to be the Galaxy E8) and a product derived from the KO11 PHEV luxury SUV recently revealed at the Paris motor show.

That range will be supported by a new head of fleet marketing, with plans to add full-time roles for public sector and rental, and at least two corporate sales managers.

The used car team will also scale up ready for early deliveries to start coming back into the network, while Geely will support dealers as they engage with local small to medium enterprises.

“Customers are more open-minded than ever before, and I think that shift in perception of the quality of Chinese cars is creating big opportunities for Geely," said Barrett.

"My priority for 2027 is continuing the growth trajectory that we've been on [and] establishing ourselves as a mainstream brand.

“You can't double the volume without there being an impact on people, so we're going to double the number of people that we've got in our fleet team. We will have more coverage across the major channels but also sales support areas for dealers, brokers, customers etc.

"It’s really about growth supported by new products, more people and getting the channel mix right.”

Car of the Year 2027: Seven cars in the running are EVs

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000

COTY shortlist has been whittled down from dozens of contenders to seven

For the first time in more than six decades, the COTY's shortlisted contenders all come with a plug

The second stage of the voting for the coveted Car of the Year award for 2027 will, for the first time in the organisation’s six decades of history, be contested by a field of entirely electric vehicles.

The award’s organising committee has just announced its seven shortlisted new cars under consideration during the second stage of voting. They are the BMW iX3, Cupra Raval, Hyundai Ioniq 3, Kia EV2, Renault Twingo, Volkswagen ID Polo and Volvo EX60. The winner will be announced on 8 January 2027 at the Brussels motor show.

There were 38 models in contention in the first round of voting, with 64 jurors from 25 countries each having a say. Only nine of those eligible cars (which have to be new to the market, not considered in any previous year, available to be tested by COTY jurors, and in series production and available to buy within the year in question) had any kind of combustion engine.

Having taken over COTY jury duty on Autocar’s behalf this year, I voted in close consultation with all of our testers. It’s reassuring to see five out of the seven cars that I nominated make the cut.

Among the two that didn’t, then: particularly hard cheese to the Skoda Epiq and Honda Prelude. The Epiq, I think, is a great application of Volkswagen’s all-new MEB+ platform technology, has significant commercial potential and would have been a marginally more deserving shortlisted car than one or two that did make it – as good as they all undoubtedly are.

The Prelude, on the other hand, has rejuvenated interest in both affordable coupés and ‘self-charging’ hybrids. It’s great to drive and, because I think that European customers are still motivated by cars like this, I would have liked to see it recognised. Perhaps that’s Autocar’s particular agenda talking, but I don’t mind copping for it.

It was undoubtedly a competitive field this year, and plenty of other big hitters have fallen early. Among those missing out on a shortlist nomination are the Toyota RAV4 and Mazda CX-5, the Mercedes C-Class, GLB and GLC EVs, the Porsche Cayenne Electric, the Skoda Peaq, the Audi A2 E-tron, the Lexus ES and the Polestar 5. In quieter years, any one of those might have been good enough.

We’ve also still to see another Chinese brand make the COTY final seven, although BYD, Changan, Denza, GAC, Leapmotor, MG, Xpeng and Zeekr were all in contention this year. The BYD Seal, in 2024, remains the only Chinese-brand car to be shortlisted to date (although Chinese-manufactured cars from Western brands have been shortlisted more often).

The elephant in the room, then: is it right for Europe’s pre-eminent new-car award to recognise a selection of entirely electric cars, when only one out of four new cars sold on the continent is an EV? It certainly looks like a conspicuous discrepancy.

I would have preferred a bit more representation for hybrids and PHEVs on the shortlist – and voted that way. But European EV market penetration is rising particularly quickly this year, and this competition can only recognise new-model introductions, rather than the market as a whole.

Which is another way of saying that we can only judge what the industry has just given us. It’s a bit like having to pick a football team’s player of the season exclusively from those it’s signed in the past 12 months – or, perhaps, from those under the age of 21.

Rules are rules, I suppose. One thing’s for sure: most of the fastest-improving cars in the world at the moment - those that represent the greatest progress - are electric. And most of them are on the COTY shortlist.

Cupra Raval

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000

The VW Group’s electric assault on the compact car market starts here Affordable electric cars have been big news at the Volkswagen Group’s volume-selling brands for several years now.It was the conglomerate’s Spanish outpost, Cupra, that set the tone when it showed its racy Urban Rebel concept in 2021. That was the first public hint that the group was investing big in small EVs.Soon enough, we learned that the front-drive, supermini-class platform that the group was developing – first known to us as the MEB Entry, then as the MEB21 and finally as the MEB+ – would spawn cars for the Cupra, Volkswagen and Skoda brands. True to the original schedule, however, Cupra’s would come first. And here it is: the Cupra Raval electric supermini.In the end, this car has beaten its Volkswagen ID Polo sibling to UK roads by only a couple of months. Both cars are manufactured at Cupra’s headquarters in Martorell, near Barcelona, while their jacked-up, B-SUV crossover platform-mates, the Volkswagen ID Cross and Skoda Epiq, will enter production at Volkswagen’s Navarre plant, near Pamplona, soon.Now for the Autocar road test to fully scrutinise what the Volkswagen Group’s arrival into the market for small EVs is likely to bring. An appealingly low price might be the first thing you’re expecting. But while the Raval will soon enough be offered in sub-£25,000 form, the cheaper derivatives will follow the more expensive ones to forecourts. So our road test turns first to the middle of the Raval model range.If, on the other hand, you're more interested in the range-topping Raval VZ hot hatchback, check out our comparison test on it here.

Revealed: Brit firm's reborn Audi Quattro brings 10,000rpm V8 twist

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 06:00:00 +0000

New £350k-plus supercar goes big on analogue appeal, using RS4 underpinnings

The Audacious Automotive IV is a wild new Audi Quattro tribute that packs a 10,000rpm V8 engine capable of propelling the restomod to a claimed 200mph.

The IV merges the underpinnings from the B7-generation Audi RS4 (2006-2008) with the look of the short-wheelbase Quattro. Buyers can even opt to use an original Quattro shell – though Audacious founder Mac Zaglewski previously told Autocar that pristine donor vehicles are avoided and that his intention is to give tired cars a new lease on life.

Alternatively, buyers can opt for carbonfibre bodywork, which does not require a donor. Audacious expects these cars to comprise around 80% of the total production run.

Although the Quattro was defined by its five-cylinder engine, the V8-powered RS4 was chosen as the basis of Audacious’s new car because it offers a suitable blend of modern refinement and analogue engagement. Zaglewski said the car must be “very much usable, very much enjoyable and very much analogue”.

This stipulation also ruled out the using the current RS3 – which has a 2.5-litre five-pot – because that would have precluded the installation of a manual gearbox. Zaglewski also said the current RS3 is less rigid than the B7-gen RS4, with suspension that is “nowhere near as good”. In addition, the RS3's Haldex differential means its four-wheel drive system has a front-biased power delivery, whereas the RS4’s Torsen set-up gives it a rear bias.

To that end, Audacious has now confirmed that four engine specifications will be offered. The entry-level option bolts a supercharger to the RS4’s 4.2-litre V8 for an output of 600bhp, while the Stage Two package brings strengthened internals, cooling and fuelling systems to net 750bhp. The “most ambitious expression” of the powerplant will rev to 10,000rpm, with the choice to omit the supercharger altogether if a buyer wishes. All are mated to the RS4’s original six-speed manual gearbox.

Audacious is targeting weight figures of 1400-1450kg for cars built from Quattro shells, or 1200kg for those made from carbonfibre.

The bodywork is inspired by the Group B rally version of the Quattro, though some details are reminiscent of the IMSA GTO racing version of its replacement, the 90. Notably, it does not wear Audi badges but those of Audacious's own design.

Inside, the IV has been overhauled to more closely resemble the brutalist look of the Quattro, with a dashboard, instruments and switchgear that are entirely new, and the RS4’s digital kit has been removed. However, it retains the RS4’s signature ‘wingback’ seats with electronic controls.

Audacious promises an extensive personalisation programme that will mean no two examples of the IV are identical. This covers not only the exterior colour and interior upholstery but also the tuning of the suspension and mechanical specification, which can be modified according to how a buyer intends to use their car. The IV pictured is a 750bhp car in road-focused trim, painted in Zermatt Silver.

A total of 50 examples will be built at Audacious’s base in Edinburgh, with the first customer delivery scheduled for late next year. The entire process – from commissioning a car to it being on the road – takes around three years, said Zaglewski.

Prices start at £350,000, though this figure excludes VAT, the cost of donor vehicles, transport, registration and specification.

New BMW i3 review: The best electric saloon you can buy?

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 23:01:00 +0000

BMW launches an all-electric 3 Series, with strong performance and a long range BMW has launched its new ICE 3 Series and electric i3 together, because presenting a united front is important. This EV is ostensibly an excellent new car – probably the best way to have electric motoring in a compact executive saloon package, even if in terms of driving dynamics and fun it’s outshone by its ICE sibling.But the i3 will have to convince most people not to buy a 3.0-litre straight six but something else with no engine. As you'll read, it will tread those paths much more easily.

BMW M350 driven: New 3 Series shines with 437bhp straight six

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 23:01:00 +0000

BMW's 3 Series gets Neue Klasse looks but retains its previous architecture and old-school petrol performance This new BMW 3 Series looks like one of those Neue Klasse BMWs, but it isn’t really. It has been developed from the architecture of the previous generation but given a look for the age that mimics the new i3 EV.Don’t be fooled: this is very much a combustion-led car, of a size at which it’s hard to share a platform that makes the most of an EV’s and an ICE car’s fundamentals, hence the powertrains are split between two different monocoques.They do look similar though, don’t they? BMW would like there to be a single model designation called the 3 Series, rather than it being two different cars, quite understandably. “For five decades the 3 Series has shaped our brand like no other car,” said Mike Reichelt, the firm’s head of Neue Klasse, at the dynamic launch of both variants.

Domestic EV charging tariffs could be applied to public chargers

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 14:26:59 +0000

Move to end 'driveway divide' would make domestic rates available at low-speed public chargers

The government is taking steps to bring public charging costs in line with plugging in at home, following an independent report that claims high prices are excluding a third of drivers from switching to an electric car.

Announced during the Autumn Budget, a taskforce will be established by the Department for Transport (DfT) to pilot solutions enabling drivers to use their domestic energy tariff at the “local, lower-powered public charging points” that make up a third of the UK network.

In the meantime, the Treasury has confirmed £100 million in funding to bring prices “closer” to home charging for two years, starting in spring 2027. This is forecast to save drivers around £150 per year, based on an electric car covering 8000 miles and consuming an average of 3.3mpkWh of electricity.

The announcement follows an independent report, commissioned by the DfT’s Office for Zero Emission Vehicles and published yesterday (28 October), which recommended ‘porting’ of home energy tariffs for use at slow chargers as the “best long-term response” to the current “inequity”.

It’s unclear how the funding will be passed on to drivers, but it would be targeted at reducing prices at slower AC units and would exclude DC rapid chargers.

The cost benefits of EVs are highly dependent on access to cheap home electricity. According to the latest Zapmap data, the average price of an AC charger stands at 54p per kWh – which is just over double the Ofgem-capped flat rate (26p) and eight times more expensive than the off-peak rates (7p) offered by some utility companies.

Using the DfT’s 3.3mpkWh EV example, a driver relying on public chargers could be paying 16p per mile, compared with between 2p and 8p if they were able to charge at home.

Previous policies have recognised that gap. Drivers without off-street parking are eligible for a grant of up to £500 towards installing a home charger, but with conditions. They must install a solution to avoid cross-pavement cables becoming a trip hazard and the charger doesn’t guarantee them usage of the adjacent parking space.

Last week, the DfT also removed the need to apply for planning permission to install pavement-crossing gulleys, claiming this saves drivers up to £300.

Buses and local transport minister Simon Lightwood said: "If you don't have a driveway, you shouldn't be stung for charging your car. We're putting a stop to the so-called ‘driveway divide’.

"The EV revolution is soaring. Sales are up 36% on last year and 200,000 drivers have already cashed in on our Electric Car Grant to go electric. Now we want everyone to feel the benefit, wherever they live."

McL 820: McLaren hints at name and 809bhp for 750S successor

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 12:34:40 +0000

New McLaren 820 imagined by Autocar

New supercar is due next year and is set to pack Ferrari 12Cilindri-rivalling power

McLaren has hinted that the successor to its 750S V8 supercar, due next year, will be called the McL 820 – and pack almost as much power as Ferrari’s V12-engined 12Cilindri.

McLaren’s first new series-production car since being acquired by its new owner, Abu Dhabi investment fund L’imad, could also be the first to follow a new naming convention established by the limited-run McL 6GT – as suggested by the firm in a central London publicity stunt today (29 October).

The brand hid the moniker on a giant sculpture of its trademark kiwi mascot, which it placed in Covent Garden as part of a new marketing campaign.

New Zealand-born company founder Bruce McLaren used the flightless bird as the logo for his racing team – which later spawned the road car division. McLaren has recently pledged to emphasise its heritage in future communications and products, and has adopted a new logo and typeface inspired by the signage on McLaren’s original workshop.

That ties in to the use of McL for the new manual-equipped 6GT supercar, and the ‘McL 820’ teaser suggests it could be carried over to the core line-up too.

The new look and naming strategy come as McLaren prepares for significant expansion. It is building a second factory in the UK, will start assembling its own engines in-house and will grow its line-up with a range of new models.

The 'McL 820' will replace the brand’s core supercar, the 750S, which will be retired next year after a decade on sale – in various forms, including the original 720S and the run-out-special 788HS. The company recently announced it was taking final orders for the model.

The new supercar will be powered by one of two new hybrid powertrains that McLaren is developing and producing in-house for the first time – likely V8 based and with its power output (in PS) signalled by its name, in standard McLaren practice.

