Car review
Car review
Second generation of Skoda's popular family SUV gets and interior make-over and gets plug-in hybrid power (but you can still get diesels)
The technical run-down of the new, second-generation Skoda Kodiaq might sound quite familiar if you’ve been reading the magazine or website for the last couple of weeks.That’s because Volkswagen and Skoda are doing a wholesale refresh of their large cars. The Volkswagen Passat and Tiguan, and the Skoda Superb and Kodiaq are all based on a new version of the MQB Evo platform. The estates were a joint development led by Skoda, but the Kodiaq is ‘entirely separate’ from the Tiguan. Mind you, Skoda can stray only so far from what the mothership dictates.
Skoda Kodiaq Review: Giga Gears
Second generation of Skoda's popular family SUV gets and interior make-over and gets plug-in hybrid power (but you can still get diesels)
The technical run-down of the new, second-generation Skoda Kodiaq might sound quite familiar if you’ve been reading the magazine or website for the last couple of weeks.That’s because Volkswagen and Skoda are doing a wholesale refresh of their large cars. The Volkswagen Passat and Tiguan, and the Skoda Superb and Kodiaq are all based on a new version of the MQB Evo platform. The estates were a joint development led by Skoda, but the Kodiaq is ‘entirely separate’ from the Tiguan. Mind you, Skoda can stray only so far from what the mothership dictates.
Car review
Porsche's long-awaited 1000-horsepower performance EV is a serious GT department effort
This was nothing if not predictable. Porsche’s cars tend to get faster and more powerful as they get older, one rarefied, GT-badged version at a time. The very idea of a near-1100bhp Porsche Taycan, if it had been mooted back in September 2019 during the digestion of those preliminary first drive verdicts on the original Taycan Turbo S - which, to the very last one, reported how savagely, almost problematically rapid was Porsche’s bold new (751bhp) electric pseudo-saloon - would have caused bouts of hysteria in certain quarters of the specialist media. And yet here we are: the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT has landed.Porsche will doubtless claim it’s only exploring the outer limits of what performance is already bound up in its facelifted electric poster child – in some cases quite accurately, as we’re about to explain. And yet it just so happens to have done enough exploring to put the forthcoming Lotus Emeya R firmly in its place on paper, and likewise the imminent Polestar 5 and latest Tesla Model S Plaid.We performance tested the Tesla last year (no one-foot rollout, here) at 2.4sec from rest to 60mph and it has a claimed top speed of 160mph. This new Taycan will crack 60mph in just 2.1sec, says Porsche, and goes on to 190mph on the button. Better chuck an extra SpaceX rocket booster on that new Tesla Roadster, Mr Musk: quite plainly, Weissach is not in a mood to be trifled with.
Porsche Taycan Turbo GT with Giga Gears
Porsche's long-awaited 1000-horsepower performance EV is a serious GT department effort
This was nothing if not predictable. Porsche’s cars tend to get faster and more powerful as they get older, one rarefied, GT-badged version at a time. The very idea of a near-1100bhp Porsche Taycan, if it had been mooted back in September 2019 during the digestion of those preliminary first drive verdicts on the original Taycan Turbo S - which, to the very last one, reported how savagely, almost problematically rapid was Porsche’s bold new (751bhp) electric pseudo-saloon - would have caused bouts of hysteria in certain quarters of the specialist media. And yet here we are: the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT has landed.Porsche will doubtless claim it’s only exploring the outer limits of what performance is already bound up in its facelifted electric poster child – in some cases quite accurately, as we’re about to explain. And yet it just so happens to have done enough exploring to put the forthcoming Lotus Emeya R firmly in its place on paper, and likewise the imminent Polestar 5 and latest Tesla Model S Plaid.We performance tested the Tesla last year (no one-foot rollout, here) at 2.4sec from rest to 60mph and it has a claimed top speed of 160mph. This new Taycan will crack 60mph in just 2.1sec, says Porsche, and goes on to 190mph on the button. Better chuck an extra SpaceX rocket booster on that new Tesla Roadster, Mr Musk: quite plainly, Weissach is not in a mood to be trifled with.
Car review
Porsche gives its epoch-making electric GT some major mechanical improvements in its mid-life
Was it WC Fields or George Best who memorably claimed “to have spent half of my money on gambling, alcohol and wild women, but squandered the rest”? Right now, I can’t remember - but something that happened on the press launch of facelifted Porsche Taycan reminded me of it.It’s not often that a car maker reveals exactly how the budget for any given model facelift has been spent when introducing it to gathered hacks. In the revised Taycan’s case, however, we were indeed told. Exactly a quarter went on extending the car’s electric range, it transpires, and a little over a quarter on extending its performance. Everything else, it seems - from exterior styling, to interior equipment, to snazzy new decals and natty alloy wheels - got quite a lot less cash investment.It may be that all-new model derivatives like the one Porsche has just added right at the top of the Taycan range - the Turbo GT - come with their own development budget, of course. Even so, it’s amusing to think that, in substitution of the aforementioned notable expenses of that famous libertarian line, we might well count the carbonfibre wings, carbon-ceramic brakes and ultra-sticky Pirelli Trofeo RS tyres of this all-new super-Taycan among things unlikely to boost the range or efficiency of a revised electric car. If you’ve seen photos of the Turbo GT already, though, you’ll no doubt agree that somehow they're very clearly worth having in any case.Aside from that new, near-1100-horsepower, ultra-high-performance derivative, however, the Porsche Taycan has certainly received some key mechanical and technical improvements, which we’ll go on to explore here. The 2019 version having been codenamed J1 by Porsche, this revised version is referred to as J2 - and it can be expected to extend the lifecycle of the car way out towards the end of this decade.
