BBC Top Gear

The 23 cars that matter in 2023!› FILMS››,MWGOAHNMAETI›YNTTSGHOAIABVNNUIGNDYSG/MATTVOOIORPDIESOD FEBRUARY 2023 > PAGANI UTOPIA £5.50 > IONIQ 6 Photographing the ultimate Korean adventure in analogue hypercar with the Hyundai’s streamliner, ultimate analogue camera with a Staria camper in tow > VW ID.BUZZ vs EVERYTHING > IS THE BMW i7 SCARY? Every question answered, with the help It is if you watch a horror film in the of a Tesla, a Volvo... and a paddleboard backseat cinema... in the dead of night

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Editor GET YOUR FIX @jack _ rix There’s more than one way to [email protected] consume the world’s best car content I t’s the week before Christmas, the UK is covered in a thick icing of snow and as MAGAZINE everyone merrily forgets that even a 4x4 on the wrong tyres is as useful as Kwasi Order a copy at MagsDirect.co.uk Kwarteng’s calculator, I’m looking forward to the year ahead. We’ve just had our 2023 editorial planning meeting – a predictably shambolic, SUBSCRIPTION OFFER mince pie fuelled romp through the big cars and events coming in 2023. A chance buysubscriptions.com/TGSP3M to strategise how we keep the world’s most beautiful, creative and ambitious car DOWNLOAD The TopGear magazine stocked with stories that deliver more information, entertainment and app from your escapism than ever... before we all decamp to the pub to celebrate together in the App Store traditional manner, and forget most of it. WEBSITE Visit topgear.com So before I do, some predictions on the automotive trends in the year ahead. for your rolling hit of news, reviews, Firstly, it’s time to party like it’s 2014, because nine years on the hypercar holy entertainment trinity part deux is a distinct possibility. The AMG One we’ve already driven, and advice while the Aston Martin Valkyrie and Gordon Murray T.50 are both tantalisingly YOUTUBE Subscribe to close to completion. All we need to do now is get the keys to all three of them the TopGear YouTube channel on the same day. Anyone seen the phone number for our insurers? to watch the best car videos Meanwhile, is love for the electric hypercar dwindling before it’s even got going? on the planet Rumours of slow sales for Lotus and Pininfarina show that customers want a bit more PODCAST Visit topgear.com than neck-bending acceleration for their £2m... and a flame-spitting combustion engine, to download twinned with a sprinkling of e-boost is currently, and will be for a while, the way to go. the TopGear Could the perennially unloved MPV be about to mount a comeback? My enduring podcast want for VW’s ID.Buzz, Hyundai’s Staria (please @topgear “IS LOVE FOR THE bring it to UK immediately) and Dacia Jogger says facebook.com/topgear ELECTRIC HYPERCAR yes. Anything to save us from a future of wall-to- @BBC_TopGear DWINDLING BEFORE wall SUVs. And how about a turning point when you don’t have to choose between affordability, desirability and usability when buying an EV, you can have all three. If Renault can hit its target price of £20k and range of 250 miles for the new Renault 5, it could be transformational. Or maybe there’ll simply be an uprising of Elon’s IT’S GOT GOING?” humanoid Teslas, while AI chatbots steal all our jobs. Either way, it’s going be fun finding out. Happy New Year and enjoy the issue, T O P G E A R . C O M › F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 005

JACK RIX EDITOR HEAD OF CAR TESTING Oliver Marriage BRAND MANAGING EDITOR Esther Neve ASSOCIATE EDITOR Tom Ford HEAD OF DIGITAL PUBLISHING Chris Mooney EDITOR, TOPGEAR.COM Vijay Pattni CONSULTANT EDITOR Paul Horrell HEAD OF CONTENT STRATEGY Rowan Horncastle EDITOR AT LARGE Jason Barlow SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Simon Bond SUB-EDITORS Sam Burnett, Peter Rawlins US CORRESPONDENT Pat Devereux WEB PRODUCER Katie Potts SENIOR ROAD TEST EDITOR Ollie Kew CAR REVIEWS EDITOR Joe Holding STAFF WRITER Greg Potts ART TEAM CREATIVE DIRECTOR Andy Franklin ART EDITOR Elliott Webb CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Mike Channell, Chris Harris, Richard Holt, Sam Philip CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Lee Brimble, Mark Fagelson, Jonny Fleetwood, Wilson Hennessy, Rowan Horncastle, Alex Howe, Jamie Lipman, Dennis Noten, Richard Pardon, Mark Riccioni, Philipp Rupprecht, John Wycherley ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Jason Elson REGIONAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER HEAD OF CLIENTS AND STRATEGY Phil Holland SENIOR BRAND EXEC, CLIENTS AND STRATEGY Kit Brough Richard Burns CLASSIFIED SALES EXECUTIVE James Allen HEAD OF AGENCY TRADING Simon Fulton INSERTS SALES EXECUTIVE James Law-Smith HEAD OF DIGITAL INVESTMENT Dan Hellens DIGITAL SALES PLANNER Isabel Burman PARTNERSHIPS MANAGER Liam Kennedy DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL LICENSING AND SYNDICATION Tim Hudson INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS MANAGER Molly Hope-Seton SYNDICATION MANAGER Richard Bentley PRODUCTION MANAGER Katie Panayi AD SERVICES MANAGER Eleanor Parkman-Eason GROUP PRODUCTION MANAGER Jo Beattie AD SERVICES COORDINATORS Cherine Araman PRODUCTION & REPRO DIRECTOR Koli Pickersgill INSERT SERVICES COORDINATOR Agata Wszeborowska CIRCULATION MANAGER Gareth Viggers MARKETING MANAGER Laura Connaughton PRODUCTION & AD SERVICES DIRECTOR DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL, LICENSING & Sharon Thompson HEAD OF LICENSING Tom Shaw TOPGEAR MAGAZINE Tim Hudson HEAD OF SYNDICATION Richard Bentley IM CEO Sean Cornwell HEAD OF PARTNERS, BRAND MANAGEMENT & ETHICAL IM COO & CFO Dan Constanda COMPLIANCE Molly Hope-Seton GROUP FINANCE DIRECTOR Stephen Lavin FINANCE MANAGER Hari Kannapiran DIRECTOR, SUPPLY CHAIN & LICENSING Alfie Lewis JUNIOR MGNT ACCOUNTANT Ben Simmons EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN Tom Bureau BBC STUDIOS, UK PUBLISHING DIRECTOR, MAGAZINES AND CONSUMER PRODUCTS MD, CONSUMER PRODUCTS AND LICENSING Try 3 issues for just £5 with this trial offer to BBC Mandy Thwaites Stephen Davies TopGear Magazine and test ASSISTANT PROJECT MANAGER Eva Abramik COMPLIANCE MANAGER Cameron McEwan drive the greatest motoring CHAIR, EDITORIAL REVIEW BOARDS Nicholas Brett magazine on the planet! EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS TURN TO Naomi Carter, Jane Lush, Clare Mottershead, Alex Renton, Charlotte Stockting PAGE 50 W W W.BB C S T UD I O S . C OM © Immediate Media Company London Limited 2016 PRINTED BY WALSTEAD ROCHE IN THE UK FOR MORE TOPGEAR VISIT TOPGEAR.COM BBC TopGear magazine is owned by BBC Studios and produced on its behalf by Immediate Media Company Limited. BBC Studio’s profits are returned to the BBC and help fund new BBC programmes BBC Magazines/Immediate Media is working to ensure that all of its paper is sourced from well managed forests. This magazine can be recycled, for use in newspapers and packaging. Please dispose of it at your local collection point This magazine is printed on Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) certified paper MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED IN THE FOLLOWING TERRITORIES: BULGARIA, CHINA, CZECH REPUBLIC, FRANCE, HONG KONG, INDIA, ITALY, JAPAN, LITHUANIA, MALAYSIA, NETHERLANDS, PHILIPPINES, PORTUGAL, SINGAPORE, SOUTH AFRICA, SOUTH KOREA, SPAIN, SRI LANKA, TAIWAN, TURKEY, MIDDLE EAST [ENGLISH EDITION], MIDDLE EAST [ARABIC] We abide by IPSO’s rules and regulations. To give feedback about TopGear magazine, please email [email protected] or write to BBC TopGear magazine, BBC Studios, 2nd Floor, 1 TV Centre, 101 Wood Lane, London, W12 7FA 006 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 › T O P G E A R . C O M



Eau là là! Inspired by Jacques Cousteau – and the French Atlantic province of his birth, the Swiss-made C65 Aquitaine GMT is both an homage to the iconic dive watches of the 20th century, and a powerful timing device that lets you monitor two time zones at once. Its pure sapphire bezel is 50 percent tougher than ceramic, while the Sellita SW330-2 movement delivers a power reserve of 56 hours. It’s also waterproof to 200m. Want to know more? Do your research. christopherward.com

CONTENTS ISSUE 368 / FEBRUARY 2023 COVER ILLUSTRATION PETE LLOYD 054 BMW i7 054 BMW’s new range-topper now comes 102 088 with a built-in cinema. We head to the 068 desert to scare ourselves silly 068 HYUNDAI IONIQ 6 A visit to the home of Hyundai to experience the new Ioniq 6 in its natural habitat – and go camping in style 081 MERC-AMG C63 The new Mercedes-AMG C63 ditches its V8 for a 2.0-litre hybrid, but that doesn’t mean it’s to be taken lightly 086 LR DEFENDER 130 The longest Defender yet is here – complete with space for eight. Six-foot Greg stretches its legs 088 PAGANI UTOPIA Analogue vs digital: discuss. Actually no need – Horrell’s got it covered with a classic 10x8 camera and a V12 hypercar 102 VOLKSWAGEN ID.BUZZ Volkswagen’s hot new ID.Buzz undergoes its toughest test yet – we ask it all the questions you want answering FORD GT TRACK SPECIAL · CAYENNEHYBRID vs RRS JUHA KANKKUNEN · RENAULT MEGANE · FERRARI VISION GT HYBRID · ORA FUNKY CAT RICCI’S GARAGE CUPRA BORN · BMW M8 Ford sends off the GT with a track-only The Range Rover Sport takes We talk to rally legend Kankkunen It’s hello to the Audi S3, Cupra homage, Ferrari finally joins the Vision on the Porsche Cayenne for about his restomod project, Mark’s Born, Renault Megane and Volvo Gran Turismo party, and a closer look hybrid SUV honours. Plus Enyaq, upgrading his Ferrari’s exhaust, XC40, but adios to the BMW iX, Jag at the Fiat 500e Abarth and Tesla Semi Polestar and Ora Funky Cat plus VW Golf 4x4s old and new E-Pace and Bentley Bentayga 010 036 113 123 T O P G E A R . C O M › F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 009

