Table of contents for Yearbook 2022 in Wheels

“WHY IS WHEELS devoting so much editorial space to electric cars when they make up one percent of all new-car sales?” Of all the questions that I get asked as editor of this fine tome, this might just be the one that irks me the most. Because it’s incorrect. EVs made up 3.4 percent of new-car sales in the year to September 2022, up 65 percent on the year before. In the Australian Capital Territory, the EV share is 9.5 percent of all new-car sales. It’s clear that Australia is transitioning, in fits and starts, to an electrified future and that merely making the switch isn’t the environmental salve many would like to believe. Assembling lithium-ion batteries – as the current tech stands – is an industrial process that is…

VOLVO HAS announced it is only going to sell fully electric vehicles in Australia from 2026. The bold commitment means Volvo will not launch another car Down Under powered by petrol or diesel, with mild-hybrids and plug-in hybrids also set to be phased out under the new plan. Instead, every new Volvo sold by 2026 will be powered purely by electricity with the Swedish brand planning to launch five new electric models in Australia over the next five years. The new EV-only mandate also means Volvo’s Australian arm has one-upped the Swedish brand’s global commitment which is to be fully electric by 2030 and entirely carbon neutral by 2040. “Our global strategy is that we will be fully electric by 2030,” said Volvo Australia boss Stephen Connor at the local…

A GENERAL agreement exists among driving enthusiasts that small, lightweight sports cars offer the purest form of driving fun and, of the current new-vehicle pool, Mazda’s MX-5 and the Subaru BRZ/Toyota 86 are just about the epitome of that. A number might object and instead nominate a hot-hatch such as the Hyundai i20 N for the title of ‘closest you can get to car-God’ without actually hurling yourself into the fiery crucibles of Koenigsegg’s casting plant. Exactly which model deserves to be crowned the ultimate driver’s car comes down to semantics and splitting hairs because the shortlist always boils down to the same recipe: light, small and responsive with power-to-weight and smiles-per-dollar ratios that categorically demolish anything with a V12 or 300+ on the speedo. But I just spent a…

Model Ford Mustang Mach-E Premium eAWD Motors dual (front and rear) Battery 91kWh Max power 259kW Max torque 580Nm Weight 2040kg 0-100km/h 5.1sec (claimed) Economy 18.7kWh/100km Price from $75,000 (estimated) On sale TBC OFFICIALLY, the Ford Mustang Mach-E is not coming to Australia but let’s take a quick recap of all the evidence that would suggest exactly the opposite. Right-hand-drive production has already started, Ford New Zealand has announced it will introduce the model in 2023, in January this year Ford Australia filed a trademark registration of the Mustang Mach-E name and, if that wasn’t enough of a statement of intent, the Blue Oval recently invited us to Detroit to drive it. So let’s just assume it’s a done deal, shall we? I really hope so. Not only does an…

TESLA IS OFTEN hailed as the great EV disruptor but right now the BYD Atto 3 might be more deserving of the title. Since it burst onto Aussie roads three months ago, the fresh Chinese brand has been making waves with its attractive pricing, quirky cabin design and new ‘blade battery’ tech. There have been scandals, too. There was an early kerfuffle when BYD’s local importer reneged on its promise to offer an 7-year/unlimited km warranty and instead wound it back to 6 years/150,000km with multiple conditions. And now the brand is in hot water with federal regulators due to a compliance issue with a rear seatbelt that’s actually forced sales to be suspended. Demand, though, seems almost unquenchable. BYD isn’t yet counted in the official monthly sales figures but…

THE SECOND-GENERATION Kia Niro has arrived a little over a year since the original made its belated introduction here in mid 2021. It remains on a platform set up for a mix of classic combustion and futuristic electrification, with the EV sitting above a hybrid Niro. Priced from $65,300, it grants a $7290 saving over the entry-level EV6; however, it also looks expensive when compared to similarly sized battery compact SUVs – such as the BYD Atto 3 and MG ZS that each cost less than $50,000. The S’s standard equipment list looks a little sparse, too. There are relatively small 17-inch wheels and, particularly shocking for a car of this price, halogen rather than LED headlights. Stretching to the $72,100 GT-Line adds some pizzazz with features including a Harman…