That figure translates to 809bhp and would make the new supercar McLaren’s most potent series-production car yet – with comparable reserves to the V12-engined Ferrari 12Cilindri and Aston Martin Vanquish, as well as mid-engined supercars like the Ferrari 296 and Lamborghini Temerario.

McLaren chief operating officer Michael Straughan recently said the new engines are “obviously going to start with the current V8 products or the future generation of that”.

The new model will arrive at around the same time as McLaren winds down production of its other two core models, the Artura V6 supercar and more luxury-focused GT. Plans to replace those two models remain under wraps but, as previously reported by Autocar, McLaren is not planning a ‘firebreak’ pause in production like fellow British brand Jaguar implemented.

“A small company like McLaren can't afford that," said Straughan. "But we will start to phase in new products as quickly as we possibly can – and it's not too far away, either."

Traditional supercars will be one of the three pillars forming the new McLaren range. It is also working on a front-engined SUV to rival the Porsche Cayenne and will continue to build limited-run Ultimate Series models such as the W1.

Toyota back on top in endurance racing – is F1 next?

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Just like old times: Toyota has secured doubles in the WEC and WRC

There was a time when securing a Le Mans and World Endurance Championship double was almost a formality for Toyota.

In the final days of LMP1, its Cologne-based team was all too often racing against itself. Not any more.

In this Hypercar era, Toyota has found itself slipping into the long shadow of Ferrari, which claimed three Le Mans wins on the bounce when its sensational 499P burst on to the scene in 2023.

Meanwhile, Alpine, Aston Martin, BMW, Cadillac, Genesis and Peugeot have all jostled for glory this year, with Ford and McLaren preparing to join the fray in 2027.

The depth of competition in contemporary premier-level endurance sports car racing stands comparison with past heydays: GT1 in the late 1990s, Group C in the 1980s and even the halcyon days of the 1960s.

That all helps to explain why Toyota's double this year will be especially satisfying, particularly after a deflating 2025 season in which the team scored just a single victory.

Armed with a potent new iteration of the TS010 Hybrid, Toyota's two crews have bounced back spectacularly.

At Le Mans, Kamui Kobayashi, Nyck de Vries and Mike Conway delivered the Japanese manufacturer its first victory in the 24 Hours since 2022 and sixth in total (equalling Bentley).

Then in Barcelona this month, Brendon Hartley, Sébastien Buemi and Ryo Hirakawa headed a convincing one-two to wrap up the WEC manufacturers' crown with a round to spare.

This was a third win of the campaign for the #8 Toyota, and its drivers head their team-mates in the #7 by 17 points with just Monza to come (on 8 November).

Since BMW's challengers René Rast, Robin Frijns and Sheldon van der Linde failed to score in Spain, it will be a Toyota-exclusive duel to decide which trio scoops the drivers' championship.

Whichever way the cards fall, Monza will also mark a final curtain for Conway, who at the age of 43 has announced his retirement as a full-time professional racer.

He has served Toyota admirably for more than a decade, and his status as a double Le Mans winner and two-time world champion has already elevated him to the illustrious roll-call of great British long-distance drivers.

For Toyota, on the back of another dominant season in the World Rally Championship, the WEC success caps what is arguably its greatest season in motorsport, in the context of the intense level of Hypercar competition.

The hanging question is: will the brand ever immerse itself fully once again into the cauldron of Formula 1?

It's sort of half-in at the moment, through a technical association with the Haas team, but a full commitment in the manner of Audi and Cadillac is another story.

Toyota's winless score from its eight underwhelming F1 campaigns of the 2000s can be easily forgotten all these years later, which is surely just how the company likes it.

Does it really need F1 and the high risk of failure that follows? I'm not sure it does.

Budget “missed opportunity”: PHEV and EV tax hikes hit cost-pressured fleets

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 09:02:51 +0000

Chancellor confirms tax rises for company cars; monthly BIK bill for some EVs and PHEVs will almost triple

The Autumn Budget hasn't delivered vital tax breaks to support demand for plug-in hybrid and electric company cars, fleet specialists have warned.

For operators, the Chancellor’s most important announcement was benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax rates for the 2030/31 tax year, following repeated industry calls for clarity given that drivers are already ordering cars that will still be on the road in April 2030.

Company car drivers (including those on salary sacrifice schemes) pay BIK for the perk of using that vehicle for private journeys. It’s effectively treated as an additional salary and taxed at the same rate as their income (typically 20% or 40%).

Since 2002, the car’s taxable value has been calculated as a percentage of its list price. Cars fall into one of 27 percentage bands, currently ranging from 4% to 37%, and the pricier and more CO2-intensive a car is, the higher the tax cost.

It’s a powerful incentive: three quarters of company car drivers are paying BIK tax on a vehicle emitting less than 50g/km, according to the latest HMRC data.

The Budget confirmed that all rates will rise by one percentage point in April 2030, with EVs facing the steepest rises in that period: from 4% in 2026/27 to 10% in 2030/31.

For a 20% taxpayer in a Volkswagen ID 3 79kWh Style, that equates to monthly BIK bills increasing from £27 to £67.

PHEVs fare worse. The 2024 Budget removed incentives for vehicles emitting between 1 and 50g/km CO2 to offer a longer electric range, placing all of them into a single 18% band.

The Volkswagen Golf eHybrid, with an 88-mile electric range, will rise from 7% BIK today to 20% in 2030/31 – with resulting monthly BiK tripling from £44 to £133.

Dave Bushnell, director of consultancy and strategy at Fleet Operations, said that the announcement was welcome as a step towards restoring confidence but it could have gone further.

“We’re disappointed that the Chancellor hasn’t taken this opportunity to make used electric company cars more affordable,” he said.

“Drivers are still taxed on a vehicle’s original list price, even when it has depreciated significantly. Changing this could have opened up electric cars to more employees through salary sacrifice schemes while also helping to boost demand in the second-hand market and support residual values.”

The Budget also confirmed changes to capital allowances. These enable businesses to offset investment costs against their gross profits and reduce their corporation tax bill.

For cars, the system is CO2-based. Businesses can offset 100% of the cost of EVs, falling to 14% for vehicles emitting 1-50g/km and 6% for anything above that threshold.

The 'main rate' was cut from 18% to 14% in April 2026 and will fall to 12% in April 2027, effectively reducing the tax breaks for businesses that purchase PHEVs in that bracket.

Tax breaks for leased cars are unchanged: businesses can offset 100% of the monthly rental costs for vehicles emitting 50g/km CO2 or less.

Businesses with a “grey fleet” will face rising costs too. HMRC issues an approved mileage rate for employees to claim back the cost of driving their own car for work – covering not only fuel but also depreciation, wear and tear and other operating costs.

There are two rates: one for the first 10,000 miles and a lower rate for anything above that. The initial rate was temporarily raised from 45p to 55p per mile in June, and this will now become permanent, while the higher-mileage rate is increasing from 25p to 35p.

Those changes are the first in 15 years and are expected to support three million employees who use their own car for work, according to the Treasury.

Jon Lawes, MD of fleet management firm Novuna Vehicle Solutions, said: “With manufacturers facing intense global competition and pressure on residual values, the priority must be a transition that customers can afford and businesses can plan for.

“Greater certainty on EV taxation, charging costs and future sales targets will be critical to sustaining demand, protecting used car values and supporting long-term investment in the UK motor industry.”

Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV review: dated on arrival

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000

Japanese brand returns to the UK with a large, plug-in hybrid 4x4 After a five-year hiatus, Mitsubishi is back in the UK with a small but authentic line-up of vehicles. It consists of the L200 pick-up truck and this week’s road test subject, the Mitsubishi Outlander, a large, plug-in hybrid SUV pitched against the Skoda Kodiaq, Toyota RAV4 and a raft of other options.That’s a different approach from the one the Japanese company is taking in continental Europe, where its showrooms are mostly populated by rebadged Renaults. Mitsubishi UK hasn’t confirmed whether it will bring any of those over here but, in any case, none is as interesting as the Outlander. While it shares a platform and some switchgear with various cars from Alliance partners Renault and Nissan, fundamentally it’s an in-house development, with a bespoke drivetrain.The PHEV element is what has driven Mitsubishi’s return to the UK. When it left in 2021, the Mk3 Outlander was outdated and had lost most of its tax benefits. Today, PHEVs are enjoying a new wave of popularity, and here to ride it is a new generation of Outlander. Having said that, while this Mk4 car is new to us, it has been on sale in Japan, the US and other markets since 2021, so it can’t be expected to move technological boundaries.Still, it needs to make a case for itself against both the increasingly sophisticated PHEVs from Europe and Japan and the enticingly affordable ones from China.

How jacked-up estates can find their niche at last

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Audi's new A6 Allroad makes more sense now than ever, yet feels unlikely to sway the masses of SUV buyers

Last week a new Audi A6 Allroad showed up and I was into the silly pseudo-bucket seats almost before the delivery driver could get out.

I then had a brief fiddle with the air suspension before retreating to the pavement to gawp at the bulging RS6-style wheel arches, noting the incongruous Michelin Pilot Sport 5 tyres. Ridiculous fawning, given I'm not sure I'd buy one of these rare-groove Audis even after depreciation has gripped. I just can't get along with the latest generation of disjointed, unimaginative cabins. In any case, by the time prices drop to something starting with a three, diesel will cost more than olive oil.

But what a thing, and Audi deserves credit for continuing to offer the Allroad long after Mercedes pulled the plug on the E-Class All-Terrain in the UK (agonisingly it's still on sale in mainland Europe, mit petrol straight six). It's tempting to believe BMW has never considered the rough-road estate, as a consequence of being the first of the German premium marques to tap into SUV riches with the X5, but this ignores the existence of the humpbacked, knobbly-tyred 530iX Enduro. This was a one-off take on the E34 Touring that German mag Auto Motor und Sport cajoled BMW's then new Individual department into crafting. Fair play. Alas, it came to nought.

The Enduro wasn't ground zero for this special category, of course. AMC's Eagle landed as far back as 1979, replete with 4.2-litre straight six making all of 110bhp. Quite how it hauled itself anywhere interesting is a mystery, but this transmogrified estate, seemingly from the mind of Mad Max creator George Miller, started something. It left such an impression on Car and Driver's David E Davis Jr that he bought 200 AMC shares as soon as he got home from reviewing it. Nearly half a century later, it seems unlikely that the A6 Allroad, no matter how many road test stars it achieves, will move the Volkswagen Group's share price. It probably should, mind. Our Vorsprung test car cost £90,335.

There have been others, notably the Volvo V90 Cross Country, Subaru Outback and more recently the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo. But despite offering utility that is more a mere suggestion, top-tier ride quality and material lavishness, and a kerbside deportment no SUV can match, the format remains niche. How to make it more popular, thus ensuring its continued existence? Give them to police traffic officers. Fast enough, spacious enough, a bit of intimidation factor... Just look what plod, storming down the outside lane in a forcefield of blue light, did for the cachet of the Volvo V70.

Or maybe prevailing market conditions will play nicely into the hands of the Allroad et al. Think about it: the i5 Touring, to pick one of many examples, always looks a bit awkward in profile because BMW has had to disguise the height of the battery. It would look more natural if it had hulking arch guards and a bit of chonk about it, to balance out the weirdly thick floor. Also, in the electric era, an estate is usefully more aerodynamic than an SUV (not to mention sweeter-handling). Lastly, if we're trying to reduce our carbon footprints, one car that does everything is a sensible approach.

It seems the rough-road estate is an idea whose time might finally have arrived. All of which is to say that I expect Audi to discontinue the Allroad within 18 months.

New Hyundai Ioniq 6 driven: 423-mile saloon for hatchback money

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 00:01:23 +0000

Hyundai has updated its aero EV and, with grant now secured, cut the price to £33k. Still want that Mercedes CLA?

Hyundai has updated the Ioniq 6, its electric ‘streamliner’, but the really interesting thing here isn’t the actual facelift but the price.

It’s now available from £33,240, and that’s for the 84kWh, 423-mile version. For comparison, Mercedes-Benz wants at least £39,150 for the CLA 200 Electric, the smaller-battery, 328-mile version of its much smaller saloon. As good as the CLA is, that’s a price difference you can’t ignore.

What has happened here is that Hyundai has played the Electric Car Grant game very well: it has reshuffled the trim levels so that it’s able to offer the car for less than the £37,000 threshold (which is already cheaper than the CLA or the Tesla Model 3) and worked hard to convince the British authorities that the Korean-built Ioniq 6 is produced sustainably enough to qualify for the full-whack £3750 off.

As a result, entry-level Premium trim has become a bit of a steal. The one-up N Line (which gets sportier styling) is still excellent value at £36,240. The top-tier N Line Evo and the 320bhp dual-motor versions don’t get the grant so are a lot more expensive (£43,270 and £46,770) but still quite competitive with the CLA.

This process was lengthy, which is why it has taken a while for the facelifted Ioniq 6 to go on sale here. But it’s here now, and with that pricing, it almost doesn’t matter whether the Ioniq 6 is any good – but I’m pleased to report that it is actually a very appealing car.

The visual changes are actually quite extensive, with slimmer headlights, new wheel designs and the loss of that distinctive Sierra RS Cosworth-style rear wing. You still won’t mistake the Ioniq 6 for anything else and you probably have a strong opinion about its styling. I love it, but it’s easy to see why some people hate it.

Inside, the materials have been upgraded so there are fewer hard, scratchy plastics, and if you pick the N Line model you get the three-spoke steering wheel from the Ioniq 6 N instead of the slightly weird two-spoker. The centre console is still delightfully button-tastic but more logically laid out than before, and while there are digital screens and they work well, they don’t dominate.

The sheer amount of rear leg room is incredible, so the high floor isn’t really a problem for rear passengers.

It is still an issue in the front, because the seat feels like it’s stuck in a medium-high position, perching you over the controls. The CLA and Model 3 give you a far more authentic saloon driving position.

Which is a shame, because even the regular Ioniq 6 is a surprisingly decent steer. Body control is good and it derives a certain amount of athleticism from its rear-wheel-drive layout: the steering is quite faithful and on a wet road it can be made to yaw gently on the power.