#NEWCARS #ENTERTAINMENT # C A R C U LT U R E 010 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 › T O P G E A R . C O M

#CELEBRITY #GADGETS #GAMING E VERYONE IS TALK ING ABOUT A STIFF G&T Welcome to Ford’s final ever GT, an 800+bhp limited edition track special. Should see it out in style, then T O P G E A R . C O M › F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 011

“WELCOME TO THE MOST EXTREME FORD GT EVER BUILT” T hough outwardly it looked broadly the same as the cars it IV succeeded, famously the Ford GT40 MkIV was a completely LEAGUE different animal underneath. And it is to this 7.0-litre leviathan that Ford has paid homage for the very last track-only 2023 Ford Thought the GT40 story began and ended GT available to purchase. with Matt Damon grinning in Le Mans 66? Not so. It took two painful years for the GT40 to Welcome then, to the most extreme Ford GT ever built: an 800+bhp conquer the Prancing Horses at La Sarthe, racing machine with all the shackles not just loosened, but thrown into but Ford knew Ferrari’s development a pit and burned. Just 67 of these nutjob GTs will be built, in honour of technicians would come roaring back. So the Le Mans-winning 1967 GT40 MkIV. for ’67 it threw away everything except the 7.0-litre V8, gearbox and some suspension And like that first MkIV, this new one’s packing some serious power. and brake bits, and wrapped it up in the MkIV Ford Performance only says the 3.5-litre twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 has been streamliner. Its prototype killed Ken Miles “specially engineered” to target more than 800 horsepower. That’s a lot of (Christian Bale’s gruff character in the horsepower. It’s mated to a full racing gearbox, special Multimatic “adaptive movie) and drivers reputedly hated the car’s spool valve” suspension and a brand new carbon-fibre body, to follow in the hefty weight and overworked brakes. And longtail steps of its predecessor. yet, the MkIV is one of very few racing cars to have a 100 per cent Because the original ’67 MkIV – nicknamed the ‘J-Car’ as it was built to win ratio: it only ever the FIA’s Appendix J rules – famously featured a longer body laid over a competed at Le Mans and lightweight chassis and monster 7.0-litre engine, this new Ford GT MkIV Sebring in ’67, taking the also gets a slightly longer wheelbase “for greater on-track handling”. win in both. Only six were built, so the homage is “The original GT(40) MkIV held nothing back for max track common as muck in performance, and the new Ford GT MkIV brings it in the same way,” said comparison... OK Ford Performance Motorsports director Mark Rushbrook. “With an even higher level of motorsport engineering and performance, plus a completely new carbon-fibre body that is functional and striking, the MkIV is the ultimate send-off of the third-generation supercar.” That’s right, it’s the very last Ford GT, and as such, carries with it a great price – each car will start from $1.7m, and Ford will have decided which 67 lucky applicants have succeeded by early this year. Vijay Pattni 012 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 › T O P G E A R . C O M

COFFEE BREAK IMAGE: MANUFACTURER FAIL OF THE CENTURY #133 What we’re watching/ CHRYSLER SEBRING listening/doing, while we should be working “ W ell Chad, looks like we’re all done here. Engine, suspension, brakes, interior, the whole lot. That’s Keep on keeping on, January officially a sign off. The new Sebring is ready to roll. Named by the Romans after the God Janus. Let’s get those production lines a-fired up!” God of gateways... we’re halfway through the gateway month of 2023 already and it’s “Copy that, boss. Only, just before we press go, I was wondering. time to kickstart your resolutions, sort out What if we spent just a bit more time making it... less awful?” your regifting and STOP EATING “Sounds like a lot of extra work. I’ve already had all these sheets laminated. Have you ever tried to un-laminate a sheet, Chad?” Chinese New Year, 22 January Happy Chinese New Year – “I know. But at the same time – hope I’m not speaking out of turn 2023 is year of the rabbit, so here – isn’t this new Sebring terrible by most objective measures?” queue up the Chas & Dave on the “You are speaking out of turn, Chad. It’s terrible by every stereo and keep hold of those objective measure!” bunny ears for Easter! “So who’s gonna buy it?” TopGear magazine fix “No one, Chad! That’s the genius. No buyers, no unhappy You can download the latest customers. We’re targeting the airport rental market. The holiday edition and back issues direct to hire crew. They’ll drive it for two weeks, they’ll hate it, then they’ll your phone or tablet from the App hand it back, so happy they never have to drive it again that they Store. Because when life gives you won’t even complain. It’s a victimless crime! No one will ever know!” lemons... settle in and read TG “If you say so, boss. Just so long as, in 15 years’ time, a British car magazine doesn’t expose our laxness as part of Vikings: Valhalla, Netflix a light-hearted series on rubbish cars?” The Nordic/Scandi scamps are back to “Don’t be crazy. No one would ever believe them...” pillage your senses in Season two. Viking explorer Leif Eriksson is ‘rumoured’ to T O P G E A R . C O M › F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 013 have tracked down Aston’s Valhalla launch to the 11th century... arf arf TopGear TV, BBC iPlayer Don’t forget that ALL of TopGear telly is ready and waiting on iPlayer

CAR NEWS F errari has finally given the gaming The powertrain also takes influence community what it always wanted. from the 499P, using the same 3.0-litre PRANCING Maranello’s Vision Gran Turismo is a twin-turbo V6 at its heart. But because PIXELS single-seat, tin-topped virtual racecar with there are no restrictions in the virtual insane aero and beautiful bodywork that world, said engine is now producing Ferrari finally joins the drapes itself over the wheels and creates 1,016bhp on its own. The combustion Vision Gran Turismo party. giant open side channels that direct airflow engine is then paired with three electric Knocks it out of the park... around the cockpit and over the side pods. motors – one on the rear axle and two on Even though this is only for PlayStation, the front for all-wheel drive – in order to that’s a patented Ferrari aero solution. produce a total output of 1,338bhp and 811lb ft of torque. In a racecar weighing There are also plenty of links to the 1,250kg. Impressive. past. That straight line rear end with its amazing light bar evokes the 512 S, while A full-size, real life design study of the the gorgeous 330 P3 is also referenced as car has already gone on display at the a design influence. The rear wing and that Ferrari Museum in Maranello, while the massive rear diffuser are inspired by the real/virtual thing is available for you to new Ferrari 499P Le Mans hypercar. race in Gran Turismo 7. Greg Potts YOU CAN’T BUY TASTE CATERHAM SUPER SEVEN 2000 Careful on the options as you kitsch up your retro Super Seven. Less is more – and going for the Seventies vibe with brown, er, anywhere is to be avoided. As is the gopping wide chassis option. 014 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 › T O P G E A R . C O M

Procrastination ahoy! Six videos worth watching on the web this month PASTRANA IN THE FAMILY HUCKSTER SPEED WEEK DIRECTOR’S CUT Travis Pastrana’s ode to sideways is one of the If you’ve not seen TG’s three-part Speed Week doc in wildest Gymkhana instalments ever. Watch as he the Czech Republic... then why not? But also, fear not, takes a humble Subaru GL Wagon, sticks loads because we’ve glued all the parts together for this of power in it... and unleashes chaos. special director’s cut. Pop the kettle on. BUGATTI PUR SPORT: THE DRIFT AMERICAN TUNED, SEASON TWO Take one very powerful, very expensive Chiron Pur Rob Dahm and his freak show of modified American Sport, one highly talented test driver, one enormous cars is back for another 10-ep run on TG’s YT expanse of tarmac and what you’re left with is a lot channel. Highlights include a Pikes Peak Porsche, of smoke and less rubber than you started with. Impala lowrider and a 2JS-swapped Jaguar XJS. PORSCHE 911 GT3 RS vs CAYMAN GT4 RS HAMILTON’S R34 JOYRIDE IN JAPAN Porsche’s two latest RS models, the TG test track... The 2022 F1 season wasn’t ideal for Hamilton, so he and a game of Top Trumps. Plus some high speed decided to rag a Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R around Japan, and then post the video on his Instagram. sideways science experiments to show what all It’s everything you could hope for and more. those numbers actually mean. T O P G E A R . C O M › F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 015

