Author: Autocar Magazine UK

Stellantis fleet boss: Subsidise EVs from more polluting vehicles

Higher-polluting vehicles could be taxed more to encourage the continued take-up of EVs in the fleet sector, according to James Taylor, acting MD and B2B director at Stellantis UK and the person in charge of the fleet strategy of the firm’s brands from Alfa Romeo to Vauxhall. “There should be a taxation system that incentivises… Continue reading Stellantis fleet boss: Subsidise EVs from more polluting vehicles

Under the skin: How Bentley’s latest tech leaves you sitting pretty

Seating may not be the first thing that springs to mind when pondering car tech, but unlike living room sofas, car seats can be highly sophisticated pieces of equipment. Back in the 1960s and 1970s, the opposite was true until some car companies, notably Saab and Volvo, started making dramatic improvements. Prompted by freezing Scandinavian… Continue reading Under the skin: How Bentley’s latest tech leaves you sitting pretty

Kia EV6 GT

While we review new EVs as individual cars, some are also transforming the companies that create them. The Kia EV6 is already a fine example of this trend, with its combination of technology, design and pricing leapfrogging many rivals that would until recently have been regarded as sitting higher in the brand-prestige hierarchy. Here’s some… Continue reading Kia EV6 GT

Ferrari Daytona SP3

We’re free of the Classic now, and the SP3 Daytona is on clear, empty roads. It’s of course unfathomably fast by most standards, but it’s far less explosive than a car like the McLaren 720S, whose twin-turbo torque will fire you across the countryside like an artillery shell from a field gun. You need to work the Ferrari engine, which doesn’t make peak torque until a stratospheric… Continue reading Ferrari Daytona SP3

Tyring work: tracking the life of rubber at Nurburgring 24

At 9.45pm, almost six hours into the race, the call is made to switch to the soft slick tyres and the pit garage explodes into life. Our tyre, along with its three team-mates, is removed from its warm cocoon and stacked onto a tyre trolley. Tools, fire extinguishers, signal boards and bottles of compressed air… Continue reading Tyring work: tracking the life of rubber at Nurburgring 24

Living and commuting with a big EV

Drivers you meet at EV chargers are generally a friendly bunch and happy to spend time chatting – usually to bemoan the state of the UK’s charging infrastructure. Once that’s out of their system, such chats often break into an impromptu, good-natured game of Top Trumps. Drivers of Jaguar, Kia, Polestar and Tesla EVs will… Continue reading Living and commuting with a big EV

The range game: how viable are EVs at towing?

So far so good, except that, with the car and caravan separated, two things occurred to me. First, without a hitch lock securing it, the caravan was at risk of being stolen; and second, I had arrived by a one-way road used by HGVs and there was no road for going back to the car… Continue reading The range game: how viable are EVs at towing?

Alfa Romeo to launch new large saloon in 2027

Alfa Romeo will launch a large saloon-style EV in 2027 as it continues its product offensive under new owner Stellantis, releasing a new car every year for the next five years. The new model will be global and therefore sold in the UK but will particularly target America and China, on account of its size. While large SUVs have fast… Continue reading Alfa Romeo to launch new large saloon in 2027

Alfa Romeo to show new sports car in early 2023

Alfa Romeo will unveil a new sports car early next year and it will be reminiscent of the T33 Stradale, its global boss Jean-Philippe Imparato has confirmed. While the unveil is not expected to be a production model, more likely taking the form of an advanced sketch or concept car, it demonstrates Alfa Romeo has… Continue reading Alfa Romeo to show new sports car in early 2023