The ride is only okay, since it can feel a little short on suspension travel on challenging roads and Hyundai always seems to struggle with the fine isolation of vibrations and sharp intrusions.

Sticking with the smaller 18in wheels as opposed to the 20s doesn’t make much of a difference to comfort but does net you an extra 59 miles of range. That’s according to the WLTP cycle; the difference will be smaller in practice.

The facelifted Ioniq 6 gets the same upgraded 84kWh battery as the Ioniq 5 SUV, and with mpkWh efficiency in the high threes, a 300-mile real-world range is very doable.

When the Ioniq 6 came out, it cost £47,000, and while it was striking, interesting and generally decent, it didn’t quite meet expectations. Between EV prices coming down generally, a bit of additional help from the grant and some well-judged upgrades, the Ioniq 6 has become highly recommendable, particularly if you want something distinctive that isn’t an SUV.

Hyundai Ioniq 6 84kWh N Line
4.5 Stars – Better than ever and cheaper than ever, the Ioniq 6 is now a long-range executive saloon for hatchback money.
Price	£36,240 (after ECG)
Engine	Permanent magnet synchronous motor
Power	225bhp
Torque	258lb ft
Gearbox	1-spd reduction, RWD
Battery	90/85kWh (total, est/usable)
Kerb weight	1987kg
0-62mph	7.4sec
Top speed	114mph
Range	364 miles
Economy	4.0mpkWh
CO2, tax band	0g/km, 4%
Rivals	Mercedes-Benz CLA Electric, Tesla Model 3, Volkswagen ID 7

Autumn Budget: fuel duty frozen and £100m for public EV charging

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 13:19:48 +0000

New chancellor John Healey has delivered his first budget; this is how it will affect motorists

Chancellor John Healey has delivered his first budget, announcing several measures that are intended to save motorists money as they battle rising fuel prices.

Chief among the new measures is an extended freeze on fuel duty, maintaining the 5p-per-litre reduction on the tax until July 2027.

The freeze had been due to expire on 31 December 2026, but the total duty on fuel will now be held at 52.95p per litre.

Healey said this decision was taken due to “the war in the Middle East still driving high fuel prices”.

The government said "the majority of the rise of inflation" from 2.6% in June to 3.5% in September was a result of the rise in motor fuel prices.

Fuel duty

Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch said she was "glad to see" fuel duty temporarily frozen but questioned why it couldn't be maintained at that rate for longer.

"We [the Conservative Party] froze fuel duty for 14 years; they can do better than that," she said.

Edmund King, president of motoring body the AA, said the duty freeze "only delays the price shock" when it is increased.

He added that the government "could have gone further and cut fuel duty by an extra 5p, even if only for diesel", arguing that increased income from VAT (due to inflated prices) could have offset a resulting loss in revenue. "Delaying the fuel duty increase is a welcome trick but no treat for drivers," he said.

Rod Dennis, senior policy officer for the RAC, said: "A freeze only avoids making an already difficult situation worse; it doesn’t make filling up any cheaper. And it’s worth remembering that pump prices still soared this summer, despite fuel duty being at this very same reduced rate."

EV charging

Healey confirmed that the temporary removal of VAT on domestic electricity will be extended until July 2027.

Although this measure isn't directly targeted at motorists, those capable of charging EVs and PHEVs at home stand to make savings as a result.

However, electricity drawn from a public EV charger will continue to be charged VAT at a rate of 20%.

King said this "widens the pavement tax" – the inequity between those capable of home charging and those who aren't – and called it a "missed chance" to incentivise uptake of EVs.

The government said it's considering allowing EV drivers to access domestic VAT rates at public chargers and is "taking immediate steps to establish a taskforce" on the issue.

It added that it will make £100 million available to reduce prices at "local, lower-powered public charge points" to narrow the gap.

This funding will be split across two fiscal years, with £50m to be spent in 2027-28 and the other £50m in 2028-29.

Vicky Edmonds, CEO of lobby group Electric Vehicle Association England, said the £100m funding is "welcome" but it's "disappointing that we still see no movement from government" on reducing VAT on public charging.

Dennis said: "Reducing VAT on public charging would have been an obvious way for the government to make the switch more accessible for more people. Instead, following its review of public charging costs, it appears to be exploring a different approach that would allow drivers to use lower-powered public chargers at the same cost as charging at home. We look forward to hearing more details on this."

Pay-per-mile tax on EVs

Although Healey didn't directly discuss the goverment's plans to introduce a pay-per-mile tax on EVs, namely Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED), it has now clarified its position.

The new tax will be introduced in April 2028, at which point a new tool will be introduced for EVs drivers to estimate and declare their mileage. The government is currently "undertaking proof-of-concept work" on this.

It's also working on a mechanism by which drivers can opt in for their cars' trip computers to automatically declare their mileage so that they won't have to do it manually.

It aims to automate a refunds process – for when a driver has overestimated their mileage and thus overpaid or has sold their car – by 2030.

Further guidance will be provided to large fleet operators later this year, the government said.

According to the Office for Budget Responsibility, eVED will add some £2 billion to VED revenues by the 2031-32 fiscal year.

Mileage rates

The government is also raising its approved mileage rates for business drivers.

The reimbursement for motorists covering less than 10,000 miles per year was temporarily raised from 45p per mile to 55p for the current tax year. This rise is now permanent, said Healey.

Meanwhile, the rate for those covering more than 10,000 miles annually has risen from 25p to 35p.

Company car tax

In addition, the government confirmed that benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax bands for company car users will rise by one percentage point in the 2030-31 fiscal year.

It expects this to raise an additional £310m in 2030-31 and an extra £345m in 2031-32.

The M25 at 40: Why I love London's orbital, despite the traffic

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Britain's busiest road is boring and often frustrating, but we should be thankful it exists

I promise I'm not simply trying to stir up controversy in the Autocar email inbox here, but I have to confess to an affinity that I suspect few will share: I think the M25 is brilliant and it doesn't deserve its poor reputation.

This is the busiest road in Britain. Of the top five most heavily trafficked sections of tarmac in the nation, four are bits of the M25.

The top, with an estimated 213,000 cars per day, according to government figures, is the stretch between junctions 14 and 15, which passes Heathrow airport.

Of course, that means delays. We've all been there (usually when we need to be somewhere else): you're haring along happily at 70mph, when the gantry of doom flashes amber and the variable limit changes to 40.

Were it not for the roar of plane engines or HGV tyres, you'd be able to hear the collective groan of everyone else on the road. And that's not to mention what happens when somebody careers into the central reservation or breaks down, and it slows to a crawl.

It can be among the greatest frustrations I've experienced behind the wheel. But consider the alternatives we'd have to endure if the ol' Orbital hadn't been built, and all that traffic spilled out onto local roads.

London's North and South Circular ring roads - which connect to form a sort of mini-25 - are already bursting at the seams. To force 200,000 cars onto those, or onto smaller rat runs, would not exactly be fun.

We got a good picture of that a couple of years ago when the south-western section of the M25 was closed while demolition work took place.

Drivers were forced onto the A-roads around Cobham and Ottershaw. Our photographer Jack Harrison - sent there to survey the chaos - reported the ensuing traffic jam averaged 8mph, compared with what should have been at least five times that pace on the motorway, but many people simply didn't bother driving that day.

What impact would it have on those people's lives - on missed appointments and such - or on the economy were such a closure to be sustained?

I also think the nature of driving on the M25 gets an unfair reputation. Yes, it is horrendously boring, but I'd take the calm of running in a straight line and occasionally orbiting the Nissan Qashqai hogging the middle lane over the chaos of driving through actual London itself.

My preference, when leaving or returning from my home in north-west London, is actually to avoid the North Circular entirely. It is too cramped and I've had many a near miss with uncaring morons. Instead I go the long way around the M25, for the sake of my blood pressure.

It's simply an easier, more sophisticated answer to traversing the nation's capital than anything else on the road. And it's also one that, from the very first suggestion of building a ring road around London to its completion in 1986, took almost 80 years to come to fruition.

The next time you're stuck in a jam wondering when you'll get home, or stifling that toilet break you really need, remember that it could very well be worse - and thank your lucky stars it isn't.

Why 'bland' Leapmotor was the real star of the Paris motor show

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Leapmotor may have had a small stand but its impact could well be the biggest of all Stellantis' brands

'Jam tomorrow' was the alternative theme on the Stellantis stand at Paris.

Unlike Alice in the Lewis Carroll book, you could also have jam today, just without that lovely retro flavour like your mum used to make. Instead it's mass-produced in China and plentiful, if bland.

In this now tortured metaphor, tomorrow's jam was a vivid shade of strawberry red in the form of the Citroën 2CV. There were other flavours too, including a delicious cherry red Alfa Romeo, a sumptuous blueberry DS and a banana yellow Fiat. These were all concept cars, however.

The B03 small EV from Leapmotor was much less flavourful, but it will be available to buy from early next year, coming with 194bhp, a 242-mile range and a 133kW charging speed, all for a likely price in the low-£20,000s. Leapmotor was right there among Stellantis's vast display amid Hall 4 of the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles because of the multinational giant's 51% stake in its Chinese partner firm's international sales.

The juxtaposition was pretty tasty. Here was a fast-growing brand nailing the tech, price and launch speed that characterise the Chinese push in Europe, just without the design appeal. It took its place among storied European brands leveraging great heritage to produce eye-popping designs but with no fresh metal. Stellantis is stuck in a launch lull, creating the need for a slew of concepts to mark its big European revival extravaganza at the show that's closest to being a home event.

For all the gloom about Europe, Stellantis is doing pretty well with its current product range. European sales were up 10% in the third quarter of 2026, making it the only global region in which gains were posted. Electric vehicles in particular boosted demand, led by those based on the Smart Car platform, including the Citroën C3 and Fiat Grande Panda. But sales of models such as the Opel/Vauxhall Corsa and Mokka, Peugeot 2008 and Alfa Romeo Junior were in decline. And the Smart Car-platform EVs are no match spec-wise for the Leapmotor cars.

In Paris, Leapmotor stood slightly abashed in the corner while we all ogled the concept eye candy, including the Peugeot RCZ. But it's going to play a much larger part in the transformation of Stellantis in Europe, including supplying tech for the 'E-car' platform that will underpin the 2CV and other EVs from 2028. It's also helping Stellantis fill underutilised factories in Spain, as well as supplying an SUV platform to Vauxhall.

You could say it's helping Stellantis out of a jam.

New Aston Martin Valhalla Spider: £1.3m roadster tops 217mph

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 00:01:00 +0000

Mega-power V8 hybrid lifts its lid – and its price – for ultra-exclusive Testarossa Spider rival

The new Valhalla Spider is the fastest Aston Martin convertible yet, capable of 217mph at full chat — with or without its roof in place.

This means that when its lid is removed, Gaydon's V8 drop-top can outpace the V12 Valkyrie Spider, which is restricted to 205mph without its roof.

The new version of the Valhalla is expected to make up a quarter of the 999-unit build run, and will command a sizeable premium of about 40% over the coupé, taking the entry price to around £1.3 million — three times as much as the Ferrari 849 Testarossa Spider. Most have been sold already, approximately a year before production begins.

Its high list price means that despite its relative exclusivity, the Spider will play a significant role in boosting Aston's average selling price as the company strives for better profits. The firm has previously said it will prioritise range-topping derivatives of existing models over the coming years as part of a push to increase margins.

The substantial uplift in price also reflects the level of engineering that has gone into creating a convertible version of the carbon-tubbed two-seater. To preserve the rigidity of the base car, as well as its sleek silhouette, the Valhalla Spider features a targa-style removable panel — fabric as standard and optionally upgradable to a carbonfibre panel — rather than a weighty, complex folding mechanism.

The Spider also has a wind deflector that has been designed to channel air up and over the cockpit — reducing buffeting at speed — and down to the air scoop at the rear, which has been raised by 35mm to optimise cooling with the interrupted airflow. When not in use, the wind deflector, like the fabric roof, can be folded and stowed in one of the new 15-litre cubbies that have been engineered into the lower sills.

The Spider alters its active aero and ESP settings to adapt to changes in airflow when the roof is removed, ensuring "consistent vehicle balance, stability and driver confidence", said Aston.

Armed with the same hybrid drivetrain as the coupé — combining a twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 and three electric motors — the Valhalla Spider packs a colossal 1064bhp and 811lb ft of torque.

Despite carrying an extra 25kg — with a dry weight of 1680kg — the roadster matches both its fixed-roof sibling's 2.5sec 0-62mph time and top speed.

It retains the coupé's highly advanced vehicle dynamics control system — which constantly monitors and adjusts the suspension, brakes, steering, aero and powertrain to suit the conditions — and movable bodywork elements that optimise aero at different speeds. Aston says this means the car achieves the same maximum downforce of 600kg with the roof in place.

The Spider also keeps the coupé's dramatic dihedral doors, which are now frameless rather than hinged from the roof and have been subtly reprofiled for easier entry and exit when the roof is on.

Valhalla Spider vs rivals: Mega-power V8 drop-tops

Range Rover Sport Electric driven: it really could be the best 4x4 by far

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 00:01:00 +0000

The Range Rover is now best in EV form - and so is its smaller sibling. Although for very different reasons...

Over the past decade and in particular with this current generation, the Range Rover Sport – not its big brother – has been the model to showcase the Range Rover brand at its very best.

It not only is a match for the full-size Range Rover in terms of style and luxury but also has as broad a range of dynamic abilities as almost anything else on the market.

The Range Rover Sport can be a genuinely engaging driver’s SUV as much as it can be a sumptuous cruiser and then still navigate obstacles and types of terrain off road that no car has a right to do.

The Range Rover Sport Electric goes EV at the same time as the Range Rover Electric and in much the same way, as a powertrain option in a visually identical body to the ICE car.

Whereas electric power felt a very obvious next step for the Range Rover as a way to enhance its luxury credentials, areas of improvement are a bit less obvious for the Range Rover Sport.

