Table of contents for July 30, 2025 in Autocar

THE MUNICH MOTOR show in September will host a raft of debuts from Polestar, Renault, Skoda, Volkswagen and others. As well as the launches of the new BMW iX3 and electric Mercedes GLC, a key focus will be on the much-anticipated new wave of small EVs. Following the success of the Renault 5 – which has so far this year achieved more than 30,000 sales in Europe – sub-£25,000 EVs are now expected to be the most fiercely contested segment as manufacturers battle to increase their EV sales. Making its debut at Munich, the long-awaited Volkswagen ID 2 (previewed by the pictured ID 2all concept) will be the first of the VW Group’s MEB Entry range of price-leading EVs, which also include the Cupra Raval, Skoda Epiq and raised Volkswagen…

Subaru has confirmed that its new high-riding electric estate will be called the E-Outback in the UK. It was revealed earlier this year in the US, where it will be badged Trailseeker, and is Subaru’s first EV developed in-house. It will be launched first in the US in early 2026, then play a key roll in the expansion of Subaru’s EV line-up in Europe, where it’s due later in that year. Based on the same platform as the Toyota-twinned Solterra and Uncharted, it uses a pair of motors for 375bhp and four-wheel drive, while a 74.7kWh battery gives it a 279-mile range. Pricing is likely to start above that of the £52,505 Solterra.…

ONE OF THE great things about the Goodwood Festival of Speed is that while the focus is on awesome cars from all levels and eras of road, track and rally stage, there’s a healthy presence of future technology on display too. Several manufacturers of both road cars and commercial vehicles are maintaining healthy hydrogen development programmes of both fuel cells and hydrogen combustion engines. Toyota has programmes for both ICE and fuel cells as part of its ‘multi-pathway’ route to carbon neutrality, with projects covering racing, rallying and light commercial vehicles. It’s also pursuing hydrogen storage methods, with both compressed gas and liquid hydrogen. Two projects appeared at Goodwood. The new GR010 Hybrid WEC car-based GR LH2 Racing Concept, unveiled at Le Mans in June, was on static display, with…

WRITE TO autocar@haymarket.com LOTS OF TROUBLE… It’s intriguing but not surprising that Lotus is in a mess (News, 9 July). Like Jaguar, both companies have gone full throttle for overpriced electric cars that the buying public in many countries have yet to be fully convinced by, being asked to pay more than £100k for oversized electric saloons (British buyers have long since moved away from saloons; how many S-Classes are sold these days?) and an enormous SUV too big for European roads. No one in their right mind believes that either the Lotus or Jaguar brands are worth £120k of someone’s hard-earned money for their run-of-the-mill offerings. Second, Lotus doesn’t have the first idea what customer service means. In my experience, minor repairs took months to be agreed under warranty…

European law makers are scrambling to protect the interests of their homegrown car makers, but the torrent of temptingly priced, technologically rapier-sharp Chinese EVs simply flows on. The latest insurgent is this, the MG IM5. It’s a saloon (well, a hatchback, technically) priced on a par with the Tesla Model 3 but promising the space of the Volkswagen ID 7 plus tech that you would more typically find on a Porsche Taycan – not least an 800V electrical architecture available on the more expensive derivatives. There is also, if you’d like, the small matter of 742bhp. We will get into the hardware in a moment, but before that, you’re possibly wondering what the ‘IM’ in the name is about. Those initials hold meaning, because they speak to the fact that…

“Chris was head of design at BMW and he came to lecture us at the RCA,” recalls Missoni. “It was during a very controversial period in his career. As students we were very critical, and we agreed we’d grill the guy. But something quite different happened: we walked away convinced that what he was doing was exactly how it should be done. There was a fascinating shift in our perception in this one meeting. Afterwards we asked ourselves: how did that happen?” Missoni says the Bangle controversy faded after a while, but from the encounter his student group learned important lessons: mainly that a good story and a thoroughly researched plan can move mountains. “You need a good foundation,” he says, “before you get into creating a shape.”…

MILEAGE 5827 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To see if a sub-£27,000 price tag really does give you all the car you’ll ever need If a recently married man tells people he’s going to be sleeping in his car that night, concern, it seems, is the immediate reaction. “No,” I tell them, “this is for fun.” Little do they know that our Dacia Duster is now fitted with a fold-out bed, a double(ish) mattress and a tent, all of which combine to create a set-up that is poised to turn even the most bougie of Glastonbury glampers a shade of jealous green. Am I about to experience the future of camping? Is this the camper van killer? We’re all about to find out with a night in a New Forest field.…