WAT C H E S H istorians can argue all day long about what won World War Two, but the one thing they all agree on is that without the massive expansion of US air power, WAR things could have turned out very differently. And the wristwatch played a OF THE vital role, employing a neat little function that has since become commonplace. WATCH In bombing raids precise timing is crucial and the Allies relied on clockwork to In the absence of electronics, the wristwatch coordinate attacks. Even the best quality watches were not that accurate by today’s played a crucial role in World War Two standards, with precision of plus or minus 30 seconds a day. So pilots needed to synchronise timepieces before heading out, and this required a ‘hacking’ mechanism. On a quartz watch, when you pull out the crown it breaks the circuit powering the mechanism and the ticking will stop. A mechanical watch requires an extra bit of kit to make this happen. When you pull the crown on old mechanical watches, or on some cheaper modern ones, you can adjust the hours and minutes, but the seconds hand just keeps going. The hacking, or stop-seconds, function introduced a little lever that pushes onto the balance wheel, pausing the seconds hand so you can set the time precisely. This function, invented in the early 20th century, was top of the list when US military ordered the A-11 spec wristwatch for WW2 troops. Other stipulations included: easy grip crown, olive drab strap, ‘unbreakable’ acrylic crystal and stainless steel caseback with serial number, manufacturer and military regiment. Three US watch manufacturers – Elgin, Waltham, and Bulova – were engaged to make the watches, and thousands were distributed not just to American troops but across Allied forces. The popularity among pilots has seen collectors label the A-11 “the watch that won the war”. While America boomed, its watch industry dwindled. Of the three companies that made the A-11 watches, only Bulova remains in business (see opposite) and is now Japanese-owned. There is a lot of nostalgia for WW2 watches, in no small part because WW1 watches were a bit rubbish – cobbled together on the fly, rather than purpose built. In World War Two, we got proper mil-spec watches for the first time. If they also played a part in keeping us safe from the Nazis, no wonder so many of us are keen to get in on the action. Richard Holt 016 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 › T O P G E A R . C O M

CIRCA £2K TUDOR RANGER The brand used to live in big sister Rolex’s shadow, but a few years back started coming out with mega cool watches and made a name all of its own. Tudor’s Ranger is an entry level piece with a sense of adventure. Automatic movement in 39mm steel case, water resistant to 100m. From £2,170; tudorwatch.com BLOW CIRCA THE £500 BUDGET LUMINOX AIR PILOT A US company that uses Swiss tech, Luminox made its BREMONT S500 REORG name in the Nineties producing watches for the US Navy Only 20 years old, Henley-based Bremont has already become one of the most popular watch brands among military Seals. The watch is a tribute to the Lockheed P-38 types. The company ethos is built around flying, driving, diving Lightning, a US fighter plane used during WW2. Quartz and all manner of macho outdoor pursuits, and a good deal of Bremont’s business is small orders for different regiments of movement in a 42mm stainless steel case, water the armed forces. This watch is a special edition made in resistant to 100m. £520; uk.luminox.com partnership with the charity REORG, which focuses on maintaining physical and mental health among military UNDER £300 personnel, veterans and emergency services. With chronometer-rated automatic movement in scratch resistant BULOVA A-11 HACK 43mm DLC-coated stainless steel case, water resistant to 500m. Bulova has a history of inventiveness that includes the first A proportion of sales go to charity. £3,795; bremont.com electronic watch back in the Sixties, and making timing instruments for NASA spacecraft in the same decade. This watch looks further back, paying tribute to watches ordered by the US in WW2. With 37mm stainless steel case and water resistant to 50m. £299; uk.bulova.com T O P G E A R . C O M › F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 017

MY LIFE IN CARS HUGH’S DREAM HUGH GARAGE BONNEVILLE What’ll be on The Earl of Grantham and the Downton Paddington Bear’s foster driveway? father talks childhood Volvos and EV living... T here was a famous old Volvo Car. It’s an add-on to the DVD of Pixar’s I don’t much like saloons, though, TESLA 145 in our family when I was Monsters, Inc. It’s about Mike being very and I just wanted a little runabout so ROADSTER young. It was a tank of a thing proud of his new car, and Sulley gets in that I could put the dogs in the back, so and my parents used to put a and starts playing with all the knobs and I put a deposit down on a Model 3 when I think for the hell whopping great canvas tent and big buttons and Mike gets really cross with it was first announced and then waited of it I’d have a foldaway canvas canoe on the roof – him. I seem to remember being exactly four years for it. I thought I’d ticked the Roadster. It’s very with three kids in the back too. like Mike in his new car, even though box which said black seats and white nippy, isn’t it? when I sat in the Renault it completely trim, unfortunately when it arrived The great joy of it was me tipped one way. It was hilarious. I realised I’d ticked the box for white TRIUMPH STAG discovering the cigarette lighter and seats and black trim. Also, it wasn’t a realising that it made pretty patterns I then moved on to a Citroen AX. hatchback, so I couldn’t put the dogs in I’ve always wanted in the front seat when hot. I thought if I It probably only had a 1.0-litre engine, the boot. And white seats meant they a Stag. My aunt could make the Olympic rings on the red but it also had a go-faster stripe so couldn’t go inside. That was probably previously had one seats then that would look quite nice. I therefore it was immensely cool. the worst investment I could have made. and I thought it was got something of a telling off for that. the coolest car. Nowadays I live in the countryside I tried a Model X and as much as Then my dad moved on to another and my good lady wife wanted a I loved the falcon wing doors – I think MERCEDES- Volvo – he was very much a safe driver Chieftain tank of the roads, so we had they’re hilarious – I didn’t enjoy the way BENZ SL PAGODA as you can detect – after which he had a great big Volvo XC90 which we bought it drove, so I put my name down for a an Opel Rekord. That was very exciting off a mate, with seven seats for our three Model Y. I got that early last year and I love the SL with the because it had electric front windows, person family. am very happy with it, though my wife detachable hardtop one of which worked. The other one thinks the lack of buttons is ridiculous. roof. That’s a blew the fuses if you tried to use it. That That eventually went and I had an I don’t know how half of it works beautiful car. was superseded by a Vauxhall Astra. Audi Q5, but our local garage was so because I’m not prepared to sit there smug about the emissions scandal that for two hours to learn it all, and when My first car was a beaten up Renault I got rid of it straight away. That’s when driving I just want to get from A to B. 5 in bright metallic blue with a go-faster I went down the Tesla route. I bought a stripe. I have fond memories of that car. secondhand 2014 Tesla Model S. It was Hugh is starring in new crime drama The One of my favourite films in the entire like buying a first-gen iPhone. It was universe is a short film called Mike’s New really basic but it got me into EVs. Gold, coming soon to BBC One and iPlayer 018 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 › T O P G E A R . C O M

THE GOOD THE BAD THE UGLY Gamechanger Get ready for a shortage How many diesel/gas fire of Pepsi products trucks do you need when Chris King one of these is burning? John Phipps I HAVE NOW SEEN Ben De Bruyne THE FUTURE We’ll see how long the trucks last before parts start falling off them No thanks Eric Kolari Elon can TBP If the keep this & Stig Coke better steer his Tesla was clear. Holidays & pack a truck won’t be coming in that everything Warwick Brown up and ship Ian Ashworth This is great. Drive all it to Mars day, charge all night Just what our crumbling electric grid needed! Mates Amik Bestajovsky Louis Ramon Cortez David Baker IF ELON HAS CLAIMED The writing I DON’T WISH TO SEE SOMETHING, HALVE THE is on the ELON MUSK’S SEMI NUMBER AND DOUBLE THE wall when it PRICE TO GET THE TRUE VALUE comes to Adam Clayton diesel trucks David Powell COMMENTS Joshua Michalski HATE THE TESLA DESIGN! SEMI Martin John White T esla has revealed the production-ready fully front axle, and a pair of motors on the rear which can be electric Semi Truck at the company’s Sparks automatically disengaged via a clutch when cruising on Gigafactory in Nevada, with the first examples a motorway, for example, to enable greater efficiency. being handed over live on stage to PepsiCo. It reportedly has three times the power of any diesel The Semi’s range of 500 miles was confirmed via truck currently on the road, and can be charged using a footage of a drive from Fremont to San Diego undertaken 1MW charger, meaning up to 70 per cent of range in half in ‘real world’ conditions. There’s a single motor on the an hour. No word on price yet, mind. Vijay Pattni T O P G E A R . C O M › F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 019

GAME OF THE MONTH THE KNOWLEDGE Need-to-know nuggets of automotive news BLURRED VISION Mazda has released images of its lovely looking new ‘Vision Study Model’ concept along with precisely zero details about what it is or what it might do. An electric MX-5? A new RX-7? Sure! Inertial Drift: Twilight Rivals CREWE SHOES If you’re familiar with the Nineties Japanese animated series Initial D, you might be staring at the title of An exclusive collab between Bentley Inertial Drift and wondering where all the extra letters came from. This expanded and upgraded version and custom footwear guru ‘The of the 2020 game, Twilight Rivals Edition, is that classic street racing cartoon in all but name. Newcomers to Surgeon’, just 10 pairs of these this 4K-upgraded next-generation update of the 2020 original, which is out now on Playstation, Xbox and PC, will have to get their heads around the Drift Stick control method. It splits out the angle of your drift to exclusive trainers will be available the second joystick on your controller, something that at first feels a bit like patting your head and rubbing to Mulliner clients. Expect a VERY big your stomach at the same time, only at 150 miles per hour. Once you get the knack, though, it’s very satisfying to scythe your way down a mountain pass and the new Twilight Rivals story contains all the earnest posturing discount in the January sales... you’d expect from a bunch of fictionalised drift heroes. Mike Channell GEAR SUPERBARGE PORSCHE TEQUIPMENT Things may have got out of hand at ROOF TENT AMG. The monstrous new 791bhp S63 Want to add a more with the 911, Macan, Cayenne, has a 4.0-litre bi-turbo V8 with a adventurous feel to your 911 Panamera and Taycan, and 188bhp e-motor and 13.1kWh battery without splashing out on the comes with two side windows that’ll see 62mph in 3.3secs and your new 911 Dakar? This official and a skylight for taking in the Porsche roof tent should do great outdoors. We’re told lunch a mere 2.0secs after that the trick, and it’ll mean you an official Porsche heated instantly have the coolest blanket is on the way too, so 0 STARS FOR TOYOTA set-up on the campsite. VW you can camp out in the winter California owners eat your safe in the knowledge that The new fifth-generation Toyota heart out. The hard-cased, everything you own is Porsche Prius finally has the good looks pop-up tent is compatible branded. porsche.com; £4,635 to match the hyper-efficient PHEV tech below its new wedgy bodywork. But wait, it’s not even coming to the UK. Sad times 020 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 › T O P G E A R . C O M

