Indholdsfortegnelse for September 2020 i What Car?

‘People are more inclined to go electric as a result of the changed environment we live in’ Like most areas of the economy, the new car market was hit hard by the coronavirus lockdown,but there’s one part of it that’s still up massively compared with 2019: electric car sales. UK motorists bought more than 30,000 fully electric cars during the first six months of 2020 – a 159% increase on the same period last year.And when you include all plug-in models, the total sold rises to more than 50,000. This trend only looks likely to accelerate, too, with a recent What Car? poll revealing that 26% of people are more inclined to go electric as a result of the changed environment we’re now living in. However, with the number of…

VOLVO HAS BEGUN fitting 112mph speed limiters to all its new cars, saying that “above certain speeds,in-car safety technology and smart infrastructure design are not enough to avoid fatalities in the event of an accident”. In addition to the speed limiter, every new Volvo will now come with a Care Key, which allows owners to further reduce the top speed of their cars.This can be used before letting a young driver get behind the wheel, for example. The 112mph cap is still much faster than you’re allowed to drive in most countries, and Volvo boss Håkan Samuelsson says there was a need to strike a balance.“We didn’t want to scare off potential customers by putting it too low,” he said, “but this is a limit where nobody should need a…

2020 What Car? Reliability Survey We name the most and least dependable models in every class Polestar 2 vs rivals Swedish electric car takes on Tesla Model 3 and new entry-level Audi E-tron New Fiat 500 driven Our first impressions of this all-new city car, which features a plusher interior and improved practicality Best family estate car named Is it the new Skoda Octavia Estate or Toyota’s Corolla Touring Sports? Contents subject to change…

AROUND 1.6 MILLION practical tests are normally taken in the UK each year.Because none took place for four months during lockdown,there’s likely to be a long waiting list now that they’ve resumed. The test experience will be different,too.You won’t be allowed inside the test centre, other than to use the toilets. When you get to the test centre,your instructor will sanitise the car inside and out. The examiner will check the car over and can refuse to get into it and cancel the test if he or she isn’t satisfied.Your instructor is no longer allowed to sit in the back of the car during your test,either. If you make aserious mistake that means you’ve failed,you’ll no longer be allowed to complete the test. Instead,you’ll be directed straight back to the…

AS STRANGE AS it might seem, McDonald’s, Samsung and the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) all have something in common. While none was the first to offer a burger, smartphone or plug-in hybrid respectively, they have all gone on to be the best sellers in their fields. They’ve also all retained their popularity by evolving over the years. In the Outlander’s case, although it has remained the same at its core, the styling has been tweaked, battery size increased and a new engine fitted since it was launched back in 2013. One of the manufacturers that managed to beat Mitsubishi to the punch was Volvo with a plug-in V60 estate. Since then, we’ve seen the technology spread to the XC90, XC60 and now the XC40 family SUV. The…

HERE’S SOME LANGUAGE fun for you: a person who loves food and drink is called an epicure. And any knowledgeable epicure wouldn’t match red wine with fish, much as a petrolhead might baulk at us pitting a luxury car against a sporting GT. Yet this test does follow etiquette rules, we promise. Not that there’s any petrol involved. Sorry, petrolheads. Instead, both cars are fully electric, but while the Tesla Model S Performance is a luxury car of sorts, its ‘Performance’ designation is key. It comes complete with a new Cheetah Mode, which, in simple terms, helps make it accelerate like billy-o. So, pitting it against the new Porsche Taycan Turbo actually makes perfect sense; this, too is ultra-fast and, like the Model S, has up to five seats and…

List price £30,875 (£27,875 inc £3000 gov’t grant) Target Price £30,118 Target PCP £384 0-62mph 8.1sec Top speed 93mph THINKING ABOUT GOING electric but don’t want to shout it from the rooftops? The e-208 could be the car for you. Unlike many of its rivals, including the Honda E and Renault Zoe, this isn’t a bespoke electric car that’s designed to stand out from ‘normal’ petrol and diesel cars. It’s just a Peugeot 208 with a big battery and an electric motor instead of an engine with valves and pistons. And that’s a good thing, because the 208 is a top-notch small car. Indeed, it’s beaten only by the Volkswagen Polo, and there’s no electric version of that car. The 208’s eye-catching, classy interior puts even the Audi A1’s to…

