Auto Express 1769

WE’RE constantly being told that the car industry is in a ‘transitional phase’ – and this issue holds the proof that we’re not being misled. From new EVs and facelifted ones (yes, already), to a first step towards electrification in the UK from Dacia and a 1,000bhp-plus twin test with V6 and V8 power, our pages show just how diverse the offerings really are right now. It’s in small cars where we’re likely to see the most EV progress over the next 18 months. And our news section reflects that view, with a very early verdict on the eagerly awaited reborn Renault 5, and proof that VW’s cheaper electric model has also started testing. It and the 5 are likely to play major roles in the glut of sub-£25,000 EVs coming…

● We sample newcomer’s chassis during cold-weather testing ● Wide track and direct steering promise driving fun “Renault has made a commitment to ensure that all drivers will be happy behind the wheel” THE reborn Renault 5 was first conceptualised in 2021, and since then the hype about the EV has soared. The concept is a modern nod to the original, but with an electric heart, and while the production car won’t be with us until 2024, we’ve been for an icy spin in an early prototype to find out what the future will feel like. The 5 is based on Renault’s latest CMF-BEV platform, which is designed specifically for small EVs (it’ll also underpin the upcoming Renault 4 SUV) and with cost in mind, because it’s 30 per cent cheaper to produce than…

WE’RE constantly being told that the car industry is in a ‘transitional phase’ – and this issue holds the proof that we’re not being misled. From new EVs and facelifted ones (yes, already), to a first step towards electrification in the UK from Dacia and a 1,000bhp-plus twin test with V6 and V8 power, our pages show just how diverse the offerings really are right now. It’s in small cars where we’re likely to see the most EV progress over the next 18 months. And our news section reflects that view, with a very early verdict on the eagerly awaited reborn Renault 5, and proof that VW’s cheaper electric model has also started testing. It and the 5 are likely to play major roles in the glut of sub-£25,000 EVs…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy ● VW fast-tracks updated look for its all-electric ID.3 hatchback ● Interior is more upmarket, but UK cars won’t get bigger screen VOLKSWAGEN’S ID.3 is barely two and a half years old. But extensive customer feedback and the fast-paced introduction of many rivals have persuaded VW to bring the usual mid-life enhancement of its first bespoke electric car forward by 12 months. On the outside, there are new colour options – including the vivid Dark Olivine Green of the vehicle pictured here – plus fresh headlights and tail-light clusters that create an arch-shaped motif and feature X-shaped brake lights. The front bumper is modified for a sharper look, while the black plastic area at the base of the windscreen has been removed altogether, and replaced by a larger, body-coloured bonnet. Claas-Lennard Stöhr, the ID.3’s…

● We sample newcomer’s chassis during cold-weather testing ● Wide track and direct steering promise driving fun “Renault has made a commitment to ensure that all drivers will be happy behind the wheel” THE reborn Renault 5 was first conceptualised in 2021, and since then the hype about the EV has soared. The concept is a modern nod to the original, but with an electric heart, and while the production car won’t be with us until 2024, we’ve been for an icy spin in an early prototype to find out what the future will feel like. The 5 is based on Renault’s latest CMF-BEV platform, which is designed specifically for small EVs (it’ll also underpin the upcoming Renault 4 SUV) and with cost in mind, because it’s 30 per cent…

THE hot version of the newly facelifted ID.3 will have a rear-wheel-drive layout, Auto Express has learned. The ID.3 GTX, which has already been confirmed by VW and is expected to make its debut in the final quarter of this year, had been widely tipped to use a four-wheel-drive, dual-motor configuration similar to that of the larger ID.4 GTX. But VW sources have revealed to Auto Express that the hot ID.3 will in fact be rear-wheel drive only, potentially leaving scope for an even more extreme, four-wheel-drive edition of the hatchback further down the line. There’s no official word yet on the GTX’s power output, but VW has already developed a more potent rear motor than the ID.3’s 201bhp unit for the ID. X concept and ID. Xtreme prototype. This could offer…