Car review

EV ushers in third generation of Peugeot’s family SUV and a platform that will underpin endless Stellantis group models Never has a Stella been so significant. No, not a pint of Belgium’s finest enjoyed at 6am in Luton Airport to kick-start the holiday of a lifetime, but rather Stellantis’s new STLA (pronounced ‘Stella’, geddit?) architecture.It’s going to underpin two million cars per year from the diverse brands within the Stellantis stable and the first of them is the third-generation Peugeot e-3008. Given the current Peugeot 3008 has been a phenomenal success for Peugeot since its 2017 launch, selling 1.3 million units in 130 countries, the pressure is on the new car to not just keep that run of form going but also to ensure sound fundamentals for so many other models to come.The e-3008 launches at a similar time to another car fitting that description, the Renault Scenic, and has a broad spread of rivals ranging from the likes of the Kia Niro EV to the Tesla Model Y.

The most affordable Tesla yet is tempting on the face of it, so should you yield or resist? In many respects the Tesla Model 3 is the car Tesla always wanted to build when the company was formed in 2003. A relatively low cost, high volume electric car that promised to be as easy to use and enjoyable to drive as its internal combustion rivals.Indeed, the compact executive saloon has gone on to become one of the best-selling EVs the world over. In fact, in the UK it has even topped the monthly sales charts outright on occassion, although that's as much to do with Tesla flooding the market with new arrivals all in one go when boatloads of its cars arrive on Southampton docks.Either way, the Model 3 has the kind of appeal that started to wean the world off internal combustion for good. And while it effectively started its life in a class of one, today's highly updated Model 3, often referred to as the 'Highland', goes toe-to-toe with major manufacturers, primarily in the form of the BMW i4 and Hyundai Ioniq 6. But upstarts such as the BYD Seal are also increasingly becoming sparring partners for the Texas-based firm.As the number of worthwhile alternatives continues to grow, is the Tesla Model 3 still the ultimate choice for everyday electric driving? Find out below as we test drive the heavily updated Model 3.Range at a glanceAt the moment the range consists of just two models. The standard Rear-Wheel Drive with a WLTP range of 344 miles and a Long Range with 421 miles.The entry-level model Rear-Wheel Drive starts from just under £40,000. This unlocks the stellar electric range already mentioned, as well as single motor powertrain that will complete the 0-60mph sprint in 5.8sec.The Long Range Tesla Model 3 ups the stakes with two motors and more power (although how much more is hard to say, as Tesla refuses to divulge any figures), clocking 0-60mph in a sports car-baiting 4.2sec.Top-of-the-range Performance models have yet to be announced, but we expect them to arrive at a later date with a 0-62mph time starting with a 3 and a range that falls between the Rear-Wheel Drive and Long Range.

Four-seat grand-tourer brings yet more performance and luxury to the business end of the market The 2020 arrival of the Taycan left us scratching our heads about the long-term future of the Porsche Panamera.Having two very similar models in the same line-up sounded like a peculiar game plan, even with their distinct power sources – one an electric car, one with internal combustion.Those musings are now history, as Porsche has confirmed that its ICE luxury saloon is here to stay. Indeed, this new third-generation Panamera should be available in the UK until 2030 at the very least.

Do PSA Group mechanicals herald a new era of success for Vauxhall's fifth-gen Corsa supermini? If you’ve ever toiled for nothing, you’ll understand the predicament in which Vauxhall and sibling Opel found themselves in November 2017. By then, a heavily refreshed Vauxhall Corsa was three years in the making and ready to go in engineering terms and, despite a prognosis for slowly declining commercial success, it was expected to make a decent splash.Then the PSA Group – French manufacturing giant and owner of Peugeot, Citroën and the reborn DS – bought Opel-Vauxhall from GM for £1.2 billion and the decision was made to ditch the Vauxhall Astra-platformed model, which had already been more or less signed off, and instead build a new new Corsa on the CMP platform due to underpin the Peugeot 208 and DS 3 Crossback. The project’s chief engineer, Thomas Wanke, insists it was an easy decision to make.So here, then, we have the first Corsa to use a truly modern French skeleton and PSA-sourced vital organs, all developed from the ground up in less than two years. Getting it to market in such a compressed timeline has been some achievement. But Vauxhall knows the effort has been worth it, because a platform that is more rigid and lighter and can take a broad range of powertrains was absolutely needed in order for the Corsa to raise its game in the face of stiffer rivals.Where, then, does all that leave this latest model in a field that includes the accomplished Renault Clio and the sharp-handling Ford Fiesta and Seat Ibiza Let’s find out.The Vauxhall Corsa range at a glanceUntil Vauxhall Corsa-e arrives, UK customers have a choice of two petrol engines and a sole diesel. The entry-level 1.2-litre PSA Group three-pot develops just 74bhp but, with the addition of a turbocharger, this increases to 99bhp. A more powerful petrol engine, with 129bhp, is available in markets other than ours, but this could make its way to the UK in the future.In terms of trim levels, there’s a fairly dizzying selection to choose from: Vauxhall’s online configurator lists 11 different specifications. These start at entry-level SE and move up to our range-topping Ultimate Nav model.Price £25,990 Power 99bhp Torque 151lb ft 0-60mph 11.2sec 30-70mph in fourth 12.7sec Fuel economy 41.6mpg CO2 emissions 99g/km 70-0mph 60.7m 

Ingolstadt's take on the Taycan combines striking looks with a high-class interior and never feels short of pace Audi’s electric car ambitions started modestly enough with plug-in hybrid versions of its existing models, but it really signalled its intent with the Audi E-tron SUV in 2018, which was designed from the ground up to be an EV from the outset. It has since been joined by the smaller Audi Q4 E-tron crossover and, most interestingly of all, the Audi E-tron GT tested here.Why interestingly? Well, like its other all-electric siblings, the E-tron GT shares its underpinnings with other EVs in the wider VW family, it’s just in this case the donor car is the groundbreaking Porsche Taycan. However, despite being very closely related (you only need look at the glasshouses and proportions of both to understand their monozygotic birth), Audi claims its take on the fast flagship saloon is very different and, as the name on the tin suggests, its car plays the elegant grand tourer to the Taycan’s sharper-edged sportster.Given the near-silent, easy-going nature of EVs, it could be argued that this approach could be even more successful than the already five-star Porsche’s - the mix of hushed refinement, elegant style and extended range (nearly 300 miles is claimed) making the E-tron the ultimate expression of the EV art. That’s not to say it doesn’t have teeth. The top-of-the-range Audi RS E-tron GT steals the headlines with its 637bhp output, but even this ‘entry-level’ model packs a maximum of 523bhp thanks to its two electric motors, promising performance that’s every bit as, ahem, electrifying as you’d expect.It is also clear that fratricidal competition isn’t on Audi’s mind, but rather it has the ubiquitous Tesla Model S in its sights - a car that has enjoyed a near monopoly on this corner of the market for the best part of a decade. Although fellow German brands have also caught up, with models such as the BMW i7 and Mercedes EQS.So, can the E-tron GT stake a claim for the legacy manufacturers, and have the engineering minds at Ingolstadt done enough to give the car a character that’s distinct and different enough from its Porsche partner? Let’s find out.