Table of contents for 1861 / 1862 in Auto Express

KIA’S newly facelifted EV6 GT has been revealed, with more power than before and one of the more novel features from the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. The EV6 GT was already the most powerful car in Kia’s line-up, with 577bhp and 740Nm of torque from its dual-motor powertrain. Now the maximum output is 641bhp and 770Nm of torque when ‘GT’ mode is applied. Even during everyday driving, there will be 601bhp on tap, plus 740Nm. Kia says the updated EV6 GT can sprint from 0-62mph in 3.5 seconds, which is the same as before, but still very quick for a family EV. The Ioniq 5 N hits 0-62mph in 3.4 seconds. The EV6 GT has a new ‘Virtual Gear Shift’ feature, just like the Ioniq 5 N, to give a…

IF subtlety is your thing, then look away now. Nothing on this test attracted attention like the RS 6 GT, whose decals and white wheels, barely containing some huge carbon brakes, give it spectacular presence. There are more subdued black and grey exterior finishes with black graphics, but if we were one of the lucky 60 UK buyers, we’d have gone the whole hog and stuck with the white. This run-out edition is more than just a stickers special, though. The wheelarches are even more flared than on the standard RS 6, and like the bonnet they are made from carbon fibre to shave a little weight. There’s a set of fantastic carbon bucket seats, too, and the low-slung driving position feels more like a big coupé than a five…

MONEY isn’t the be-all and end-all when it comes to performance cars, but with competitors often costing north of six figures, it’s impossible not to take the MX-5’s price into consideration. Even in its costliest form tested here, a 2.0-litre RF in Homura trim, the Mazda starts at £37,035 – making it nearly six times cheaper than the most expensive car in this contest. While this generation arrived in 2015, constant improvements have been topped by another round of updates for 2024, hence its inclusion here. Enhanced infotainment and new driver-assistance tech (which can be muted with a prod of a button) aren’t the most important changes, though; there are also one or two updates to the chassis that turn out to be much more profound. It’s hard to notice…

IF we were to judge this contest on engines alone, we would have sent the other eight cars home the second we wound the Porsche 911 S/T up to its spine-tingling 9,000rpm red line for the first time. Make no mistake – the S/T has one of the greatest production-car powerplants ever made. It is, of course, the same engine fitted to the latest 911 GT3 RS: a 4.0-litre flat-six with 518bhp – an incredible feat without turbo or electrical help. But from there it diverged from the RS, adopting a more road-biased attitude. There are no wild spoilers or RS-style wide body. More telling is that Porsche’s lightning-fast PDK auto has been replaced with a six-speed manual, which gets shorter ratios than the lesser GT3 in order give better…

Across 1. What Americans call ‘the trunk’ (4) 2. Optimum position on a race starting grid (4) 6. Imperial measurement for air pressure (1,1,1) 8. Coventry-based British car maker (6) 10. Police acronym for a highway collision (1,1,1) 11. Could be disc, drum or hand (5) 12. Model code for Mazda MX-5 launched in 2005 (2) 14. Most successful Brazilian Formula One driver ever (5) 17. Three-pointed ____. Mercedes logo (4) 18. Audi Coupé and Roadster launched in 1998 (1,1) 19. Trailing and track control are both examples of this suspension part (3) 21. Multiple open-top cars (12) 22. Abbreviated term for a long-wheelbase car, often chauffeur driven (4) 23. Most cars have four or five of these (6) 25. Multiple Lamborghinis launched in 1968 (7) 28. The added volume…

NEWS “SEAT HAD BEEN SO SILENT THAT WE WERE ALL BUT CONVINCED THE FIRM WAS SET TO THROW IN THE TOWEL” SEAT REVEALS PLANS FOR BABYSUV ISSUE 1,816 WE’RE constantly sniffing around for scoops, and one of our best came when we got wind of a big story surrounding SEAT’s re-entry into the small EV market. Things had been very quiet on the SEAT front through 2023, with sister brand Cupra stealing the headlines with its range of sporty, premium-feeling family cars. SEAT had been so silent that we were all but convinced the firm was set to throw in the towel. But then-new UK boss Marcus Gossen let slip that he had “exciting news coming for SEAT,” which was set to sell cars at least until the end of…