List price £36,850 (£33,850 inc £3000 gov’t grant) Target Price £36,850 Target PCP £474 per month* 0-62mph 7.5sec Top speed 104mph WHEN THE KIA e-Niro won our overall Car of the Year title in 2019, it showed that uncompromised electric car ownership was no longer reserved for the privileged few. With an impressive real-world range of 253 miles, it not only proved capable of covering the same distance between charges as the much more expensive Jaguar I-Pace but also went farther than any Tesla we’ve tested. Two years on, the e-Niro is still something of a people’s champion. Although it costs more to buy than the budget-priced but much shorter-range MG ZS EV and welcome newcomers such as the stylish Peugeot e-2008, it’s cheaper in our recommended 3 trim than…

List price £34,870 Target Price £34,196 Target PCP £492 per month 0-62mph 7.8sec Top speed 138mph Official economy 209.1mpg WE’VE BEEN BIG fans of the Skoda Superb Estate for many years because, to put it simply, it represents Skoda at its very best by offering class-leading space and practicality for a very affordable price. And this is a trend that Skoda has continued with its plug-in hybrid Superb Estate iV. It’s powered by a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine and a battery that’s big enough for an official all-electric range of 35 miles. If that sounds familiar, it’s because, in effect, you’re getting the same plug-in hybrid system that powers the Volkswagen Passat GTE Estate. But wouldn’t you just go for the Passat, instead, if it offers the same tech in…

List price £65,195 Target Price £63,256 Target PCP £686 per month 0-60mph 4.5sec Top speed 124mph IN THE ELECTRIC car world, driver appeal isn’t solely the preserve of performance cars such as the Porsche Taycan. One of the things we like most about the Jaguar I-Pace is that, despite being a heavy luxury SUV, it handles and steers exceptionally well, helping to make it a more entertaining car to drive than its main rivals, the Audi E-tron and Mercedes-Benz EQC. Given that electric cars are sometimes accused of feeling quite similar to each other, the fact that the I-Pace stands out in its class for its dynamic prowess is something to be celebrated. But fine handling isn’t the I-Pace’s only party trick; it’s also scorchingly quick. Its two electric motors…

List price £83,788 Target Price £83,788 Target PCP na 0-62mph 4.6sec Top speed 172mph Official economy 85.6mpg ANYONE WHO BELIEVES plug-in hybrids are for those only interested in counting miles per gallon clearly hasn’t experienced the acceleration of a Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid. And while you’re highly unlikely to ever hit such mind-bending speeds (unless your commute includes a deserted stretch of autobahn), the plug-in hybrid Panamera still has the ability to thrill you on every journey. Just getting inside and admiring its exquisite interior is an event in itself. The design is as slick as a Savile Row suit, the materials are first rate and the feeling of solidity is unrivalled. And if you place a few ticks on the options list, you can dress it in swathes of…

IT’S OFTEN A surprise to colleagues – and sometimes even to me – just how much kit my job as a What Car? videographer requires me to carry around. Typically, I find myself having to cram stuff into every last nook of an estate car or SUV, so enough’s enough: this time I’ve opted to run a Ssangyong Musso pick-up instead. The super-cheap, entry-level EX variant is our favourite budget pick-up. However, I’ve stretched to the range-topping Saracen, which gets everything from leather seats (heated all round) to a protective front skid plate. There’s an extra-long Rhino version, but I’ve stuck with the standard length, which still has a1.31-metre-long load bed. After all, even this Musso takes up quite a lot of room in suburbia, as my neighbours have learnt,…

Mileage 2643 List price £21,035 Target Price £19,345 Price as tested £24,835 Test economy 42.0mpg THERE’S A CERTAIN stigma attached to the word ‘cheap’, because it’s far too often followed by words such as ‘nasty’ or ‘tacky’. However, in some cases, cheap can also be cheerful, and there’s no better example than my new Nissan Juke. You only have to look at the interior to see what I mean. In terms of quality, this new model is a massive improvement on the original; in fact, I’d say the Juke is now one of the better-finished small SUVs, beaten only by significantly more expensive premium-badged models such as the BMW X1. The materials feel substantially better to the touch than before and there isn’t such a mish-mash of different textures, resulting…

