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‘Now the UK has fully opened up, I can drive my C63 Coupé properly’

THIS WEEK

Issue 6474 | Volume 309 | No 6

NEWS

BMW 5 Series New generation topped by PHEV M5 8 Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid Limited-run launch car 12 Kia Niro Dramatic new look; sti l l hybrid, plug-in, EV 14 EV charging network Watchdog’s plan to improve it 16 Myenergi success secrets Eco passion fuels growth 18

TESTED

Lamborghini Huracán STO Most exciting version yet 22 Subaru Outback Characterful alternative to an SUV 26 Porsche Boxster 25 Years A GTS 4 .0 with fa i ry dust 27 Nissan Qashqai Mild-hybrid 4WD £38k version rated 27 Mazda 6 Kuro Edition Shot in the arm for ageing 4dr 29 Volkswagen ID 3 Pro S Tour I s the f lagship the best? 29 Maserati Quattroporte Trofeo ROAD TEST 30

FEATURES 1885bhp estate shootout Audi vs Porsche vs AMG 40 Neighbourhood watch So what do the locals drive? 46 Porsche 911 Carrera A 911 hits the A911 (and B992) 50 The switch to E10 fuel What i t wil l mean for your car 56 Ford Puma Rally1 New hybrid WRC car: inside story 63

OUR CARS Suzuki Across Final verdict after 10,000-mile test 68 Volkswagen Golf GTI arrives . Entry-level car leaves 71

EVERY WEEK Jesse Crosse Tech behind next-gen Volvo batteries 17 Jim Holder Why more EVs won’t result in power cuts 19 Steve Cropley Who i s 80 and has a 600bhp Focus? 21 Subscribe Save money and get exclusive benefits 38 Damien Smith Drag racing at Santa Pod; Le Mans 60 Motorsport round-up Formula E , F 1 , WRX, F2 , DTM 61 Your Views V8 diehard embraces EVs; Lotus Emira 66 Matt Prior Why i t ’s unwise to stick to what you know 90

DEALS

James Ruppert What to buy on a budget of £7000 72 As good as new Snare a Volkswagen T-Cross for less 75 Spied in the classifieds £15k i3 , £25k Corvette 6. 2 76 Used buying guide Rover 75, yours from just £500 78 New cars A-Z Key car stats , from Abarth to Zenos 80 Road test index Track down that road test here 89

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SUPER WAGON BRAWL: RS6, E63, PANAMERA 40

MASERATI QUATTROPORTE TROFEO ROAD TEST 30

FIRST DRIVE: HARDCORE LAMBO HURACAN STO 22

❝IF EVERYONE MADE THE SWITCH TO AN EV TOMORROW, THE NATIONAL GRID WOULD STILL COPE❞

JIM HOLDER GOES IN SEARCH OF THE FACTS ABOUT HOW THE UK WILL FUEL ITS EVs 19

COVER STORY

IMAGE

NEW BMW 5 SERIES: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW 8

COMMENT

LOWERCOST MOTORING IS GETTING TOUGHER

LOWER-INCOME motorists are in danger of being priced off the road. The city car has effectively been killed off, as manufacturers are unable to make lower-emissions technology affordable while keeping cars profitable. Thus the gateway into the new car market has been removed, pushing some buyers into used cars that are typically more polluting anyway. More recently, fuel prices have risen dramatically, so much so that the AA said last month they’re at an eight-year high. Fuel from the green pump will be E10 rated (p56), which is incompatible with many older engines. If that 20-year-old Corsa is all you can afford, the only way to keep it going is with more expensive, higher-octane fuel. There’s much fanfare around the new car market’s switch to EVs from 2030, but the used car market seems largely forgotten. A low-priced used car is the only transport option for some and, after the pandemic, the stock of having your own transport has never been higher. Every car owner is a voter and the issue of affordable motoring is the kind of thing you can see an election being fought on later this decade.

And if you’ve already made the switch to electric, new or used? There are worrying signs of charging costs being inflated at major motorway services (p16) just as petrol and diesel prices always have been. Plus ça change. Mark Tisshaw Editor mark.tisshaw@haymarket.com

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