Car review

Porsche's Macan goes EV; retains Porsche-ness, adds massive power Welcome to the next step in Porsche’s plan for an all-electric future: the second-generation Porsche Macan.Developed in tandem with the recently previewed Audi Q6 E-tron on the Volkswagen Group’s new 800V Premium Platform Electric, this SUV will be the second fully electric Porsche model after the Porsche Taycan saloon/estate.The BMW iX3 and Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV rival was intially delayed as extra time was needed to develop the network of systems that controls its new drivetrain and various ancillaries, plus the new E3 software platform used for the infotainment, driver assistance and other functions.“The complexity and networking of the software is a key issue in every electric vehicle. We wanted to ensure that everything was to the latest development standard before placing cars in the hands of customers,” explains Macan development chief Robert Meier.The old petrol-engined and new electric Macans are planned to be sold alongside each other in all of Porsche’s existing markets. Yet despite sharing a model name, each features its own design.

Munich's tech-laden electrified streak can now be had from £30k - here's how it stacks up When it arrived in 2014, the BMW i8 arrived like a bolt from the blue.When it went off sale in 2021 it left us open-mouthed and still reeling from the shock, unable to work out if this butterfly-doored, low-slung and extravagantly constructed plug-in hybrid sports car was the Great Leap Forward or a slightly underwhelming Porsche 911 rival, with its six-figure price tag and the engine from a Mini Cooper.Where it unquestionably succeeded, though, is with its Blade Runner-aping design. The i8 remained recognisably a BMW, but it didn’t look a lot like any other cooking BMW.It looked (and still looks) terrific, and time and depreciation being what they are, you can now put one on your driveway for not much more than £30,000 – and you’re very unlikely to see its price go lower. So it’s an exotic investment, then?Could be… Underneath its extravagant exterior, the i8 mixed a combustion engine, an electric motor and a lithium ion battery pack. It could run, in the earlier cars, for up to 23 miles on electric-only power (postfacelift models upped this to 34 miles) and claimed an official NEDC fuel consumption figure of 135mpg.At its heart, that engine is, as mentioned, a reworked version of the 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol triple you will find in a Mini Cooper, but special internals and clever induction technology conjure 228bhp and 236lb ft.The transversely mounted mid-engined powerplant drives not only the rear wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission but also a high-output starter-generator electric motor, which shuffles power back into the 7.1kWh battery under the floor. Up front, there’s a 129bhp, 184lb ft electric motor driving the front wheels.Peaked combined outputs are 357bhp and 420lb ft. The weight of the i8 was initially a claimed 1560kg, which is about the same as a contemporary 911 and noticeably less than a Jaguar E-Type.Performance was listed at 0-62mph 4.4sec and with a top speed of 155mph. The powertrain is willing and flexible, too. The low-profile yet relatively narrow tyres and super-stiff structure create a bit of roar, but you can still cover long distances at effortlessly high speeds in this car.And when you do, it’s remarkable how economical the i8 can be: out on the open road you will seldom get less than 40mpg, and should see more if you plug it in regularly and your journeys are short.Of course, if you approach the i8 hoping for a shrapnel-spitting rival to the likes of a Porsche 911 or Audi R8, you’re likely to come away disappointed.In essence, it’s really a grand tourer and as such feels more like BMW’s own 6 Series coupé range, with steering that is light, responsive and accurate without the drama of some of its sportier rivals.The chassis, too, is beautifully damped, and it’s supremely well matched to the powertrain - the i8 really is a lovely thing to drive.Some complained that it didn’t have enough character, but it is not for a car to have character, but for its driver to have it. Punt it down your favourite road and you will find the i8 is an immensely and easily enjoyable thing and a surprisingly south car - unlike many of its rivals.BMW i8 2014-2020 common problemsEngine: The engine is based on the 1.5-litre unit in the Mini Cooper. So it’s reliable and the six-speed automatic gearbox is robust. There have been issues with the fuel pressure sensor, which is prone to failure. One or two owners have reported engine failure, but the vast majority noted excellent reliability. Warnings of a low coolant level when the levels are correct suggest a sensor issue. There have also been reports of problems with overheating and a few complaints about the central controller.Brakes: Most parts prices for an i8 can be expensive, but consumables are generally okay. For instance, front brake pads should cost you no more than those for a 3 Series.Body: As a sports car with a six-figure price when new, the i8 is the kind of model that owners tend to cherish. Even so, it’s worth checking the wheels for scrapes and scratches, looking for bodywork damage (particularly around the doors, which require a lot of space to open) and ensuring the tyres are in good condition.Many owners find the butterfly doors can be a pain. The door struts have been known to fail and cost a lot of money to repair, so check carefully when buying. Some fuel tank covers have been sticky too, refusing to open.Electrics: While some owners have had to return their i8s to dealers to address warning lights, it tends to be for isolated cases rather than faults that are common to i8s. Software issues are not uncommon, though, so check the service and MOT history carefully.Recalls: There have been five recalls. Cars built in 2014 had a possible fuel leak; i8s built in 2015 had a faulty sensor that could cause stability issues; cars built in late 2016 could have an airbag fault; i8s were recalled in 2019 to replace a faulty printed circuit board; and in 2020 an issue with impurities in the high-voltage batteries was addressed.