NEWS NEW FRONTERA ARRIVES ISSUE 1,826 ANOTHER reborn nameplate was introduced, this time in April, taking the form of a new Vauxhall Frontera. As we reported in our Top Story, the new car might not share anything obvious beyond a name with the previous body-on-frame 4x4, but there’s actually rather more of a connection between the two than meets the eye. You see, back in the eighties and nineties, Vauxhall’s then owner, General Motors, was happy to sell different models from different markets when fitted with an appropriate badge. As a result, the Vauxhall Frontera’s Japanese origins made it an ideal, tough off-roading model for the time. The difference now is that rather than a simple re-badge, this new Frontera has been built on the bare bones of the Smart…

AWARDS CAR OF THE YEAR WINNERS REVEALED ISSUE 1,838 OUR 2024 New Car Awards saw us pitting the very best models in each segment against each other once again. From pintsized city cars to load-lugging pick-up trucks, each highly rated vehicle vied to take home a class title. The honour of being Auto Express Car of the Year for 2024 went to the all-new Citroen e-C3. Our judges were the first people to drive the car on UK roads, and were impressed by the ride, interior space and low running costs. The cherry on top was the starting price of less than £22,000, which is close to half that of last year’s overall winner, the Hyundai Kona Electric. Our reviewer said in their verdict: “There’s a distinct feeling of ‘perfect…

NEWS RENAULT 4 REINVENTED FOR EVAGE ISSUE 1,853 RENAULT grabbed the headlines again in October with the reveal of its all-new 4. Just as with the new R5, the brand showed that it wouldn’t be shy in drawing inspiration from one of the most iconic models of its past. The original 4 could reasonably be called a compact crossover of its day – a rugged hatchback that majored on simplicity and toughness to appeal to the masses. The design similarities were very clear for deputy editor Richard Ingram to see when he was given a preview of the new model. From the square grille and round headlights to the almost van-like side profile and large boot opening, it is easy to spot a resemblance between the new car and the…

HOW OUR GUIDE WORKS PERFORMANCE: This is the manufacturer’s claimed acceleration time for a car, and is measured from 0-60mph or 0-62mph (0-100km/h), in seconds. ECONOMY/EMISSIONS/RANGE: Combined WLTP economy in miles per gallon, emissions in grams per kilometre of CO2 and maximum claimed range for EVs. Figures are achieved in the latest WLTP tests, but will vary according to equipment and are unlikely to be representative of everyday efficiency. INSURANCE: Group rating as quoted by the Association of British Insurers. Warranty: Next to each manufacturer’s name is the basic warranty period in months and miles for the mechanicals, corrosion and paintwork. EVs and hybrids will have dedicated battery cover. LIST PRICE: This is the on-the-road figure and includes VAT, delivery to dealer, the first 12 months’ of emissions-based road tax,…

DRIVERS are missing out on new cars that should arrive in time for Christmas, because car companies can’t afford penalties for registering too many petrol models under the government’s ZEV Mandate. The revelation comes from Robert Forrester, chief executive of one of the UK’s leading car retailers, Vertu Motors PLC. “We have petrol cars in compounds which have been sold, but the keys can’t be handed over because manufacturers want to avoid fines at the end of the year,” he revealed. “There will be thousands of customers around the UK who can’t take delivery because cars are being held. It’s rationing by the back door.” It’s not clear which manufacturers might be delaying deliveries, but it’s true that some are doing better than others when it comes to meeting the…

GENESIS has announced subtle changes for its GV70 Electrified. These are specific to models in Korea for now, but we should see the new version arrive next year, priced from around £65,000 for the single, high-spec model. The exterior gets new front and rear bumpers, tweaked lighting and fresh wheels. A new free-standing infotainment and driver’s display screen are fitted into a 27-inch-wide unit that can be controlled by touch or a click-wheel on the centre console. The dash gains fresh air-con controls and ambient lighting, but UK-spec colour and trim options haven’t been finalised. The GV70 Electrified’s powertrain is so far unchanged, comprising a high-spec dualmotor layout combined with a 77.4kWh battery.…

