Table of contents for 1888 in Auto Express

THE car industry waving goodbye to Renault’s inspirational boss Luca de Meo, the man behind a turnaround that now has the firm producing some exciting and desirable cars in a way no-one could have predicted five or 10 years ago, got me thinking about the importance of charismatic leaders. My last interaction with de Meo was at the Paris show last year, where a room full of journalists was kept waiting for 45 minutes after the sudden arrival of the French President on the Renault stand required de Meo’s presence there. The atmosphere in the room switched immediately on his belated arrival, going from bored disgruntlement to instant attention on an intelligent, articulate and sharp man who had a room of cynical journalists hanging on his next word. “NEW LEADERS…

ONE of the big EV innovators that helped to push electric cars into the mainstream has been completely reimagined. Where once the Nissan Leaf was a sensible, somewhat awkward-looking C-segment hatchback, this all-new generation is much more interesting. That’s not just because of its more arresting design, but also because it now packs some impressive numbers that will bring it right back into contention with key rivals including the Kia EV3 and Volkswagen ID.3. Range and batteries It’s those two competitors that Nissan has its eye on, with the Leaf designed to appeal to both the lowmileage urban dweller and, thanks to a new long-range battery option, higher-mileage business users. The new long-range battery is a 75kWh unit that gives the Leaf up to 375 miles of range, which matches…

KIA has announced pricing for its most expensive model yet, with the new high-performance EV9 GT priced from £82,185. Deliveries will start this autumn and two versions will be offered, with the only difference being their seating layouts. For an extra £1,000 over the standard sevenseater, the £83,185 six-seat variant includes more indulgent captain’s chairs in the second row, with full electric adjustment and a pass-through to the third row. Underpinning the EV9 GT’s upgrades is a big power boost to 501bhp, generated by two electric motors. There is a 214bhp front unit and a 362bhp rear motor, with total peak power providing that combined figure. This is a 122bhp increase over the existing dualmotor GT-Line car, and provides a 0-62mph time of 4.6 seconds. The GT’s battery pack is…

HONDA has confirmed it will reveal its Super EV concept at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July. The small, city-focused electric car is the successor to the company’s slow-selling Honda e. Little is known about the Super EV at this stage, but it fits neatly with our scoop from this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January, when we reported on Honda’s plans to launch a replacement for its nowdefunct electric city car, which was removed from sale in 2023. At the time, Honda’s global head of electrification business development, Katsushi Inoue, told us the firm was “at the development stage” and that “eventually, in the future, [Honda] will talk about smaller vehicles”. It turns out that the “future” is actually now, because just six months on from CES,…

CHEVROLET has confirmed details of the powertrain in its new ZR1X, the most powerful Corvette ever. Its hypercar-baiting 1,250bhp comes from a hybridised set-up that combines a twin-turbocharged V8 engine and an electrified front axle. The engine features cutting-edge motorsport tech, while the front axle incorporates a 186bhp electric motor and a compact 1.9kWh battery pack to drive the front wheels completely independently of the rear. Chevrolet has not finalised performance figures, but suggests that 0-60mph will be possible in under two seconds. Just about the only number that doesn’t match up to a hypercar is the price, which is $178,195, or £132,243 at current exchange rates.…

BENTLEY’S third-generation Continental was launched in 2018 and was given such major update last year that the firm is calling it “all new”. Whether or not you agree, there’s no denying the model has been given a new lease of life. We tried it in hard-top form last year and came away impressed. There are subtle new design cues, such as the Batur-like headlights that feature 120 individual LEDs – with different styles for the Azure we’re testing here and the flagship Speed model. Also helping to keep the GT and GTC looking fresh are new wheel choices, as well as new grille inserts, redesigned exhaust tips and a diffuser. The Bentley is about the same width as the Aston Martin Vanquish and Ferrari 12Cilindri, but it’s longer and taller…

THE idea of halo cars is nothing new. Fast flagships have been around for decades, fuelling sales of mundane models as customers aspire to one day own something with an M, RS or AMG badge on the boot. But with performance becoming more and more accessible thanks to the onslaught of electrification, is there still a place for these high-horsepower heroes? Given that the BMW M5 is more revered than most, I grabbed the keys to one for an impromptu twin test. That question of whether halo cars remain relevant has been playing on my mind since my last report (Issue 1,882) – when I declared my 530e Touring “a shot of espresso hardlined straight into the bloodstream”. While I may have used a bit of artistic licence, I continued…