Mileage 3752 List price £35,950 Target Price £34,891 Price as tested £35,605 Test range 170 miles LET’S TALK ABOUT charging electric cars and, more specifically, how much better it’s getting all the time. First off, my Hyundai Ioniq Electric has three blue LED lights on the top of its dashboard, which not only show you that the car is charging but also offers a handy indicator of how full the battery is. If only one light is lit up, I know that the battery is a third full.With two lit up, it’s two-thirds full and… well, you can see where this is going. The point is that without getting into the car or checking my Blue Link smartphone app, I can have a rough idea of what’s in the metaphorical…

LESS THAN £23,000 Skoda Scala DESPITE ITS KEEN price, the Scala excels in areas where many of its rivals are complacent, particularly interior space and comfort, with amazing rear seat room and a vast boot. It handles in a tidy manner and its ride, on standard suspension, is among the most cosseting in this class. The interior looks a bit cheap in places, but overall the Scala is a remarkably complete car for the money. Our pick 1.0 TSI 115 SE List price £19,255 Target Price £17,874 MPG 51.4 CO2 125g/km For Spacious rear seats and a big boot; comfortable ride; cheap to buy and run. Against Interior feels a little cheap; not as good to drive as aFord Focus. WHAT CAR? SAYS Kia Ceed Our pick 1.0 T-GDi 2…

LESS THAN £25,000 Citroën Berlingo THE BEAUTY OF the Berlingo is that it offers so much for so little; you’ll be hard pressed to find anything more cavernous for the money. But it isn’t just spacious and cheap; it also rides more comfortably than many larger MPVs, so you’ll find the Berlingo a relaxing place in which to travel. Although the interior quality isn’t anything special, the Berlingo is about the most practical car you can buy. Our pick Puretech 110 Feel M List price £20,915 Target Price £20,069 MPG 43.5 CO2 147g/km For Comfortable and relaxing to drive, with a vast amount of space and storage inside. Against Wallowy handling; laggy infotainment system; cheap-feeling interior plastics. WHAT CAR? SAYS Peugeot Rifter Our pick BlueHDi 130 Allure List price £24,115…

LESS THAN £40,000 BMW 5 Series OUR FAVOURITE LUXURY car for the past three years still offers the very best traits of this class. Take the interior, for example: it’s virtually identical to the 6 Series’ and just as well made, but it comes for a comparatively bargain price. The infotainment system is the same, too, and you can spec it up with almost every conceivable feature. It’s the supreme luxury package without a price tag to match. Our pick 520d MHT SE List price £39,580 Target Price £36,308 MPG 56.5 CO2 131g/km For Spacious, well-appointed interior; great to drive, with a quiet, economical engine. Against You need to add adaptive dampers for the best ride quality. WHAT CAR? SAYS Audi A6 Our pick 40 TDI Sport S tronic List…

NEW PETROL, DIESEL and hybrid cars are on average 5.4% less efficient in real-world conditions than their official Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) figures suggest, What Car? has found. We put 56 popular models through our independent True MPG test and found the worst performers to be around 20% down on their official numbers, although the best were almost 16% up on their official economy. The list of vehicles tested ranged from small hatchbacks to large SUVs, and the biggest under-performers were the Volvo XC40 T4 petrol family SUV (which fell 22.1% short of its official figure), the Volvo V60 D4 diesel estate car (-19.0%) and the Renault Clio TCe 100 petrol small hatchback (-18.2%). The biggest over-achievers were the Honda CR-V Hybrid large SUV (+15.9%), the Mazda…

PICK OF THE MONTH: LARGE SUV SAVE £5882 Audi Q5 WHAT CAR? SAYS Model 40 TDI quattro S line S tronic List price £43,965 Target Price £38,083 Target PCP £368 Classy, comfortable and ever so spacious, the Q5 is a fantastic large SUV. This 40 TDI diesel-engined version is our favourite, because it has enough pulling power for most situations yet also keeps running costs sensible. S line models come loaded with kit, too, including a sporty body kit. PICK OF THE MONTH: FAMILY CAR SAVE £1381 Skoda Scala WHAT CAR? SAYS Model 1.0 TSI SE List price £19,255 Target Price £17,874 Target PCP £188 Finding a family hatchback that’s decent to drive and spacious yet won’t cost a lot to buy and run seems like a tall…

