Table of contents for May 2026 in What Car?

Whenever we judge the What Car? Car of the Year Awards, we try to predict how long the models in contention for the top prize will stay at the top of their respective classes. Don’t get me wrong: likely longevity doesn’t play a huge part in the decision-making process. After all, our winners tend to compete in the most popular – and therefore the most fiercely contested – sectors. However, it’s still interesting to consider what the future might hold. In the case of our 2026 champion, the BMW iX3, we identified two models that might unseat it quite early in its life: the new Mercedes-Benz GLC and Volvo EX60. And you can read our first impressions of both of these premium SUVs in this issue. Meanwhile, speaking of Car…

IT’S A CURIOUS name, Striker. Dacia says that, rather than industrial action, forward footballers or the rough bit of the box you run a match along to light it, the name refers to knocking all 10 pins down when bowling. That makes it all the more important that this new SUV smashes the target, then, and its size and shape mean it’s not short on rivals. On the one hand, there’s the Citroën C5 Aircross and MG HS family SUVs. On the other, the Striker being a tad less tall and bulky than other SUVs, it also competes with the Seat Leon Estate, Skoda Octavia Estate and Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer. And all the while, it’ll be trying not to tread on the toes of the smaller Dacia Duster and…

IF YOUR WORKPLACE requires that you regularly undergo a performance review, the prospect might well fill you with dread. If, though, you’re the conscientious type, you’ll look forward to a bit of constructive criticism. The Toyota RAV4 must be doing something right. After going on sale in 2019, the previous model’s contract came up for renewal, and its boss seems to have said: “Yeah, just keep doing what you do.” We’re not looking at a big reinvention for the all-new, 2026 RAV4, then. With the RAV4 being Toyota’s best-selling car of 2025, the decision against radical changes makes sense, and the new car reuses its predecessor’s underpinnings, albeit with a few tweaks. Most notable is that the previous regular hybrid version has been replaced by a front-wheel-drive plug-in hybrid (PHEV).…

THINK OF THE Porsche Cayenne family as brothers Gru and Dru from the movie Despicable Me 3. The new Electric model may look like a sharper-dressed version of its combustion-engined sibling, but they could hardly be more different under the skin. Based on the 800-volt architecture already used by the smaller Macan Electric, the Cayenne Electric is fractionally larger than the petrol and hybrid versions, with a greater distance between its front and rear wheels. But perhaps the biggest difference is in power outputs: the Electric pumps out up to 1140bhp, whereas the most potent existing Cayenne (the Turbo E-Hybrid) packs a ‘mere’ 730bhp. All versions of the Cayenne Electric come with two electric motors that drive all four wheels. The entry-level model produces up to 436bhp and can sprint…

IN THE LINE-UP of a boy band, there’s invariably a heartthrob, a sensitive, artistic sort and a bad boy, as well as an easily recognised frontman who holds the band together. You can say the same thing about the VW Group’s own‘Fab Four’. You see, it’s launching a quartet of small electric models in 2026. All will share the same underpinnings, but they’ll target buyers with different tastes and needs. There’s the sensible one (the Skoda Epiq) and the attractive, rugged one (the Volkswagen ID Cross), while the friendly, easily recognisable one is arguably the Volkswagen ID Polo, And then there’s the Cupra Raval – the rebellious one. It’s aimed at buyers who want a sportier, more premium electric small car, tilting against the Alpine A290 and Mini Cooper Electric…

UP UNTIL RECENTLY, electric pick-up trucks were practically unheard of, but there will soon be a number of offerings on the market – one of which will be the new KGM Musso EV. The double-cab Musso EV will join the existing diesel-powered model in KGM’s line-up as a rival to the Maxus eTerron 9 and the upcoming fully electric variants of the Isuzu D-Max andToyota Hilux. Powered by an 80.6kWh battery supplied by Chinese brand BYD, the Musso EV has an official range of 240 miles. That’s 17 miles less than the eTerron 9 (which has a larger, 102kWh battery) can cover between charges. However, it’s significantly farther than what the D-Max and Hilux will manage; both of those models are expected to have official ranges of less than 150…

