Auto Express 1716

WE’RE unashamedly proud of the UK’s car industry here at Auto Express. When it comes to making cars, we Brits are as good as anyone around the world. And as we highlighted just a few issues ago, luxury and sports cars are a real UK specialism too. This week I took a trip to one of the latest jewels in our car industry – Polestar’s new research and development centre, based at MIRA in the Midlands. This is where Polestar and its owner, Geely, have chosen to develop the new range-topping Polestar 5 model – and no doubt many more Polestars to come. Talk to the people there and it soon becomes clear why they and their colleagues are so good at their jobs – the way they address problems…

James_Brodie@autovia.co.uk @JPBrods • Larger third-generation SUV spied testing ahead of 2023 debut • Expect 48-volt hybrid tech, as well as a pure-electric variant MINI will further expand its range into new segments as it pushes on with electrification, but it will be anchored by a car that’s become a proven winner for the British brand, in the form of the third-generation Countryman compact SUV, which will arrive in 2023. Following its introduction in 2010, the trailblazing model paved the way for the MINI brand to expand beyond its hatchback roots. It’s comfortably the firm’s second best-selling vehicle globally, only edged out by MINI’s heartland product, the Hatch, in three and five-door form. MINI will reinvent its biggest offering by making the Countryman even larger still. This is necessary because of…

Steve_Fowler@autovia.co.uk @stevefowler • Polestar 5 to arrive in 2024 • Engineering work done in UK POLESTAR has thrown open the doors to its new UK research and development centre and revealed more information about the flagship Polestar 5 model, due in 2024, that’s being developed there. The new car is being engineered at the base in the Midlands where Polestar is ramping up work on the car and the team based there. It currently employs 280 people, but that’s set to double in the UK over the coming months. The Polestar 5 was previewed by the Precept from 2020, and is set to be almost identical to the concept car in our pictures. “We aim to deliver a car as close to the design conception of [Polestar CEO] Thomas Ingenlath,”…

Luke_Wilkinson@autovia.co.uk @LT_Wilkinson • Sportier supermini revealed • 148bhp 1.5 TSI joins line-up SKODA has unveiled the hottest version of the current Fabia, with the introduction of the Monte Carlo trim level signalling the arrival of a 148bhp 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine. It’ll be the most potent version of the car you’ll be able to buy, because there won’t be a vRS hot hatchback, and it’ll rival sporty trim lines such as the Ford Fiesta ST-Line and Volkswagen Polo R-Line. Due on sale in the UK later this year, the Fabia Monte Carlo features design tweaks including 17-inch alloy wheels, a deeper front bumper and an all-black grille, black door mirror housings, a sportier rear bumper featuring a diffuser-style insert, and an optional black contrast roof. Under the bonnet, the engine…

FOR 2022 Skoda has tweaked its Enyaq iV line-up, adding improved charging capability, more safety tech and extra convenience features to make the SUV easier to live with, the firm claims. The entry-level 60 model’s maximum charging rate is up from 100kW to 120kW, while the 80 features 135kW charging (up from 125kW); on the latter it cuts an 80 per cent charge time from 38 to 29 minutes. There’s also a new battery-care mode to pre-condition the pack prior to rapid charging. Prices for the Enyaq iV start from £34,850 for the 177bhp iV 60 variant.…

NOT long ago, around 150bhp in a hot hatchback would have been a recipe for success. The 1.5 TSI Fabia’s level of power eclipses iconic hot hatches such as the Peugeot 205 GTi and the Renault 5 GT Turbo. But they were small and light; due to safety kit and market demands in 2022, the Fabia is bigger and heavier. Still, recent small performance models such as the VW up! GTI showed us power isn’t the be all and end all. If Skoda can tweak the car’s chassis slightly for a more involving drive, then ‘just’ 148bhp could be enough for a fast, fun supermini.…