However, where the initial 707 recipe was formulated for speed, noise and on-demand oversteer, this one mostly addresses the interior. It’s a critical update, not least for the tech-focused Chinese market, where the DBX had traditionally sold well but has recently slipped back a touch. Compare the original DBX’s chunky, hand-me-down Mercedes-Benz infotainment system with,… Continue reading Aston Martin DBX
Author: Autocar Magazine UK
Mini Cooper 5-door hatch returns with petrol power
Mini has unveiled the five-door version of the new Cooper hatchback – the last car the firm is set to offer exclusively with combustion powertrains. It is effectively a stretched version of the three-door Cooper and swaps that car’s four-seat interior for a more conventional five-seat set-up with a rear bench. At 4036mm overall, it… Continue reading Mini Cooper 5-door hatch returns with petrol power
New Volkswagen Golf R: We drive VW’s hottest hatch
Engineers at Volkswagen’s R division must be tired of wrestling with the law of diminishing returns. So composed and complete was their high-performance reworking of the seventh-generation Golf that they have struggled to make any big gains since, either through that model’s facelift or its subsequent transformation into the current eighth-generation Golf. Now there’s another… Continue reading New Volkswagen Golf R: We drive VW’s hottest hatch
Xpeng G6
There are three versions: a Standard range, a single-motor Long Range and a dual-motor Performance. That very closely mirrors the Tesla’s model line-up, and the range figures match, almost mile for mile, those for the equivalent Model Y versions on 20in wheels. The G6 has 800V electrics, though, like the Porsche Taycan and various Hyundai-Kia-Genesis EVs,… Continue reading Xpeng G6
Skoda appoints Nio designer to shape new minimalist interiors
Ex-Nio interior designer Chan Park has joined Skoda to shape the cabins for the Czech brand’s next generation of EVs. A graduate of the Royal College of Art in London, Park spent time at Pininfarina, Kia, Mercedes-Benz and Audi before joining Nio in 2021. In his capacity as the Chinese EV brand’s chief interior designer, Park was… Continue reading Skoda appoints Nio designer to shape new minimalist interiors
Revealed: Next-generation Apple CarPlay adds climate control
Apple has revealed new functionality for its next-generation CarPlay smartphone mirroring interface, which is set to offer much more personalisation of a car’s on-board displays. The next-generation CarPlay system will make the leap from a car’s infotainment display to all of its screens, including the instrument panel. This will allow it to control a much wider range… Continue reading Revealed: Next-generation Apple CarPlay adds climate control
Industry scramble for cheaper battery chemistry upends plans
Ford had planned to start production of its Explorer electric SUV in Germany late last year, but then came the order from CEO Jim Farley himself: wait. The six-month pause allowed the company to switch to using lower-cost, higher-durability lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries sourced from China’s CATL. “It was better to wait half a year and launch with the latest… Continue reading Industry scramble for cheaper battery chemistry upends plans
Renault Group ‘will avoid’ ZEV mandate fines with five new EVs
Renault UK believes success for a fast-expanding range of new EV models over the next nine months can protect it from severe fines likely to be incurred by some of its biggest rivals, who seem likely to fail in efforts to comply with the government’s new ZEV Mandate on electric car sales introduced this year.… Continue reading Renault Group ‘will avoid’ ZEV mandate fines with five new EVs
Scared, Tesla? First ‘drive’ in autonomous Mercedes prototype
Autocar has been able to sample Mercedes-Benz’s yet to be named autonomous driving tech at the German car maker’s Beijing research centre, with a drive in one of a fleet of S-Class prototypes. The first thing you notice is the extra digital display, which maps all road users in the car’s vicinity, from pedestrians to… Continue reading Scared, Tesla? First ‘drive’ in autonomous Mercedes prototype
Hyundai Inster: affordable electric city car confirmed for Europe
Hyundai has announced it will reveal a new electric city car called the Inster later this month, with the new model targeting an official range of 220 miles. The firm described the model as an “evolution” of the Casper, a petrol-powered Suzuki Ignis rival that is offered exclusively in South Korea. “Inster will set new… Continue reading Hyundai Inster: affordable electric city car confirmed for Europe