The Renault Group has developed a fire suppression system for electric cars that promises to drastically reduce the time and water needed to extinguish blazes – and it is now opening it up to other vehicle manufacturers. The Fireman Access system – fitted to all electric and plug-in hybrid Renault Group models – is said… Continue reading Renault makes EV fire suppression tech open to all manufacturers
Author: Autocar Magazine UK
Government blocked from intervening in landmark car finance case
The Supreme Court has blocked chancellor Rachel Reeves from intervening in the landmark car finance case that is thought to have affected millions of buyers. The case is set to be heard by the UK’s highest court in April and is centred around non-discretionary lender-paid dealer commissions that were tacked on to car finance deals without the… Continue reading Government blocked from intervening in landmark car finance case
Polestar 3
Expansively spacious, expensively hewn and characteristically minimalist in its layout and themes, the swish cabin of the Polestar 3 has an understated but undeniably pervasive appeal. This is a determinedly 21st-century car that embraces digital tech as fulsomely as any other. It comes not with a key but, like a Tesla, a credit card-style access… Continue reading Polestar 3
Fiat 500 and Panda to be reborn in ground-up brand overhaul
The two new models will be built on the same Smart Car platform as the Grande Panda to facilitate significant cost advantages over rivals. Both hybrid and electric versions are expected to be offered. The SUV will be a direct rival to the Dacia Bigster and has the best potential for success in Europe. The… Continue reading Fiat 500 and Panda to be reborn in ground-up brand overhaul
Fiat was ‘starving for love’ – now it’s got it
Felicita. The Italian word for happiness was plastered all over the launch event for the new Fiat Grande Panda, and it was certainly emanating from CEO Olivier François, who, after years of axing ageing models and not launching new ones, has a plan we can all get behind. “Happiness is a byproduct of having purpose,”… Continue reading Fiat was ‘starving for love’ – now it’s got it
Final chance to have your say on UK’s phase-out of ICE cars
The chance to have your say on the future of motoring in the UK ends tomorrow (18 February), when the government closes responses for the consultation on the zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate. Ever since 2020, when then prime minister Boris Johnson first outlined plans to ban the sale of new non-zero emission cars from 2030 onwards, there… Continue reading Final chance to have your say on UK’s phase-out of ICE cars
Mazda 2 supermini axed after a decade on sale
The Mazda 2 has been axed in the UK following its effective replacement by the Mazda 2 Hybrid – a rebadged Toyota Yaris. The supermini can no longer be ordered brand new, and a spokesperson for the brand confirmed to Autocar that just a “few hundred” examples remain in showrooms across the nation. It brings… Continue reading Mazda 2 supermini axed after a decade on sale
New Kia EV4 revealed with choice of hatch or saloon bodystyles
Kia has revealed the production design for its Volkswagen ID 3-rivalling EV4, ahead of a launch later this year. Little changed from the concept shown in 2023, the EV4 arrives to fill the gap between the EV3 hatchback and the EV5 SUV that’s due to launch in Europe soon. It will be sold primarily as… Continue reading New Kia EV4 revealed with choice of hatch or saloon bodystyles
BMW Vision Driving Experience is a radical quad-motor test mule
BMW has revealed the radical Vision Driving Experience, a quad-motor high-performance text vehicle fitted with five fans designed to suck it to the ground that is being used to hone the advanced technology that will power its next-generation of Neue Klasse electric vehicles – including the forthcoming M3 EV. While the powertrain layout, featuring four… Continue reading BMW Vision Driving Experience is a radical quad-motor test mule
Floored in Surrey with Gordon Murray: Welcome to the T50 factory
Some of them, though, have very nice engines. As does the T50. It would be remiss of me not to mention the bespoke 4.0-litre V12, because it sounds so very, very good. “The carbonfibre airbox is basically tuned to give a resonance based on throttle angle, and the noise that we experience is all linked… Continue reading Floored in Surrey with Gordon Murray: Welcome to the T50 factory