HERE’S A CHALLENGE: name an EV that turns more heads right now than the Hyundai Ioniq 5. Even if the big Hyundai’s edgy retro styling doesn’t tickle your particular fancy, there’s no denying it’s a striking thing to look at. And as we discovered when the Ioniq 5 almost won our 2022 Car of the Year award (it was just edged by its Korean sibling, the Kia EV6), there’s plenty of substance to back up the strong focus on style. Rapid performance, ultra-fast 350kW charging and a palatial, thoughtfully designed cabin? Hyundai’s breakthrough EV is a compelling package. And at a reasonable price, too. As is the way of the universe sometimes, though, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 you see here isn’t actually the newest model. Almost to the day that…

ITS FULL TITLE is the 2022 Volvo XC40 Recharge Twin Pure Electric, but for the sake of word count, we’ll take a mild liberty and just call it the XC40 electric. It’s available in single-($72,990) or as-tested twin-motor ($79,490) guise in Australia, and an MY23 year model will hit showrooms imminently with minor style and technology updates. In twin-motor trim, 300kW and 660Nm are claimed, as is a 0-100km/h sprint of 4.9 seconds. The figures sure feel accurate, if not a little conservative. This is a properly rapid small SUV when you want it to be. Thankfully, though, Volvo hasn’t only worked on pure pace, and the XC40’s drivetrain calibration is right up there with that of Tesla. There are only two regen settings: on or off, which allows true…

VOLVO’S recent announcement that it intends to only sell electric vehicles in Australia by 2026 has created a lot of work for the Swedish brand, and it now has about four years to rid its five-model line-up of petrol power. That’s no easy feat but, actually, it’s already started. Its XC40 SUV is currently offered as a Recharge pure EV, with the EX90, the all-electric XC90 replacement due next year. The significant thing about the C40, though, is it’s only available as an EV. This is the shape of the future for Volvo. With a more coupe-like profile, the C40 is following a trend into less orthodox SUV styling, offering essentially a version of the XC40 that shares virtually all the mechanicals, but there are some other differences including the…

BMW’S i4 40 eDRIVE may be the cheapest variant in its two-strong range, but it is the most expensive contender in our megatest – just scraping under the cost cap with a $99,900 sticker price before on-roads and options. But under is under, and the i4 proves that stretching the budget can sometimes reap bountiful rewards. For those that have come accustomed to EVs having an air of strangeness for strangeness’ sake, the i4 is a breath of fresh air. Traditional in all the best ways, it is an EV for the powertrain agnostic. If you didn’t want to climb too far into the six-figure price bracket once on-roads are factored in, the i4 40 eDrive still has plenty of standard kit, including 19-inch alloys, leather interior, auto LED headlights,…

THIS SEGMENT includes three of our most highly rated EVs – the Kia EV6, Tesla Model Y and Hyundai Ioniq 5 – so it’s no surprise it was the most tightly contested. Splitting the Model Y and EV6 was especially tricky as they both achieved scores of 8.5/10. Ultimately, though, despite its higher price, it was the Kia that snared the win. The EV6 edges the Model Y for driver appeal, it’s more intuitive to use, and it delivered superior numbers in our charging and predicted-range tests. It’s also striking to look at and its style-driven cabin is comfortable, well-equipped and roomy. If pared-back minimalism is more your thing, the Model Y is a convincing SUV. It’s not quite as good to drive as the Kia (or a Model 3…

AN OLD ADAGE says that if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best, and the Ford Mustang has held the crown as Australia’s best-selling sports car ever since the sixth-generation car first lobbed onto the local scene in late 2015. Since then, Ford Australia has sold over 33,000 examples of its perennial pony car. So if Nissan’s new Z is targeting sub-$100K two-door sports-car buyers, statistically speaking, this is the car it has to beat. Making this two-door shoot-out even better? This is a test of the true driver’s variants, with both cars featuring rev-matching six-speed manual gearboxes, backdropped by the Victorian High Country to see which of these similar, but distinct, sporting coupes has more to offer the discerning enthusiast. Mustang and Z are,…