CITROEN E-C3 Mileage 2023 Last seen 16.7.25 The closest fast-ish public charger to my flat is in a Lidl car park just over a mile away, with a peak flow of 50kW. Although my ë-C3’s maximum charging rate is 100kW and I didn’t quite hit the charger’s advertised speed, it had still returned 18kWh a half-hour shop later. That’s equivalent to 75 miles of range at my current 3.4mpkWh efficiency, and should keep me going until the end of the week. JW VOLVO EX30 Mileage 702 Last seen 16.7.25 As noted, the tech and touchscreen are going to be a big talking point of living with an EX30. But otherwise the early driving impressions are really positive: it rides nicely on city streets and passengers have complemented its ability to…

BMW Z4 M COUPE 2008, 64,000 miles, £19,950 This bona fide modern classic is worthy of its hefty price. Its M3-derived 3.2-litre straight six makes 343bhp and 269lb ft for a sub-5.0sec sprint to 60mph, made even more engaging by a manual ’box. It’s said to be in good order with a solid history. HONDA CR-X Si 1989, 24,000 miles, £24,995 If you’re after the nimble, zippy feel of a Mk1 MR2 but can’t find one, this Honda is an excellent alternative. It has a criminally low mileage, a long MOT and a stack of receipts. It even has a stainless steel exhaust, so its 1.6-litre 16v four should really sing. PORSCHE 924 TURBO 1980, 99,500 miles, £13,500 This car may have done nearly 100k miles, but it was lovingly…

Subaru is considering a European return for the BRZ sports coupé in its third generation – and it could be electric. The brand hasn’t sold a performance car in Europe since the original BRZ bowed out in 2021, but Subaru Europe boss David Dello Stritto said “options are open” for new sporting models in the region, thanks to the flexibility of its EV platform. Subaru’s global EV product boss, Inoue Masahiko, also hinted that an electric version of the BRZ was “under consideration” and had been heavily looked at in the past with its long-term partner Toyota. Subaru teased the idea of an electric sports coupé with the chunky, high-riding Sport Mobility concept in 2023 (pictured).…

The values of some used diesel cars are actually increasing despite the fading appeal of the powertrain in the new car market, say leading vehicle valuation experts. In the first half of 2025, just 58,722 new diesels were registered, down 11.3% on 2024. This continues a decline that can be traced to 2017, amid the fallout from the Dieselgate scandal and concerns about future vehicle taxation and emissions penalties. Diesel’s days appear numbered. Only a few car makers still produce diesel models – among them Audi, BMW and JLR – and other types, such as petrol, hybrid and battery-electric vehicles, are experiencing rising demand. “Fuel economy is still a significant factor for high-mileage drivers” For most diesel models, this is reflected in increased rates of depreciation, but, bucking this trend,…

Europe could get its own bespoke GM model, European boss Pere Brugal told Autocar. The possibility is being considered given the different wants and expectations from buyers in different markets. Brugal said: “We craft cars that we don’t have in the US, but we have them in other markets. We have cars that are specific for the South America region, and we can have cars that are more of an Asia or China portfolio. “Not all of them are available in the US, and not everything which is available in the US is available for Chinese customers or European customers. “In the future, can it be that [we create a] car that is [just] for Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan or Korea? Maybe it can be.”…

INTERVIEW EXCLUSIVE: THE FAMILY BEHIND FORD Ford has been led by its founding family for 122 years. Two generations of Ford tell us about that unique story and how it works in today’s world ROAD TEST MORGAN SUPERSPORT Its maker hopes this Plus Six successor could be a 911 alternative. Is it? INSIGHT LET’S SPEND THE DAY CRASHING CARS Accident investigators crash cars to learn what NCAP tests can’t reveal EVERY WEEK USED GUIDE TOYOTA RAV4 How to nab this popular and reliable family SUV from just £13k LIVING WITH A… CUPRA LEON ESTATE We reveal how this elongated hot hatch fared as our daily driver…

Following simple 1+1=2 thinking, the BMW M3 CS Touring was inevitable. After all, there have been hardcore CS versions of the M3 saloon and the M4 coupé, so logic dictates that the same carbonfibre canards, gold wheels, added power and chassis tweaks would be applied to the M3 estate. Then again, exceptions like the kerb-hopping Volvo 850 BTCC car aside, track-ready estates have always been a rare thing, probably because the combination of extra weight and practicality seems incompatible with pure performance. Even Mercedes-AMG has always chosen coupés as the bases for its Black Series cars. But actually, I’d argue that an estate makes total sense here. No modern M3 or M4 is particularly light. The standard M3 saloon (which these days always comes with xDrive four-wheel drive in the…

