Chinese car makers plant flag atop UK plug-in hybrid market

Chinese car makers have broken the stranglehold of Volkswagen, Ford and the premium brands on the booming UK plug-in hybrid market, taking the top two positions in May. The BYD Seal U took the top spot with 1576 sales, followed by the Jaecoo 7 with 1346 sales, according to figures from market analyst Jato Dynamics. The Volkswagen Tiguan was third, followed… Continue reading Chinese car makers plant flag atop UK plug-in hybrid market

New Land Rover Defender celebrates classic Camel Trophy cars

Land Rover has revealed a new special-edition Defender that harks back to its classic Camel Trophy cars, gaining off-road accessories and retro paint colours. Based on the mid-sized Defender 110, it gains 20in alloy wheels, a choice of Deep Sandglow Yellow or Keswick Green paint – contrasted against a black bonnet, wheel arches and roof… Continue reading New Land Rover Defender celebrates classic Camel Trophy cars

WATCH: V12 super-battle as new Aston Martin Vanquish takes on Ferrari 12Cilindri – but which one will win?

[embedded content] These epic new Aston and Ferrari V12s have brought a famous old rivalry back to the boil. Our colleague Richard Lane took them to some heavenly roads in Scotland to find out which car is king of the V12 class today. If you want to compare Aston and Ferrari, there’s no end of… Continue reading WATCH: V12 super-battle as new Aston Martin Vanquish takes on Ferrari 12Cilindri – but which one will win?

Meet the all-electric MINI range

For a long time, the name MINI conjured up a very specific image. A cheeky little maverick that redefined fun practical motoring for the masses. Skip to today, and the iconic MINI brand still exudes those same trademark values of technical innovation, grin-worthy handling, and well-thought-out practicality. Except now, that enticing MINI package comes in… Continue reading Meet the all-electric MINI range

Dacia’s secrets to success: how it makes its cars so cheap

You wouldn’t think an electrically powered tailgate could be the topic of engrossing chatter, because 99.9% of the time it can’t. But then you find yourself in a room with Denis Le Vot, and suddenly it’s as if Walter Röhrl is explaining that the next Porsche 911 is going to get a V12. Le Vot, an… Continue reading Dacia’s secrets to success: how it makes its cars so cheap

Dacia’s secrets to success: how it makes its cars so cheap

You wouldn’t think an electrically powered tailgate could be the topic of engrossing chatter, because 99.9% of the time it can’t. But then you find yourself in a room with Denis Le Vot, and suddenly it’s as if Walter Röhrl is explaining that the next Porsche 911 is going to get a V12. Le Vot, an… Continue reading Dacia’s secrets to success: how it makes its cars so cheap

Audi RS6 to keep V8 with new hybrid alongside EV

One source said: “It’s unlikely to reach as far as the RS E-tron GT [Audi Sport’s most powerful model, at 912bhp], but there will be a solid increase over and above the S6 E-tron as part of the differentiation measures.” Like some other performance EVs, such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, Audi will also give… Continue reading Audi RS6 to keep V8 with new hybrid alongside EV

Audi RS6 to keep V8 with new hybrid alongside EV

One source said: “It’s unlikely to reach as far as the RS E-tron GT [Audi Sport’s most powerful model, at 912bhp], but there will be a solid increase over and above the S6 E-tron as part of the differentiation measures.” Like some other performance EVs, such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, Audi will also give… Continue reading Audi RS6 to keep V8 with new hybrid alongside EV

My Week In Cars: New Steve Cropley/Matt Prior podcast (ep.145)

This week Steve Cropley and Matt Prior talk about Cropley’s latest travels, to Norfolk to visit Lotus, a trip he makes in the Dacia Jogger, making much more expensive cars look silly. Prior spots a Cozy Coupe headed for the scrapheap in the sky, and the pair talk about a new 1.6-litre Caterham, American EV… Continue reading My Week In Cars: New Steve Cropley/Matt Prior podcast (ep.145)

Nissan Leaf reinvented as fastback SUV – and we’ve driven it

That’s in part because of the brief the development team was set, described by chief vehicle engineer Hiroki Isobe as: “Efficiency, efficiency, efficiency.” Plenty of sleek aerodynamic elements help the new body to achieve that improved drag coefficient of 0.25 (the Mk2 Leaf’s was 0.28) and thereby maximise range, and there’s now a bespoke heat pump… Continue reading Nissan Leaf reinvented as fastback SUV – and we’ve driven it