Regardless, the result is hugely successful. This is a fabulous car to drive. As with the Range Rover, electric power transforms the Sport into a better-distilled version of what it was already so good at.

It rides, handles and steers better from an existing high bar and the drivetrain is used to elevate those things and increase your enjoyment rather than dominate proceedings.

In fact, I’m struggling to think of an electric car in which the chassis has been this enjoyable and the propulsion method more of an afterthought.

It’s remarkable, really, that you can feel so comfortable and relaxed yet be able to drive the car in such a spirited way and make such brisk progress. Impressive stuff.

This EV is based on the same MLA platform as the rest of the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport family, only with an electric motor on each axle, for a combined 542bhp and 627lb ft, and a 118.5kWh (usable) battery – specs identical to the Range Rover Electric.

The Sport EV is the stiffest model yet built on the MLA, like its big brother with the battery in the floor (without affecting interior space, driving position or wider interior architecture) for a lower centre of gravity, and it’s rear-biased in feel.

The new Range Rover EVs were developed alongside one another and the Jaguar Type 01 GT – something JLR vehicle engineering director Matt Becker says has helped ensure the large luxury electric trio all have different characteristics and their own place in the market.

His team has been successful here. Considering how soulless and devoid of character many EVs are, I had expected the Range Rover duo to feel closer together in electric form, but in fact they feel even further apart, with the Sport EV channelling the spirit of the superb previous-generation model.

The EV transformation hasn’t addressed one of our biggest gripes with the current Sport, however: a touchscreen that’s very average in terms of both the display and its usability. Why on earth is the Terrain Response system hidden in there rather than on a physical controller?

This is also where you have to go hunting for the Dynamic mode, but don’t bother: it stiff ens the car too much. It’s much more agreeable on the road in its standard setting. This is actually the opposite of what I found in the Range Rover Electric.

The piped-in electric noise in Dynamic mode sounds weird too. I’m not averse to the concept, but this is definitely one that can be labelled gimmicky.

Those niggles aside, the Sport Electric has so much going for it, but at a cost: it’s around £20,000 more than an equivalent mild hybrid and £15,000 more than the plug-in hybrid. Or look at it this way: it’s around £10,000 less than the V8 petrol yet is dynamically superior.

Range Rover Sport Electric EV550

Verdict: A hugely successful transformation. You’ll only remember it’s electric when you need to refuel it

Specification	Details
Price	£109,745
Engine	Two permanent magnet synchronous motors
Power	542bhp
Torque	627lb ft
Gearbox	1-spd reduction gear, 4WD
Kerb weight	2770kg
0-62mph	4.5sec
Top speed	124mph
Battery	118.5kWh usable
Range, economy	375 miles (WLTP), 3.2mpkWh (est)
CO2, tax band	0g/km, 4%
Rivals	BMW iX5, Porsche Cayenne Electric

KTM X-Bow boosted to 592bhp in first update under new owner

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 11:54:08 +0000

More power and tech upgrade are first changes since Austrian motorcycle maker sold its sports car division

The KTM X-Bow GT-XR has been updated for the first time since the sports car division of the Austrian motorcycle manufacturer entered new ownership last year.

Officially named KTM X-Bow Onroad GmbH, the division was sold after financial headwinds pushed KTM into a period of ‘self-administration’ and eventually an acquisition by Indian partner Bajaj.

The buyer was a Belgian investment group led by rally driver Guillaume de Mévius, whose family holds a significant stake in Anheuser-Busch InBev, parent firm of brewers including Budweiser, Corona and Stella Artois.

Chief among the updates to the X-Bow is the addition of new Factory 600 and Evo specifications, which extract yet more performance from the lightweight supercar.

The Factory 600 package brings an uprated intake manifold, turbocharger and intercooler, boosting the Audi-sourced 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine by 99bhp to 592bhp.

Meanwhile, the Evo aero kit is derived from that worn by the GT2-class X-Bow racer, with a more aggressive front splitter, canards and new louvres in its wings.

All X-Bows have gained a 7in infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, intended to enhance the appeal of the track-focused supercar when out on the open road, giving easier access to sat-nav and media.

The rear-view camera is no longer fitted as standard: the X-Bow instead gets traditional folding side mirrors, although the camera-based solution can still be had as an optional extra.

It has also gained the option of an exhaust system made by German firm Capristo.

Polestar 4 SUV tested: cheaper and roomier than the Coupe, but can it top BMW?

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 08:00:56 +0000

Boxy back makes popular EV more practical – plus chassis is retuned Believe it or not, there’s actually more than just a boxier rear to separate the new Polestar 4 SUV from its sleeker sibling – now called the 4 Coupé.The engineers have also seen fit to tweak the chassis set-up and boost the interior technology, while the accountants have managed to juggle the numbers so the 4 SUV actually undercuts its hot-selling sibling.Priced from £54,750 and rising to £60,750 in Dual Motor form, the 4 SUV fully squares up to the new BMW iX3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC Electric. And with an efficient entry model and a Performance Pack in the line-up (the latter at £68,250), both the Volvo EX60 and Alpine A390 are in the firing line too.Polestar expects the 4 SUV will overtake the 4 Coupé to become its best seller here and beyond. But the truth is that it faces a much tougher list of rivals. So, can it beat them?

Hot hatches on the charge: Cupra Raval VZ vs Alpine A290

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Electricity is fuelling a hot hatch renaissance; can Cupra's newcomer dethrone Alpine's class leader?

How, exactly, could an Alpine A290 or the freshly arrived Cupra Raval VZ - electric hot hatchbacks in a rapidly broadening niche - be anything like a mid-engined supercar?

The answer is all about usability, which remains an insoluble problem for car brands trying to wean hot hatch customers off hydrocarbons and convince them that electrons are a viable alternative.

The hot hatch cherished usability as one of its founding strengths. The whole point of putting a performance engine into a humble hatchback and then transforming the rest of the design and mechanicals around it was to end up with a car that retained its practicality but gained a whole lot more. To produce something you could use, afford, drive every day and really enjoy doing so.

Electric iterations of this idea have so far certainly had comparable performance. Lately they've also started to become more affordable, to the point where, thanks to the UK government's Electric Car Grant, you could buy either of the EVs you see here for about the same price as one of the very last remaining combustion-powered hot superminis on sale, the Mini John Cooper Works.

But could you really drive one? Use one every day, in all the ways you'd expect to use a compact hatchback? It has proven a tough circle to square - for the Alpine A290 in particular.

This is a car we warmed to instantly when it was introduced two years ago. But living with an A290 on our long-term test fleet last year brought some home truths to light.

The car's rear-seat space is tight enough to make a 10-year-old complain and its 300-litre boot is little even by supermini-class norms.

It's a small car, of course, so you might expect such things. But more restrictive still is a real-world range of only 140 to 150 miles at typical longer-distance speeds.

Tester after tester said the same thing: it's great to drive, but by the time you've got it anywhere, you're so preoccupied with where you're going to charge it that you're almost unable to enjoy it.

Can a hot hatchback afford to be needy? A bit of a diva? A luxury item to sit alongside your more useful real-world cars and reserved for short-hop amusement? That would seem to miss the point, if you ask me.

So here we are, ready to discover if a more serious, truly usable electric hot hatch can be found in a likely place. The Cupra Raval is the first car to arrive on UK roads built on the Volkswagen Group's brand-new B-segment EV platform: the MEB21.

The VZ is the range-topping performance version and, like the Alpine A290, it has a familiar, hot hatch-typical mechanical layout: a single drive motor up front to put a little over 200 electric ponies through the front wheels.

Unlike the Alpine, it uses a twist-beam rear axle, rather than a fully independent multi-link set-up. And where the A290 has its motorsport-style hydraulic suspension bump-stops, the Raval counters with its inclined rear suspension mounts, DCC adaptive dampers and VAQ clutch-based, torque-vectoring front differential.

The Cupra is a sibling to the new Volkswagen ID Polo GTI, but while Wolfsburg and Martorell quarrel about who deserves the credit for the development of the key performance hardware, clearly there's plenty of it.

So where does it all lead? Has Cupra come up with an electric pocket rocket with more dynamic hustle and verve than Alpine's hitherto class leader? Just one with better ownership and usability qualities? Or are the differences between the cars on the latter score actually slight enough to make little or no difference?

First impressions

There's a little bit of premium-brand voodoo about the Alpine A290. It probably won't fully hit you when you look at photos of the car, but in the metal it's undeniable.

This car has true star quality, a desirability that only really great design delivers. It has a big-wheeled stance, alluring proportions and irresistible details, from the motorsport-chic driving lights to the mock-air-intake pressings in the back doors.

But I wonder if, in some ways, all of that actually works to erode the car's credentials as a convincing hot hatch.

There's a toy-like quality to it. Not one of a cheap toy, but something special and expensive, longed for over the writing of many a Christmas or birthday list.

It suggests somehow that the car doesn't belong in the realm of the everyday. It's like a perfect, individually wrapped chocolate or a colourful designer macaron: to be put on display, enjoyed on its own terms and treated as an indulgence, rather than as a car for getting down and dirty in the bustle and grime of the real world.

The Raval, smart though it is, has a very different visual character. Darker and more 'street', it looks like it wants to creep out of the shadows and surprise you. It's happy not to be the centre of attention and there's a stealthy menace about it that gels effortlessly with the traditional role of a hot hatchback.

These things are subjective but, to my eyes, the Raval looks like it wants to be used and the A290 like it wants to be preened and admired.

The Cupra also has an interior that's notably more suited to versatile daily use than the Alpine's.

There’s a bulkiness about the Raval's exterior that the daintier A290 studiously avoids. Surprise, surprise: the Cupra is actually less than 50mm longer from nose to tail, and there's only 6mm between the two cars on roof height. It's a lot roomier, though.

Its driving position isn't quite as low-set or sporty-feeling as the Alpine's, but its second row is as usable as the A290's isn't. The Cupra's boot, meanwhile, can swell to 441 litres when you drop the false floor to its lower level - enough to swallow surprisingly bulky things.

The A290's, by contrast, shrinks to just 300 litres if you have the premium Devialet stereo, with its large subwoofer under the boot floor, as our test car did.

You'd scarcely be confident of carrying anything much bigger than a smallish suitcase in there. I had to go back and compare the exterior dimensions of these cars several times. It's remarkable how much more useful space and versatility a Raval crams in.

You might think that it doesn't matter, that your electric runaround is 'just for fun' and you'd never choose one over another because it had more practical space. The truth is, sooner or later - usually sooner - real life has a habit of catching up.

From the driver's seat

When you're at the wheel, you know you're in a special place in either of these cars.

The Alpine's seat is lower and makes you feel marginally more at one with the car around you, but the Cupra's is more adjustable and supportive, so there are arguments to be made in favour of both.

The Raval's fascia materials are on average a bit shinier and cheaper-looking, and the A290's plusher and more tactile. Neither is a disappointment.

But you can forgive the Cupra its relative lack of frippery because it gives you all the right controls in all the right places: a twisty drive selection column shifter wand; paddles for regenerative braking control; some useful fixed HVAC and headlight controls and easy-to-prod buttons for drive mode selection; and an accessible one-touch menu on the central touchscreen for quickly disabling ADAS features when they begin to irk.

The A290 confounds the norm in some of these areas. It uses a rotary knob inboard of the steering rim for regen control, rather than paddles (its Renault 5 twin has gained regen paddles as part of its latest facelift, but the A290 won't follow suit - "because Formula 1", apparently), and it employs buttons rather than a stalk for drive, park and reverse.

The A290 is the lighter car of the two and you'd know as much from how it rides and controls its body movements, but you wouldn't really be able to tell based on how hard it accelerates. Both of these cars feel like potent, urgent hot hatchbacks when you really let them fly.

The Raval is probably the marginally quicker of the two because of the traction it develops and the way it can afford to dump more torque onto the road. The A290's getaway from rest feels more manicured and manipulated, before the taps fully open from around 30mph.

A model generation from now, I'd bet that the successors to both of these cars will have 'virtual gearshift'-style make-believe engine and gearbox systems like the ones already being used by Hyundai, Kia and Porsche EVs.

As daft as the idea may seem, they make a huge difference to the kind of driver involvement that any performance car ought to specialise in.

They're also a way to answer the persistent cries of performance EV critics who say that electric motors, by and large, still aren't interactive or exciting enough.

For now, the Alpine uses uncannily fluent, intuitive and natural-feeling agility and handling poise as its secret weapons. The Cupra, meanwhile, has its remarkably adhesive and pointy front axle, which seems to be given superpowers by a clever torque-vectoring diff.

You wouldn't imagine that two rivals of such similar positioning could have such different dynamic tricks up their sleeves.

The Volkswagen Group's VAQ active 'diff' (it's actually an override shaft for the open diff, downstream of an electronically controlled clutch) has been a feature of its GTI models for years, but I've never known it to have a more transformative effect than on the Raval VZ.

Well, I have once, when I tested a prototype of the very closely related ID Polo GTI, which uses the same hardware.

While the Alpine seems to effortlessly pivot and flow its way around a corner, rolling a little but gripping a lot, and really evenly, and adopting a fast cross-country pace as if born to do it, the Cupra wants to be thrown in, barrelled at the apex and flung out the other side.

The Raval's diff just gives you another way to chuck it: either entirely with your wrists, or with your right foot, a whole load of instant torque and the grappling rotational oomph of the outside front wheel.

It's extraordinary how hard that outside wheel can work to yaw the car, turning it into a neutral attitude before you've even hit your apex, and making you able to bleed off positive steering angle really early and then just accelerate directly down the road.

It's very difficult to say which car is ultimately more fun. The Alpine's leanness, and the fluidity that flows from its light-touch tuning, is really distinguishing among fast EVs. The Cupra works harder for its composure on really testing roads but finds it in its firmer damping modes - and it really paints a grin across your face when you can hook up that diff. But the Cupra's completeness and usability is there, ready to seal the deal.