THE NEW WRX’s exterior design is about as close to attractive as the once Impreza-based car has ever been, having evolved through generations of what must’ve been a series of “hold my beer” challenges inside Subaru’s dimly lit styling studio (if indeed the lights were ever on at all). Finally, the WRX is blessed with angles and proportions that say sleek and modern, lines that come together for a naturally sporting look, and details that even give it a bit of the premium look not seen since the fourth-gen Liberty. Thankfully, the cabin delivers more of the same, especially in the top-shelf tS form of our wagon long-termer. With combination leather and ‘Ultrasuede’ (a synthetic suede, like Alcantara) upholstery applied to the seats, along with an abundance of red double-stitched…

EVERY PARTY MUST END. At some wee hour, the lights come on, empty beer bottles chink into empty beer cartons as baggy-eyed hosts start passive-aggressively cleaning up and, having received the hint, any surviving guests must somehow wobble home. After 46 years and more than 22 million sales, the lights have come on and the empty beer bottles are clinking for the end of Fiesta, the best-selling Ford of all time behind only the F-Series. With sales plummeting as punters move to crossovers such as the Puma, the Blue Oval has confirmed Fiesta production at its Cologne factory in Germany will cease in June 2023 – around a year earlier than originally planned. The Focus will sadly follow thereafter, ending its current generation in 2025. Launched in 1976 at the…

FRESH FACTS 5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT BMW’S BOX-FRESH 3.0 CSL 1. BMW made an G82 M4 look good? It seems so. Hand-painted stripes, centre lock wheels, wide arches and carbon aero parts. Nice. 2. Where’s the beef? 3.0-litre I6 tuned to 412kW, up 37kW versus an M4 Competition. Oh, and it’s only offered with a six-speed manual ’box. 3. CSL? Really? Granted, it’s a bit of a stretch to give it that badge given that the 3.0 CSL weighs 1625kg. 4. The Fifty That’s the production run, celebrating M’s 50th birthday and the price tag is mooted to be A$1.16m. 5. Down Underallocated Australia is slated for a grand total of zero cars. This CSL’s left-hand drive only.…

MITSUBISHI’S REVIVAL plan for its long-dormant Ralliart performance division is still in its infancy, but the company’s ultimate goal is a do-it-all vehicle that will provide grip and speed no matter the terrain – and this vehicular Swiss Army Knife will be based on Mitsubishi’s family-sized SUV, the Outlander PHEV. Hiroshi Masuoka is not only a vice president of Mitsubishi Motors, but also the general manager of the Ralliart business promotion office – the division tasked with rebuilding the Ralliart sub-brand. Speaking exclusively to Wheels, Masuoka was candid about what was on his wishlist for Ralliart’s future flagship and first “complete car”. “Actually, we have a concept model in testing,” Masuoka told us. “It has the latest PHEV technology, which has three motors – one at the front, two at…

DUE NOW AUDI S8 Ready to satisfy any Audi S8 fantasies you’ve held onto from the ’90s after watching crime thriller Ronin is Ingolstadt’s updated flagship super sedan. It delivers 420kW and 800Nm from the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, and now features cylinder on demand and a mild-hybrid system, but it’s the interior that’s the real standout. Priced at $273,400. Nitrous not included. DUE NOW LDV MIFA 9 LDV has the jump on rivals by being the first to hit the Aussie market with an electric seven-seater people mover. The Mifa 9 is offered in three spec levels, all powered by a single motor producing 180kW and 350Nm, and fed by a 90kWh battery. The captain’s chairs in the second row are a highlight, but Mifa 9 is pricey: Mode opens…