WHEREVER you look these days, digital tech is encroaching on our lives. Online banking, fridges that order food when supplies are low, AI solutions that can magically erase a gurning tourist from an otherwise lovely holiday selfie… it’s endless. And while much of it is useful, some is genuinely baffling. As with most things, a fairly balanced approach is needed. Go all out on tech and it can seem heavy handed; ignore it altogether and you can be left behind. The same applies to cars. There are lots of new machines with clever electric powertrains that can cater for everyday motoring very well, but often come at the expense of thrills. However, there’s also the potential for a smarter, more subtle approach, which not only maintains the level of fun…

BMW’S M division has been fairly unpredictable lately. Occasionally it delivers something truly mind-blowing; take the M5 CS as a glorious recent example of what it does at its best. Yet at other times things don’t gel together quite as coherently as we’d hope for – and in the case of the M4 CS, unfortunately, it’s more of the latter. Let’s not get dramatic here; the CS is still a spectacular car in isolation. But there are a number of small details from where things begin to unravel, starting as soon as you step inside. We appreciate that seating positions are very much down to the taste of the individual, yet from a keen driver’s point of view, we wanted the seat fairly low and the steering wheel almost perpendicular…

McLAREN is becoming a Performance Car of the Year regular, with the Artura Spider following on from the 765LT that took on 2023’s best. There are high expectations, too, given that the Artura’s big brother claimed third spot 12 months ago, with us naming it ‘the very best supercar on sale’. The Spider has a slightly different remit. As the entry model, it’s designed to be easier to live with every day than the 765. It allows you to enjoy the elements even more, thanks to a roof that folds beneath the buttresses in only 11 seconds. A carbon-fibre tub means no compromise in terms of body rigidity compared with the coupé, and it weighs only 62kg more. With the added pleasure of open-top driving, the choice between coupé and…

TOYOTA’S Gazoo Racing department is still in its infancy when it comes to road cars, but it hasn’t taken it long to produce a truly enthralling selection of performance machinery. While the Supra and the GR86 have very opposing character traits, given that they’re both two-door coupés, it’s the third child that is the wildest. The GR Yaris was the first to emerge, and is the one that really helped the world stand up and take notice of Toyota’s skunkworks division. For 2024, it’s become wilder than before, because while the heavily chopped roof and cartoonishly wide arches remain, the front grille has been given even more purpose, with a wider opening to improve cooling. It’s pricier than before, too – unsurprising given how quickly the old model sold out.…

What happened in 2024? 1. What car was named Car of the Year 2024 by Auto Express? a. Fiat 600 b. Citroen e-C3 c. Hyundai Santa Fe 2. Which UK supermarket chain announced in February that it was rolling out its own rapid charging network? a. Morrisons b. Waitrose c. Sainsbury’s 3. In April, Alfa Romeo had to change the name of its Junior electric SUV on the day of its launch. What did it change the name from? a. Milano b. Giulietta c. Alfetta 4. Which American EV start-up went bust in June, months after launching its first model? a. Fisker b. Rivian c. Lucid 5. Chinese brand Omoda confirmed in August that it plans to launch a premium sister brand in the UK. What will it be called?…

NEWS RENAULT FINALLY ENDS WAIT FOR R5 ISSUE 1,820 THE Renault 5 was arguably the biggest car reveal of 2024, and even as we write this, excitement continues to swell after we finally had a taste of an early production car on UK roads (page 26). Don’t expect the hysteria to dwindle next year either, when we start to see the first models trickle through to showrooms and onto school runs up and down the country. There were few surprises when the covers came off back in February, with the reborn 5 staying true to its concept-car roots and bold colour choices, which is no bad thing in a world filled with black and grey crossovers. Retro in all the right ways – despite designer Gilles Vidal insisting his team…

ROAD TEST MG3 Hybrid+beats Suzuki Swift hatch ISSUE 1,831 THE previous MG3 was a cheap and not-so cheerful offering, while the Suzuki Swift had long been one of our favourite budget superminis – so you'd have thought a battle between the latest versions of the two go the way of the Japanese model. But MG has been on a roll lately with its EVs – the MG4 in particular – and the company's new MG3 proved it could storm the hybrid supermini sector too. Combining class-leading performance, refinement and an eye-catching price tag, it beat the Swift convincingly. DRIVEN Skoda Octavia gets better with age ISSUE 1,832 MAY saw us get reacquainted with our 2020 Car of the Year, the Skoda Octavia. With a new look for 2024, plus more…