FINAL DETAILS OF the car finance mis-selling compensation scheme have been announced, revealing that an estimated 12 million drivers across the UK will get an average of £830 in compensation. The total payout is expected to be £9.1 billion. The scheme, brought forward by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which regulates the financial services industry in the UK, will compensate buyers who entered into ‘unfair’ car finance deals between April 2007 and November 2024. Previously, the FCA had estimated that victims could receive about £700 per deal, but it has now confirmed the higher average figure of £830 per agreement. Millions of consumers will receive their payouts this year, and most of the rest by the end of 2027. The compensation scheme was brought about after the Supreme Court upheld…

THE UK GOVERNMENT has rejected calls for a review of its electric vehicle (EV) targets to be brought forward, despite the fact that sales are falling well short of mandated levels. Speaking at an Electrified conference held by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), minister for aviation, maritime and decarbonisation Keir Mather confirmed that publication of the Government’s review of its EV sales targets – due next year – won’t be sped up. “We feel [early 2027] is the right point to make sure that we can test properly where the pressure points lie in the Zero Emission Vehicle [ZEV] mandate,” he said. Currently, the ZEV mandate calls for 80% of all new car sales to be electric by 2030, with hybrids remaining on sale until 2035. However,…

THIRTY-TWO YEARS after the arrival of the original RAV4 with its funky looks and high driving position, the sixth-generation model is an altogether more discreet offering. It’s just as important to the brand, though, the RAV4 having racked up more than 15 million sales over the past three decades. The new model is taller than its predecessor, promising an airier-feeling interior with improved head room. In the UK, it will be available only as a plugin hybrid (PHEV), with a 2.5-litre petrol engine and a single electric motor in the 270bhp front-wheel-drive version, or two motors and 304bhp in four-wheel-drive guise. The official electric range has almost doubled, from 46 miles to as much as 85 miles, and the battery can now be rapid charged at rates of up to…

IF YOU EVER needed proof that good things come in small packages, look no further than the Renault Clio. It’s a car that we’re very fond of and one that was named Best Small Car twice at the What Car? Car of the Year Awards, largely because of its driving characteristics, practical boot and overall value for money. The latter is something that the example in this test looks to improve on even further. You see, the Generation trim that we’re testing here replaces the previous entry-level Evolution, cutting the price but adding even more standard equipment in the process. Sounds like a winning formula, doesn’t it? Well, not so fast, because there’s a new, facelifted Seat Ibiza to make sure that the Clio doesn’t have everything its own way.…

Mileage 2648 List price £88,605 Best price £79,980 Price as tested £93,650 Test range 314 miles IF YOU’RE A fan of the What Car? YouTube channel, I have some bad news: Doug Revolta, who has been our lead presenter for some time, has decided to leave us so he can spend 12 months travelling the world. Alternatively, if you were never that keen on Doug and generally preferred the videos of Will, Dan and Lawrence… hey, good news! But what has any of this got to do with my Audi E-tron GT? Well, the reason Doug chose this moment is that he figured if he didn’t do it now, he wouldn’t for 20 years, because he’s approaching that stage of life where people tend to start families and take out…

Mileage 1445 List price £39,860 Best price £38,360 Price as tested £40,660 Test range 232 miles GIVEN THE CHOICE, I like strong regenerative braking in electric vehicles (EVs). This isn’t because I think it’ll dramatically improve the car’s range – although any energy recovered under deceleration must help. It’s more because the ability to control the car’s speed using just the accelerator pedal usually makes for extra-smooth progress, especially around town. I was therefore excited to see that my Volvo EX30’s regenerative braking settings are packaged under the heading of‘One Pedal Drive’ on its infotainment screen, with a choice of High, Low or Off. Given that the only way to switch between these settings is via that menu, the first thing I did was to select High with the intention…

Mileage 4895 List price £39,885 Best price na Price as tested £39,885 Test range 155 miles NEVER ONE TO follow the herd, I thought I’d start this update on my striking-looking, 276bhp Abarth 600e, with its Hypnotic Purple paintwork, 20in alloy wheels, sticky gumball tyres and huge rear spoiler by telling you how practical its boot is. I am in the course of converting my old motorcycle into something more modern, and the discarded bits from the original bike were easily transported back to my garage in the 600e’s boot. At 360 litres, this is the same size as what you’d find in a Mini Countryman or a Seat Ibiza. And, impressively, it swallowed the bike’s old tank, fairing, front forks and two wheels without me having to lower the…