DO ALL ELECTRIC cars drive the same? It’s a question we get asked regularly and as I’ve just spent the last week testing 16 electric cars back-to-back for the EV megatest that makes up a healthy chunk of this mag, it’s also one I feel well-placed to given an opinion on. The short answer is no, they do not. As you’d expect there is a gulf of difference between Australia’s first electric dual-cab ute, the LDV eT60, and the lower slung, more powerful and driver-focused Porsche Taycan. In saying that, though, there are undoubted similarities. Our 16 megatest EVs span a range of price points, body styles and levels of performance, and yet if you plonked me blindfolded into the passenger seat I think I’d have been hard pressed to…

YOU PROBABLY know a bit about the BMW X1 already. In a nutshell, Munich’s baby SUV been around since 2009 through two generations and it’s done some solid numbers without ever being a particular darling of the Wheels test team. It now arrives in third-generation guise and, without wishing to pre-empt the verdict of this test, it’s fair to say that it’s upped its game considerably. It needed to. At present there are two models to choose from. Opening proceedings is the X1 sDrive18i at $53,900. It’s powered by a three-cylinder 1.5-litre petrol engine good for 115kW and 230Nm. Admittedly that doesn’t sound like much engine for a $50K+ vehicle, and it only drives the front wheels, but Mercedes-Benz is quite happy to sell you a $79K car with a…

LESS THAN half a percent. That’s the Australian market share electric cars accounted for in 2021. Assembling 16 EVs for a megatest, then, would seem like overkill – a monumental waste of time, resources … and pages. Yet, statistically, and anecdotally, this is one of the most pertinent group tests we could conduct right now. Electric vehicles are the country’s fastest-growing segment this year – up nearly 500 percent to the end of October. That’s an impressive figure regardless of coming off a low base, and despite being skewed by the previously reticent Tesla finally making its sales figures available since April. While that still equates to just three percent of the market, it’s anything but commensurate with the percentage of Aussies who are curious about EVs – and genuinely…

THE NISSAN Leaf starts from a relatively low $50,990, but the version we have here is the Leaf e+, a more powerful, longer-range (385km versus 270km), faster-charging version of the second-gen model. The price? Over $60,000. $61,490, actually, which is $1000 more than when it launched last year. Everything is more expensive now, but can Nissan really position the Leaf as a near rival to the $65,500 Model 3 and $63,900 Polestar 2? It shares this problem with the $64,000 Hyundai Kona Electric; a compelling EV with a longer 449km driving range, but still a hard sell against the tech, style and range of the Tesla and Polestar. Leaf e+ isn’t without selling points, however. As a small car, it’s fairly roomy, with great visibility in most directions, and overall…

AMONG A GROWING number of high-achieving EVs available in Australia, Mazda’s electric foray appears to have a tough job convincing electric proponents that it deserves a look. Not only does the MX-30 E35 have a relatively short range of 224km and modest performance it also comes at an eyewatering price of $65,500. Compared with almost all other EVs on the market, the unorthodox Mazda’s value equation appears impossible to solve. And yet, the quirky crossover has the ability to quickly melt a frosty reception with some irresistibly charming features. As only the third model in Mazda’s history to wear the MX badge, its first pure-electric coupe-profiled crossover certainly deserves to be labeled ‘Mazda Experimental’ but has it been too much of a risk? Perhaps the biggest departure from the company’s…

TESLA’S long-awaited Model Y finally arrived locally in 2022, launching the entry-level, rear-drive Standard Range from $72,300 (before on-road costs), or $6800 more than the entry-level Model 3. Both of the Californian-designed, Chinese-built siblings share around 75 percent of their components, and you can see it in the light assemblies, door handles, mirrors, switchgear – everywhere. It’s a remarkable feat of efficiency, and one that, for whatever reason, seems in keeping with Tesla’s minimalist brand identity. Yet the Model Y measures nearly 60mm longer than the Model 3 sedan, at 4751mm, and is 70mm wider. The wheelbase is 15mm longer while the roofline, at its highest, is 180mm taller than the smaller Model 3. Front occupants gain an extra 17mm of headroom over Model Y’s sedan-bodied sibling, while rear occupants…

