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‘Life is miserable enough without feeling guilty about Fido’s methane output’
THIS WEEK
Issue 6480 | Volume 309 | No 12
NEWS
Volkswagen ID Life Template for £17k ID 2 due 2025 4 Hyundai Nexo New FCEV to start ‘mainstream’ push 8 Mini Urbanaut The bold concept they want to build 10 Subaru WRX Next-gen sports saloon ups the ante 12 Fering FP1 4x4 that makes a Defender look a wimp 14 1000 careful owners New way to ‘buy’ a classic car 16
TESTED
Peugeot 308 Plug-in r ival to Golf eHybrid rated 20 Dacia Duster New engine and auto for updated SUV 24 Audi SQ2 Performance crossover gets makeover 25 Bentley Conti GT Speed Convertible Fast, focused 25 Genesis GV80 3.0D Luxury 5-Seater ROAD TEST 26
FEATURES Hyundai Ioniq 5 vs Skoda Enyaq iV Family EV duel 36 GTO California Spyder Revival Original improved? 44 Endangered list Car types now dying out (or dead) 48 Porsche Mission R EV race series for ‘next Cayman’ 57
OUR CARS Audi Q4 E-tron First impressions of new EV arrival 62 Porsche 718 Boxster Is it grinding our gears? 63 Volkswagen Golf GTI No need to plot a direct route 65
EVERY WEEK Jesse Crosse I s this the next big thing for batteries? 15 Jim Holder Why Renault Group fears fast EV switch 17 Steve Cropley Boxster, A110, Dyson and a puncture 19 Subscribe Save money and get exclusive benefits 34 Damien Smith The DIY hillclimb that’s become a hit 54 Motorsport round-up F 1 , W Series, DTM, F3, ral ly ing 55 Your Views Happy interiors; cyclists; range anxiety 60 Matt Prior Safety f i rst – or value f i rst? Ask Dacia 82
DEALS
James Ruppert Cunning alternative to price guides 66 As good as new How to get a Skoda Kodiaq for less 69 Spied in the classifieds Five hot drop-tops from £5k 70 Used buying guide Inside l ine on a Nissan Patrol GR 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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HYUNDAI IONIQ 5 TAKES ON SKODA ENYAQ iV 36
MOTORSPORT DEBUT FOR ELECTRIC ‘CAYMAN’ 57
GENESIS GV80: FULL ROAD TEST VERDICT 26
COVER STORY
❝THE CHEAPEST CAR IN THE ID LINE UP WILL BE ALMOST AS POWERFUL AS TODAY’S GOLF GTI❞
THIS AND MANY MORE FACTS AND INSIGHTS ABOUT THE ID 2 FROM JAMES ATTWOOD 6
VW PREVIEWS EV MINI RIVAL AT MUNICH 4
COMMENT
SEAT DOUBTS LINGER DESPITE ITS SUCCESS
‘How do you fix Seat?’ was a long-asked question about bringing both success and a real identity to the brand. Now, “Seat has never been as strong” as it is currently, according to boss Wayne Griffi ths, who notes that in the past five years, it has been the fastestgrowing brand in Europe, with success not just in home market Spain but also in tougher-nuts-to-crack Germany and the UK.
Seat’s switch from last-chance saloon to the VIP area at the bar has been a remarkable one, and there’s now more success with the coming of age of the young, cool and truly something different Cupra brand, which Seat spun off three years ago. The Cupra Formentor is excellent and there are some incredibly exciting models waiting in the wings, with the Tavascan, the Born and now the Urban Rebel (page 11). Indeed, it’s hard to think of a brand with a more tantalising future line-up.
So great is the momentum behind Cupra, which still largely shares showroom space with Seat, that there is a palpable risk Cupra could end up eating Seat’s own lunch. Griffi ths insists, with great believability, that isn’t and won’t be the case, because of the staunch differences between the brands and their buyers, but the questions hanging over Seat are ones that it can never seemingly fully shake off.
Mark Tisshaw Editor mark.tisshaw@haymarket.com
@mtisshaw
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15 SEPTEMBER 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 3