ADIDAS, NIKE, PUMA… sportswear companies spend millions on sponsorship so their apparel can absorb the blood, sweat and tears of athletes, viewed by millions the world over. It’s great marketing. Many of those viewers will be inspired to buy clothing from the same brands, and thousands of their t-shirts will end up stained with beer or burger grease. People love sportswear, even if they have no intention of doing anything remotely sporty in it. And Cupra played this fact to its advantage. The Cupra name once marked out the raciest models from Seat of Spain, and its transition to a brand in its own right was marked by a car with real sporting intent – despite its humble origins. The Cupra Ateca transformed Seat’s well-regarded but meek SUV into something…

AS YOU’LL PROBABLY know, SUVs are enormously popular with buyers – and for good reason, because they’re among the most versatile of cars. So, it’s exciting to see that there’s a veritable flood of new models coming this year to suit virtually every budget, from less than £20,000 to more than £100,000. Here, we look at the latest SUVs that have only just been revealed, while others we drive and rate for the first time. Whatever your needs might be, there’s likely to be something over these 17 pages that will take your fancy. And if not, go to whatcar.com/new-car-deals for other great SUV buys. IF YOU WIND the clock back a couple of decades, the term ‘SUV’ conjured up images of massive, mud-plugging behemoths designed to cross rivers and…

MEET THE NEW Mercedes-Benz GLC. It’s not to be confused with the old GLC; to muddy the waters further, that model is still on sale and will remain so for the foreseeable future, with a choice of petrol and diesel engines. This one, though, is the battery-powered GLC Electric, which is a fresh rival to the Audi Q6 e-tron, BMW iX3 and Tesla Model Y. There’s only one version on sale right now: the GLC 400 4Matic. It has two electric motors, four-wheel drive and a massive 483bhp. So, it’s fast; it can sprint from 0-62mph in just 4.3sec. That means performance is roughly on a par with that of the iX3 xDrive50, even if the Tesla Model Y Performance is quicker still. Less powerful rear-wheel-drive versions will join the…

IN CHINESE CULTURE, the number 8 is considered to be very lucky, representing wealth and prosperity – so it makes sense that the new Jaecoo 8 is the Chinese brand’s biggest and most luxurious model yet. Essentially a slightly more upmarket version of sister brand Chery’sTiggo 9, the Jaecoo 8 sits above the smaller 5 and 7 SUVs in the Jaecoo line-up. It’s available with either six or seven seats and, like the Tiggo 9, comes exclusively with plug-in hybrid (PHEV) power. This set-up combines a 1.5-litre petrol engine with a 34.5kWh battery and two electric motors that drive all four wheels. In total, the system pumps out 422bhp, which is enough to punch the car from 0-62mph in 5.8sec. That’s significantly quicker than the Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-in Hybrid,…

WHEN IT COMES to ultra-high-end furniture, the best craftsmanship isn’t enough; a premium piece must provide unrivalled comfort. The same is true of luxury SUVs – but in this respect the current Mercedes-Benz GLS struggles. It may be loaded with technology and offer space for seven, but it has historically seen its appeal dented by ride comfort that couldn’t match that of the BMW X7 and Range Rover. The revised model aims to fix this. New cloud-based connectivity allows the GLS to share data on road conditions with other Mercedes vehicles. This allows the car to ‘learn’ road surfaces and prime the air suspension accordingly. This technology could provide a direct riposte to our biggest criticism of the outgoing car. The GLS looks and feels suitably luxurious inside, even if…

REPLACING TODAY’S EQV and V-Class, Mercedes-Benz’s newVLE is a luxurious MPV with diverse appeal. It’ll suit families in need of more space than a traditional sevenseater can offer, or it might serve as an airport taxi or for plush VIP transport. The VLE’s 115kWh (usable capacity) battery grants it an official range of up to 434 miles; that’s comfortably more than the rival Citroën e-Spacetourer and Vauxhall Vivaro Life can manage. Meanwhile, a peak charging speed of 320kW means a 10-80% top-up can take as little as 25 minutes. The VLE seats up to eight. The second and third seating rows can be configured to prioritise either boot space or leg room for the second row, or they can be removed entirely. In fact, the seats have small wheels on…

