Table of contents for 1916 in Auto Express

THE Department for Transport’s long-awaited Road Safety Strategy (Page 20) was finally published last week: 60 pages sprawling into many areas of drivers’ lives, with the noble and necessary goal of making a dent in the 1,600 people killed and 27,865 people seriously injured on our roads in 2024. The UK has vacated its podium place among Europe’s top countries for road safety in recent years, with 22 states having done a better job of reducing casualties over the past decade. But it would be pretty bold to say the contents of this strategy document will achieve the hefty target of a 65 per cent cut in the number of people killed or seriously injured on UK roads by 2035. Let’s start with the stuff that most people would see…

WELCOME the all-new Mazda CX-6e: the latest challenger to the Tesla Model Y, Skoda Enyaq and Smart #5 and, in effect, the zeroemissions alternative to Mazda’s top seller, the CX-5. It’s due to arrive here towards the end of the year. If this sleek mid-size electric SUV looks familiar, that’s because it was unveiled last spring in China, where it’s badged as the EZ-60. It’s also available with a plug-in hybrid powertrain there, but only the EV is coming to the UK and Europe. Like the Mazda 6e saloon – the company’s answer to the Tesla Model 3 and BYD Seal, which is also coming soon – the CX-6e is the product of a partnership between Mazda and Chinese maker Changan. The pair are built in China and use Changan’s…

VAUXHALL has announced a partnership with Team GB, something the maker’s MD says will give the brand a renewed focus on its “Britishness”, and help it back to the UK new-car sales podium by 2028. Speaking exclusively to Auto Express, group managing director for Stellantis UK and managing director of Vauxhall, Eurig Druce, said: “To be on the podium of UK sales, that’s where I want to be. We have a plan. “It’s linked nicely with Team GB for a couple of reasons,” he told us. “We’re a sporting nation in the UK. The one event that unites the UK population, unites all the nations, is the Olympics. Team GB, Britishness; [Vauxhall] needs to be back on the podium for 2028, hence the partnership”. Vauxhall sold 81,821 vehicles in 2025,…

A NEW entry-level ‘Standard’ version of the Tesla Model 3 has landed in the UK and is available to order from £37,990, meaning it’s knocked a healthy £2,000 off the best-selling EV’s starting price – or is available from £249 per month. For context, at the time of writing the most basic Polestar 2 costs from £45,160, the BYD Seal £45,705 and the cheapest BMW i4 is £51,370. Not only is it significantly cheaper, but the cut-price Model 3’s 332-mile range is on a par with rivals’ too. The Model 3 Standard is also £7,000 cheaper than the Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive version it sits below, which is now referred to as Premium in the car’s line-up. Tesla has reduced the top speed and acceleration in the Model 3 Standard…

WE were expecting the new Toyota MR2 to be revealed at the 2026 Tokyo Auto Salon, but that didn’t happen. As consolation prizes go, however, this even more hardcore, super-limited-edition version of the ferocious Toyota GR Yaris hot hatch isn’t bad. The new GR Yaris Morizo RR is the brainchild of Toyota’s chairman and ‘master driver’ Akio Toyoda, who has been racing under the alias Morizo since 2009. He was also one of the test drivers of the GR Yaris during its development, and competed in the 2025 Nürburgring 24 Hours with Toyota Gazoo Rookie Racing (TGRR). The No109 GR Yaris TGRR entered and finished the race, with Toyoda completing 15 laps of the ‘Green Hell’. This experience inspired the creation of the GR Yaris Morizo RR, with the boss…

HYUNDAI has unveiled the new Staria Electric at the Brussels Motor Show. A hybrid edition of the MPV has been available in mainland Europe since 2021, but this new all-electric option is designed for UK sale. The newcomer will be launched in two variants: the Luxury model will be a seven-seater designed for private use, while the nine-seat Wagon is targeted at businesses. Fitted with an 84kWh battery, the Hyundai will offer up to 248 miles of range. Pricing hasn’t been announced, but we expect the Staria EV to start from around £65,000.…

AFEELA – a joint venture between Honda and tech brand Sony – has revealed its second model at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. A production version of the Afeela Prototype 2026 SUV will join the 1 saloon from 2028 and focus on AI-assisted software tech and autonomous driving, pushing ever closer to being a true ‘self-driving’ car. Due to be built in Honda’s US plant, the new model will initially be sold in America and Japan, and have a crossover body, with a higher ride height and more space inside than the lower Afeela 1 saloon. The styling is derived from the saloon’s. The firm hasn’t revealed any images of the cabin, but we suspect it’ll mimic the 1 saloon’s layout. This has a full-width screen…