SMALL AND FAMILY SUVs Alfa Romeo Tonale Early 2021 Majors on style, with plug-in hybrid power. Cupra Formentor October Sporting plug-in hybrid will cost around £40k. Ford Puma ST December Our Car of the Year gets a 197bhp engine, lower,stiffer suspension and sportier looks. Hyundai Tucson October Promises to be more stylish and better to drive. Mazda MX-30 Early 2021 Quirky SUV offers rear-hinged rear doors, ecofriendly materials inside and a 124-mile range. HOT HATCH Cupra el-Born We’re very impressed by Volkswagen’s new electric family hatchback, the ID 3. But what if you want something sportier? Well, there’s the closely related el-Born from performance brand Cupra.The el-Born’s rear motor can rush you from 0-31mph in 2.9sec, yet it still gets a 310-mile range, while bucket seats and snazzier materials feature…

We’ve compared the cost of an extended warranty for four of our favourite used cars, bringing together cover provided by the car maker and from five independent providers. We’ve gathered quotes for the most comprehensive cover available from each source, for cars first registered in 2015 that have covered 50,000 miles. The prices are for 12 months’ cover, paid in one lump sum, and with no excess charges unless stated otherwise. The levels of cover do vary, so we’d advise you to check out exactly what’s included in any extended warranty policy before you buy it.…

If you’re bored with the ubiquitous executive saloons from famous German brands, the Jaguar XE makes a fine alternative. It’s one of the best cars in this class to drive, and our recommended D180 diesel engine is economical and relaxing, pulling eagerly from low revs. Our recommended S trim covers most bases in terms of equipment, but here’s how to add more luxury without breaking the bank. 1 Winter can put a terrible strain on your car, but you needn’t let it affect you. Just £455 gets you a heated windscreen, heated steering wheel and power headlamp wash.Together,these will keep the effects of cold temperatures and frost at bay, so you’ll always be ready to start your journey promptly. 2 Jaguar’s £1855 Technology Pack bundles lots of useful kit together…

What can we do about a blown Mini engine? My son owns a 65-plate Mini Cooper hatchback. He’s the second owner from new, and the car has done 30,000 miles and has a full BMW service history. The car recently broke down and was recovered by the RAC, whose mechanic told us that the engine had blown and could cost £4000 to be fixed. My son called the BMW customer care line and was told that a diagnostic test needed to be done by a BMW dealership, at acost of £160, before any decision could be made on a contribution to the cost of repairs. Where does my son stand with regard to consumer protection law? Surely a car that’s failed when it’s not even five years old and has…

The Model S is currently the better electric car if you make alot of long journeys; its range and Tesla’s brilliant charging network see to that. It’s also blooming quick, a bit cheaper (even on whole life costs), roomier and better equipped. However, as a performance car, the Taycan is the one to choose.Yes,it costs more, but not by as much as the headline figure would have you believe, and its quality befits its price. But that’s not why it wins. It equals the Model S’s straight-line pace, powers ahead in terms of handling and is even comfier.Tesla may be at the vanguard of electric cars, but the Taycan makes Porsche the first manufacturer to exploit their potential as driver’s machines. Porsche Taycan For Stonking pace; sublime handling; comfortable ride;…

List price £33,950 (£30,950 inc £3000 gov’t grant) Target Price £32,951 Target PCP £372 per month 0-62mph 9.9sec Top speed 103mph TELEVISION CHEFS OFTEN say great food comes from simple ingredients being prepared well. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel to succeed, they tell the camera with a wink; you just need to make your wheel tastier than everyone else’s. Hyundai may well have been watching, because while the Ioniq Electric isn’t a revolutionary family car, it does the job better than any rival. Take the Nissan Leaf, for example. Like the Ioniq, it’s an electric hatchback that’s designed to slot as easily into your daily life as a plug into a socket, but in the ways that matter most to buyers, the Ioniq is the better fit. It’s…

