57
‘After being in it for two minutes, I jumped it further than
I’ve jumped any other car’
THIS WEEK
Issue 6473 | Volume 309 | No 5
NEWS
Mercedes-Benz EQG Defender rival turns EV in 2024 6 Merc’s 2030 EV aim How i t plans to go al l -electric 9 Mercedes-Benz EQXX Futuristic, tech-rich coupé 10 Munich motor show preview The cars to look out for 11 McLaren 765 LT Spider Focused 754bhp drop-top 13 UK’s switch to EVs Government plans ZEV mandate 14 Stellantis used car shake-up Approved used rethink 16
TESTED
Mercedes-Benz EQS ‘Peerlessly refined’ EV limo 22 Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT Worthy of that GT tag? 27 Hyundai Tucson Plug-In Hybrid More plug than play 28 Ford Puma ST Mountune 260 Tuner cranks i t up 29 MG 5 Long Range Exclusive 250-mile EV estate 29 Nissan Qashqai 1.3 DIG-T 158 Tekna ROAD TEST 30
FEATURES Golf GTI CS vs 128ti vs Civic Type R Hot hatch fight 38 1950s Bentley racer Le Mans fantasy car made real 46 Win some, ULEZ some Used car bargains for city l i fe 48 World’s most beautiful cars Top 100 l i st , updated 52 Defender rally series We drive the new Bowler 4x4 57
OUR CARS Mini Convertible New arrival has been causing a stir 62 Ford Tourneo Custom Load hauler turns long hauler 63 Skoda Octavia vRS iV Stand-in role for PHEV estate 65
EVERY WEEK Jesse Crosse Mighty AMG 2.0-litre turbo dissected 15 Jim Holder Will classic cars survive in an EV world? 17 Steve Cropley Who needs B&B when you’ve a Lambo 19 Subscribe Save money and get exclusive benefits 26 Damien Smith Max vs Lewis; Chadwick interview 54 Motorsport round-up Formula 1 , WRC, F2 and WEC 55 Your Views Volvo loses a customer; warm-start EVs 60 Matt Prior Are electromods a good or bad idea? 82
DEALS
James Ruppert Cool open-top GTs for your day off 66 As good as new Low-miles BMW 1 Series from £20k 69 Spied in the classifieds Five ace coupés: £2k-£22k 70 Used buying guide £500 buys f inest (E46) 3 Series 72 New cars A-Z Key car stats , from Abarth to Zenos 74 Road test index Track down that road test here 81
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CAN A GOLF GTI OR 128ti BEAT THE CHAMP? 38
FULL ROAD TEST OF NISSAN’S NEW QASHQAI 30
A STAR IS BORN: MERCEDES EQS, FIRST DRIVE 22
COVER STORY
❝EVs ARE BETTER THAN THEIR SMELLY, NOISY, VIBRATING COMBUSTION ENGINE COUNTERPARTS❞
DfT ENVIRONMENT BOSS ANNOUNCES PLAN FOR ZEROEMISSION VEHICLE MANDATE 14
IMAGE
HOW MERC’S GCLASS WILL BE REBORN AS EV 6
COMMENT
THE RETURN OF MOTOR SHOWS REALLY MATTERS
PRE-PANDEMIC, dwindling manufacturer attendances at major international motor shows were bringing ever fewer new cars to admire. Post-pandemic, budgets are tighter than ever for car firms, and a crowded indoor space is not a great sell to win wider public appeal. So what future for the humble motor show? Motor shows don’t just pull in the cars but also the executives, engineers and designers who’ve made them. The continued relevance of shows is in their ability to bring all these industry decision makers together in one place, and for us to hear from them and tell you their stories.
Shows are where trends are set, understood and followed, where confidence in a company can be won or lost, where car makers can be spied on rival stands with tape measures in hand, and where truly memorable news events can happen.
It’s now almost two years since Europe’s last motor show but, finally, one is set for September: the Munich motor show (p11). It was confirmed last week the Paris show will also return in autumn 2022, Munich and Paris being split by the welcome return of Europe’s largest show in Geneva in March. While Munich will not be large, it will still be something and - we hope - signal the return for the motor show’s comeback proper.
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EXCLUSIVE: TRANSPORT MINISTER ON THE 2030 EV SWITCH AND CLASSIC CARS
Mark Tisshaw Editor mark.tisshaw@haymarket.com
@mtisshaw
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