THIS is the all-new Skoda Epiq, a baby electric SUV that will sit underneath the larger Elroq and Enyaq, and later the seven-seat Eviatiq, when it arrives in 2026. We’ve known the Epiq is coming for some time, having seen it previewed by a concept last year, but the pictures on Page 8 represent first time the car has been caught testing on public roads. Although the Epiq is still wearing extensive cladding and a heavy disguise, we can see from these first spy shots that the new SUV will inherit a family look and further progress Skoda’s current ‘Modern Solid’ design language, with stacked headlights and daytime running lights, illustrated here by our exclusive images. As with the brand’s other EVs, the lights will be connected via the now-familiar…

Q What does Nissan stand for, and how can you as a designer help tell its story to customers? A Nissan is really a reflection of the people in the company, right? Our company’s quite diverse. We’re global, but we’re also Japanese. We are innovation, and we are excitement, and we are daring, but we really wanted to do a bit of soul searching and ask, ‘What is the spirit of Nissan?’. Our trucks and our SUVs are very distinctive – rugged and bold – and then we have a whole history of cars like the Pike cars [such as the retro Figaro], which are kind of artistic and charming. And then obviously we have our very sleek and sexy cars that show off performance and a sense of formal…

PRICES for the Suzuki e Vitara have been announced, with the base-spec front-wheel-drive model fitted with the smaller of the two batteries on offer starting from £29,999. A topspec, all-wheel-drive ‘Ultra’ with all the bells and whistles and the bigger battery, costs £37,799. Just one variant will be available with the entry-level 49kWh battery. Every other version will come with the larger 61kWh unit, good for up to 248 miles of range. A basic Motion-spec car with the 61kWh battery costs £32,999, while adding Suzuki’s ALLGRIP-e all-wheel-drive system adds £2,000 to the price. Suzuki has said it will offer zero per cent finance at launch, payable over two years with a 20 per cent deposit. That means the bigger-battery, front-wheel-drive model in Motion trim is available from £379 per month.…

GENESIS has announced a revised version of the GV60, with sharper styling, a bigger battery, an updated interior (although the crystal-ball gear selector, pictured below, remains unchanged), a 27-inch touchscreen and up to 348 miles of range. The 77.4kWh battery is replaced by a bigger 84kWh powerpack – as used in the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6. The GV60 will be available with either rear or all-wheel drive, with range-topping dual-motor versions able to reach 62mph in four seconds exactly. The GV60 also still features a not-so-secret Drift mode, while Genesis has added a new ‘virtual gear shift’ (VGS) feature that’s designed to replicate the sound and feel of a combustion engine and eight-speed automatic transmission. The redesigned front bumper looks more aggressive, featuring pronounced air intakes and accents…

PLUG-in hybrid cars, depending on who you believe, are either a wasteful technological dead-end or a sensible compromise and valuable stepping stone to pure-electric vehicles. The truth, as ever, is more nuanced – but the Audi A5 e-hybrid could actually be arriving at an opportune moment with the future of PHEVs (plug-in hybrid electric vehicles) looking clearer, and brighter. It now looks like hybrids will remain on sale beyond the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars, while the efficiency of PHEV tech is on the up, pushing running costs down. It’s good news for Audi, as long as its plug-in A5 can elevate itself above rivals such as the BMW 330e and Mercedes C 300 e. The e-hybrid versions of the Audi A5 sit near…

YOU may assume something is wrong with a car for it to be significantly updated within a year of going on sale. But that’s not the case with the Renault Symbioz. The SUV arrived last July, and although it doesn’t pull on the heartstrings like the Renault 5, we like its comfortable ride, slick powertrain, spacious interior, Google tech and keen pricing. Despite this, the French marque is defying the adage of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. The Symbioz hasn’t received any cosmetic work, and the interior is practically identical to before. Which again, is no bad thing. What has changed is under the bonnet. Instead of just Renault’s established, but perhaps slightly dated, hybrid powertrain, buyers now have a choice of a simpler ‘mild hybrid 140’ petrol…

TWO thousand and eleven brake horsepower. It’s not a figure that we get to throw around often in the pages of Auto Express. It’s more common on a review of a 100-foot yacht, perhaps, or a test drive of an earth mover. But flat-out acceleration in a Lotus Evija doesn’t just make it feel like the earth is moving. It’s more like a jump into hyperspace. This is an all-electric hypercar with straight-line speed well beyond the Aston Martin Valkyrie, and even fully electric alternatives like the Rimac Nevera. Taking a look at the Evija’s immaculate production line gave us a glimpse of some of the incredible engineering that lifts the car to such a high level. A carbon-fibre tub forms the starting point and in true Lotus fashion, it’s…

THERE are countless examples of how manufacturers have been headscratching their way towards a performance car that can be fun to drive at the same time as returning low tailpipe emissions. Whether it’s with fully electric or plug-in hybrid cars, clever workarounds are needed to deliver not only exhilarating performance and character in a straight line, but composed handling through bends too – especially when electrically assisted powertrains have to deal with the mass of two separate power sources. The latest GTE addresses the former by having more power than ever before, while for the latter it borrows tech such as Volkswagen’s XDS electronic differential lock and (optional) adaptive dampers. ENGINES & PERFORMANCE VOLKSWAGEN’S first plug-in hybrid powertrain hit the road in a Golf in 2014, and since then the…

