40
‘ The f ire engine crew closed part of the lane and told me I must abandon i t. I refused and instead called out the AA’
Issue 6610 | Volume 320 | No 1
NEWS
Porsche Taycan Turbo GT 1093bhp super-saloon EV 4 Porsche 911 Sweeping changes include a new hybrid 6 Mercedes-AMG E53 As hot as the previous V8 E63 8 Range Rover Velar Estate-style new look revealed 10 Rivian R2 and R3 EV crossovers are Europe-bound 12 Audi A3 Crucial revamp, plus details of punchier S3 14 Car finance compensation DCA may be the new PPI 16
TESTED
Porsche Panamera Mk3 in entry and Turbo guises 22 Alfa Giulia Quadrifoglio Lovable hot 4dr updated 26 Alfa Stelvio Quadrifoglio 513bhp SUV updated too 27 KGM Torres Rebranded Ssangyong’s five-seat SUV 28 BMW iX1 eDrive20 Cheapest electric BMW on sale 30 Mini Countryman C Range-starting version of SUV 31 Toyota Yaris Beefier hybrid set-up, cabin upgrades 32 BMW 530e PHEV with 63-mile range and 295bhp 33 Mercedes-Benz EQA Extra polish for EV crossover 33 Volkswagen ID 7 Pro Match ROAD TEST 46
FEATURES Sahara by Skoda EV Sand dunes vs range anxiety 34 Microcars Meet a small-car fan with a big ambition 40 Renault Zoe Steve Cropley bids EV pioneer farewell 42
OUR CARS BMW X5 Five days, 1361 business miles, one verdict 54 Smart #1 Now for something completely different 56 Toyota Corolla Commercial A moving experience 57
EVERY WEEK Jesse Crosse Why EV tyre makers are turning to AI 13 Secret Source Don’t cheat the residual value gurus 15 Matt Prior The march of the touchscreen ends here 17 Subscribe Save money and get exclusive benefits 18 Steve Cropley Jim Clark video you just have to see 19 Damien Smith Porsche’s WEC win; WRC needs a fix 21 Your Views Geneva show; EV subsidies; kei cars 58 From the archive 1990s EV “worst Fiat in decades” 65 Slideshow Weird engines that slipped your mind 74
DEALS
Second Chance Alfa Romeo GT: four-seat coupé 60 James Ruppert Characterful drop-tops from £1k 63 Road test index Track down that road test here 67 New cars A-Z Key car stats, from Abarth to Zenvo 68
Autocar (ISSN 1355-8293 USPS 25-185) is published weekly by Haymarket Media Group, Bridge House, 69 London Road, Twickenham TW1 3SP, United Kingdom. The US annual subscription price is $190.00. Air freight and mailing in the USA by agent named World Container Inc, 150-15, 183rd Street, Jamaica, NY 11413, USA. Periodicals postage paid at Brooklyn, NY 11256. US postmaster: Send address changes
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THIS WEEK
ALL-NEW PORSCHE PANAMERA DRIVEN 22
VOLKSWAGEN ID 7: FULL ROAD TEST 46
SKODA ENYAQ TAKES ON THE SAHARA 34
C O V E R STORY
❝ THE VOLVO EX30 COULD STILL QUALIFY FOR FIVE EURO NCAP STARS. I WANTED TO BURN IT❞
MATT PRIOR SAYS IT’S TIME MAKERS GAVE US BACK PROPER, SAFE CABIN CONTROLS 17
COMMENT
THE GOVERNMENT MUST SUPPORT THE EV MARKET
IT WASN’T REALLY a surprise that the budget contained no meaningful policies for motorists – beyond the inevitable continued freeze on fuel duty. No grants, incentives or tax breaks for EV buyers. No VAT cut on electricit y from public charging points. No further investment in the public charging infrastructure. What was more surprising was the response from Vauxhall and Fiat UK, both of which were strongly critical of the failure to stimulate a struggling EV market – despite the introduction of the zero-emission vehicle mandate. Fiat UK boss Damien Dally suggested the country was “sleepwalk ing into an EV crisis” and “the switch to electric isn’t a priority for the government”. Harsh, but fair. It’s clear the government has decided pushing the EV transition isn’t going to help it win the upcoming election. And in its failure to support EVs, it is allowing anti-EV sentiment to fester. To be clear, Autocar supports giving car buyers choice, and the government shouldn’t blindly push EVs to the detriment of other tech. But with the ZEV mandate in place, the government is still forcing the direction. So it really should help promote the benefits. James Attwood Acting mag editor james.attwood@haymarket.com
@atters_ j Rachel Burgess is away
PORSCHE TAYCAN PUMPED TO 1093BHP 4
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