If all other things were equal, the A290 might just squeak this for its easy, lithe poise, but they are far from so.

The Volkswagen Group has entered the electric hot hatchback market and applied its familiar thoroughness and seriousness to the Cupra Raval VZ - while also not forgetting to make it great fun.

And what results feels like a bit of a coming of age: an electric hot hatch you can actually live with.

Verdict

First place: Cupra Raval VZ

Old-school, diff-derived, asphalt-clawing FWD driver appeal in a smart, wellpriced, all-electric package you could actually use.

Second place: Alpine A290 GTS+

A290 hasn't lost a shred of its lithe handling appeal or premium design lustre but it suddenly looks quite compromised in more prosaic, practical ways.

	CUPRA RAVAL VZ	ALPINE A290 GTS+
Rating	Four and a half stars	Three and a half stars
Price	£33,495 (after Electric Car Grant)	£34,245 (after Electric Car Grant)
Engine	Permanent magnet synchronous motor	Separately excited synchronous motor
Power	221bhp	215bhp
Torque	214lb ft	221lb ft
Gearbox	1-spd reduction gear, FWD	1-spd reduction gear, FWD
Kerb weight	1615kg	1479kg
0-62mph	6.8sec	6.4sec
Top speed	109mph	105mph
Battery	56/51.7kWh (total/usable), NMC	55/52kWh (total/usable), NMC
Range	238 miles	226 miles
Economy	3.8-4.5mpkWh	3.8-3.9mpkWh
Max charging rate	135kW	101kW

What about new GTI rivals?

This two-car comparison exercise could, almost, have contained 50% more intrigue and metal - and arguably would have been a four-car occasion, if only it had happened six months later.

In the same week that we carried out our back-to-back testing of the Raval and A290, Peugeot's press launch for the new e-208 GTI began near Loch Lomond.

As it happened, it wasn't quite possible to simply relocate our base of operations with the Cupra and Alpine to Scotland and turn our test company into a crowd.

But I did test drive the Peugeot less than 48 hours after having concluded appraising the Cupra and Alpine - and on at least similar UK roads.

Back in May this year, meanwhile, I was fortunate to become one of the very first people outside of the employ of Volkswagen to test the new ID Polo GTI, when the company's chassis engineers brought a late prototype to the UK for us to run the rule over.

Does that make me the best-qualified road tester in the world right now to name the new electric hot hatchback king? I'd have needed all four cars on the same road, at the same time, to be sure. But here goes nothing.

The Peugeot has got much of the Alpine's likeable compactness, plenty of motorsport-feel tautness in its body control and at least some of the outright traction and diff-derived purpose of the Cupra and Volkswagen.

It also has peak power to trump them all, though no paddle-shift regen control. For driver appeal on its own, it might rule the roost.

It would certainly be close. But usability matters almost as much as anything else to the typical hatchback driver and both the Polo and Raval bring new standards to the class for four-seat versatility, electric range and DC charging speed - and both are great to drive.

My instinct would be to pick the Polo, here and now - for its hot hatch pedigree, its completeness and its driver appeal.

Predicting back-to-back test verdicts is fraught with difficulties, but if any electric hot hatch deserves to rise to the top of this particular class, it's Volkswagen's.

New Mercedes C-Class review: better to drive than ever

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 23:01:34 +0000

Petrol-engined saloon gets an overdue facelift, but can it stand out from its new electric sibling? By the time a car reaches its mid-life facelift, you expect it to have settled comfortably into its role. The fifth-generation Mercedes-Benz C-Class hasn’t really had that luxury. A good five years after it went on sale, this ICE model now finds itself sharing showroom space with an electric model of the same name based on a completely different platform, wearing more modern styling, offering more contemporary drivetrain technology and answering a totally different set of questions.That doesn’t mean Mercedes is ringing big changes for its traditional saloon and estate, though. Instead, it’s another careful sharpening for the Audi A5 and BMW 3 Series rival – and, on the evidence of this first drive, that decision looks sound. It’s an update aimed at taking the existing C-Class and making it feel relevant again, rather than reinventing it.

Volkswagen ID Polo driven: £24k EV is VW back at its best

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 09:03:54 +0000

Electric supermini is intended as a practical, affordable and fun-to-drive alternative to the hot-cakes Renault 5 We already know plenty about the Volkswagen ID Polo, launched at last in right-hand-drive form. Ever since the market-expanding Renault 5 appeared, buyers have been keen to know how Wolfsburg would attack the electric supermini task – an important part of the European industry’s fightback against Chinese competition.Early critics were pleased to discover that, apart from its electric powertrain, the seventh-generation Polo is a spacious, no-surprises sort of car, with timeless, pleasantly inoffensive styling.We've already driven the car in pre-production form and finished but on European roads, but this is our first go in the finished article in the UK.It squares up to the hot-selling Renault with a starting price of £22,445 (Electric Car Grant included) and a promising 282-mile range, which would have been class-leading but for the very recent arrival of the 308-mile Hyundai Ioniq 3.And while it shares its MEB+ underpinnings with the Cupra Raval, it has a Volkswagen-specific suspension set-up and a new, more analogue interior.In more ways than one, then, this represents a new direction for electric Volkswagens. The question is: is it the right one?

Genesis GV60 Magma

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Heated-up electric crossover borrows tech from Hyundai’s game-changing Ioniq 5 N – but is it better to drive? If the Magma sub-brand were a member of Genesis, it would undoubtedly be Phil Collins: louder, punchier and brought in to steer the group in a bold new direction.That shift begins with this, the GV60 Magma, which was first revealed in concept form almost two years ago. Now we've driven the Korean premium brand's radical new 641bhp electric SUV on both road and track.If you're unfamiliar with the GV60 Magma, it's a hardcore performance version of the GV60 electric crossover and the first model out of the newly formed Magma programme.

Changan Deepal S05

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Stylish mid-sized crossover from Chinese newcomer offers both electric and plug-in hybrid powertrains Despite not yet being as recognisable as the likes of BYD, Jaecoo and Omoda, Changan has been around much longer than you might think. Based in Chongqing, China, it has been in the car manufacturing game for over 60 years. It launched its first car in the UK, the Changan Deepal S07, earlier this year, which proved to be a very respectable effort.Next up is the smaller Deepal S05, which the firm hopes will help to accelerate its influence in the UK at “China speed”. It promises tech, performance and surprisingly sophisticated design allure, and adds well-supported personal finance deals in for good measure.We had our first taste of the S05 in Austria for some cold-weather driving and low-grip fun, but we've now had the chance to test it, in both electric and plug-in hybrid forms, on the UK's more demanding roads.Changan expects electric and PHEV sales to be equally split. PHEV volume is likely to be a tad more weighted towards fleet.

The best used electric cars bargains to snap up now

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 08:54:01 +0000

Used electric cars are approaching price parity with used ICE cars, which means now is the time to buy one

In the not-so-distant past, used electric cars failed to strike a chord with consumers, due to unpredictable depreciation and concerns about battery health.

Now, however, used EV sales are on an upward trajectory, and for those who want to go electric on a budget, there’s no better time to snag a bargain.

According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), used EV sales surged by 67% in the second quarter of this year, with more than 110,000 charging hands. That’s the biggest jump in second hand EV sales since 2024.

Used EV are also showing signs of prices stability compared with used petrol and diesel cars – and while they’re not yet on a par, it seems like a great time to make the switch.

Car makers have spent the last few years flooding the market with new and improved EVs, which means the classifieds are now packed with a diverse range of choice.

Factor in the major strides in battery technology and charging infrastructure and range anxiety is quickly becoming a thing of the past.

Buying a used EV also means you can save money on running costs; charging an EV is much cheaper than refilling an ICE car with petrol or diesel, particularly if you can charge at home.

Whether you need an efficient family SUV with a real-world range of more than 300 miles or a diminutive hatchback for inner-city jaunts, finding a used EV that fits your needs is easier than ever.

But which used EVs are actually worth your money? Our expert team of road testers have compiled a list of the very best on sale, taking into account real-world range, efficiency, practicality, price, charging capability and long-term reliability.

At a glance...

Model	Best for...	Starting Used Price	Real-World Range	Max Charging Speed
Polestar 2	Best overall used EV	£15,000	230–290 miles	150kW
Porsche Taycan	Sports car dynamics and performance	£28,000	210–260 miles	270kW
Tesla Model 3	Long-distance range and charging network	£9000	220–310 miles	250kW
Skoda Elroq	Modern compact family versatility	£21,000	210–320 miles	175kW
Cupra Born	Driver engagement and practicality	£11,000	180–290 miles	135kW

The best used electric cars

We think the Polestar 2 is the best used EV overall. This handsome, practical liftback is great to drive, while its real-world range and efficiency give it plenty of long-distance versatility.

If you’re after something more engaging, the Porsche Taycan is an excellent choice, not just for its incisive handling and whipcrack performance, but also for its surprisingly accessible second-hand price tag.

For those who need an EV with a versatile edge, the Skoda Enyaq and Kia EV6 have enough space, pace, range and rational charm to fit seamlessly into family life.

Geely working on first model specific to Europe – plus Defender rival

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 06:00:00 +0000

'Project KO11' will be Geely's halo model as it fills out the rest of its range

Chinese newcomer will also update existing models, having "learned lessons" about what Europeans want

Geely will reveal its first car developed specifically for the European market next year.

The Chinese brand – part of the conglomerate that also owns Volvo, Polestar and Lotus – launched in Europe last year with the EX5 electric SUV and related Starray plug-in hybrid.

It will soon add to that with a halo model codenamed Project KO11 – a localised version of the Land Rover Defender-rivalling Galaxy Cruiser 4x4 recently launched in China.

This shares its underpinnings with the forthcoming Lotus Eletre PHEV but has been devised for hardcore off-roading, with an 800mm wading depth and chunky styling.

Geely’s product definition director, Dennis Weinel, told Autocar that such models had been selected according to the brand’s priorities for its European launch and then modified to suit the European market.

“The book was already written to a certain extent and we did the last mile on it,” he said.

Weinel referred to such models as the “legacy portfolio”, adding that more substantial alterations to these cars are currently in development to better suit the European market.

He pointed to the ‘Flyme’ infotainment system as one example: “This has more or less the same look and feel shared with China, which we don’t want to have in Europe. The second generation of Flyme will clearly address the needs of a European customer with multitasking, split screens, more information that matters and widgets that you can extend. This is now in development and will be rolled out next year.”

Weinel added that Geely is also working to address the “bings and bongs” triggered by the cars’ driver assistance systems, which have drawn criticism fom both the press and owners.

“This is usually [down to] three key areas: the volume, the signature of a chime or the trigger logic,” he said. "We are now addressing all three points to make this what our customers prefer while still being under the regulation. These are lessons that we’ve learned.”

Geely will take this approach further with its first model built specifically for Europe. Weinel said it has been designed at the firm’s base in Milan and that it will be revealed next year.

“This is really a product for Europe, and then from Europe it will go to other markets,” he added.

This approach mirrors that of compatriot rival BYD, which arrived in Europe with Chinese-market models before launching the Dolphin G, a PHEV supermini developed according to European-market demands and due to be produced in Hungary.

Geely plans to launch 10 cars in the UK by 2030. It will soon grow its line-up from three (the EX5, Starray and EX2 electric supermini) to five with the Monjaro PHEV SUV and KO11.

As fuel prices soar, have diesel cars stopped making sense?

Sun, 25 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Pump prices have skyrocketed past the point where you could make up for them with mega MPG figures

A spin in a new Skoda Octavia diesel estate reminded me that it's still possible to buy a new oil-burner, while begging the question: why would you?

The car, a 2.0 TDI 150PS DSG Sportline costing £38,645, can do 60.1mpg. However, its mild-hybrid petrol sibling, the £37,265 1.5 TSI e-Tec 150PS DSG Sportline, can do 54.3mpg, just 6mpg less.

Factor in the higher price of diesel – currently about 199 pence per litre compared with 173.98 pence per litre for petrol – and over 10,000 miles both cars cost about the same in fuel to run: the diesel Octavia £1505 and the petrol £1457.

Ten years ago both diesel and petrol cost around 112 pence per litre. Balancing a diesel car's superior fuel economy against its higher list price, the case for buying a diesel-engined car over a petrol one was clearer. Diesel engines were comparatively straightforward, too.

Contrast that situation with today: not only are prices for the two fuels very different, but diesel engines are now also seen as less reliable. Meanwhile, fewer diesel cars are being built because company car drivers, once enthusiastic adopters of them, are incentivised by lower benefit-in-kind tax rates to switch to EVs.

Turning to the used car market, sales of diesel cars slowed down this summer, and looking ahead the only models likely to resist the heaviest depreciation are large estates and SUVs with generous towing capacity.

So back to the original question: why would you buy a new diesel Octavia? Actually, that's easy: because it makes a solid 266lb ft compared with the petrol Octavia's 184lb ft. That's ideal if you have a caravan or a boat to tow, you regularly drive long distances four-up with luggage or you appreciate wafting along for miles on just a hint of throttle.

The truth is that when it comes to cars, sometimes the maths has to take second place and the demands of real-life use win out.

But back to the maths and, thanks to a slightly higher deposit but a much bigger balloon payment, the diesel Octavia's monthly cost on a four-year PCP is £361 compared with £363 for the petrol. Now there's a surprise.

'I’ll be buried with it': My classic BMW 7 Series is too good to sell

Sun, 25 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000

This cherished "museum piece" 728i is officially one of the best of its kind

George Manning’s 1997 E38-generation BMW 728i is a superb example of the breed – and that’s official. At the recent BMW 7 Event – a popular showcase for 7 Series of all generations organised by All Things Bavarian and held at The Hill, a Caffeine & Machine outpost in Warwickshire – it bagged the Best Overall award, voted for by visitors.

More remarkable still is that up to 150 7 Series of all ages were present, with awards also given for Best Restored, Best Modified and Best Kept.

