Dacia is open to creating limited-series Dakar versions of its road cars off the back of its inaugural entry into the world’s most famous rally. The Dacia Sandrider, a rally buggy inspired by the Manifesto concept car, will compete in next month’s Dakar Rally as part of the wider World Rally-Raid Championship. Dacia CEO Denis Le… Continue reading Dacia considering Dakar-inspired special editions
Author: Autocar Magazine UK
‘Desperate moves’: how the car industry hit ZEV targets
The discounts offered on expensive electric cars in an extraordinary year were so enormous that it made cheaper brands look pricey. “Customers were being told ‘you can have a 45-grand car for 33-35 grand’. We’re sitting there with our 32-grand car, which all of a sudden looks horribly expensive,” Guy Pigounakis, commercial director at MG Motor UK,… Continue reading ‘Desperate moves’: how the car industry hit ZEV targets
Polestar 3 gains single-motor version with 438-mile range
The Polestar 3 has gained a single-motor variant with a range of 438 miles between charges. Its rear-mounted drive unit puts out 295bhp and 361lb ft of torque, enabling the electric SUV to complete the 0-62mph sprint in 7.8sec. That’s 2.7sec behind the existing Dual Motor version, which packs 483bhp and 620lb ft, and 3.0sec behind… Continue reading Polestar 3 gains single-motor version with 438-mile range
When did cars outgrow that ‘vintage’ shape?
Every time a properly ‘vintage’ car appears in these pages, a colleague remarks: “The problem with old cars is they all look exactly the same.” Even as Autocar’s biggest history nerd, I find this difficult to totally refute, genre of car aside. All had that same in-sweeping bonnet, terminating in a vertically oblong grille between… Continue reading When did cars outgrow that ‘vintage’ shape?
Electric car makers blasted in battery material mining report
BYD and Mitsubishi declined to provide statements in response to the findings, either to Autocar or Amnesty International. In an attempt to improve supply chain visibility, the European Union will launch a battery passport from 1 February 2027, needed for all EV batteries over 2kWh. Gavin Harper, a critical materials research fellow at the University of… Continue reading Electric car makers blasted in battery material mining report
Vauxhall Frontera Electric
At 4310mm, the Frontera is close to 100mm longer than the Crossland, although it’s broadly the same width (1795mm) and height (1635mm). It’s basically the same length as the Astra, then, so Vauxhall rightly claims it has moved from the larger end of the B-SUV market into the smaller end of the larger C-SUV market. Sure,… Continue reading Vauxhall Frontera Electric
Vauxhall Frontera
Inside, the Frontera Hybrid is pleasingly spacious and comfortable, as you’d hope for a family SUV in this class. Despite its relatively low list price, it doesn’t feel particularly cheap and there are few visible signs of cost-cutting. As with the Electric version, the only really glaring aspect is the lack of grab handles above… Continue reading Vauxhall Frontera
All-electric MINI Countryman: why it’s better than ever
The MINI Countryman has quickly become a cornerstone of the modern MINI range. Defying the convention that all MINIs have to be MINI small to be MINI fun, the MINI Countryman packs a lot of extra MINI thinking and MINI character into its family-friendly SUV form. And now it’s available as a new all-electric MINI… Continue reading All-electric MINI Countryman: why it’s better than ever
New Rolls-Royce CEO: “We have to be a stand-alone business”
Chris Brownridge, CEO of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars for the past nine months, grew up in Hong Kong during an era when the then British colony had even more Flying Ladies per square mile than London’s Park Lane. Despite this, until December last year Brownridge’s professional automotive connection was entirely with BMW’s more affordable brands. He… Continue reading New Rolls-Royce CEO: “We have to be a stand-alone business”
Autocar Great Women 2025: Nominate yourself or a colleague now
Entries are now open for the Autocar Great Women: Rising Stars awards 2025. These awards are an initiative run by Autocar in association with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, celebrating the up-and-coming stars of the British automotive industry. The industry’s top rising stars will be announced at a ceremony on 30 April. The top candidates will… Continue reading Autocar Great Women 2025: Nominate yourself or a colleague now