PRESSURE DOESN’T GET much higher for a car coming into a Megatest as the mid-rung model in a line-up containing our reigning Car of the Year. But the EV6 GT-Line didn’t need to bust a sweat. It may fall short of perfection, but all the core attributes that contributed to the top-spec GT Line AWD model waltzing away with this year’s COTY crown are still very much in evidence here in this more affordable single-motor, rear-drive variant. Positive impressions start from the moment you slide in. The black faux-suede with contrasting white ‘vegan leather’ trim in our test car looks premium, and the seats themselves are supremely comfortable and supportive. The 12.3-plus 12.3-inch combined infotainment screen and digital instrument cluster set-up found throughout Kia’s updated model range looks sleek, is…

NOT EVERY EV BUYER wants a Tesla and that’s okay. Heck, some will find the shape of, say, a Kia EV6 a little too new money. For those who hanker after something more conservative, the (optionally) seven-seat Mercedes-Benz EQB 250, opening at $87,800, has a good deal more legacy appeal in its bones, backed up by Mercedes’ reassuring and formidable badge equity. It’s even possible to make a case for the EQB in terms of value for money. Its closest premium German rival is the BMW iX3 at $114,900. Even Genesis has a higher barrier to entry, with the new GV60 opening at $103,700. The EQB may not have the ultimate cruising range of a Tesla Model Y Performance, but is a more polished and cohesive SUV. There’ll be buyers…

THREE CATEGORY WINNERS FIRMLY DESERVING OF A GOLDEN RECHARGER AWARD THE BMW i4 takes top honours in this segment. Engaging dynamics are its primary attraction, courtesy of sharp steering and an excellent ride/handling compromise, but it also overachieved in our charging and range tests. It was the second quickest car to charge (behind only the Tesla Model 3) and its theoretical real-world range of 513km was the highest of our group. A lofty $99,900 price tag and no ANCAP rating are chinks in its armour, but keen drivers looking for a stylish EV that’s fun to drive won’t be disappointed. Volvo’s stylish C40 swoops into second place. With 300kW/660Nm on tap and a 0-100km/h claim of 4.7 seconds, it’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing that also offers a cleverly packaged…

MG couldn’t make its updated ZS EV available to us for this test, but we’ve included it here with assessment based on its comparison performance against the BYD Atto 3. First, the basics. Following an update in 2022, the new ZS EV is now offered in two trim levels. The entry-level Excite is $44,990 drive-away, while the Essence, which adds blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, along with leather trim, heated front seats with electric adjustment for the driver’s seat, wireless phone charging, and a vast panoramic glass roof, is $48,990 drive-away. Power for the updated model is 130kW (up from 105kW) while torque has been pared back from 353Nm to 280Nm; sounds significant, but the ZS EV still feels eager and responsive in urban driving. Battery capacity is now…

LET ME lift the curtain a little on running road tests. We sometimes have very little time to get under the skin of the car, so we usually come up with a premise beforehand based on experience and heuristics and only if the car diverges from expectations does that premise get ditched. Understanding when to pivot is the difference between good and bad testers. But with long termers we have the luxury of time. Here we have hundreds of hours of seat time to craft a considered verdict. And time with the Subaru BRZ S is something I’ve come to see as a heck of a privilege. But it’s not all rosy. Only over an extended period do you discover things like the compromised front passenger seat. This is set…

ONE GOOD TURN… If you’ve jumped in your car recently, glanced at the device in your hands, and thought, “This wheel is just too damn… circular” then know that Lexus clearly feels your frustration. The company’s RZ450e electric SUV, due for launch around the middle of 2023, will offer a yoke steering wheel operating a steer-by-wire system rather than a conventional rack. Claimed benefits of the yoke include ease of access and an uninterrupted view of the instruments, while the variable ratio reduces turns required at low speed, so no hand shuffling. We’ve tried it and can report… actually, read our first drive of the RZ450e next month… ADHERING TO PROTOCOL A group of climate protesters recently glued their hands to the floor in front of a Porsche 911 GT3…