“It looks like XPeng is taking the UK market, and the mid-size electric SUV sector, very seriously” WE first tested it in late 2024, but in typical Chinese brand fashion, the Xpeng G6 has already been given a fairly significant update, bringing new batteries, electric motors, exterior design and interior technology. It appears XPeng is taking the UK market, and the all-important midsize electric SUV sector, very seriously with the G6 – the firm’s first and so far only offering here. When car makers update their EVs, they usually fit larger batteries in the never-ending search for more range, but that’s not the full story with XPeng. The entry-level 66kWh battery in the Standard Range model was recently replaced by a 68kWh pack, bumping range from 270 to 292 miles.…

IF you feel like you’ve read a review of the new AMG GT already, do read on because this Pro version is a very different beast. The new AMG GT has had some pretty lukewarm reactions across most of its variants, but this one breaks with that. Sitting at the upper end of the range at £179,350, the GT 63 Pro is priced between the ‘standard’ GT 63 and hybrid-assisted GT 63 E Performance. It’s a hefty price tag, but it does split a £158,000 911 GT3 and the new £199,100 911 Turbo S – two cars that it also sits between ideologically. You can still order the Pro with two tiny rear seats, and the cavernous boot and extremely well trimmed cabin make this feel more like a luxury…

AT 4.7 metres long, the Smart #5 is only 30cm short of being the same length as a pair of Smart ForTwos. It’s the biggest car the company has ever produced, but it’s still packed with plenty of distinctive design touches and clever features. The entry point to the range is the £39,800 Pro model, although this is still a generously equipped machine. It’s the only version of the #5 that comes with the smaller 76kWh battery – there’s a £4,000 premium to upgrade to the Pro+ model with a 100kWh pack. ENGINES & PERFORMANCE EVEN the base model has a healthy 335bhp on tap and 373Nm of instant torque is available, too. But this version of the #5 builds speed instead of delivering a knockout punch, and the 6.9-second…

ON your marks. Get set. Go! It’s not surprising to find out that the Skoda Elroq vRS is a quick car that will leave most rivals trailing from the lights, but it’s the way it does it that keeps me smiling. Officially, the Elroq vRS will sprint from 0-62mph in 5.4 seconds, but in reality it feels faster. Plant your foot on the accelerator, and it will launch from a standstill and just keep going. There’s no let-up in power at any point, with the dual motors pulling the car forwards at an impressive rate. I’ve found it hugely entertaining and highly addictive. But the one thing that really makes the Elroq vRS stand out for me is that the power delivery never upsets the car’s composure. We live in…

WERE you given some aftershave for Christmas? You can now make your car match the scent, thanks to Duel’s limited-edition Snow Foam and Air Freshener set, which the company says is ‘inspired’ by the famous Cool Water fragrance from Davidoff. First released in 1988, the scent is currently having a retro resurgence. It’s said to blend peppermint, aromatic lavender, oakmoss and warm amber-musk aromas. Duel Autocare has created its Cool Water products so drivers can feel a wave of nostalgia while driving or cleaning their car. They will also give any late eighties or nineties classic an authentic aroma to match the era. As well as smelling good, the snow foam is pH neutral and safe to use on cars treated with waxes, sealants and ceramic coatings. Duel promises a…

NEXT year Volvo will celebrate its centenary, and it’s fair to say that this enigmatic brand has been through a fair few changes during its lifetime. Once famed for its capacious estates, the Chinese-owned Swedish brand now makes pretty much nothing but SUVs and crossovers. Always environmentally aware, Volvo has also heavily embraced electrification, although it wasn’t until 2021 that it sold an electric-only model, the C40 Recharge, later renamed EC40. Spun off from its XC40, which came in petrol, diesel, hybrid and plug-in hybrid forms as well as electric, the more coupé-styled C40 was only an EV. With no ICE options, the C40 hasn’t been as popular as it might have been with a wider choice of powertrain options (like the XC40/EX40), but that doesn’t make the car a…

THE next step in Kia’s electric journey is focused on bringing EV motoring to the masses with the new EV2. This compact B-segment crossover is roughly the size of a Nissan Juke or Volkswagen T-Cross, and will rival EVs such as the Peugeot E-2008, Renault 4 and VW’s forthcoming Polo SUV, the ID. Cross, when it arrives later this year. Pricing is due to kick off at around £25,000, and the manufacturer is already boasting the EV2 will pack some impressive figures in terms of range and interior space, plus bring a package of fresh high-end tech to the class for the first time. The EV2 will be available with two battery options, but it’s the larger one that is expected to take the lion’s share of sales in the…