WHEN SOMEONE TAKES a gap year after a long stint of studying or working on their career, it’s tempting to joke about the questionable life decisions they might make while they spend their time ‘finding themselves’. And indeed, the camouflaged car in these pictures looks like it’s come back from a long absence with a geometric full-body tattoo. In fact, though, Jaguar has been working hard to refocus its core values while rekindling its roots, and the long-awaited GT is the result. This flagship model may be armed with cutting-edge electric underpinnings, but its long bonnet and low roof are inspired by its 1930s forebears. That inkwork obliterates the surface details, so we won’t know how it looks until the GT’s September unveiling, but Jaguar says it draws heavily from…

ARGUABLY THE BEST thing about visiting Cadbury World is the number of free samples you get, but while these give you a quick taster, you can’t beat the full Dairy Milk ‘sharing size’ bar experience. To me, my new BMW iX fulfils much the same role. How? Well, being part of the What Car? reviews team has afforded me the opportunity to try all sorts of electric vehicles (EVs), with long and short ranges alike, but usually only for a week at most. With the iX, on the other hand, I’m getting a proper taste of what it’s like to live with an EV for an extended period. It’ll have its work cut out; these days I seem to travel only long distances, with my life spread across pretty much…

Mileage 3180 List price £39,995 Best price £33,495 Price as tested £40,645 Test range 272 miles “STOP HAVING FUN!” My wife is only half joking when she says this – typically when I’m getting a bit of a clip on while tackling a country road, focusing more on the racing line between apexes than on passenger comfort. She said it fairly recently, when we were in my Vauxhall Grandland Electric. And she was right: I was having fun. Now, the Grandland is a family SUV, and it would take a miracle of physics to make it behave like a hot hatch. However, on sweeping West Country roads, I found something very satisfying about how the Grandland flowed from one corner to the next. There are several factors at play here.…

IN LIFE, WE’RE often faced with head versus heart decisions. Do you go to bed early because you know you need the rest, or stay up late to watch another episode of your favourite TV show? Do you choose a healthy salad because it’s good for you, or order a takeaway because you’ve had a rough day? This sort of dilemma always leaves me umming and ahhing, but thankfully it wasn’t something I faced when choosing my new Cupra Leon. You see, being a sporty hot hatch, it well and truly satisfied my heart’s yearning for something exciting, but the fact that it’s a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) meant it appealed to my head, too. And while the 201bhp combined output of the PHEV’s 1.5-litre petrol engine and electric motor is…

LIKE VENUS AND Serena Williams, the Tesla Model Y family SUV and Model 3 executive car are closely related, and the former being noticeably taller than the latter is a recognition point. And, just like the Williamses are much admired in the tennis world, the Tesla siblings are hugely popular among car buyers. Since 2022, the Model Y has been a regular in the UK’s top 10 best-sellers list, and in 2023 it was the world’s best-selling car full stop, with 1.2 million units sold. That’s despite counting the Audi Q4 e-tron, BMW iX3, Kia EV6 and Skoda Enyaq among its talented rivals. Helpfully, this means there are now lots of used Model Ys to choose from. The line-up opens with the RWD (rear-wheel drive), and continues with the Long…

HOW WE RATE YOUR CARS PRICE ON THE ROAD (OTR) The pre-discount price set by car makers, including registration, delivery and first-year road tax. Prices for electric vehicles costing up to £37,000 don’t include the Government grant of up to £3750. BEST PRICE As the name suggests, this is the best price we’ve seen, whether it’s a factory order or an in-stock car available through our partnership with Autotrader. All best prices are correct at the time of this issue going to press. TEST MPG Our Test MPG figures show the fuel economy you can realistically expect from your car. We start by setting tyres to the recommended pressures, headlights to auto and climate control to 21deg C. The cars are driven in formation with rivals at our private test…