Why did George’s car merit Best Overall? “I think what people liked was the fact that it has a Kenwood foldout TV in the centre of the dashboard that is period correct,” he says. “It was fitted three months after the car was bought new. I had the system playing a DVD of the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies, which features a 1997 750i L. I’d be chatting with someone about the car and people would just be watching the film!”

Another reason George believes his car won is that it is, as he puts it, “a museum piece”, in the sense that it’s unmodified and in almost factory-fresh condition. What’s more, although it’s a humble 728i, it’s not without some very interesting factory-fitted extras, as George explains: “It has the contour seats, which are very rare for BMWs of this age and are the highest-spec seats you could then buy for the 7 Series.

They’re full leather but the ‘contour’ aspect is the way the whole of the backrest can be adjusted independently of the seat, so that it moulds to your back. Lower down it also has lumbar support with a small inflatable airbag that you can adjust as you like. They’re very comfortable seats.”

His car’s other interesting option is the soft-close doors and bootlid. “The bootlid is partially electrically powered,” says George. “You lower it and settle it down lightly and then just push it gently and it closes for you. The doors are soft-close in the sense that they have a very light mechanism. You don’t have to close them firmly. Instead, they shut with very little effort.”

George is the BMW’s third owner. Its first keeper had the car for around 15 years. The second owner was George’s father, who sold it to him five years ago. George describes his 728i as a “big boat” to drive. “It’s very soft and quite floaty in corners,” he says. “The steering feels nicely direct, though. It may be a big BMW saloon but it’s still a driver’s car.

"Put the five-speed automatic gearbox into Sport mode and kick down the accelerator and the engine responds with a real punch. The 728i’s 2.8-litre engine has a reputation for being strong and reliable so I have no worries about its future health.”

On that point, it couldn’t be in better hands. As an HGV technician, George knows his way around engines and treats his 728i to fresh oil and a filter every 6000 miles. Nothing’s forever, though, so has George any plans to sell it? “I’ll be buried with it, I think,” he says.

“It’s brilliant and, of course, as my father’s old car, it has a lot of sentimental value.” And lest ye forget: it’s an award winner.

Small cars, massive sales: Meet the team behind Hot Wheels

Sun, 25 Oct 2026 06:00:00 +0000

America's coolest automotive design studio, where your favourite cars are brought to life... in 1:64 scale

Charlie Angulo is an experienced automotive designer who has worked on everything from motor show concepts to cutting-edge hypercars. He loves Japanese and British cars, including his daily driver Jaguar F-Type.

In his current job, he has designed hundreds of cars that have brought joy to millions of people. Many are amazingly detailed, intricate creations designed to appeal to the most passionate car fans. And then there's the Donut Drifter.

"People say to me 'what's your most popular design? and I'm like 'it's a doughnut on wheels," laughs Angulo. "It doesn't really make any sense, but kids absolutely love it."

The Donut Drifter, you will have guessed, isn't a real car but one of the more outlandish in the vast Hot Wheels range. And while that particular model is laser-targeted at youngsters, in recent years the brand has greatly expanded its offering of realistic collectable models that appeal to grown-ups.

It has worked: by volume, Hot Wheels is the best-selling toy line in the world. Having taken around £1.3 billion in sales last year, it is toy giant Mattel's biggest brand, even ahead of Barbie. The numbers are staggering: around 200 new Hot Wheels designs are launched each year, and the firm manufactures around 750 million cars annually-24 cars per second, or eight times the combined annual vehicle production of the entire automotive industry.

Small cars are big business, and at a time when the car industry is struggling, the toy car industry is booming. Gratifyingly, underpinning that success is a huge passion for cars.

Enter the studio

The Mattel Design Centre doesn't look like much: it's a drab, low-rise building in an anonymous business park just south of the airport in the sprawling suburbs of Los Angeles. The only real hint of what goes on inside is a small orange track, complete with loop-the-loop, that runs along the staircase leading up to the front door.

Inside, it's a different story. Bright posters of Barbie and Masters of the Universe line the walls and there's a row of life-size versions of popular Hot Wheels models. There's another track, this one featuring a two-storey loop. Head past the foyer and into the design studio and it's exactly as you would expect a toy design studio to be: bright colours abound and toys are strewn everywhere. And it's here where the small but prolific Hot Wheels team craft their 1:64-scale vision of motoring.

The first task is deciding the line-up of models for each year. The goal is to mix real and fantasy cars (called Originals) and body types. Market forces play a part: unlike in the real world, SUVs are a tough sell, while small cars - in particular JDM machinery - are on the rise.

"We look at silhouettes rather than 'oh, we have to have a Ferrari," says Hot Wheels senior design manager Craig Callum, "and we want a mix of Originals versus licensed vehicles."

He notes a surge of interest in the Originals among collectors: "People really appreciate the effort we put into them. We've got the Cone Shaker, which is a traffic cone on wheels, and I know a collector who has 400 of them."

Much like a car-making group has brands spanning every segment, so there are different Hot Wheels types. The Mainline cars - the £2-or-so toys found in many shops are the mass-market models. Then there are varying levels of premium lines rising to the collectable Elite 64 (sold for around £20 each). Beyond that there's the Red Line Club, to which a paid subscription grants access to high-end, limited-run models, such as a recent Ferrari F40, for around £50.

Design process

Each vehicle is a bespoke creation with its own production moulds-no shared platforms here. Mainline vehicles feature four parts (a chassis, a body and two axles) made from plastic. Going up through the range, some vehicles will feature a plastic chassis and a metal body, high-end cars are all-metal and ultimately there can be up to 40 parts, including opening doors and bonnets.

It takes around 12-18 months to create a new model. For a toy based on a real car, the designers will start with a 3D digital model. Manufacturers often supply them with their data; if they can't or won't, Hot Wheels' Design Centre has the capacity to scan a real car. Video game developers will also offer similar data from cars featured in their titles.

Scaling a car down to 1:64 "is not just a case of shrinking it down to an inch and a half", says Callum. "We have to think about the wheel size and proportions. If you just scale a car down, it will look strange. We look at the most important features of that vehicle, like the intakes and headlights, and make sure we get those in."

Graphic elements

Complementing the basic sculpture of the car will be the paint and graphics, which are often used to recreate details that simply couldn't be moulded at 1:64. Not every car will be offered in a full range of colours, so again the key is balance and thinking what buyers will want. The first production version of any Ferrari, for instance, is naturally going to be red.

"I've just done a Mk1 Ford Focus RS, so it has to be Imperial Blue," says graphic designer Kristina Albrecht. "We've done lots of blues before-Subaru World Rally Blue, Nogaro Blue-but not Imperial Blue."

In that case, Ford sent an e-sheet featuring the colour, other manufacturers will send samples. As Albrecht notes, some manufacturers are very picky about their colours (Ferrari has three different shades of red), but no more than the design team themselves: "We want it to be as close as possible, because we're nerdy car guys."

Even that isn't straightforward: metallic paints often have flakes in, which would look wrong on a 1:64 car, requiring a custom mix.

On Mainline models, the graphics team might be able to apply three decals: on each side and the bonnet. On higher-end ones, the number of decals and their detail increases.

"On a Mainline car, we don't get to do headlights and the like," says Albrecht. "On higher levels of cars, it's about detail. Does it have European or American indicators? What about the headlights and tail-lights?"

Prototyping

The Hot Wheels factory is in Malaysia, but Mattel has an extensive facility here in Los Angeles to help produce prototypes. As with real cars, there's no substitute for seeing something in the metal.

3D printing has helped to revolutionise toy prototype production, and a range of machines can produce parts using different materials and to differing degrees of quality. This means a Hot Wheels prototype can be produced in around 90 minutes, so three versions of the same model can be iterated in a day.

That has shaved weeks off development times and also sped up another key part of the process: track testing. Yes, just like a real car, a Hot Wheels model has to deliver a certain performance. That's core to the brand: it was created with the aim of offering toys that outperformed their rivals dynamically.

Every car has to be able to run for 30 feet down Hot Wheels' signature orange track and perform a loop-the-loop. Performance does vary - although, perhaps wary of car firms extending their competitive nature to the toy world, the team won't divulge the speed charts.

Still, Callum notes that "it's perhaps inverse" to real-world dynamic performance, because "low-slung cars aren't quite as good at going around the loop".

He admits a particular desire for the Formula 1 range to perform, because a "kid would expect an F1 car to be the fastest in the world".

Final approval

Before a Hot Wheels model goes into production in Malaysia, the manufacturer of the real car is given final approval. That's partly to ensure the toys are accurate replicas and partly to maintain good relationships.

"Decades ago we'd put flame graphics all over Ferrari models," says graphic designer Mario Godoy. "We wouldn't do that now."

Callum says the manufacturers "are with us every step of the way, with various approval rounds. Sometimes we have to explain that we can't quite do something or if a three-year-old gets their hands on it and starts pulling it will break. They're usually understanding."

Appreciative, too. Godoy spent 10 years working on Hot Wheels' Monster Truck line before being moved to Premium models. His first project was a 1967 Ferrari 330 P4, which netted a kind email from Maranello. "That was so gratifying," he says.

Driving passion

The continuing growth of Hot Wheels' appeal, particularly among adult collectors, keeps creating new possibilities for what this unorthodox, unlikely automotive design studio can produce.

"It changes the way you think," says Angulo. "We listen to the collectors and we try to do what we think are cool-because a lot of us are collectors as well. We look at the latest car trends, and what we see at car meets and shows, and what the manufacturers are doing."

But what really keeps Angulo interested in Hot Wheels is the role it plays in children's lives: "With the way technology is moving, with social media and Al, it's a bit overwhelming for young kids. Hot Wheels are physical things for kids to play with. It's nostalgic, a bit of a throwback. When you see the passion for this brand around the world, it's special."

Small cars for big kids

Hot Wheels was launched back in 1968, but the brand has never been stronger: already the best-selling toy in the world by volume, it's on track to record its ninth consecutive year of growth.

"The entire business is growing, but the fastest-growing part is the adult demographic," says Alex Ries, global head of Hot Wheels. "It's a trend for nostalgia we're seeing across the entire toy industry."

She notes that this began in the Covid pandemic but has grown since then.

"People love cars, and we're partnering with the best manufacturers to keep people engaged in the brand for much longer," adds Ries. It also makes some cars accessible to the masses, she says: "If you're a car fan and want a Lamborghini, most of us can't afford one, so this is your way in."

Hot Wheels has just launched its 'Challenge Accepted' campaign, featuring a range of models inspired by celebrities (sorry, 'global legends'), as part of a new initiative to grow further in the adult market.

"We have two separate (business) teams working on the collectables and kids' toys, so expanding the collectables isn't pulling focus from our core business, which is bringing kids into the brand," explains Ries.

Of course, in the modern toy world it's all about utilising intellectual property. The huge success of the 2023 Barbie film has led to other movies focused on Masters of the Universe and Matchbox, and a 'live action' Hot Wheels film will follow.

Drivers didn’t start the culture war, but they may win it

Sat, 24 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0100

Proponents of public transport forget much of it is subsidised by motorists

Are you engaged in a culture war? Perhaps you didn't realise; you just thought you were leaving work in time to collect a child for sports practice, before going to the shop on the way home and then maybe the cinema later.

The problem is that you did that in a car, because there was no other convenient way. You thought you were just one of the 42 million people in Britain with a driving licence driving one of the 34 million cars here and doing normal daily things. But no: turns out you're engaged in a moral battle and you're on the wrong side of it.

'Dear culture-war motorists, look to the future,' headlines a story in The Guardian by transport writer and train enthusiast Christian Wolmar (with whom I agree on some things).

To those who think that drivers are being directly and aggressively targeted by the people they elect, via the introduction of congestion charges, high taxes and low speed limits, Wolmar has this to reveal: it's true. "Here's the rub: ultimately, the opponents are right. This is an attempt to make life more difficult for motorists, in order to improve the situation for people not travelling in large metal boxes. That does and should involve a raft of measures. Parking spaces need to be removed, access to town centres limited to deliveries, congestion charges imposed."

Good to see an admission, at last, that there is a culture war over driving. Not that it wasn't pretty obvious but, hey, don't we like to give people the benefit of the doubt?

I don't think it's driving licence holders - comfortably more than half the population - who started it. Yet honestly they've been terribly good about it so far, extremely submissive in the fight that they maybe didn't even know was being waged on them.

They've been paying more and more for the ever cleaner and safer cars they needed, accepting ever greater control and regulation, increased camera surveillance, great risk of unfair parking or yellow-box fines levied by unscrupulous car park operators and the councils who get the receipts.

But now at least we know it's official. The thing that's usually left unsaid has been said: there is a war being waged against the car driver, as if drivers are some obnoxious minority that needs to be stamped out, rather than your mum on the way to the doctor, your son on the way to work or one of the many other users of a type of vehicle that's so successful/convenient/brilliant that there are more cars than households.

We continue to drive because it's better and more convenient than any alternative - still, often, the only realistic way to do what we need to in the time we have. And despite everything (and I hesitate to admit this, because it will give them ideas), mystifyingly it's still often the cheapest way to go places. Last year, two TikTokers bought a Citroën C1 and drove it from Stoke to London and back, saving £138 over taking the train.

Still, if you think taking a train is expensive, try not taking one: British taxpayers subsidise rail transport to the tune of £11.9bn every year, despite the fact it has 1.7 billion paying passengers.

And therein lies the problem for those who hate cars. In the same office as a zealot will be somebody - probably not daft enough to say it publicly, although sometimes they let it slip - who can't get rid of motorists, because they lay golden eggs.

Buses absorb approximately £2.5bn a year in taxpayer subsidies, and if you think that's all in supporting regional services, be aware that London - the perfect place for buses - takes £1bn of it. Fortunately, drivers in the capital's Ultra Low Emission Zone stump up £219m a year and those who enter its congestion charge zone provide another £271m.

Nationally, motorists are even more generous. Fuel duty totals £24bn - £835 per household. Then you can pop VAT onto that (your tax being taxed), plus VAT on the untaxed element of fuel, and then there's £9.1bn - £330 per household - in VED and more besides that the system can't live without.