MAZDA is pushing back the launch of the first EV based on its new architecture again. The first models on Mazda’s new EV platform were expected to arrive in 2025. Some time later, it claimed they would be here in 2027. But now an official company presentation has confirmed to Auto Express that this won’t happen until at least 2028. Mazda says it will be able to efficiently build electric cars of all sizes based on this one scalable platform, similar to what Volvo can do with its new SPA3 architecture. However, the Japanese brand still hasn’t said what the first model based on the new platform will be. We’re all but certain it will be an SUV of some description, but not the same size as the new CX-6e…

HONDA revealed two new concepts at the Tokyo Auto Salon based on the latest Prelude and the Civic Type R. They’re claimed to incorporate “the expertise of Honda Racing Corporation” (HRC), the firm’s global racing arm. The Prelude HRC concept features major tweaks that make it look ready for the race track. There’s a new front bumper, side air intakes, extended wheelarches and side skirts, while HRC wheels cover what looks like a larger set of brakes. There’s also a massive spoiler mounted on the boot. Honda says it’s developing “HRC Performance Parts” for the new Prelude, which will “enhance the driving performance” by “leveraging the technologies and expertise amassed through racing”. The concept features such parts and we could see the production Prelude offer these as accessory-style options. The…

THE Peugeot 408 has never understood the perks of being a wallflower and now the already head-turning family car looks even sharper and more aggressive after a mid-life refresh. The most significant changes are up front. The 408’s distinctive fang-like daytime running lights are replaced by sleeker ‘three-claw’ DRLs that are connected by LED strips incorporated into a new, more sculpted grille, similar to the design on latest 308 hatchback and estate. Sitting in pride of place on this grille is an illuminated Peugeot shield, which will be found on top-spec models and goes with the lit Peugeot lettering that’s been added to the bootlid. The 408 is the French firm’s first car with this feature, which is integrated into a transparent strip spanning the rear, which also connects the…

THIS is the Zeekr 7GT, a high-performance electric shooting brake that is set to arrive in Europe with prices from less than £40,000. It will spearhead a whole range of models due in the next year or so. Zeekr is part of Geely’s empire, and the 7GT is the latest of its high-spec cars. In other global markets it comes in 416bhp single-motor and 637bhp twin-motor forms. Zeekr quotes a 3.3-second 0-62mph time and a top speed of 131mph. The brand hasn’t said when it’ll join the UK market.…

THE facelifted Mercedes S-Class will be unveiled in a matter of weeks, and for an early taste, Auto Express headed to the firm’s home in Stuttgart, Germany, for a rear-seat ride in the new limo. While the prototype was covered in camouflage, there’s no hiding an expanded grille. The headlights appear to be new, too, and feature a three-pointed motif. Inside, the current S-Class’s portrait touchscreen is clearly gone, replaced by what is likely a version of the Superscreen set-up. Our driver was Frank Wundrak, Mercedes’ senior manager for large vehicle testing, who had 530bhp and 750Nm of torque at his disposal from the new V8 engine in the S 580 4MATIC. Another advance is the updated air-suspension system, which uses the same components as before, but now has an…

COMPULSORY eye and cognitive tests for the over-70s, mandatory minimum learning periods, a reduction of the drink-drive limit, alcolocks and stricter police enforcement – these are all elements of the Government’s new Road Safety Strategy, which is aiming to halve roadgoing fatalities by 2035. The list of reforms comes well over a year after Labour announced it would draft the first new strategy to improve road safety in more than a decade. Given that roadgoing casualties have only declined by seven per cent since 2015, despite all of the improvements in active safety tech in today’s cars, road safety campaigners have described the plan as “long overdue”. Local transport minister, Lilian Greenwood MP, said: “One of the hardest parts of my job is speaking to families who have lost loved…

WHEN the Tesla Model Y first arrived, it was a car that was just right for so many UK buyers’ demands. As a result, it’s done big numbers in the UK sales charts, and in 2025 it repeated its 2024 success as the UK’s bestselling electric vehicle, beating the Tesla Model 3 saloon – now the only other car that the company sells in the UK – to the title. The Model Y is based on the same running gear as the Model 3, but the extra height of its body offers more space for families. ENGINES&PERFORMANCE THERE’S no denying the Tesla Model Y is quick. Even this new Standard model has plenty of acceleration. Adding AWD boosts traction for the Long Range car, but the Standard rear-wheel drive model…

