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‘It’s London’s automotive equivalent of an all-inclusive resort in Barbados’

Issue 6455 | Volume 307 | No 13

NEWS

Lamborghini New supercar starts firm’s ‘reinvention’ 4 Peugeot 308 Full details of the al l -new family hatch 8 Toyota Aygo Reborn for 2022 as plucky crossover 10 BMW ‘New Class’ Next era – 2025 to 2050 – la id out 12 Volvo’s sales plan EVs sold online only, subscriptions 14 Company cars I s their end nigh because of Covid-19? 16

TESTED

Kia Stinger GT S 361bhp fastback flagship updated 20 Land Rover Defender 90 D250 Six-pot diesel 4x4 23 Jaguar XF Sportbrake Plush wagon raises i ts game 25 Lexus UX 300e Brand’s f i rst ful l EV. Worth the wait? 27 Mercedes-AMG GLB 35 Seven-seat SUV in a hurry 27 Ford Puma ST ROAD TEST 28

FEATURES ID 4 vs Mustang Mach-E vs Polestar 2 EV shootout 38 Project car guide First part of our used car special 46 20 used car heroes Star buys from the noughties 48 Duke of London Used car venue with pizzeria, gym… 52 Used Audi TT We spend a month with a 1999 coupé 56 F1 preview Insights from BBC’s Palmer and Nicholls 61

OUR CARS DS 3 Crossback We begin Netflix-style car use tria l 70 Volkswagen Golf I t ’s the 911 of family hatchbacks 71 Seat Leon Basic 1.0 TSI replaced by plusher 1.5 TSI 73

EVERY WEEK Jesse Crosse How to make tyres 100% sustainable 15 Jim Holder Cazoo: the next big thing or overrated? 17 Steve Cropley Why the GR Yaris i s l ike an Alfasud 19 Subscribe Save money and get exclusive benefits 36 Damien Smith In the booth with Murray Walker 58 Motorsport round-up F1 tests, BTCC, WEC, Brundle 59 Your Views Jaguar Land Rover sparks hot debate 68 Matt Prior Zen and the art of PCP maintenance 90

DEALS

James Ruppert Series Land Rovers in the spotlight 74 As good as new Bag a Citroën C5 Aircross from £16k 77 Spied in the classifieds Five £5k urbane urbanites 78 Used buying guide Porsche’s 2004-2012 Boxster 80 New cars A-Z Key car stats , from Abarth to Zenos 82 Road test index Track down that road test here 89

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THIS WEEK

HOW TOYOTA HAS REINVENTED THE AYGO 10

LATE, GREAT MURRAY WALKER REMEMBERED 58

FORD’S HOT PUMA ST: EIGHT PAGE ROAD TEST 28

❝WALKER WAS FURIOUS. HE BANGED THE DESK IN A TEMPER AND HUFFED AND PUFFED❞

COVER STORY

MURRAY SAW RED ON HIS 2007 F1 RETURN AND DAMIEN SMITH WITNESSED IT ALL 58

MITH WITNESSED IT ALL 58

BEST USED CARS

12 PAGE SPECIAL 46

COMMENT

EV GRANT CHANGES: BAD MOVE, BADLY HANDLED

THE GOVERNMENT’S sudden, unexpected move to cut the grant towards the purchase of an electric car by £500 to £2500, and to lower the maximum purchase price from £50,000 to £35,000, makes clear that financial incentives to encourage people to go electric are an endangered species. While you can see some logic in reducing the maximum purchase price to ensure the scheme targets more affordable cars, cutting the amount of the grant at the same time discounts any notion of this move being an act of generosity.

Electric cars are more expensive to buy, and anyone keen to make the switch may rightly baulk at the extra cost without assistance from the government to get them over the line. Of concern in the announcement, too, is the absence of consultation with or warning to car makers by the government. The first any of them heard about it was a story in The Times last Thursday, which went live the very second the grant was removed.

Someone in the government had been willing to share the news in advance – just not with those who would have to explain it to customers when the phones started ringing asking why their purchase, perhaps even one to be registered that day, had suddenly got a whole lot more expensive. Carrot, meet stick.

Mark Tisshaw Editor mark.tisshaw@haymarket.com

@mtisshaw

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24 MARCH 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 3