Car review
Car review
New crossover draws on mild-hybrid petrol tech as an alternative to the EV version
With so much fanfare around the new Peugeot e-3008 you’d be forgiven for forgetting there’s a version that’s been made without any E-numbers.Indeed, given the standard Peugeot 3008 is £11,200 cheaper and almost 550kg lighter, you’d think Peugeot had been hyping up the wrong version. But as the new crossover has been designed first and foremost as an EV, this ‘standard’ version of the Peugeot 3008 was always going to get second billing. It is a mild hybrid that is powered by Peugeot’s familiar three-cylinder 1.2-litre petrol engine with an electric motor integrated within a six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. It will reach the UK in September, around six months after the launch of the new Peugeot e-3008, which even after this cheaper model arrives is expected to take the majority of sales.
Peugeot 3008: Discover the Giga Gears
New crossover draws on mild-hybrid petrol tech as an alternative to the EV version
With so much fanfare around the new Peugeot e-3008 you’d be forgiven for forgetting there’s a version that’s been made without any E-numbers.Indeed, given the standard Peugeot 3008 is £11,200 cheaper and almost 550kg lighter, you’d think Peugeot had been hyping up the wrong version. But as the new crossover has been designed first and foremost as an EV, this ‘standard’ version of the Peugeot 3008 was always going to get second billing. It is a mild hybrid that is powered by Peugeot’s familiar three-cylinder 1.2-litre petrol engine with an electric motor integrated within a six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. It will reach the UK in September, around six months after the launch of the new Peugeot e-3008, which even after this cheaper model arrives is expected to take the majority of sales.
Car review
Skoda's answer to the Renault Captur majors on comfort and cleverly furnished practicality, and now gets fresh styling and interior features
Slowly but surely, the Skoda Kamiq has become a very important car for its maker. We might not have seen this coming, but market-watchers no doubt would have.This rather derivative-looking, boil-washed, MQB-alike Volkswagen Group compact SUV (which some of us might not have so easily been able to distinguish on the road from a Skoda Karoq, or even a Volkswagen Tiguan that was simply at a slightly greater distance away) is now out-performed on global sales only by the Octavia among the Czech firm’s showroom models.And it has now had its big mid-life facelift, which firstly addresses the car’s slightly plain styling, adding some extra distinguishing features. But Skoda’s also beefed up the car’s standard equipment level and in-cabin digital technology; enriched its cabin materials a little; and improved its big-selling mid-level petrol engine.The result doesn’t add up to the most exciting or enticing small family car in the world; but if you like your family transport compact, spacious, easy-to-drive, decent value-for-money, and to come loaded with convenience features, you could find as much to like here as that increasing proportion of Skoda owners clearly does.
Skoda Kamiq with Giga Gears
Skoda's answer to the Renault Captur majors on comfort and cleverly furnished practicality, and now gets fresh styling and interior features
Slowly but surely, the Skoda Kamiq has become a very important car for its maker. We might not have seen this coming, but market-watchers no doubt would have.This rather derivative-looking, boil-washed, MQB-alike Volkswagen Group compact SUV (which some of us might not have so easily been able to distinguish on the road from a Skoda Karoq, or even a Volkswagen Tiguan that was simply at a slightly greater distance away) is now out-performed on global sales only by the Octavia among the Czech firm’s showroom models.And it has now had its big mid-life facelift, which firstly addresses the car’s slightly plain styling, adding some extra distinguishing features. But Skoda’s also beefed up the car’s standard equipment level and in-cabin digital technology; enriched its cabin materials a little; and improved its big-selling mid-level petrol engine.The result doesn’t add up to the most exciting or enticing small family car in the world; but if you like your family transport compact, spacious, easy-to-drive, decent value-for-money, and to come loaded with convenience features, you could find as much to like here as that increasing proportion of Skoda owners clearly does.
Car review
Like a regular Cayenne, only more exclusive, more expensive and less practical
The Porsche Cayenne Coupé really is one of those cars that appears to be an answer to a question you thought nobody was asking. The definition of a want, and not a need.Which seems quite odd for something that is ostensibly an SUB. Like all manufacturers however, Porsche is getting ever keener to make sure no niche goes unfilled. So what we have here, as it says on the tin, is a coupé version of its Cayenne SUV.Effectively a rival for high-end versions of the BMW X6, Mercedes GLE Coupé and the Range Rover Velar, the Cayenne Coupé at the very least should inject some dynamism into a class where it is generally lacking. It does that by being based on the best big SUV of the lot for those of us who love driving. Mechanically, you see, the Coupé is pretty much identical to the standard model.Which means it has recenntly received one of the most extensive product upgrades in the history of the company. There's the usual stuff; new screens, new suspension, more power, more efficiency. But there's also a change of nomenclature. The S, is once again, a V8.All of this is geared towards keeping the Cayenne feeling fresh, as from 2026 it will sit alongside the technically-unrelated Cayenne Electric, before disappearing entirely as Porsche goes fully electric.
