Car Reviews

There’s no doubt that the Renault Austral E-Tech has serious kerb appeal, but what’s this classy full hybrid like to drive? Over the years I’ve driven dozens of electric vehicles. And if you can charge from home and you’re open to a change of mindset, there’s every reason to switch. …

We drive the latest version of Toyota’s popular C-HR family crossover – and it’s a big, bold step-up… If a car could be judged purely on its styling, the second-generation Toyota C-HR would be best-in-class. And when you consider that its biggest rivals include the Nissan Qashqai, Kia Sportage, Skoda …

We take the Mercedes-AMG A45 S – the most powerful hot hatch on the market – for a spin… It could be argued that the concept of the ‘hot hatch’ – in the traditional sense – is now in its dying days. After all, we live in an era where …

We get behind the wheel of the sporty RX 500h – the first-ever turbocharged Lexus hybrid… The three Cs (‘confidence, control and comfort’) are the cornerstones of the Lexus driving experience. There’s no mention of ‘sport’, yet the latest version of the big RX SUV we’ve been testing seems to …

We get behind the wheel of the Avenger compact SUV – Jeep’s first battery-powered vehicle Sharing an EV platform with its Stellantis group cousins – the Peugeot e-2008, Vauxhall Mokka Electric and DS 3 E-Tense – the all-new Jeep Avenger has caused quite a stir. Not only is it the …

We experience the epic Lexus LM luxury people carrier – from the driver’s seat, and as a pampered passenger… Lexus appears to have pulled off a masterstroke with its LM (luxury mover). An exclusive niche market has been identified and LMs will soon be seen shuttling the wealthy between airports …

Suzuki’s hybrid estate has been updated for 2023, and it’s better than ever… When the Swace was launched in 2021, it was the second fruit of a collaboration between Suzuki and Toyota. The first was the Across (a badge engineered Toyota RAV4 plug-in hybrid). As you can see from the …

We get behind the wheel of the Q4 e-tron – Audi’s entry-level, all-electric car… Launched in 2021, the Audi Q4 e-tron battles it out in the hugely competitive mid-sized SUV sector. Its many rivals include the Tesla Model Y, Kia EV6, BMW iX1, Mercedes-Benz EQB, Volvo XC40 Recharge and Polestar …

We get up to speed with the first of a new generation of Smart cars – the awkwardly-titled #1… The Smart #1 compact SUV is the first fruit of a new joint venture between Mercedes-Benz and Chinese giant Geely, which also owns Volvo, Polestar and Lotus. Sharing a platform with …

Volkswagen’s bestselling EV in the UK has had an update for 2023 – we drive the new, improved ID.3… The VW ID.3 electric hatchback has been treated to a mild makeover and tech update, despite only being launched in 2020. Volkswagen has listened to feedback (some of it lukewarm) and …