List price £31,945 Target Price £29,843 Target PCP £340 per month* 0-62mph 10.4sec Top speed 107mph Official economy 201.8mpg SOME FAMILIES SIMPLY pulsate with intelligence. In fact, with every single Kia Niro being electrified in one way or another, you could say the spark of genius runs right through the range. It’s the fully electric e-Niro that grabs the zero-emissions limelight, but many families might find that the plug-in hybrid Niro meshes with their lifestyle more comfortably. After all, it can provide quiet all-electric running for up to 30 miles on a full charge, yet it also offers the stress-free long-distance cruising ability of a regular petrol car. The Niro may not be as glamorous as upmarket plug-in hybrid rivals such as the BMW X1 xDrive25e and Volvo XC40 Recharge…

List price £56,490 Target Price £56,490 Target PCP na 0-60mph 3.2sec Top speed 162mph IS TESLA SINGLE-HANDEDLY responsible for the paradigm shift in the perception of electric cars? It certainly deserves plenty of credit; the Model S showed that battery-powered travel could be luxurious, far-reaching and fast. But not cheap, and it took the Model 3 to put those fruits within easier reach. The Model 3 was an executive car price-point winner in our 2020 Car of the Year Awards – proof that it can mix it with stalwarts such as the mighty BMW 3 Series. Meanwhile, the top-spec Performance model became our favourite large electric car, but since then the Polestar 2 (another new brand, but associated with Volvo) has joined the fray. So, how is the Model 3…

List price £68,245 Target Price £66,235 Target PCP £779 per month 0-62mph 5.6sec Top speed 146mph Official economy 201.8mpg OF ALL THE cars to benefit from plug-in hybrid technology, a luxury SUV is one of the most logical. Think about it: a serene driving experience, effortless performance and plenty of space are prerequisites for a luxury SUV, and the first two of these attributes are unquestionably improved by adding electric power into the mix. That’s certainly the case with the BMW X5 xDrive45e. With an official class-leading 54-mile all-electric range (more than both the Audi Q7 TFSIe and Volvo’s XC90 Recharge T8), you don’t need to pussyfoot around worrying that you’ll wake the petrol engine under the bonnet with a simple overextension of your right foot. On our set test…

List price £86,380 Target Price £86,380 Target PCP na 0-60mph 4.4sec Top speed 155mph OKAY, THE competition for this award wasn’t exactly fierce, but ashortage of electric seven-seat rivals shouldn’t take anything away from Tesla’s achievement. In fact, since suggesting that a family of six buys a car with five seats clearly isn’t going to fly, the Model X has an obvious and unique purpose in the world of EVs. Granted, it isn’t cheap. Our favourite Long Range version costs more than £80k, so you won’t get any contribution from the Government towards the price. What you will get is an enormous, five-metre-long SUV with gullwing doors (think DeLorean), some of the best self-driving tech around and acceleration that can embarrass many sports cars. You can have a five-seat version…

Mileage 1010 List price £30,995 (before £3000 gov’t grant) Target Price £30,995 Price as tested £31,540 Test range 140 miles AS EXPECTED, hotter weather and a predominance of short urban trips during lockdown have resulted in the ZS’s range improving to about 140 miles per charge, compared with barely 110 miles earlier in the year. However, that didn’t stop me from managing to run out of juice recently on the M3, just a few miles from home. Completely dead, the car was recovered to my house on the back of alorry. But with the central locking not working, I couldn’t open the charging port flap – potentially a big problem if the car had been taken to a public charging point, as originally intended. Fortunately, by the next day, the…

THEY SAY YOU never forget your first love, and a succession of cheap Alfa Romeos that I owned in my youth not only made me an admirer of the marque but also in some cases an apologist. So, it was with great glee but also some mild trepidation that I first reversed this Giulia onto my driveway, wondering if it would make the sap rise like my earlier Alfas had done, or instead prove itself to be all style and no substance. What I certainly didn’t know then was that our affair would be interrupted halfway through by a pandemic that required me merely to look at it from out of my front room window for much of my tenure. Never mind all that, though, because during the time I…