Porsche Cayenne Coupe: Giga Gears Review
Like a regular Cayenne, only more exclusive, more expensive and less practical
The Porsche Cayenne Coupé really is one of those cars that appears to be an answer to a question you thought nobody was asking. The definition of a want, and not a need.Which seems quite odd for something that is ostensibly an SUB. Like all manufacturers however, Porsche is getting ever keener to make sure no niche goes unfilled. So what we have here, as it says on the tin, is a coupé version of its Cayenne SUV.Effectively a rival for high-end versions of the BMW X6, Mercedes GLE Coupé and the Range Rover Velar, the Cayenne Coupé at the very least should inject some dynamism into a class where it is generally lacking. It does that by being based on the best big SUV of the lot for those of us who love driving. Mechanically, you see, the Coupé is pretty much identical to the standard model.Which means it has recenntly received one of the most extensive product upgrades in the history of the company. There's the usual stuff; new screens, new suspension, more power, more efficiency. But there's also a change of nomenclature. The S, is once again, a V8.All of this is geared towards keeping the Cayenne feeling fresh, as from 2026 it will sit alongside the technically-unrelated Cayenne Electric, before disappearing entirely as Porsche goes fully electric.
Car review
Does Nissan’s British-built, mould-breaking crossover hold up in the face of trendy new rivals?
It’s thanks to the commercial success of the original Nissan Juke that the market segment known to some as B-SUV (B being the prefix traditionally used to identify superminis) exists at all.It’s at least partially Nissan's doing that the compact crossover hatchback has become Europe’s biggest automotive market growth area.Inevitably, that success cleared the path for a second-generation Juke. And given how much more competition there is for this one than there was for its predecessor, you can bet that it'll be a few years before we see the third generation, set to go electric.Plenty is different about the car this time around. Whereas the original had a specially adapted chassis used only by Nissan, this one is based on the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance’s CMF-B platform, which also underpins the likes of the Dacia Sandero, Renault Clio and Renault Captur.Diesel and four-wheel-drive powertrains have been ditched in favour of a more modern petrol unit, sending its power exclusively through the front wheels.Inside, it has a much bigger boot – almost doubling the original’s tiny 251-litre capacity to 422 litres – as well as extra passenger space and more upmarket materials.But is that enough to meet the mark set by popular rivals like the Ford Puma, Skoda Kamiq and Vauxhall Mokka Read on to find out.The Nissan Juke range at a glance The second-generation Juke was launched in 2020 with a lone choice of engine, the 1.0-litre turbo petrol three-pot that’s also used in the Sandero and Clio, here producing 112bhp. It’s available with a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.It was joined in 2022 by Renault’s E-Tech hybrid powertrain, which combines a four-speed unsynchronised dog ’box with a 48bhp electric motor, a 20bhp starter-generator and a 93bhp naturally aspirated 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. Trims range from Visia up through an unusually swollen mid-range of three intermediate steps (Acenta, N-Connecta, Tekna) and culminate at Tekna+, which comes with 19in alloy wheels, two-tone paint and part-leather seats as standard. N-Connecta cars have sat-nav, a rear parking camera, cruise control and LED headlights.
Nissan Juke Giga Gears – Compact and Powerful
Does Nissan’s British-built, mould-breaking crossover hold up in the face of trendy new rivals?
It’s thanks to the commercial success of the original Nissan Juke that the market segment known to some as B-SUV (B being the prefix traditionally used to identify superminis) exists at all.It’s at least partially Nissan's doing that the compact crossover hatchback has become Europe’s biggest automotive market growth area.Inevitably, that success cleared the path for a second-generation Juke. And given how much more competition there is for this one than there was for its predecessor, you can bet that it'll be a few years before we see the third generation, set to go electric.Plenty is different about the car this time around. Whereas the original had a specially adapted chassis used only by Nissan, this one is based on the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance’s CMF-B platform, which also underpins the likes of the Dacia Sandero, Renault Clio and Renault Captur.Diesel and four-wheel-drive powertrains have been ditched in favour of a more modern petrol unit, sending its power exclusively through the front wheels.Inside, it has a much bigger boot – almost doubling the original’s tiny 251-litre capacity to 422 litres – as well as extra passenger space and more upmarket materials.But is that enough to meet the mark set by popular rivals like the Ford Puma, Skoda Kamiq and Vauxhall Mokka Read on to find out.The Nissan Juke range at a glance The second-generation Juke was launched in 2020 with a lone choice of engine, the 1.0-litre turbo petrol three-pot that’s also used in the Sandero and Clio, here producing 112bhp. It’s available with a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.It was joined in 2022 by Renault’s E-Tech hybrid powertrain, which combines a four-speed unsynchronised dog ’box with a 48bhp electric motor, a 20bhp starter-generator and a 93bhp naturally aspirated 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. Trims range from Visia up through an unusually swollen mid-range of three intermediate steps (Acenta, N-Connecta, Tekna) and culminate at Tekna+, which comes with 19in alloy wheels, two-tone paint and part-leather seats as standard. N-Connecta cars have sat-nav, a rear parking camera, cruise control and LED headlights.