DRIVING can be an expensive and hazardous activity. One minute you can be on the way to the shops and the next you’ve got an accident-damaged car that’s “uneconomical to repair” and written off. A courtesy car might cover you in the short term, but your next vehicle doesn’t need to be as expensive as you might think – if you’ll consider a Category N or Category S car. I found myself in a similar situation to the one above, and while I accept that a categorised model isn’t for everyone, if you take a calculated risk, it could really pay off. A word of warning, though. Any vehicle advertised as Cat N or Cat S will have been involved in an accident and declared an insurance write-off. If you’re…

THE official new car-buying results for 2025 are in. And just over two million were purchased by consumers in Britain last year. So far, so good. Of the Brit-based companies, Bentley and MINI did well to increase sales. But plucky Vauxhall (still British, right?) performed even more impressively, thanks to a hike in orders plus the added bonus of grabbing a larger share of the growing market. This is what happens when a firm gets real, becomes less greedy and does the fair, decent and sensible thing of offering the right deals (especially on Fronteras and Grandlands), resulting in more Vauxhalls in the hands of more paying customers. Simple! Let this be a lesson to some of its sleepy rivals, who daftly continued to price themselves out of the market.…

ALONGSIDE the new EV2 (left), Kia has expanded its performance portfolio at the Brussels Motor Show, pulling the covers off new flagship GT editions of the EV3, EV4 and EV5. While the three compete in different segments, they share a distinct philosophy, introducing dual-motor all-wheel drive to the ranges. All utilise Kia’s 81.4kWh battery pack and have significantly more power than their mainstream siblings. Crucially, Kia has focused on character over raw numbers. All three GTs have the ‘Virtual Gear Shift’ (VGS) system first seen on the larger EV6 GT. Using steering wheel-mounted paddles, this tech mimics the sound, throttle mapping and mechanical jolt of a manual gearbox in a combustion-engine car. This is complemented by GT-specific adaptive dampers, lowered suspension and larger 20-inch wheels wrapped in performance tyres, to…

THE Ford Puma was the UK’s best-selling car in 2025, according to new data released by the SMMT (Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders), making it three years on the trot that the small SUV has topped the sales chart. A total of 55,488 new Pumas were sold last year, up from 48,340 in 2024. The Kia Sportage had a good innings, but came second to the Ford once again, with 47,788 sold. Similarly, the British-built Nissan Qashqai took third place in the rankings again, with 41,141 examples finding new homes. The Vauxhall Corsa, which failed to crack the top 10 list in 2024, made quite the comeback by claiming fourth place, with 35,497 models leaving showrooms last year. The Nissan Juke wasn’t far behind in fifth, with 34,773 sold.…

RENAULT has revealed its new flagship, the Filante, a large coupé-SUV designed to challenge the Hyundai Group’s dominance in South Korea. At 4.9 metres long, the Filante boasts a footprint similar to the Audi Q8 e-tron, prioritising best-in-class rear kneeroom and acoustic comfort. It is powered by a 247bhp hybrid powertrain, combining a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine with electric motors. Under the skin, it utilises the CMA chassis shared with the Volvo XC40 and Chinese partner Geely. While the Filante will not be sold in Europe for the time being, its electronic architecture, which supports over-the-air (OTA) updates and a dashboard featuring three 12.3-inch screens, will directly influence future European Renaults. Orders for the new car open in Korea in March.…

A SUB-£15,000, European-built electric car is tailor-made for Citroen, says the brand’s design chief, who vows to be at the forefront of this new vehicle type. In mid-December the European Union fired the starting gun on a new ‘subcategory’ of electric cars less than 4.2 metres long, and Citroen’s head of design Pierre Leclercq says his company is “ready to shoot” with a proposal. “This is obviously [something] we’re working on,” Leclercq told Auto Express. “If we talk about a car that is smaller and more essential, [that] means you can bring mobility to people for a much more accessible price, and that would be an exciting project to put on the street.” The Belgian designer – who kicked off Citroen’s eye-catching design language with the Oli concept – confirmed…