We Brits like used cars. More than 7.6 million were sold last year, outstripping new ones by four to one. The top 10 sellers form a fail-safe selection that ticks most of the important boxes, notably those marked ‘value for money’ and ‘reasonable ownership costs’. A few of them have found their way into our 50 best used cars selection – but only a few. Used car buyers are a hard bunch to please, so we’ve thrown our net wider. See if there’s something in it that catches your eye. FORD MUSTANG 2015-2023 Used price range £15,000-£48,000 Good-value dose of Americana comes with a wallet-friendly 2.3T Ecoboost engine or, our choice, a full-fat 5.0-litre V8. Check interior, paintwork and parking dings. We found Ford Mustang 5.0 V8 GT Fastback, 2019/69,…

Missoni attributes part of his success at creating VW’s celebrated XL1 ‘one-litre car’ (the goal was for it to travel 100km on one litre of fuel) to the influence of certain low, long-wheelbase Citroën designs. One of those, the BX, was designed by an enduring design hero of his, Marcello Gandini, who also did the Lamborghini Countach. “He always looked for the pure essence of the thing before he added anything,” says Missoni. At the time, explains Missoni, the XL1 was such a niche job in an organisation as huge as VW that no one really saw it as a design opportunity. “I thought, of course, this car has the opportunity to communicate very low fuel consumption and an excellent range,” he says. “Those Citroëns had dealt very well with…

MILEAGE 5761 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To discover if Renault’s retro-infused EV hit is as good to live with as it is to look at If you’re lucky enough to have a Renault 5 at present, prepare for even more attention than you’re getting already. The government has decided to play into the willing hands of Europe’s car makers by subsidising the purchase costs of EVs just like mine, which seems to have upped the interest of onlookers and passers-by even more. Of all the cars you could drive to catch other folks’ eyes at present, Bentley or Lamborghini included, a Pop Yellow 5 creates the most interest. Maybe a passing Ferrari F40 would excite some people more, but the 5 attracts all classes. I’m becoming quite used to returning…

You only need to peruse the first-gen AMG A45’s specs to see why it lured so many hot hatch buyers away from segment leaders like the Audi RS3 and BMW M135i. This was Merc’s first crack at a mega-hatch – it was so potent that a new hot hatch classification was needed – and they came out swinging. With 355bhp and 332lb ft – giving a stunning 0-62mph time of 4.6sec – the A45’s engine was the most powerful turbocharged four-cylinder fitted to a production car at the time of its launch. And now, a decade later, you can have it on your driveway for as little as £10,000. We declared the A45 “the performance king of the class”. The four-pot delivered such beguiling grunt and mid-range torque that it…

According to reviewers of the early 1980s, the boot in the rear-mid-engined Mk1 Toyota MR2 was barely big enough for a couple of soft bags. So how come MR2 owner Sere Zhang has managed to install coffee-making facilities in hers? As I try to interview her about the car, we’re interrupted by people reaching into the boot for a disposable cup before asking for a coffee from the large, pump-action Thermos balanced on a box wedged in by 20kg of coffee beans. Sere is unfazed. After all, it’s why she’s at this car meet: to show off her MR2 and to promote her coffee business. But back to the car. As if Mk1 MR2s weren’t rare enough, this one is rarer still, first by looking to be in remarkably good…

BMW and Mercedes-Benz will go head to head with the new iX3 and GLC – a pair of radical electric SUVs that will kick-start crucial new eras for the two German marques. The pair are set to headline the Munich motor show in September. The event (see overleaf) is shaping up to be Europe’s biggest motor show since the Covid pandemic, with Volkswagen, Renault, Polestar and others also set to reveal crucial models. The significance of the new iX3 and GLC cannot be understated as both car makers attempt to gain a foothold in Europe’s most hotly contested new car segment in a bid to increase EV sales in the face of tightening emissions regulations. The two SUVs also mark major milestones for BMW and Mercedes. Both introduce advanced underpinnings…

Car makers that look set to be denied access to the UK government’s new Electric Car Grant (ECG), announced earlier this month, have launched their own equivalent discounts of up to £3750, matching the ECG’s maximum saving. Cars eligible for the ECG will be announced on 11 August, but Autocar understands only around two thirds of EVs costing less than the scheme’s £37,000 limit will be eligible. The models missing out are to be penalised for high emissions in their countries of manufacture, with brands and cars from China and South Korea – such as MG and Hyundai - among those most likely to be affected. Likely pre-empting that their models will be denied access to the ECG, the pair have, along with some other car makers, launched their own…

THE SURGE IN growth this century of the Hyundai Motor Group (HMG) means it is now the world’s third largest car maker, behind only Toyota and the Volkswagen Group. The third brand in HMG alongside Hyundai and Kia is premium newcomer Genesis, and “there is unwavering belief [within HMG] that it will be very successful,” says Ashley Andrew, Genesis UK managing director. “Then you’re just discussing the when and the how.” Strong stuff, yet as the likes of Infiniti, DS and probably even Lexus will testify, launching a premium brand is about as tough a test as you can get in today’s car industry, particularly in Europe. There is no modern precedent for a new premium brand consistently challenging the likes of Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz here, despite the proliferation…