WHEN ENTERING A new market, it’s always helpful to have a USP, and the new Volvo EX60 has a doozy: 503 miles. Yes, that’s the official range of this electric SUV if you order it with the biggest of its three battery options, meaning it can go farther between charges than any rival. This is partly because the battery in question is… well, big. But it’s also down to the new underpinnings developed for the EX60 (and the electric Volvos that will follow it), which are claimed to bring a sizeable weight saving and therefore improve efficiency. Then again, Volvo really did need to pull out all the stops with this car. For starters, it’s the electric equivalent of the XC60 family SUV – the best-selling Volvo of all time.…

CALLING SOMETHING ‘PEAK’ can mean one of two things nowadays. It could mean something is the best, but – confusingly – plenty of (predominantly younger) people use it to describe an unlucky turn of events. Let’s hope the Skoda Peaq fits the former definition. What does the name really mean? Well, ‘Peaq’ signifies that this is the largest, most expensive model the Czech brand has ever made. It’s an electric seven-seat SUV that fits above the Enyaq and the combustion-engined Kodiaq in Skoda’s line-up, as a rival to the Peugeot e-5008 and Mercedes-Benz GLB Electric, although the latter car is significantly smaller. In fact, right now, there are few other electric seven-seaters to choose from, especially at this price; the Hyundai Ioniq 9 and Kia EV9 cost more, and while…

CHERY MAY HAVE arrived in the UK only last year, but it’s churning out new models faster than Marvel produces new films – and its fourth model to go on sale will be the appropriately namedTiggo 4. A budget-focused small SUV, the Tiggo 4 sits below the Tiggo 7,Tiggo 8 and Tiggo 9 SUVs in Chery’s line-up, as a rival to the likes of the Dacia Duster and Skoda Kamiq. Unlike its stablemates, which are available with petrol or plug-in hybrid power, the Tiggo 4 will initially come as a regular hybrid with a 1.5-litre petrol engine and an electric motor, meaning it will be limited to short bursts of electric-only driving. This system is similar to that of the related (but larger) Omoda 5 SHS-S. Putting out 201bhp, it…

IT’S HARD TO overstate the importance of the CX-5 to Mazda. Five million of these family SUVs have been sold worldwide since 2011, and it has been the brand’s best-seller since 2018. You’d think, then, that Mazda would avoid risk and adopt a healthy dose of ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ when designing this new iteration. But that’s not entirely the case. On the outside, the CX-5 has been modernised, with new lights all round, revised bumpers and ‘Mazda’ now spelled out on the tailgate (in place of a logo). There’s also new alloy wheel designs, which come in either 17in or 19in diameter, depending on trim level. More significantly, the CX-5 has grown in every dimension. Using a modified version of its predecessor’s underpinnings, the latest version…

SHOPPING IN BASINGSTOKE. A visit from Aunt Mabel. An airline meal. These are all things that you might enjoy more than you first expected. The Vauxhall Astra has long been on that list; it’s likeable enough, but the thought of it is unlikely to set your pulse racing. How, then, to make it more alluring? Well, the latest version – on sale since 2022 – has been given a makeover with precisely that in mind. The most obvious external change is the Vauxhall badge, which now glows within the crosshairs of a so-called ‘Compass’ light signature. Until this feature makes it onto other Vauxhalls (and it will), the Astra is easy to identify at night in your rear-view mirror, and it’s been a while since we’ve been able to say…

51% The proportion of drivers who think penalty points are effective at reducing dangerous driving, according to research from car insurance provider Uswitch. The survey found, however, that 82% of respondents with points on their licence changed their driving behaviour after receiving them. 657 The power, in bhp, that the new Porsche Cayenne Electric S will pump out when it arrives in the summer. This new model sits between the regular Cayenne Electric and the Turbo in the line-up, and it has an official range of 405 miles. £1.8bn The total paid by drivers for repairs caused by potholes in the past 12 months, according to research from car servicing and repair company Kwik Fit.…

IF YOU STRUGGLE with the glare caused by other vehicles’ headlights when you’re driving in the dark, you’re not alone. In a recent study by the RAC, 94% of drivers said they were dazzled by oncoming vehicles at night – 62% occasionally and 32% regularly. Worryingly, more than half of those surveyed said they have either reduced their night-time driving or stopped altogether due to concerns about being dazzled. It’s not just an inconvenience. Being hit by headlight glare can also be dangerous; 31% of those who struggle with the issue said it takes them three or more seconds to recover, and that’s more than enough time to be involved in a road accident. While the majority (72%) of drivers polled by the RAC said the problem is exacerbated when…