THE HIGH-PITCHED whine of the GT4 ePerformance penetrates helmet and skull like a diamond-tipped drill. By the end of the short straight of the Porsche Experience Centre Franciacorta circuit near Brescia in Italy, the intensity of the noise is approaching painful. A full grid of race cars like this one-off would make a fierce racket. Built to prove that electric power for a customer motorsport series can work, the GT4 ePerformance is the proof-of-concept successor to the beautiful Mission R show racer Porsche revealed in September 2021 at the IAA Munich mobility expo. Around the 2.5km track the GT4 ePerformance is brutally impressive, especially its acceleration. Then the driver switches from 450kW race to 800kW qualifying mode… Porsche engineers working on the project proudly point out that in race mode…

Keep it tight (no more than 200 words) and do include your suburb if via email: wheels@wheelsmag.com.au You can also have your say on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter (search for Wheels Australia) For people living in regional and remote locations, a PHEV may be the only realistic solution LET PHEVS LIVE WHILE BATTERY electric vehicles (BEVs) seem poised to be the future of the Australian car market I believe that plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) should have an important supporting role at least in the short to mid term timeframe. My main concern is that the rollout of a truly national EV charging network will share two main characteristics with the rollout of the NBN; namely it run years behind schedule and significantly over budget. This is because unlike a…

Anyone even slightly curious about what it’s like to own an EV will ask two vital questions: how far can I drive on a single charge and how long does it take to recharge? So, we set out to answer that with every one of our EV megatest contenders. A variety of roads made up our 200km test route – 100km/h highways, undulating country roads, 80km/h urban arterials, and 40km/h suburban streets. Each car started with 100 percent charge, was put into its standard drive mode for the majority of the test, with an eco (or equivalent) setting selected for highway portions if available. Climate settings were uniform for all cars across the entire test. Regenerative braking was set to its maximum and where possible auto creep was deactivated. Drivers…

IT’S NO REVELATION that EVs are generally expensive, and Hyundai’s Kona range reinforces the view. You could have a Kona N performance variant and still save more than five grand over the most affordable electric Kona. That entry price is $54,500 for the Elite Standard Range, which employs a 39.2kWh battery serving up a WLTP range of 305km. Our megatest contender is the Elite Extra Range that adopts a 63 percent bigger battery to boost the Kona EV’s WLTP distance by 59 percent to 484km. That 64kWh battery proved to be more than as good as its word. The Kona EV delivered the best efficiency of our entire group – 13.1kWh/100km – with a calculated maximum tested range of Featuring the same 4.2-metre-long dimensions as the four-cylinder petrol Kona, the…

NO OTHER manufacturer is as integral to the proliferation, popularity, and technological advancement of electric cars as Tesla, and for the American manufacturer the Model 3 is its core product. The hype surrounding this model is significant, and well-earned, but there are certain factors that potential buyers will need to take into consideration. Standard features on the 2022 Model 3 include but are not limited to LED headlights, LED daytime running lights, 18-inch alloy wheels, a panoramic glass roof (with ultraviolet/infrared protection), and a collection of cameras and ultrasonic sensors for Tesla’s much-hyped driver aids. The cabin has dual-zone climate control, 15-inch central multifunction touchscreen, electric front seat adjustment, heated steering wheel, heated front/rear seats, and dual wireless phone charging. One of the smartest additions is the dual inductive charging…

IF, AMONG its fair-trade linen shirts and neutral-coloured sustainable ceramics, Japanese homewares store Muji sold a car, it would almost certainly be the Polestar 2. Its understated but sharp design, beautiful but unpretentious materials and carefully considered functions would sit comfortably on shelves alongside the other minimalist products, as would its reassuringly sensible price tag. The Polestar 2 range opens from $63,900 for the front-drive Standard Range but here we have the flagship Long Range AWD which gets a bigger battery, all-wheel drive and a $73,400 price tag. For that you get 19-inch alloys, LED headlights, heated front seats, cloth trim with ‘3D etched’ decoration, eight-speaker stereo, a media system that was jointly developed with tech giant Google, front and rear parking sensors, reversing camera, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry…

