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  At the back end of last year, fast   Ford   fan clubs across the country cracked out the caterpillar cakes to mark the 40th anniversary of a car that is arguably the very embodiment of the phrase 'cult hero': the   Fiesta XR2 .  At around the same time, Ford revealed an updated version of that pepper-potted delinquent’s modern-day descendant, the  Ford Fiesta ST , which is an automotive rarity in arguably matching its hallowed forebear for both enthusiast appeal and critical acclaim, helping to appease the bluest-blooded fast Ford fans, who are no doubt still raging about the mainstream rebirth of the Mustang and Puma nameplates.  A more aggressive front end treatment, upgraded driver aid package and digital gauge cluster are the defining differentiators from the pre-facelift ST, but you'll also have clocked the new Mean Green paint option (Snot Rocket must already have been trademarked).  Arguably more significant is what's no longer offered: the three-door version,

  DeLorean is back, and it’s gearing up to take on the world’s best-established premium brands with a comprehensive line-up of cars in different segments and an array of powertrain solutions. The brand is being revived by an US-based outfit headed up by CEO Joost de Vries, previously a high-ranking official at  Tesla  and  Karma . He has taken the helm from Brit Stephen Wynne, who had run DeLorean as an aftermarket support service since 1995, when he acquired the brand rights following the high-profile demise of the original company. Spearheading the rebirth is a striking, battery-electric coupé with rakish, sportscar-style proportions, far removed from the wedge-shape silhouette and compact footprint of the 1981  DeLorean DMC . Called the Alpha5, it will make its debut at Pebble Beach in August before being put into production in 2024. It will have performance to match “the  Mercedes-AMG GT  and maybe the higher-end  Porsche Taycans ”, de Vries told Autocar, “but it’s more catering to

  Development of a bespoke EV architecture for small cars will facilitate a direct electric replacement for the   Mercedes-Benz A-Class   hatchback, in line with the firm’s plan to usher in an EV in every segment by 2025. Currently, the smallest model in the EQ family is the  Mercedes-Benz EQA  crossover, an electric version of the combustion-powered  Mercedes-Benz GLA  that shares its sibling’s platform. It is one of four EVs in the brand’s portfolio – alongside the slightly larger  Merceds-Benz EQB , the  Mercedes Benz EQC  SUV and the van-based  Mercedes-Benz EQV  – to use a modified version of an existing combustion-engined architecture. But with the new MMA platform, Mercedes is well placed to take on the  Volkswagen ID 3  with a lower-slung premium hatchback that matches the current A-Class for interior space and its rivals for range per charge. The MMA platform is intended, in the first instance, for EVs in this segment – the smallest in which  Mercedes-Benz  currently operates

  The seven-seat version of Volkswagen's mid-sized SUV, the   Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace , has now had a mid-life update in line with the regular five-seater, and this is our first chance to drive the refreshed version on UK roads.  The Allspace gets 110mm of extra length in the wheelbase, and seven seats as standard in the UK. It has a revised range of engines, with two 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesels remaining alongside three petrols, in a market where, even among family workhorse options, the diesels continue to dwindle. The Tiguan’s derivative line-up has been simplified slightly so that there are now Life, Elegance and sporty R-Line models to choose from - and while the Life models are an entry-level grade, the other two are priced broadly similarly to each other. A seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox is either a de facto cost option or standard fit on every engine in the range, with part-time 4Motion four-wheel drive available with every engine except the 1.5-litre TSI petrol. Th

