Audi has unveiled the new Q3 Sportback, with a fresh look and a new interior. It follows the June launch of the technically identical third-generaiton Q3 SUV – one of the German car maker’s best selling models. Compared with that car, the Q3 Sportback differs only by a raked roof that is 29mm lower for a “sportier appearance”.… Continue reading Audi Q3 Sportback returns for second generation from £39,800
Author: Autocar Magazine UK
3000 miles in Cupra’s 328bhp super wagon
Time’s up with this understated hot wagon. Will we miss it? You bet Back in the gloomy days of Covid lockdowns, when most of our exposure to car company executives came courtesy of Skype or Zoom, we would occasionally be invited to fire up our laptops and join then Seat CEO Wayne Griffiths on a… Continue reading 3000 miles in Cupra’s 328bhp super wagon
Mercedes-AMG GT XX smashes electric car distance record
Mercedes-AMG’s new high performance GT XX concept – the recently revealed super-saloon that previews the next AMG GT 4-door coupé – has set a new electric car distance record having travelled 3405 miles in 24 hours. The new record, which was independently verified, was set at the Nardò test track in Italy where the concept achieved a claimed average… Continue reading Mercedes-AMG GT XX smashes electric car distance record
Cars can share platforms but be completely different
There was a time when bosses at car manufacturers didn’t like to talk about platforms – the mechanical underpinnings of their cars. These are expensive to develop, so big car companies share them across brands, and bosses used to think that it might be perceived as bad news if the public knew that a cheap… Continue reading Cars can share platforms but be completely different
How London’s iconic black cabs will survive the Uber age
According to my phone, Taxi House, headquarters of the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association (LTDA) on Great Suffolk Street, London, E1, is just a 15-minute walk from Waterloo station, where I’m located. I’m due to meet Steve McNamara, the association’s general secretary, there and although shanks’s pony is more appealing, I ought to take one of his… Continue reading How London’s iconic black cabs will survive the Uber age
Alien concept: Driving a Hyundai pick-up to Area 51
A lone black mailbox alongside the Extraterrestrial Highway is stuffed with letters addressed to aliens the American government supposedly keeps captive inside Area 51, the world’s least secret secret military base. Bathed in the summer heat alongside Nevada’s highway 375 – officially renamed the Extraterrestrial Highway in 1996, because why waste a tourist opportunity? –… Continue reading Alien concept: Driving a Hyundai pick-up to Area 51
HMRC raises amount that company EV drivers can claim back
His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has introduced a new rate for claiming back the cost of using public chargers for drivers who use company-owned EVs. It follows criticisms that the single-tier system wasn’t matching what they were spending. From 1 September, drivers will be able to claim 8p per mile for journeys where they charged at home or… Continue reading HMRC raises amount that company EV drivers can claim back
Mercedes in talks to use BMW engines for future petrol cars
Mercedes-Benz is in advanced talks about potentially using BMW‘s four-cylinder petrol engines for a wide range of future cars, as part of a radical rethink of its ICE strategy prompted by slower-than-expected take-up of its EVs. A Mercedes source has told Autocar the two firms are already at high level of planning and negotiations, and an announcement on whether it will… Continue reading Mercedes in talks to use BMW engines for future petrol cars
Nissan X-Trail Nismo brings aggressive look and chassis overhaul
The Nissan X-Trail Nismo has been revealed in Japan as a sporting version of the brand’s family SUV, gaining a more aggressive look and chassis upgrades. Key to the package is a set of new swing-valve dampers supplied by suspension firm KYB, said to provide more effective bump absorption at low speeds than conventional items.… Continue reading Nissan X-Trail Nismo brings aggressive look and chassis overhaul
Drivers of Change: New Talent 2025 – get your nominations in now
There is still time to submit your nominations for the Autocar Drivers of Change: New Talent awards – ahead of entries closing on 10 September. Held in association with the SMMT, the Drivers of Change awards – returning with a new focus after a successful launch earlier this year – will celebrate individuals who are either apprentices or in… Continue reading Drivers of Change: New Talent 2025 – get your nominations in now