Porsche Taycan with Giga Gears
Porsche gives its epoch-making electric GT some major mechanical improvements in its mid-life
Was it WC Fields or George Best who memorably claimed “to have spent half of my money on gambling, alcohol and wild women, but squandered the rest”? Right now, I can’t remember - but something that happened on the press launch of facelifted Porsche Taycan reminded me of it.It’s not often that a car maker reveals exactly how the budget for any given model facelift has been spent when introducing it to gathered hacks. In the revised Taycan’s case, however, we were indeed told. Exactly a quarter went on extending the car’s electric range, it transpires, and a little over a quarter on extending its performance. Everything else, it seems - from exterior styling, to interior equipment, to snazzy new decals and natty alloy wheels - got quite a lot less cash investment.It may be that all-new model derivatives like the one Porsche has just added right at the top of the Taycan range - the Turbo GT - come with their own development budget, of course. Even so, it’s amusing to think that, in substitution of the aforementioned notable expenses of that famous libertarian line, we might well count the carbonfibre wings, carbon-ceramic brakes and ultra-sticky Pirelli Trofeo RS tyres of this all-new super-Taycan among things unlikely to boost the range or efficiency of a revised electric car. If you’ve seen photos of the Turbo GT already, though, you’ll no doubt agree that somehow they're very clearly worth having in any case.Aside from that new, near-1100-horsepower, ultra-high-performance derivative, however, the Porsche Taycan has certainly received some key mechanical and technical improvements, which we’ll go on to explore here. The 2019 version having been codenamed J1 by Porsche, this revised version is referred to as J2 - and it can be expected to extend the lifecycle of the car way out towards the end of this decade.
Car review
Jeep’s ten-year-old boxy SUV is updated for 2024 - can it still keep up with the competition?
A lot can change in ten years, but looking at the Jeep Renegade, which has just been updated for 2024, you’d be forgiven for thinking nothing has changed at all. It first went on sale in 2014 at a time when the market was flooded with a growing market of boxy crossover-hatchbacks, and before the arrival of the Jeep Avenger in 2023, the Renegade was Jeep’s first all-new model introduction for almost a decade. That wasn't the only 'first' in the Renagade's repertoire - it was the first Jeep ever to be built outside of the United States, and the brand’s first car to be born directly from the collaboration of American and European designers and engineers. In its second full calendar year on sale (2016), the Renegade turned Jeep into the 100,000-a-year player in the European car market it had previously only ever dreamed of becoming. The bonanza didn’t stop there. The firm broke through the 150,000-unit threshold in 2018, with 45% of its Continental sales volume coming from you know where. Now the car is leading Jeep into the electrified era.The Jeep Renegade comes from a company that reaches back into its seven and half decades of 4x4-making history. Distinctiveness, character and capability are always a given with Jeep, but is the substance right? And is the execution still in tune with what buyers want from a crossover? Some changes have been made for 2024, but the Jeep Renegade package is fundamentally the same as it was a decade ago. No changes have been made to the exterior, but Jeep’s decision not to significantly update the Renegade’s design was always a tactical one. By the brand’s own admission though, the model had fallen behind owing to its lack of technology. As part of this latest update, there’s a new infotainment system, plus some efficiency upgrades - but will they help the Renegade stand out among a host of more modern rivals? Let’s find out…The Jeep Renegade range at a glanceThe Jeep Renegade was previously offered with a selection of petrol engines, plus one diesel powertrain, but as of 2024 is exclusively electrified. The mildly electrified Renegade e-Hybrid opens the range, powered by a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine with 128bhp and 177lb ft available. It’s assisted by a 20bhp electric motor and a 48V battery positioned between the two front seats. Next up is the Renegade 4XE, which pairs four-wheel drive with plug-in hybrid power. It’s driven by a 178bhp combustion engine, partnered with a 60bhp, 184lb ft electric motor and an 11.4kWh battery. Power stands at 237bhp in total, with around 21 miles of electric-only range.VERSIONPOWER1.5 T4 E-HYBRID 130HP DCT FWD128bhpGSE T4 240HP AT PHEV 4xe237bhp
Jeep Renegade Giga Gears
Jeep’s ten-year-old boxy SUV is updated for 2024 - can it still keep up with the competition?
