Car review

The XC60's usability, comfort and attractiveness make it a strong contender in the used compact SUV crowd The Volvo XC60 of 2008-2017 shares its platform with the Land Rover Freelander 2, albeit one that’s longer between the wheels as well as from nose to tail, and it’s wider.So it’s an old car, and that fact is emphasised by its sculpted shoulders, reminiscent of the original S80 saloon of 1998. So it’s an old car but a handsome one, still with a strong image.Demonstrating how rugged it is, there are some serious high-milers in the classifieds. How about a one-owner, 2017-reg 2.0 D4 SE Nav with 250,000 miles and full service history for £5750?If that terrifies you, it’s possible to get behind the wheel of a 2016-reg 2.0 D4 DRIVe SE Nav auto with a more respectable 50,000 miles and full Volvo service history for around £14,500. Both examples are Euro 6-compliant diesels (the car became so in 2015). Not surprisingly, diesel XC60s dominate the classifieds.There are many variants, but the big sellers were the 2.0-litre D4 (available from 2013), with a choice of front- and intelligent four-wheel drive, and the four-wheel-drive-only 2.4-litre D5.Power outputs for both increased slightly with each update, which is useful to know when you’re browsing the classifieds. Less popular was the lower-powered 2.0-litre D3 of 2010-2012. Another rarity is the early 2.4D, also offered with front- or four-wheel drive. Our pick is the 187bhp, Euro 6 version of the D4, which is capable of 0-62mph in 7.6sec and a claimed 60mpg, although not at the same time.There are a couple of powerful petrol engines to choose from, but they were never big sellers. For the record, they’re the 2.0-litre T5 with 242bhp, offered in front- and four-wheel-drive, and the supercharged and turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 T6 with 302bhp, which was four-wheel-drive.Both petrols were automatics (Powershift for the T5, Geartronic for the T6). The front-driven T5 manages only 33mpg at best, the T6 just 23mpg. Across all engine options, automatics outnumber the manuals by around two to one. You sit high in an XC60 and on very comfortable seats. Ahead of you is a broad dashboard, with all its controls clearly arranged and dominated by a 'floating' centre console. Rear passengers likewise sit quite high on their split-fold seats and enjoy plenty of room. There's lots of storage, and that's before you consider the large, square-shaped, 655-litre boot. There's no loading lip to get over, either. And finish and materials quality in the cabin is first-rate.The XC60 places a comfortable ride over keen handling. The steering isn't very communicative and the body rolls in corners. If that offends you, choose sportier R-Design spec for its stiffer suspension and anti-roll bars.At 230mm, ground clearance is good, but despite its Freelander associations, this is no off-roader. The XC60 was facelifted in 2013, gaining a more rounded look and a refreshed sat-nav display inside, while an eight-speed auto 'box replaced the six-speeder in the D4 and T6 models. Trims range from SE (alloys, parking sensors, hill-start assist, climate control, digital radio) to R-Design Lux (leather, powered tailgate, silver roof rails). Our pick is post-facelift SE Nav.The XC60 is, by the standards of its day, a safe car with multiple airbags, whiplash-protecting seats and emergency braking assistance. Old it may be, but a cherished one will still look and feel fresh.

Aston Martin's Vantage enters a new age with an old-school sports coupé demeanour With 656bhp rather than the 503bhp of its immediate predecessor, the latest 2024 Aston Martin Vantage has moved on to a new performance plane.It was a serious sports car before but the comprehensive overhaul for 2024 has, as with the DB12 we were so impressed by in 2023, significantly shifted the Vantage’s capabilities.It costs from £165,000 on the road before options (as of May 2024, when deliveries start) and, as we’ll see, this old-school charmer and bruiser with a dynamic heart has little to fear from its similarly priced rivals.

Mini's fourth-generation supermini icon reaches for sleeker looks, extra range and the latest digital technology The latest ‘new Mini’ represents an interesting change of tack for its maker - and in more ways than one. Firstly, there’s the nomenclative departure. This fourth-generation modern Mini hatchback is now the Mini Cooper in a formal make-and-model sense (there will be no more Mini Ones or Mini Electrics, etc). Secondly comes the technical shift; although the combustion-engined version of this car survives to mirror it as part of a broader Mini Cooper model range, ‘the all-new Mini’ is, in point of fact, electric-only (the new ICE version being ostensibly an overhauled third-generation car with a new interior). And thirdly? Well, as we’ll come to shortly, that’s all about the fine detail of the all-electric version’s execution. This is a slightly different kind of electric Mini, I’d say: in its appearance, its positioning and its makeup. More mature- and sophisticated-feeling, and a little more versatile and usable with it; but also just a little less of a singular, fun-loving kind of car. Less of a sporting statement car, more of a real-world premium prospect. The same, but different.