NEWS SCOOP PREVIEW OF NEXT PEUGEOT 208 ISSUE 1,844 ONE of our most attention-grabbing stories of 2024 was an exclusive scoop on the next-generation Peugeot 208, with the inside track on the new supermini that’s ready to break some rules when it arrives in 2026. As our exclusive images show, the latest Peugeot 3008 and 5008 SUVs are likely to influence the 208's design, sharing their graduated grille pattern, sharp headlights with the brand’s signature three-claw light motif, and unconventional wheel designs. The rear will have some angular surfacing, and a black strip joining the tail-lights with bold ‘Peugeot’ lettering across it, as is fashionable these days. The sister car to the Vauxhall Corsa is sure to be flamboyant, but that was a given. However, the biggest changes will come…

NEWS “THERE'S A CHANCE THAT BMW'S STRAIGHT-SIX PETROL ENGINE WILL ALSO MAKE A RETURN” NEW BMW 3 SERIES SCOOP ISSUE 1,858 AUTO Express peered into its crystal ball in Issue 1,858, with exclusive images revealing how the next-generation BMW 3 Series could look when it arrives in 2026. Our renderings were based on spy pictures of disguised prototypes, and while details of the new cars remained covered, it was clear that the front-end design of 2022’s Neue Klasse concept was on its way to production. Our images showed this, while the high-level rear light bar matched the location of the tail-lights on the spy shots. As with the larger 5 Series, the next 3 Series will be offered with electric power or combustion engines with varying degrees of hybrid assistance.…

ONE of the UK’s few electric estate cars will disappear from sale next year following the decision not to replace the MG5. The brand said it has enough stock to see it into early 2025, but newer models have made the 5 surplus to requirements. “At the moment there are no plans to directly replace the MG5,” MG head of product and planning David Allison said. “As soon as the MG4 came out, it killed the MG5. At the time we felt an electric estate was what people wanted, but a good-value EV [the MG4] trumps everything.” Between the MG4 and the replacement for the ZS EV, based on the ES 5, the brand is confident it has sufficient options for buyers. A second new electric SUV, known in existing…

WE have certain assumptions about the way that a modern Aston Martin should drive. Graceful styling implies there should be a bit of refinement and class, but those smart suits are draped over muscular shapes which offer a subtle hint that the car might just be ready for a bit of a fist fight, too. While some recent Astons haven’t quite lived up to our (very high) expectations, it takes little time spent with the new Vantage to confirm that it really hits the spot. It’s absolutely stunning, and the good news is that the drive matches up to the looks. We think the Vantage looks best from the rear quarter angle, but what’s clear is that it’s even better in the metal than it is in photos. The Aston…

THERE are certain assumptions that you’ll make when you hop into the Ford Mustang Dark Horse. As the most raucous version of Ford’s iconic muscle car, power, noise and drama are all high up on the wish list. And looking at the stats, there’s plenty to suggest that it will deliver on all of those fronts. At a time when many manufacturers are downsizing engines and adding turbos, hybrid assistance (or both) to make up the difference, Ford has stuck to its guns with a big-capacity V8. The 5.0-litre Coyote engine makes 447bhp and 540Nm of torque. Thanks to its deep front bumper and big bonnet vent, the styling fully ticks the muscle-car boxes, too. What might come as a surprise from a Mustang is the feeling of sophistication –…

ALL of these cars are so superb that we had to seriously nit-pick to split them. In the end, the Mustang had the biggest issue: that automatic gearbox. Had it been equipped with a six-speed manual, it could have performed better here, but the remaining ingredients, although impressive, didn’t quite reach the highs of the other cars’. Given that Morgan’s entire employee roster will be outnumbered by the social media teams of most other brands’ in this list, the fact that the Plus Four finished anywhere other than a distant last is a phenomenal result. Ultimate feel and feedback robbed it of a higher finish, but it’s one of the leaders here when it comes to character. Feel and feedback pegged the BMW M4 CS back to seventh place, too.…