TOPGEAR TOP 9 SUPERCAR-INSPIRED SPEEDBOATS 01 02 03 Riva Aquarama ‘Lamborghini’ MTI Super Veloce Riva Ferrari 32 Built in 1968, this stunning Ferrucio Lamborghini- The Riva’s modern equivalent is this carbon-fibre Forty of these 32-foot prancing seahorses commissioned Riva Aquarama ditched American were built in the early Nineties, complete with a V8 power for two Lamborghini V12s, good for a hulled 1,550bhp catamaran, commissioned not-at-all pointless F1-style wing over the top. At as a one-off in 2017 for £1.75m. Inspired by the the back, there’s Testarossa-style slats and quad combined 700bhp and 55mph (or 48 knots). It exhausts. Power comes from twin 400bhp V8s was built in just 278 days in order to be ready Aventador SV, you get Lambo-spec good for a claimed top speed of 62mph. paint, switchgear and it came with a for Mr Lambo’s summer holiday. $25k sound system as standard. 04 05 06 Cigarette AMG Electric Drive Concept Cigarette Mercedes SLS AMG Aston Martin AM37 Worried your supercar-inspired speedboat is out Come over all environmentally unfriendly? Then A good pub quiz fact to know: what’s the only diesel-powered Aston Martin? Ta-dah: the AM37 of touch? Worry not – just go electric. This tie-in your other option is this $1.2m pleasure craft built by Quintessence Yachts in 2016. Available with the Merc SLS AMG Electric Drive resulted in a inspired by the SLS. It’s got two twin-turbo V8s for with two 430bhp petrol V8s or twin 370bhp diesel 2,220bhp fully electric boat featuring 12 e-motors. 1,350bhp, which is over double what you get in the powerplants, there was also an ‘S’ model with Top speed? 100mph. Range? Not quoted. Better more horsepower. Handled like a boat though. gullwing supercar. But you don’t get Drift Mode. bring an outboard motor just in case. Geddit? Drifting... boat... never mind. I MAG ES: MAN U FACTU R ER, D E TANY 07 08 09 Malibu Corvette Palmer Johnson Bugatti Niniette Fiat 500 Riva This one actually makes sense, given America’s Right, let’s get properly stupid. This one So let’s end by flipping the formula and sports car owes its name to small attack boats doesn’t even exist. The Chiron-inspired celebrating a superboat-inspired supermini. Just called, um, corvettes. Malibu has delivered boats MegaWealth 5000 (not actual name) proposed 500 (duh) examples of this Fiat/Riva team-up were an onboard jacuzzi and firepit – perfect for made, complete with a mahogany dashboard, themed around the angular C4 and pretty C6 a top speed of 44 knots. But we can’t find any extra chrome and Riva-approved paint. The Vette, complete with quad tail lamps, and evidence the $4m Bugat-sea was ever built. perfect little landborne harbour tender. 400bhp V8s, plus a 500+bhp ZO6-themed craft. T O P G E A R . C O M › F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 021

CAR NEWS 2 IT’S NIPPY 5 THINGS YOU NEED The Abarth uses the same 42kWh battery TO KNOW ABOUT THE. . as the top-spec Fiat 500e, but here you get a 149bhp motor (a pokey 35bhp more than ABARTH the most powerful Fiat 500e) and a welcome 500e 173lb ft of torque. That equates to a 0–62mph sprint of seven seconds, a full two seconds A handful of facts on Abarth’s luridly quicker than the Fiat. eye-catching first ever electric model 3 IT WON’T KEEP YOU WAITING It has three drive modes – Turismo (for pootling around town) Scorpion Street (for the traffic light drag) and Scorpion Track (for giving it the full beans). Plus there’s 85kW rapid charging to replenish the battery after any spirited Abarth- style driving, taking you from zero battery to 85 per cent in just over half an hour. 4 IT’S BRINGING THE NOISE We all know that Abarths like a bit of noise. The 500e gives this a whole new meaning with its “guitar sound” when you turn the car on, a “strumming guitar” that plays the first time you exceed 12mph and then a “sound generator” that provides generic petrol engine noises above that. Hmm. 1 IT’S THE FIRST FULL EV ABARTH 5 BLINK AND YOU WON’T MISS IT Wearing extremely bright acid green paint, this is Abarth’s take on the all-electric Fiat 500. The car you see here is the Scorpionissima launch You should start to see them on British roads in the edition – complete with 18in diamond-cut wheels, middle of the year, so long as people are happy to a 10.25in central touchscreen and a 7in digital dial part with the anticipated £30,000 asking price – or display. Oh, and Abarth has introduced a new around £35k for this limited edition version. ‘electrified’ scorpion logo, that looks like a scorpion being fried. Shy and retiring the Abarth 500e is not. But it will play classic guitar choons if you ask nicely WORDS: CRAIG JAMIESON 022 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 › T O P G E A R . C O M



THIS MONTH: REGENERATION GAME The single motor Lyriq CADILLAC manages 312 miles of range LYRIQ on a charge. Its one pedal mode actually has two settings for ‘light’ and ‘heavy’ with the latter able to deliver up to 0.3g when you lift off the accelerator. MARQUES BROWNLEE GLARING OMISSION This is probably the HARD dictionary definition DRIVE of nitpicking, but that’s because I liked the Lyriq We download YouTube’s #1 tech expert on so much. It has a huge whatever he’s been driving this month panoramic roof, but it probably needs to be more tinted. You can close the cover of course – if you don’t then glare can be an issue. A utocorrect really messes with Cadillac’s naming of its first ever full EV. The Lyriq is interesting for a number of reasons though, not least because it represents yet another step into the EV market for GM. And if we’re honest, GM has hit the ground running. Having learned a few lessons from the old EV1 (whoops) and the Chevrolet Bolt, it now has its new scalable Ultium platform that underpins everything from this Lyriq to the cartoonish Hummer EV. I always thought that General Motors should make an electric Escalade. It’s already massive and heavy, so going all electric wouldn’t make much difference there, and then an EV powertrain would make the Escalade quieter, faster and even more luxurious. That’s everything you want in an Escalade, right? But instead we have the Lyriq, which is a little more of a mainstream SUV. For context, it’s longer and lower than a Porsche Cayenne and the wheelbase is almost as big as an S-Class’s. The battery is 102kWh and to begin with you can only have a single motor, rear-wheel-drive iteration that starts at just under $63,000 in the US. A twin-motor version with a quicker 0–62mph time, slightly less range and no doubt a bigger pricetag will arrive soon. 024 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 › T O P G E A R . C O M

DOPE TECH MB’S FAVOURITE FEATURE The sound system is impressive and includes speakers in the headrests for full immersion. Plus, the Lyriq uses active noise cancellation to mask unwanted road noise and quiet the cabin SPORTING CHANCE This is a Cadillac, so it’s nice to see that the Lyriq is quiet, softly sprung and relaxing to drive. I do wish that it could be sportier when required, though. A bigger step up from Normal to Sport mode would allow it to compete with something like the Tesla Model Y Performance. The AWD version might solve that though. HE Y, GOOD LOOKING The concept was first shown in 2020 and when the production version broke cover in 2021 it had hardly changed at all. It’s a bold thing and looks futuristic but also recognisably Cadillac. I also like the light show it gives when you lock and unlock it. POOR DOORS QUALITY STREET The doors are a little The materials used for overengineered – you press the Lyriq’s interior are a button and it uses motors really good. It also has to present the door to you, the best software at which point you can push experience of any it the rest of the way open. non-Tesla EV that I’m lazy but not that lazy. I’ve driven. VERDICT CONSUMER TECH This is a really impressive COMPARISON... first attempt at an EV from The Canon EOS R. When Cadillac. At this price point ‘normal’ cameras went with the smooth drive and out of style, everyone the comforting interior, I wanted a smaller wonder whether GM will mirrorless camera. be able to make them Canon then created quickly enough? the EOS R. THE DRIVE: 6 9 THE TECH: 7 THE WANT: T O P G E A R . C O M › F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 025



TOPGEAR’S GUIDE TO THE FUTURE OF EVERYTHING M Y T H R BU S T E “ABIGBATTERY SMTEOAPNSS”FEWER Guess I’m as guilty as any other tester per mile to charge the Toyota, and with 50kW posts you’ll be departing more of banging on about range, from which recent high electricity prices that matters. quickly if you need less energy. arises the myth that it’s all that matters. But it’s not the whole story. We need to But second, if you’re doing a journey See, on any journey you’ll almost talk about efficiency too. of more than their max range (which in always want to stop for a rest after less either case is a safe 250-odd motorway than 250 miles. But ideally that stop Consider the Nissan Ariya and Toyota miles), you’ll probably arrive more quickly would be 20-odd minutes for a sandwich, bZ4X. According to WLTP, both their in the Toyota. That’s not because of their coffee and wee. So if a car takes 20 small-wheeled versions go about 320 miles. theoretical charge timings on 150kW rapid minutes plugged in while you do that, But the Nissan needs an 87kWh battery for chargers – on those they both claim about it’s effectively taking no time at all. that, while the Toyota needs just 71.4kWh. half an hour to get back to 80 per cent. It’s But every minute after that you notice. because in Britain 150kW chargers are still If you need less energy, you need fewer That means two things. First and a bit scarce. And on the more common minutes. Paul Horrell obviously, you’ll pay proportionally less WHO KNOWS? EV UPDATE NOW LATER I MAGES: G ET T Y, MAN U FACTU RER BONNIE LASS SPACE AGE HAT-TRICK HERO Meet the Munro MK_1, a 4x4 Defender Lucid has teased its new Gravity SUV, and Genesis’s third ‘X’ concept is a four- rival built in Scotland and equipped claims it’ll go further than any other EV... its seat convertible with a folding hard- with 295bhp electric motor. Gnarly own Air stablemate aside. Watch this space top roof. Doesn’t it just look superb? T O P G E A R . C O M › F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 027

visit bit.ly/3FCM2zl or scan the QR code to watch the Hyundai N Story video REMARKABLY, M ajor performance brands HYUNDAI’S PERFORMANCE around the world that turn N BRAND IS NOT EVEN TEN heads and win hearts are YEARS OLD. BUT WHAT A easy to recall: Mercedes TIME IT HAS BEEN.  and AMG, BMW and its M Division, Audi’s RS line-up. All have built themselves up over decades of design heritage, engineering nous and motorsport trophies to transform the everyday cars that we drive. Which makes it all the more remarkable that Hyundai’s N brand, which has elevated itself to a deserved place on that list, only started in 2015. It’s quite the journey for the Korean offshoot that does its research in Namyang and its testing at the Nurburgring (hence, the “N”).