For the first time, Crewe’s most extravagant offering is an SUV. Does it stack up? The Bentley Bentayga EWB – all 5.3m, 2.6 tonnes and, in top-billing Mulliner specification tested here, almost £260,000 of it – represents not only a good deal of steel, leather and knurled aluminium, but also a car that’s a good deal more significant for the brand than the somewhat prosaic Extended Wheelbase denomination might suggest.Outwardly, this is little more than an elongated version of Bentley’s best-seller. It features back doors that are 18cm longer than those on the normal Bentayga, as well as comfort-enhancing additions such as ‘postural adjustment technology’ and push-button door closures, à la Rolls-Royce. There are also some meaningful dynamic evolutions to a luxury SUV that first appeared almost a decade ago but, in the main, there’s nothing you would label transformative.However, in dialling up the opulence and expansiveness of the rear portion of the Bentayga’s cabin, the EWB also becomes the spiritual successor to the 6.75-litre Mulsanne. The limousine, whose cabin famously required 16 hides to upholster, was retired in 2020, but it was the definitive modern Bentley flagship. Its absence hasn’t adversely affected the bottom line but the range has perhaps lacked the aura of a truly talismanic model.   The EWB plugs that hole and, in doing so, seeks to cater for the interested driver and the demanding VIP passenger alike. Factor in off-road ability and, on paper, we have here arguably one of the most complete cars money can buy. But in reality? Let’s find out.Range at a glanceVersionpowerBentley Bentayga Hybrid456bhp4.0 V8542bhp4.0 V8 EWB542bhpWith Bentley retiring the W12, the Bentayga now comes fitted with either the 4.0-litre V8 tested here or a 3.0-litre V6 hybrid set-up. In trim terms, a new ‘A’ derivative sits between the entry-level model and the comfort-focused Azure. There also remains an S option for those who want a sportier-feeling SUV, not least by way of increased damper rates and a sports exhaust. Mulliner trim opens up a vast array of options for everything from the wheels to the inlay veneer and, of course, brings the airline-style seats.

17bhp, the option of no doors, and a chassis tuned by RenaultSport - is the Twizy a sensible or foolish used buy? Despite not being on sale for a few years now, the Renault Twizy, an electric quadricycle (important to note that it's not an electric car) with two seats arranged in tandem, continues to fascinate and delight those who glimpse one.Yes, it’s a bit chilly in winter, but otherwise the Twizy has much to recommend it. Such as? Well, it doesn’t take long to charge via a domestic socket, early examples are inexpensive (prices start at around £4000) and driving one will put a smile on your face.A cynic might point out that the charging time is so short – around three and a half hours – because the battery is tiny (6.1kWh), it’s cheap because new ones weren’t exactly expensive (from £7000 in 2012) and when you’re smiling it’s only with relief that it hasn’t run out of power (its range is around 40 miles) and your back is still in one piece (the stiff suspension makes for entertaining handling at the expense of comfort).A scooter would be cheaper and better suited to urban travel, they may also say. But in a Twizy you’re riding more safely on four wheels attached to a chassis tuned by – get this – RenaultSport.Not only that, but you’re also protected by a steel frame and crumple zones front and rear, there’s an airbag in the steering wheel and you’re secured to your seat by a four-point seatbelt. You sit quite high in the Twizy, so all-round visibility is good.The dashboard is simple but attractive and includes two gloveboxes, one of them lockable. A comprehensive trip computer keeps you abreast of range and the instrument display of battery capacity.The cabin is hard-wearing and easy to clean but there’s no cabin heater, so be sure to buy a Twizy with the optional zip-in windows.One with doors, too. They were also an option, but only at the point of the car’s production: you can’t buy and fit aftermarket ones. The battery lies below the floor, from where it sends current to the rear-mounted electric motor.This produces 17bhp and 42lb ft of torque, sufficient to propel this little EV to 50mph. Acceleration from 0-30mph is strong and you will keep up with traffic in town, but any faster and the Twizy soon runs out of puff. However, you’re so exposed and it’s so close to the road that it always feels enjoyably rapid.From launch until 2021, the battery had to be leased from Renault at a cost of around £45 per month.With older cars, it’s now possible to buy the lease out for a small sum; with newer cars, you might have to pay up to £800 for the battery. From 2021, the battery was bundled in with the car, raising the Twizy’s list price to around £12,000.All cars have a three-metre charging cable so you need to have a three-pin socket close by.Early trims were Urban (with steel wheels) and Technic (alloys). Later on, they were replaced by Expression, offering 13in wheels, a lockable glovebox and a heated windscreen, and Dynamique with alloys and a choice of 14 body colours. All versions have front disc brakes and regenerative braking.Everyone we spoke to in research for this guide said a Twizy was the most fun they’d had on four wheels. Try one: you might like it.