LESS THAN £21,000 Skoda Kamiq Our pick 1.0 TSI 95 SE List price £19,730 Target Price £18,549 MPG 49.6 CO2 129g/km For Spacious inside, with a big boot, comfortable ride and low running costs. Against Driving position isn’t very SUV-like; height-adjustable boot floor costs extra. WHAT CAR? SAYS Volkswagen T-Cross Our pick 1.0 TSI 95 SE List price £20,210 Target Price £19,390 MPG 48.7 CO2 135g/km For Good balance between ride and handling, plus a spacious, flexible interior. Against Pricier than many rivals, and you’ll want to add a few options. WHAT CAR? SAYS Suzuki Ignis Our pick 1.2 Dualjet SHVS SZ5 List price £16,509 Target Price £16,509 MPG 54.1 CO2 117g/km For Real-world economy is excellent; spacious and practical; lots of standard kit. Against Unsettled ride; noisy on the…

LESS THAN £20,000 Skoda Fabia Estate Our pick 1.0 TSI 95 SE List price £16,975 Target Price £15,846 MPG 52.3 CO2 122g/km For It’s one of the roomiest small estates; SE trim adds air-con and a touchscreen. Against So-so handling and could do with more supportive seats. WHAT CAR? SAYS Kia Ceed Sportswagon Our pick 1.0 T-GDi 2 List price £19,855 Target Price £18,618 MPG 49.6 CO2 130g/km For Gutsy enough performance for most buyers; lots of kit; boot is big and practical. Against Ride is restless and there’s quite abit of tyre noise on the motorway. WHAT CAR? SAYS Dacia Logan MCV Our pick 0.9 TCe 90 Comfort List price £11,745 Target Price £11,636 MPG 45.6 CO2 134g/km For Lots of space; low running costs; plenty of equipment for…

LESS THAN £30,000 Toyota Corolla The Corolla is a big step in the right direction for Toyota, proving to be not just a great hybrid but a great family hatchback full stop. On our Test MPG cycle, the Corolla returned an impressive 60.6mpg, a figure that will actually improve around town. Racking up the miles shouldn’t be a hardship, thanks to a good driving position and comfortable ride, while Toyota’s reliability record is excellent. Our pick 1.8 Hybrid Icon Tech List price £25,245 Target Price £23,665 MPG 62.8 CO2 102g/km For Plenty of safety kit, an excellent reliability record and a comfortable ride. Against Rear leg room is tight, while the engine is noisy and the infotainment is clunky. WHAT CAR? SAYS Hyundai Ioniq Our pick Hybrid Premium List price…

FIAT CHRYSLER AUTOMOBILES (FCA) has launched a new Drive with Confidence scheme, which covers your car payments if you take out a new finance or contract hire agreement but then lose your job due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The offer was introduced after one in five UK motorists surveyed by FCA said the pandemic had put them off buying a new car. The survey also showed that 36% would reconsider if payments could be covered by the manufacturer in the event of losing their job. The scheme is applicable to all new cars bought from FCA’s Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Fiat and Jeep brands before the end of September and involves no extra charge. It can be activated at any time during the first 12 months of ownership and allows up…

NEW CARS COME with a manufacturer’s warranty that should provide peace of mind for anything from three to seven years. However, if you’re planning to keep your car for longer than that, or you’re buying a used car that’s out of its warranty period, you might be considering taking out an extended warranty. A warranty is an insurance policy between you and the manufacturer or warranty supplier that’s designed to cover the cost of repairing or replacing faulty components, provided those items come under the terms of the warranty. What are the different types of extended warranty? There are three main types of extended car warranty or mechanical breakdown insurance: a manufacturer’s own extended warranty, which you can purchase when the car is new or before the original warranty runs…

TAKING DRIVING LESSONS can be nerve-wracking for novice drivers at the best of times, but now there’s a whole new set of guidelines for them and their instructors to abide by to keep everyone safe from Covid-19. Lessons resumed in England on 4 July after being on hold for almost four months during the coronavirus lockdown, with all participants being asked to wear face masks and use hand sanitiser before getting into the car. The guidelines from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) also include advice on how instructors should contact their pupils ahead of each lesson and the correct way to sanitise their cars. While quieter-than-usual roads will help to ease learners’ nerves, the hiatus has created a big backlog of novice drivers who are eager to get…