ADVERTORIAL FEATURE It’s a formula that initially turned heads in motorsport. ““ YOUNEEDTOKEEPPUSHINGTHEBOUNDARIES Similarly, the RN22e – a 577BHP all-electric touring With a core team featuring luminaries from the OF WHAT’S POSSIBLE.YOU NEED TO ASK car based on Hyundai’s Ioniq 6 saloon – introduced a performance car world, the N logo first saw the QUESTIONS, PLAY WITH SOLUTIONS. ground-breaking simulated paddle-shift system that public eye on the i20 rally car, unveiled at the CHALLENGE THE STATUS QUO. AND solves one of the most difficult problems that EVs 2013 Geneva Motor Show. By 2019, Hyundai N IS JUST GETTING STARTED. face: making them as engaging to drive. had sown up the 2019 WRC manufacturer’s championship with a mammoth 380 points. Two cars sum up this future even better than N brand is confident enough in the RN22e and any words. First up, the N Vision 74, a rolling Ioniq 6 it’s built upon, to announce that a version And when that know-how moved to the road, the lab for Hyundai’s design and technology that will be entering next year’s FIA ETCR, the first hits kept on coming, where a combination of handling, is inspired by the legendary designer Giorgetto ever team to enter a dedicated EV road going everyday drivability and track day chops reinvigorated Giugiaro’s iconic Pony Coupe Concept from 1974. car into a motorsport season. the hot hatch segment which had laid rather dormant. A 670BHP electric twin-motor combines with a The i30 N brought all of this to a practical family unique onboard hydrogen fuel cell system to deliver ““ ATHYUNDAIN,OURPACE  car. It’s little brother, the i20 N hatch, was then a rear-wheel drive masterpiece with 370 miles of IS ACCELERATING, named Top Gear’s car of the year for 2021. range and a top speed of 155 mph. Not only that – the car can charge in five minutes, making future says Wartenberg. With this track Watch the film above to see why Till endurance events an intriguing possibility. record, what will be next? Wartenberg, Vice President N Brand Management & Motorsport, says:

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There is no such thing as a zero emission vehicle, so stop perpetuating the myth please, says Chris ILLUSTRATION: PAUL RYDING Big news as I write this – Toyota is backing an electric observing a sleeping crocodile with “of course this one never future and winding back on hydrogen. It makes sense not bites”. It’s a boast that makes people feel safe and cosy, like good to be pushing for something the world’s completely ignorant things are happening. But it’s actually a dangerous simplification. politicians have decided against, but it’s sad to see an innovator like Toyota cave in. No point grousing though, the deal is done. The Citroen Ami probably emits less than half the CO2 and other sundry nasties when being built than a C3. And its What did catch my eye in the news surrounding this was tailpipe emissions are zero around town, but the electricity repeated use of a phrase that triggers me so badly I might need it uses has to be produced somewhere. So how this is allowed some more therapy: “zero emission vehicles”. No such object to be described as ‘zero’ in the year 2022 is quite baffling. Big has ever been produced, and yet this phrase that has snuck up polluters are now offsetting everything they do, but if we’re on us over the past decade has now taken root – it’s the Japanese really expected to believe that any car company is planting knotweed of the car vocabulary. Just read those three words and enough trees to compensate for the frankly environmentally tell me how any car company can, both legally and morally, ruinous process of making a car battery, then they must think make such a claim of anything it manufactures? we’re a bunch of mugs. Actually, Volkswagen confirmed we are by telling us its diesels were clean despite what our eyes were I live in Bristol, a small city with a very big aversion to telling us was the sooty truth. polluting cars. I have also recently been using a Citroen Ami, which is both ideally suited to the way I use a car in the city, but The car industry has always allowed itself worrying leeway also an excellent way of deflecting the many people who grimace when it comes to describing its new technologies. Every little when they see me driving an M5. Everyone who stops for a chat leap in safety, however profoundly positive it might have been about the little Citroen – and there are many of them – somehow in real life, was always supported by words that were just too manages to drop that bloody phrase. Normally in this context: boastful. I suppose so long as the legal department is happy it “of course, it’s so good being zero emissions”. That’s like can defend an utterance, you can say what you want, but there is one howler repeatedly bandied about that makes me wince: “CAR COMPANIES MUST “self-driving car”. Elon has long made the claim, but it’s clear to THINK THAT WE ARE A anyone with half a brain that we’re a long way from this being a BUNCH OF MUGS” commercial reality. It certainly usurps “zero emission vehicle” and the other lurking purveyor of bulls**t “self-charging hybrid” as being something that doesn’t just lurk in the grey areas of interpretation, but is demonstrably untrue. Right, now that little lot is off my chest, I’m off to drive my low emission Citroen Ami. Need more of the TopGear telly show in your life? All episodes are now free to stream on BBC iPlayer T O P G E A R . C O M › F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 031

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Stop compiling your driving tunes playlist, TGTV’s Sam Philip has some serious advice for you all ILLUSTRATION: PAUL RYDING I hope I am not too late, but I fear I may be. I have just been which found songs with a tempo over 120bpm (beats per minute) made aware of a crucial piece of driving advice, one that could could cause dangerous driving behaviours, impacting the driver’s save thousands from danger, and I feel duty bound to share. cardiovascular, physiological and psychological states. Most Christmas singles tick along well below 120bpm, but ‘Hallelujah’ This vital motoring revelation comes from a company called clocks a terrifying 180bpm, apparently making it the audio Chill, which describes itself as the “Irish car insurance experts”. equivalent of attempting to carve a family turkey while driving in (Experts in Irish car insurance? Irish experts in car insurance the outside lane of the M4. While on fire. Yes, ‘Hallelujah’ must more broadly? Tantalisingly unclear). And Chill’s vital road safety not be listened to while driving because it’s dangerously exciting. tip is this: while driving, you must not, under any circumstances, listen to Alexandra Burke’s popular Christmas single ‘Hallelujah’. Now then. You, like me, may not associate Alexandra Burke’s popular Christmas single ‘Hallelujah’ with phrases like Of course, I realise this advice would have been more useful dangerously exciting. You might, like me, have considered in the previous issue of TopGear, the one that came out before ‘Hallelujah’ more likely to induce narcolepsy than road rage. Christmas. But it reached my inbox just too late for inclusion, You might, like me, think that if your science says Alexandra and I’m thinking, hey, some radio stations play Alexandra Burke’s Burke’s ‘Hallelujah’ is a danger to public health on the grounds popular Christmas single ‘Hallelujah’ in late January, right? And of overexcitement, maybe your science needs a bit of a tweak. if this column saves just one motorist from a Burke-related catastrophe (a Burkalamity?), I can sleep easy at night. But that’s exactly why you and I aren’t in the business of cutting edge motoring research! That’s why we should leave You may be wondering exactly what’s so dangerous about these important matters to the Irish car insurance experts at listening to Alexandra Burke’s popular Christmas single Chill! They’re experts for a reason! ‘Hallelujah’ while driving. Well, there’s serious science behind it. (In fact, the Irish car experts at Chill found there was It’s all about the beats. The Irish car insurance experts drew only one Christmas song even more dangerous than ‘Hallelujah’ on research from the South China University of Technology, to consume while driving: Shakin’ Stevens’ rage-inducing ‘Merry Christmas Everyone’, which revs to a potentially “SONGS WITH A TEMPO OF lethal 203bpm. No wonder he was shakin’.) 120BPM OR MORE COULD CAUSE DANGEROUS DRIVING” Consider yourself duly warned for next Christmas, kids. Don’t Burke and drive. Sam Philip is the TopGear telly script editor, and a TG mag and website regular for 15 years. Once wrote a Vauxhall Corsa joke that Paddy McGuinness described as “not totally crap” Need more of the TopGear telly show in your life? All episodes are now free to stream on BBC iPlayer T O P G E A R . C O M › F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 033

