Autocar magazine 20 January - on sale now
This week: Renault 5 revived as electric supermini, Mercedes-Benz EQA driven, the evolution of car cockpit design and more
The Renault 5 is set for a radical reimagining as an electric supermini, as part of a major product offensive from the French brand.
Set to go into production in 2023, the compact EV takes design inspiration from various versions of the original Renault 5, and promises to be joined by several other electric cars as Renault moves to focus on profit, rather than volume.
Pick up a copy of this week’s Autocar to get the full story.
-Also in this issue-
A reborn 5 is just the start of an ambitious multi-year plan at Renault, which will see value-oriented sub-brand Dacia expand with a new range-topping SUV as it twins with Russian brand Lada within the Renault group. The two will streamline their line-ups from 18 bodystyles to just 11, and will all be based on Renault’s CMF-B platform.
Sports car brand Alpine, meanwhile, will become electric-only going forward, with an A110 successor set to be co-developed with Lotus. It is one of three new electric Alpine models under development, alongside a performance crossover and new hot hatchback. Alpine branding will be used on Renault Sport’s road car and motorsport division. This week’s Autocar has the full details on Renault’s “Renaulution” business plan.
Elsewhere, Peugeot is eyeing up new models, including a content-rich small car and larger flagship, which could swell the company’s range by 2023. Porsche has expanded its Taycan model line-up with a new rear-driven entry model, and a clever new chassis could help UK specialist firms switch to EVs.
We also speak to the £4bn UK start-up Arrival about why a company that has yet to sell a single vehicle is pulling in serious investors, and in the Autocar Business section, explain why a UK ban on internal combustion engines could have a more wide-reaching global impact.
Reviews
Mercedes has turned its accomplished GLA crossover into an electric car to take on the Volkswagen ID 3. Ahead of the car’s official reveal, we’ve driven a prototype EQA to find out if the German brand has a recipe for success.
Then we try the MK Indy Hayabusa, a Caterham Seven-alike powered by a screaming Suzuki motorbike engine. It revs to 10,500rpm and weighs less than 500kg, which could be a recipe for success. There’s also the updated Renault Megane RS 300 Trophy, which can now only be had with an automatic transmission. Does the loss of a third pedal make the French hot hatch any less desirable?
This week’s road test subject is the latest Kia Sorento. It’s a car of real ambition and arrives with several new powertrain options covering hybrid and plug-in hybrids. As far as seven-seat family transport goes, does it tick all the boxes?
Features
With the UK ban on new petrol on diesel cars set to transform motoring on a scale never seen before, we take a deep dive into what needs to happen by the government’s 2030 deadline, and how the industry can make it happen.
Next, we pit the Mini Electric and Mazda MX-30 against each other. Both small EVs cost less than £30k, are fun to drive and have a rather short range. How do they compare? We’ve been finding out.
Car cockpit design has also been evolving rapidly, particularly with the widespread adoption of touchscreen technology - but complaints are only becoming louder. We consider how today’s conflicting ambitions can be reconciled.
Ever wonder how vehicle development engineers can drive a car at its limit and still be able to evaluate the way it behaves? We meet the man who teaches them how to do it.
Finally, ahead of the start of the 2021 WRC season, we catch up with Andrea Adamo, the plain-speaking boss behind Hyundai’s rise to the summit of world rallying.
Opinions
Steve Cropley wonders if our current societal difficulties are making people drive badly, remains optimistic about battery power and experiences the latest Hyundai Tucson in top-spec Ultimate guise, before trading for his recently purchased Lotus Elan. Elsewhere, Matt Prior considers the importance of “peak retro” and where the car industry will head next once the 1970s no longer fall into the Goldilocks zone for nostalgia.
-Deals-
You can save a fair chunk of change if you can kick the habit of right-hand driving. James Rupert explains why lower prices could make up for the downsides of owning a left-hooker in the UK. The Range Rover Velar, one of the suavest SUVs around, is the subject of our nearly-new buying guide, while our used car guide turns its attention to Volvo’s undeniably pretty P1800.
-Where to buy-
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