Sometimes the authorities are silly enough to admit this. "Strict enforcement of the speed limit could raise £1m, and to me that's better than losing 25 more police officers," Bedfordshire's police chief once said. "There is a financial implication to the council if there is a change to the current arrangement," Richmond Borough Council once said on dodgy yellow-box fines.

So, yes, drivers may be in a culture war, but they didn't start it - and those who did should worry that they might win it.

Future Renault models due more 'restrained' styling

Sat, 24 Oct 2026 07:00:00 +0100

Next-generation cars will have a family look and feel in drive, following string of retro designs

Future Renault models will have more "restrained" styling with greater commonality between models, according to Renault Group design chief Laurens van den Acker.

The French brand has recently launched a string of retro EVs (the 4, 5 and Twingo) that all feature highly individual designs, but it has continued to pursue more modern designs with its ICE offerings, including the new Clio.

Asked about its future design direction, van den Acker said this split approach would remain but hinted that, outside of its retro icons, future designs will feature more uniformity, due to a shift in direction under new group CEO François Provost.

Van den Acker said Renault will "keep apart" its "legendary icon" and "future icon" product ranges explaining: "The goal of the legendary icons is to be an icon first and foremost and to be recognisable. The Twingo and R5 have the [Renault] logo, but we're not trying to give them the same eyes or the same layout. The form language is completely different. But when somebody buys a Twingo, they want a Twingo first and they're not buying into [a Renault] design language as such."

Alexandre Malval joined earlier this year to head deign for the Renault brand, and van den Acker said that "we're going to regroup a little bit with the future icons”, suggesting a more unified design language.

“For those of you who've studied history, when I joined [Renault], I created a brand from a Twingo to a Master, then Luca [de Meo] came [in as Group CEO] and he wanted more personality in all the cars.

"It's kind of a pendulum that swings, and there is no right or wrong approach necessarily. So we gave every car a unique identity, and now we're on the other end of the spectrum, where they're all different. And so this might be the right time to find a good balance. But our icons need to live their own story: they need to be Twingo first and R5 first and R4 first."

Van den Acker said the new E-Space concept, pictured below, was an example of this approach. While inspired by the original Espace MPV, it features a fresh styling approach.

He said the fact that Renault is now developing models on bespoke EV platforms means their designs will "become innovative by default".

He added: "Future platforms will be EV-driven, and that will give them different silhouettes just from the get-go: longer wheelbases, bigger wheels, short overhangs, cars that aren't as tall as an SUV but not as low as a saloon.

"That means the form language is up to us. Our challenge is not in the B-segment, because traditionally we are very strong in these markets and we feel very confident, but in the C- and D-segments.

"I think the form language with the arrival of Alexandre is going to be a little bit more restrained – not constrained, restrained – which you already can see in the E-Space.

"When you move up in price, the cars become a little bit more timeless, and with that comes a form language that conveys that, and we need to make the cars look very serious and solid, so you might find a bit less surface entertainment. But at the same time we're a Latin brand: we're not cold like the Germans, we're not hot like the Italians. We need to find our own way, because people that love French cars end up in France sooner or later – even the Brits."

An MX-5 for the family? 2000 miles in a manual Mazda 3

Sat, 24 Oct 2026 06:00:00 +0100

Delightfully different or just outdated? We've lived with Mazda's humble hatchback to find out

For a car maker whose line-up sits largely in the mainstream, Mazda has always ploughed a pleasingly unconventional furrow. It long resisted the push for electrification, instead developing its unusual compression-ignition technology to maximise the fuel economy of its Skyactiv petrol and diesel engines.

When other firms were downsizing in capacity to boost efficiency, Mazda pursued the same goal by making its engines bigger. Its first EV, the MX-30, featured rear-hinged rear doors and cork trim (and a hopelessly small range); even Mazda's commitment to the MX-5 two-seater reflects a pushback against industry trends.

Legislative requirements such as the UK's zero-emission vehicle mandate leave little room for nonconformity, of course, so Mazda has had no choice but to add more EVs to its line-up – but even then you could say its deal to rework machines made by Chinese brand Changan is unconventional. But its ICE models retain a pleasing dash of individuality – and that's why we have added the latest version of the 3 hatchback to our fleet.

While rivals such as the Peugeot 308 and Volkswagen Golf are offered with a range of powertrains including full and plug-in hybrids, the only electrified Mazda 3 comes in mild-hybrid form with a tiny battery and generator to aid economy – and in this case that small e-motor is bolted to a 2.5-litre e-Skyactiv G petrol engine. Yes, a 2.5-litre engine. In a family hatch.

To complete the slightly old-school feel we've opted for the six-speed manual, because these days we have depressingly few chances to enjoy a stick-shift gearbox on our long-term test fleet. It should also allow us to explore the responsiveness of the inline four-cylinder engine, which offers peaks of 138bhp and 175lb ft.

Magazine editor Rachel Burgess loves a practical yet fun driver-friendly hatch with petrol power, so she will be running this Mazda. Thing is, it's been a while since I had the chance to drive a manual, and I couldn't wait to try the 3.

So when logistical issues meant it was easier for me to take delivery of the car, I magnanimously loaned the BMW iX I was running to Rachel. She can deal with the judgement of driving round a £130k Beemer for a bit; I'll take the six-speed manual. Winner.

The 3 comes with a decent level of kit, including a 10.25in touchscreen, 7in digital driver display, reversing camera, active cruise control and a range of driver assistance features.

Entry models start at £25,300, but we have opted for Exclusive-Line, which costs £3080 extra and adds 18in alloy wheels, adaptive LED lights, heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, a wireless charger and a 12-speaker Bose audio system. The only optional extra is the paint.

It's worth noting that white is the only no-cost option you'll get for that £28,380 entry price, while other colours start from £650. We have gone for the most expensive option, the £950 Soul Red Crystal, which looks particularly sharp.

'Particularly sharp' also describes the Mazda 3's styling; this is a hatchback that is ageing really quite gracefully. It sits lower than many of its rivals and has rounded and smooth styling that gives it a classy look and feel. This generation of 3 hasn't changed much since Mazda first launched it in 2019, but that doesn't matter because there is really no need to.

The interior aesthetic is a little less dynamic: it's fine, but there's a lot of black and it's all a bit plain. But the materials mostly feel classy for a sub-£30k hatchback, and it's all well laid out.

The touchscreen is relatively small and sticks up flush from the dash, just above a row of pleasingly tactile buttons and switches for the climate control. Who knew it could be so easy to turn up the temperature in a car simply by turning a dial?

It also features Mazda's traditional rotary controller for the touchscreen. The iX I have been running also retains a similar dial, although from the design of the operating system you sense BMW would rather you jabbed your finger at the screen.

Mazda takes a different tack: it actually continues to disable certain touchscreen functions at speed, requiring you to use the rotary dial instead of the screen. A car manufacturer actively forcing you to use a physical control over a touchscreen? See, told you Mazda remained a bit different.

For all that nonconformist edge when it comes to engine capacity and physical controllers, first impressions are that the Mazda 3 is pleasingly conventional to drive, and it offers everything good that you would hope and expect of a manual hatchback.

Weighing just 1463kg, it feels light and responsive, and the steering is sharp. The gearbox is well matched to the engine, although you'll need to make sure you're in the right gear to enjoy the best response.

That's something we'll explore more in the coming months, as we spend more time with the 3. But it's time we're looking forward to, particularly because a manual-geared petrol hatch – the type of car that dominated the UK car market for decades – feels delightfully unconventional. Just as Mazda would like it, you suspect.

Update 2: How practical is it really?

As I mentioned, magazine editor Burgess is due to run this Mazda 3, but I've grabbed the keys for a bit while she tries to squeeze my BMW iX onto her drive.

So, armed with a slightly sporty, compact, petrol-powered manual hatch for a few weeks, where should I head? A winding country B-road, surely? Sadly, no. Off to the recycling centre it is. Not planned this very well, have I?

The trip to the tip – a tradition for vehicles on our long-term test fleet – was required after a recent session of house clearing unearthed a big pile of dust-covered junk I no longer need. (VHS video player, anyone?) In a big SUV such as the iX, I could have loaded it all in without even folding the rear seats. But I'm a firm believer that hatchbacks remain a great choice for many, so this was a chance to prove they can still be practical.

Mazda makes it simple to lower the 3's rear seats and, even if they don't quite fold fully flat, doing so offers up plenty of space. The relatively low profile of the Mazda's roof and its sloping rear don't create the most practically shaped boot opening, so it took some wrangling to fit in a broken mini-fridge. But I was surprised that the 3 swallowed as much as it did. I could have thrown out even more.

It's a short trip from my house to the Richmond-upon-Thames recycling centre, but the route is filled with rutted surfaces and speed bumps – the sort of things that can be positively unpleasant in a loaded-up hatch. The 3's suspension is on the stiffer side for a hatch, which helps the handling but isn't so good when it's fully laden. But it actually retained its composure over the bumps.

My local recycling centre has tight parking spaces and brilliantly enforces a 'reverse in' policy for maximum efficiency. Despite my rearward view in the central mirror being blocked by rubbish, the small footprint of the 3 meant I'd started unloading before the Audi Q5 that arrived before me had even got itself lined up properly.

Better still, once my trash was disposed of, I detoured out of London on the way home to find myself a flowing B-road, to enjoy the 3 in its more natural habitat. And I very much enjoyed it.

Mileage 392

Update 3: One fuel guage is enough

The Mazda has old-school physical dials, but there are also some small customisable digital displays. Should you wish, one of those can show a virtual fuel gauge – despite the 3 having a physical one not far away. If you're a stickler for detail, you'll be annoyed that the two gauges often don't quite align. It's a very minor gripe, but still irritating.

Mileage 478

Update 4

MX-5 for the family? Manual Mazda 3 is an everyday driver's delight

Mileage 691

Update 5: Physical switchgear is a welcome sight

Behold this radical innovation, pictured above: a rotary dial and big, tactile buttons around it to control the key functions of the infotainment system. If I want to get back to Google Maps on Apple CarPlay, I press the top-right button, for example. It's easy and minimally distracting. More manufacturers should do them. Oh wait, they did…

Mileage 1220

Update 6: Roomier than an SUV?

Having spent the past few months in sizeable cars such as the Volkswagen Tayron and BMW iX, I wondered how I'd adapt to the smaller Mazda 3, not least because I'm still settling into my new house and frequently have larger items to take to the house or the tip.

A case in point is a large parasol I needed to transport on a baking hot day. It's so large it almost outsizes my garden, yet I needn't have worried. It fitted into the 3 easily. I didn't even remove the parcel shelf or put the back seats down, such was my desire to get back to the air-con in the sweltering heat.

Even better, because the 3 is relatively compact in its dimensions, it's quite easy to manoeuvre even when it's full. On a few occasions, my view out of the rear window has been blocked but it hasn't been a huge problem because the car is short and the reversing camera is decent.

That said, the wing mirrors are smaller than I expected. I think that's because I'm now used to SUVs, which tend to have far bigger mirrors, but it has still been an adjustment and I've had to spend time making sure they're correctly set up in order to get full use of them.

I'm back in the 3, after a logistically necessary swap with the iX of colleague James Attwood, and thrilled to be driving what I regard as the heartland of the car world: a hatchback. These cars were at their high point when I was a young adult and I've always thought they were the perfect all-rounder and prettier than saloons, another style very popular then and less so now.

To be fair, there are still plenty of hatchbacks out there, but it's easy to forget them because there's a helluva lot more SUVs around.

That parasol expedition plus many charity shop runs and the ever-growing detritus of my five-year-old only proves how practical the 3 is – surprisingly so. It's always appeared to me to be a design-led model rather than one maxing out interior space, yet it feels well packaged in both the boot and main compartment.

Because it's low and also very dark inside, it can look quite small at first glance, but once inside it feels on a par with the Volkswagen Golf. Stats-wise, it has around 40 litres less boot space than a Golf and about 1cm less rear leg room.

One relief of switching to the 3 after some big SUVs is the ease of parking it outside my house. Like many in the UK, my new home has a very short drive, which means that even when I've reversed the Tayron and iX right up to my wall, they stick out into the pavement a bit.

The 3 doesn't, which not only means I spend a bit less time having to park it precisely but also makes it easier for pedestrians. I can see the appeal of having a bigger car, but it's nice to have something that actually fits properly in the UK, be it on my drive or in tight public parking spaces.

Plus I don't have to worry about mildly put-out glares from new neighbours...

Mileage 1526

Update 7: Channeling the spirit of the MX-5

What's the best Mazda? There's only one answer and it's the MX-5. This year's sole recipient of a five-star Autocar road test verdict, despite being 11 years old, and named our favourite model in our 50 best cars feature. Accolades don't come much higher than that.

One of my fondest weekend memories is a glorious summer trip to North Norfolk in my friend's early fourth-generation MX-5. Life was good and the MX-5 experience was a major part of that. I know that another friend of mine, who visited me recently in her model (pictured), enjoys the same feelgood factor. So does my 3 share some of the good bits of that renowned roadster lineage? Happily, yes.

I'm embarrassed to say it, given my job, but having not been very well recently and having lived in the effortless comfort of a BMW iX, I wasn't exactly enamoured with the prospect of a manual gearbox. I just wanted something easy and convenient, all things considered.

What an idiot I was. This car is so thoroughly satisfying and enjoyable to drive. Honestly, I'm surprised. I didn't have any preconceptions of the car being bad per se, but I don't think I expected it to bring the pleasure it has.

The 3 isn't a hot hatch, but it isn't far off. The steering is accurate, direct and well weighted and the gearshifts are just so... good. I can't wax lyrical enough there. It doesn't feel fast fast, but still faster than its 9.5sec 0-62mph time suggests.

On a late-night run back from the airport recently, I found the M1 unexpectedly shut and was pretty annoyed to be circumventing it through a very long diversion. But the joy of this was that I could properly enjoy the 3 with plenty of corners and open roads.