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With the new car market in turmoil, drivers are increasingly investing in used buys, says Paul Horrell ILLUSTRATION: PAUL RYDING For almost three years it’s been omni-turmoil. You know the immune to the storm. They stick their fingers in their ears and causes, but indulge me with the drama of spelling them out. sign for a new car on a hugely raised monthly payment. A pandemic, chaos in supply chains, a war, an energy squeeze, inflation and spiralling interest rates. Plus, for the car business Well, most do. Some don’t. At the end of the PCP, they in particular, the chip shortage and logistics – even now, freshly instead pay the balloon payment. With new cars in short supply, built cars are piling up outside factories because there are too more people are turning to secondhand options, so those prices few lorry drivers for the transporters. have shot up too – the average selling price is half as much again as it was in 2019. So people at the end of a PCP find their Strangely, the car companies didn’t mind too much. They car is worth much more than the balloon payment. Happy? Not no longer had to fight for customers. In the face of chipageddon, really, because their gain is notional: they can realise it only by they throttled right back on making low-profit cheap cars to selling up immediately and trading down. If they want to keep make sure the scarce chips were used on their more profitable the car they probably have to take out a loan to pay the balloon. models and brands. Carmakers also nudged prices up, and stopped giving discounts. But now we’re into a new phase, with Which takes us to the big new trend: many more people are climbing interest rates. Nearly all new cars are bought on some buying their secondhand cars on finance, either PCP or lease. kind of credit. Thing is, when you drive out of the showroom Auto Trader, which gathers mountains of this data, tells me the rate is fixed for the term, so you won’t be hit immediately. some of these secondhand buyers have been shoved out of new The blow comes when you go to replace your car and find that by the prices and waiting lists. Some would have paid outright the new monthly payment has jumped up because of a higher for a secondhand car, but they’re now so committed to other price, lower discount and raised interest rate. cost of living spikes they don’t have the cash. Some are just being snared by increasingly sophisticated financial products. But new car sales haven’t crashed. Not yet, anyway. New car Auto Trader reckons this new dynamic is looking permanent. buyers are mostly pretty well-off, or are able to imagine they’re Whatever, it strikes me as scary. People are riding a gravy “WITH NEW CARS IN SHORT train of credit. Their mortgages and card payments go up, and SUPPLY, MORE PEOPLE ARE food, heating and the rest too. So they take out yet more credit TURNING TO SECONDHAND” for a car. They seem surprisingly confident of their financial stability, in what are (see above) immensely unstable times. Why not just go and buy a six-year-old Volkswagen Golf or Ford Focus instead? They’re still good cars, and even if no longer warranted, they’re cheap to look after too. TG’s eco-conscious megabrain, Paul Horrell, is one of the world’s most respected and experienced car writers. Has attended every significant car launch since the Model T T O P G E A R . C O M › F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 035

DRIV PORSCHE CAYENNE E-HYBRID PLATINUM £77,330/£86,765 as tested The big test: hybrid SUVs Want a luxury sporting SUV with plug-in capability to limit the guilt? Not ready for full electric? Time for a heavyweight contest WORDS OLLIE MARRIAGE PHOTOGRAPHY JONNY FLEETWOOD 036 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 › T O P G E A R . C O M

VES RANGE ROVER SPORT SE P440e £87,475/£93,660 as tested A luxury SUV you can charge up Rover believes different; that the appearance Porsche is waiting for its next big at home and use to trundle about of sportiness is what they actually want, so what technological leap. Mercedes has brilliantly silently is not a new thing. Porsche’s matters is attitude. The Sport is the Range Rover integrated hybrids with great range, and so first plug-in Cayenne arrived back that hints the shotguns in the back are sawn-off. now does Range Rover. The Cayenne must wait in 2015, a Range Rover Sport fed by its turn while Porsche is busy with the Taycan, cable as well as pump was only two years later. Or it did. The edges, as we shall see, have been plus the electric Macan and Cayman. Others are available from Audi, Mercedes, Volvo, somewhat chamfered. And not just the visible BMW, Bentl... you get the picture. Hybrids are ones. This all-new version is based on the same Make your own mind up, but for us the now the biggest sellers in the range. They’re underpinnings as the new Range Rover. Same Sport isn’t as successful a piece of design as low tax and – if used properly – cheap on petrol. chassis, same running gear for this P440e that the Range Rover. It’s anonymous and the fake teams a 3.0 straight-six with an electric motor vents jar. Both have what LR calls ‘reductive’ These two also pitch a curveball: they’re that draws power from a 31.8kWh usable battery. design treatment. It’s a good line and accurately sporty. Porsche genuinely believes buyers want The claim is 70 miles of EV range. The Porsche’s describes the clean, modernist appearance. But the Cayenne to handle like a sports car. Range 14.3kWh battery promises just 25 miles. it doesn’t reflect what’s going on underneath. T O P G E A R . C O M › F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 037

“DRIVER APPEAL IS PORSCHE’S USP AND THERE’S NOT ANOTHER SUV TO TOUCH IT” 038 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 › T O P G E A R . C O M

Hybrid or EV mode... or a cheeky tenner into a high interest savings account? 01 Reductive design, meet additive engineering. hit of electric makes it feel like a diesel from This Range Rover Sport weighs 2,860kg. under 2,000rpm. The sweet spot continues to 02 4,500rpm – there’s no point swinging for the That’s our own figure, with half a tank of 6,800rpm redline. It’s not much more powerful 03 fuel (Land Rover’s claim is 2,775kg for a P440e than the Sport, but it’s significantly faster. Also with the Stormer handling pack). With people noisier with more suspension and tyre roar, and 1 1. Load divider costs £285. and bags on board this will be over three tonnes. a snarl from under the bonnet. Being charitable Comes with sponge retention The brakes wilt in the face of that mass, with a you’d say the ride was tautly sprung. But if you’d straps and a bit of storage below 100–0mph stopping distance of almost 108 just got out of the Range Rover you’d accuse it of 2. Neither can be rapid-charged. metres, one of the worst we’ve ever tested. being downright harsh. These are cars to top up at home, not mid-trip 3. Nor does either LR has deduced that getting weight to act The Sport sees things differently. Including give you somewhere neat to store sportily is a) difficult, and b) unnecessary. This the definition of the word ‘Sport’. Size first – the cables. Bags in the boot it is isn’t to say the Range Rover Sport is a bad car. it’s huge and dwarfs the Cayenne; the bonnet is Far from it – it’s more in tune with what people higher, the nose bluffer. It doesn’t ensconce you need and want from this kind of car than the so much, so it’s easy to see out of and position, Porsche. Because how much does an SUV buyer but the scale of it intimidates. The steering is really care about handling and sportiness? Not slick but detached, it’s ponderous and heaves enough to choose an estate instead. But driver around corners, is slower to react and respond. appeal is Porsche’s USP and there’s not another SUV to touch it. It’s smaller and half a tonne Now put it on a big road for a long way, a lighter than the Range Rover. You get in and holiday trip. It’s peerless, perhaps the ultimate the seats are firmer, the touchpoints harder, the foul weather car, impervious and insulated. It’s steering wheel smaller and tighter, instruments using the weight in its favour now, to plant itself and information logical and focused on you, a resolutely, immovably. Everything outside is a neat knob to ramp up through the drive modes long way away, nothing penetrates the softly on the steering wheel. There are grab handles cushioned cabin. And that cabin is lovely. Where and you suspect they might be needed. the Porsche encourages you to grip the wheel and go, this instructs you to rest the elbows and It moves positively and responsively. relax. It’s soothing on the eye, soft on the bum, Little slack in the controls, confidence in the you close the door and sigh contentedly. communication. You sit much lower, there’s not much roll, it grips harder and charges more It starts electrically, and is good at staying eagerly. Torque is impressive. The 3.0-litre in e-mode as it slips around. A button on the 335bhp turbocharged V6 is partnered with a console allows you to cycle between electric, 134bhp e-motor for a combined 456bhp. The hybrid and battery save modes, and with a twist T O P G E A R . C O M › F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 039

RANGE ROVER 01 SPORT 04 1 Like the exterior, the cabin 03 is clean, attractive and welcoming 2 RRS wins the storage wars. There are upper and lower gloveboxes and deep cubbies below the sliding cupholders 3 EV mode switch is a small button lurking behind Terrain Response 4 Gearlever top makes a handy wrist rest for screen jabbing. But it’s a light lever. We knocked it into neutral three times while button pressing 5 Seats are soft and luxurious 6 Graphics are a RRS strong point 02 05 06 05 PORSCHE 02 CAYENNE 01 1 It’s red, so it must be sporty. Look past that and 03 the cabin is starting to look its age alongside the bolder, cleaner RRS cabin 2 But the quality is peerless. Depth of development and engineering extends everywhere 3 Touch sensitive panels are a rare ergonomic blip 4 Seat, like steering wheel, is firm. You feel connected 5 Many buttons, including clickwheels and rotary dials on the wheel. No bad thing, means less menu hopping 6 You can select modes on the touchscreen, but it’s easier on the wheel 04 06 040 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 › T O P G E A R . C O M

Specifications of the Terrain Response you can select Dynamic and 1 RANGE ROVER 2 PORSCHE the engine is always on. SPORT CAYENNE Just don’t expect to get 70 miles of e-range. I got 45, VERDICT Less attitude than The sporting choice. which was more than enough to allow me to do days of POWERTRAIN before, but more More immediate trundling without rousing the petrol. In a week I put luxurious. Makes no and engaging, but 105kWh of electricity into it, then cruised to Wales at pretence at sportiness, now needs more the weekend. After 453 miles, the trip stood at 37.4mpg. useful electric range electric range Good. But it then took 62.56 litres to fill it, which works out at 32.9mpg, not 37.4. And if you then convert the £35 2996cc + e-motor 2995cc V6 + e-motor spent on electricity to petrol equivalency, that average falls to 24.8mpg. Expressed another way, £142.54 to drive POWER 434bhp 456bhp 450 miles. A diesel would be cheaper and more efficient. ACCELERATION 0–62 5.8secs 0–62 5.0secs Don’t expect much more from the Cayenne. It was a handful of mpg better when cruising, but with plug-ins TORQUE 457lb ft 516lb ft it’s all a matter of use and perspective. Plug it in when you can, use electric as much as possible and guilt levels drop, CLAIMED 334.4mpg, 19g/km 85.6mpg, 75g/km petrol efficiency rises. Electricity is still the cheaper way MPG, CO2 to power a hybrid if you charge at home. At least this week. TOP 140 157 The family will prefer the Range Rover Sport. Bigger SPEED mph mph in the back seats, comfier and more luxurious. It has the better shaped boot, too. You’ll be more worried about the WEIGHT 2,810kg 2,295kg slight niggles: the handles that whirr in and out noisily, TRANSMISSION the fuel flaps that don’t fit flush. But then you’ll kick back 8spd auto, AWD 8spd auto, AWD in the sleek cabin and feel very content. BOOT 647 litres 645 litres Just as well, given the outlay – £87,475 is big money CAPACITY and easily outweighs the £74,570 base price for a hybrid 1,491 litres (seats down) 1,607 litres (seats down) Cayenne. I’m surprised how different they are, how Land SCORE Rover has shifted the new RRS firmly towards luxury, 8 7 creating big distance between itself and Porsche (and 10 10 narrowing the one to the full house Rangey – £20k more in case you’re wondering). Have the Cayenne if you want a genuinely sporty SUV. Go for the Brit if it’s luxury, softness and silence you value. It’s narrowly the one we’d have. It’s in tune with itself. Hybrid suits a cruiser, and the RRS is definitely one of those. T O P G E A R . C O M › F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 041