A lot can change in ten years, but looking at the Jeep Renegade, which has just been updated for 2024, you’d be forgiven for thinking nothing has changed at all. It first went on sale in 2014 at a time when the market was flooded with a growing market of boxy crossover-hatchbacks, and before the arrival of the Jeep Avenger in 2023, the Renegade was Jeep’s first all-new model introduction for almost a decade. That wasn't the only 'first' in the Renagade's repertoire - it was the first Jeep ever to be built outside of the United States, and the brand’s first car to be born directly from the collaboration of American and European designers and engineers. In its second full calendar year on sale (2016), the Renegade turned Jeep into the 100,000-a-year player in the European car market it had previously only ever dreamed of becoming. The bonanza didn’t stop there. The firm broke through the 150,000-unit threshold in 2018, with 45% of its Continental sales volume coming from you know where. Now the car is leading Jeep into the electrified era.The Jeep Renegade comes from a company that reaches back into its seven and half decades of 4x4-making history. Distinctiveness, character and capability are always a given with Jeep, but is the substance right? And is the execution still in tune with what buyers want from a crossover? Some changes have been made for 2024, but the Jeep Renegade package is fundamentally the same as it was a decade ago. No changes have been made to the exterior, but Jeep’s decision not to significantly update the Renegade’s design was always a tactical one. By the brand’s own admission though, the model had fallen behind owing to its lack of technology. As part of this latest update, there’s a new infotainment system, plus some efficiency upgrades - but will they help the Renegade stand out among a host of more modern rivals? Let’s find out…The Jeep Renegade range at a glanceThe Jeep Renegade was previously offered with a selection of petrol engines, plus one diesel powertrain, but as of 2024 is exclusively electrified. The mildly electrified Renegade e-Hybrid opens the range, powered by a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine with 128bhp and 177lb ft available. It’s assisted by a 20bhp electric motor and a 48V battery positioned between the two front seats. Next up is the Renegade 4XE, which pairs four-wheel drive with plug-in hybrid power. It’s driven by a 178bhp combustion engine, partnered with a 60bhp, 184lb ft electric motor and an 11.4kWh battery. Power stands at 237bhp in total, with around 21 miles of electric-only range.VERSIONPOWER1.5 T4 E-HYBRID 130HP DCT FWD128bhpGSE T4 240HP AT PHEV 4xe237bhp
Car review
Fabled off-roader is rejuvenated with a cool retro design and mechanical updates targeting better on-road manners
There can’t be many vehicle manufacturers with a wider breadth of model range than Toyota.Sure, one could haul a Mercedes hatchback in a Mercedes artic, but they don’t live next to each other in showrooms, whereas you could drive away from a Toyota dealer in anything from a 65mpg hybrid supermini to a straight-six manual sports car – or an off-roader with a ladder chassis, a live rear axle and a 2.8-litre four-cylinder diesel.The Toyota Land Cruiser helped build the Japanese brand’s reputation for solid engineering, and although it has become a bit of a niche thing in Europe, elsewhere it’s still massive.You can take that literally: in some markets, Land Cruiser is its own model range, including the 4.6-metre-long Land Cruiser 300 Series and the ultra-old-school Land Cruiser 70 Series. That comes with a 4.5-litre V8 diesel and a manual ’box. I’d love to try one.Over here, we get just the 250 Series, also known as Prado, and it’s entering a new generation for 2024. It’s not electric, it’s not even a hybrid (not over here, anyway) and the mechanical specification hasn’t radically altered from the old one.But although the new J250 Land Cruiser isn’t a radical departure from the J150 of before, there’s still plenty to talk about.
Toyota Land Cruiser Giga Gears
Fabled off-roader is rejuvenated with a cool retro design and mechanical updates targeting better on-road manners
There can’t be many vehicle manufacturers with a wider breadth of model range than Toyota.Sure, one could haul a Mercedes hatchback in a Mercedes artic, but they don’t live next to each other in showrooms, whereas you could drive away from a Toyota dealer in anything from a 65mpg hybrid supermini to a straight-six manual sports car – or an off-roader with a ladder chassis, a live rear axle and a 2.8-litre four-cylinder diesel.The Toyota Land Cruiser helped build the Japanese brand’s reputation for solid engineering, and although it has become a bit of a niche thing in Europe, elsewhere it’s still massive.You can take that literally: in some markets, Land Cruiser is its own model range, including the 4.6-metre-long Land Cruiser 300 Series and the ultra-old-school Land Cruiser 70 Series. That comes with a 4.5-litre V8 diesel and a manual ’box. I’d love to try one.Over here, we get just the 250 Series, also known as Prado, and it’s entering a new generation for 2024. It’s not electric, it’s not even a hybrid (not over here, anyway) and the mechanical specification hasn’t radically altered from the old one.But although the new J250 Land Cruiser isn’t a radical departure from the J150 of before, there’s still plenty to talk about.