DON’T BUY A Lexus UX300e. Not yet, anyway. The marque’s first fully electric vehicle is certainly not beyond recommendation, but it’ll pay to wait for a major update that’s coming in 2023. The first refresh since the UX300e was released in late 2021 will bring a bigger battery that addresses one of the current model’s biggest weaknesses: a lowly 315km WLTP range. Based on our real-world testing, the Lexus wouldn’t make 300km. A significantly improved range of 450km will take it past one direct rival in this same megatest and closer to another: respectively, the Mercedes-Benz EQA (426km in 250 guise) and Volvo XC40 Recharge (510km). Lexus says the UX300e will also benefit from a stiffer body and revisions to the steering, suspension, and brakes. The hope is that the…

THE MERCEDES-BENZ EQA range has an issue. It’s headlined by the $96,900 (before on-road costs) twin-motor 350. That’s nearly $20k more than the base EQA 250, despite having the same 66.5kWh lithium-ion battery pack. You do get electric seats, a sunroof, and other goodies inside, though. The EQA 350 produce 215kW/520Nm, which makes for a solid punch when the right pedal is mashed – the claimed 0-100km/h time of 6.0 seconds feels accurate – without churning one’s stomach as the twin-motor Volvo XC40 does. There are four modes for regen braking selectable using the paddles in the EQA with ‘D-’ being the strongest, however no mode slows the car as smoothly as Tesla’s one-pedal setting. The EQA’s brake pedal is also spongy under foot. A nice inclusion is the EQA’s…

Don’t bother putting the Mini Cooper SE on your consideration list if range and practicality are high priorities. Its WLTP range from the 32.6kWh battery is just 234km, with around 190km more likely in typical driving, while its luggage space is a paltry 211 litres. Oh, and the rear seats are not easy to access, and really only suitable for kids. It’s also not cheap: the Mini Cooper SE costs from $55,650 in base Classic trim, while the ‘Yours’ variant is a hefty $63,475. If none of that puts you off, excellent, because there’s plenty to get enthusiastic about when it comes to actually spending some quality driving time in the Cooper SE. While it claims 0-100km/h in 7.3sec, it’s the muscular rolling response that really grabs your attention. See…

I ENDED the last report on our long-term Outlander PHEV by promising to start plugging it in at every available opportunity to better capitalise on its biggest strength: how much, or actually how little, fuel it promises to use. And because I’m a man of my word, that’s exactly what I’ve done. Now, ‘every available opportunity’, is something of a subjective term. Despite my best efforts to whack it on charge both at home and at work, the car’s onboard readout says my EV-to-petrol driving ratio is still only 50 percent. That’s down on the figure Mitsubishi says the average owner will achieve, which is 84 percent, but it’s a huge improvement on my previous efforts. And it has returned some encouraging numbers… Last report my fuel use was averaging…

HONESTLY, IT WAS through coincidence rather than contrivance that our Cupra Formentor long-termer found itself in such a fitting destination for a model that headlines the recent arrival of Volkswagen’s Spanish brand. The Entrance, formed on a bridged peninsula on Sydney’s Central Coast, was simply a convenient choice for a quick, school-holiday family getaway that wasn’t a marathon drive away and took us north rather than our usual route south. It was also a first chance to stretch our Formentor VZe plug-in hybrid’s legs after being confined in its first month of ‘ownership’ to primarily ferrying kids to school, sports and shops – and running mainly on electric power through regular home charging. During those first few weeks, the best electric range we’d managed to achieve from a full battery…

FULL DISCLOSURE: I named a child after this car. Back when we were choosing names for a second Stahlette, I was on an Italian streak. I put forward Valentina, which only fell at the hurdle of the non-negotiable middle name: Rossi. And so – Giulietta? “Hmmph … isn’t that a car?” My daughter (Juliette) knows that Giulietta was a person before it was a car. But what a car it was, doing no less than helping Alfa Romeo, in spite of winning the first two Formula 1 world championships in 1950 and 1951, survive post-war as a car maker. There’s disagreement as to how the Giulietta got its name. The favoured story concerns a Paris nightclub in the late-1940s, where a group of Alfa Romeo executives were out with their…