6 10 SKODA ENYAQ COUPE iV vRS Fast and the family £54,370 The additional oomph comes from the extra from the standard Coupe when you turn the motor you get over the standard car, allowing wheel, and the lack of steering feel means you 82kWh 295 1spd 6.4 111 323 for 339lb ft, all wheel drive and 0–62mph in loiter through bends, instead of picking a line battery bhp AWD secs mph miles 6.4 seconds. All Enyaqs top out at 99mph, through them. So much for the 15 and 10mm except this one: 111mph, should you ever ride height drops front and rear. FOR Useful motorway vigour, roadtrip it through an autobahn. Something comfy seats, decent range the Enyaq’s lab range claim of 323 miles would So, our expectations must be scaled back. have you believe is possible. But it’s not. Bank The vRS badge isn’t here to scream “Monte AGAINST Impractical shape, on 230 when it’s cold and drizzly. Carlo Rally winner!” from the rooftops, it’s here doesn’t live up to the badge to whisper “slip road warrior” in your ear, every Straight line acceleration is the first thing third Sunday. Accept it for what it is – a sporty We’ve been looking forward to this one. you notice: it’s not fast enough to rip your trim with some extra shove worked in – and you Nearly a year after it was announced face off, but you’ll do your own cinnamon won’t be disappointed. The black decals and we finally find ourselves on home challenge impression as you lurch towards bumpers look the business, and the combo of roads in the Enyaq Coupe vRS, with more power, the horizon. The second thing you notice bucket seats and panoramic glass roof sticks a lower suspension, and the promise of sportiness is the anticlimax as you exit a quick corner. double tick in the comfort and livability box. that few EVs have really honoured thus far. vRS stands for ‘victory Rally Sport’, but it doesn’t mean it. That’s when it dawns on Should you look elsewhere? You could In the waiting period, inflation has done its you that the hype was exactly that. entertain the Mustang Mach-E, if handling thing to the price, of course, up from sub-£52k really matters to you. But really you don’t (punchy) to £54,370 (ouchy). Performance You see, where something like the I-Pace need to look beyond the Skoda stable: the figures aren’t at the mercy of market forces, (almost five years old now, gosh) will tuck into SUV is a more practical car than the coupe, so the 295bhp we were promised remains as is. a corner and act like it wants to be there, the and you won’t resent the extra two-and-a- Enyaq only puts up with it, like a teenager at the bit seconds to 62mph. Or the extra cash in dinner table. The vRS is barely distinguishable your pocket. Joe Holding 042 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 › T O P G E A R . C O M

7 10 POLESTAR 2 The result was the ‘Experimental’ Polestar commute, then you’ll love stuff like this. It’s full BST EDITION 270 2 one-off that made silent-but-violent runs at on anorak car bore stuff for the EV speed freak. Goodwood in 2021. And guess what? The boss Fantastic – and enough Polestar fans – liked it that it’s It makes a Tesla Model 3 look about as well beast? gone into limited production. Very limited, in honed in the chassis and handling department fact. Only 270 of these will ever exist, of which as a canal boat, and demonstrates once again £68,990 40 are coming to the UK, and they’re all sold. that if you want a comfortable yet keen steering Getting a bit boring, that, isn’t it? Limited car, expensive suspension is the unsung hero 78kWh 469 1spd 4.2 127 292 edition Porsches, Alpines, Ferraris – even the you need to shell out for. battery bhp AWD secs mph miles Toyota GR86. The moment you hear they exist, they’re gone.  It’s not as sexy as weight saving, or as headline grabbing as a big dollop of power Polestar says the people who’ve paid nearly to cut your lap time, but if you take driving £70k for the honour are “performance nerds”. quickly seriously – like the Swedes do – then It sees a small but faithful market for quick EVs you want designer label shocks and springs.  that offer more tricks than stomach-churning But it’s bloody pricey. And so’s the stripe. It’s acceleration. To that end, the BST has the £1,000 extra just for the sticker. Ollie Kew geekiest suspension yet applied to a Polestar. FOR An electric car that’s fun for more than just the 0–62 sprint Like the Polestar 2 Performance Pack, it comes with expensive Öhlins dampers as AGAINST Even its maker admits standard. But unlike the P2PP, these are new such geekery is a tough sell remote-reservoir dampers with gorgeous, erm, reservoirs nestled in the frunk. That means B ST doesn’t stand for anything. This adjusting the dual-valve dampers no longer isn’t the Bloody Swift Thing or the requires removing wheels. Battery Speed Teleporter. It’s actually a contraction of ‘Beast’, the nickname given At the front, pop the bonnet and crank the to the one-off speedy Polestar 2 commissioned wheel hard over to meddle with compression for the Goodwood Festival of Speed last year.  and rebound. At the back, it still needs the rear wheelarch peeling. If you’ve got a handy pit The story the engineers like to tell is that crew of eight or so and twin trolley jacks, this Polestar’s boss Thomas Ingenlath set them can be accomplished in less than 10 seconds.  a challenge – to make his Polestar 2 company car more fun. If you’re bleeding heart into the subject and fantasise over dialling in your car perfectly for a tricky off-camber roundabout on your T O P G E A R . C O M › F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 043

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE CHARGE Smart meters could help those with TO THE FUTURE electric cars save energy, and future- proof our power grid at the same time

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE F rom cutting emissions to saving on petrol costs, The energy use data from your smart meter can we’re all pretty well versed in the benefits of help to build a more accurate picture of how electric vehicles now. They’re crucial for the much energy is needed, where and at what time. future of travel – both for this country and That will allow those in charge of the UK’s power globally. But making the move to electric distribution to manage our energy more efficiently. creates a big challenge for our energy systems. Along with investment in other tecçology like Supplying enough electricity, at the right times, large-scale storage, this could also mean that we for us all to charge our cars is not something our can make better use of our renewable home-grown current system was built for. Especially if we want sources of energy. to avoid replacing petrol with more coal or gas generated electricity. And because the smart meter’s handy in-home display will tell you exactly what you’re spending If we all went home tonight and started charging on energy in pounds and pence, it can help you take our EV at 6pm, our energy system wouldn’t cope. control of your energy bills, too. Whisper it quietly, We would need to fall back on fossil fuel supplies to but we could all end up winning. get us through peak periods. MADE TO MEASURE THE GREAT BRITISH PLUG-IN One day, your smart meter and EV could even end Over the next decade or so, production of petrol up making you money. Time-of-use tariffs are fuelled vehicles will be phased out in the UK, with being trialled this winter, which could mean you hybrid vehicles to follow. So our energy system you will pay less to charge your car on blustery needs to be prepared for the big plug-in. nights when when supplies of cheaper wind energy are high, and you’ll know when it’s best to avoid While we’re likely to see demand for petrol plugging in. After all, it’s difficult to turn wind and diesel go through the floor, the demand farms off, but easy to turn car chargers on. for electricity will undoubtedly skyrocket as people look to charge their cars at home. This In the future, your car battery might not just rapid shift will take some adjusting to, and that’s get you to work, it could power your whole house. where the smart energy system, supported by At times of high demand, you could even use the smart meters, comes in. cheaper energy stored up in your car battery to power your home. The supply of British renewable energy is improving all the time. Our weather – with plenty of wind and sun – is helping us to generate more sustainable power. In fact, 2020 and 2021 were the highest years on record for the amount of renewable energy we generated from wind, solar, hydro and biofuels. So why not play your part in the energy revolution and get a smart meter today? WHY GET A SMART METER? NO MORE MANUAL READINGS Your meter will send all the details of your energy usage directly to your supplier, without the need to dig around under your stairs or in the garage to send in readings. GOOD ENERGY HABITS Because the in-home display shows you what you’re using in pounds and pence and in near-real time, you can easily spot ways to reduce waste. TAKE CONTROL The in-home display shows how much you’re using each day, week and month, so you know how much to budget for, and can avoid shock bills. Search “get a smart meter” online today* *eligibility may vary

7 10 ORA FUNKY CAT Feline fresh £32,790 curvaceous lines let the Funky Cat pull off Ride is typical EV: firm, but not too firm. the same trick as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 in that Your comfort will outlast the range, for sure. 48kWh 169 1spd 8.3 99 193 it’s bigger than it appears. It’s hatch-sized, battery bhp FWD secs mph miles 35mm longer than a Megane E-Tech Electric Nor are there any giveaways of shoddy and 25mm shorter than a Volkswagen ID.3. build quality inside: sure there are a few FOR Tidy dynamics, vibrant scratchy plastics but the overall finish in our interior, good warranty This matters because in Ora’s eyes the vibrant red test car was very good. Partly the Funky Cat is pitched against those two, thus work of a German R&D centre, we’re told, AGAINST Annoying indicators, looking brilliant value. In our eyes it also steps insisting on standards that’ll fly in Europe. would you admit to driving it? onto the turf of both Peugeot e-208 (cheaper base, more range) and Honda e (premium and Foibles? The indicators are nightmarish I f you’ve assumed a horrific spelling error techy), in which case the jury’s out. to operate. We’re not sure about the 18in has been made, think again: this is alloys. The boot’s tiny. As are the door bins. indeed the Ora Funky Cat, a small EV It’s pinched Tesla’s penchant for a The 10.25in touchscreen is easy enough to from China, where it’s known as the Good party piece, with voice control that’ll open navigate, but menu heavy. And hard to use on Cat. This is intriguing because parent firm individual windows (why is this better than the move. All relative though: it’s still a better Great Wall Motor went Dutch with BMW on buttons?) and facial recognition software interface than the afterthought applied to the development and a whopping great factory for that’ll tell you off for yawning. Won’t let you innards of the ID.3. it, so this might well be our first taste of... the forget a dog or child in the back seat, either. next gen Mini Electric. Can I get an “ooh!”? Nope, the Funky Cat’s got promise. This car is no gimmick though: on the road The firm’s targeting 5,000 sales by the end No? Never mind then. Rest assured the the dynamics are very tidy, and acceleration of ’23. No idea if that’s realistic but thanks Mini won’t look this cutesy, though those from the 169bhp motor is strong enough at to plentiful stock Ora reckons it can get a car everyday speeds. Controlled body roll means to your nearest partner dealer in just 15 days. you can pick a line through a corner and stick If it’s this or a year-long wait for a mainstream to it, not that the chassis relishes a B-road. rival, many will go for this. Joe Holding 046 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 › T O P G E A R . C O M

