This week in Autocar, we detail the V8 supercar you can take anywhere, give our verdict on the new Lotus Emeya and pit the Honda Insight against the Audi A2. News The Land Rover Defender Octa is the most extreme, powerful and capable variant of the firm’s fabled 4×4 – we detail its supercar-style pace,… Continue reading Autocar magazine 3 July: on sale now
Author: Autocar Magazine UK
My Week In Cars: New Steve Cropley/Matt Prior podcast (ep. 95)
Episode 95 of the Autocar podcast My Week In Cars finds our resident car hacks Matt Prior and Steve Cropley talking about Meccano, motorcycles, Jet Provosts, air shows and, er, how about some cars? Yes, some cars, and solid state batteries, and carbon taxes, and much more besides, including your correspondence. Make sure you never miss an… Continue reading My Week In Cars: New Steve Cropley/Matt Prior podcast (ep. 95)
Land Rover Defender Octa: 626bhp 4×4 has supercar pace
The Defender Octa is the most extreme, powerful and capable variant of the 4×4 that Land Rover has yet produced, complete with a spec sheet that reflects its top-end £158,000 price. Limited to 1070 examples, the new flagship Defender is available in the 110 body shape only and is a way of showcasing the peak… Continue reading Land Rover Defender Octa: 626bhp 4×4 has supercar pace
Aston Martin Valour
The engine starts with a familiar V12 whumpf, but it’s not as loud as I’d like. This is a big occasion and the car should sound as well as look the part. What noise it does make, however, is gorgeous. Part of me expected the clutch to require a hefty shove but, slightly to my… Continue reading Aston Martin Valour
Volkswagen Golf
It’s guilty of one slightly irksome bugbear, a common frustration in modern cars, although oddly one that other Volkswagens we’ve tested in recent years have avoided: the basic lane-keeping system automatically reactivates every time you restart the engine, whether or not you’ve deactivated it previously in any of the driving modes or profiles. It’s not a particularly fussy… Continue reading Volkswagen Golf
Is Stellantis’s latest threat to axe UK plants credible?
Stellantis last week put a gun on the table and threatened to take out its UK manufacturing facilities if the government didn’t change its position on the ZEV mandate. Publicly threatening to axe UK manufacturing has become the preferred negotiating tactic by global car makers that, for whatever reason, feel they aren’t being heard through the… Continue reading Is Stellantis’s latest threat to axe UK plants credible?
Average weight of new cars rises by nearly 400kg in seven years
The average weight of a new car has increased by nearly 400kg over the past seven years, according to Autocar data. Analysis of weight figures from Autocar road tests shows that between 2016 and 2023 – approximately one model cycle – the mean average kerb weight of new cars rose from 1553kg to 1947kg. The increase… Continue reading Average weight of new cars rises by nearly 400kg in seven years
Volvo takes EX30 off sale as owners refunded over software issues
The Volvo EX30 has been taken off sale while the Swedish brand scrambles to fix serious software issues that has resulted in some owners handing their cars back. These issues, owners have told Autocar, range from screens going black and steering-wheel buttons not responding to cars not charging and even emergency braking systems randomly activating. Owners have… Continue reading Volvo takes EX30 off sale as owners refunded over software issues
New MG HS to be revealed at Goodwood Festival of Speed
MG has given its HS a “sophisticated” overhaul, with more interior space and a class-leading electric-only range from its plug-in hybrid powertrain, in a bid to boost sales of its UK best-seller. To be revealed at next week’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, the new SUV is based on the Chinese-market Roewe RX5, according to an MG insider. It… Continue reading New MG HS to be revealed at Goodwood Festival of Speed
Humans are to blame for crashes – autonomous cars won’t fix that
Who is to blame for crashes? A study by the US’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration suggested the “critical reason” was “the driver”. In 94% of cases this is true, according to the results. This statistic has been misused by various advocates and enthusiasts of driver assistance, autonomous vehicles and LinkedIn over the years to the… Continue reading Humans are to blame for crashes – autonomous cars won’t fix that