  The order books have opened for the special-edition   Alfa Romeo Giulia   and   Alfa Romeo Stelvio   Estrema, with the first deliveries expected in the coming months.  The Giulia Estrema, driven by a 276bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, is priced from £50,579, while the cheapest Stelvio Estrema, powered by a 207bhp 2.2-litre turbo diesel, is £57,999.  The 2.0-litre turbo petrol Stelvio Estrema, meanwhile, starts from £59,999. All three cars are based on the current, range-topping Veloce specification shared by both models. Alfa Romeo says the Estrema specification emphasises the focus on dynamics and refinement. It marks the firm’s first global special series and adds a host of technical upgrades as standard. Basic kit on both the new saloon and SUV include active suspension, chassis domain control and a mechanical seal-locking limited-slip differential. The two cars also gain some exterior design changes that, Alfa Romeo says, provides “more lightness and a sporty attitude&q

  Aston Martin's future lineup will be electrified, but there will still be a space, albeit a small one, for cars powered purely by gasoline. In a report outlining its 2020 financial results published in March, Aston Martin said that by 2030 it expects just 5% of its sales to be gas-only cars, and that these will be limited to track-only models like the V-12-powered Vulcan launched in 2015. For the remaining 95% of sales, Aston Martin said its goal is to have this figure split 50% electric vehicles and 45% hybrids. Aston Martin's first EV will arrive in 2025, Chairman Lawrence Stroll revealed in a March interview. He said Aston Martin has already drawn up plans for an SUV and sports car with electric power, with the sports car possibly a successor to the DB11. The automaker's first plug-in hybrid will be a variant of the DBX SUV. It will arrive in 2023, CEO Tobias Moers said during an investor presentation held in February. Aston Martin also plans to use mild-hybrid powertr

  In the car world, they give us the chance to look back, see how far a certain product has evolved from launch and then be reminded about the relative lack of safety/ performance/efficiency versus its modern equivalent. We then swiftly move on, safe in the knowledge that cars today are – objectively, at least – just plain better. But sometimes, reviewing a car’s birth does so much more than give us a convenient yardstick by which to measure its successors’ progress. When the  Land Rover Freelander  was launched 25 years ago, it played a pivotal role in the company’s future. It tapped into a market sector that was set for supersonic growth (and one that still holds sway today) and upturned people’s perception of the nearly 50-year-old brand name that appeared on its clamshell bonnet. Technologically, commercially and strategically, the Freelander made a permanent footprint on  Land Rover , the effects of which can still be felt in 2022. That’s why we’re gathered today at Gaydon (albeit

  When I was first handed the keys
to the UX 300e, its digital display showed 3.2 miles per kilowatt
hour – a reasonably efficient figure. That number has since fallen to 2.9mpkWh, which means I’m getting 18 fewer miles per charge. Is that the hours spent on the motorway or my overzealous acceleration? I might need to adjust my driving style It is now four months into life with the Lexus UX 300e and my commute is just as comfortable as ever. The EV has excelled in most environments, with effortless acceleration and helpful regenerative braking that efficiently brings it to a near-stop in crawling traffic and at junctions. The bulk of my driving is on motorways and A-roads, with short distances in town. It is very good in built-up areas and the compact, precise turning circle proves particularly useful in multi-storey car parks and on roundabouts. The UX clearly enjoys being in its natural habitat – something that was confirmed to me after I handed the keys over to Autocar’s prepress ma

  The new GV60 marks a subtle reinvention of   Genesis . Which might surprise you, since it seems like barely a year since   Hyundai   brought its premium brand to the UK – because, of course, it is. While there’s nothing in the name to give it away, the GV60 is the first bespoke electric car from Genesis and as such showcases its impending future as an electric-only brand offering a Korean-spiced alternative to the premium Germans. While they’ve been generally likeable, Genesis’s ICE offerings so far have failed to really sell that vision – but there are good reasons to think the GV60 can change that. That’s because the GV60 has good family genetics in the form of the Hyundai Motor Group’s advanced E-GMP platform, as used by the excellent  Hyundai Ioniq 5  and  Kia EV6 . You probably know the chief traits of that by now: flat floor, good efficiency, 800V electrics, 350kW ultra-fast charging. But how will E-GMP’s potential translate to a properly premium experience? Our first dynamic t