8 10 FORD RANGER electronic locking differentials fore and aft, plus get it off-road, and that goes for both slow RAPTOR there’s a two-speed transfer case, a 10-speed rock/mud/sand crawling and high-speed auto and new suspension. The 2.0 diesel will trail-bashing. There’s a suite of electronic Over remain an option from 2023 for those who like helpers to make you look like a hero, and when kill the visuals and bouncy upgrades but prefer to you go fast over rough terrain, you realise this get more than 20mpg. is actually a giant, steroidal rally car. £58,900 On the style front, you can’t mistake new Inside, there’s an excellent interior with 3.0TT 288 10spd 7.9 P CO2 for old. The front is dominated by the big a pin-sharp 12-inch central display and Ford V6 bhp auto secs FORD grille, bracketed by ‘C-clamp’ LED SYNC-4 system, B&O stereo, tonnes of kit and 20.4 315 headlights that make the front seem wider excellent seats. mpg g/km than it is. There are standard fit off-road style wheels and BF Goodrich all-terrains, wide The Raptor comes in at just under £60,000, arches and a ‘built’ feeling, with a similar but this is a car/truck that goads you into easy treatment at the rear. adventure, and if you’re looking for something different, this might fit the bill. Just don’t expect It’s still a five-seat pickup without the one much change at the petrol pump. Tom Ford tonne payload that’d class it as a commercial FOR Upgraded suspension works vehicle, so it doesn’t attract the tax advantages very well, interior a nice place to be a true workhorse might, but the payload of 652kg is enough to cope with the usual lifestyle AGAINST V6 is thirsty. It won’t be accessories this kind of vehicle might find itself classed as a CV for tax purposes bolted to. No judgement – the Raptor is largely a brilliant thing... it’ll likely make you want to T he Ranger has had a comprehensive take up hobbies that’ll make use of it. It also makeover, and in an exciting twist to the tows 2,500kg, so that caravan is in safe hands. usual run of things, the best version has been launched in Europe before the normal stuff. Under the bonnet the petrol V6 offers a near eight-second 0–62mph time. That’s perky for a So what’s changed from the original? The pickup, and the electronically baffled exhaust answer is, bluntly, a lot. Most. Nearly all. (you can change the modes on the steering There’s a new 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol wheel) makes some interesting noises. While engine mounted in that ladder frame for a start, the Raptor might not be making off with which packs 288bhp and 362lb ft of torque any sports car scalps, it’s plenty fast enough through a 4WD system that now features to get the chassis into trouble, and mightily impressive. Even more so if you manage to T O P G E A R . C O M › F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 047

MUST TRY HARDER VOLKSWAGEN GOLF R 20 YEARS £48,095 7 10 2.0T 328 7spd 4.6 P CO2 4cyl bhp auto secs 36.2 175 mpg g/km THE 20 YEARS IS HERE TO CELEBRATE TWO VOLKSWAGEN ARTEON miles of electric-only range. You start in decades since VW launched its first ever SHOOTING BRAKE R-LINE e-mode, with the engine joining the party as R-badged car – the MkIV Golf R32 – and if your speed rises, a transition that is mostly you’ve seen a cynical special edition before, Style seamless. The 0–62mph sprint takes a you already know where this is going. guru somewhat leisurely 7.8secs, while VW claims an economy figure of 208.3mpg – expect To be fair, VW has made an attempt to £45,510 around a quarter of that in the real world. elevate this over the standard MkVIII R The overall driving dynamics don’t quite beyond the optional blue wheels and 1.4 4cyl 215 6spd 7.8 P CO match the looks – nor the character of the mirrors. The 2.0 turbo gets a boost from 2 R variant – but it handles well enough and 316bhp to 328bhp and there’s extra thump +e-motor bhp auto secs 208.3 makes for a refined cruiser. programmed into the DSG gearchanges, but mpg 31 you’ll only notice on full-throttle upshifts near g/km Inside feels neatly designed and solidly the top of the rev range in manual mode. built. You even get a dedicated climate FOR Good looks, comfy control panel, though irritatingly and though It is still a fantastically quick AWD hot tourer, lots of space irritating touch button sliders still perform hatch though, and the 20 Years gets the the functions of knobs and buttons. Still, Performance Pack as standard. That AGAINST Not as dynamic there’s enough room for five adults to be means larger 19in wheels, a pronounced as its image would suggest seated comfortably, and you get two more rear wing and two more driving modes litres of bootspace here versus the hatchback – Drift and Special, with the latter getting R ight, let’s clear this one up nice (565 plays 563 litres), and even more with soft suspension and Nürburgring graphics. and early: the Volkswagen Arteon the seats down (1,632 versus 1,557 litres). Shooting Brake is not, by definition, a Plus an eminently cooler image. However, VW will make you pay through shooting brake. A shooting brake comprises the nose for your extra 12bhp, with the two side doors. This, as you can see above, And an affordable one at that too, with 20 Years starting at close to £50k – and has double that. So henceforth, we shall the estate commanding just £885 extra over blasting well above that figure when you call it what it is – an estate. the hatch, a mere couple of quid a month select basic options like the Akrapovič on lease. A compelling alternative to the exhaust (£3,500), the head-up display (£680), Regular readers may recall that we all-too-common crossover, then – and one adaptive suspension (£850) and a parking previously tested the all-singing, all-dancing we’d much rather be seen in. Peter Rawlins camera (£320). And to make matters worse, R version – a car we liked but very much – VW has scrapped the £2,000 Performance but that’s not the Arteon that most people Pack option for the standard car, so this is will buy. The plug-in hybrid as tested here, currently the only way into a very expensive however, very much is. drifty Golf. Sneaky. Greg Potts And it remains a very good looking 7 estate, particularly in sporty R-Line trim, 10 immediately catching the eye with its sharp lines and swoopy rear end. If you’re after a car to make the neighbours jealous, you’re surely onto a winner here. It twins a 1.4-litre petrol engine with a 113bhp electric motor and 13kWh battery for a combined 215bhp and a claimed 38 048 MF EABYR 2U0A1R9Y› T2O P0G2E 3A R ›. CTOOMP G E A R . C O M

The overrun Small but perfectly formed reviews. The best of the rest from this month’s drives 77 10 10 NISSAN QASHQAI Going from plucky outsider to MG5 The MG5 always suffered from E-POWER establishment favourite is tough. LONG RANGE the fact that it looked like it was Just what Nissan has done with designed by a dysfunctional £32,950 its third gen Qashqai – the same £30,995 committee, but v2.0 neatly package families fell in love with, addresses a lot of the issues: FOR More useful than a plug-in plus a sleeker look and fancier FOR Now looks like the designers sharp new front and rear design, hybrid, still reasonable value trim. The party piece hybrid set-up weren’t half-asleep, more kit new cabin, lots of upgrades to AGAINST It’s all a bit sensible and is basically an EV with a tiny 2.1kWh AGAINST Prices have bumped up tech and materials. This is now dull, why no EV option yet? battery and onboard generator. a bit, ride on the 17s not as plush a car that’s not just useful, but What makes this better than a actually acceptable to look at 1.5T 3cyl 188 7.9 P CO2 ‘normal’ hybrid is that the e-motor 61kWh 156 7.3 115 249 too. The range now starts with the +e-motor bhp secs is beefy enough to do the heavy mph miles SE at £30,995 up to the Trophy at 53.3 119 lifting. It’s great around town and battery bhp secs £33,495, so it’s not quite as cheap. mpg g/km never gets too noisy. SB A big improvement though. TF 76 10 10 BMW X1 BMW’s littlest SUV is no longer KIA XCEED Taller than the hatch but coupefied sDRIVE 20i quite so little, but it feels slightly 1.6 GDI PHEV 3 so not to clash with the Niro/Stonic, disappointing to recommend this XCeed facelift offers buyers £33,775 a BMW because it’s one of the £32,995 lightly refreshed styling and interior, roomiest, most practical cars in its plus a shiny new top spec with FOR Electric version is punchy, class. The large, up-to-the-minute FOR Stylish, interior quality, every bell and whistle. Only you plenty of interior space cabin is a greater draw than the economical drive can’t have it on the PHEV. Weird. AGAINST Petrols can be coarse, chassis or powertrains, even if it is AGAINST Are you really going to The battery doesn’t affect the occasionally dopey auto box neat and tidy to drive. The iX1 is charge it enough to be worthwhile? XCeed’s assured manners too the pick of the bunch thanks to its much (and you’ll hit 50+mpg without 1.5T 168 8.3 P CO swish electric powertrain. Without 1.6 139 10.6 P CO2 trying once the electrons are 3cyl bhp secs 2 it, the broader range might have hybrid bhp secs spent), but it does cost you a third 44.8 struggled to stick its head above 201 32 of the bootspace. Only an issue mpg 143 the crowded crossover pack. SD mpg g/km if you own, y’know, stuff. JH g/km T O P G E A R . C O M › F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 049

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