Autocar January 25, 2023

A PAL RECENTLY gave me a lift in his 2006 Toyota RAV4 and, because it felt a bit – well – careworn, I asked how many miles it had done. “163,000,” came the proud reply. Then he got really boastful, telling me that he’d personally put more than 100,000 miles on it and never serviced it – not even an oil change. Nor a wash, judging by the crust. “It’s been MOT’d and that’s literally it.” But what to do next, when the RAV4 finally gives up the ghost? That’s not an easy answer. He uses, and abuses, it for everything and it’s regularly up to its axles in mud and water. It’s all well and good manufacturers announcing record results, off the back of a system that means most people…

A PAL RECENTLY gave me a lift in his 2006 Toyota RAV4 and, because it felt a bit – well – careworn, I asked how many miles it had done. “163,000,” came the proud reply. Then he got really boastful, telling me that he’d personally put more than 100,000 miles on it and never serviced it – not even an oil change. Nor a wash, judging by the crust. “It’s been MOT’d and that’s literally it.” But what to do next, when the RAV4 finally gives up the ghost? That’s not an easy answer. He uses, and abuses, it for everything and it’s regularly up to its axles in mud and water. It’s all well and good manufacturers announcing record results, off the back of a system that means most…

“The new range-topping EV will be unlike any previous Porsche production model, say sources” A seven-seat, off-roadcapable luxury electric crossover is being primed by Porsche to arrive in 2027 as a new range-topper that will take on the likes of the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV and BMW iX. It will be unlike any previous Porsche production model, say sources privy to early design proposals, with a length stretching beyond five metres and a profile that is “part saloon, part crossover”. CEO Oliver Blume has described the car, known under the internal codename K1, as “a very sporting interpretation of an SUV”. When it arrives, the advanced four-wheel-drive flagship will head a growing Porsche line-up, consisting of seven individual models. The K1 will offer the latest in synchronous electric motor, high-performance battery…

“The new range-topping EV will be unlike any previous Porsche production model, say sources” A seven-seat, off-roadcapable luxury electric crossover is being primed by Porsche to arrive in 2027 as a new range-topper that will take on the likes of the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV and BMW iX. It will be unlike any previous Porsche production model, say sources privy to early design proposals, with a length stretching beyond five metres and a profile that is “part saloon, part crossover”. CEO Oliver Blume has described the car, known under the internal codename K1, as “a very sporting interpretation of an SUV”. When it arrives, the advanced four-wheel-drive flagship will head a growing Porsche line-up, consisting of seven individual models. The K1 will offer the latest in synchronous electric motor, high-performance battery and rapid-charging technology –…

Not long ago, an SUV wasn’t considered aspirational enough to sit in the rarefied ultra-luxury category. Who would pay £150,000-plus for an elevated hatchback? We’re way past that now, which is why Porsche feels confident enough to tackle the likes of the Bentley Bentayga, Lamborghini Urus and Aston Martin DBX. Porsche has toyed with the lower end of this market with the range-topping £150,500 Cayenne Turbo GT and it understands the pricier reaches of the sports car market. But this is a bid to the world’s richest that it deserves that spot in their everyday-car garage. Porsche’s conviction of success stems from both its buoyant post-IPO valuation and the health of this market. Last year, Bentley, Rolls-Royce and Lamborghini all posted record sales, and for all three, their SUV – the Bentayga,…

Not long ago, an SUV wasn’t considered aspirational enough to sit in the rarefied ultra-luxury category. Who would pay £150,000-plus for an elevated hatchback? We’re way past that now, which is why Porsche feels confident enough to tackle the likes of the Bentley Bentayga, Lamborghini Urus and Aston Martin DBX. Porsche has toyed with the lower end of this market with the range-topping £150,500 Cayenne Turbo GT and it understands the pricier reaches of the sports car market. But this is a bid to the world’s richest that it deserves that spot in their everyday-car garage. Porsche’s conviction of success stems from both its buoyant post-IPO valuation and the health of this market. Last year, Bentley, Rolls-Royce and Lamborghini all posted record sales, and for all three, their SUV –…