Autocar November 9, 2022

REGULAR READERS will be familiar with the ongoing debate about how to make an electric car for the enthusiast. Porsche has nailed it with the Taycan, but other than that… While engineers grapple with that specific challenge, there’s one segment where electric cars are quickly coming into their own: the luxury saloon. This week’s review of the BMW i7 crystallises that: in its previous 7 Series guise, the S-Class rival didn’t particularly hit its brief of ultimate refinement. Not so now. Of course, there’s more in play than an electric powertrain – the two-axle air suspension, for starters – but the fact that this is the most convincing luxury saloon yet from BMW goes a long way in proving how well electric suits it. As Mark Tisshaw writes in his…

REGULAR READERS will be familiar with the ongoing debate about how to make an electric car for the enthusiast. Porsche has nailed it with the Taycan, but other than that… While engineers grapple with that specific challenge, there’s one segment where electric cars are quickly coming into their own: the luxury saloon. This week’s review of the BMW i7 crystallises that: in its previous 7 Series guise, the S-Class rival didn’t particularly hit its brief of ultimate refinement. Not so now. Of course, there’s more in play than an electric powertrain – the two-axle air suspension, for starters – but the fact that this is the most convincing luxury saloon yet from BMW goes a long way in proving how well electric suits it. As Mark Tisshaw writes in his review (p24), the…

“Alpine will ensure that the spirit of its flagship model is carried over to its first SUV” The upcoming Alpine GT X-Over, a dynamically focused and aerooptimised sporting crossover to rival the Lotus Eletre and Polestar 3, will provide Alpine with the volume-focused, practical proposition it needs to achieve substantially increased global sales. The GT X-Over will use the same CMF-EV architecture that underpins parent brand Renault’s Mégane E-Tech hatchback and the larger Nissan Ariya SUV. It is likely that the Alpine’s lofty power figure and keen dynamics will come courtesy of a second motor on the rear axle, mirroring the range-topping e-4orce version of the Nissan, while the front wheels will be driven by the 215bhp unit used by the Mégane. Speaking at the Paris motor show last month,…

“Alpine will ensure that the spirit of its flagship model is carried over to its first SUV” The upcoming Alpine GT X-Over, a dynamically focused and aerooptimised sporting crossover to rival the Lotus Eletre and Polestar 3, will provide Alpine with the volume-focused, practical proposition it needs to achieve substantially increased global sales. The GT X-Over will use the same CMF-EV architecture that underpins parent brand Renault’s Mégane E-Tech hatchback and the larger Nissan Ariya SUV. It is likely that the Alpine’s lofty power figure and keen dynamics will come courtesy of a second motor on the rear axle, mirroring the range-topping e-4orce version of the Nissan, while the front wheels will be driven by the 215bhp unit used by the Mégane. Speaking at the Paris motor show last month, Alpine head designer…

The Twitter spats won’t be half as fiery after the GT X-Over’s reveal as they were when we first heard about the Lotus Eletre or McLaren’s plans for a high-riding 2+2. Those are heavy, wide-set and noiseless propositions from storied marques that have always been renowned for producing cars at the polar opposite end of the spectrum. Alpine, on the other hand, has the benefit of, in effect, starting fresh. Yes, it has a sporting legacy to protect – and it will do so with a new-gen A110 – but it has been back on the scene for just five years and will only survive if it can grow. And so grow it must with a bigger and more familyoriented model. It will hardly be the most offensive of the…

The Twitter spats won’t be half as fiery after the GT X-Over’s reveal as they were when we first heard about the Lotus Eletre or McLaren’s plans for a high-riding 2+2. Those are heavy, wide-set and noiseless propositions from storied marques that have always been renowned for producing cars at the polar opposite end of the spectrum. Alpine, on the other hand, has the benefit of, in effect, starting fresh. Yes, it has a sporting legacy to protect – and it will do so with a new-gen A110 – but it has been back on the scene for just five years and will only survive if it can grow. And so grow it must with a bigger and more familyoriented model. It will hardly be the most offensive of the breed, either,…