Autocar magazine 26 May - on sale now
This week: Ford-VW tie-up to introduce new US crossover, Cupra Born EV revealed, McLaren Elva driven and much more
The landmark car-making tie-up between Ford and Volkswagen will begin to bear fruit in 2023 with a US-flavoured crossover SUV.
The new Ford, which will arrive as a junior sibling to the Mach-E and will combine ID 4 tech with US-led looks, will be tasked with headlining Ford’s bold European EV offensive - and we’ve got all the details.
-Also in this issue-
The Cupra Born has finally been revealed in production form. It will be available with between 150bhp and 231bhp, offer a range of up to 335 miles, and promises to be more dynamic than the ID 3 with which it shares a platform.
Elsewhere, BMW’s M line-up continues to swell following the introduction of the new M4 Competition Convertible M xDrive, which is lighter and more powerful than its predecessor and has an extra driven axle, while Stellantis has partnered Taiwanese electronics giant Foxconn to collaborate on infotainment and in-vehicle connectivity offering.
Porsche is aiming a new, more powerful, top-end version of its Cayenne Turbo squarely at the most potent super-SUVs on sale, including the Lamborghini Urus and Bentley Bentayga Speed.
Skoda will expand its electric car line-up in the next few years with a coupé version of the Enyaq iV SUV and a new smaller model that’s set to take the form of a crossover and ahead of its European arrival this summer, Hyundai-owned luxury brand Genesis has priced up the first cars it will send to the region: the G80 saloon and GV80 SUV.
Volvo Cars is planning a 2.5 million-tonne reduction in its annual carbon emissions by reusing and remanufacturing components on a large scale. Mercedes has detailed a new SL shell.
In the Autocar Business section, we report on the roll-out of Britain’s first Clean Air Zones (CAZ), as industry calls on the government to do more to help commercial fleets make the switch to electric propulsion. Finally, Jim Holder explores how demand for used and nearly new cars is continuing to soar.
Reviews
Maserati’s new rear-driven sports coupé, the MC20, sports an all-new, high-tech V6 - we see if Maserati has made the most of another chance at success in the first of this week’s reviews.
Then, we consider Aston Martin’s new front-engined, rear-driven two-seat coupé with an 836bhp atmo V12 - the Victor - and peel the top of the DBS and Vantage-inspired V12 Speedster.
Meanwhile, the McLaren Elva gives the V12 Speedster a rival and we find out how the new-era Italian city car - the Fiat 500 Electric - fares on UK roads in entry-level, £20k spec. In the road test, the Citroen C4 has echoes of a 1970s great, but can the French firm’s new, comfort-first family hatchback impress our testers?
Features
Toyota’s uber-efficient petrol-electric pioneer - the Mk1 Prius - was a technical tour de force. But how does it stack up against two other hypermiling hybrid heroes? In the first of this week’s features, Richard Lane investigates.
Then, Tobias Moers has quietly been overhauling “a company in trouble” since taking over at Gaydon. A year on, it’s ready to unleash a new generation of Astons, as Steve Cropley discovered.
Meanwhile, Colin Goodwin is forever recognising the same few bits of road on TV, but many more interesting things than filming take place at Longcross Studios…
Opinions
Steve Cropley reckons the Ford Ranger Raptor is a superb combination of utility and enjoyment - and more than a match for a muddy Cotswolds road. In bleaker news, the computer chip shortage is getting serious for car makers and buyers alike, although our man is glad to hear the Bloodhound LSR has found a home at the Coventry Transport Museum. Matt Prior is pondering whether perhaps EVs don’t need more range - just more chargers.
-Deals-
Which compact cars are the cosiest? James Ruppert points a reader in the direction of a Honda Jazz, which will get you there comfortably, if not very quickly. John Evans thinks there’s so much to like about the current-shape Suzuki Vitara, which makes a great nearly new buy, and you won’t find a cheaper route into Golf GTI ownership than a Mk3 – and there are still plenty around priced from £1000 up.
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