Seemingly, experience is overrated, because it’s the Kuga that picks up the gold medal in this test. Although it’s not perfect, it stands out from its rivals in a number of key ways. Not only is it the cheapest to buy and run, with remarkable efficiency for a car of this type, but it’s also better to drive than our other two contenders. True, its interior is nothing special and the boot is relatively small, but the Kuga is still the best sensibly priced plug-in hybrid SUV you can buy. The XC40 has plenty of appeal, too, being much nicer inside than the other two and by far the quickest car here. Even though it’s the smallest, interior space is very good, too. However, the XC40’s lumpy ride and jerky…

List price £22,800 (£19,800 inc £3000 gov’t grant) Target Price £22,800 Target PCP £308 per month 0-62mph 12.3sec Top speed 81 miles ALTHOUGH IT WAS once available with a petrol engine under its bonnet, the Seat Mii is now electric-only and one of the cheapest ways to get into EV ownership. Yes, you can buy a Renault Twizy for much less, but the Mii has a far greater electric range, twice as many seats and a more comfortable ride, plus the small matter of proper doors, side windows and a heater. It can also go much farther on a charge than Smart’s EQ electric models. The Mii managed a handy 111 miles in our Real Range test, whereas the Fortwo EQ covered just 59 miles and the Forfour EQ 57…

List price £32,980 Target Price £31,461 Target PCP £360 per month 0-62mph 6.6sec Top speed 146mph Official economy 256.8mpg WITHOUT WISHING TO sound dramatic, the Mercedes-Benz A250e is something of a game-changer among plug-in hybrids. How so? Because, with a starting price of less than £33,000 in our recommended AMG Line trim, it’s the first relatively affordable one to offer an official electric-only range of more than 40 miles. And the more time you spend running on battery power, the less petrol you’ll burn and the more money you’ll save. Company car drivers benefit even more than private buyers. While most similar-priced plug-in hybrids fall into the 10% benefit-in-kind tax bracket, the A250e’s longer range means it attracts a rate of just 6%, translating into really low monthly salary sacrifices.…

List price £33,585 Target Price £31,836 Target PCP £287 per month* 0-62mph 9.2sec Top speed 125mph Official economy 201.8mpg TOO MANY PLUG-IN hybrids have a fatal flaw: once you call their engines into action, their fuel economy isn’t all that great. That’s especially true of large SUVs, which often have big petrol engines that return miles-per-gallon figures in the mid-30s at best. The Kuga PHEV bucks this trend, though; even with a flat battery, it managed a seriously impressive 52mpg on our carefully controlled test route. That’s better economy than you get from some small diesel SUVs, let alone big petrol ones. ‘You won’t feel short-changed by the way it drives’ Of course, keep its battery charged and the Kuga PHEV does even better. In our test, it got close…

FEW CARS SHOW how times are changing quite like the BMW 330e, because it isn’t just the best plug-in hybrid executive car on sale, but the best executive car full stop. Even a couple of years ago, diesels completely dominated this class, with the 330e’s sister model, the 320d, leading the way. However, the 330e is very nearly as sharp to drive, despite the extra weight of its battery, and it makes a much cheaper company car, because it’s taxed at 10% (rather than 27-29%, depending on spec). ‘no other hybrid executive car is as well-rounded’ Then there’s the fact that, if you do mostly short journeys, you’ll barely burn any fuel at all, with the 330e being able to cover 26.5 miles on electric power alone in real-world driving.…

List price £84,189 Target Price £84,189 Target PCP na 0-62mph 4.0sec Top speed 155mph THE PORSCHE TAYCAN 4S is what we like to call a Goldilocks car: a model in the range that’s not too hot and not too cold. It’s just right. How, you ask? Well, not only is it the cheapest version of Porsche’s Tesla Model S-rivalling electric saloon, but it can also travel farther between charges than its significantly more expensive Turbo and Turbo S siblings, with an official range of up to 288 miles. Mind you, to get that near-300-mile range, you’ll need to add the £4613 Performance Battery Plus option. This gives you the same battery as you’ll find in the Turbo model, providing you with a maximum charging rate of 270kW (versus 225kW for…

