The biggest change is the new AMG Active Ride Control suspension system. Hydraulics replace torsion-bar cross-stabilisers and the shock absorbers gain hydraulic connections. Essentially, you can decrease stiffness for off-roading and increase it to reduce roll while cornering on road. This makes for the sweetest handling G-Class ever. One of Mercedes’ engineers was perhaps damning it with… Continue reading Mercedes-AMG G63
Author: Autocar Magazine UK
Maserati GranCabrio Folgore
So here we are with a £185,000, four-seat electric cabriolet that will do 0-62mph in 2.8sec – as fast as the Ferrari 296 GTB, despite the fact that it weighs 2.4 tonnes. How does that translate to UK roads? Well, despite the vaguely nauseating headline figures, the Grancabrio is an enjoyable GT. Forget the outright pace. Between the adaptive air… Continue reading Maserati GranCabrio Folgore
Skoda previews Kodiaq-sized electric seven-seater for 2026
Skoda will launch a new electric seven-seater to rival the Kia EV9 next year as the flagship of its expanding line-up of bespoke EVs. Previewed today as part of the Czech brand’s 2024 results presentation – in which it outlined record sales and profits – the new model will be evolved from 2022’s bold Vision… Continue reading Skoda previews Kodiaq-sized electric seven-seater for 2026
Skoda Octavia EV to be previewed with concept in September
However, there are no plans to launch a Skoda version of the recently unveiled Volkswagen ID Every1 concept car, which will arrive as an entry-level VW electric city car in 2027 and be priced from around £17,000. “We have decided not to be part of that segment,” said Zellmer. “Within the Volkswagen Group, VW [will… Continue reading Skoda Octavia EV to be previewed with concept in September
Toyota planning electric Yaris – but now is ‘not the right moment’
An electric successor to the Toyota Yaris is in the company’s plans – but now is not the right moment for it, bosses have told Autocar. The supermini is the Japanese brand’s best seller in the UK and second best in Europe. It sold some 22,000 examples here last year, making up around 21% of its sales. When… Continue reading Toyota planning electric Yaris – but now is ‘not the right moment’
BMW X3
Four powertrains will be offered in the UK. The 20 uses a 2.0-litre mild-hybrid four-cylinder petrol unit tuned for 205bhp, while the 20d features a 2.0-litre diesel four, which also gets a mild-hybrid system and puts out 197bhp. The diesel returns an official claimed 43.5-48.7mpg, depending on spec. The plug-in hybrid 30e is new, using the 2.0-litre… Continue reading BMW X3
BMW M3 Competition
The interior of this M3 is a considerably flashier and more exotic place in which to travel than any of its predecessors were. That’s partly because the modern 3 Series that forms its basis is itself a much more materially ritzy-glitzy and lavish prospect than its more humble antecedents once were. And yet the M3… Continue reading BMW M3 Competition
Audi S8 Quattro
Having arrived as part of the current fourth-generation A8 range back in 2020, the S8 (which comes in short-wheelbase form only) offers a similar blend of big-hitting turbo-petrol V8 performance, top-level refinement, uncompromising luxury and understated performance styling as that for which so many of its predecessors have been known. But it offers even more… Continue reading Audi S8 Quattro
Electric BMW 3 Series: reborn i3 almost ready for 2026 launch
BMW has yet to give any glimpses of the cabin, but BMW’s two Neue Klasse concepts were both minimalist and tech-heavy affairs inside, with large, irregularly shaped central touchscreens, haptic steering-wheel controls and a full-width head-up display in place of any physical switches and buttons. BMW has yet to confirm full specifications of its crucial… Continue reading Electric BMW 3 Series: reborn i3 almost ready for 2026 launch
New Toyota EVs to use ‘familiar’ names from current and old cars
Toyota will use “familiar” names for incoming electric models, moving away from the alphanumeric naming pattern established by the bZ4X SUV. That RAV4-sized EV arrived in 2022 as Toyota’s first EV, with ‘bZ’ standing for ‘Beyond Zero’ (emissions), ‘4’ being the size of the car in Toyota lexicon and ‘X’ referring to it being a crossover. However, product and marketing boss Andrea Carlucci told… Continue reading New Toyota EVs to use ‘familiar’ names from current and old cars