THE NEW MG 4 URBAN. What is it, exactly? Well, it’s not an MG 4. Confused? Yes, we thought that might be the case, so we’ll try to part the clouds. Yes, it shares a moniker with the MG 4 EV (a car we’ve tested many times before), but the Urban is another animal entirely, with different styling and underpinnings. It’s front-wheel drive, while the MG 4 EV is rear-wheel drive, and the nub is that the Urban is bigger yet cheaper than its namesake. Why MG didn’t call it something different to avoid any confusion is lost on us too, but the fact is, on paper, the Urban looks compelling for anyone searching for a relatively affordable small electric car (EV). ‘A truly versatile small car should shrug off…

Mileage on arrival 12,087 Mileage now 14,822 List price when new (2024) £82,925 Value on arrival £65,900 Test economy 30.5mpg WHILE I’VE NOW covered quite a few miles in my Land Rover Discovery, they had all been on sealed roads – until the other day. That’s right: because one of the key selling points of my car is its ability to keep going when the going gets tough, I decided to take it off-roading to see how it would fare. Fortunately, every Approved Used Land Rover comes with a free half-day off-roading experience at any one of the brand’s nine UK experience centres – designed not only to showcase what the cars are capable of, but also to give owners the confidence to tackle difficult terrain. I chose the flagship…

Mileage 1338 List price £32,105 Best price £29,557 Price as tested £34,655 Test range 217 miles AS MY FIRST electric vehicle (EV), the Mini Cooper Electric has been a huge learning curve for me. In fact, it’s only the second car of any sort that I’ve owned, but I thought it important to face my fears and take my car out of its (and my) comfort zone. And it just so happened that I had the perfect opportunity to do just that: a trip to Leeds for a party. Now, having gone to university in Leeds, I was familiar with the journey there from my home in Hampshire. My old Volkswagen Up would make the trek a few times per year and could manage it on half a tank of…

Mileage 6887 List price £59,025 Best price £49,190 Price as tested £60,100 Test range 244 miles IT’S FUNNY HOW bad experiences can give birth to good ones, like losing a job only to fall into a better one, or having a flight cancellation result in a night in a nice hotel. We’ve all been there, and I’m no exception, as my BYD Sealion 7 recently showed me. You see, after a long day of shooting, all I wanted to do was drive home and relax. But along the way, a stone hit the windscreen and chipped it. This put me in a really bad mood. When my car went off to get fixed at a BYD dealer, I was given a short-term replacement: another Sealion 7, albeit in mid-range Design…

IF YOU DOZE off on the Tokyo subway, you’ll probably be okay. You see, every station in Japan’s capital city has its own special jingle; they last for only a few seconds, but the tunes are distinctive and memorable enough to rouse you at just the right time. Likewise, you know where you are with the Honda Jazz and Toyota Yaris, both of which follow those jingles by being brief in length but dense in content. The makers of both cars – coincidentally – hail from Japan. Honda’s first cars used the brand’s motorcycle know-how to pack a lot of engineering into a tiny frame. Toyota, too, has a rich small car heritage, and it narrowly beat its rival to the hybrid party almost 30 years ago. Today, both brands…

Changan Depal SO5 Price from £38,990 DATA FACT Electric family SUV can officially sprint from 0-62mph in 5.5sec in top Max AWD trim. Ferrari 849 Testarossa Price from £407,617 DATA FACT Despite having 1036bhp on tap, this 205mph sports car officially returns as much as 30.4mpg. Mercedes-Benz GLB Electric Price from £46,100 DATA FACT Electric seven-seat SUV has a 570-litre boot and an official range of up to 349 miles. MG S9 Price from £34,205 DATA FACT Plug-in hybrid family SUV seats seven and officially returns 470.8mpg. Gone but not forgotten As the first model from Cupra as a standalone brand, the Ateca was reheated – yet tasty p154…