VALUE is arguably the word that attracts most potential Dacia buyers, but once you’re a Dacia owner, there’s another one that the brand is keen to promote: adventure. It’s the spirit that underpins all things Dacia, from the Sleep Pack for the Jogger to the Sandrider that the Romanian company has developed to compete in the Dakar rally. It’s also something that I’m aware of every time I get behind the wheel, because I catch sight of a little graphic in the corner of the windscreen showing a car crawling over some ‘rocks’ formed by the black shading. Plus, as the touchscreen fires up, it displays a rotating 3D map of some decidedly hilly terrain. Happily for me, in typical Dacia fashion, the firm also sees things in more modest…

Price: £35.69 Rating: Contact: amazon.co.uk IF you want to save yourself the bother and cost of using a garage air line to top up your tyres, it makes sense to invest in your own pump. For occasional use and if you just need to add a few psi, a foot pump will be sufficient. But if you have a big tyre or need to completely reinflate one from flat, then you will want a bit of electric assistance. This latest new pump from a brand called Tower Top looks conventional, but claims to have technology that helps it inflate more quickly. Inside the plastic case it has copper components, a metal cylinder and a cooling system, which is said to enable continuous operation for more than 30 minutes. This allows it…

CHOOSING a new car is an exciting time, especially if you’re an enthusiast. But, when comparing prices of similar models, it’s easy to forget additional costs that may skew the price for one car over another – and I’m not talking about going crazy on the options list and spending thousands on upgraded audio systems or the biggest wheels (which are normally not advisable on ride quality grounds anyway!). I mean something as basic as the colour you choose, and how wide the gaps are for the price of the paint on your car. We’re not thinking of top-end premium cars, either – Maserati will happily take £18,000 from you in exchange for a matte paint job on your new Granturismo Folgore, for example – but mainstream regular models. It’s…

SKODA is planning an onslaught of hot hatchbacks and SUVs led by the recently launched vRS versions of the Elroq and Enyaq, but soon to be bolstered by a go-faster Epiq and flagship Eviatiq, Auto Express can reveal. With almost half-a-million vRS-badged models (referred to as ‘RS’ in other global markets) now on the road, Skoda is set to fully exploit its sporty sub-brand’s potential with a host of new variants that span superminis to seven-seaters. Speaking at the dynamic launch of the Elroq vRS recently, Bjorn Kroll, Skoda’s head of product marketing, told us: “The cars we are launching, very likely, will also have a vRS version; people like it.” The deluge of hot cars began with the Elroq vRS and facelifted Enyaq vRS, but will continue with a…

TO mark 50 years since the original Mk1 Golf GTI appeared, VW has revealed one of the fiercest special editions of the iconic hot hatchback in its history, the new Mk8 Golf GTI Edition 50. While VW GTIs are rarely the most potent or focused hot hatchbacks in their class, every so often the brand gives us a model with a more hardcore appeal – something this new Edition 50 looks to emulate. It’s the most powerful Golf GTI in history, with 320bhp derived from the same turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine as the standard model. Torque is rated at 320Nm, helping the Edition 50 do 0-62mph in just 5.5 seconds. The figures represent a 24bhp and 20Nm increase over the existing GTI Clubsport, and put the Edition 50 14bhp up…

BMW has developed an all-new material as a more sustainable replacement for carbon fibre, which is now ready for development and set to be used on the brand’s production cars – including the new electric M3 – within the next few years. Engineered in collaboration with Swiss firm Bcomp, the natural-fibre composites offer similar properties to carbon-fibre counterparts, but emit far less CO2 during production. Plus they can be recycled, unlike most forms of carbon-based composites. When developing such materials, the key issue was to ensure they are strong enough to be homologated for use on a car’s roof. BMW says that when applied to its next-generation performance car – which we assume means the M3 EV – the use of natural fibre has coincided with a reduction of CO2…

BUILDING on the Land Rover Defender’s recent suite of subtle updates, the British brand has revealed a new version of the 4x4 that celebrates the ‘epic adventures’ possible from behind the wheel. Formally called the Land Rover Defender Trophy Edition, this high-spec model will offer a range of bespoke styling elements, plus a choice of accessories that promise to be as useful on an expedition to the Sahara desert as on a trip to your local garden centre. The Trophy Edition’s changes start with the option of two unique colours: Keswick Green and Deep Sandglow Yellow. These are complemented by gloss black highlights across the bonnet and lower bodywork, plus a unique styling treatment on the front and rear skid plates, wheelarch extensions and 20-inch wheels. Those wheels are fitted…