“THE RALLY SUSPENSION WAS SO SOPHISTICATED THAT THE LANDING WAS UNREMARKABLE. I'VE BEEN JOSTLED MORE AT HEATHROW” FLYING HIGH WITH DACIA IN DESERT ISSUE 1,842 BEFORE May of this year, I could honestly say that I’d never been airborne in a car at more than 110mph. Certainly not on dirt. But that all changed when I had the privilege of joining Dacia in the south of France during a test session for the Sandrider: its new challenger for the gruelling Dakar Rally. The all-black testing livery lent the Sandrider the vibe of Batman’s rally car, but I was strapped into the passenger seat beside someone much more exciting to me than Gotham’s grumpy antihero. My driver was Cristina Gutiérrez, Extreme E racer and the 2024 T3 class winner at the…

NEWS REVISED A3 HERALDS AUDI CAR BLITZ ISSUE 1,822 BACK in March, Audi showed off its revamped A3 hatchback and saloon, plus their hot S3 variants. The refresh aimed to address criticisms of the Mk4 model, with changes including higher-quality interior materials and a touch more glamour with new LED lighting plus a cleaner, more expressive exterior design. But even then we knew this was just the start of some big moves from Audi, thanks to a major model blitz due from 2024 onwards. There are generally two branches of Audi’s range-wide revolution, and our reporting laid down the groundwork of how this would look over the forthcoming 24 months. The first would be electric, starting with two all-new Q6 and A6 e-tron models. These are based on a brand-new…

NEWS NEW 1 SERIES NO LONGER SEES EYE TO i ISSUE 1,834 BMW has been using ‘i’ to designate its petrol models for so long that when the fresh 1 Series dropped it earlier this year, we were a bit taken aback. That’s before we got around to the rest of the car, which has changed so much over its predecessor that BMW even gave it a new model codename (F70 replacing the old F40), despite it using the same platform as before. Styling cues on modern BMWs are a contentious and divisive topic. The new 1 Series features a slightly tweaked rear and a ‘1’ emblem on the rear pillar, but the big changes are at the front with the new grille. It's possible to make the kidney grille…

NEWS A NEW-LOOK MAG – BUT STILL THE SAME VALUES ISSUE 1,847 SEPTEMBER is always a huge month for the car industry. Whether it’s all-new model reveals, events granting the motoring press the chance to try out the latest metal on the road for the first time, or even the new reg plate for UK buyers, there’s an awful lot to take in. But September 2024 was even more significant than usual for Auto Express, because we launched one of the most significant rebrands of our 36-year history. Much like all of the best facelifts in the automotive world – the sorts that we bring you before anyone else – we hope you’ll agree that our new layout has taken little time in making our previous style seem a touch…

“DRIVING SOMETHING SO SMOOTH HAS MADE ME APPRECIATE THE BMW MORE" PEUGEOT E-2008 RICHARD INGRAM DEPUTY EDITOR ISSUE 1,848 WE’RE pretty lucky in that we get access to all kinds of cars for Auto Express. From superminis to supercars, and everything in between, there really aren’t many new models I’ve not driven. Yet I realised recently that all you really need is something functional from Monday to Friday, matched with something fun for the weekend. I attempted to surmise this point back in September by pulling together our long-term Peugeot E-2008 alongside my classic BMW; driving something so smooth and effortless most of the time has made me appreciate my seventies saloon more than ever. These days, almost every car we test for Auto Express has an electric powertrain or,…

CHRISTMAS is the time of year for ‘more’. More gifts, more food, more celebrations – and more miles to cover. In which case, you’ll need a car with a big boot. And by buying a model with a cavernous luggage capacity, you’ll be fine carrying all those extra mince pies, sausage rolls and pigs in blankets. Not that long ago, estate cars ruled the roost when it came to offering buyers the most spacious boots, but in recent years SUVs and even the odd MPV have muscled in on the load-lugging action. Then there is the new breed of EVs which, thanks to the packaging advantages of batteries and electric motors, can often squeeze in more stuff than similarly sized ICE machines. Of course, there’s more to hauling hefty loads…