38
‘He was an idiot who didn’t know why it wouldn’t work and created it anyway’
THIS WEEK
Issue 6548 | Volume 315 | No 2
NEWS
Volvo EX30 Entry-level EV created for Gen Z buyers 4 BMW M’s electric plans EV sports car starts testing 6 VW off-roader Electric seven-seat 4x4 with Ford link 8 Lexus reboot How it plans to finally conquer Europe 10 Pothole pain Why it’s likely to get even worse now 12 Wells Vertige Deliveries of £50k sports car this year 14 Future for Audi RS cars Audi Sport boss on hot EVs 16
TESTED
Audi Q8 E-tron New name, facelift and longer legs 22 Audi SQ8 E-tron Updated rapid SUV is new E-tron S 23 Shelby Daytona Cobra Officially sanctioned remake 24 BMW Alpina D4 S Gran Coupé 350bhp diesel magic 27 Maserati Granturismo Folgore New GT in EV guise 28 BMW 220d Coupé Two-door with a 700-mile range 29 Bentley Bentayga EWB Longer, smarter and better 29 Mercedes-Benz EQE 350+ ROAD TEST 30
FEATURES French suspense thriller Citroën C5 X, 1970 DS, XM 38 Citroën museum Amazing – and now open to public 44 New cars 2023 Vital info on 130 crucial newcomers 47 Life with a V12 Audi Q7 6.0-litre SUV reappraised 58
OUR CARS Peugeot 308 SW New PHEV estate sets out its stall 66 BMW iX Repaired and better than the M60 version 67 Kia Sportage Two long-haul drives and a track visit 68 Skoda Fabia Endangered species engenders praise 69
EVERY WEEK Jesse Crosse What else can e-motors do for cars? 13 Jim Holder Yearly analysis of who sold what and why 15 Matt Prior First Maserati EV sparks wider questions 17 Steve Cropley Chris Harris reunion; Duster’s ice test 19 Damien Smith Dakar Rally is still an epic adventure 20 Subscribe Save money and get exclusive benefits 26 Your Views Euro 7; ID Buzz delays; hovercraft fright 62 On this day Train strike causes traffic jams – in 1955 65 Slideshow Cars that battled away to become stars 82
DEALS
As good as new Bag a Porsche Panamera for less 70 James Ruppert £1000 ULEZ-friendly hatchbacks 71 Cult hero Stand out with a Mazda RX-8, from £1500 72 New cars A-Z Key car stats, from Abarth to Zenvo 74 Road test index Track down that road test here 81
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TICKET TO RIDE: CITROEN’S LINEAGE ON TEST 38
AUDI Q8 E-TRON: FIRST DRIVE OF EV FLAGSHIP 22
MERCEDES-BENZ EQE: ROAD TEST VERDICT 30
C O V E R STORY
❝THIS LOOKS LESS LIKE A MERCEDES TO MY EYES AND MORE LIKE SOME GIGANTIC BOILED VEGETABLE❞
MATT SAUNDERS THINKS THE MERCEDES EQE LOOKS LIKE ONE OF HIS FIVE A DAY 30
COMMENT
INNOVATION IS ALIVE AND WELL AND LIVING IN 2023
DESPITE ONGOING supply problems in the car industry, there’s no less abundance of new cars coming in 2023, with 130 models due to land on our shores this year (p47). There’s no standout reveal – think the Defender hype in 2020, as an example – but instead there are a number of seminal cars that are hugely important for their makers and beyond. None more so than the electric Spectre from Rolls-Royce, which has pipped its rivals to the post with a new-era flagship model that promises refinement and performance on a par with or beyond its combustion vehicles’.
Another Brit-built model, the new Mini hatch, has much resting on it. As the market for small cars rapidly shrinks, Mini – albeit in a premium position – has shown its commitment to combustion engines (alongside electric) with this car and will need to sell big quantities globally to justify it.
Ferrari’s eagerly awaited Purosangue also arrives. The Italian brand will be determined to prove its SUV can be every bit as appealing as its sports cars. The industry arguably faces more challenges than at any time in its history, but this year’s new cars prove there’s as much drive to innovate and excite as there ever was. Wishing you a happy, healthy 2023.
IMAGE
Rachel Burgess Magazine editor rachel.burgess@haymarket.com
@theburgeword
WHY THE EX30 IS A NEW KIND OF VOLVO 4
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