AS it stands, there’s not much wrong with the Ford Ranger, but changes in legislation mean that this big-selling pick-up is in need of a revamp to keep pace with buyers’ needs. Emissions are now an important factor when it comes to business taxation, and the arrival of the new Ranger PHEV will be the perfect option for those keen to keep their contributions to the taxman as low as possible. From the outside, not a lot looks different, although the new Stormtrak specification is exclusive to the PHEV model (which also comes in XLT and Wildtrak trims). Chill Grey is a cool blue hue that’s unique to the Stormtrak (black is also offered), and there are standalone wheel designs to mark out the petrol-electric model. It also has the…

LOTUS is a test case on how hard the road to electric motoring will be. The legendary British sports car brand has introduced two impressive clean-sheet EVs – the Eletre SUV and Emeya saloon – in just over a year, yet its petrol-powered, mid-engined Emira sports car almost matches their sales volume. Then there’s the power of politics to make life hard for the car industry. Tariffs are impacting Lotus exports from China, while US President Trump rolls back American EV incentives and Prime Minister Keir Starmer moves in the opposite direction by reconsidering a 2030 ban on UK sales of new combustion cars. Given the climate, you’d understand if Matt Windle, vice president and managing director of Lotus, passed over the chance to add Europe’s commercial performance to his…

THE Toyota Prius is edging ever closer to its 30th birthday, and each year that other manufacturers have tried to catch up, Toyota has continued to refine a formula that has seen the Japanese brand shift more than five million examples since its launch. For the fifth iteration of the pioneering hybrid, Toyota is looking to tug at buyers’ heartstrings, and not just their wallets; in place of the quirky-looking fourth-generation model is a new, stylish design that looks closer to a coupé than a traditional family hatch. That new look has even come at the expense of aerodynamics; despite using active grille shutters and that sleek-looking shape, a drag coefficient of 0.27 is actually higher than the last car’s 0.24Cd figure. ENGINES & PERFORMANCE THE Prius’s powertrain is the…

ALONGSIDE our boot organiser multitest (Issue 1,874), we also took the opportunity to evaluate a few smaller products more suited to storing kit than stopping the weekly shop sliding around. Some are smaller versions of the bigger folding crates, while others are designed to sit against the seat back or boot sides. The latter type was represented by Sakura and Hilka, while Halfords took the crate option. The criteria were the same as in our main test, looking for robust designs, handy pockets and partitions. We tried each with a mix of common items like top-up fluids, cleaners and a jump starter. The final factor was price. The Halfords crate is the most versatile of the three and takes the win. There’s little to choose between the carpet bags, so…

OWNER VIEWS ON THE UK’S BEST CARS “The software updates feel like Christmas. I discover new functions every few weeks, which is exciting.” “I like how spacious and airy it feels – the glass roof is amazing. It’s got all the gadgets that you’d expect, and is easy to drive.” TESLA has had a roller-coaster ride recently. People seem to either love or hate this firm that makes only EVs, but you can’t deny the Model Y’s popularity, because it still sells in vast numbers; in 2023 it was the world’s best-selling vehicle, and so far it’s the world’s biggest-selling EV to date. Based heavily on the Tesla Model 3, the Model Y is the highest-rated EV in our 2025 survey. However, there are only two other pure-EVs in there…

WITH a smooth hybrid powertrain and a classy cabin, we like the latest Honda Civic here at Auto Express - although at £35,000 it’s on the expensive side for a family hatch. For that kind of money, you could put together an appealing collection of three different Hondas: the family-friendly CR-V SUV, the surprisingly spacious Jazz supermini and the hybrid HR-V. Here’s how… 1 HONDA HR-V Mk2 £11,750 THE original HR-V was a bit of a wacky thing, being offered in a three-door bodystyle. But the second-generation model that arrived in 2013 was much more contemporary with a design that aped the Civic of the time. The one we’ve found comes with a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine with a manual gearbox that should have a typically lovely Honda gearshift. This midrange…

IT’S been a manic few weeks. And here’s the proof: my A-Z of the final days of the first half of 2025… on planet car. Antonio Filosa wins the bravest in the business gong for taking on the CEO role at Stellantis. Good luck, Ant. You’ll need it. BYD founder Wang Chuanfu is more relaxed as he plays with his Yangwang and Fangchengbao brands. China’s Government warns car makers not to brutally undercut each other – I think they should. De Meo’s decision to quit as Renault CEO is a tragedy. The industry can’t afford to lose Luca – its best and most respected chief executive. EV appeal is at its lowest since 2019 – at least in the US. Ferrari delays plans for a second EV thanks to lack…