THE iconic Jeep Wrangler could see a dramatic return in Europe following internal conversations that suggest the brand is working on a replacement for the recently discontinued off-roader. Speaking exclusively with Auto Express, Jeep UK managing director, Kris Cholmondeley, admitted that the outgoing Wrangler had been “a victim of regulation”, but that although “it will be going away”, he’d be surprised if we didn’t see it “in another incarnation down the line”. He told us: “I’ve had chats with the head of Europe and the head of the global team. I think we’re all aligned that we’d like to see it back – that’s what I would say. What and when? I don’t know.” Cholmondeley insisted he had no insight as to what form a new Wrangler will take: “I…

AN electric version of the Mercedes S-Class will replace the EQS, which was once heralded as a guiding light for the brand, but flopped in showrooms after failing to convince buyers. TheS-ClasswithEQTechnology, as it will officially be called, is still a few years away from launch, a Mercedes source told us. As you will have read above, a facelifted S-Class will be with us shortly, with Merc CEO Ola Kallenius promising that the firm had “invested a lot more in the model update of the new combustion-engined car than we normally spend on a facelift”. But it appears the all-new, Mk8 S-Class range will feature the first zero-emissions version produced. It’s expected to arrive towards the end of the decade.…

VOLKSWAGEN had lofty aspirations for its electric ID models at launch. It wanted them to have the same impact on the new-car market as the original Beetle or Golf, but the ID.3 hasn’t replaced the Golf in the family hatch class, while the ID.4 SUV isn’t quite the Tiguan substitute that VW might have expected it to become. However, it would be churlish to dismiss the ID.4 as an also-ran in the sector; if it was, then Ford wouldn’t have picked it as the basis for its Explorer and Capri models. VW’s dedicated MEB electric platform offers a good base, and the ID.4 takes advantage of that with plenty of passenger space for its size and impressive comfort, although this comes at the expense of driving fun. At the top…

WHILE Kia is a brand that is widely considered a leader in electrification, it has taken longer than most to join the compact family-SUV class with the EV5. It’s set to rival mighty competitors such as the Skoda Enyaq, Volkswagen ID.4 and Tesla Model Y, but is it a case of too little, too late? Here we’ve pictured the top-spec Kia EV5 GT-Line S, which at £47,145 is £8,000 more than the base model. ENGINES&PERFORMANCE THE only powertrain that’s currently available for the UK version of the EV5 is the Long Range, which consists of a single electric motor that makes 214bhp and 295Nm of torque that’s mounted on the front axle. Regardless of trim, this set-up gives the car a 0-62mph time of 8.4 seconds and a 102mph top…

“ON TRACK, THE AUTOMATIC GEAR BOX WAS FRUSTRATING, BUT IT FEELS BETTER SUITED TO MY FAVOURITE ROADS” IF there’s one car brand that trades heavily on its youthful appeal, then it’s MINI. And potentially the most youth-oriented of its models is the JCW hatch I’ve been running over the past few months. I really enjoyed blasting it around the Curborough sprint course when it first arrived, and more recently I’ve noticed this hot hatch may have been influencing a change in my lifestyle. Although I’m very much on the far side of 30, I’ve decided that now is as good a time as ever to get into some of my old pastimes. Despite how creaky and distinctly un-youthful my body feels, I’ve managed to nail down a ‘pop shuv-it’ in…

IF you buy a second-hand car, you might not realise that you don’t have the locking wheel nut key until it’s too late – after all, it’s not the most critical pre-purchase check to make. But what do you do if you need to get the wheel off and don’t have the official adaptor? A main dealer may be able to give you the correct one from your VIN but will probably charge a small fortune, or you can remove the lock nut yourself and replace it, using a kit designed to do the job. Here we put three popular kits to the test on a Jaguar that we bought with no adaptor key, using a half-inch breaker bar to apply pressure. Each of these kits uses a twist-socket design…

VOLKSWAGEN’S model range is pretty broad, but in 2027 its flagship SUV will be leaving a big hole in the lineup. Yes, the Touareg, Volkswagen’s first SUV, is getting the chop next year, and to mark its end, the company recently announced a £72,000 Touareg ‘Final Edition’. This got us thinking about what three cars from VW we’d like to fill our imaginary garage for the same price. 1 VOLKSWAGEN UP! GTI £13,988 THE up! GTI is the furthest thing from a Touareg in Volkswagen’s recent portfolio, but given that we’ve got other cars here to cover the practical side of life, it’s a worthy indulgence. Rightfully drawing comparisons with the Mk1 Golf GTI when it was launched, the up! GTI is lightweight – at around 1,000kg – has a…