I’m excited to hear that Matt Prior is about to take delivery of a Morgan Super 3 as a long-termer, with the aim of pressing it into service as a daily driver. I first had the pleasure of driving a Super 3 during a tour of the Morgan factory two years ago and thoroughly enjoyed both the tour (even Mrs Atkinson enjoyed it) and the subsequent one-hour experience. It has always been a car that has fascinated me, so when I recently discovered that I could hire a Super 3 for a day from Melvyn Rutter Morgan, I jumped at the chance and duly found myself setting off from the Bishop’s Stortford dealership on a beautiful summer’s day. To say I had one of the best days behind a wheel…

Unlike its various predecessors, Lamborghini’s new junior supercar can’t give you 10 cylinders – but it is offering 10,000rpm instead. Being what Sant’Agata calls a high-performance electrified vehicle, or HPEV (that’s a PHEV to everyone else), it can do electriconly running, of course. Just like its V12-engined big sibling, the Revuelto, it has taken very large leaps on power and outright performance, as well as smaller ones on size and passenger space, all of which we will come to. But most of all, and despite having now hybridised the pair of them, Lamborghini wants the Temerario to have a different character from the bigger, faster, more serious Revuelto. It wants this car to be fun. Playful, rebellious and a bit of a tearaway. And, wouldn’t you know it, that’s what…

Between all the talk of more layoffs and even a UK factory closure, Lotus Cars Ltd could do with a good news story right now. And it just so happens that the headline performance car project that Hethel itself has been working on for the past five years is at last ready for the scrutiny of the Autocar road test. So, when you need to cut through the noise and remind the world what your brand is capable of, you can always hand over the most powerful hypercar yet delivered into series production and let Autocar fix satellite timing gear to it. That ought to do the trick. Finally, and after a rather protracted gestation, the Evija has landed. This road test will aim not to concern itself with whether,…

“It inspires similar reliance and reverence as my 25-year-old Black & Decker Workmate” WHY WE RAN IT To find out if an approved used car is the best route into Tesla ownership I will admit to having had reservations about Tesla, and in particular the company’s owner, so it was hard not to embark on Model 3 ownership without some negative preconceptions. But it’s fair to say the car has comprehensively won me over, even if I have a few lingering doubts over its parentage. After several months together, I’ve come to the conclusion that the Model 3 is an excellent appliance. If that sounds negative, it’s not meant to: it inspires similar reliance and reverence as my unfailing Bosch dishwasher, 25-year-old Black & Decker Workmate and DeWalt drill, because…

MILEAGE 5725 WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To see how much progress BMW has made with its entry hatch between generations It’s almost amazing that I have written seven reports on the same car and not felt the need to discuss the user interface. So radically has design in this area changed that nowadays it’s frequently the main focus of a car review – often because physical controls have been ‘moved’ onto a touchscreen with consequences that we’ve found less than gratifying. That just isn’t the case with the 1 Series, despite it too having succumbed to that trend in the transition between its third and fourth generations. The lower row of buttons (for the audio) and the upper one (for the climate control) were both wiped clean, replaced by a…

AN OWNER’S VIEW KEVIN CARDLE “I bought my 2013 A45 in November 2024. It’s in original condition, unmodified, with a full service history and just 42,000 miles. Having never owned a sports car of any kind, and being 62, it was time to get something with real performance. “I owned a Mercedes GLA previously, so I stuck with the Mercedes brand. I’m very happy I did – you wouldn’t know it was a 13-year-old car. I love its shape and low stance, and with 355bhp it gets up to speed so quickly. Is it my mid-life crisis? Definitely.” BUYER BEWARE… ■ ENGINE Early 2014 A45s suffered from oil feed issues to the turbocharger. Because they didn’t have an anti-surge valve, pressure could only escape through the turbo impeller, which caused…

It has become an all too familiar tale in this era of new technology: a new company emerges from nowhere, boasts of an amazing car and promises that production will begin very soon – and then goes suspiciously quiet. History is repeating itself, as one 105-year-old Autocar article shows: “Since the announcement in May 1919 that a Bentley car was to be produced, over two years have rolled by. Motorists to whom the chassis appealed especially have been wondering what was happening, why no cars succeeded the original experimental chassis, and, little by little, the rumour grew that the Bentley never would be a production job. “Within a few weeks, the first car is to leave the works in the hands of its owner, and there will follow a steady…