It was then that I mused why I've always loved hatchbacks, particularly dynamic ones. The 3 is a perfect reminder of their charm.

Mileage 2224

Final report: Hatchback signs off - but did it win us over?

Had you forgotten about the Mazda 3? It would be understandable if you had, in today's world of all-new brands, all-new models and endless talk of electric vehicles.

But the 3 is still quietly making a significant impression on Mazda's own sales charts, having sat in the firm's top three for the past two years. That's even more remarkable when you consider most sales figures are skewed by car makers having to push electric vehicles to avoid hefty regulatory fines.

The 3 seems anachronistic, though, existing alongside the EVs that are flooding the forecourts. This is a 2.5-litre petrol-engined manual hatchback that costs under £30k. How many times have you read that in a new car test or report over the past couple of years?

What the 3 represents might not be the car du jour, then, but that is to undersell what a delight it has been to drive and to live with.

The Mazda brand is a left-field option, yet it quietly makes mostly decent cars (the MX-5 is exceptional while a couple of others are mediocre). I have enjoyed both the understated niche choice of a hatchback in a world of SUVs and that it's slightly rarier and less obvious than, say, a Volkswagen Golf or even a Toyota Corolla.

I have never been totally convinced by its rear end, but the vibrant colour, the Mazda classic of Soul Red Crystal paint (a £950 option), would be my pick time and time again.

I am now largely adapted to a world of quiet start-ups, so the 2.5-litre engine sounds loud when I fire up the car on my quiet street. But that observation is quickly forgotten, and I've not once noticed the engine being noisy or growly on a journey, which can only be a good sign.

Despite having 2488cc to its name, the 3 makes a conservative 138bhp, which translates to a sedate 0-62mph time of 9.5sec. Even so, it has never felt underpowered be it along local B-roads or on the motorway. Add in the accurate steering and highly enjoyable manual 'box hailed in previous reports, and this is an unexpectedly desirable car to drive. (It is available as an automatic, too, if I can't convince you a manual is worth it.)

It has also proved to be practical. That it fits neatly on my very short drive is a boon, yet it's well packaged inside. The all-black interior – not uncommon for Japanese brands – is claustrophobic at times, but on the upside it seems to help it maintain a neat, clean, fresh appearance more than some other options. The boot is, on paper, smaller than those of its rivals, but again it is well designed to maximise space and access.

The infotainment system and controls could look outdated compared with touchscreens twice the size – not surprising given the Mk4 3 was launched seven years ago – but it really did a fine job of making life easy. The screen was big enough and the various dials and buttons, including, most notably, the one in the centre console, made commands on the move straightforward and safer than in many contemporaries.

In many new cars it's often not intuitive to switch between Apple CarPlay and radio; here you just press the top-right button of the centre console square (pictured right) and it goes directly back to Google Maps on CarPlay. These are the small but important things that ensure minimal-distraction motoring.

In many ways the joy of the 3 is that so much of it is unremarkable. The handling deserves praise, aided by that steering and the manual 'box, but in all other respects it just quietly goes about its business.

There are no major innovations or quirks (although I did enjoy the tiny retro storage box to the right of the steering wheel), but instead you have a steady, solid car that does exactly what it's meant to – with not a software fault in sight. It should also be applauded for its ADAS integration, which is as present as it needs to be but so unobtrusive I didn't once seek to turn off any of the systems. There's a novelty.

I've enjoyed every journey in this car – even when I thought the manual would be a chore, such as when a 25-minute journey took 90 minutes instead (thanks, M25).

This type of car is unlikely to have a long future, but the 3 does a remarkable job of remaining authentic and old-school in all the right ways while incorporating the good and/or necessary parts of modernity. If you are still in the combustion-engined non-SUV camp, then the 3 should certainly be on your list. And all for less than £30,000.

TEST DATA: MAZDA 3 E-SKYACTIV G 140PS EXCLUSIVE-LINE
MILEAGE
At start	392
At end	2302
PRICES
List price new	£28,380
List price now	£28,400
Price as tested	£29,330
OPTIONS
Soul Red Crystal paint	£950
ECONOMY AND RANGE
Claimed economy	47.9mpg
Fuel tank	51 litres
Test average	42.3mpg
Test best	45.1mpg
Test worst	39.9mpg
Real-world range	475 miles
TECH HIGHLIGHTS
0-62mph	9.5sec
Top speed	128mph
Engine	4 cyls in line, 2488cc, petrol, plus ISG
Max power	138bhp at 5000rpm
Max torque	176lb ft at 3300rpm
Gearbox	6-spd manual, FWD
Boot	330 litres
Wheels	7.0Jx18in, alloy
Tyres	215/45Z R18, Toyo Proxes
Kerb weight	1463kg
SERVICE AND RUNNING COSTS
Contract hire rate	£275 pcm
CO2	135g/km
Service costs	None
Other costs	None
Fuel costs	£320.87
Running costs including fuel	£320.87
Cost per mile	17 pence
Faults	None

Production of crucial new Volvo EX60 "taking longer than planned"

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 14:06:09 +0100

Volvo has taken 50,000 orders for the new electric SUV but has built only 5000 since April

Volvo says production of its new EX60 SUV is “taking longer than planned to ramp up” because of the challenges associated with its radical 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 has built just 5000 units since the model entered production in April – and 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”.

Delays to the EX60’s full-scale launch are particularly poorly timed because Volvo has today (23 October) posted losses of nearly £280 million in a “very disappointing” third quarter of 2026 and announced plans to cut its workforce by 2500 as part of a drive to rebuild profits.

Samuelsson said the EX60 will play a crucial role in Volvo’s turnaround plan, eventually serving as “one of the company’s best profit-contributing models” – but its impact on the bottom line will not be fully realised until output reaches capacity at the Swedish firm’s Torslanda plant near Gothenburg.

BMW recently announced that it had taken 100,000 orders for the iX3 – a close rival for the EX60, which was launched last October – with its new Hungary factory ramping up more quickly than any BMW plant in history to meet demand. Production of the iX3 was boosted recently with a third shift at the Debrecen facility, which is now running at capacity 24/7.

Volvo chief commercial officer Erik Severinson said it has been “difficult to start production as we want” with the EX60, because the new SPA3 platform on which it is based requires significant adaptation to the production process.

Volvo has invested around £750 million in its Torslanda facility to build EVs based on the architecture, which introduces a radical new megacasting production method – reducing the number of individual bodywork components – and uses an innovative cell-to-body battery packaging arrangement.

Volvo cited the battery packaging as the main reason behind the delay and said the setback is completely unrelated to the software issues that delayed the rollout of the larger EX90 in 2024.

Samuelsson said the slow start highlighted the differences between the EX60 and Volvo’s existing EVs and said the firm is steadily accelerating output.

“If you want to have class-leading new technology, it means a higher risk to implement than continuing with more conventional technology,” he said. “In this new car, its megacasting has caused us no headaches. It is really the assembly of batteries directly into the underbody of the car, which is a highly automated process.”

He said the EX60 battery’s circa 100 cells cannot be inserted manually but rather by an automated process, which makes for “a highly complex mechanical assembly line”.

However, he added that he is “quite confident that we will master that.

“We were maybe too optimistic in the ramp-up, but we are improving.”

The EX60 will be joined in autumn next year by a more affordable SPA3-based EV, which is thought to be a successor to the ageing EX40 crossover.

China threatens retaliation if UK matches EU on tariffs

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 12:25:52 +0100

EU's 'Made in Europe' benefits could be vital for UK manufacturers – but would require risky imposition of tariffs

China has warned that it would retaliate with countermeasures if the UK follows the European Union and puts the brakes on imports of Chinese cars into the country.

The issue has come to a head as the EU has reportedly given the UK an ultimatum to levy tariffs or face its cars being left out of the bloc’s 'Made in Europe' benefits, part of the proposed Industrial Accelerator Act designed specifically to protect local manufacturing from cheap Chinese imports.

“China urges Britain to abide by the rules of the WTO [World Trade Organisation] and think twice before acting before it follows the EU’s lead,” a spokesperson from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said in a press conference on 19 October. “If the UK insists on imposing restrictions on Chinese electric vehicles, China will resolutely retaliate to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese industries,” he said.

Separately, on 20 October, the UK business secretary Jonathan Reynolds told a government committee that a decision whether to impose tariffs remains “under close review” as discussions continue with the EU on the topic. “I'm certainly willing to talk and have been talking to European colleagues about a shared set of problems and how we resolve those,” he said.

The speed at which Chinese brands including MG, Omoda-Jaecoo and BYD have established themselves in the UK has dramatically reshaped the UK market, with Chinese brands taking a 23% share in September. BYD was the second-best-selling brand in September and MG fourth, according to figures from trade body the SMMT. The Jaecoo 7 was again Britain’s best-selling car.

The business secretary acknowledged the growth of imports but suggested that the UK’s traditional role as an exporter has to be taken into account. “I'm balancing our own interests in terms of being an outward-facing economy with our own domestic market,” he said.

European car makers have long been opposed to tariffs on Chinese cars but have softened in recent months as their own sales in China plummeted while also coming under pressure in Europe.

However, Mercedes-Benz warned on Wednesday that the EU’s protectionism risks price increases. “You create resilience – a good thing – but you drive costs upward,” said CEO Ola Källenius at the Berlin Global Dialogue, according to a report by Bloomberg. “It’s a balancing act.”

Among the car makers building in Britain, UK sales for Nissan have dropped 15% this year, with Toyota down 1.8%, according to figures from the SMMT. Mini sales, on the other hand, have soared by 25% and JLR's are up 3.6%.

Nissan and JLR, along with the SMMT and the government, have underlined the importance of being inside the tent on the EU’s proposed Industrial Accelerator Act, which would offer UK-built cars benefits such as access to state EV incentives, electric corporate fleet targets and state purchasing.

However, the question is whether the UK can join without having to give into EU pressure to launch its own version of the EU’s ‘countervailing’ tariffs of up to 45% on China-built EVs, which the bloc imposed to address “unfair” Chinese state aid ranging from direct subsidies to cheap financing and raw materials at below market rates.

The EU has now agreed with China quotas on hybrid and plug-in cars, something the UK would likely be expected to follow.

Speaking to the committee, Reyolds pointed out that no car maker in the UK has filed a complaint with the Trade Remedies Authority, the traditional route to triggering an investigation into ‘dumping’ cheap products to distort the market.

The business secretary also took issue with the accusation by some, including Nissan, that the Chinese could use the UK as a ‘Trojan horse’ for importing cheap cars into the EU. “If you were assembling [cars using] Chinese components similar to how Nissan began in the north-east of England, you wouldn't qualify the under the TCA rules of origin for that,” he said.

The post-Brexit TCA (EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement) stipulates that, from January, cars shipped between the UK and the EU must contain 55% of parts originating in either the UK or EU, precluding any Chinese maker building in a ‘screwdriver’ plant using kits imported from China.

Nissan is currently negotiating with Chery to take over part of its under-used Sunderland plant. “Chery has said they urgently need a local production site in Europe, but they are presumably waiting to see if London can strike a deal with Brussels so they can avoid tariffs and quotas,” independent automotive analyst Matthias Schmidt told Autocar.

MG has said that imposing additional tariffs on EVs will hurt consumers. “I'm struggling to see how the consumers would benefit from the application of tariffs in the UK to electric vehicles specifically,” Guy Pigounakis, commercial director at MG Motor UK, told Autocar. “Inevitably it's going to increase prices.” Neither BYD nor Chery Group, parent of Jaecoo, offered a comment for this story.

Pigounakis pointed out that Chinese car makers are already locked out of the UK government's Electric Car Grant scheme, which reduces the price of EVs built in Europe and elsewhere by up to £3750. “The UK has already taken action to protect those manufacturers. Applying a tariff on top of that seems draconian,” he said.

Alpine 'A610': Four-seat A110 EV to ditch retro for modern look

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0100

Classic A310 was the original inspiration for a new 2+2

Four-seater was originally planned to take inspiration from classic A310, but it is too "niche"

The forthcoming Alpine 2+2 electric roadster will sit on the new platform developed for the next-generation A110 – but it will have a new look unrelated to that model, according to brand chief Philippe Krief.

The next-generation A110 EV will launch next year as the first model on the highly flexible Alpine Performance Platform (APP). But while it will be an entirely new car, its styling it set to remain close to the previous A110, which takes inspiration from the 1960s original.

Alpine unveiled an A310 concept car (pictured below) at the Paris motor show, which was inspired by the company's 1970s coupé. But while the firm had at one stage planned to use that model as the basis for a four-seater, it will instead inspire a limited-run two-seater that will sit in Alpine’s special series.

Krief said that the design planned for the 2+2 “is not a tribute” to a past Alpine model, or based on the A110. He added: “It’s something outstanding, but not attributed to the A310.”

He acknowledged the previous plan for the 2+2 to be based on the A310, but said “this first one was too close” to the original, hinting instead the new model will be “very, very modern”.

“If the A110 is recognised worldwide as an absolute timeless beauty, the A310 is loved by French guys and connoisseurs, but the appeal is more niche. That’s why we are going to do the 2+2 with an outstanding but more modern design.”

Alpine will launch the A110 next year, but has yet to confirm whether the priority after that will be launching the 2+2 as a series production model, or developing the A310 as a limited-run special edition. Krief suggested the final decision could depend on the “awareness and desirability of the brand” in the coming months and years, “and also globally where we are in terms of network profitability.”

Krief wouldn’t give details about production volumes for an A310 special, but said that the A110 Ultime – the first car in Alpine’s special series – pointed to its potential market segment.

He added: “The Ultime was something to try. It’s not to make money. You don’t do this kind of car to make money: except Ferrari, nobody is making money. The Ultime was to promote the brand, which was an A110 with infinite possibility of personalisation. With this car we were able to average €300,000, so we found customers. So there’s room there, and the A310 will have the scope to go in that direction in terms of exclusivity, personalisation and exclusivity.”