Dearborn’s reborn off-road adventurer is now available in the UK as a grey import. Most likely works better overseas than it does here but is still good fun, if irrational Ever since the Ford Bronco was unveiled for the American market, Europe has been lusting after the retro-modern Jeep Wrangler rival. Until, finally, in early 2023 Ford confirmed that it would bring the Bronco to some European markets – albeit, sadly only a few left-hand drive countries, with France and Germany likely to be the biggest markets.But, the good news for those in the UK lusting after a Bronco is that you can get a new one (unofficially imported) here if you ask the right dealer: London’s Clive Sutton, which is also big into the Ford Mustang and the Chevrolet Corvette.Unveiled in 2020, reviving a grand old name, the Bronco is a separate-chassis 4x4 that comes in two-door or four-door forms. There’s also the Bronco Sport, a very different, smaller, more road-focused unibody SUV, although this model won’t be coming to Europe, which will only get the four-door version complete in Outer Banks or ultimate, hardcore off-roading Badlands spec with a 2.7-litre V6 petrol engine.Still, if you’re importing from America rather than Europe you can – of course – take your pick from the entire, full-fat, Bronco range. Even so, it is worth noting that there are persistent rumours of Ford making a right-hand drive Bronco for Australia (and other potentially relevant right-hand drive markets). For now, it’s a left-hooker or nothing. 

Munich’s 50-year-old executive car icon goes boldly into the electric age Before we delve into the various strengths and weaknesses of the BMW i5, let’s rewind. After all, executive saloons have over previous decades gained a reputation for conservatism that, while hard to shake, is now entirely unjustified.Twenty-five years ago, company car buyers wanted efficient diesel engines in packages priced and equipped just so. They didn’t want expensive powertrain technology. They didn’t even want riskier shades of paint.At the time, BMW played to that brief spectacularly well. But now the executive car market has changed out of sight, under the pressure of CO2-based tax regimes.And how the BMW 5 Series has changed along with it. The eighth generation of this mid-sized four-door is taking another bold step into the future. Incorporating updated versions of the mild- and plug-in hybrid powertrains of its predecessor, but casting out their diesel engines entirely, it is the first 5 Series to be offered as an all-electric model.The zero-emissions i5 – the subject of this test – will be available in both saloon and Touring guises, and with a choice of single- or dual-motor powertrains.Two years ago, Autocar had never road tested a fully electric BMW saloon, but now the i5 becomes the third, following the BMW i4 and BMW i7, with the likes of the iX, iX3 and iX1 already playing in their own niches. It has been a rapid expansion into the zero-emissions world for the brand. But what does it mean for the longest-lived BMW showroom model of them all?The range at a glanceModelsPowerFrom520i M Sport205bhp£50,755530e M Sport295bhp£59,455i5 eDrive40 M Sport335bhp£74,105550e xDrive M Sport483bhp£76,605i5 M60 xDrive593bhp£97,745Shorn of its predecessors’ diesel engines, the eighth-generation 5 Series range consists of two plug-in hybrids, two electric i5s and the entry-level 520i mild-hybrid petrol.There are three de facto trims for UK buyers: M Sport, M Sport Pro and M Performance (as represented by the range-topping i5 M60). The last two are distinguished by exterior styling elements (illuminated grille etc) and gain extra interior kit.

Bold, cleverly configured hatchback-cum-SUV was a trailblazer in 2021 but where does it stand today? The Hyundai Ioniq 5 made a powerful statement, when it first appeared on the UK car market in 2021, for a car maker looking to really capitalise on a competitive advantage in electric cars that it had already spent close to a decade building.From its chiselled styling, to its 1980s retro body proportions, to its eye-catching ‘parametric’ lighting features, this family-sized ‘CUV’ hatchback was made to stand out. So many years later, it still does.However, while this car has been through incremental changes since that market launch, including the addition of the red-hot drift-enabled Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, the rest of the mid-sized EV market has been seeking to aggressively rein in Hyundai’s established lead when it comes to fully electric family cars. So life now isn’t quite as straightforward for a car that went straight to the top of its class three years ago. From Polestar to BMW, Mercedes and Lexus, there are now plenty of premium brands targeting the Ioniq 5’s positioning from the top down, while the ranks of Europe’s bigger-volume players, among them Skoda, Cupra, Peugeot, Renault and others, look to move in from the bottom up - and so many emergent Chinese brands like BYD and MG Motor effectively seek to pull the rug out clean from underneath it.Under such competitive pressure, how is Hyundai’s all-electric poster child ageing in the market - and exactly where does it sit next to so many fresher rivals? We ran the ruler - and the road test timing gear - over a mid-range, single-motor, 77kWh Ultimate model to find out.