Car review
Fourth-generation Yaris ups its scale and sporting quotient, but to what effect?
Having been with us for a little over two decades, the Toyota Yaris headed back to its roots for its fourth generation. The French-built small hatchback is Toyota’s biggest-selling individual model in Europe, and that’s no mean feat given the ever-increasing number of SUVs taking over the market. Like the Toyota C-HR crossover, the esteemed Toyota Prius and the popular Toyota Corolla hatchback, this generation of Yaris sits on the brand’s TNGA-B platform. A completely new design came with the platform change, reimagining the supermini on a clean sheet of paper.As you might have noticed, the result looks more like the original Yaris of 1999 than either of the subsequent generations. And like its showroom siblings, it’s a modern Toyota that offers only a petrol-electric hybrid powertrain.For years, the Yaris’ biggest selling points have been its efficiency and safety credentials, but this time the brand has directed more attention to its performance, handling and general driver appeal. This is a car described in the same suspiciously catchy terms as the original Yaris was, one distinguished by “big small” characteristics both static and dynamic. Consider that an attempt to sweep away some of the memory of the Yaris’s awkward-looking teenage years, if you will.But whether you think such labelling is meaningful or not, now’s our chance to explore the Toyota Yaris’s qualities and characteristics in detail. Now then; let’s find out all about what this smaller, meaner, stiffer and more modern Toyota Yaris is all about. The Toyota Yaris line-up at a glanceToyota has resisted the urge to offer this latest Yaris with regular petrol motors and has instead focused exclusively on its 1.5-litre hybrid powertrain – largely because it would have been the best seller anyway.The Yaris comes with a choice of two power options, both with front-wheel drive and either 114bhp or 128bhp.Starting prices are steeper than the supermini norm as a result, but the pay-off is appealingly low CO2 emissions and competitive efficiency. Icon represents the entry-level trim and is followed by Design, Dynamic, Excel, GR Sport and Premiere Edition models.VERSIONPOWER1.5 Petrol Hybrid114bhp1.5 Petrol Hybrid128bhp
Toyota Yaris Giga Gears – Compact and Efficient
Fourth-generation Yaris ups its scale and sporting quotient, but to what effect?
Having been with us for a little over two decades, the Toyota Yaris headed back to its roots for its fourth generation. The French-built small hatchback is Toyota’s biggest-selling individual model in Europe, and that’s no mean feat given the ever-increasing number of SUVs taking over the market. Like the Toyota C-HR crossover, the esteemed Toyota Prius and the popular Toyota Corolla hatchback, this generation of Yaris sits on the brand’s TNGA-B platform. A completely new design came with the platform change, reimagining the supermini on a clean sheet of paper.As you might have noticed, the result looks more like the original Yaris of 1999 than either of the subsequent generations. And like its showroom siblings, it’s a modern Toyota that offers only a petrol-electric hybrid powertrain.For years, the Yaris’ biggest selling points have been its efficiency and safety credentials, but this time the brand has directed more attention to its performance, handling and general driver appeal. This is a car described in the same suspiciously catchy terms as the original Yaris was, one distinguished by “big small” characteristics both static and dynamic. Consider that an attempt to sweep away some of the memory of the Yaris’s awkward-looking teenage years, if you will.But whether you think such labelling is meaningful or not, now’s our chance to explore the Toyota Yaris’s qualities and characteristics in detail. Now then; let’s find out all about what this smaller, meaner, stiffer and more modern Toyota Yaris is all about. The Toyota Yaris line-up at a glanceToyota has resisted the urge to offer this latest Yaris with regular petrol motors and has instead focused exclusively on its 1.5-litre hybrid powertrain – largely because it would have been the best seller anyway.The Yaris comes with a choice of two power options, both with front-wheel drive and either 114bhp or 128bhp.Starting prices are steeper than the supermini norm as a result, but the pay-off is appealingly low CO2 emissions and competitive efficiency. Icon represents the entry-level trim and is followed by Design, Dynamic, Excel, GR Sport and Premiere Edition models.VERSIONPOWER1.5 Petrol Hybrid114bhp1.5 Petrol Hybrid128bhp