Kievari Rantapirtti, located about 30 miles outside Jyväskylä in the heart of Finland’s ‘1000 Lakes’ region, is occasionally referred to as the ‘House of Kalle’. Rovanperä, that is: the double World Rally Champion grew up just minutes away and honed his preternatural driving talents at the forest complex, on both its gravel tracks in summer… Continue reading Crossing the Finnish line: New Toyota GR Yaris driven on ice
Author: Autocar Magazine UK
Mercedes A-Class lives to 2026 as firm scales back EV-only plans
The Mercedes-Benz A-Class is set to be produced well into 2026, plans to retire the fourth-generation hatchback as soon as this year having been cancelled. News of the move comes after Mercedes-Benz confirmed it was abandoning its EV-only stance in favour of what its CEO Ola Källenius describes as a more “flexible” model strategy, under which it will continue to… Continue reading Mercedes A-Class lives to 2026 as firm scales back EV-only plans
Alfa Romeo Stelvio and Giulia EVs confirmed for 2025 and 2026
The next-generation Alfa Romeo Stelvio SUV will make the switch to electric power when it arrives in 2025. It will be followed by a new Giulia saloon in 2026, and Alfa Romeo will go EV-only a year after. The duo will be the first STLA Large-based cars to use 800V electricals, hinting that they will fully exploit the new Stellantis… Continue reading Alfa Romeo Stelvio and Giulia EVs confirmed for 2025 and 2026
German tuner Techart gives Porsche 911 Turbo S up to 789bhp
German tuner Techart has revealed the GT Street R Touring – a jaw-dropping sports car based on the Porsche 911 Turbo S, touting a raft of aerodynamic tweaks, lightweight materials and up to 789bhp. It’s said to have been built solely for “performance enthusiasts”, combining “everyday practicality with uncompromised driving performance”. Over the standard 911, the GT… Continue reading German tuner Techart gives Porsche 911 Turbo S up to 789bhp
British electric motor maker Saietta goes into administration
British electric motor developer Saietta has gone into administration after running into cashflow problems. The Silverstone-based company built lightweight axial flux traction motors aimed at smaller EVs, such as motorbikes and three-wheelers. It was unable to keep itself afloat after backing out of a deal earlier this year to contract-manufacture electric steering pumps at its plant in… Continue reading British electric motor maker Saietta goes into administration
Peugeot Hypersquare steering wheel set for production in 2026
Peugeot’s Hypersquare steering ‘wheel’ is on track to make production in 2026 after extensive clinics showed customers are ready for the step change in interior design and technology. The Hypersquare is a rectangular-shaped ‘wheel’ that Peugeot previewed on its Inception concept car in 2023 as the next evolution of the i-Cockpit concept introduced a decade… Continue reading Peugeot Hypersquare steering wheel set for production in 2026
New campaign targets middle-lane hogging and tailgating
National Highways has launched a campaign aimed at motorists who sit in the middle lane on motorways. The campaign, called ‘Little changes, little everything’, was set up in response to a survey conducted by England’s roads authority involving 2500 people aged between 16 and 75. It found that 32% of drivers admitted to lane hogging… Continue reading New campaign targets middle-lane hogging and tailgating
KGM Torres EVX
BYD, Fisker, Nio, IM, Omoda, Jaecoo, Seres, Skywell, Lucid, Ora… How many more new brands can the UK car market take before it bursts at the seams? And now there’s another: KGM. But at least this is something of a known entity, having sold cars here for two decades in its previous life as Ssangyong.… Continue reading KGM Torres EVX
Rivian shocks with hot electric crossover at R2 unveiling
American EV maker Rivian is gearing up to finally enter Europe with a brace of strikingly styled electric crossovers called the R2 and R3 – the latter of which will spawn an off-road-focused performance crossover. The unexpected addition to the R2 reveal event, dubbed the R3X, was confirmed to pack a tri-motor powertrain – a… Continue reading Rivian shocks with hot electric crossover at R2 unveiling
Finally: new safety rules recognise that buttons beat touchscreens
To my relief, it looks like the answer to the question “is it just me?” is no. Too many cars in recent times have had me despairing at the number of controls that have migrated away from physical buttons and onto touchscreens. In some cases this is slightly annoying; in others I believe it’s borderline… Continue reading Finally: new safety rules recognise that buttons beat touchscreens