List price £68,695 Target Price £63,263 Target PCP £615 per month 0-62mph 5.8sec Top speed 112mph Official economy 100.9mpg AS A SEVEN-SEAT plug-in hybrid, the XC90 Recharge T8 is in a class of one – but don’t go thinking this accolade is a token gesture. The XC90 is absolutely deserving of recognition in these awards because of the outstanding plug-in package it offers beyond its seven seats. ‘You get one of the most practical boots of any SUV’ Luxurious, spacious and quick, the Recharge T8 provides plenty of reasons to recommend it. Not least, the fact you should be able to cover around 20 miles in real-world driving conditions on pure electric power alone. Some five-seat PHEVs can go farther on electric juice, but the XC90 still offers plenty to…

Mileage 5408 List price £22,570 Target Price £21,214 Price as tested £28,370 Test economy 44.7mpg AS WELL AS delivering meals to people in our area who can’t get out, I’ve been finding alternative suppliers for me and my family, because I’m shopping for my parents, who are classed as very vulnerable. Doing this has led to some enjoyable drives around the Kent and Surrey countryside. My favourite destination is a delicatessen that’s based next to a vineyard on a winding country lane. The Kamiq’s peppy 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine is easily up to the task of driving me around the hills of the North Downs, and I’m pleased to say that the change from regular motorway commuting to mainly A and B-roads hasn’t affected the overall fuel economy, which remains…

PITCH TWO NEARLY equal adversaries at the top of their game against each other and the outcome can make history – think Borg vs McEnroe or Ali vs Frazier. There are many examples from the motoring world, too, but in the luxury saloon car class, none sticks out like the decades-old rivalry between the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Both have enjoyed generations of evolutionary achievement, continually vying for class honours along the way. Only business users and the well off can consider buying either car brand new, but you can save thousands if you buy used. Each of the three-year-old cars on test here will now cost you around £19,000, nearly 50% less than their price when new. Read on to find out which of these prize-fighters would…

LESS THAN £25,000 Mini Convertible Our pick Cooper Classic Comf/Nav List price £22,430 Target Price £21,294 MPG 45.6 CO2 141g/km For Fun to drive, good resale values and a quality interior. Against Ride is a bit choppy, rear seats are cramped and option packs make it pricey. WHAT CAR? SAYS Fiat 500C Our pick 1.0 Mild Hybrid Lounge List price £17,150 Target Price £14,500 MPG 49.6 CO2 114g/km For Engine is perfect for town driving, and there’s minimal buffeting with the roof down. Against Lots of wind noise; not as classy as the Mini; little space inside; so-so rear visibility. WHAT CAR? SAYS Smart Fortwo Cabrio Our pick EQ Pulse Premium (22kW charger) List price £23,920 Target Price £21,435 Official range 73.9 miles CO2 0g/km For Truly agile around town;…

LESS THAN £35,000 Audi TT THE TT HAS dominated this class for years, and this latest version is no different. For starters, it’s beautifully put together and thoroughly contemporary inside. The TT is also quick and great to drive, as well as relatively practical, thanks to an easy-to-access boot, even if its rear seats are cramped. When you consider how well priced it is and how well it’ll hold its value, the TT is an absolute bargain. Our pick 40 TFSI Sport List price £32,495 Target Price £29,840 MPG 41.5 CO2 154g/km For Fabulous interior design and quality; crisp handling; easy to live with. Against The rear seats are seriously cramped, and you’ll want to add a few options. WHAT CAR? SAYS BMW 2 Series Gran Coupé Our pick 218i…

LESS THAN £35,000 Audi TT Roadster Our pick 40 TFSI Sport S tronic List price £34,245 Target Price £31,441 MPG 39.8 CO2 160g/km For Brilliant to drive, plus it has asumptuous interior and a fast-acting hood. Against Small boot; rearward visibility is poor with roof up; some essential kit is optional. WHAT CAR? SAYS Mazda MX-5 Our pick 1.5 Skyactiv-G 132 SE-L List price £23,800 Target Price £23,447 MPG 44.8 CO2 142g/km For Great to drive, with a wonderful chassis, a slick gearbox and just enough power. Against It doesn’t have the classiest interior, nor much space for people or luggage. WHAT CAR? SAYS Toyota GT86 Our pick GT86 List price £27,855 Target Price £26,180 MPG 33.2 CO2 191g/km For Light weight and classic sports car layout make the GT86…